Work Text
August 2005 Min Kyunghoon was doing some finishing touches on his painting when someone rang the traditional doorbell, interrupting the otherwise quiet morning. Placing his brush down, Kyunghoon hurried to get the door. Usually he had Hyojin to do so but his servant had all followed his wife and son to visit his sister-in-law at the neighbouring town. The painter swung the door open. His guest was a man in his early twenties. The way how he dressed in a trench coat and his hair slicked to the back reminded Kyunghoon of the male models he had seen in the 1940s clothing posters. The stranger had a very fair skin complexion, looking as if he was hardly out in the sun. He was painfully familiar. Had Kyunghoon seen him somewhere before?"Good morning, sir. I am sorry to bother you this early in the morning." The man had a gentle voice.Kyunghoon gave his best polite smile. "No, not at all. May I know what brings you here to our Min residence?" "I'm Park Jimin. My grandfather's an old friend of Min Yoongi. I am here to pay respect to Min Yoongi." Kyunghoon was far from being surprised at these visits. His grandfather, Min Yoongi, was a renowned painter. Since his grandfather’s passing, his family had received plenty of visitors who had travelled from far places to pay respect to his grandfather. "I see." Kyunghoon motioned Jimin into the house. "Please come in, Mr. Park."The young man casted a small smile. "Please, just call me Jimin." Kyunghoon led him right past the living room. As they passed by the centre court, Jimin caught sight of Kyunghoon's painting on the easel. The guest walked towards the painting, staring intensely at his wife’s portrait."It's still not finished, so," The painter scratched his nape. Although he already had a few painting exhibitions, he still felt uncomfortable with people evaluating his art in front of him. "The woman in the painting…” Jimin asked, his tone careful as if he did not want to offend Kyunghoon with his question."She's my wife. I am planning to give her the painting as a gift for our fifth wedding anniversary." "It's beautiful. I'm sure your wife will love it." He had such a genuine smile. "You are really talented, Mr. Min." "Please, just call me Kyunghoon." Kyunghoon blushed. "And thank you." "You paint as well as he is." Jimin murmured under his breath. But Kyunghoon was blessed with great hearing and he could hear every word Jimin said. "I'm sorry?" Jimin shook his head. "It's nothing." When they entered the ancestral hall, Park Jimin could not take his eyes off his grandfather's portrait. Kyunghoon could not put them in exact words but he knew there was something different about the way the young man stared at his grandfather's portrait. "He's beautiful." Kyunghoon had never heard anyone describing another man beautiful, let alone his grandfather. The old man hardly fit the description. As far as Kyunghoon remembered him to be, Harabeoji had always looked weary as if he was bearing the weight of the world on his shoulder. "May I know where is older Mrs. Min?" Jimin asked, his eyes still fixed on his grandfather’s portrait.“She is currently living with my uncle on the other side of the town." More than anyone else in the family, Halmeoni had not been coping well with Harabeoji’s death. After his grandfather's funeral, his grandmother immediately moved in with his uncle. She couldn't bear living in this house, she said, not with everything in the house reminded her of Harabeoji. "Harabeoji's passing hadn't been easy for her." "Your grandfather was a good man." Kyunghoon was perplexed at the way how Jimin said it with such conviction. How would he know? Seeing Kyunghoon's brows scrunched together, Jimin's lips quirked. "I've heard a lot about Mr. Min Yoongi from my grandfather." Kyunghoon was skeptical but he did not argue. It was not in his nature to argue with a stranger whom he barely knew. "I see." "Kyunghoon-ssi," Jimin shifted his gaze on Kyunghoon. "I hope it's not too much to ask but can I have a moment alone? I won't take long." The painter was of course reluctant to leave a stranger alone in his ancestral hall. Park Jimin might be a thief who pretended to be a descendant of his grandfather’s acquaintance. The Min family was well known for their wealth and Kyunghoon could not be too trusting. But Kyunghoon's instinct told him that the man had no evil intentions. For someone who was level-headed like him, it was unusual of him to act according to his heart but this time he decided to trust his guts. "I'll be at the center court if you need me." Jimin nodded before turning his gaze at the portrait again.While waiting for his guest, Kyunghoon decided to finish his painting. He was not aware of how much time had passed until the grandfather clock in the living room struck twelve. Kyunghoon got up and stretched his body when he realized he still had a guest in the ancestral hall. He hurried to the ancestral hall only to find Park Jimin had came out of the room, his eyes red and puffy. Kyunghoon did not ask him about it. He wasn't sure if he should ask."I'll walk you to the door." The young man nodded at his offer and both of them walked in silence to the front door. Kyunghoon stole a glance at the young man whose head hung low. He looked so upset that it made Kyunghoon’s heart ached for him. What had the young man gone through that he actually broke down before his grandfather’s friend’s ancestral tablet? "Thank you for your kind hospitality, Kyunghoon-ssi." Park Jimin's voice was hoarse.Kyunghoon tried not to grimace. "You are welcome. Thank you for coming to visit my grandfather. He would be happy to know that you've came."“Take care, Kyunghoon-ssi.” He bowed and headed to the other side of the street. The painter watched Park Jimin disappeared around the corner, his head filled with questions about the handsome stranger even after the man was long gone. **Kyunghoon coughed, his throat irritated by the dust stirred from the furnitures and old oil paintings. He looked around him, checking if there was anything else that he needed to throw away. The room was almost empty now after he had removed the damaged furnitures and dried up paints. On the other side of the room, Solbin was sorting the oil paintings to decide which ones would sold to art lovers or to be kept as exhibits. Kyunghoon sat on Harabeoji’s favourite stool as he looked around the large room which used to be his grandfather's art room. Harabeoji would sit and paint for hours every day without fail until the last two years of his life when he decided to stop painting. The old folk had locked the room himself and since then, no one had entered the room until now. It had been a distant family friend who suggested to display his grandfather’s artwork in the mansion. Uncle Jang Hoseok was a big fan of Harabeoji’s artwork and he told Kyunghoon, one day when he had visited them to pay respect to his grandfather’s altar, that it would be a waste not to share his grandfather’s brilliance with the world. Kyunghoon thought it was a great idea to honor Harabeoji and after discussing with his parents and Halmeoni, he had their permission to use Harabeoji’s art room as a mini gallery to exhibit the paintings. The man heaved a soft sigh, the familiar emptiness slowly creeping into his heart. It had been six years since Harabeoji had gone and needless to say, there was not a single day that he had not missed his grandfather.Harabeoji had passed away at the age of 80. The doctor said that he did not suffer when he breathed his last breath. Halmeoni had came home from the temple one day to find Harabeoji sleeping on his favourite rocking chair, his favourite sketchbook in his lap and a smile on his face. Halmeoni had said that the moment when she saw him, she knew he was already gone. Kyunghoon remembered spending most of his childhood days watching his grandfather working on his art, each stroke of the brush adorning the blank canvas with vibrant colors. Every detail in all of his paintings was meticulously crafted. Everyone in the world of art knew who Min Yoongi was. Despite born in one of the noble families in Korea, his grandfather had no interest in politics. For all his life, he had enjoyed painting and when his first painting which was supposed to be his wedding gift for his sister had caught the Queen's attention, he was invited into the palace to be the royal family's painter. Two years later, he married Halmeoni. Fast forwarded a few more years, his father and his uncle were born. During the Japanese occupation, like many able bodied Korean men, his grandfather was conscripted to work at the mainland Japan. Two days later Halmeoni was informed that there was a heavy thunderstorm, causing the ship to capsize and everyone on the ship had perished. A guardian angel must have been looking over his grandfather because six months later, just when everyone thought Harabeoji was dead, he came home, without a scratch on his body. But everyone in the family said that he was no longer the same. Harabeoji was a man of few words. His grandfather did not express his love explicitly but the painter knew his grandfather loved him very much. Despite his definite rule of ‘leaving him alone when he is working’, he often let Kyunghoon sit next to him and watched him paint. Kyunghoon was the only one with such privilege and he basked in the privilege as much as he could.But there were also days when Harabeoji would lock himself in the studio, refusing to see anyone. When he came out of the room, he would look even more worn down than usual. It used to scare Kyunghoon to see his grandfather acting that way. "Oppa! Come here!" Solbin hollered. Kyunghoon walked towards the other side of the room, careful not to step on any of Harabeoji's paintings. "Harabeoji was really good at painting.” Solbin’s eyes twinkled with excitement. When Kyunghoon met Solbin, he was still grieving over his grandfather’s death. It pained him so much to even think of Harabeoji, let alone mentioning to his then girlfriend that he was the grandson of Min Yoongi or showing his grandfather’s paintings to her. Solbin only found out when he brought her to meet his parents. He was thankful that his wife did not blame him back then and instead just smiled and said: “It’s okay. I’m marrying you, Min Kyunghoon, the painter, not Min Yoongi’s grandson.” “Look at this beauty." Solbin said in awe, as she gently turned the painting around. It was a painting of a young man. Behind the man was the vast blue ocean and skies. The subject of the painting was dressed in a white tunic, sitting with one of his bare feet slightly lifted while the other was on the ground.The man’s hair was the color of cherry blossoms and his face was a perfect oval, graced by slightly high nose bridge and luscious pink lips. From the position of the man’s lean body, he was turning behind him to look at someone or something behind him, his eyes filled with sorrow. This had been Harabeoji’s favourite painting. Kyunghoon remembered Harabeoji used to stare at the painting for hours. When Kyunghoon had asked who was the man in the painting, he refused to answer and continued to gaze at the painting, expression pained.
Wait a minute.
That young man. He had seen him before. His mind began to conjure the image of a certain young man dressed in trench coat who had left the mansion with swollen eyes.
Oh God.
“The Stranger.” Solbin read out the name of the painting. “We are definitely keeping this one.” The man in the painting, Park Jimin… but how was this even possible? “I’ll just put this painting over here.” Solbin cautiously laid the painting so that it leaned against the wall. “Oppa, we should go now. Abeonim and Eomeonim are waiting for us to have lunch.” “Uh? Oh, okay.” Solbin did not seem to notice Kyunghoon’s distraught and cheerfully pulled her husband together to leave the room. **Kyunghoon could not tear his gaze away from the painting. Park Jimin did not have pink hair like the man in the painting but God, he looked exactly like him. The painter reached out into his messenger bag and took out an old sketchbook. He flipped open the sketchbook and on each page, there were pencil sketches of the man who looked like Park Jimin.Kyunghoon was very sure that the painting was painted many years ago. He had seen his grandfather staring at the picture when he was still a child. Harabeoji must have seen the man many years ago to be able to paint him. How could his grandfather paint a man whom he had never seen before? It was not like Harabeoji could see the future, right? Unless Park Jimin was not human. Kyunghoon scoffed at himself. What nonsense was he talking about? There must be a logical explanation to this. But what was it? What was it that he was missing out? The youth’s face emerged in Kyunghoon’s mind once again. Park Jimin. Maybe, Park Jimin could tell him what was this all about. It was possible that the youngster knew why his grandfather painted him despite not seeing him before. Kyunghoon looked out of the window. It had stopped raining when Solbin and him returned from their lunch with his parents. Due to the heavy storm that happened for a few days, most town folks including him and Solbin were trapped in their own homes, so there had been no ferry services. Park Jimin most probably would not had left the town. Plus, there was only two bed and breakfasts in this town, so it should be easy for Kyunghoon to find him. He shoved the sketchbook into his bag, grabbing his coat and umbrella along the way as he headed to the kitchen where his wife was preparing for dinner. “Solbin-ah, I am going out! I’ll be home for dinner!”“Alright.” Before he turned to leave, Solbin held onto his arm, concern written on her face. “Oppa, are you okay? You looked out of it since we cleaned Harabeoji’s room.” She laced their fingers together. “I know you have been close with Harabeoji and it had not been easy for you too. But you are not alone, oppa. I’m here for you, you know right?” Kyunghoon broke into a large grin. He must have saved the emperor in his past life to deserve such a loving wife like Solbin. “I’m okay. I promise. I just need to settle something.” Kyunghoon placed a gentle peck on her forehead. “I’ll be back before you know it.”“Be careful. Don’t come home too late!” Solbin yelled before she heard the door swung close. **Butterfly Bed & Breakfast, or better known as BBB by the locals, had been providing lodging to visitors for 50 years. It was operated by the Choi family and the current owner of the place was the fifth generation who was Kyunghoon’s primary school classmate. As Kyunghoon entered the premise, he scanned his surroundings for any sight of Park Jimin. But there seemed to be no one in the lobby. Appearing from behind the counter, his classmate, Soo Young greeted him as she placed a vase of fresh flowers on the counter.“Kyunghoon! What are you doing here? I haven’t seen you in awhile!”“Hello Soo Young.” Kyunghoon managed a smile. “How’s business?”Soo Young glanced around, sporting a wide smile. “So far so good. What about you? How’s your painting business?”“I am doing okay, I guess.” Kyunghoon paused. “I was wondering, uhm, if you had a guest that goes by the name of Park Jimin?”Soo Young’s face brightened. “Ah, the handsome young man? He just checked out minutes ago.” “Really? Did he say where was he going?““No.” Soo Young looked confused. “No, he didn’t.”“I, I have to go. I’ll catch up with you later! Thanks Soo Young!” He ran out of the premise, failing to notice Soo Young’s puzzled expression. The town’s jetty was just ten minutes away from BBB. If he ran for it, he could make it. It was a good thing that he lived in this town for most of his life, so he knew the shortcut to the jetty. He ran across the lane behind the shops. After he turned around the corner where Uncle Kwon’s herb shop was situated, he saw the jetty.Kyunghoon scanned the jetty. There were a few people waiting for the ferry to depart. No sign of Park Jimin. Where could he be? Kyunghoon looked around him. Then on the other side of the jetty, he saw him. Park Jimin was staring at the sea. “Park Jimin-ssi?”The man turned around, confused to see Kyunghoon. “Kyunghoon-ssi? Why are you here?”“Can, can we talk?”Jimin’s brows furrowed. He nodded.Kyunghoon took out his grandfather’s sketchbook and flipped open the pages before showing it to Jimin. The other man’s eyes widened in recognition.“This is Harabeoji’s sketchbook. It had been with him for years.”“And there is something that I would like to show you back in the mansion. Can you come with me to the mansion?” Kyunghoon noticed how the younger man’s eyes darted nervously but nevertheless he nodded in agreement. **“Oppa?” Solbin greeted Kyunghoon when he came home but froze when she saw Park Jimin."Solbin, this is Mr. Park Jimin." From the look on Solbin’s face, he knew what his wife was thinking. He just hoped that she would not say it out loud."Good evening, Mrs. Min.” Park Jimin said in a calm voice, smiling politely. He almost looked like a different person from the sad looking Park Jimin he saw at the jetty."You look exactly like the man in Harabeoji's painting." Kyunghoon resisted the urge to slap his forehead.Jimin's brows creased."He is the grandson of the man in Harabeoji's painting." Kyunghoon hated lying to his wife but until he could figure out what this was all about, the lie would have to do for now. “But such resemblance! I'm sorry for my rudeness but you looked exactly like your grandfather." Jimin glanced at Kyunghoon, who hoped that the man could just play along with his lie. “So I’ve heard.” The painter found himself heaving a sigh of relief.“I’m planning to show him the painting.”“I’ll make hot tea for both of you. The weather’s been really cold.” Solbin nodded with a warm smile before heading to the kitchen. Kyunghoon led him upstairs. When they reached the art room, he opened the door and stepped aside so that the other man could enter the room. Jimin walked around the room and stopped when he saw the painting.“That is you, am I right? The man in the painting.”Jimin traced his fingers on the painting.“How did you…?” Stay so young after all these years , Kyunghoon had wanted to say. But he was interrupted by a knock on the door. His wife came into the room, carrying a tray of two cups of warm tea. She did not seem to notice the palpable tension between the two men as she gave Jimin a warm smile and left the room, closing the door behind her. "Have you heard of siren?" Kyunghoon shook his head. ‘Siren as in alarm bells?”Jimin chuckled, looking as if he expected Kyunghoon’s answer. No, sirens as in creatures that lured sailors to their death with their beautiful voices.” Jimin chuckled. "I was told it was a famous tale in this town. "I've heard of it." That folklore, Kyunghoon had heard it all his life. People around here called them 'sea monsters'. These creatures seduced men on passing ships with their eternal beauty and melodious voices only to kill them afterwards. “I don’t understand what it has to do with this.”“You are a smart man, Kyunghoon-ssi. Think harder.”Kyunghoon narrowed his eyes, disliking the way this man was patronizing him. What had the folk lore got to do with him looking as if he had not aged a day? Yes, the tale of the sea monster was famous in this town. But they were just stories told to scare children and something sailors came up with to pass their time on the seas. They were not real. Did he miss something?Leaving Kyunghoon to his thoughts, Jimin turned his gaze back to the painting. His eyes began to glisten with tears. As Kyunghoon stared at the man, it finally dawned on him how beautiful the man was. His high bridge nose and pink lips were delicate, matching perfectly with his fair complexion. He looked almost too beautiful to be real, to be human.
Wait, beautiful sea creature that lured men to death…
Wait.
No way.
"Oh, God, you are..." Kyunghoon tripped over his own feet, causing him to stumble and fell on the floor. Jimin stepped closer to Kyunghoon but halted his steps when he saw how frightened Kyunghoon was of him. “I’m not going to hurt you. I can only do that when I sing.” He whispered. "But how?" That did not make Kyunghoon feel any less safer. "Did, did Harabeoji know?" Jimin nodded. “We, we did not meet under the best circumstance.” “But how did you meet Harabeoji? And what is your relationship with Harabeoji? Why was he drawing you all the time?” Kyunghoon looked at Jimin, who only had a faraway look in his eyes. ** August 1942 Min Yoongi finished his last sketch of his twins. He closed the sketchbook, putting his charcoal pencil and sketchbook inside his clothes pocket. They were what was left of his art tools, after most of them confiscated by the Japanese. The thought of his wife and his twins came into his mind. Although he knew his brother-in-law would take good care of them, he could not help but to worry. His wife, Chae Yeon had never ever needed to lift a finger to do house chores but now she had to take care of his ailing mother and the twins. Life had really taken the worst turn when the Japanese took over Koryo. His family's titles were stripped away, reducing them to nothing but commoners. With their lands taken away, they had no choice but to live in the village. They worked in farms to support the family but with the drastic raise of rent, it became increasingly difficult to secure meals. Just when things couldn't get worse, the Japanese government decided to enforce the Mobilization Law and the next morning he was dragged out of his house and was already on his way to Japan with the rest of 200 men. He did not even get the chance to bid his wife and sons goodbye. Yoongi looked around him. Including him, hundreds of Korean men were trapped in a small, constricted space as they were shipped away to a foreign land. He wondered what would happen to all of them. The Japanese weren't exactly known for being kind and generous. Yoongi dismissed the thought. He would come home to his wife and sons. He had to survive. His family was waiting for him. He closed his eyes. He needed to rest. It would be a long journey ahead.**"So," Sana drawled out the word. "We have guests." Men who had seen Sana's smile was mesmerized by the sea nymph's beauty but Jimin had seen that smile for centuries to know enough that his sister's bright smile meant bad news. Jihyo clapped enthusiastically, unable to hide that excited grin on her face. "About time. I'm starting to get bored. She giggled. "We are going to have so much fun." Jimin sighed. He loved his sisters, he really did but this whole killing just for the fun of it was getting a little too much. It had been unfair to them, having to be trapped in this archipelago for all eternities because their ancestors’ incompetence to protect the Goddess’ daughter. Like his sisters, he was also once bitter, wondering why they had to be punished for the things that they were not even responsible for. The killing was fun, at first, seeing how horror and fear etched on these men's faces when they knew death was coming for them. Jimin had felt good, knowing that someone could suffer the way he did.But after two centuries doing the same thing over and over again, Jimin could no longer bring himself to do this anymore. Instead of feeling liberated, he felt suffocated by guilt. When he lured those men with his voice, he could no longer bear to watch them jump to their deaths. In fact Jimin hardly sleep anymore (although he didn't really need to sleep), not when the victims' horrified expressions and screams haunted him at night. As his sisters were getting excited, Jimin slowly made his way out of the cave. "Jimin, where do you think you are going?" Dahyun called out. Jimin cursed internally. He turned around and put his sweetest smile for his sisters. Nine pairs of eyes were already glaring at him. "Well, you girls have fun. I'll be around, you know, just existing." Mina narrowed her eyes at her younger brother. "You are not going to back out on this one." "But," "You haven't been joining us for so long. Aren't we your sisters, Jimin-ah? Don't you love us?" Nayeon pouted. "Of course I love all of you but.." "No buts. Your voice is the most powerful among all of us and nothing is more fun that torturing them slowly. So, are you coming or not?" Jungyeon spoke, her voice so cold that Jimin felt goosebumps over his body. Although no one had said anything about Jimin’s lack of participation in their ‘leisure’ activity, the youngest siren knew that Jungyeon had been very angry with his behaviour. His sister was so used to him agreeing to her whims and fancies that it hurt her pride when he had outright rejected them to join them.Jimin swallowed his saliva, slowly nodding his head. He knew that he could not afford to say no anymore, not if he wanted to live in peace for the next century."Good." Jungyeon gave him a look before turning to the others. **Yoongi opened his eyes to an empty hold that used to fit hundreds of men were now empty. Yoongi thought he was imagining things. He rubbed his eyes a few times only to realize that he was indeed alone in the space. Where did everyone go? Something was definitely not right. If they had reached their destination or they needed to make a stop at any harbour, he would certainly be awoken by the commotion. He was a light sleeper. There was no way he could not hear anything. With careful steps, Yoongi headed to the deck and was instantly drenched with the heavy rain and strong waves that he could hardly see anything before him. But when he did, Yoongi saw what was going to haunt his dream for the rest of his life. Hundreds of men moved in a straight line and they moved to climb to the edge of the ship before throwing themselves into the raging sea. Horrified, Yoongi moved as fast as he could and tried to pull one of the men from jumping but as if they were hypnotized, they hardly heard Yoongi's scream. Despite using all the strength, he still could not pull the man down. He stopped the man next in line but to no avail. What the fuck? What was going on? In the midst of the loud thunderstorm, Yoongi heard a woman's giggle. No, it was more than one. He ran to the edge of the ship and looked down at the ocean. Nine women were in the waters, giggling and laughing as they pointed at each of the men who were falling into the sea, looking as if they were having the time of their lives. It was difficult to see anything clearly in this weather but Yoongi thought he saw a man who was not far from the group of women. Their eyes met and the man looked almost shocked to see him. It seemed that the group of women realised his presence when he heard one of them shrieking,"How can this even be possible?" Another one of them yelled. "Jimin!" The young man looked like he hesitated before he started to sing. Then Yoongi heard it. Don't think of anything else, don't say anything else, not even a word. Just smile at me. That voice, it sounded almost heavenly. Yoongi had never heard someone sang as beautiful as the man did. Then Yoongi could feel it happened. He was no longer in control of his body. As if he was his own audience, he watched his own feet carried him to the edge of the ship. Will you stay with me? Without having the time to react, he ploughed into the waters. The cold water pierced through Yoongi’s body that it was too painful to bear. He was not going to give up. He had to stay alive. Mustering every little strength that his body had, Yoongi tried to swim towards the ship. But the strong current was pulling him downwards and the freezing water was taking a toll on his body. He could feel the water rushing into his lungs. He was losing his breath.
I’m sorry, Jae Jin, Jae Hyun.
The last thing Yoongi saw or he thought he saw before he succumbed into complete darkness, was a shadow swimming and reaching out to him.**Yoongi blinked his eyes a few times against the glare of the sun. He groaned, his body aching all over when he sat up. He was lying on dry grass patches and there were buzzing sounds of cicadas. He was in a forest, Yoongi was sure of it. Everywhere he looked, there were trees and plants. "You are awake." Yoongi turned around. The young man stood across him, a small, hesitant smile on his face."You!" His smile faltered as he saw the hostile look on Yoongi’s face. “I am not going to hurt you.”Yoongi retreated, keeping a safe distance between him and the creature. The creature sighed. He placed the plate of fruits on the ground and held his hands up as he moved backwards. “You can eat them when you’re hungry.” He did not miss Yoongi’s skeptical gaze. “I didn’t poison them.” He paused. “I don’t have to.”Yoongi stared at him. Knowing that Yoongi felt threatened with him around, he let out a tired sigh again. “I’ll leave.” Staying true to his words, he left. Yoongi stared at the fruits. As if on cue, his stomach growled in hunger. Either way, he was going to die out of hunger or die out of poisoning. He’d rather die trying. He picked up the banana and ate it. It tasted really good. He then took the pineapple and papaya. It took him awhile to realize that he just finished all the fruits.
Shit.
He was so hungry that he forgot to keep some for the next day. That creature… he would bring food for him right? He was his prisoner and he would make sure his prisoner was fed right? The rational side of Yoongi told him not to get his hopes high but his instinct said otherwise. Yoongi laid back, forcing himself to sleep. He could only hope that his instinct would save him from dying from hunger.
**His instinct was right. The next day, Yoongi woke up to the sight of a plate filled with fresh fruits next to him but no sign of his captor. Same thing happened to the day after that and the following day. As if he knew that Yoongi would get bored of eating only fruits, the creature would actually serve grilled fishes on alternate days. Yoongi was beginning to lose track of time. He had no idea how many days had he been on this island. Although the creature had not harmed him yet, there was no guarantee that he would not do so later. He had to leave this place and return to his family. He knew that the creature would come in the morning to deliver his meal, so Yoongi made a plan to face the creature. On one cold morning, Yoongi pretended to sleep, hoping that he could catch hold of the creature. Sticking to his usual routine, the creature came to deliver his food. He heard the rustling of the dead leaves. The creature left the plate of food next to Yoongi and proceeded to walk away when he suddenly halted his steps.“I know you are awake.”Yoongi cursed internally as he sat up, staring at the creature whose back was facing him.“Tell me how I can leave this place."A heavy sigh. "You can't."Yoongi’s brows furrowed. "What do you mean 'I can't'?" "My sisters..." The creature bit his lips. "It’s still too early.”Yoongi narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about?”The creature turned around. Yoongi saw sincerity reflected in the creature’s gaze. "Just, just wait for a while. Once it's safe, I'll tell you how you can get home. I promise." Yoongi knew better than to trust the words of a monster who had just killed hundreds of innocent men. But, for reasons that he could not explain himself, he actually believed the creature. There was just something in that gaze that had Yoongi acting less hostile towards him. It was Yoongi’s turn to sigh. He took the orange on the plate and started to peel the fruit. The creature looked at him, his gaze wary yet curious.Yoongi held out the half-peeled orange to the creature. The creature only stared at him before he turned around and left. Great. Yoongi sighed. He was stuck on an unknown island in the middle of he did not even know where it was, with a monster who did not even want to talk to him. Great. Just great. **The next time when the creature came to deliver his meal, Yoongi called out to him. “Hey, wait!” The creature stopped and turned towards him. He had that wary gaze again. Yoongi motioned the empty spot next to him. He had no idea why he had such courage to ask the creature to sit next to him but the painter attributed it to the fact that the creature had been feeding him for days and if he had wanted to harm him, he could have done it long time ago. The creature’s eyes were wide with disbelief.“Yes, please sit.”Taking deliberate steps, he did what Yoongi asked, but was careful to leave a large gap between them.“What's your name?" The creature turned around, once again with that incredulous look.Yoongi sighed. "If I'm going to be stuck here with you for a long time, I might as well start talking to you before I die of boredom.”The creature kept silent."It's Jimin right?" Seriously, Yoongi was starting to find that look of disbelief rather comical on him now. "I heard one of them calling you with that name."Again, no response from the creature. Yoongi resisted the urge to groan out loud. He was definitely going to go crazy before he could even leave this place."What’s, what’s your name?” The creature spoke in a very quiet voice.Yoongi turned to look at Jimin. He was different. Yoongi had seen good-looking people in his lives but no one seemed to be able to compare with him, not with that high nose bridge and jawline sharp enough to cut diamonds."Yoongi. Min Yoongi." Jimin nodded."What are you?" Yoongi had wanted to ask him. He knew that Jimin was not human, not with that weird thing that hypnotized those men to jump into the sea. The image emerged in Yoongi’s mind. The man closed his eyes, shaking his head to shake off the dreadful imagery in his mind. Jimin seemed to know what Yoongi was thinking, guilt written all on his face. He hung his head low, eyes on the ground."I saw what you did that night. I know you are not human."There was a long moment of silence before Jimin replied. "I'm not. So are my sisters." Yoongi nodded."Have, have you heard of sirens?" Yoongi shook his head. “Siren as in the alarm bells?” Yoongi did not miss the offended look on Jimin’s face. “Our ancestors, they used to be the protectors of the daughter of the Goddess of Agriculture. But they failed to fulfill their duties when the goddess’s daughter was captured by the King of Hell. The goddess was so angry that she punished our ancestors and their descendants to be trapped in this archipelago for all eternities and risked tragic deaths if we leave this archipelago.” “We spent our days in singing and dancing but eventually we got bored.”Yoongi kept quiet as he found himself enjoyed listening to Jimin’s voice. His voice seemed to have a calming effect on him.“We were singing and dancing as we always did when there was this ship sailing past our island. We didn’t know how but somehow we realised that our singing has….” He paused, his eyes darting nervously as he seemed to look for the right word to say. “... effect on human beings.” He paused again, swallowing his saliva. “And that was when we started to do it." Jimin’s story reminded Yoongi of the famous folklore in his village. Everyone in the town grew up knowing the story about how ships sailing to the West often could not reach their destinations because the sailors were lured to their deaths by the sea monsters’ sweet voices. “You were the sea monster that they've been talking about." "Sea monster?”“There was a famous folktale in my town. It’s about how the sea monsters would kill you with their charming voices.”“Sea monster huh?” Jimin looked hurt by the term. "I guess we are monsters, after all." Yoongi didn't like how the creature looked so sad. He cleared his throat, trying to change the topic. Anything that could divert Jimin’s attention from the folklore term. "So you haven't left this archipelago before?" Jimin shook his head. “It was my first time leaving home.”“Are you a sailor?”“No, I’m not.” He paused, thinking of the men who have been on the ship with him. “None of them were.” Jimin looked at him, his gaze telling Yoongi that he was curious to know more about Yoongi but the siren did not want to intrude on his privacy. Yoongi was not one to talk a lot about himself but the former royal painter proceeded to tell the siren about his life story. He talked about his love for drawing and how he had been appointed as the royal painter. He talked about his parents who arranged him to marry the daughter of a family friend and how his wife bore him a pair of twins whom he loved more than anything else in this world. He talked how the Japanese had invaded Koryo and robbed them of everything. And Yoongi hadn’t realized he had fallen asleep while talking about his life. But when he woke up, next to the usual plate of fresh fruits and grilled fish, he saw brushes, ink and canvases on the ground next to him. His lips curled into a smile. **“What are you painting?” Jimin breathed into Yoongi’s ears, startling the painter that he dropped his brush."Don't ever do that again! I almost died out of heart attack!" The man tapped his chest, trying to calm his rapid heartbeat. An amused grin spread across Jimin’s face. Since their conversation that night, what was hostile and wariness between them had somehow developed into a comfortable friendship (was this even considered as friendship?). Yoongi, being introvert by nature, found that their friendship was developing too fast for his liking but then talking to Jimin was like talking to an old friend whom he had known each other for a long time. Every day without fail, the sea siren would bring over food and painting tools, quietly munching on the fruits, keeping himself occupied by watching Yoongi paint. The latter usually was uncomfortable knowing that people watching him paint and he preferred to work on his art without any disturbance. But Jimin was different. Yoongi could not explain how or why but he did notice he could paint better with Jimin around. Ignoring Yoongi’s scowl, Jimin turned to take a better look at the painting. He gasped aloud when he saw the subject of the painting. “Is that me?” Yoongi’s cheeks burned. “Yeah.” He scratched the back of his neck, unsure of what to say. He had intended to paint the scenery but he ended up distracted, Jimin’s face constantly on his mind and before he could not stop himself, he was already painting the siren. “It’s beautiful.” Jimin’s lips curled into a coy smile. “Thank you for painting me.”Yoongi’s chest warmed at the sight of the siren being so shy. The sea creature’s response motivated Yoongi to ask something he had been wanting to ask for a long time.“If, if it’s okay with you, would you like to be my muse?”Jimin raised his brow.Yoongi licked his lips. “I mean, I am used to painting portraits and I think I am better at it and you are the only thing closest to human around here, so, you know.” Yoongi knew he was rambling but he was nervous. He was even more nervous than that time where he was called into the palace. He wasn’t sure why, but the idea of asking Jimin to be his muse seemed to carry a heavier nuance that its literal meaning.Jimin’s smile was dazzling. “Yes, I would love to be your muse.” **“Let’s go for a swim.” Jimin sat up, his chest glistened with sweat under the glaring hot sun.“I don’t really like swimming.” Yoongi answered. Yoongi lied. He grew up in a fishing town where children were born natural swimmers. He even used to go swimming with his friends when they were still kids. But that was in the past. Nowadays, the idea of going near the water reminded him of the dreams that had been haunting him in his sleep. But Jimin didn’t know that. The sea creature usually left in the night to meet his sisters on another island. He did not want to risk his sisters coming to the island and finding out about Yoongi. He wouldn’t know about the recurring nightmare that Yoongi had been having since he was trapped in this island. “But don’t you feel hot?” Jimin whined, wiping the sweat dripping off his face. “Come on, you don’t have to swim. Just splash some water on your face.”Yoongi sighed. He knew that the siren would not relent unless he said yes. He would just pout and whine and do all those disgustingly cute gestures until Yoongi agreed to his demands. “Fine.”“Yes!” Yoongi was really reluctant to go near the waters. But then he saw the enthusiastic look on Jimin’s face and he couldn’t find it in him to say no. He followed Jimin to the beach and when they reached the shore, Jimin immediately ran and threw himself into the water. “Come on!” He hollered at Yoongi, who then slowly walked into the water. As he went deeper, his heart jumped in his chest. When Yoongi eventually made it to the sea creature, the painter saw Jimin’s eyes sparkled with mirth.
Oh no.
Jimin gave a hard push, causing Yoongi to fall backwards into the water.Kicking his arms and legs desperately, the painter tried to swim towards the surface where he saw Jimin’s reflection but finding himself being pulled back by the strong current. Panic started to set in when Yoongi felt his legs going numb.
Just like that night.
Yoongi took a breath of air, only to engulf a gush of salty water. As black begin to seep in at the edge of his vision, he saw the faces of the men when they leaped into the water, just like he always did in his nightmare. Then a pair of strong hands reached out and pulled him out from the waters and Yoongi once again felt the warm sands on his back. Yoongi choked, spitting out the water. “Yoongi, Yoongi, can you hear me? Yoongi???” “Ji,” He coughed. “Ji, Jimin…” “You're okay now. You're okay now." Jimin held him in his embrace. "I'm so sorry, Yoongi. I'm so sorry." **The sound of crackling firewood and hoots from the night owls seemed to be louder when none of them were talking. Feeling cold, Yoongi pulled the thick blanket closer to him. He stole a quick glance at Jimin, who had not said a word after he had saved him from drowning. He knew Jimin felt that he nearly caused Yoongi to drown but it really wasn’t Jimin’s fault. Yoongi could swim. It was just that with everything that happened recently, he couldn’t control how his body went into panic mode every time when he was in the water. “I’m sorry.” Jimin spoke, finally breaking the silence that was killing Yoongi.“Why are you apologizing?" Yoongi turned to look at Jimin.“It, it must have been traumatizing for you." Yoongi’s brows furrowed in confusion. “I recognize that look on your face. You had that same look that night when my singing…”Yoongi looked away. Jimin knows. “I’m sorry.” Yoongi knew the siren’s apology was no longer referring to today’s incident. “It was a terrible thing to do, and I know I could’ve said no, but…” Jimin did not talk much about his sisters but it was obvious that his sisters were taking advantage of Jimin’s love for them by bullying their youngest brother into doing what they wanted. If there was anything that Yoongi could understand in this world, it was doing what was asked of them. Yoongi cupped Jimin’s face with one hand, staring right into the siren’s eyes. “Hey, I understand. I was there when it happened. I know you were forced to do it. I don’t blame you.”“But I am evil, and…”“You are not evil. You just did not have a choice. If you were evil, you could have killed me. You wouldn’t have saved me.” “Yoongi,” Jimin’s eyes darkened in a way that was making Yoongi’s stomach stirred with arousal. The painter had never felt like this for anyone and he wasn’t sure what he was feeling for Jimin was what he thought it was. Jimin’s hand slowly drifted to his waist. Their eyes searched each other’s before the siren tugged him closer, their breaths mingled. “Yoongi,” Jimin’s whisper sent shivers down Yoongi’s spine. With their lips only inches away, he knew that if he didn’t push the siren away, something dangerous, something that Yoongi did not think that they would be able to endure in the future. Conflict arose between his mind, telling him that he should push the siren away before it was too late and his heart, that was to kiss Jimin senseless like he had always wanted to from the moment he laid eyes on the ethereal creature when he first woke up on this island. But surviving a near-death experience had taught Yoongi about the fragility of life. He had spent all his life pleasing his family and putting aside what he wanted for himself, thinking that it was only right to do so. He was not in Koryo anymore; he was on a cursed island with a beautiful siren whom he was very much in love and he was just few inches away from kissing him. For once, Min Yoongi just wanted to be himself, not the youngest son of the renowned Min family, not the royal painter Min Yoongi. Just Yoongi. For the first time, he did what he wanted. He leaned forward and kissed Jimin.**It was easy to succumb to the life of hedonism when Jimin was his only companion in this lonely island. Yoongi spent most of his days painting Jimin, and when he was tired of it, they would make out in Jimin’s cave, which was not far away from where Yoongi slept. In the evening, they would hold hands, sitting by the beach, watching the sunset together. And in the night, when Jimin did not need to meet his sisters, he would take Yoongi to the highest hilltop on the island to gaze at the stars.Yoongi never seemed to run out of art materials as Jimin would replenish them even before he said anything about it. Whether he had stolen them or bought them, Yoongi didn't know and he didn't ask. It was even possible that the siren materialized them out of thin air since Jimin was a magical being himself. The painter was content with his blissful life with Jimin on this island. They were free to do what they wanted, without worrying about being judged or scorned. But when the night came and Yoongi was left all alone with his thoughts, his wife and his sons came to his mind. Were they alright? Were they informed about Yoongi’s disappearance? Did they think that Yoongi was at the foreign land or that he had died along with the men on the ship? The thought of returning to his family at Koryo tore Yoongi apart. He knew that if he ever returned, he would never see Jimin again, not when the siren was cursed not to leave this archipelago. It would break the siren’s heart to know that he had to leave him. But he missed his sons and his wife and he had to make sure they were doing fine. But could he even do it? Could he even bring himself to leave this island, knowing that he would never see Jimin again? Yoongi knew nothing of love. He had been too busy with his position as the royal painter to even think of anything else. When he finally had a clearer vision of what he wanted his life to be, his family had arranged him to marry Chaeyeon. Yoongi did not object, knowing that he never had the liberty to choose his bride. And he thought he was okay with the idea of not knowing about love. Perhaps it was for the best, he had told himself the night of his wedding. But then he met Jimin and his perspective on love and life changed. The beautiful siren had shown him more compassion, kindness and love than Yoongi had ever seen in any human. He had seen it in the way how the siren treated the animals on this island with affection and how his face would light up like a child on Lunar New Year when Yoongi told the stories about his town people and how he had held Yoongi’s hands and asked him to forgive the Japanese when the latter told him about the army’s cruelty towards his people. Because the anger and rage will only eat you up from inside, Jimin had told him. “Yoongi.” The painter turned around to find his beautiful siren frowning. Jimin came closer and when he kissed him, Yoongi thought he would rather lose the world than the siren in his arms. **The stars were beautiful tonight. Despite Jimin’s head on Yoongi’s shoulder, their hands intertwined on his lap, he knew that the human was deep in his own thoughts rather than enjoying the view like he always did. "Jimin," Yoongi's voice was deep. Jimin closed his eyes, willing himself not to cry. He had seen this coming. But he just didn’t know it was so soon. Or maybe he did know that it was time but he was in denial. If he was honest to himself, he could already tell from the way how Yoongi had been tossing and turning on the bed and often staring into the space with that faraway look in his eyes. He had known that the human would eventually leave him. He belonged with his wife and his sons. A part of him was hoping that maybe what they had could change Yoongi’s mind. But the human he fell in love with was a righteous man. He would do what was right, even if it meant that he had to sacrifice himself. “You are leaving.” Jimin turned away from Yoongi.“Jimin, I, I’m sorry.”Heaving a deep sigh, Jimin caressed Yoongi’s cheek with his thumb. “There’s nothing to apologize. “When are you leaving?”“The day after tomorrow.” Jimin remembered Yoongi told him that his twin boys were born on the first day of winter season. He must had wanted to be home for his sons on their birthday.JImin stood up, his back on Yoongi as he walked away. He didn’t want the human to see his tears that were threatening to fall. “I’ll prepare a boat for you to leave.”“Jimin,” For the first time, the siren did not turn back when Yoongi called his name. **Yoongi stared at the small boat before him. It was small but enough to get him back to Koryo. There was no need for a map, Jimin had told the painter when he had asked for a map. The siren had used his abilities on the boat to make sure that it would take him back home safely without the need for human navigation. Jimin was behind him, silently staring at Yoongi like he always did when Yoongi was painting. After Yoongi had told him about his departure, the siren distanced himself from him, leaving Yoongi to spend his last nights on the island alone. Yoongi didn’t know that loneliness could be so loud until then. Although Jimin’s indifference hurt Yoongi, he understood why the siren was acting like this. And he didn’t blame him. He just wished he could do something to reduce the pain of separation that Jimin would go through when he left. Turning around, he glanced at the siren, who looked like he was going to burst into tears any moment. Jimin might be good at hiding his emotions but not in front of Yoongi who could read him like an open book and, a book which Yoongi wished he was given a lifetime to read. Yoongi slowly stepped toward Jimin, wrapping his arms around the siren as he waited for the siren to push him away. Jimin didn’t push him away and instead, circled his arms around Yoongi’s neck and brought himself closer to the painter. “I’m sorry, Jimin. I wish that we had never fallen in love. I wish that you had never met me. I wish that we are strangers, who never knew each other so that you would never have to go through all these pain. I, I’m so so sorry, Jimin.” “Don’t say that.” Jimin murmured against his shoulder. Yoongi loosened his hold on Jimin so that he could look at him properly for one last time.“I don’t regret everything; saving you, meeting you, knowing you and falling in love with you.”“Jimin.”Jimin pressed his lips to his forehead. It was soft and gentle and Yoongi knew that it would linger for a long time.“So, don’t say that. Don’t say that you’d rather want us to be strangers.”“I’m sorry.”“Don’t apologize. I understand. Your family needs you.” Jimin looked up at the skies. “You, you should go now.” Yoongi squeezed Jimin’s hand before he let it go and stepped into the boat. As soon as he settled in the boat, it began to move on its own accord, surprising Yoongi. As the boat sailed into the ocean, Yoongi and Jimin stared into each other’s eyes. And when the island disappeared from his sight, Yoongi finally let the tears rolled down his cheeks. **
August 2005
Kyunghoon held out his palm as he looked at the dark skies. The rain had completely stopped by now. The sound of ocean waves lapping against the jetty filled the silence between Kyunghoon and the siren. The painter was at loss for words. What did one should react when he found out that his grandfather was in love with a magical creature? Kyunghoon finally understood his grandfather’s longing gaze on the painting. He finally knew why his grandfather would look like as if he wanted to be at somewhere else. He gave up his love of his life to return to his family. “Harabeoji always came here in the evening. “ Kyunghoon didn’t know why he said that. Maybe he wanted the siren to know that Harabeoji had never forgotten about him. “He would sit at the edge of the jetty and stare at the sea for a long time. My mother used to send me to get him to come home for dinner.” Park Jimin hadn't spoken a word but Kyunghoon knew he was listening. "He always had this sad look in his eyes. He looked as if he was waiting for someone or wanting to go somewhere. I always thought that I was being ridiculous. Why would Harabeoji want to leave when he had everything a man would wish for in his life; wealth, status and a family who love and respect him?” A gentle breeze blew through Kyunghoon’s hair. “But now I know.” Kyunghoon turned to look at Park Jimin, who had the same longing gaze that his grandfather used to have. His heart ached for the two lovers who would never be together. Kyunghoon glanced at the sketchbook in his hand and held it out toward Jimin. The siren looked at him, agony still evident in his gaze."I think Harabeoji would love you to have it." As if the sketchbook was something fragile, Jimin carefully took the book from Kyunghoon and flipped open the book. As he turned the pages, his eyes once again glistened with tears. "Thank you, Kyunghoon-ssi." Kyunghoon shook his head. “No, I should thank you. Thank you for letting me know Harabeoji better.“He really loved all of you.”Kyunghoon nodded. “I know. Are you going back to where you belong?”Jimin glanced towards the sea. Kyunghoon followed his gaze. “Yes.”“I wish you a safe trip.”Jimin smiled. “Thank you.”“I, uh, need to go. My wife is waiting for me to come home for dinner.”The siren nodded.Kyunghoon bowed and turned around to leave. He suddenly remembered that next month would be Harabeoji’s death anniversary and the family would be there to pay their respect. Should he invite Park Jimin? He might not be human and to be honest, Kyunghoon feared the creature but he was, after all, someone whom his grandfather had loved deeply and Harabeoji would love to have him near even when he was no longer in this world. Kyunghoon turned around once again. But Park Jimin was gone.
**“Oppa?”“I’m in here.” Kyunghoon shouted from the art room. Solbin entered the room only to find that her husband was staring at the same painting again. He had been acting weird ever since the young man’s visit. And god, Solbin thought such thing would only happen in TV dramas but honestly, what were the odds of having a grandson who looked exactly like his grandfather? She had wanted to ask Kyunghoon about the man but her husband looked so troubled these days that she was too worried about him to be bothered to ask about a stranger. “Oppa,” Solbin held Kyunghoon’s arm, rubbing it lightly in attempt to soothe her husband. Her husband wasn’t one to share his troubles with someone else, preferring to sort out his problems on his own. She couldn’t do much about her husband’s temperament but at least she wanted him to know that she would be there for him. “This painting, are we going to display it for the exhibition?” Solbin asked, careful not to sound that she was rushing him to make a decision. It had been a busy week, getting the room ready for the visitors. They were almost done with deciding with pieces to be displayed in the exhibition except for ‘The Stranger’. For some reason, Kyunghoon had a greater affection about this painting than the others. Perhaps, Solbin guessed, it was his grandfather’s favorite painting and seeing how close Kyunghoon was with Harabeoji, he might have wanted to think about it carefully. “No.”“No?”“It’s,” Kyunghoon paused, looking hesitant. “It’s too beautiful for the world to see.” Solbin felt like her husband was referring to something else than the painting itself.“So, what do you want to do with it?” Solbin thought the opposite of her husband but she was aware that it was Kyunghoon’s grandfather’s painting and the emotional attachment to the painting might not be something that Solbin could understand. Kyunghoon then did something that surprised Solbin. He carried the painting to Harabeoji’s old bedroom and hung it on the wall across his old bed.“Oppa, here?”His lips curled into a satisfied smile. “Yes, here.”“But,” Solbin was confused, her lips parted as she was about to ask her husband. But then she decided it was best that she did not do it. As long as he was happy, she thought. “Okay.”“Let’s have lunch. I am hungry.” Kyunghoon smiled at her.She nodded, sporting a bright smile. “Okay.” The couple then closed the door behind them, holding hands as they headed downstairs to the kitchen.
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