In The Arms Of Morpheus || CHOI SAN

XIII

 
 
It had been a week since Sieon had last time met San. She saw him once in the market, they had an eye contact, he smiled, she smiled back. And that's it, nothing more.

But something kept her bugging. She had seen San, in the previous two bell nights. And now, she was sure he had something to do with it.
 

"Sieon, you're probably just imagining–"

"No Chae, I'm not! Why don't you listen to me, once? I've seen him there not once or twice or thrice, but more than that. He his always running from one place to other like a little cat in search of mice... Now that I think if it he kind of reminds me of a cat," Sieon kept on speaking fastly like reciting a poem, "Like, look at his facial features, just like a clever cat, who can lull you into his plannings."

Chaeyoung raised her hand up and interrupted, "Sieon, i think you need to calm down–"

"That's the thing! I can't calm down. I've been keeping it in for some time because I knew you wouldn't believe me but you need to, Chae, because–"

"Stop! Now..." Chaeyoung suddenly stood up making Sieon sit back down on her chair, feeling defeated. "We, have a customer."

Sieon turned to look at the door of the shop and she was met with a familiar pair of eyes.
Pair of eyes she had just then compared to a cat's.
There stood San.

"God, no." Sieon muttered and slowing stood up from her chair and as a habit, she bowed. San was expressionless for a moment before his eyes suddenly disappeared as he smiled.

"What happened? Were you talking about me?" He pointed to himself and fully entered the shop then.

Sieon could swore she didn't hear a single sound of their shop's bell or else she would've been careful.

"N-No–" Chaeyoung was cut off.

"What made you think that?" Sieon asked San.

"Well, you both stopped when you realized that I was here."

"But that doesn't mean that we were talking about you." Sieon took that matter in her hands because she knew Chaeyoung wasn't good at lying or hiding. "This is something I would like to stay between me and Chae. Hence, I stopped."

The shop went silent afterwards. Until Chaeyoung spoke up, "What is the reason? For you to be here."

"Oh, Yeosang gave me this receipt. He said I'll get the clothes by showing it." He held out the ink filled chit and Sieon took it, passing it to Chaeyoung as she was the one who had given it to Yeosang.

"Sure. Wait a moment." Chaeyoung went inside her house –which was connected to the shop.

Why did she even have to keep them inside? Sieon thought.

She glanced at San and then back at table. San was staring at her, still smiling. He was at least expecting her to be a little more frank as they weren't just  villagers now. They were friends, too.

"Here," Chaeyoung came back and handed him the paper bag in which the clothes were neatly folded and packed. "They were completed yesterday morning."

"Thanks. He had done the payment right?"

San smiled again when Chaeyoung nodded and he nodded back. He turned to leave after waving at Chaeyoung and Sieon, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight. Come again!" Then, Chaeyoung turned back to Sieon and her expression changed. "You should really be aware of who may be here."

"I didn't even hear him come though."

"The door wasn't completely shut. I had opened it to let some air in." She sat back in her chair, "I'm glad you didn't take his name. What will we say if he hears us?"

"Come on, Chae. He didn't and I'm sure he won't." Sieon held the forgotten frame again and continued to do embroidery.

"But Sieon, let's be real." Chaeyoung's voice turned serious and the younger female looked back at her, "I'm happy that you honestly tell me when you go out at night, but don't you think it's too much? You yourself told me that you had almost gotten hurt but you never understand. Sieon, be realistic and stop it. You should never, ever come out of your cabin at night especially when it's the bell night."

Sieon hadn't really been scolded by Chaeyoung but she fluttered at the thought that someone cared for her. She sighed and smiled, "Sorry. I'll try."
 
 

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"Here!" San threw the paper bag on the table as he announced the only person in the cabin, that he was home.

"You're acting as if you did a favor to me when it's the opposite." Yeosang stood up from the couch and took his clothes, placing them neatly in his shelf.

San shook his head, "But Yeosang, I–" He stopped mid sentence.

"You what?"

"Nothing..." San stood up from the chair and picked the neatly folded matress. He spread it on the the ground where he was supposed to sleep and laid there. "I'm tired, so I'll sleep."

"You aren't changing?" Yeosang asked.

"Nah. Will do afterwards." He looked back at Yeosang and hugged his bolster pillow tighter. "Besides, I have found a new work to do now."
 
 

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"I'm happy that you honestly tell me when you go out at night, but don't you think it's too much? You yourself told me that you had almost gotten hurt but you never understand. Sieon, be realistic and stop it. You should never, ever come out if your cabin at night especially when it's the bell night."

Sieon remembered Chaeyoung's words and decided against her decision of going out. She stepped back from her door and went to her bed again.

There was nothing she could in her singular square cabin. A cabin, where cabinets, cupboards, a tiny kitchen and sleeping place were all together. Fortunately everyone had a separate, small room for washrooms.
There was really nothing she could do. If she had a source of light, she wouldn't be drowned so much in eerie thoughts or bad memories which she didn't want.

But could anything stop her?
No.

There she was, once again, out when she was forbidden to. In the Bell Night.
But she was careful than ever, or so she thought.

Ever since the second attack, she was terrified and had been more careful. But she wasn't terrified enough for not to come out if her land.

She stood beneath a huge Palm tree remembering what her aunt used to tell her; “Young girls like you, shouldn't stand beneath any tree after sunset. It can be ill-fated for them.”

Sieon chuckled at the memory and suddenly felt a weight on her chest. What will even happen to her even if she was standing under a tree, late at night?
Her fate was already a mess and no less, poor. She didn't have to worry about it.