Hwayugi 2

Chapter 11

As the gloom fully lifted, Seo Mijin spoke again, "Hey."

Son Oh Gong turned to her. "You know what, I noticed that you have never called me by my name. Do you dislike me that much?"

Mijin grinned before turning serious again. "When I met you, there's this one instinct inside me that tells me to stay away from you. But another one tells me to get close to you. I was confused. My instincts never malfunctioned like that. Ever since that night, I started to have dreams of someone's life. I keep waking up asking myself, whose was it, what does it have to do with me, those sorts of stuff. At first? the waves of the dreams hit me softly, like it was poking me. But as time goes by, it started to hit me hard, slapping me in the face. Some nights I purposely lose sleep just so I could avoid my dreams."

Seo Mijin sighed. "But ever since we entered Pipa Cave and met that wench, these memories popped up, out of nowhere. It then became clearer to me when they took you away to prepare for your damn wedding ceremony."

She paused because of anger.

"What? What became clear?" Son Oh Gong asked impatiently.

Seo Mijin continued, "That the dreams were not dreams. They were memories." She added, "I remember meeting Mawang-nim. I remember owning a realty estate company. I remember going up a mountain and meeting a Fairy. I remember fighting evil spirits. I remember dying. But most especially," she stared straight to Son Oh Gong's eyes. "I remember you."

Son Oh Gong can sense that the moon and sun are starting to meet in the sky but he can't seem to peel his eyes away from Seo Mijin.

"I didn't call your name because these memories scared me, and Seungah warned me before to not meet anyone from my past life. But somehow, I met you all once again. It's like fate was playing with me." Seo Mijin chuckled. "But I can't bear to see you with another woman. So I decided to reveal myself to you niw."

A short pause.

But that pause seemed to last to eternity for Son Oh Gong.

"Seo Mijin... are you...." he can't continue his sentence.

Mijin nodded. "It's me..." she smiled her dimpled smile. "Son Oh Gong."

After she spoke his name, a veil seemed to lift from Son Oh Gong's eyes and saw clearly for the first time, Seo Mijin's real face.

"Jin Seonmi..."

Tears started to fall from Seonmi's eyes. "Son Oh Gong..."

As the sun and the moon meet in the sky, Son Oh Gong crossed to Jin Seonmi and embraced her.

"Jin Seonmi!" He stepped back just enough to look closer to Jin Seonmi. "Is it really you!?"

Seonmi nodded. "Seo Mijin isn't even my real name. Seungah just gave it to me because she got scared seeing my past life-- that it might happen again. She also put a veil on me so everyone else will see me differently." She held Son Oh Gong's face. "Like in my last life, in this life, I am still Jin Seonmi, Son Oh Gong."

Son Oh Gong nodded, tears flowing from his eyes. "Jin Seonmi, Jin Seonmi.." he repeated her name like a prayer as they embraced for the longest time.

They both felt the pull on the sun and the moon. With that, they looked up to the sky and watched the two entities.

Son Oh Gong held Jin Seonmi closer to him as Jin Seonmi held him closer, too.

They watched as the two entities slowly separate and the sky turn blue.

"Jin Seonmi, I saved the world again," Son Oh Gong spoke after the sun and moon peeled away from each other.

Jin Seonmi nodded. "I know, Son Oh Gong." She put her head on his shoulder. "I know."
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