Chapter 5 - Over The Fear
Six o'clock in the morning of Dylan, Romos, a private jet is waiting for their family in the back yard. Karl is walking on his own and Dannie is carried by Hyunkel, who also holds hand of Marm to get on the flight, heading to Papunika.
Normally the kids get up at this timing and spend the next half an hour playing with each other while dad and mom are still asleep. So the couple has no problem waking them up, there're only problems in dressing them.
It will take them five hours to reach Papunika and it will be nine o'clock in the morning at the destination when they arrive, so Hyunkel can attend the meeting at ten. They have no choice for better options. Teleportation is not permitted to use accross borders, even it's in Papunika, whose Queen is very keen on using such time-saving and environmental friendly technique, according to her.
Marm and the kids usually don't accompany Hyunkel in such short trips, for he will be back to Romos right in the afternoon. But after secretly reading Marm's letter, he knows he has to bring Marm along this time. So he waked her up this early morning and fortunately, Marm was not too grumpy for the sudden travel plan.
His kind-hearted Marm, spending all her life in caring, loving, fighting for justice and ends up being attacked, being cursed by the person she saved.
No matter how badly the compassion to opponents has held them back, he agrees with Marm on placing importances on saving people, rather than on gaining victory. Marm has changed him that way and he is glad with the change...
The flight has taken off for two hours, the kids are having breakfast independently as usual. Looking at Marm as she is reading the news, he bursts into a smile. Marm does care about what's going in the world: conflict in Teran, alliance between Romos and Benga, healthcare promotions in Carl, technologies development in Papunika, etc... He can't wait to see how happy Marm is to know she still has lots of time to live fully in this happening world.
Breaking that curse is not difficult. But he feels uneasy for Marm to suffer the fear alone during all these years.
...
"Thanks for such great snacks, Marm san. Foods of Romos have stolen my heart." People in the international trade department of Papunika are happy to have a reunion lunch with Marm in a coffee shop near to their workplace, located in the central business district of Papunika capital.
"And I miss the lunch menu here so much." Marm laughs. She considers Papunika as her second hometown.
"You get to be back, young lady. Danny is already... two years old?" Her former colleague carries the chubby Danny in hands, making a funny face to tease the kid, making him chuckle.
"I can't agree with him more, Marm. We had such a great time working as a team, bringing good businesses for both Papunika and Romos. Don't you miss those good old time, dear?"
"I do." She nods. "But my King won't want me to be back, believe me, people."
"Why is that? Speaking of which, we do miss the former King of Romos. Although the present leader of your country appears so charming."
Charming?
It totally gets Marm a choke.
"Hey, Marm."
It's a very nice voice.
It's Emmi's.
What a coincidence, but it's not that surprised to see madam ambassador here. This coffee shop is a favourite rendezvous of Papunika's governmental officers.
Marm smiles and stands up to greet her.
"Good morning!" She asks the kids, "Greet Ms Emmi, guys."
Karl and Danny listen to mom's words and carries the formal greetings cutely.
"Good jobs, both." Emmi smiles happily and exchanges greetings with fellows from Trading department, Marm's lunch partners.
There is no doubt that Marm, despite being a young mother and had a tomboyish background, is doing a wonderful job bringing up the children.
"Are you having a holiday here?" Emmi asks, although she knows there's a Yes in Marm's answer.
How lucky she is to enjoy life without having to work. This is not the kind of life I will ever be satisfied with.
"I'm not expecting this holiday." Marm is being honest. "But I love Papunika. So I'm here anyway!"
"Great. Will you attend tonight's dinner?"
"I have not heard about the dinner. We are going back to Romos as soon as Hyunkel's meeting is over."
"Ok. Then... see you next time. See you around, mates."
Walking away to her table, Emmi can't stop wondering.
She is just following him everywhere, doesn't she have her own life?
"Emmi."
The familiar voice drags her to the reality.
"Your Highness."
Emmi greets him, her lunch partner, Prince Juan of Ringaia.
He is the man who follows her everywhere and loves asking her out. Emmi is sick of that.
...
"Hi everyone!"
Leaving the boys with their helpers for a while as Hyunkel asked her to, Marm looks for him at the executive lounge of Papunika convention room, where he is hanging out with Avan and Larhalt after the meeting.
"Why are you drinking at this time?"
What else to expect. Of course they will enjoy some strong alcohol. Marm walks toward them.
"You will like it, Marm." Larhalt pours a glass for her.
Marm easily notices a new cool tattoo on his neck.
That she is checking out another man catches attention of her husband. He pulls her to his side and says, "I can have a tattoo, too."
"No, it's painful. Don't want my honey to get hurt."
Larhalt and Avan look at each other helplessly.
"Such pain means nothing for him." Larhalt passes the drink to Marm and says.
"But then he will become more attractive and..."
"Ohh... that's your true point, Marm." He laughs.
Leona's partner, he is so cool with everything.
"Sensei, here is grape juices made by our kids." Marm hands the bottle to Avan. "High quality from Romos, you gotta love it!"
"Oh... thank you..." Avan receives it eagerly.
"Sit down, love." Hyunkel gets Marm in the seat next to him. Holding her hands and looking into her eyes, he says, "I have read the letter."
"..."
Without asking further questions, Marm knows what letter is he referring to, the look in his eyes has revealed everything. But...
"What letter?"
"The one you put inside my winter sweater."
That's it. Marm's heart is pounding.
"So... sensei and Larhalt also know...?" She looks at both.
"Yes. But we all will handle that curse, Marm. No worry." Hyunkel rest assures her.
"I'm sorry to bother everybody." She gets into his warm and strong embrace, hugging him with all her strength. Pain starts speading inside her. This feeling is the exact reason why she doesn't want him and friends to know.
"Don't have to feel sorry, honey. Why are you so foolish?"
Marm's tears are on his shoulder and he can feel how trembling she is. It must be very anxious for her, to hold in her tears for such a long time. "It's just a curse caused by a dark touki, sensei will be able to break it." He tells her.
"No." Marm insists. "No one can break a curse... And there is no way to destroy the curse separately."
"How about Avan Ryuu?" Hyunkel asks.
"What is Avan Ryuu slash doing with the curse?" Marm is surprised. As much as she knows, such technique is for attacks of swords and spears that sensei and Hyunkel are mastering at.
"Its third component can override the curse, honey."
"What's the third component?" Marm questions, for she has never heard of that.
"You are not aware because you were unconscious at that time. It's a technique Mr Avan used to attack Myst when it occupied your body back then." Larhalt explains to her.
"That's right. I can use such technique to destroy the dark touki of the curse without hurting you." Avan says.
"Really? Sensei, I don't know there is such technique!" Marm is still not confident on what's going on.
"In fact, it was Hyunkel's idea from the beginning. The success will rely very, very heavily on your belief for the power of light, and, how much you remember the moves I taught you, young lady. Hyunkel believes you can handle that though."
"I'm a hard working student. I remember every lessons." Marm is sincere and turns to Hyunkel. She is so hoping she gets the idea right. "Is it true that the technique will override any curse?"
"Not only curses, but anything that's even stronger. Because it aims on the dark touki itself." Her husband confirms.
"You are not lying to make me feel better, aren't you?" Marm looks at all three of them.
"No way."
"Don't be you." Hyunkel kisses her forehead and keeps her in his arms. "You care too much for others' feelings."
"There is nothing to fear, Marm. But I can't do anything now, not until the dark touki from this curse becomes more obvious. At the moment, I can't sense its existence. You neither, can you?" Avan sensei asks.
Marm nods. "It's probably not active yet. And I don't know what kind of curse is that, even Ella doesn't know."
"No matter what it is, it can't be worse than having Myst Vearn occupy your body." Larhalts concludes.
...
"I feel so alive and energetic!" Marm excitedly exclaims. She dances and hums all the way back. "We have to celebrate, don't we?"
"Yes. And just two of us."
"Ok!" She agrees with Hyunkel.
"I will pick you up at seven tonight, no children are welcome."
She bursts into the beautiful smile. "Noted."
They stop for the traffic and he can't help from kissing her passionately. His arms are all over her and Marm soon feels that she is kept in his lab, overwhelmed by kisses that he doesn't seem to break.
"You thought you were going to live for four years and your priority was to produce two children for me. I can't believe this, Marm."
"Not only for you, it's also for Karl to have a brother." Marm looks into his eyes and strokes his hair dearly. "But yes, it's important that you won't be lonely and you will have them to live on, once I'm not around."
"You are not leaving anywhere, and our sons want to have a baby sister."
"How can you know? Karl said one younger brother crying is enough."
"He will be fine. We need to have a daughter so you can tell her the story of your wedding dress."
Marm's cheeks turn red immediately.
"But now I have plenty of years, we don't have to rush."
"Nothing is better than this." He is satisfied seeing Marm's happy smile.
They keep walking along the street of Papunika, holding hands and are amused by how beautiful life is.
"Wow..."
Marm is stunned, standing in front of the wedding dress shop. "Hyunkel, look at this." She asks.
But he drags her away. "No, I don't see anything."
Marm can see that he is smiling.
"Why? You have asked me to get married for so many times!" Marm refuses to leave the place.
"And you ignored me all those times. We can continue our lives the way it is during these years. We are happy, aren't us?"
"Hmm? Ok..." She doesn't know how to argue.
Who wants to marry him?
Hate him. Why does he change his mind?
Marm looks at him with a temper, yet still follows him along the street to their residence in Papunika. Hyunkel needs to be in Romos this afternoon. As Marm has already been aware of, he has a terribly hectic schedule this week.
End Chapter 5.