Chapter 20

After that adventure, Yoon-Yi remained strangely quiet. She entered the palanquin and sat there gazing blankly at its walls. The image of Shin holding her came to her mind uninvited, causing her body to shiver slightly. What had happened in the glade was bizarre to say the least, but Yoon-Yi felt strangely pleased.

Shin was also haunted by the same event and was considering it in silence. The outcome of his ponderings was not the same as Yoon-Yi's, though. Feeling her body wrapped in his arms had felt strangely pleasant, yes, but it has also made him feel greatly confused and upset for some reason. Not able to figure out the reasons behind this state of mind, confusion was soon replaced with frustration. He let out a quiet groan and spurred his horse.

Three hours later they were arriving in the city Yoon-Yi had seen earlier. It was around sunset, and people were coming back carrying baskets or large packages on their backs. During those times people rarely spent the night outside the city. The dangers posed by tigers and other wild animals were quite frightening, therefore most men avoided spending the night outside.

The curfew was also something that was meant to keep the people safe. Pondering about this, Yoon-Yi remembered that in the capital the curfew bell rang around nine. In the 21st century that would have been a joke, since almost every city had a night life. Seoul also, was one of the cities that 'never slept'.

Luckily, there were still two hours until curfew. That meant they had enough time to find lodgings and to eat. They found a place that served food and also had a few rooms to rent for the night, and after Jun-Ho paid the mistress of the house, they got down to dinner.

It consisted of boiled chicken and vegetables. It did not represent much of a feast, but Yoon-Yi had never been picky about the food she ate, and apparently neither were the others. For the second time since she had arrived in Joseon, she thought about her mother's delicious meals. Resisting the urge to cry, Yoon-Yi ate quickly, not looking at anyone.

Finally, the curfew bell rang and everyone around the streets disappeared like smoke. Fighting back a chuckle, Yoon-Yi went to the room she shared with Jung-Hee. The girl had already changed and was fixing her hair when Yoon-Yi opened the door.

"Are you feeling alright?" Jung-Hee started questioning her as soon as she saw her cousin.

"Yes, I think so." Yoon-Yi replied slightly astonished, then she smiled and shook her head. She forgot for a moment how motherly Jung-Hee could be sometimes.

"It was lucky Shin was there to catch you, was it not?"

Jung-Hee had said the words innocently, clearly not suspecting what effect they could have on her cousin. Yoon-Yi chocked on air and coughed loudly. Her eyes briefly saw Shin's face, his pale skin and dark eyes staring openly at her and her body wrenched with another coughing fit.

"Y-Yes, v-very lucky, indeed." She finally managed to say, feeling her throat hoarse.

"He has always been like that. He always looks serious and angry but can never ignore someone in need of help."

The corners of Yoon-Yi's mouth curved slightly, but her smile faltered even before it was formed. Her mind started berating her previous foolish thoughts immediately.

'I should have known it was not just because of me. He would have done that no matter who it was. There you have it! Now you can stop thinking about it and move on with your life, Yoon-Yi. You have more pressing matters to think about, like how to get back home to your own time and country.'

After that, Jung-Hee went to bed, evidently exhausted by the long trip.

'No wonder they do this just once a year or maybe twice at the most. It is excruciating! I am really missing trains right about now.' Yoon-Yi rambled to herself.

An hour later it was clear that sleep would not take her anytime soon. She kept tossing and turning on her mattress, getting more annoyed by the minute. Therefore, she thought that maybe taking a bit of fresh air might help her sleep. Even during curfew, no one forbid you to go out into the courtyard of your home or of the inn you were spending the night in.

Grabbing an overcoat and throwing it over her night dress, she went out of the room.

The place was quiet, as everyone else must have gone to bed. She assumed it was around eleven at night, but she could not be sure. After all, it was difficult to know the exact time without a watch or a phone. Since Yoon-Yi had neither, she had to rely on her guessing abilities.

Her progress through the house was slow. Even though it was not a full moon, the nightly orb still managed to send feeble rays through the paper windows and doors. All of a sudden, Yoon-Yi saw a black shadow appearing around a corner right in front of her. Her foot hit something, and a shuffle sound made her blood run cold.

Berating herself for not taking the candle with her, she advanced slowly, with her hands spread in front of her, until she reached the frame of a window. She pushed it open, allowing the moonlight to enter into the small corridor she was in, and that is when she saw it. A white face appearing from the shadows, black holes instead of eyes and a frown worthy of a vengeful demon. The figure said nothing, it simply advanced towards her without making a single sound.

Yoon-Yi's heart stopped, the sudden apparition bringing back her fear of ghosts and spirits. Her body froze and she felt rooted to the spot. The only thing she could do was stare transfixed at the silent spirit that kept advancing towards her.

The moment the figure was one step away from her, it reached out its hand. Yoon-Yi's mind blanked and she let out a scream similar to those you hear in old horror movies. Her throat felt hoarse, but she could not stop. She never felt more terrified than in that moment, not even when she was taken hostage. Humans, she could fight, but ghosts and spirits were out of her league.

To her surprise, she felt a hand grabbing her and slapping her mouth shut. It was cold, but it was a human hand, nonetheless.

"Shut up! Sheesh woman, are you trying to wake up the entire place?!" A voice hissed in her ear.

Despite her initial relief, dread soon started creeping up in her chest.

'Shin!' Her mind supplied the voice owner's name and Yoon-Yi suppressed a shudder. His hand on her mouth felt even more present and her skin started to burn.

Shin released her after a moment and looked down at her angrily.

"What the hell are you doing out here at this hour?! Are you trying to run away again?" he asked, crossing his arms, and staring at her, suspicion growing inside his mind.

"N-No." she replied in a low voice, looking down ashamed. "I was just… I wanted to take a breath of fresh air." She mumbled, breathing rapidly. She pressed a hand against her chest, trying to steady her heartbeats.

"And the window could not supply that need?" Shin asked rather unkindly.

"Walking is better. I like to walk. It helps me to calm down and sleep better." Yoon-Yi said stubbornly, finally looking up at him.

Who was he to scold her for roaming around in the dead of the night, when he was doing the same thing?

"What are you doing up at this hour? I was sure you would be long asleep by now." She retorted, frowning at him.

To her surprise, she saw him looking away from her, scratching the back of his head. When he answered his voice was small and rather hoarse.

"I… I couldn't sleep."

"Well, that makes two of us." She said, a small smile forming on her lips.

"Yes, I guess you are right." Shin agreed, still looking away.

"Then how about we keep each other company?" Yoon-Yi said suddenly, making Shin's head snap towards her. His eyes gaping at her in surprise.

For some reason she thought he looked funny, with his eyes widened and his mouth slightly opened. Apparently, the look of surprise made him seem more human and approachable.

Shin turned around and led them in silence towards the small courtyard that stretched in front of the inn. Once outside, he inhaled a few times, savoring the cool air. Yoon-Yi saw him leaning his head back in order to look at the sky and that is when she noticed his hair was loose. The black strands fell graciously over his shoulders and swayed into the night breeze. His pale face seemed to gleam in the feeble moonlight.

"What about Jun-Ho?" she asked, finding the silence a bit too heavy.

"Fast asleep. He was very tired, as it was expected after such a long trip."

"What about you? How come you don't feel tired enough to sleep?"

"I had things on my mind." Shin replied casually, still gazing up at the starry sky.

"Like what?" she asked in a quiet voice, her eyes gazing at him intently.

"You." he said, his whisper directed towards the stars.

Then, realizing what he had said, Shin's head turned towards her and his eyes widened in surprise. It was as if, for a moment, he had completely forgotten she was even there with him.

Hearing his reply made Yoon-Yi's breath catch and she felt her heart race. But when his next words reached her, she felt herself deflating slightly.

"I mean, I was wondering how come you end up destroying everything around you in mere minutes." He said quickly, brushing a hand through his hair.

"Those rocks were unstable to begin with." She huffed annoyedly, looking away from him.

"Keep telling yourself that."

Before Yoon-Yi had a chance to retort, a cold wind brushed through her hair and clothes, making her shiver. She wrapped her thin overcoat tighter around her body, trying to retain as much heat as possible.

Shin shot a few glances at her and when he saw her trying to get warm, he took down his overcoat.

"Here, take this." he said briskly, throwing the coat around her shoulders, careful to remove his hands quickly from around her body.

She stared up at him and their eyes met. In that second, both of them felt something strange pass through the air, like a gentle breeze flowing through the leaves. They kept staring at each other, without blinking, until Shin looked away clearing his throat. Yoon-Yi thanked heavens for the night that surrounded them, because she was sure her cheeks were bright red. This night was turning to be weirder and weirder.

"T-Thank you." she stuttered then added in a stronger voice. "Won't you be cold, though?"

"I am alright. I am used to the cold." He said quietly.

He stared walking along the building of the inn and Yoon-Yi followed him quietly. It felt good to move around a bit. With the help of Shin's overcoat Yoon-Yi soon started to feel warmer. She wrapped the fabric tighter around her body.

After a few deep breaths, she smelled a delicate fragrance that she could only associate with him, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not identify what the smell was. Sometimes it came as plum blossoms, other times it was like azalea scent, and other times it was like the spring night.

When they reached the far wall, Shin stopped and turned so suddenly, Yoon-Yi almost bumped into him.

"We should get back inside. The night is getting colder and we have an early morning." He said briskly.

"Alright." She nodded, then as they turned towards the house, she thought of something else to ask. "Shin, how do you feel about returning to Hanyang? Are you happy to go back there?"

Shin stopped again and turned to look at her. She saw confusion on his face, as his eyes widened slightly, and his mouth opened to reply.

"Why do you ask?"

"I am just curious I guess." She said truthfully. "Everybody else seemed excited to go, but you did not. If I am to be honest, I feel scared about going there. I felt this way before, and I still feel the same way now. There is no way of knowing what is waiting for me there. You on the other hand, have a house there, a life and family. Why wouldn't you be happy?"

He pondered for a moment, regarding her in a curious manner. He looked as though he was impressed she had given this so much thought.

"I am happy for them, especially for Jun-Ho. He is going to take on a very important position. It is a big honor for our family to serve the King, and I am sure his father is very proud."

"What about you?"

"There is nothing waiting for me there." He said simply.

There was no special inflection in his voice, but Yoon-Yi could see a look of sadness and regret crossing over his pale features. His black eyes were barely visible in the dim moonlight that showered over them and for the first time Yoon-Yi wished she could see them properly.