A/N:

Myrslayer, Maria Rosa cisi, Jodiemarie2910, glorialopezgl534.03, Inhwa and guests, thank you for all your kind words!

Karlamorales199812- Um... don't know if you had left the story... but, I have sent you a PM answering your question. Sorry, I didn't get to mention it in the chapters before.

This update is a bit long. At least it is longer than I expected it to be. And I know I have told at the beginning that this would be a ten chapter story, but I guess I will have to add a few more chapters. We are still in eighth chapter and there's still a lot to happen... but I promise it would only be another two or three. Five max.

Um... and I've added a small part to chapter six. I mean really small, only about two sentences, just to add you up the knowledge that Yi Jeong wears that crown-like ring in a silver beaded chain underneath his shirt. You definitely don't have to reread the chapter. And forgive me for any inconvenience.

And enjoy!

:)

soju- traditional korean rice wine.


Chapter eight: The whispering forest.

Part III

Ga Eul knew at once, when they had walked through that entrance covered in talisman, that they were not in a place they were supposed to be. She could feel it in the prickling of her scalp, in the way hairs stirred on her arms and in the coldness of the air she had breathed. No doubts, for Yi Jeong had the same feeling—she could read that on his face, when he blankly stared at the stone cat, which had its tail curled and up, ready to leap at its prey.

No need to say—it was too late to turn around. The forest behind them was veiled under the mist. And the ghost fog rose until their ankles, shimmering with its bluish light.

It wasn't the moon at all. It had been the ghost fog all along, illuminating the forest...

Ga Eul poked her forehead. Why couldn't she have figured that out earlier?

...

At that point, the only thing that came to her mind was getting some advice as soon as possible. Which could presumably be buried under loads and loads of unnecessary details or disgusting highlights, she desperately needed to know about the nature of that premise, what it held and how were they to survive that night. She knew one person with such kind of knowledge...

And that was...Baekga.

Yes. She needed to summon that annoying demon, at least for the sake of her own survival. And for that, she needed to fall asleep—or in other words, drop her guard down.

Precautionary measures were taken at once.

True—dinner was necessary, especially after what they scarcely had for breakfast and lunch—but, more importantly, she was not to fall asleep in So Yi Jeong's presence. After what he had done, not in a million years she would trust him for that extent. So she had him tasked to find that huramoni.

Secondly, for the visitors: Ga Eul grabbed a little sachet of salt out from her duffel bag, and laid a neat line along the perimeter of the room. The salt should keep any unholy creature at bay. Ghosts, mostly. Demons were an exception, but she had no silver with her at that time.( perhaps, except for her silver plated wrist watch though... which was quite useless at times like these). She was not quite sure if it was necessary in the first place, as for all the talisman pasted on that wall. But all was for the best.

She avoided the mattress and took a seat on bare floor. Ga Eul supposed her dress couldn't get any worse by then. It was damped in dew and spotted with mud. A little bit of dust wouldn't hurt it much.

She took her phone, and set a timer for thirty minutes, and curled herself up into a ball, allowing the exhaustion to carry out the rest.

...

...

Her heavy eyelids sprung open, as the timer rang in its full volume. She grabbed her phone and switched it off.

"Baekga, are you there?" She called out.

But there came no reply, no ghostly cackling nor any voice.

"Baekga?..." she called again.

But no answer. Again.

It was all...

silent.

...

Ga Eul sighed.

So far, it had been the worst day of her life. Ever since that moment she had woken up on his bed, when she had first visited the bathroom only to confirm the horrors of what happened the night before, and when Master had called them, urging them to visit him in Andong—it had only grown worse. And now, even Baekga—that stupid stupid demon—was refusing to show up.

Ga Eul took in the silence.

She stared at the mattress; its cosy covers, patch-worked with pink and blue satin. Even the candle stand was somewhat decorated. The polished brass plate at its top, reflected yellow light all around the room.

She must admit, it was somewhat romantic(if not cranky) but she was in no mood for such. By no means she would share that bed with So Yi Jeong. She would rather sleep on floor.

Ga Eul sighed even louder, and stood up, heading towards the window. Yes, the window, she had kept it open, and it was high time to shut it. The night was growing colder, just as that huramoni had told.

The withered tree was still standing outside, its lifeless branches now turned white glimmering in the faint bluish light. The ghost fog, now even dense, streamed out from its roots, like boiling milk.

Ga Eul was just about to close the window, when she glimpsed of a translucent figure. It was a boy, not much older than herself, dressed in ancient robes, all ash in colour, staring at the tree.

Her eyes widened.

"Baekga?" she whispered.

"Baekga!" She called, which didn't make any significant difference.

So, in a swift move, she grabbed her coat and headed out of the room.

...

...

...

The earthen boundary wall ran past the main house, implying that the guest house was stretching further into the forest. Yi Jeong assumed the boilers— where that old lady had told she would be—were behind the main hanok, somewhere hidden from the plain sight of their guests. A reasonable attempt to preserve their first impression—he had thought—which they had already lost by then.

...

Gladly for Yi Jeong, just round the corner of the main hanok, he had spotted a hint of red. Far off in the dark, the furnace was lit.

At his left, passed a long warehouse. Dimly lit from inside. Yi Jeong could glimpse a wearied candle in there. A few meters ahead of his right, he was passing another, rather small, hanok. Abandoned—Yi Jeong thought—as for its dishevelled roof, teared paper on cobweb-woollen doors, and old wooden walls, fading into soil at their ends.

Darkness bled out from the crack of its doors, into the moonlit garden where long wet grass had sprung up. And an unappealing scent of dust and water mingled with age, stirred some discomfort in his belly. A strong feeling of sadness and an inexplicable nostalgia hung around its corners.

Yi Jeong paused.

Pitter-patter...

Pitter-patter...

A faint whisper tickled his ears. The sound of heavy droplets splashing against wood. And... a woman, giggling. (Yi Jeong did look around, but there was none.)The sounds weren't clear, it seemed they were coming from a considerable distance, and partly buried under a thunderstorm.

Pitter-patter...

Pitter-patter...

But there was no thunderstorm.

A pale blue aura glimmered above the walls, where ghost fog had come to a halt. Though the fog didn't creep in, a light drizzle was hung on its place like a mystic veil. The night grew cold, and dew drops started crystallising on his coat. It felt strange, the heaviness in air, as Yi Jeong spotted no ghost in miles.

It was only the mysterious ghost fog, and the psychic radiation piercing through the numerous talisman.

Yi Jeong shook his head, and dismissed it all with a sigh. He focused on his task and took long steps towards the flickering light.

...

Arriving at his destination, Yi Jeong paused abruptly.

It wasn't a furnace at all. Or not the type he was expecting it to be.

In fact, it was a traditional wood kiln, earthen made, and one with its twelve ascending compartments lying behind. One that Yi Jeong had more learned-about, during those years, back when he was a potter, but never had actually used. The kiln had it's own thatched roof sheltering it from the weather. And by then, most of its flames had worn off.

"Aish..." Yi Jeong let out a sigh. "Now what?" He audibly wondered.

A long stick soundly stabbed the ground, cutting into the wet mud. "Aigooo these nasty rats! Evil little creatures... Born to destroy my poor roof! Aigoo aigoo... aigoo..."

Yi Jeong gave a flinch but turned around. It was that hurabeujji, with clouded eyes, leaning on his long walking stick.

"Anyeongsaeyo. Hurabeujji. " Yi Jeong bowed and grinned.

The old man paused, looked up and sniffed, just as the said evil creatures.

"Oh. It's you." He said. Dismissing his customer, the old man moved to the back of the kiln, grunting and swearing for each of his steps.

Yi Jeong frowned at his manners, (Which he very well knew, was useless) and gathered up his courage, to follow him.

He was led into that long warehouse, which—just as he had presumed—was lit by a single candle. An act of ignorance—Yi Jeong reckoned— as piles and piles of dried straw were stacked into the most of it. The heaps rose till its roof, and some of them, collapsed, littered the earthen floor. A small wooden table and a manual potter's wheel(one that has to be kicked on its bottom to rotate) was all swept into a corner of the room. A few bowls lied on the table, coated with dust and few with mummified insects, and more soot inside.

All of which sparked the question:

"Hurabeujji's a potter?" Yi Jeong asked.

"I had been one." The old man answered, still tapping his stick, to silence the squeals. "But I am too old for any of that now..."

Yi Jeong smirked. How pity...

He gave a kick on the potter's wheel, for which it spun, twisting the cobwebs around it. But most of the kinetic energy was wasted on a play around the axle.

"It's mostly my apprentice..." the old voice stirred again.

"Hm?" Yi Jeong caught the wheel and held it to a halt.

"Who works in here..." The old man turned to him, and Yi Jeong spotted a slight victorious pose—probably for his success with silencing the mice.

"Oh. Ye." He nodded, gazing at the bowls. Yi Jeong did not dare to touch any of them (mostly thanks to those mummified insects) but he had them closely examined.

The perimeters were smooth, and the curves were perfectly symmetrical...

"Gifted hands he had... but a lazy punk! Making excuses for everything and dodging every work!"

Yi Jeong chuckled. Of course, no wonder, whatever apprentice the hurabeujji was talking about, he sure did have gifted hands.

"So what happened to him? No longer works with you?"

"Ani." The hurabeujji turned around, and stumbled back to the door.

Perhaps he shouldn't have asked that.

Yi Jeong hesitated. "Um... hurabeujj, do we... um... does dinner include in our package?" he managed to ask, with slight regression in tone.

The old man paused, again.

"Deh. Will be served at eight." He said.

...

...

...

By the time Ga Eul had reached the withered tree, the translucent figure had sat on the ground, cross-legged and suddenly so attached to a crystalized bush.

"There you are!" Ga Eul exclaimed, grabbing her breath. "I was worried sick. You are still not mad at me, are you?" She asked, straightening up.

The boy kept silent, and ghost fog had him swallowed till waist. A bony finger pricked on an icy leaf.

"Aah... why don't you talk? Just say something..." Ga Eul sat besides him, on the frozen ground. "You are still not mad at me, are you?" She asked again in her sweetest tone (especially that last bit).

'Oh...didn't you tell me to shut up!' The ghostly voice snapped back. ' That my voice sounded so ugly! Like a cackling chicken?! Now you have got that pretty boy with you, you don't need this poor Baekga!'

He made a dramatic movement from his hand.

A cold wind blew through their hair, for which Ga Eul gave a shiver, and an owl hooted from a distance.

Ga Eul rolled her eyes. "Bianae, bianae..." she said in a sing-song way. "And cut-off that last part! I've never said anything like that? Plus, it's always you who brings up the chicken."

The demon looked away.

"Agh! Quit being so childish!" Ga Eul was nearing her limits.

'We don't grow up... and I've told you that before. If you remember...'

Ga Eul sighed. "Of course I do remember." She said. "Is it all because of that, you didn't come in?"

'Because I don't grow up?'

"Ani." Ga Eul sighed again. "Because you were mad at me?"

The demon hesitated for a moment.

...

'That cat looks scary...' he said.

"Mwo?" Ga Eul scoffed. "Look here, how old are you? One thousand five hundred? And scared of a cat?" She laughed. " That isn't even real."

The demon shot her a glare, and pulled out a face. 'It looks as if it's staring at me... as if it could see me.' He gestured with widening his eyes, almost allowing them to pop out from their sockets.

Ga Eul glanced back at the cat, and held a confused look. " So what? ... I can see you..."

Baekga sighed. 'Well, it seems pointless trying to convince something, to someone as stupid as you...' He turned back to the tree. 'Just say it. You want to know something, don't you?'

Now was the time. Ga Eul glanced back at the rest house.

"Is it... Is it really safe to spend the night in there?"

'In which way? You see... a lot of things could be meant by 'safe'... Or in second thoughts have you got any other choice?'

Ga Eul nodded, and hesitated even more. "That huramoni and hurabeujji... they seem... weird..."

'Ooh those two owls were too dead to be alive in the first place...'

"So they are alive?"

' I didn't say that.'

"So they are..." She gulped. "... ghosts?"

'Ani.'

Ga Eul shot a perplexed look. "Then what are they?"

The demon fluttered his eyelids. ' Jagi... that isn't what you are really concerned about, are you? And even in that case, I don't think you have anything to worry about. The pretty boy has got an emergency tool kit...'

"An emergency tool kit?" Ga Eul didn't get to take off her confused look.

' Mhhmmm...' The demon nodded in an know-it-all way. 'You know those long balloon-like thingies? Quite expensive stuff I guess... He has got a whole a packet of them, right in that pocket, the same one, where you keep all those cookies of yours...'

Ga Eul went silent for a moment. "Long... balloon-like..." And turned beet red.

'Ye... ye... those ones with the flavours... More fluttering of long eyelashes . ...I think he has got a three-in-one...'

Ga Eul sprung to her legs. "Aah! You_ little_" She shot him a glare, and ran back to the rest house with terribly flushed cheeks.

'... remember not to get too drunk!... the pretty boy might forget where he had kept those...'

Ga Eul heard the ghostly cackling until she passed the eerie entrance. And it continued as a whisper until she slid that door blocking it behind. The demon was grinning at her, even through the window, which she had immediately shut, returning to the room.

Ga Eul found herself staring at Yi Jeong's duffel bag...

The same one, where you keep those cookies of yours...

In it's left pocket. But she didn't dare to touch it. Instead, she pulled out a towel from her own bag, and placed her set of pyjamas on the mattress.

It seemed as if Yi Jeong was not to return any sooner.

Had he got lost?

Good.

Of course, she had plenty of time for a shower, before he would return.

And Ga Eul hoped that huramoni had put the boilers on, just as she had told.

...

...

...

"Aish!" Yi Jeong let out a curse.

In fact, he had stepped on a line of salt. Not that it had harmed him, not physically—though it did squash under his damped sock and had annoyingly stuck on to it—which was enough a mental abuse.

He took off the disgusting items, and tossed them on to his duffel bag. And looked around, scanning for the culprit. But Ga Eulyang was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a sound of splashing water came from the bathroom, and a set of neatly folded pyjamas lied on the mattress.

She was having a shower— Yi Jeong figured out, reckoning her voice merrily humming a tune. He let out an exhale (and smiled a bit), glad to see her returning back to her spirit.

...

Suddenly, the splashing stopped. And the door slid open, only to be shut immediately.

Yi Jeong smirked.

Of course... she had left her clothes outside...

He gathered up her pyjamas, and went to hand them over to her—in a way, a gentleman might have done. But, pity for him, just when he was about to knock on the door, something lacy and red, slipped out from the folds.

Yi Jeong looked down, and the colour reflected on his cheek.

...

Silence...

...

"Y-Yi Jeong sunbae?" came a hesitant voice from the bathroom.

He heard a sound of shuffling, followed by a tap-tap, from the bathroom. Ga Eulyang was probably poking her forehead, cursing her own ignorance. Served her well—Yi Jeong thought. But he was way more worried about his own fate.

Yi Jeong gulped, staring at the lacy panties.

"Ughm... Ye. Um..."

He bolted down, picked up the item and stuffed it back in place.

"Ahem..." He cleared his voice, and rather forcibly, slid a crack on the door. (Forget about knocking, she should know his presence by then.) And handed over the set of pyjamas.

...

Ga Eul got out from the bathroom after a considerable time, cuddling her old cloths and with a towel draped around her hair.

"Stop glaring at me." Yi Jeong said, ignoring her in the first place, and pulling out a set of pyjamas from his bag. "You should have taken them in with you."

"There isn't a towel hanger." She blankly answered, (carefully) stuffing back her things to her bag.

"Then, where did you keep that?" Yi Jeong jerked his head (still ignoring eye contact) towards her towel.

Ga Eul hesitated, and muttered. "On the bathtub."

...

...

Yi Jeong sighed. "The dinner will be served at eight." He said, unclasping his wrist watch.

He kept it on the cabinet, which he had had claimed for himself. It was where his duffel bag was laid, acting as an iron barrier, keeping Ga Eulyang at bay.

Speaking of whom, who gave out a cry.

"Yah! What do you think you're doing?!"

She turned away, as Yi Jeong casually took off his coat and waist coat.

"Y-Yi Jeong Sunbae!" And covered her eyes when he took off his shirt. From the crack between her fingers Ga Eul could see him, utterly unaffected, pulling out a towel, and wrapping it around his waist.

His belt unbuckled, and came the sound of posh clothing smoothly sliding on to the floor.

"Waeyo?" Yi Jeong smirked at the very red Ga Eulyang. "Didn't you say, there isn't a towel hanger?"

...

...

...

The rest of the night was uneventful, much for the delight of both of them. The dinner was served on the pyung sang outside. They were served two bottles of soju, one for each, yet none of them dared a sip from it. The food was delicious. Much better than what Yi Jeong had expected. And who volunteered to sleep on floor, giving Ga Eul the mattress.

For a few hours, Ga Eul slept comfortably and soundly , until she was woken up around midnight by the clattering of Yi Jeong's teeth.

Of course she disliked him—Ga Eul thought while distastefully staring at him—but she didn't want him to die in frost bite. So she got up, and laid the covers on him, went back to her bed and rolled the unoccupied half over herself.

Apart from all off that, the rest of the night was uneventful. Until they were to check out.

...

...

The huramoni had her tiny eyes pasted on them. Tiny, but sharp—like a vulture's—staring at her prey.

"We only accept cash." She announced.

"Aish..." Yi Jeong sighed, stuffing his credit card back into his purse. He shuffled the longer pocket and took out the notes. Gladly for him, he 'wasn't in the twenty first century' as many of his friends( especially a certain curly haired one) had pointed out.

The huramoni caught the notes (literally), jumping forward, as if to catch a bug. She counted them one by one, occasionally wetting her finger with saliva, for which, Yi Jeong had to look away.

"You've forgot the tax." She looked up.

"Mwo?" Yi Jeong took the handwritten bill.

At its end, in tiny letters (so tiny, that Yi Jeong couldn't figure out how they were written using a brush) read a statement:

Taxes include: One silver ornament(or anything at all) per night.

Yi Jeong sighed, and took back his purse. "We don't have any silver, so... I'll pay you enough from ca_"

A frail hand slammed on the table. "Silver. Is a must!"

Yi Jeong went silent, and so was the whole environment. Even the birds stopped chirping, while the huramoni leaned forward, sniffing him like a rat.

In one swift move, she snatched a silver beaded chain with a silver ring attached to it, from his neck.

Regaining his composure, Yi Jeong death glared at her. "Oi. Give it back." He demanded.

"Silver is a must." The huramoni recited again, scraching the beads from a dirty broken nail, examining them one by one.

Hesitantly though, Ga Eul stepped forward and kept her wrist watch the table. "Huramoni... would this be fine?" She asked in her sweetest tone.

The old lady glanced at the watch, then at the chain, and again at the watch... finally placing the silver chain aside. Yi Jeong quickly retrieved his possession, put it on and secured the ring under his shirt, all in all while the old lady was sniffing and scratching the watch, a bit from her nails and a bit from her yellowed teeth.

"Plated. Isn't it?" She said in a disappointed tone.

Ga Eul nodded. "Silver plated." She said, benevolently.

"Ah! Aharasso... go on. Be gone!" The huramoni waved them off, and stood up heading back to the kitchen.

...

...

The hurabeujji, who had much much better manners than his wife, guided them back to the fence.

"Hurabeujji, why would you need that much silver?" Yi Jeong couldn't help but ask.

"To keep those nasty horsemen at bay..." He answered in his ever bitter tone.

"Nasty horsemen?" Ga Eul paused over a tree root. " So... are they... ghosts?" she went pale.

"Much worse." The old man said, coming to a halt. "There's the fence." He pointed at the two thin parallel lines. "Just go straight, and don't look back."

They both obeyed; went straight to the fence and crawled underneath it. It was only a few yards away from that 'Do not enter' sign, hence Ga Eul was able to lead the way from there.

But just before he was about to follow her, Yi Jeong's curiosity took the best of him.

He looked back.

But there was nothing. Not an old man, nor his jige loaded with tools. It was just the tall trees now merrily bowing to the wind, bathing under yellow sunlight.

Yi Jeong got back into his car wondering about what had just happened.

Ga Eul was scanning around, as if she had left someone behind.

...

Ooh... don't call him now... she straightened up on her seat. Yep, they haven't left him behind.

"Who?" Ga Eul muttered under her breath.

That pumpkin with spectacles... He's probably busy distributing handbills right now... ones with you grinning like a donkey and him like a well-bred horse... Ye... ye... life is unfair...

Ga Eul rolled her eyes. They hadn't left him. And god, she wasn't relieved.

" YOBUSAEYO?!" came a scream from Yi Jeong's phone, distracting her from the annoying whispers.

"Ah... Anyeong." Yi Jeong held back the phone, a little bit from his ear.

" Where have you two been?! I've been dialling you all NIGHT!"

"Ah... it's just... we got lost." He sighed. "I'll fill you up the rest when we meet. Can you tell the directions from here. We took the left... from where... we have last called you."

The Master was silent for a minute there.

" You took the left?" they could hear him hesitate. " Um... is there any place you could make a u-turn?"

"I'll see." The engine roared back to life. "And hang in there on the line..."

Gladly for him(again) there was a place they could take a u-turn—where the fence was broken and the road was allowed to claim a chunk from the forest. Why they haven't spotted it before? They both wondered. And with much driving skills put on to test, Yi Jeong managed to make the u-turn. The Master stayed in the line until Yi Jeong's sports car turned into his dongseong's parking lot.

The next surprise came then after.

"So where did you spend the night? In the car?" Master asked casually, while his very pregnant sister was greeting Ga Eul, and his brother-in-law was carrying a heavy duffel bag inside.

It was another hanok. But a more lively one, with electricity.

"Ani. Could have been better." Yi Jeong unloaded another bag with a grunt. "We stayed in this creepy guest house, a few miles into the forest."

All went silent.

At the end, a very perplexed Master adjusted his glasses and spoke out.

"I thought that forest was abandoned for decades?"

–to be continued.