2. HIM

     ~Kim so hyun as Hani~

. ~Hani.~.

It was a long drop from the sky and a hard drop in the river.

The mischievous look Min had on his face was for the pain I was about to get from the fall, my head ache's  as I drag myself from the water to the bank of the river where I immediately fall down flat on the grass.

I sigh, closed my eyes and listened to the sound of my heart beat.

After one thousand, two hundred and fifty years I have been left out to the light, to see the world I had once lived in, to see the blue sky and foggy clouds that floats in the sky which always captivates me anytime I look at them.

I sigh again to release the tension that is building up in my mind, I needed six months to look for my mirror in a new and improved world where I knew nobody and have nothing for myself.

No riches, no home, no food or clothing and in this world, I have to find my mirror if not something bad happens.

I sit up after hearing a loud sound from the huge bridge feets away from me.

A frown fills my face as I begin to study the world I have been thrown into.

There are a lot of strange things which have been developed through the years I was locked up, On the bridge I see a strange transportation that doesn't  need men to carry it around, there are really tall buildings that soured up to the sky like a pagoda but much finer, the use of earth materials such as iron, lead, copper all which we had to fight for in my days are being used around.

Seeing all these made me to remember my brother who was quite dexterous; always saying the world will be comfortable one day with the things he made I feel my heart grow heavy as I cant even remember what happened to them that day and the fact he will never get the chance to see what the humans have made, the beings whom were once looked down upon.

Gnawing at my bottom lips I nod; the world has truly become refined.

I turn my head to the other side to see a beautiful paved road that divides the river and land. Then there is the water where I had died before.

It's  surprising and at the same time freighting, is this connected to how I ended up in the cave?

Why did i even die in the first place? I ask myself since that fool of a scheduler refused to answer me.

"Aargh this is so frustrating!" I cry gripping my hair in my hand while kicking my legs against the soil.

I raise my head to stare at the river deeply,  in hopes I will be able to remember something then I will be able to begin my quest.

Though the lands have changed am sure with the amount of magic I have in me I will be able to figure out something, or even a shortcut to my entire problem.

I glance at the gleaming sun which heat sooths my face, then I fall back on my back and I close my eyes allowing myself to inhale a big deal of fresh air which I couldn't  breathe in, in the dark cave I was locked up.

Slowly my eyes begin to get heavy and before I knew what was happening I had fallen asleep, on my back on the bank of the river.

When I open my eyes, I see the sky changing from its blue to a sunset orange, the scene melts my heart but I do not even have the comfort to stare at it peacefully without thinking of how miserable I have become when I was once a princess and a queen.

I felt like cursing the two brothers who sent me down here without anything to help me navigate through in this new world that has been created, or did they think a miracle was going to happen since "it has all been planned" as Min said before pushing me out through the door?

Which miracle?

It's  not like the heaven's favour me but I can't  sit here and grovel on nothing, I need to figure out how to survive.

As I stand up I am met with a long ascending array of stairs, I groan as I stared at the stairs in front of me, Aja! I can do this.

I wish I can wait for help but it seems like its a world where you can only help yourself plus nobody is passing by.

With a step at a time, I go up the stairs while glancing at the trimmed grasses and flowers beds that adorned each sides of the stairs. I finally get off the last stair, there I stand alarmed as I see people fully swamped here.

Is it because I have been away from the world for a long time? But it feels really uncomfortable to be in the same space as other creatures.

The air here is different from the one down, there is a hint of spiciness and sweet in it which makes my stomach growl in hunger, if I was in the cave I would have been served dinner already. I pout feeling a bit disappointed in me that I thought of the place I have always longed to escape.

Unlike I who is dressed in a dirty hanbok, most of the people are dressed in free outfits that are not cramped up, they do not wear hair accessories like the one's  I have seen in my time.

"Ajummah, Is this path yours?" I hear a male snarl from behind me jolting me out from my observations.

Alarmed, I move to the side to see two men in their early twenties standing, one with red hair and an attractive ear puffs around his neck, the other with ash hair holding a tray with four wheels.

They both had a foul stench coming from them and an unpleasing scowl across their features, I stare at them the silence that hangs in the air turns into tension for me "sorry." I apologized with a little duck of my head.

I turn to walk away when am held back. "Is that all?" he asks, the man with ash hair. I look at him puzzled, do I need to say more than what I have said?

The red-haired answers my unspoken question, telling me an apology like that isn't accepted by the society.

He grabs me by the arm and tells the other to show me how its done. The other complies and begins to dance around while rubbing his palms together, he sings "I am really sorry. " over and over again. Like how slaves plead for mercy. They are crazy.

Off guard, the red-haired grabs my face in his left hand telling me that is how am supposed to apologize, he staggers back.

When I do not speak his eyes spark up. "you are just a petty beggar, do it and get over with it!"  the man with ash hair yells with frustration and anger both in his voice.

Beggar, that is the only word I was able to get from him. Beggar was what he called me when I was once a queen and a princess who was only dressed in the finest of silk, bathed with the precious roses and had the best in the entire kingdom and just because I look dirty and am wearing a worn out hanbok I have become a beggar?!

In rage, i jerk my hand out furiously making him to stagger back, he loses control of his wheeled tray which rolls down the stairs and straight into the waters which was none of my intentions.

Opps Hani, a huge Opps.

His pupils have flared up and so does his nose "Do you know how much it cost?!" he screams raising his ringed fingers to hit me, he comes rushing towards me and at that time, I lose my footing and fall on my bottom.

He raises his hand up to hit me but I stared wide open waiting for his hand to land on me, then I will be able to repulse and beat the hell out of him.

One for calling me a beggar and two for touching me.

"are you crazy?" another voice breaks through as he holds the crazy man's  forearm.

A tall man with ocean blue hair, flat hooked nose, small lips and long oval face with board shoulders stood beside us, staring at him made my heart skip a beat, an unwanted feeling of knowing fills me up.

I scowl and look at him again. My face flushes when he catches me looking at him "Are you okay?" he asks with a modulated voice, his right hand reaching out to me, I nod.

Weird enough my heat begins to beat fast as I look at his fair hands and slender fingers which am yet to take into mine, I can't  bring myself to take it.

He gives me a warm smile as he bends down, he then takes my hand in his giving it a squeeze he helps me up, for the first time since I have been released, a warm and sweet feeling fills me up that I couldn't help but to smile back at him.

He turns to look at the two rude men who I was about to beat to death if he hadn't  hopped in. "don't waste your life, drinking is sweet but it does bad to the health." He says quietly, as he laces his fingers in mine.

I look at him in confusion as I remove my hair pin which is glowing bright, a sign that tells me its okay to be with this man.

I look back at our hands and an odd feeling which is not warm and sweet consumes me, its eerie and painful.

My breathing begins to seize as pain escalates throughout my chest, a vivid but blurry image of the river bank comes into my vision but it disappears soon enough without me being able to make a thing out from it.

What was that? I wonder as I look at him, tears begin to gather in my eyes.

He turns around to look at me after pushing away the men who had harassed me with a piece of paper followed by the warmest set of honey brown eyes.

Those set of eyes tells me that everything is not okay and at the same time its assuring. A drop of tears rolls down my cheeks as it feels really familiar looking into those eyes.

It's  as if I have a story with those set of eyes, a painful story that will cause me pain if I should find out.

His brows furrow in concern as he searches my eyes for answers, quickly I cleaned off the tears.

"you son of a... " the red-haired man, the hot tempered one amongst the two yells at the man who is holding my hand, a quick grin appears on his lips and he pulls me along with him.

Running away from the men who are jogging after us "fools, why will I give you my hard-earned money." He chuckles as we run pass people while I look at him.

He turns back and an exultant grin fills his cheerful face.

I know my hairpin is a good judge of character but its been 1250 years since it has scanned anybody, dose it still works?

Or...

... Should I follow my childhood reminder to never follow strangers? But oddly enough I want to follow this man, I want to know who he is, I want to understand why he feels so warm to me.

The man with blue hair...

Who is he... ?