The Chinese title, "Chun Yue Shi Kong Zai Ai Ni" literally means "passing through time to love you once more." But who will she love? Who will love her back? In this portrait, we see that she is fully loved, as the flower has fully blossomed. We may never know how, but as her readers we hope she will have gained some wisdom by then.
Since she's in her borrowed body, I'm going to refer to Ji-Hae as Ari now. When we last left Ji-Hae/Ari, she was somewhere in a forest and she chopped off her hair. When girls cut their hair it's symbolic for severing ties to an unwanted fate (i.e. when they break up with someone, or change jobs) so here's hoping she can change hers and Lady Ari's life for the better...
Chapter 2
"Ugh, which direction should I go?" As she looks up to the sky, the round, glowing orb given to her by Lady Gangmeungjang comes floating down towards her.
"Ah, that's...!"
The little orb starts to sprout the legs of a fox and as the bubble bursts, the animal comes crashing down into the brush.
"Um..." she peeks over and sees a cute little dog thing with wings.
"OH MY GOSH!!" she squeals. "You're SO CUTE! CUTE! CUTE! Come! Come here, quickly!" As she reaches out to it it lets our a ferocious growl and chomps down on her hand.
"Owowowowowow..." she says, nursing her hand.
"Ugh, tastes gross," the little animal says, wiping the taste off his tongue. "What the heck? Why is this place so empty? This is definitely the human realm. Why am I here?"
"Oh," says Ari, chiming in. "I guess since you just woke up you're still kinda confused. You were a gift from Lady Gangmeungjung to help me."
"Lady Gangmeungjung? Help you?" it asks.
"Right."
After Ari explains, it gets even madder. "WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU SAYING? HOW COULD LADY GANGMEUNGJUNG JUST TOSS ME INTO THE HUMAN REALM FOR SUCH A PALTRY REASON!?"
"What..? Do you think I'm lying? It's true! She said 'Here, this is for you' -- that's what the goddess said! So, from here onward I am your master!"
"Master?"
It gives her a puppy dog stare. "Master...?" And then it head butts her right in the gut. (TN: -_-;)
"Arrgh!"
"You thought I was going to say something like that?! Not!!"
"You..." gasps Ari, clutching her stomach. "WHAT IS THIS?? HOW CAN YOU HIT A GIRL LIKE THAT? DIDN'T YOUR PARENTS EVER TEACH YOU? THE GODDESS SENT YOU TO HELP ME! YOU'RE GOING TO BE MY RIGHT HAND! THAT'S 'ASSISTANT' IN ENGLISH! GOT THAT?"
"WHY THE HECK SHOULD I COME TO THE HUMAN REALM TO HELP YOU? YOU CRAZY BROAD! I WANNA GO BACK! I'M GONNA GO FIND THE PORTAL!"
As the little creature walks down the road Ari tries to say, "Wait, that's..." She looks up to the heavens angrily. "How is that something 'to help me'?? The little bastard is useless!"
Next to her something rustles in the bushes. She looks down and screams when a wild board is roused by their loud voices.
"Aaaaaaah!"
It starts pawing the ground.
"This...what...?" she stares, terrified. As it starts to rush her some one calls out to her.
"It's dangerous!"
Ari is suddenly carried off by a young man on horseback.
| Bub-Min Rang |
"Are you all right?" he asks. All she can do is nod before the wild boar charges again, causing his horse to rear.
"Aaaaah!" she cries out.
"Hold on tight!" he orders as they gallop away.
When they finally make it to a clearing he brings his horse to a steady stop.
"It's all right now...so...can you let go of me? I'm about to suffocate."
"Ah! I'm so sorry," she exclaims, letting go of his chest. "Th-Thank...Thank you," Ari manages. He then notices her unusual hair style and lifts her face with a finger to her chin.
"What's this? Why is your hair so strange?"
"I like it like this," she retorts defensively. "This is my style."
"Style?" His hand examines a lock closely. "You like looking this weird?"
"Let go. I wanna get off." Ari lets herself off his horse by sliding off the side. "My butt's about to split in half."
"You're...butt...is about to...?" He suddenly bursts out into laughter. "Hahahahahahaha! You truly are an amusing child!"
He laughs so heartily....
"Excuse me," she starts. "Where is this place?"
"Hm?"
"What I mean is... What country is this?"
Is this girl mentally ill? Now that I look at her, her clothing, her hair and her manner of speech is all really strange.
"What's your name?" he asks.
"My name? Um..." What should I say? What am I actually called here?
"My Lady Ari!" exclaims a servant who approaches them.
Ari...?
"Where have you been? You suddenly disappeared, causing us all to look for you..." Her maid gasps as she examines her appearance. "What on earth happened? How did your hair get like that?"
Her family's manservant comes to her side and pales. "Did you run into bandits?"
"No, no," Ari answers quickly. "It's not that..."
"Just now the young miss encountered a wild board in the forest, she was nearly mauled to death. As for her hair, it was already like that when I found her."
"A wild boar you say?" exclaims her manservant. "Oh my, please accept our sincerest of thanks, my lord. We humbly thank you for saving our young miss."
"It was nothing, please don't trouble yourself."
A noble courtesan on a horse trots towards them. "There you are Bub-Min Rang." (TN: "Rang" is an ancient honored title for young men of status)
"Ah, Mistress Gye-Hwa. Well, we'll be going now."
"Please take care on your way back," says the servant, bowing.
"Wasn't that Lady Ari?" asked the courtesan.
"Do you know her?" asks Bub-Min.
"Of course," she answers. "She's Lord Seon-Pum's first born daughter.
"Lord Seon-Pum? Heh, Lord Seon-Pum and his daughter are nothing alike."
"It's seems like you're especially concerned about her," says Gye-Hwa. "Should I be jealous?"
"In my opinion no one can compare with your beauty, my lady," he says with a smile.
"You flatter me," she laughs.
Meanwhile, back in town...
"Whoa! Wooooooooooow!" Ari gapes out one side of her carriage at her new surroundings.
Who'd have thought the impossible could happen! An ancient marketplace...really looks like this! This doesn't seem like the Joseon Period. (TN: 1392-1897) So...is this Goreyeo? (TN: 918-1392) Goguryeo? (TN: 37BC-668AD) That would be awesome if it's actually Goguryeo!
Judging from this standpoint it seems I was a noble in my past life. This is awesome! Totally great!
Ah! She notices her servant staring at her sitting with her legs splayed.
Ooh! Careful! Gotta be careful! I must look really strange to others.
"My Lady, it's time to descend the carriage," says her servant.
"Huh? Oh, right."
As she walks into the front garden of her home she is worried. Wow, this is going to be harder than I thought. Not only do I not recognize people or places, I don't even have a trail to follow.
On top of that I have no idea who my family or friends are in this life.
"Ah! Ari?!" a lady dressed in fine robes exclaims and approaches her.
Who's this?
"What on earth! How did you hair get like that?"
Well, it's true I don't know for sure but I can't deny this feeling I have towards her.
"Hi Mommy!"
"...Mommy...?"
"Oh! No, no! My bad! Mother. My hair was too long and cumbersome, so I cut it."
"What did you say??"
It's gonna grow out eventually, what's the big deal?
"Mother, your daughter would like to continue with this fashion." She turns to leave. "Because I am weary, I will take my leave first. Please, you should also retire." Suddenly she trips over her own hem and falls flat on her face.
"ARI!!"
"Lady Ari!"
She looks up miserably as blood drips from her forehead.
"Oh my! The doctor! Someone go fetch the doctor!"
"Yes Madam!"
Her manservant crouches near her and slaps something onto her forehead to staunch the bleeding. She stares ahead in shock.
Back inside her chambers...
"What is this? What do you mean exchanged with a lost ghost? Are they really saying that about me?" (TN: I think the phrase is like spirited away, kamikakushi, or when a soul of someone dead replaces the soul of someone alive...sort of what happened, actually)
"It's true, my lady," answers her handmaid.
Really....this is such a different era.
"You're called Gu-Seul, right?"
"Yes, what is it?"
"Do you know what our country is called?"
"Huh?"
"I'm only asking to see if you know, I'm testing your knowledge," she insists. "Could it be you do not know? Is it true? It's true, isn't it?"
"Even though it's been here for a long time, as Saro, Sara, Seona, Seora, Seobol. It's called Silla now." (TN: pronounced, shee-la)
"Silla?!" Ah! She covers her mouth.
So this is Silla Period. (TN: 57BC-935AD) Silla, huh? Is it unified Silla?
"What year is it?"
"My Lady...!" Gu-Seul gasps, about to cry. "You don't remember?"
"No! NO! I was just thinking out loud!" Looks like I'll have to stop asking her.
"That's right, can you help me get my drawing paraphernalia out?"
Later that night, Ari is finished drawing a very simple version of Seung-Hyu on paper.
"Who is this?" asks Gu-Seul.
"This is Seung-Hyu."
Ah! That's right, he wouldn't be called that here, would he?
"His name isn't important, but, have you ever seen him before?"
"No," answers Gu-Seul.
| Haha, Seung-Hyu! |
"Yes..." If you draw it like that, even if I did know him how could I tell from looking at this? Gu-Seul thinks to herself.
"Who is this young man?"
"Oh! He's the person I like."
"Whaa--?" Heavens! Lady Ari really is acting very oddly!
"What should I do?" Ari mumbles to herself. "Where should I go to find him?"
Later that night, Gu-Seul reports back to Ari's mother....
"What did you just say?! She asked you what country this is??"
"Not only that, but she drew a picture of a strange man and said it was the one she loved...!"
"The one...she...?" her mother gasps, clutching her head. What is happening...? Could it be she has lost her mind?
"What shall we do, my Lady?" asks the other servant, a nursemaid.
"It can't be right. I seems as though it is more complicated than that. She cut her hair, behaves like a low born commoner, completely different from the Ari we know."
She sighs, "Gu-Seul. What has been said here cannot leave this room, it is my order to the entire household that no one speaks of what has happened. Also..."
Wait for me Seung-Hyu...I'll find you....
"You are absolutely under no circumstance to let Lady Ari go outside, and do not let her meet anyone!"
Chapter 2, end.
No comments:
Post a Comment