The storm wrapped around the village like the sky itself was angry.Wind slammed against the windows.
Inside the dark room, Se-Jun suddenly opened his eyes.
THUD.
One of the windows kept swinging open and shut.
"…What the hell…"
He got up sleepily and pushed the window closed.The wind slowly died down.
Then—
He noticed it.
A candlelight flickers from the living room.
Se-Jun frowned.
"…Did I leave that on?"
He slowly walked out.
The candle sat on the table.
And behind it—
A man.
Wearing old shaman robes.
Sitting silently.
Se-Jun froze.
"…Hello?" he asked carefully. "Who are you?"
The man didn't move.
Then a voice came softly.
"Don't you think this is risky?"
"…Excuse me?"
Se-Jun grabbed the candle and pointed it toward the table.
Empty.
Nobody there.
Se-Jun blinked.
"…What the—"
He slowly turned around.
The man was standing behind him now.
Se-Jun almost dropped the candle.
The man's face slowly revealed under the light—mid 50s. Calm smile. Strange eyes.
"…How did you get inside?" Se-Jun asked nervously.
The man smiled wider.
"You have energy."
"…Ugh?"
Then suddenly—
The man rushed toward him unnaturally fast.
Se-Jun stumbled backward.
The man stopped inches from his face.
And whispered—
"You came to the right place, Se-Jun."
CUT—
"AHH!"
Se-Jun shot awake in bed, sweating heavily.
Breathing hard.
He looked around wildly.
Nothing.
Just his room.
Morning light.
His phone was beside him.
5:02 AM.
Se-Jun touched his face slowly.
"…That felt real…"
Cut To —
Hye-jin stared at her laptop screen.
Blank document.
Not a single word written.
She sighed dramatically and dropped her forehead onto the table.
THUD.
"…Writer life is a scam…"
Then—
BANG!
Her bedroom door suddenly flew open.
"NOONA—!"
A teenage boy launched himself into the room and bounced onto her bed like a hyperactive puppy.
"Tae-yang?!"
Behind him stood Sang-wook, smiling brightly.
"Ayigoooo! Hye-jin-ah! It's been years!"
Hye-jin sat up in shock.
"…Uncle?"
Tae-yang kept jumping on the bed.
"HELLO SIS!"
"REMOVE YOUR SHOES, YOU GROWN MAN!"
"Yah! I'm eighteen now!"
Hye-jin crossed her arms.
"You were eighteen eleven years ago, too."
"…That's not how age works."
Tae-yang pointed confidently.
"I'm only one year younger than you."
"Yes. ONE year. Stop acting like a fetus."
From outside—
"Kids! Don't fight!" her mother yelled.
Her father walked in holding a wine bottle already.
"Hyung! Welcome!"
Hye-jin's aunt immediately pointed at him.
"Don't start drinking in the morning!"
"I won't!"
A pause.
"…Where's Mr. Hyuk?"
"He went to the farm," the aunt answered.
Hye-jin slowly stood up.
"…I think I suddenly remembered I have work—"
"Nope!"
Tae-yang grabbed her wrist dramatically.
"We're making FOOD COMA memories today!"
"I don't want food coma memories!"
"I'll cook for you!"
Hye-jin's eyes widened in horror.
"…No."
"Yes."
"NO."
Tae-yang already rolled up his sleeves proudly.
"Today… you'll witness my legendary ramyeon."
Hye-jin looked at everyone desperately.
"Why is nobody stopping him?!"
Knock knock.
Se-Jun slowly looked up from his bed.
"…Who is awake this early…"
He opened the door.
Gyu-seok stood there with a soft smile.
"Did I disturb you, Il-sung?"
Se-Jun immediately straightened.
"No, no! Please come in!"
Gyu-seok stepped inside carefully, looking around the old house.
Se-Jun scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"I said I would clean… but Mrs. Kim won't let me touch anything."
Gyu-seok laughed warmly.
"It's been almost thirty years since I entered this house."
His eyes slowly wandered around.
"And now… because of you… I came back here again."
For a second, Se-Jun didn't know what to say.
Then softly—
"Everything will be fine."
Gyu-seok smiled faintly.
"The real reason I came…"
He slowly pulled out a folder from his bag.
Land documents.
The official ones.
"The documents Sang-Ook gave me."
Se-Jun carefully flipped through them.
"…They're real."
Gyu-seok nodded slowly.
"I don't think I can safely keep them at my house."
He laughed awkwardly.
"That doesn't mean I don't trust my daughter or granddaughter."
Se-Jun looked at him quietly.
Gyu-seok continued softly—
"But somehow… this house feels safer."
A pause.
"And I trust the people around this village."
Se-Jun nodded slowly.
"…You want me to keep it?"
Gyu-seok looked relieved immediately.
Se-Jun stood up.
"Then I'll hold onto it. If you need it, just call me."
He walked into the room and carefully placed the documents inside his bag.
When he came back—
Gyu-seok was already near the door.
"See you at the festival."
Se-Jun smiled politely.
"I'll be there."
Gyu-seok walked away slowly.
Halfway down the road, villagers stopped him and started chatting immediately.
Se-Jun watched from the doorway.
Then sighed deeply.
"…How long do I have to keep doing this…"
A beat.
"…God knows."
He quietly closed the door.
CUT TO —
Village Festival Day.
The entire village gathered near the festival grounds.
Colorful flags danced in the wind.
Food stalls lined the streets.
Children ran around screaming.
Old women fought over the best sitting spots like it was a survival reality TV.
Hye-jin's entire family sat together.
Across from them—
Sang-Ook's family.
The atmosphere was smiling…
but tense.
Then—
The music changed.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
The Janggu drums echoed slowly like a heartbeat under the earth itself.
The crowd slowly fell silent.
And then—
The Mudang emerged.
Gasps spread instantly.
Se-Jun stepped forward in full ceremonial robes.
Royal blue.
Crimson silk.
Flowing sleeves dramatic enough to deserve their own acting award.
The bells around his waist jingled softly with every movement.
In his hands—
Shinkal ritual knives.
The sunlight reflected perfectly off the blades.
(Somewhere nearby, the sun itself was working overtime as a paid actor.)
The drums grew louder.
Se-Jun began to dance.
His feet stomped against the ground rhythmically—
Geodeun-geori.
The ritual to awaken the spirits of the land.
He spun sharply.
His robes whipped through the air beautifully.
Villagers stared in complete awe.
Hye-jin stared too.
"…Why does he actually look good at this?"
Even Rowoon blinked slowly.
"…This is kinda crazy."
Se-Jun raised the blades dramatically and threw sacred salt into the air.
The crowd gasped.
An old woman had already started crying emotionally for no reason.
Then—
Five minutes later.
Se-Jun was dying internally.
His breathing got heavier.
His legs were giving resignation letters.
"…Why is this dance so long?!" he screamed internally.
The drums got faster.
Faster.
FASTER.
And suddenly—
His mind went blank.
"…Wait."
"…How does this end?"
Panic.
Pure panic.
Se-Jun froze for half a second.
Hye-jin's eyes widened at the crowd.
"…Oh no."
Then—
Se-Jun made a decision.
A terrible one.
The drums hit hard—
And suddenly—
He slipped into a smooth idol-style turn.
One shoulder move.
Step.
Spin.
A suspiciously familiar K-pop body roll.
The bells jingled aggressively.
The villagers GASPED.
One auntie grabbed another auntie dramatically.
"…This must be a special blessing dance."
Hye-jin immediately covered her face.
"…I'm going to jail."
Meanwhile—
Se-Jun is fully committed now.
At this point, he was performing for survival.
One accidental hip thrust later—
Even the drummers looked confused.
Then—
THUMP!!!
The drums hit one final, deafening crescendo.
Se-Jun suddenly stopped directly between the two families.
Silence.
The wind is blowing dramatically.
His sleeves slowly falling back into place.
Everyone stared at him in complete shock.
Se-Jun slowly lifted his chin.
Trying to look mysterious.
Trying not to pass out.
And then—
The festival began.
The festival exploded into full chaos after the ceremony.
Food stalls opened one by one.
Hotteok sizzles loudly.
Kids are screaming near the game booths.
Grandpas arguing over whose cabbage grew bigger this year.
A group of elementary kids performed an aggressively off-beat dance on stage while every parent recorded like it was the Oscars.
Near the center of the festival—
Rowoon stood at a newly opened fruit juice stall, wearing sunglasses like he was hiding from Dispatch.
"…This strawberry juice is actually good," he admitted seriously.
Behind the counter—
Seul-gi proudly crossed her arms.
"Told you. Everything here is organic."
A flower stall beside the juice shop overflowed with colorful bouquets and tiny handwritten signs.
"BUY FLOWERS OR STAY SINGLE."
Very Seul-gi coded.
Just then—
Hye-jin walked over through the crowd.
"Hello—"
"YO!" Seul-gi immediately shouted.
"I have gossip."
Hye-jin already looked exhausted.
Seul-gi turned and yelled toward the back—
"Dad! Watch the shop for one minute!"
Her father popped out holding flowers upside down.
"…Why am I holding this like chicken?"
"Just smile!"
She shoved the bouquet into his hands and jumped down from the stall dramatically.
Then immediately dragged Hye-jin away by the wrist.
"OW—what are you doing?!"
Seul-gi looked around suspiciously first.
Then leaned closer.
"…Tell me the truth."
Hye-jin already knew.
"…No."
"Rowoon is your ex, isn't he?"
Hye-jin froze.
Slowly looked around.
Then whispered—
"…Yes."
Seul-gi immediately snapped her fingers loudly.
"I KNEW IT!"
Two nearby aunties turned instantly.
"Knew WHAT?"
"Nothing!" Seul-gi yelled back immediately.
Then she turned toward Hye-jin again with the excitement of a woman who had just unlocked premium gossip content.
"I knew there was history!"
Hye-jin covered her face.
"…Can you lower your voice before this village turns into a news channel?"
Too late.
One auntie already whispered—
"…She dated an actor?"
Another auntie gasped.
"THAT'S why she came back to the village!"