Episode 21
At that moment, Joon-wan was tossing and turning, unable to sleep, his mind troubled by a strange unease. He felt like a frog struck by a stone carelessly thrown by a passerby.
‘Is that… even possible?’
Just a few days ago, Hanin was an earthworm wriggling in the soil. He still thought of her as a creature completely different from humans, despite her current human form.
Like a dinosaur or a mammoth from the Paleozoic era, long extinct and once considered mythical creatures.
‘Humans and dragons?’
But she claimed that the two species had interacted romantically, even a thousand years ago.
And the dragon he was currently living with claimed to understand human love, finding their dramas interesting and engaging.
Didn’t that mean she could potentially see humans… as potential mates? As romantic partners?
He couldn’t ignore the possibility, regardless of whether Hanin actually had feelings for him. The difference between “absolutely impossible” and “remotely possible” was vast.
‘Is she a woman… or should I even categorize her as such?’
The being who had lived for over a thousand years, worshipped and interacted with humans, now appeared to him as a woman.
‘Is it okay for me to be this close to Hanin?’
The extraordinary creature was sleeping soundly, just a few rooms away.
He had no intention of pursuing anything romantic, and it was absurd to even consider such a thing. Even love between humans was difficult, with differences in nationality, beliefs, upbringing, and values. Interspecies romance was simply out of the question.
‘It’s impossible. And it’s not my type anyway.’
He couldn’t sleep, needlessly worrying about a scenario that was unlikely to happen.
‘This is ridiculous. She’s probably not my type either…’
He found his own thoughts absurd, but sleep eluded him.
The next morning, he made toast with cream cheese and strawberry jam, wondering if she would even eat such a thing. Hanin devoured it with gusto, her eyes sparkling.
“So, where are we going today for our exploration of the world?”
Joon-wan looked up from his coffee.
“You said you would show me the real world if I was good yesterday, didn’t you?”
Her face was filled with anticipation.
“…”
The words he had carelessly uttered the previous day, forgotten until now, echoed in his mind, amplified by his sleep-deprived headache.
“If you’re good today, I’ll take you to see the real world tomorrow. So, don’t be too bored.”
He hadn’t meant it seriously, but he replied calmly, his expression unchanged,
“First, finish your breakfast and wash up.”
His mind raced as she ate.
Where should he take a dragon who wanted to see the human world, a creature that had lived for over a thousand years?
He maintained his poker face until Hanin, clearly excited, disappeared into the bathroom. He then grabbed his phone and began a frantic search.
‘Art museum? Aquarium? Cinema? Amusement park? Would she even enjoy riding roller coasters when she can fly?’
He scratched his head, his brain overloaded with last-minute research.
As he scrolled through his phone, a call interrupted his search.
“Oh.”
He accidentally answered the call. It was his mother.
“What’s up, Mother?”
[Are you really not seeing anyone?]
“Excuse me?”
He had no idea what she was talking about. He frowned involuntarily.
[Didn’t I tell you I consulted a shaman about you recently?]
“Mother, please. Did that shaman tell you to perform a gut(ritual)?”
His mother, Mrs. Yang, was a rational and meticulous woman when it came to business, but she became frustratingly irrational when it involved her sons. Of course, it was mostly because both of her sons were refusing to get married or inherit the family business.
“Mother, it’s all a scam.”
[Don’t interrupt me. I’ve lived longer than you and met enough people to know the difference.]
“…”
He massaged his temples with his free hand, his head throbbing.
[I visited that shaman again, and she mentioned you.]
“What did she say?”
He was curious to hear what kind of nonsense she was peddling to exploit vulnerable people.
[She told me to be supportive.]
“Excuse me?”
[She said your marriage luck has arrived, so I should be supportive no matter who you’re dating.]
“…”
[She said if you miss this opportunity, you won’t meet anyone in this lifetime. So, even if I don’t approve, I shouldn’t interfere and just give my blessing. She said you’ll live a lonely and miserable life if I don’t.]
Joon-wan chuckled dryly at his mother’s words.
[I’m fine with anyone as long as they’re not a criminal.]
“Mother, I’m busy right now. I have to go.”
[So, don’t worry and bring your partner home whenever…]
“Goodbye.”
He hung up the phone.
‘What kind of shaman is that?’
He sighed.
‘Why is Mother doing this… She should give up by now.’
He hadn’t been in a serious relationship, but it wasn’t like he had never dated. He was far from inexperienced.
He had received countless offers, people willing to wait indefinitely for a chance to date him.
‘What am I even looking for?’
But he had always grown tired quickly. He would feel a sense of exhaustion as soon as a date ended or a relationship progressed.
‘What am I doing?’
Relationships were supposed to be joyful and fulfilling, but he felt nothing.
‘What am I testing? What am I waiting for?’
He didn’t understand himself. The more someone pursued him, the colder he became.
‘Am I emotionally numb?’
Perhaps he was. And if so, wasn’t it disrespectful to even attempt a relationship?
‘I won’t date just for the sake of dating.’
He had stopped trying the moment he realized his heart was frozen, incapable of accepting anyone. He had decided to avoid romantic pursuits until his heart thawed.
And now, here he was, about to go on a day trip with a member of a different species.
‘I don’t know.’
If Hanin were an ordinary person, he would have taken her for a walk by the lake, enjoyed some cultural activities, dined at a fancy restaurant he had booked in advance, and had a few drinks at a cozy bar.
‘What if she causes a scene in a crowded place?’
But she was a dragon, a creature prone to unpredictable behavior.
He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. In such situations, minimizing variables was the best course of action.
In other words, taking her somewhere familiar. He decided to take her to a museum.
‘A history museum would be perfect for someone curious about human behavior.’
“Hmm…”
Hanin, dressed in the clothes he had bought her, stood with her arms crossed, observing a Goryeo celadon vase.
“…”
In her tweed jacket and ankle-length skirt, with her mouth closed, she looked like any other modern woman.
He approached her, noticing her tilted head, and asked, “Do you have any questions?”
“…”
She looked at him with an unreadable expression.
“Would you like me to explain?”
“No, I’ll just observe.”
Her expression was enigmatic.
It took about an hour to tour the permanent exhibition hall.
“…”
She paused before certain paintings and calligraphy, spending more time than she did with other artifacts, but her expression remained unchanged.
The same enigmatic expression lingered as she sat before the elaborate dishes served at the upscale Korean restaurant he had hastily booked.
“…”
He could have ignored it, but once he noticed it, it became increasingly distracting.
“Is something wrong with the food?”
“No, it’s delicious.”
But then she returned to her “Hmm…” expression.
“Then what’s the problem?”
“No, it’s not a problem, but…”
“Spit it out.”
He couldn’t help but speak sharply. Hanin flinched at his tone.
“Well, I like the places you’ve taken me today, I really do… Everything is great, but…”
She poked at a beautifully colored braised lotus root with her chopsticks.
“This, I’ve had this before. And…”
She hesitated.
“I don’t understand that exhibition. Why would humans display strange things drawn with ink and rice containers and chamber pots?”
“…”
That was how she perceived an art exhibition. Joon-wan was speechless, his mind reeling from the revelation.
“I want to eat the food I saw on television yesterday. The humans in the drama were eating and drinking, putting things in their mouths, sucking on them, using their hands…”
“…”
“I don’t know the names, but it was different from this. Can we have something like that?”
Her words sparked a realization. He stood up abruptly.
“Huh?”
“Let’s go.”