Limits of Paradise

“Whoa!”

Startled by the sudden voice behind her, Tae-eun clutched the book and photo tightly to her chest. Hyun-ho’s cold arm wrapped around her, pulling her into his embrace.

“Why do you walk around so quietly? Did you take a cold shower?”

She blamed him as she struggled to break free from his hold. But the more she wriggled, the tighter his arms became, and his heavy, dangling member pressed firmly against her body.

“You found my hidden treasure.”

At his quiet remark, Tae-eun lowered her head and apologized.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t snooping on purpose. I just wanted to read the book…”

“Isn’t it pretty, even to you?”

Still naked, Hyun-ho pressed his cheek against hers, looking at the photo together. This intimate gesture felt even more embarrassing than the sex they had just had in the bathroom.

“My mom was right. Growing up looking at you raised my standards too high. No other girls could compare.”

His blunt compliment made her face burn even hotter.

“But why is this photo burnt? Who are you holding hands with?”

When Tae-eun tried to change the subject, he fell silent. She glanced around nervously, but then felt his lips replace his cheek against hers.

“It was with me.”

“Really? But why—”

“Because I looked ugly.”

Tae-eun blinked in confusion. Hyun-ho kept his lips on her cheek, moving them as if savoring something sweet.

“Who? You?”

“Yeah.”

“You burnt it because you thought you looked ugly?”

“Yeah.”

“Why? You were so cute…”

His playful kisses stopped. Meeting his bright eyes up close, she saw her reflection in them.

“Cute?”

For some reason, his voice sounded as cold as his body temperature when he asked again.

“Yeah. You looked cute, like a puppy. Why burn it?”

His mouth twisted into a lopsided smile, and a small laugh escaped.

“More like a mutt, right?”

Tae-eun was shocked and at a loss for words at his harsh self-assessment. Sure, he was strikingly handsome now, but he had been plenty cute as a child. It seemed he hadn’t thought so himself.

“Honestly, you think I look better now too, don’t you?”

She hesitated, wondering how to answer without hurting his feelings. But he didn’t give her the chance to ponder and asked again.

“Don’t you?”

“Well, yeah, you look really handsome now.”

Only then did a bright smile spread across his face.

“Much better, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Good. Let’s eat. What do you want?”

As Tae-eun put the book and photo back in their place, she watched Hyun-ho get dressed. She wondered when she would fully understand him.

After an early lunch, she declined Hyun-ho’s suggestion to watch a movie and instead climbed into bed. Staring straight up, she saw the cloudy sky through the skylight in the ceiling.

Hyun-ho, lying next to her, curled his large frame and nestled into her embrace. His prominent nose buried itself behind her ear, and his long legs tangled tightly with hers. His hand, with its long fingers, gently stroked her ribs before supporting her slightly sagging breast.

The sound of his quiet breathing filled her ears. She watched the clouds drift slowly across the sky before closing her eyes.

“Where is that friend of yours?”

Hyun-ho’s question broke the cozy silence. Tae-eun kept her eyes closed, feeling his hand kneading her left breast. She wondered if he could sense her quickening heartbeat.

“In Cheongju.”

“Let’s go together.”

She slowly opened her eyes. He continued to breathe slowly, his hand still resting on her soft breast.

“Should we stop by Seoul on the way?”

His suggestion sounded light and impulsive, as if he was trying to ease her burden.

“Why Seoul?”

“To have some fun. We can spend a few days there, then go to Cheongju to say hello before coming back.”

Tae-eun swallowed dryly, recalling what she had been like when she lived in Seoul. A faint worry surfaced that her somewhat improved state might unravel again.

She took a deep breath, watching his hand rise and fall with her chest like a magnet.

Still… it’s just for a short while, and she’d be with Hyun-ho. He had protected her last night, hadn’t he?

“Okay.”

She answered softly and leaned in to kiss the bruised cheek of his face.

“Let’s have some fun.”

Hearing her agreeable response, he smiled beautifully, his eyes crinkling.

***

Ji Hyun-ho posted a notice that the café would be closed for a week and left late at night. His white SUV sped along a newly opened road.

The headlights of oncoming cars might have been blinding, but his dark pupils in his bright irises stared straight ahead at the dark road. As he drove closer to Hallasan, the number of cars dwindled until his was the only one on the road.

The car stopped in front of a camellia field. He took a shovel from the trunk and entered through a black iron gate. The red flowers, which had been closed, bloomed all at once as if to welcome him.

He walked through the rows of camellia trees to the innermost part of the field. The damp soil clung to the soles of his sneakers, and the moisture-laden flowers stretched their necks toward him.

At the very end, there was a small, old tombstone that barely reached his knees. However, the name engraved in the center was still clear.

“Ko Yu-pyeong.”

That was his name before he became a vengeful spirit. His eyes glowed like ghostly flames as he read the name he had used when he was human.

Now, wearing the guise of Ji Hyun-ho, he aimed the shovel at the wet ground and began to dig up his own grave.

The shovel easily cut through the moist soil, lifting it out. He repeated the motion silently, drawing closer to the memories of his past life.

Even on this barren and isolated island, fierce power struggles existed. As the son of the lord of Tamna, he was ambushed and killed by assassins sent by the Yang family of the East. He was only ten years old at the time.

He had harbored ambitions of advancing to the central government, and his untimely death left him bitter. So, he chose to exist as a ghost rather than vanish from the universe.

And he began his revenge.

With a clang, the shovel hit something hard. He laid the shovel flat and cleared away the remaining soil, revealing a small stone coffin assembled from slabs.

It was a dark night with thick clouds swallowing the moon, but he could clearly see the outline of the lotus flower engraved on the stone. The pictures of the Four Guardians carved into the side of the stone coffin also stood out in his view.

These drawings were meant to wish for a peaceful afterlife, but unfortunately, the owner of this coffin had become a vengeful spirit.

He lifted the lid of the coffin and faced his own remains. He felt no particular emotion. The only regret was that the small size of the burned body meant there were few bones left.

Instead, he moved quickly. Taking an empty container from his pocket, he transferred some of the bones into it. After closing the coffin and covering the grave with the soil he had dug up, an entire hour had passed.

When Ji Hyun-ho returned to his place after a long drive, a bright yellow sports car was parked in front of the café. Nam Jeong-tak was waiting for him, unable to hide his anxious expression.

“You’re back early.”

Hyun-ho turned on the lights inside the café for his errand runner. As he placed the container with the bones on the counter, he heard a sharp intake of breath behind him. Ignoring it, he meticulously washed his soil-stained hands at the sink.

“Want some coffee?”

“No, no, I’m fine.”

Nam Jeong-tak declined the kind offer. Hyun-ho nodded lightly and turned on the espresso machine to pull a shot. While the machine noisily worked, the shaman let out a quiet sigh.

Hyun-ho took his Americano and the container of bones and sat across from Nam Jeong-tak. The shaman’s gaze was fixed on the transparent container holding the white powder.

“I’m heading to Seoul tomorrow.”

At the owner’s announcement, the errand runner barely managed to lift his eyes.

“While I’m away, don’t get any funny ideas. Make sure to place the talismans carefully. Some troublemakers might come around thinking I’m not here.”

“Yes, yes…”

Hyun-ho opened the container and poured the bone powder into his coffee. As he stirred it with a teaspoon, Nam Jeong-tak’s face turned from pale to a sickly blue.

“If anyone tries to cause trouble, just pretend you don’t know anything.”

“But…”

The shaman couldn’t finish his sentence. Hyun-ho raised an eyebrow and sipped his coffee slowly. Nam Jeong-tak desperately covered his mouth with his hand, but Hyun-ho paid no attention.

He was bound to the island. The longer he stayed away from Jeju, the weaker his powers would become. However, to successfully strike a deal with a malevolent spirit, he needed stronger power to exact satisfying revenge.

So he returned to the place where he was reborn as a vengeful spirit to retrieve a part of himself. By consuming the bones filled with malice, resentment, and hatred, he would gain the strength to go to Seoul.

“If anything seems off, call me immediately.”

Though he finished his coffee, a bit of bone powder remained at the bottom of the cup. Pouring in some water, it quickly turned murky.

Without hesitation, he drank it all. The gritty powder slid down his throat.

“Ugh! Bleh!”

Finally, the faint-hearted shaman vomited onto the white floor. Hyun-ho clicked his tongue indifferently and stood up.

“Clean it up before you leave.”

 

 

🍉🍉🍉