That night after dinner, Shin disappeared on them. With a book in his hand and a scowl on his face, he went to the only place where no one knew to find him, the rooftop. Well, no one except Jun-Ho.
Ten minutes after he vanished from the house, Shin was sitting on top of the tiles with his knees bent to his chest. His brain was growing tired from overthinking and he hoped the silence of the night and the cool air might help him calm down. He pressed his elbows against the knees and propped his head on his palms. It was a comfortable position and he found himself quietly gazing into the distance, a lost look on his face. His mind on the other hand, was anything but peaceful.
'What the hell happened back there? I hesitated and it has never happened before, so why now?' He wondered silently, as the scenes from earlier rushed to his mind.
"I see you are still doing foolish things. I had hoped you'd grown out of them by now." A familiar voice came from behind him, startling Shin out of his reflections.
Jun-Ho appeared on the rooftop and without another word he flopped down beside Shin.
"I don't know what you are talking about." Shin said, crossing his arms behind his head and leaning back onto the cold tiles. He stared up at the sky, seemingly relaxed.
"Don't play stupid with me. I am still older than you."
"By one year."
"Still older."
"What do you want, Jun-Ho?"
Shin was starting to get annoyed, but because of the love and respect he felt for Jun-Ho he tried hard not to show it. He clenched his fists behind his head, his mouth becoming a firm line. His eyes kept staring at the stars, without actually seeing them.
"How long are you going to stay one step behind the victory line, thinking you don't deserve to cross it?"
"I did no such thing. You won fair and square. My arm was tired, and I missed the target."
"By millimeters." Jun-Ho snapped, starting to become irritated as well. Shin's stubbornness sometimes got to him.
"It is still a loss for me and a win for you."
"There will come a time when you will regret this, Shin; when you will want something so badly, you will refuse to lose to anyone else. I just hope it comes sooner rather than later." Jun-Ho finished with a sad tinge in his voice.
Shin heard him sigh right before climbing down. He was now alone, and Jun-Ho's last words kept swirling in his mind like a swarm of bees.
'As if!' He grumbled inwardly but his thoughts were interrupted when a face appeared in his mind. He could see Yoon-Yi, smiling widely at him, her beautiful features shining brightly in front of his eyes. He blinked and shook his head, trying to clear it. Yoon-Yi's face evaporated slowly, but a slight imprint still remained.
Shin cursed under his breath and rubbed his face with both his hands. Then he picked up the book that had laid down beside him and started reading. An activity, he hoped, will keep his mind sufficiently occupied as to not think about stupid things.
***
In the meantime, Yoon-Yi was sitting in her room, her mind just as engaged in thoughts as Shin's was. Jung-Hee had come to keep her company before going to bed and the two girls were chatting, discussing the events of the day.
"Do you think Shin did that intentionally?" Yoon-Yi asked the other girl, while trying to disentangle her hair from its hold.
"Oh, I know he did. Here, let me help you." Jung-Hee said, going over to the mattress and helping Yoon-Yi with her hair.
"Why would he do that?"
"The usual I suppose."
"Usual? What's usual about this?" Yoon-Yi added the last part in an undertone.
"He's always felt he doesn't deserve to win against Jun-Ho, because he is not legally a Kim. He never outsmarted him in school, nor defeated him in any fighting competitions. When Jun-Ho took the civil service examinations, Shin refused to even try, saying that someone without noble blood like him would be forbidden to take it."
"That's just stupid." Yoon-Yi cried out in indignation.
"It's just how things work." Jung-Hee said with a shrug.
She had finished braiding Yoon-Yi's hair and was now positioning herself on the other side of the mattress. She had a look of sadness and regret in her eyes and Yoon-Yi understood. There was nothing anyone could do about it. Who you were born as, determined who you were as a grownup.
'Ah, yes, I had forgotten what age we are in.' She mused with sorrow. This is an age where men cannot dream of having a position or rank without being born a nobleman. Since Shin has not been legally adopted by Kim Jong-Seo, it would be impossible for him to take the examinations.
"I think my father would have done something to ensure his chance at taking the test." Jung-Hee said, pulling Yoon-Yi out of her thoughts. "Jun-Ho and I have always had the feeling he is planning something for Shin, but every time we've asked, he just smiled and shook his head. I think he is waiting for something."
Yoon-Yi gazed at the other woman, her lips slightly parted in a puzzled expression. Seeing her looking like that, Jung-Hee smiled and shook her head.
"That is enough talking about that silly man. Let us talk about you now." She said in a gentle tone, pulling herself closer. "How are you feeling, considering what has happened to you and your family?
"I…"
Yoon-Yi hesitated. What was she supposed to say? That she was sad, scared and confused? She could say that, and it would be the truth, but the reasons were very different than what Jung-Hee thought.
"Do you remember anything about what happened that night? She heard Jung-Hee ask, the same worry and gentleness lacing her voice.
Yoon-Yi took a deep breath and scrunched up her face in concentration. She thought about the strange images she saw during the conversation with Kim Jong-Seo. The images came back, though this time they were less clear and jumbled together into a bizarre mix.
"I remember the river where your brothers found me and… I think I remember the fire." She said slowly, her brows furrowed. "When I was talking to your father that day, I also saw faces and…" a sudden image flashed before her eyes and she let out a gasp. "Red eyes… I think I saw a pair of red eyes or they were black, I do not remember, but they looked intense and frightening. And a scar." She stopped and shook her head. "It's all just a haze. There are images that I cannot make sense of. I'm sorry."
"Oh dear, it is alright." Jung-Hee said quickly, patting her shoulder gently. "It is normal to be this way. It is said that when someone goes through a tremendous shock, they can rarely remember everything clearly. I shouldn't have asked. It was insensitive of me." Jung-Hee bowed her head, a look of embarrassment and sadness settling on her beautiful face.
"No, no. It's alright." Yoon-Yi said, shaking her hands in the air. "I wish I knew more, so that I could help your father in finding out what happened. The other day when we talked, he seemed worried."
"Yes, I believe he is worried. From what I know, he and his brother did not agree on political matters, and despite being a great difference between their ranks, their ideas still clashed from time to time. That was one of the main reasons his family moved all the way to Jecheon. He gave up his position at court after a while and lived quietly with his family. Until now."
Yoon-Yi remained silent, her mind thinking of different possibilities. It was not unheard of at that time for people to die because of political differences or as an end result to conspiracies. Nevertheless, who would want to do that to a small ranking official, like Yoon-Yi's supposed father had been? Surely if anyone wanted to plot against someone, they would target a higher-ranking person like Kim Jong-Seo, for example. He was Left State Councilor, after all.
'Wait a minute.' Yoon-Yi stopped mid-thought. 'Kim Jong-Seo, was a general and Left State Councilor. What king was ruling now? Was it King Munjong?'
"Jung-Hee, what year did you say we were in?" she asked, a dreading feeling rising in her heart as she waited for the answer.
"The third year of King Munjong's reign." The other girl answered, looking completely puzzled by the sudden question. "Why do you ask?"
'The third year of Munjong's reign.' Yoon-Yi repeated in her head. 'That would mean we are currently in 1452. If I remember correctly, he took the throne in 1450 and ruled until…' her thoughts stopped abruptly and the gasp that escaped her lips startled Jung-Hee.
"What's wrong Yoon-Yi?" the girl asked in a small voice.
"Something terrible is going to happen." Yoon-Yi managed to say after a moment's hesitation. She stared at the other girl in stunned silence.
She hopped she was wrong, but history was already written.