thief (of my heart)

-XXXIII- [Epilogue I]

The first rays of the morning sun began to paint the sky in hues of orange and pink. Inside their house, Lisa and Chaeyoung slowly opened their eyes, greeted by the warm glow that filtered through the traditional paper-covered windows. The soft sound of birds and rustling leaves reached their ears. Lisa stretched her arms with a content smile.

"Good morning, honey." She exclaimed in a voice that sparkled with energy and excitement.

Chaeyoung, still half-awake, responded with a soft chuckle, "Good morning to you too, Lisa." She stretched and reached out to ruffle Lisa's blonde hair affectionately.

As they sat up on their sleeping mats, they could hear the soft padding of paws approaching from the other side of the room. With a leap, Leo and Luca stepped to the middle of the room.

With a gentle rumble, Leo rubbed his head against Chaeyoung's hand, as if to say he was hungry and wanted to be fed. (Chaeyoung would argue that he was big enough to hunt for his own food but Lisa told her not to be so cruel as to throw him out into the cold).

"All right, all right, big guy. Breakfast is coming right up." Chaeyoung relented, letting out another yawn before she moved to the heart of their house

It was a space that combined a kitchen, living area and workshop. Shelves lined with jars of various minerals and herbs.

From a hidden compartment, she retrieved a jar with dried meat, a delicacy that Leo absolutely adored. As she placed the content on the floor, Leo eagerly chewed it. She also gave Luca a treat.

Then they sat on comfortable cushions around a low wooden table. Chaeyoung was brewing herbal tea and they poured steaming cups of the soothing brew to begin their morning meal. They paired it with fruits and sandwiches.

Lisa took a sip of the tea, feeling the warmth spread through her body.

"Mmm, this is perfect." She remarked.

Chaeyoung smiled back, pleased by Lisa's reaction. "I'm glad you like it. I made it with herbs I gathered from that exotic island we visited last month. Mostly jujube leaves and chrysanthemum flowers."

After their satisfying breakfast, Lisa and Chaeyoung cleared the table and made sure to secure any loose items. Putting them into small holes or folding and tying them to keep them steady.

They climbed onto the bicycles in the front of the house, an open window in front of it to have a clear view outside. Chaeyoung grasped the handlebars with a confident grip, and Lisa adjusted the gears to ensure a smooth ride.

They pedalled really quickly, making the gears engaged with a soft click. The sound of many tiny wheels and a few big ones turning surrounded them as they kept pedalling. And so the house began to move.

Lisa designed the mobile house to be a Pedal-Powered Hanok Carriage. The exterior of the house resembled a traditional Hanok but concealed within were two modified bicycles.

A series of gears and pulleys were connected to the rear wheels of each bicycle. When Lisa and Chaeyoung wanted to mobilise the house, they would sit on the bicycles, their feet resting on specially designed pedals and start pedalling together. As they pedalled in unison, the gears and pulleys transferred the mechanical energy to the wheels, causing the large wheels beneath the house to turn and set it in motion.

Leo usually walked alongside the house but sometimes he helped by running in his own wheel that Lisa built. It had the same purpose as the two bicycles, except it was much more effective.

When they reached their desired destination, they could simply disengage the bicycle-powered mechanism and lock the wheels in place, turning the house back into a comfortable and stationary dwelling.