Under the Sun

chapter 4.

chapter 4.

            A loud crash wakes a sleeping Aria.  Sitting quickly upright, she looks around the room still in a daze.  What was that?  Getting up, she slides the door open a bit and sees an old man wearing nobleman clothing stooping over.  She gasps at the sight.  Someone really did live here! 

            “Who’s there?” cries out the old man looking around the room frantically.  Aria finds it strange how he doesn’t really seem to look at anything in particular.  “M-Myung Wol?” he stammers slowly turning around. 

            Aria just stays in the room for a while feeling scared.  She certainly doesn’t want to be reported to the hojang’s soldiers by the old man.  She had to think of a way out of here.  Suddenly, the two meet eyes, although he looks slightly to the right of her as if he can’t see her.  She notices his eyes are sort of a paler brown color.  Could he perhaps be blind?  It seems the most plausible idea…

            Just to test her theory, Aria softly slides the doors a bit wider and waves her hand in front of the old man’s face.  Without any warning, the old man grabs her wrist even though his eyes hadn’t moved with her hand.  “Who are you?” he yells looking very angry.

            “I-I…” Aria stammers looking away.  He still doesn’t look directly in her eyes.

            “I asked who you were!” he bellows pursing his lips in agitation.

            “I’m sorry!” Aria cries as she kneels to the ground and rubs her hands together in apology.  “I thought this house was empty when I came upon it.  But I didn’t think anyone inhabited it!”

            For a long moment, the man is silent.  “M-Myung Wol…is that you?” he cries.  He tries to search for her with his hands.  Aria stares up at him astonished.

            “Myung Wol?”

            “I know that’s you, Myung Wol!  I can recognize your voice anywhere,” he says.  Aria stands up.  He touches the air just above her shoulders before finding them.  He starts feeling the sides of her arms and then reaching out and does the same with her face.  “Where have you been?” he asks as tears start to flow from his eyes.  He hugs Aria.

            What is up with this old man? Aria wonders, feeling very awkward being hugged by a strange old man who seems to be blind.  “Hey!” she exclaims pushing him off her.

            “Myung Wol…don’t you remember me?” he asks hurt written all over his face.  Aria feels guilty for pushing him away but the situation was just getting too strange.  “I know you’ve been missing a few months but I never gave up searching for you.”  Aria just keeps silent.  “Why don’t you say anything, Myung Wol?  Why don’t you say what happened to you?” 

            I time traveled from the 21st century and spent a month is in this crazy, messed up era! Is what Aria really wants to say but she instead answers to the old man, “I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

            “Are you mad at me?  Did you think I would not find you?  After all, you did find your way home.”  He sadly smiles.

            “W-well…”

            “Do you not remember me?  I’m your father, Shim Woon Taek, and you’re my daughter, Shim Myung Wol!” he cries again grabbing her shoulders before searching for them first.