Chapter 21

#21 <The Wind Blows (6)>

Perhaps it was the difference between an old woman and a young girl that kept them from conversing normally. Choi Mi-kyung’s grandmother unraveled an endless bundle of stories—her birth, her growing years, tales from the Japanese occupation, and stories from the Korean War.

“……Even the heavens are indifferent. My only brother died on this mountain, killed by a tiger. On a foggy day, he went to cut wood, and the mountain swallowed him. I was twelve then.”

Though she claimed old age had dried her tears, she kept dabbing her eyes with her sleeve.

Jin-hyuk shivered slightly. The sweat had cooled, and the fog wrapped around him, seeping in a chill. This was the grandmother who had been so kind when Yoo-jin was born. He listened silently, treating it as a chance to hear her out, while using meditation breathing to warm himself.

“During the war, Jang-hwan’s father was out fighting with bamboo spears, so I had to do all the work alone. What could I do? I had to feed the children. The youth association in the next village was all armed with bamboo spears. They’d come in with torches and spears, shouting for us to join their cause. So, my husband would hide in this mountain one day, and the next day, he’d hide in that mountain. What did a farmer know about such things? He just knew it wasn’t good, so he hid.”

Whether it was her heavy breathing or her heightened emotions, the grandmother sighed deeply. Yet, she showed no sign of stopping her story.

“Jang-hwan had an older brother who joined the army to avenge his friends killed by the People’s Army. He died fighting on this mountain. This mountain was originally called Sipbong Mountain. Back then, it was bombed so heavily that one of its peaks was blown off. That’s why it’s now called Gubong Mountain. We recovered Jang-hwan’s body, but many women couldn’t find their husbands or sons.”

The grandmother’s son, born when she was nineteen, died in battle when he was twenty. Jin-hyuk couldn’t even begin to imagine the grief of a mother who had lost her child and kept his lips tightly sealed.

Yet, it was hard to believe this mountain had been such a fierce battleground. It wasn’t something he’d come across in his history studies. For a moment, he doubted her. Could this be a story she made up to tell her grandchild? But her expression and tone were too serious for that. The conflicting accounts from records and people left him confused.

No, more than that, why was she telling him this now?

He wanted to ask, but there was no opening for Jin-hyuk to interject.

“I had Jang-hwan when I was thirty-six, so he was my youngest. After him, I only had daughters until he came along. Jang-hwan had two children, Taeyang and Mi-kyung, so I got to see my grandchildren. They’ve all done well, very well. Hah-. I’ve done all I needed to do.”

Her expression was both solemn and relieved. When had he last seen someone with such an expression? He tried to recall, but it was as hazy as raindrops streaking down a car window.

It was still winter, so where was the grandmother going alone? Any path she took seemed too steep and treacherous for a shortcut. The weather wasn’t good either. Even now, the fog was thick all around.

“But where are you going……?”

“This mountain has another name—Bukmaeng Mountain.”

Bukmaeng Mountain? It sounded familiar, yet not.

Everything felt hazy, like a dream. Everything was unfamiliar, and he didn’t know what to do. It felt like his mind was awake, but he had turned into a fool.

He thought he could understand his father, who often made foolish expressions. Ah, his father must have felt like a fool when he encountered things he hadn’t experienced in Seoul.

Was this what they called being “dazed”?

‘Where did she go?’

While he was lost in thought, the grandmother had already walked far ahead.

She walked unsteadily, but her speed was beyond comprehension.

“Grandma! Let’s go together. The weather’s bad; it’s dangerous.”

Jin-hyuk used his long legs to quickly catch up to her.

He had left the house in the morning, but the surroundings were already dark. It felt like dusk after sunset. The fog had grown thicker than before.

Though the weather had warmed, it was still winter, and the day was dark. He worried she might misstep and fall. Even as he doubted her identity, he couldn’t help but feel concerned.

“Should I carry you?”

Huff—puff—, his breathing grew heavy. If Jin-hyuk was struggling, the grandmother showed no sign of fatigue, walking ahead without looking back, as if she was late for an appointment.

‘This is a bit scary.’

It seemed like he was finally coming to his senses.

There was a strange sense of déjà vu. It felt like waking from a long sleep and returning to the past.

Should he grab her arm, or try to make her stop? No matter how much he called, she didn’t listen. What should he do?

As he pondered, Choi Mi-kyung’s grandmother suddenly stopped and turned to look at Jin-hyuk.

A mysterious smile hung on her face like a crescent moon.

“Shall we go together?”

A chill ran down his spine to his cheeks.

The shock of the gap between his expectations and intuition was enough to break through even the strongest mental barriers.

‘Is she trying to give me something……?’

He hesitated, unable to give a quick answer.

This was a strange encounter, but it was very different from the ones Jin-hyuk had known before.

***

The smell of earth rose.

When the frozen ground thaws, it becomes cool, damp, and soft.

Dogs love such ground and roll around in it.

General, the dog, happily rolled around, enjoying his dirt bath today.

Hehehek-.

The child is going for exercise.

But for now, he can’t follow.

It’s an indescribable dog instinct.

Something is changing in the ditch he once used as a toilet, but he doesn’t know what.

Anyway, he’s guarding his old toilet out of a sense of duty.

Huh? Grrr-.

The grandmother from the yellow house came by.

He thought she was visiting the owner’s house, but she didn’t go in.

Woof woof! Arrr- arar!

He barked, and the owner came out.

The grandmother patted the owner’s face.

“Achoo-! General, what’s wrong?”

Ah, it seems the owner can’t see the grandmother.

He’s just sneezing.

He shouldn’t let the owner misunderstand.

In times like this, he should play dumb.

If he keeps barking, he’ll be treated like a mad dog barking at his owner.

He wagged his tail at the sparrow sitting on the persimmon tree.

After circling the house once, the grandmother left.

She climbed the hill at an incredible speed.

Whoosh-!

Ah, she wasn’t human after all.

The men in the village used to whisper about this time of year.

They said that when it gets cold and suddenly warms up, many old people die.

Perhaps that grandmother came to say her final goodbyes.

She was the one who cut my umbilical cord, wasn’t she? Farewell.

Now, the grandmother is alone.

What were their names? Wet lions or something. Those guys in black with bluish lips. They’re not here.

Then, that grandmother must be going to a good place.

General is a smart dog, so he knows these things.

There are many ghosts in this area.

They say the place is damp, so it attracts them.

Something about the sea’s yin energy reaching this hollow land, but he doesn’t really understand. The old dog from the village across the way, who’s seven years older than General, said there used to be many more. Now, they’re rarely seen, but still. That’s why people keep many dogs at home.

Do dogs ward off ghosts?

Hehehek-.

That’s all nonsense, you ignorant humans!

We can see ghosts, but we can’t stop them.

We can’t even bite them, so how are we supposed to stop them?

Well, sometimes barking makes them run away. Cowards, those ones. They don’t cause trouble and just live in the village. They say there are many in the inner village, near that guy’s house—what’s his name? Yuk something.

Anyway.

Why isn’t that grandmother leaving right away? Is she wandering the village?

Sometimes, ghosts lure children into water or off cliffs to take them away.

They say it’s because they don’t want to go alone. Humans are like that.

Huh? General suddenly stood up.

Grrr-. If that’s the case, the child is in danger.

***

She was always a smiling grandmother.

But this smile was different.

A cold sensation rose from his core, freezing his heart and cheeks in an instant.

‘I’ve heard stories like this from Jo Il-hun.’

When he was young, he said he saw a ghost while playing in what used to be a communal cemetery.

He even met a goblin. He said it had a smiling face, but it made his heart freeze.

‘Grandma’s eyes are scary.’

They weren’t human eyes.

Her pupils were as vast as the universe, filled with a hollow emptiness.

If it were any other child, their legs might have given out, or they might have run away. But Son Jin-hyuk was neither a child nor someone easily swayed by fear.

‘It’s sad.’

Jin-hyuk’s emotion wasn’t fear but sorrow.

He pressed down the trembling in his chest and spoke.

True to his nature, he was direct.

“Grandma. Did you come to leave your last words?”

Asking that made him feel even more sorrowful.

It must have been Bukmang Mountain, not Bukmaeng Mountain. That solemn yet relieved expression reminded him of comrades who left their wills before going into battle. The face of someone who wrote a memoir also gave a similar impression.

“Are you worried about this old woman? Did I scare you with my scary face?”

Her laugh was soft but hollow.

Even as she smiled brightly, she looked sad. Her eyes looked at Jin-hyuk with a proud expression.

“What is there to leave behind-. We come when it’s time and go when it’s time. The whole village says I’ve taken care of all the children. It’s nice to have you see me off like this. Come to think of it, I didn’t take care of you or Young-gu’s son. The shaman said I had to deliver them to live well, so I worked as a midwife.”

The grandmother took Jin-hyuk’s hands.

“Child, will you live well?”

There was no sensation of skin touching.

Yet, as the grandmother raised her hands, Jin-hyuk’s hands followed.

For a moment, the grandmother’s gaze moved from Jin-hyuk’s forehead to above his head.

Then, she awkwardly smiled and moved her lips.

“Well-, I’ll be going now.”

“Huh?”

She didn’t have dementia.

What was she saying?

Jin-hyuk looked around and touched his head. There was nothing there.

It felt like the grim reaper was urging her from behind.

“This old woman likes to play tricks, you rascal-.”

Her voice was childlike.

She loved children and played pranks even in death. Jin-hyuk sighed lightly.

“If there’s anything you want to say-.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. I don’t want to hear crazy talk.”

She was right.

Many people claim to have seen ghosts, but no one has followed a deceased person to have a conversation. Unless you’re a strong medium.

“But still, if there’s anything you want to say to Mi-kyung’s family. They might feel sad.”

“Oh my, such a kind young man-. Don’t worry. They’ll all come to me in their dreams tonight, so don’t say anything to them, okay?”

She was saying this for Jin-hyuk’s sake.

Understanding her heart, Jin-hyuk nodded.

“Just live happily like a child. It’s no fun growing up too fast. Take care of your parents and siblings, okay? Find a pretty wife and have lots of children. Got it?”

“Yes…….”

He tried to respond, but his throat choked up.

Tears fell without reason.

His nostrils flared, and his body tingled as if electrified.

It was the first time.

He had never seen someone leave like this. Whether they were alive or dead.

He had never been close enough to anyone to witness their final moments.

As if telling him not to cry, the grandmother’s hands holding his were busy.

Following her comforting touch, he felt warmth.

“You must protect your family.”

Protect your family.

It was a command he had to follow.

Jin-hyuk bowed deeply to the departing grandmother.

Jin-hyuk didn’t have a grandmother. What if he had a grandmother like this?

‘I should’ve been more affectionate and visited her often.’

A brief regret washed over him.

But even if he had been a first-time child, he would’ve been indifferent. Children are usually like that with the elderly. He knew this regret would be fleeting.

This was an unreal phenomenon.

He had thought ghost and goblin stories were just adults’ tall tales. Jin-hyuk was a strong-willed person who never experienced sleep paralysis.

‘This body has returned to the past. There’s nothing more mysterious or scary than myself.’

He thought today’s events were just a coincidence. So, Jin-hyuk felt more lucky than scared. Who else could have such an experience? General would love to hear about it. Later, when Yoo-jin grows up, he’ll tell her a modified version. Maybe he shouldn’t tell little Mi-kyung. She’d be sad.

When he looked up, the grandmother had vanished as if it were all a lie.

A cool breeze blew where she had stood.

‘Rest in peace.’

The fog cleared, and the sky brightened. Sunlight poured down from the blue sky.

Jin-hyuk found himself standing in an unfamiliar place. He must have followed the grandmother without realizing it. The mountain peak wasn’t far off.

As he prepared to leave, a wooden signpost caught his eye.

「Fairy Rock」

Someone must have had a similar experience before.

Perhaps one of the old woodcutters.

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. It was a light, feathery smile.

Near the rock, there was an incense burner and traces of food offerings. Someone must have held a memorial here.

He should ask Mi-kyung what the grandmother liked.

He’ll bring offerings from time to time.

After bowing deeply to Fairy Rock, he turned to leave.

‘Status window……’

He muttered nonsense to himself.