As a Fixer, it's Jane's job to go back to the past and make sure certain events happen as they should. But when her unit breaks down one day, she finds herself stuck in 15th century Korea.
With blond hair and blue eyes she soon discovers life can be...
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"Ya! Ho Gi-Kyong-ssi, is this how you spend your days now? No wonder you don't have time to come and see us." There is laughter, but it doesn't come closer. Are those his friends? I understand now why he embraces me, it's to hide me and to avoid an introduction. The laughter fades in the distance, but only when there is no more sound than the leaves in the breeze, does Gi-Kyong lets me go.
Blood is racing through my veins, it's almost louder than the wind. My breathing is labored as if I've been running for my life and a bit embarrassed I turn my head away from his inquisitive gaze. Just to make sure I fully understand his actions, he explains: "They would have come over. They're good people, but might ... talk too much."
I swallow. "Won't they talk now anyway?"
He had to understand my meaning with only those words, because I couldn't bring myself to elaborate. His friends would talk for sure, they would want to know which girl was held in such an intimate embrace by their friend. I don't know much from Korean etiquette, but from the limited touching I've seen the family do and the overly polite way in addressing me and each other, I can deduce an embrace is a pretty big deal. There is no way this will be left alone.
Gi-Kyong's worried expression fades and he shrugs. Perhaps this is normal behavior for the young men here. A little cuddling with the farmers daughters every now and then? Has he done this before? My eyes widen, but he doesn't look at me. Instead he stares a while in the direction where his friends disappeared to and then, as if nothing happened, he continues to pull out weeds.
After a while my heart is recovered enough and I move away from him to do my own thing.
When he calls me for lunch, he seems to have forgotten the whole thing as he pours me water and hands me the usual bowl of rice that is somehow still warm. While we eat, he keeps adding pieces of fermented vegetables to my bowl that must have been inside the bag as well. After the third time, I can't help myself, I giggle.
The giggle turns into a laugh and soon I have to grab my stomach. Howling with laughter I try to hold on to my bowl of rice. Sensing there's not much hope there, he quickly takes it away from me. I roll to the side, tears running down my face.
When the fit has finally passed, I heave a very deep sigh. I don't even know why that just happened. The situation wasn't even that funny. Was it the tension? The situation we were in? The thought about what his friends must be thinking? Something like that, probably. I wipe my face on my sleeve, bite my lip when I look at Gi-Kyong and accept the bowl he cautiously hands back to me.
---
When we return in the evening, my concerns proof to be correct. As soon as we enter the house, Mr. Ho stands up and motions his son to follow him. Anxiously I stare at their backs until they disappear from sight. When I turn back, Mrs. Ho eyes me with suspicion. I immediately know what must have happened. Gi-Kyong's friends must have run into Mr. Ho in town and asked him about me. How would they have done it? With respect of course. Perhaps they offered congratulations on an upcoming celebration, thinking it was a bride they had seen in their friends arms. Mr. Ho would have asked what they meant and they would have described the scene.
