Chapter Text
Seungmin stared into the distance, his lips pressed into a thin line. Moving was bad enough, but moving to the countryside-a whole five-hour drive away from his friends, his city, his old life? That really took the cake.
Beside him in the car, his little sister Haneul squirmed excitedly, clearly looking forward to seeing their new home. She had spent the whole drive questioning him about the new house. Did it have a backyard? How far away was school? Was there running water?
He had told her multiple times that he didn't know, that this was his first time here as well, but that hadn't managed to reach her little three-year-old brain. Eventually, he had snapped and shouted at her—so she wasn't talking to him right now. How horrifying.
They rumbled over some small paths before stopping in front of an old, slightly dilapidated farmhouse.
Was this where they were going to live?
He certainly hoped not. This house looked like it didn't have running water, let alone Wi-Fi.
Their father got out and gently rapped on the door.
"Hello? Anyone home? It's the Kims."
No answer.
Seungmin was beginning to think that the Lees
-the family they were renting from-were very rude people when somebody who had been working in the rice fields behind them working in the rice fields behind them approached, tapping Father on the shoulder.
"Mr. Kim? I believe you're looking for me?"
Father turned, looking relieved. "Mrs. Lee! It's a pleasure to meet you. I was told you have our keys."
The woman—Mrs. Lee-smiled brightly. "You were told right. Let me quickly go look for them!"
She disappeared into the house. Seungmin really hoped it would be quick. Every time his father lost something, it would take many hours and several phrases that were too rude to repeat until he found what he needed. It was almost like a very low-budget reenactment of the five stages of grief-which, if you hadn't guessed yet, was pure comedy every time.
Suddenly, his sister gasped like she'd seen God.
"Cat."
Seungmin looked up, expecting to see a feline beauty striding past, acting like the world revolved around it (it did).
Instead, it was a human.
A completely average, boring homo sapiens currently staring at him like he was about to grow wings and fly away singing Cover Me in Sunshine.
Seungmin glared at him. God, why did he have to be so nosy?
He was about to tell the guy to get a move on when the front door was flung open. Mrs. Lee
stood in the doorway, holding the keys aloft like some sacred gift from the heavens.
"I found them!"
She handed them over to Mr. Kim, who accepted them with a small bow.
"Thank you."
Mrs. Lee waved her hand airily. "No problem.
That's what neighbours are for, right?"
Father smiled. "I sure hope so." He checked his watch quickly. "We'd better get going. The The movers are probably already there."
Mrs. Lee smiled. "Well, I hope to see you again soon."
"I hope so too," Father said, getting into the car and gunning the engine. "Bye!"
Mrs. Lee waved. "See you soon!"
They rattled down an even smaller, bumpier road before stopping at an overgrown stone
bridge.
Father got out of the car. "Here we are-home sweet home!”
Seungmin stared at the bridge. "How marvellous," he muttered. "We're living on a bridge."
His father, helping Haneul out of the car, laughed. "No, silly. The house is behind the bridge!"
Seungmin rolled his eyes. "That was sarcasm."
"I knew that."
"Of course you did."
He grabbed his duffel bag and advanced on the bridge, as if thinking that if he intimidated the portal to his new home enough, it would turn into a luxury villa with a swimming pool and a smart fridge.
(Spoiler alert: it didn't work.)
Sighing, he followed his family over the bridge. On the other side, the road narrowed into a path-half dirt, half roots-that wound into a dark tunnel of green.
It was like stepping into another world.
Branches reached overhead, their leaves weaving together to form a canopy that filtered the sunlight into soft patches of gold. The air felt different here-cooler, quieter. The only sounds were the faint buzz of cicadas and the crunch of their footsteps on the forest floor.
Haneul, of course, was enchanted.
"Oppa, look!" she squealed, pointing to a trail of tiny white flowers blooming along the path. It's like the fairies made them!"
"Yeah," Seungmin muttered, adjusting the strap of his bag. "Fairies. Totally."
But even he couldn't help glancing around. The forest looked alive-not just with bugs and birds, but with something else. Something watchful. The leaves rustled, though there was
no wind. Somewhere deep in the woods, something hooted—a soft, low sound that made the back of his neck prickle.
Their father walked ahead, humming a tune that didn't quite match the mood. "Almost
there," he said cheerfully, turning to grin at them. "Mrs. Lee said the house is just through this path."
The tunnel of trees opened suddenly into sunlight.
Before them lay a clearing, wild and bright, filled with tall grass that swayed in the breeze.
At the far edge stood the house-a large, old wooden place with peeling white paint and a roof that sagged slightly in the middle. One shutter hung crooked, and the porch steps looked like they might collapse under a strong gust of wind. It looked like something he would instantly call decrepit and his best friend (from the city), Felix would insist had
"character".
He did have to admit (begrudgingly) that it had a a strange kind of beauty.
The air smelled like earth and rain.
A wind chime tinkled faintly somewhere, though Seungmin couldn't see where it hung.
And in the distance, beyond the trees, a line of misty hills shimmered under the late afternoon sun.
Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad.