Episode 5
Min Joon-wan was a folklore professor with a considerable public profile, more widely recognized as a broadcaster and author than as a scholar specializing in indigenous beliefs and Korean mythology.
This was partly due to his extensive knowledge, eloquence, and writing skills in his field, which allowed him to engage with the public effectively. However, his unusually handsome appearance for an academic, coupled with his youth and unmarried status, undoubtedly contributed to his popularity.
As a result, he had a devoted following and attracted the ardent affections of many women from all walks of life. Yet, he remained resolutely single.
But why had he never pursued a serious relationship and chosen to live alone?
The reason wasn’t, as rumored, due to impotence, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or homosexuality.
It was simply… Joon-wan had no interest in women. Or men, for that matter.
His sole passion was academia, specifically the unpopular field of folklore, and within that, the indigenous beliefs, traditional myths, and legends native to Korea. He was fortunate to have found success in his chosen field; otherwise, his interests would have undoubtedly led him to a life of poverty.
Regardless, something truly extraordinary had happened to him recently.
While fretting over the potential loss of his research data to the rain, he had ventured up the mountain one rainy night and witnessed a colossal earthworm ascending towards the sky.
“Giant earthworm!”
He had exclaimed upon seeing the creature, and upon uttering the word “earthworm,” the creature had indeed transformed into an “earthworm” and landed with a thud in his hand.
An ordinary person would have fainted on the spot and woken up the next day, bewildered and disoriented. However, for Joon-wan, the experience wasn’t entirely inexplicable.
“…”
He returned home and fell into deep contemplation.
‘People might think I’m crazy, but what if…’
He was a folklorist and a scholar of Korean mythology. His research included dragons.
‘Could it be that I witnessed a dragon’s ascension that night?’
Of course, before that fateful night, dragons were, to Joon-wan and the general public, mythical and symbolic creatures existing solely in the realm of imagination.
Dragons symbolize royal authority, the power of the ruling class.
However, even the common folk, often perceived as insignificant by the ruling class, possess the power to undermine them. If they were to call a dragon ascending to the heavens an “Imugi” or a “snake,” it would indeed become an “Imugi” or a “snake.”
‘But what if dragons aren’t just symbols in myths and legends, but actually exist?’
His mind was flooded with historical data and passages from his own books about dragons.
‘What if…’
Joon-wan bit his lower lip.
‘What if the narratives in these folktales aren’t symbolic, but simply accounts of actual events passed down through generations?’
A strange feeling washed over him as he reached this conclusion.
‘Humans can either gain great wealth or achieve success in the state examination by aiding an Imugi’s ascension, or conversely, suffer great misfortune due to their careless words. The way humans can help an Imugi ascend is quite simple.’
‘What if these stories were passed down orally because dragons actually existed, and later solidified into myths and legends?’
This hypothesis flashed through his mind.
‘When others call it a snake, say, “No, that is a dragon.” And when others call it ugly and filthy, say, “No, that is beautiful and pure.”‘
Perhaps he had actually witnessed a dragon’s ascension on the night of the earthquake.
‘But could it be that I inadvertently caused the ascending dragon to fall?’
However, even if that were the case, a dragon in the form of an earthworm seemed too absurd.
Yet, the thought, once it surfaced, wouldn’t leave him. The possibility that what he saw at the epicenter of the earthquake that rainy night was a dragon continued to plague him.
‘Could it be…’
The site Joon-wan had desperately tried to document that rainy night was believed to be a shrine dedicated to a local deity from the Three Kingdoms period.
‘What if what I saw was actually a creature known as a dragon?’
The earthenware ornaments discovered at the site were long and sinuous, resembling a dragon sculpted from clay.
‘But I know a thing or two about dragons.’
However, what he saw that night was undeniably an earthworm.
‘It was a real earthworm, I tell you!’
A gigantic earthworm, at that.
Although a creature of imagination, the image of a dragon was relatively standardized. Joon-wan could vividly picture it even with his eyes closed.
According to ancient texts featuring dragons, they typically had deer antlers on their heads, a camel-like face, and large, menacing eyes like those of a goblin.
‘No matter how I think about it, the idea of it being a dragon…’
Furthermore, their forehead was smooth like a snake’s, their ears resembled those of a cow, their belly was like an earthworm’s, their scales were like a carp’s, their claws were like an eagle’s, and their paws were like a tiger’s.
‘It’s truly unbelievable.’
In essence, the image of a dragon was a composite of the most desirable and revered features of various animals.
‘If it wasn’t an earthworm, then what was it?’
However, the creature Joon-wan witnessed, despite its immense size, lacked eyes, a nose, a mouth, scales, and horns. It simply had a long, pink body. Moreover, it had a thick clitellum near its head, formed by the fusion of segments.
If it wasn’t an earthworm, then what else could it be? When it fell into his hand that night, it was indeed a pink earthworm.
“Sigh…”
Admittedly, it was smoother and more aesthetically pleasing than the average earthworm.
‘Wait, aesthetically pleasing? What am I even thinking?’
Joon-wan hadn’t told anyone about the incident. He knew he would be labeled insane, even with his authority in the field.
‘Have I really… gone mad from studying these things?’
He had experienced it, but even he doubted his own sanity.
Joon-wan glanced at the plastic container and retrieved a bottle of liquor from the shelf where his collection of alcoholic beverages was displayed. He poured himself a drink, adding ice to the glass.
“…”
Quite some time had passed since he started raising the earthworm. The more he thought about it, the more nonsensical it seemed.
‘So, did it just fall from the sky by chance? Was what I saw that night a hallucination?’
Let alone the question of why an earthworm would suddenly fall from the sky.
‘Or was I dreaming with my eyes open?’
Joon-wan massaged his stiff neck.
As a man of many talents, he had to travel to Seoul early the next morning to participate in several broadcasts that had invited him as an expert. He also had to visit his parents and endure their nagging.
“…”
Suddenly feeling suffocated, Joon-wan abruptly stood up and walked towards the plastic container.
He opened the lid with ventilation holes and saw the earthworm half-buried in the soil. As light entered the container, the earthworm raised its head towards him.
“…”
“…”
A brief silence hung between them.
Of course, it was only Joon-wan who remained silent; earthworms don’t speak.
“Hey, earthworm.”
He considered going to the kitchen to get gloves, but instead, he carefully touched the earthworm’s head with his fingertip.
“Hey, earthworm. You’re an earthworm, right?”
He had a mild case of obsessive-compulsive disorder and disliked touching soil or insects unless it was for research purposes. However, strangely enough, he didn’t mind this earthworm.
“You’re not a dragon, are you?”
At his words, the earthworm quickly turned its head and burrowed back into the soil.
“Sigh…”
He chuckled at his own absurdity and firmly closed the lid of the container.
‘Joon-wan, get a grip.’
While he respected the diverse preferences of people who kept spiders, snakes, scorpions, or mealworms as pets, he had no intention of joining their ranks.
‘I need to return it to the mountain soon.’
Contrary to what he told Young-shin, he had no intention of actually raising the earthworm. It ate food waste, didn’t respond to commands, couldn’t interact with humans, and wasn’t a suitable pet by any stretch of the imagination.
‘But it is quite cute when I look at it closely.’
However, Joon-wan found himself talking to the earthworm frequently since bringing it home. Had he been lonely all this time?
Had loneliness driven him mad?
‘Still, it’s not exactly a pet-worthy creature.’
He planned to return it to the mountain once his suspicions were cleared.
But how could he dispel those suspicions? He had no idea.
Joon-wan lay in bed, frowning for a long time, as if hoping a solution would magically appear.
‘I can’t dissect it… Can earthworms even undergo MRI scans?’
He fell asleep, imagining the earthworm shuddering in fear if it knew what he was thinking.
Tinkle…
He woke up to the sound of a bell.
Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle…!
Or rather, he thought he woke up.
The room was as dark as when he closed his eyes, but the floor was covered in iridescent clouds, emanating a mystical aura.
‘Where is that sound coming from?’
In his blurry vision, he saw something shimmering beside his bed. Joon-wan turned his head.
Tinkle…!
The source of the bell sound was a person. However, their form was shrouded in shimmering smoke, radiating a dazzling array of colors, making it impossible to discern their face or attire.
“…Huh?”
He sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes.
‘What kind of dream is this?’
‘You scoundrel…!’
Just as he thought it was a dream, the figure suddenly roared.
‘Do you think you can live a long life after treating me like this, you scoundrel!’
Not just a roar, but…
‘How dare you imprison a celestial official in this wretched place, after having the audacity to thwart their ascension with your foul mouth!’
The figure unleashed a torrent of words he couldn’t quite comprehend.
‘Your life wouldn’t be enough to atone for your sin, you scoundrel!’
His vision gradually cleared, and the shimmering figure became more distinct. Although still enveloped in iridescent clouds, certain features were now visible.
‘Who…?’
The figure appeared to be… a woman.
She had long hair cascading over her shoulders, adorned with elaborate ornaments on her ears and temples. She wore a purple robe embroidered with silver and gold, reminiscent of attire from the Three Kingdoms period.
‘Return the dragon you have captured this instant, and repent for your sin!’
Her attire alone was far from ordinary, suggesting she wasn’t someone from the present. Although her face remained hidden, the woman seemed incredibly angry.
‘If you do so, I will show mercy and forgive your transgression…’
That was all he heard.
‘She’s insane!’
Joon-wan’s body reacted before his mind could process the situation.