unfortunate. | 연준 √

thirty-one

"Misfortune never arrives alone."
- French Proverb

"The climax? Really?" I sigh, rubbing my temples. Things couldn't get any better at this point, right? "So you're telling me first, we skip a few pages- now we're at the climax?"

"It's not like you've bothered to read the foreword or the exposition," He replies distinctly, almost like he hates the thought of me not reading that scary, story-telling book. "C'mon, Youra. The bare moments before you came was the foreword. The exposition started when you came to Joseon. The conflict started when you got ambushed. The rising action is, well, now- do you see what the on-going plot is?"

"If you put it that way, sure," I respond quietly, scratching my head. His foot shoves mine and I almost think he's insulting me. "What? Listen, Ho Seok. I never signed up to fix my fortune. All I was doing that night was sitting in my car, wanting to go home so I can eat peacefully and go to sleep. I never asked to fall in love with a prince or have myself falling from the damn sky- mind you, it hurts more than you think!"

"I never said it didn't. Plus, even if you didn't sign up for it, would you like to go back to Seoul early and keep your misfortune?"

"Well, I suppose not-"

"Then stop crying about it," He huffs, crossing his arms. "Look Youra, you're not only saving yourself but also other people. Don't you see that Eunwoo is happier without Sana? Besides the current events, you and Yeonjun have fallen in love? You are helping others escape their own internal misfortune that they didn't know they had."

"As if. They're a part of a dynasty, they bathe in fortune!" I reply dryly, crossing my arms. "It just doesn't make sense at this point. This story cycles and cycles like it has no end. Tell me, Ho Seok, when does it really end?"

"When you realize the main problem at hand-" He stops short, brushing his thumb over his lip. "-And the moment you fix your bad luck, that's when it ends. That's why it's called the resolution, Youra."

"This plot stuff is dumb, Ho Seok," I cough out, shaking my head. "I wish it would all just end now."

"That's what I thought when I was doing my quest too- and look where it got me," He responds lowly, avoiding my slow gaze. "I never wanted to be stuck in Joseon. It took me years to appreciate the fact that this place is far beautiful than any place I've lived in."

"What was your quest, Ho Seok?" I ask, leaning towards him in curiosity. "Of course, if you don't mind me asking..."

Man, am I nosy.

"I've told you before, haven't I?" He chuckles, shaking his head. "I was supposed to help King Choi die and I couldn't. While I don't know why he was supposed to die, all I do know was because of Yeonjun." His eyes slowly look my way- and we're pointing at each other.

"Do you think... our stories are intertwined?" We synchronize, widening our eyes. No, it couldn't be, right? He was connected to King Choi, whose wife cheated on him with a male concubine. If we got the exact time, what if he was supposed to die because of the male concubine and to avoid the truth of Yeonjun's birth...? No, I have to be overthinking this. It doesn't make sense that I, Min Youra, am connected to a guy I've never met in Seoul, Shin Ho Seok.

"It can't be, you know," He laughs it off awkwardly, both of us turning away from each other. "Besides, we're just acquaintances. It's not like you and I were meant to be or anything-"

"Don't try to make it worse than it already is!" I exclaim swiftly, scooting away from him and pointing at the sun. "See!? We missed the sun rising because of your dumb talking. Stop talking!"

"Talking is a social construct!"

"No, it's not! You use your mouth to talk so stop spouting nonsense!" I scream back, my eyes filled with fire. "Ah, whatever! You're making me mad now, go take a walk!"

"Why should I go take a walk alone?! Come with me!"

"Ah, fine!" I huff, both of us leaving the tent with our things in hand. I follow Ho Seok to what seems like an art gallery, walls, and walls full of talentless or talent-ful art. However, I guess that's what makes the art, right? The lack of talent? "What are we doing here? Are you trying to serenade me into staying in Joseon with you?"

"Even if I try, I'd doubt you'd think about staying," He eases my question off his back, pointing to a painting of the royal dynasty- of course, when some were still alive. (I'm such a bad person Youra please... please be quiet. Why are you so stupid!? Even in your thoughts!? Stupid!) "This is their portrait. Next to it is a style of Korean folk art, minhwa. Meaning "painting of the people" or "popular painting", it's told to protect people from evil forces-"

"Are you here to lecture me? I don't really want to listen to this at 4 in the morning, Ho Seok." I sigh lowly, holding my temples.

"I am only showing you that even a piece of mere artwork has protected itself and others, Youra," He turns around, stealing my sight. He tilts his head lightly, knowing he's caught my attention at last. "Have you ever thought you've become the physical version of minhwa?"

"Only until two seconds ago, sure," I stupidly reply, looking away. "They call me this female warrior... the protector who seems to save just about everyone- but why can't I save myself? Am I still a piece of art?"

"The art is selfless- it cannot see itself, yet it pours out its artistry on a canvas not worth hanging in a museum. It may be full of iridescent lines and similar personas- but it's still the same paint used on a piece of ripped paper. it still shows love to its beholders despite being one of the weirdest concepts of life. It is so beautiful, yet so dim." Finally turning his full body towards me, hands behind his back, he leans forward ever-so-slightly. "What I mean to say is- You can still be art despite being ripped in half, Youra."

"What a great way to describe a person who wants nothing more than to be ripped in half, Ho Seok!" I sarcastically rejoice, causing him to roll his eyes. We both are slowly losing balance in the mind- and I can't help but get angrier by the second. "Look, Ho Seok. I leave by Yeonjun's enthronement which means that I have to stop him the exact day of his ruling! Do you know how angry the people will get at me? At the royal dynasty? At life?!"

"That's why you're supposed to stop it, Min Youra!" He blows a fuse, holding his head. "You can't be going around aimlessly thinking you have nothing to do with Yeonjun. You know damn well that if you've known Eunwoo in the 21st century, you're damned to know Yeonjun somehow despite not meeting him yet."

"Well damn, if it was that easy, sign me up for dating him! Life would've been easier if I just met him the tiniest bit earlier, right!?" 

"Damn, can't you just think!?"

"Why do you keep 'damn'ing me!"

"Well damn, if I knew, maybe I'd be able to tell you the exact reason I can't tell you the climax!"

"And why's that?"

"Because you're literally, mentally, physically, and emotionally... involved with the Choi dynasty," He exhales heavily, words slurring from his mouth out of exhaustion. 

"You may not be a Choi... but you were going to become one at one point."