RMTR 03

Chapter 3

“Mmph.”

A small moan escaped Yoo-eun’s lips before she could fully suppress it.

“Ugh… uuugh.”

Even more pained groans came from the corner. Covering her own mouth, Yoo-eun carefully moved her steps.

“Urgh…”

A figure – clearly human – was lying on the ground, covered in dirt.

“H-hey, are you okay?”

Yoo-eun brushed the dust off what she assumed was his face and asked.

“Good heavens.”

The man’s face was covered in scratches, and his upper body was tied with rope. Just as Yoo-eun reached out toward the binding, an alarm went off in her head.

‘What if he’s some weirdo? He’s clearly being treated like a criminal.’

She stopped moving, then fell back into hesitation at the sound of his pained groans.

‘I’m lost… what should I do?’

Suddenly, the image of a child flashed through her mind.

‘Me? My name is…’

The innocent-eyed little boy filled her vision, and Yoo-eun squeezed her eyes shut.

“Nothing bad has appeared here so far, right?”

She opened her eyes with determination and scanned her surroundings. There was no time to go outside and fetch tools, nor could she risk being discovered.

“Sorry, Director!”

Yoo-eun grabbed the divine sword—one of the museum director’s hard-won artifacts—and began cutting through the tough rope.

Despite the rusty blade and her clumsy handling, the rope slowly began to give.

“Shall we go have a look?”

“This way.”

Hearing murmurs from nearby, her hands moved even faster.

“Ouch, I’m going to get blisters on my palms.”

She grumbled at the chafing sensation, but her cutting grew more urgent.

“There. Hey, are you conscious?”

“Ugh… ugh…”

The man didn’t come to, only letting out pained sounds. With footsteps drawing closer, Yoo-eun hauled him upright.

‘What the—I thought he was just some ordinary writer, but why is he so heavy!’

His body was muscular, heavier than expected, but she used all her strength to prop him up.

“Stay here for a moment. Lean against this.”

She spread the hem of a gorgeous shaman’s robe—clearly a real one worn by a mudang, and one the museum director had procured with great difficulty—to cover him.

She roughly tucked in his long legs that stuck out from beneath the robe, then stood up and dusted off her hands.

She didn’t forget to kick the cut rope into a corner, hiding it.

“Oh my, there’s someone here.”

A figure who seemed to be a key figure in the Jeolsa ritual glanced into the exhibition room and flinched.

“Hello,” Yoo-eun said politely, discreetly wiping her dirty palms on her thighs.

“She’s our curator.”

“Ah, so this is the talented curator I’ve heard about.”

Just as the middle-aged man with graying hair reached out his hand, Yoo-eun’s eyes widened.

The museum director, reading the look that clearly said ‘Something’s here! This is bad!’, purposely cleared his throat.

“Ahem, let’s go. It looks like the ceremony is almost over.”

“Is that so?”

The middle-aged man gave the awkwardly standing curator a slight nod and followed the director, who was staring at him intently.

“Phew.”

Yoo-eun sighed in relief, then cautiously poked her head out to check for any more signs of people. After confirming it was clear, she examined the man.

Even covered in dust, he was strikingly handsome.

She found herself staring blankly at his face, until a pained groan brought her back to her senses.

“Urgh… ugh…”

“It’ll be over soon.”

Yoo-eun listened to the sounds of the muga and drumming, then shook her head in dismay. She had to hide this man before more people gathered.

“Damn it, he even has a topknot. No matter how I look at it, he’s bound to stand out.”

Cursing, which she rarely did, she dashed outside.

‘It has to be somewhere. That durumagi he took off.’

The Jeolsa ritual included Confucian-style rites, and three people officiated it. One was the museum director; the other two were locals. She had definitely seen two of them changing clothes at the ritual ground.

Meanwhile, Yu’s consciousness slowly began to return.

“…… Yukjo Sambo Bugun Daegam, Euisa Daegam, Suryeok Daegam, Hanumul-e’s Dragon Palace Lord, Seotumul-e’s Dragon God……”

The unfamiliar sound of instruments made Yu frown.

“Ugh.”

Pain washed over his entire body. Unable to move, he simply lay still, breathing in and out.

Feeling the air enter and leave his nose, he shifted slightly. A sharp pain made him groan, but it also confirmed one thing.

‘…I’m alive.’

He had clearly been buried by a massive landslide, yet somehow all his limbs were intact. His vision slowly returned, and his eyes gradually adjusted to the light.

“Kkhh.”

He tried to speak, but his mouth felt dry and gritty with dirt. He frowned—or tried to, but his face was too sore.

‘Where is this?’

The sluggish, poorly ventilated air, the coolness seeping into his back. Even with his senses not fully back, he knew this was not where he had been.

Meanwhile, Yoo-eun, having finally found what she was looking for, rushed back to the kitchen that was being used as an exhibition room. She hastily pulled out the clothes from her arms.

“This should roughly fit. Ugh. Why did he have to wear a topknot and make me go through all this trouble?”

She had ransacked the office to find the gat (horsehair hat), grumbling. The man didn’t look healthy, but with time running out, she first shoved his arms into the clothing.

Yu’s senses sharpened as a scent wafted into his nose.

‘A good smell.’

It was the fragrance of wildflowers—easily overlooked, but once noticed, unforgettable for a long time.

Within his fully restored vision, he saw a woman with her hair tied back. Her skin was so fair and translucent it was visible even in the dim light, and her delicate yet distinct features were striking.

Yu slowly opened his mouth.

“You there.”

His voice came out hoarse and broken, yet still melodious.

“Who are you, to recklessly dress an unfamiliar man?”

“Eeek! Aaaah!”

The gat flew into the air.

“What’s going on!”

The door rattled, and Ha-kyung, who had been nearby, hurriedly stuck his head inside.

“What the—”

“Is something in there too?”

Yoo-eun could hear multiple sets of footsteps approaching; the ceremony must have ended.

“S-s-senpai! The door!”

Unable to speak properly, Yoo-eun gestured frantically. Ha-kyung, who hadn’t seen the man yet, quickly closed the door from outside.

Thump.

“Huh? It says it’s an exhibition room, but it’s closed.”

“It’s closed temporarily because we’re reorganizing. You can view Exhibition Halls 1 and 2 next door.”

As Ha-kyung explained and the footsteps moved away from the door, Yoo-eun’s tense body wobbled. After catching her breath, she asked, “You were awake?”

“That’s right.”

Yoo-eun stared at the man, who was looking right back at her. Then, as if deciding to finish what she had started, she picked up the gat that had landed obediently on the floor and placed it on his head.

She even tied the chin strap perfectly, then took a towel she had brought and began wiping his face.

“Urgh.”

“Sorry. Please bear with the pain, just a little.”

It stung—perhaps he had gotten cuts on his face without realizing—but Yu stayed still. He was wearing strange clothes, but the person in front of him didn’t seem intent on harming him.

“Please stay here for a moment.”

“Where is this?”

“Pardon?”

“This is a place I’ve never—” Cough, cough.

He had to cough several times, as if something was stuck in his throat, before he could speak again.

“An unfamiliar place. I was clearly…”

He recalled the rocks and dirt that had crashed down on him, then stopped speaking and frowned. What on earth had happened?

“Yoo-eun-ssi.”

Ha-kyung, apparently having confirmed that the people had left, opened the exhibition room door and appeared.

“Yoo-eun-ssi, did a cat wander in this time or something?”

Smiling kindly, he stepped inside—then reacted exactly as Yoo-eun had moments ago.

“Aaaaaaaaaaah!”

“Senpai, be quiet! People will come!”

“N-no. A person! A p-p-person!”

Ha-kyung stumbled backward, tripped over the threshold, and fell flat on his back.

“Senpai!”

“Aaaaah…”

Now battered, Ha-kyung crawled back to Yoo-eun’s side on his hands and knees.

With another person appearing, Yu flinched visibly. Despite his whole body aching, he struggled to move.

Unaware, Ha-kyung trembled even more and hid behind Yoo-eun.

“A real person? A person? No wonder you were so shocked, Yoo-eun-ssi.”

“What’s going on?”

The director, who had rushed over at the scream, strode across the threshold. Yoo-eun tried to explain, pointing at the stranger—she was worried about the elderly director’s health.

“Director, please listen to the explanation fir—”

“Urgh.”

Fortunately, the director clutched his chest and jumped, but his reaction was milder than Ha-kyung’s.

“Is he really human? Or could he be a god who didn’t return after the ritual?”

“No, he’s definitely human.”

Yoo-eun shook the now-unavoidably filthy towel to prove her point.

Yu turned his gaze toward the director, who was still wearing hanbok. His eyes filled with palpable relief. Seeing someone in similar attire made him feel a sense of kinship.

But the director remained standing as if possessed.

“You’re not planning to keep him here, are you?”

At Yoo-eun’s words, the two museum staff snapped out of it and approached Yu.

“His condition looks serious. He must have been rolling around somewhere.”

Ha-kyung peeked inside the layered hanbok and clicked his tongue. He and the director helped Yu up and moved him to an empty room first.

The room was still disorganized from the ceremony—a table, food, and various event items lay scattered haphazardly.

“First, have some water. And let me wipe your face again with this.”

Yoo-eun brought a damp towel and wiped Yu’s face and hands. The three of them fell silent for a moment at the sight of the man’s revealed features.

“Is he really human?”

“With such dazzling looks, perhaps he’s a celestial being?”

The museum director, usually so serious, had been startled multiple times today. Even Ha-kyung, who was kind but meticulous when working, stood there dazed.

‘Am I the only one with any sense left?’

Yoo-eun brushed the hair falling over her forehead with her forearm and clapped her hands. She decided to forget that she, too, had been briefly stunned when she first saw his face.

“Director, Senpai.”

Yoo-eun waved her hand in front of their faces.

“What should we do from now?”

She glanced meaningfully at the man sitting beside her.

Realizing they were talking about him, Yu perked up his ears. He had a mountain of questions, but he still couldn’t quite believe he was alive, leaving him in a dazed state.

“I have a wife at home,” the director said. “And she has a weak heart.”

“I have a pregnant wife,” Ha-kyung added. “And I think I twisted my back when I fell earlier.”

“Sorry to hear about your back, but pregnant? Congratulations!”

Then both men’s eyes, as if in cahoots, turned in unison toward Yoo-eun.