Kang Chi: Beyond Life and Time

Chapter 22: Beyond Time: Reliving the Past

Kang Cheol headed out to Namwon early in the morning, before Yeon Seok began calling. Surprisingly, he reached his destination without a single notification from him. He headed straight to Jirisan National Park and began hiking to his secret place.

When he reached the ruins of the house, he walked pass by it and went further into the forest, until he came into a shallow river. Then, he followed the path of the riverbank and ended up outside a small cave. He looked around him, as if taking notice of what had changed during the years that had passed. He took a few more steps to his right, away from the cave, and stood still on a grassy patch, as if waiting for something to happen. Then he felt it.

A wolf emerged from the small cave, but it did not go any further. He turned around and looked at it straight in the eyes. The wolf retreated to where it came from.

This is it...the exact same place...where I first met Yeo Wool...in this lifetime.

He stood there for quite a while, still as a statue. Han Wool's narration of the event based on his father's point of view could be more accurate than how he remembers it. But to his surprise, everything came flashing back to his memory like it happened just yesterday. Every detail as vivid as a high-definition movie.

Little Yeo Wool was wearing a blue jumpsuit and pink sneakers, her long black hair in pigtails, and she was clutching a plush toy as she ran. He remembered how he felt and smelled her fear, and he could see that she was close to crying. When she fell forward, she curled herself up, hands over her head, as if accepting that it could be the end of her. He leapt to intervene, to purposely save her, as the wolf's fangs sank onto his forearm.

"Ppalli ttwio!" He shouted at her. She stood up and ran away.

After he pacified the wolf, he searched for the little girl, but she was already nowhere in sight.

Gopumcheorom....

He released a sigh of half-relief and unease. He was glad that the wolf did not get to her, but could she find her way back to her parents? Could she really be safe by now?

He swept his hand through his hair in an attempt to brush away from his mind the traces of what just took place, and the pink plush toy bunny caught his eye. He bent down and scooped it up, wondering if she would miss it and attempt to come back for it.

But she did not.

After a good hour of sitting, waiting, and contemplating on the riverbank with the toy in his hands, he stood up and retraced his steps back to his cabin-or what was left of it.

The toy! It's in the cabin!

Twenty-three years ago, there was still some remains of his cabin. But now, there are just pile of stones. He walked around them, as if searching for something. He singled out the largest pile, began removing the stones one at a time, and dug the earth to reveal a small metal box that he buried twenty years ago. It contained some small but important mementos of his life through the centuries-his hair tie, a knife, a bracelet, and some other stuff-together with the plush toy that he wrapped in plastic.

He took the box with him. Inside the car, he was planning his next encounter with Yeo Wool, when....

Jamkkan...Naneun yeogiseo mwohaneun geoji?

Surprisingly, he unwarily drove to Master Dam's house, where So Jung resides. He closed his eyes in disbelief and rested his head on his arm propped on the steering wheel. When he had decided what to do next, he straightened up and was startled out of his wits.

"Kkamjjagiya!"

So Jung was standing close beside his car, as if waiting to be noticed.

"Eo, neo wasseo." So Jung began. "Deureoo." He invited.

He released a heavy sigh, without thinking twice, immediately got out of his car and followed So Jung inside.

"Junim, we have guest. Kang Cheol Daepyonim ga wasseo."

He waited for Master Dam's head to pop through from the kitchen to greet him, but he was nowhere in sight.

"Eo...Ijo beoryeosseo...He went out."

So Jung turned to him and looked at him straight in the eyes. He, on the other hand, is still processing everything, especially as to how and why he ended up there with him.

"Hae. Mureobwa."

Jamkkan...Hyung is telling me to ask him? Mwoya?

"You must be careful." So Jung answered before he even uttered a word. He had not asked anything yet.

"Sadness and pain are still entangled with your fate...."

"Jamkkan...Mworagoyo? What do you mean? Seul ma...."

So Jung just silently stared at him. He never uttered another word, but his expression implied concern.

"Hyung...Geuge museun marijyo?...Jebalryo...."

"It is what had been said."

What does it even mean? Sadness and pain are part of everyone's life. In a sense, it's part of everyone's fate. But how come it sounded ominous when So Jung Hyung said it?

"Does our past fate have something to do with our present fate?" He finally asked. "Because I can't accept it. If we weren't able to change our fate then, I will do anything in my power to ensure that Yeo Wool and I will be together now. I will not take it otherwise."

"Then you must be prepared. Difficult times are ahead. Fate is an adversary that everyone struggles to overcome, but only a determined few triumph against it."

"Fate succeeds because man lets it get its way. When someone thinks that whatever he does, his fate will still take place, then he has given up on himself. Such mindset will never change his fate and will take away his chance to make a new one."

"A man is a human. And humans are weak...."

"I guess being only half-human will do me a lot of good on this...."

"Your desire and pursuit to be one may impede your struggle against your own fate. You mustn't be presumptuous."

He fell silent after So Jung said those words. Being fully human has been his goal all his life. His love for Yeo Wool gave him purpose. He must unite these two to be able to change his fate.

Since Yeo Wool passed on from her previous life, he chose to accept a life without her. During those times, it seemed that he always had no other choice, because having to choose between options that all have grievous outcomes could hardly be called as such. And when someone could not do anything to change his situation for the better, they blamed fate. But being alive for more than four hundred years, he soon learned and proved to himself that a person does not run out of options. Thus, a person can change his fate.

He had blamed fate for Yeo Wool's previous tragic ending, for the two of them having to part ways, and for not being able to love each other for the rest of their-or at least, her life. But he knew better now. His fate will be how he makes it. He needed to be at the right place and do the right things at the right time to achieve the right results.

Whether he finds the Gu Family Book or not, he should not be much too concerned about it, because a human's life is short compared to his. Thus, what is more important is every moment of Yeo Wool's life, and how he can be a part of what remains of it.

If his options would be between keeping on living as a divine creature by giving up the search for the Gu Family Book to focus on pursuing Yeo Wool, and finding the book in order to become human then pursue her...he must be wise. He should not be presumptuous. He must use both his heart and mind in making his choice. Because the outcome would be his fate.