Chapter 7: The Weight Behind the Photo

I brought the photo of my parents and me from the memorial hall. 

After contemplating where to put it, I leaned it against the bedside lamp on the table next to my bed.

As I turned around, thinking I should buy a frame, the Mystical Creature like a monster appeared.

“To the Princess…”

“I’d prefer you call me Grandmother.”

Hearing words like Princess and Royal Family was burdensome.

“I understand. May I speak freely to you, Grandmother? Others cannot use the Sacred object.”

“Then she’ll be even more distressed that she passed on something bad.”

“Something bad…”

“I also wonder why this is happening to me of all people. But you said it can’t be undone now. So, I’m the only one who needs to worry.”

It’s not love stemming from the familiarity of relatives.

I just don’t want to burden someone who has had to live in hiding since birth, lost her children while experiencing the turbulent modern history, and searched for her grandson with new worries.

Leaving the Mystical Creature like a monster without a response, I placed the tablet on the living room table. I closed the curtains and checked once more to see if the table and sofa area were clean.

It was the team’s dorm that we got while working as CAKE, so there were many traces of life everywhere. 

That’s why I had to use filters to brighten the atmosphere during live broadcasts.

Officially, our team all live in the dorm. But in reality, we all live separately.

Main vocalist Chanbin is living at his family home to rehabilitate his injured leg. 

Ajin mainly lives in his composing studio. 

Giseon’s parents’ house is nearby, so he used to come and go often, but he hasn’t been coming to the dorm much since the team’s activities were suspended.

So, these days, I’m living alone in the dorm.

After checking the cleanliness of the living room, I set up the tablet and adjusted the camera angle.

The article about my visit to the memorial hall in the morning was already up in real-time. 

So, even people who didn’t know me learned that I lost my parents in an accident when I was young and grew up as an orphan in an orphanage, that my manager died in a traffic accident, and that I recently found my maternal grandmother, a descendant of the Royal Family.

Whether it was curiosity or sympathy, the reaction to the article was intense. 

Not only me but also our team CAKE was mentioned, and the incident where Chanbin was injured resurfaced.

Some fans said we should continue activities with three members, while others said we should just wait while doing individual activities. 

I figured the fans’ reactions would be divided like this, so I didn’t go into the community.

Still, I had to soothe our fans, Cream, who must have been surprised, so I started a live broadcast only for fans.

– It’s oppa!

– Lee Young is here?

– Are you okay?

Seeing the number of fans pouring in as soon as the live broadcast started, I felt sorry. 

For letting them hear about me only through articles.

“You were worried, right? I’m sorry. I should have posted something more often.”

– No, it’s okay. You must have been busy.

– We know it can’t be helped, so it’s okay.

– How’s your injury?

“I’m all better. You saw the picture in the article today, right?”

– Yeah, you looked handsome today too.

– I’m glad you’re all better.

The fans weren’t asking about the Royal Family. 

It was something they could ask about since it was in the article, but they seemed to be holding back because they thought I might be uncomfortable.

“I found my grandmother, as the article said.”

– I’m glad you found your family. Congratulations!

– I pray for your parents. They must be happy too.

The fans filled the chat with words of congratulations and prayers for my parents.

“Thank you, our Cream.”

My nose tingled. 

I quickly changed the subject to stop myself from crying.

“Oh, right! I want to show my grandmother some pictures of me when I was young, so do any of you Cream have any saved?”

Me!

Oppa, I have some!

Can I send them to the company email?

While many fans were saying they had pictures and would send them to the company, another message came up.

But what’s that behind you?

‘What’s that behind you?’ This was one of the ‘there’s something scary behind you’ routines that fans used to tease me with, so I used to reply, ‘I’m not falling for it.’ But now that I know there are ghosts, I quickly turned around.

There was a white doll there.

{Do you like it?}

It was the Mystical Creature like a monster.

If it was going to show itself, it said it would be better as a doll than as a living creature like a dog or cat. 

Fans often give dolls as gifts, and because of my job, people would think it was part of the concept even if I carried a doll around.

I picked up the doll and shook it slightly in front of the camera, and its long white fur fluttered. 

That long white hair didn’t change even when it changed its appearance.

What’s that doll?

Did you get it as a gift?

There were many questions about where the doll came from and whether a fan had sent it. 

There was also a question about whether I had won it from a doll crane machine.

“Well, you could say it’s a gift.”

It came from the Sorcery passed down from my grandmother to my mother and then to me, so you could call it a gift.

– Is it a dog doll? It has long fur? It’s super long-haired.

– Why did you put a doll there?

– Is it an Afghan Hound?

– Is it a cat or a dog?

– I don’t know what it is, but it’s cute.

– It’s cute.

Cute? Cream would take back those words if they saw the real thing. 

It’s a shame I can’t show them.

{Humans used to like my illusions quite a bit.}

“Well, is it cute? I don’t know.”

{There was a time when everyone who met my eyes would follow me.}

It’s cute. It suits Lee Young oppa perfectly.

What’s its name?

“Name? Oh, I haven’t named it yet. Please recommend a name.”

At the suggestion to recommend a name, many names-Whitey, Baekgu, Hayangi, Meommu, Baekmungi, Inyang, etc.—were suggested.

“I don’t know if it’s a cat or a dog. Um, Baekmungi? Oh, that sounds good.”

– Good, good, cute Baekmungi

– White puppy

Honestly, I don’t think it’s a puppy, but it’s not bad. 

The real body is too intimidating, so it’s better if the name is a bit cute. 

There’s also the saying that things go according to their name.

{That is the most insignificant name I have ever been called.}

After the live broadcast, I took a picture with Baekmungi and posted it on my personal SNS with the hashtags #Baekmungi #NewFriend.

*    *    *

When the sunlight hit the gray car door, part of the door and the handle sparkled. 

An adult’s hand that came out from behind me grabbed the handle and opened the door.

As soon as the car door opened, I quickly climbed in and sat down.

“Wow, you climbed in by yourself?”

I just nodded silently at the voice behind me.

“Then you can sit in the car seat by yourself too, right?”

But I didn’t want to sit in that small chair. So I shook my head.

“Lee Young, you have to say why you don’t like it.”

“That’s right, Lee Young. Dad’s memory is bad, so I’m going to forget Lee Young’s voice.”

My dad, who was sitting in the driver’s seat, chimed in. 

So I hesitated and answered.

“It’s small.”

“Small? Is it tight? There should still be room.”

I shook my head again.

“Our Lee Young must have grown again. But you have to sit in the car seat to wear the seatbelt.”

I quickly grabbed the handle in front of me. 

And I looked at the door as if to show off.

Mom was standing there holding the door. 

I gripped the handle even tighter as if to show off.

I could hear my mom and dad laughing.

But suddenly, I felt strange. 

When I opened my eyes, my body was already floating in the air.

– Today’s weather is…@@#$@#$

“Ahhh!”

“Honey!”

The radio started making strange noises in the middle of speaking, and I heard my mom and dad screaming.

Screech

A sharp friction sound continued for a long time.

After small, sharp things brushed past my face, my body fell from the air to the ground.

“Lee Young!”

– Bang!

With an ear-splitting sound, my body heaved again. I looked for the handle, but I couldn’t find it because my vision was moving too fast. 

I couldn’t even control my body properly.

“Not Lee Young!”

Someone grabbed my shoulder. 

I couldn’t see because my eyes were dizzy, but it was my mom’s voice. 

But there was no strength in Mom’s voice. 

Something was wrong.

“Just Lee Young, please, please…”

– Bang!

Another loud noise sounded, and my body was thrown up again.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

“Mom!”

When I opened my tightly closed eyes, I was falling onto the road. I wanted to get up and reached out my hand, but it was no use.

– Thud, thud

My body hit the ground a few more times.

– Crash, bang!

Loud noises continued. I lay still, having stopped rolling.

My head felt like it was hurting, and I felt like I was going to throw up. 

But I didn’t want to throw up. So I closed my eyes and stayed still, trying hard to hold it in.

‘What about Mom and Dad?’

I suddenly had that thought and opened my eyes wide. 

It was less dizzy than before, but my vision was still spinning. 

I moved my head slightly and looked around. 

I could see Dad’s gray car not far away. 

There was a bigger car next to it.

My vision was blurry.

“……..”

Someone seemed to have said something, but I didn’t hear what they said.

‘Dad?’

I tried to speak, but no words came out. 

I forced my eyes open, which were hard to open. 

Through the slightly open eyelids, I could see someone standing in front of me with the sunlight behind them. 

So I couldn’t see their face.

I could see black shoes in front of me. 

The shoes were unusually shiny.

“It’s bad luck to touch a kid…”

I could hear other people’s voices from a little further away.

‘Help me.’

I wanted to ask for help, but no voice came out. 

So I just moved my lips.

At that moment, the man in front of me shouted.

“He’s dead! I’ll take care of the rest, so just take the car and get rid of it.”

Thud

When the black shoes kicked my body, my body rolled to the side. 

I could feel dirt and stones under my face, which was lying on the ground.

“He’s bleeding, so how can you just put him on the ground like that! Do you want me to clean the road too? Didn’t you bring the kimchi-making plastic?”

The sound of shoes and the man’s voice faded away.

‘Help…’

Dirt entered my gaping mouth.

*    *    *

More and more dirt started to enter, and a spider appeared in front of me. 

The spider crawled over the pile of dirt and approached my mouth. 

My mouth was blocked with dirt, so I couldn’t speak and groaned.

“Spider!”

As soon as the word came out, I jumped up.

“Ptooey, ptooey…”

Nothing came out of my mouth. 

When I looked around, it was my room in the dorm.

It was a dream.

I picked up the photo on the table next to the bed. 

It was the faces of my parents that I saw in my dream.

Is it a dream I had because I saw my parents’ photo?

But the later scenes were unsettling, considering it was a dream triggered by seeing the photo.

Did it actually happen? 

Did my parents die like that, and did the man in front of me take me to the orphanage? 

Or is it a story I made up, thinking that someone killed my parents?

When I came out to the living room, I saw Baekmungi on the sofa. 

I just passed by and took out a bottle of water from the refrigerator and drank it.

“It seems that some of your memories have returned. It was too vivid to be just a dream.”

Are even dreams shared?

“Didn’t you retrace your dream after waking up? That’s how I could tell.”

I sat next to Baekmungi and finished drinking the remaining water.

“Can’t you see dreams? Or enter them?”

“If you wish… is there a dream you want to see?”