RARITYSUPER RARE

ENGLISH V.A.RICHARD KIM

STORYHansaneega@Lee Jongbeom

Jeon Woo-ChiA sorcerer who tricked the world. He’s now determined to trick the entire universe.A sorcerer in the Joseon era, he started as a magician on the streets. Even when the world didn’t believe him, Jeon Woo-chi believed in himself and became a true sorcerer. He gained the power to easily change the world, but he loved pranks and laughter, and thus he stayed in the small streets and chose to trick the world. He was skilled at sorcery and changing his form, and he loved making clones of himself. He ended up losing his life after provoking the fear of those in power, but after he died, his coffin was found empty. The underground shopping market in the express terminal. Its heyday was behind it, but still—it had too many visitors to say it was really on the decline. It was open secret among those who were curious that a strange shop opened once in a while between Shop 11 and Shop 12. No one knew what conditions made the shop appear. But one thing for sure was that the customer didn’t choose the shop; the shop chose the customer. ‘Huh…? What’s that?’ The man wasn’t nosy; he was just on his way to the terminal to go back to his hometown. He had time left, so he figured he’d walk around the underground market and look around. Then, one shop caught his eye. He was of a mind to just lazily browse, not buy, but he was curious about this shop.  ‘What are they selling…?’ The shop on the left was selling clothes. They said they sold vintage clothes, but they were no different from simple old, used clothes. The shop on the right sold cell phone accessories. In contrast to them, the shop that caught his eye was selling strange things like Buddha statues and pottery. -Ring When he came to his senses at the sound of nature from somewhere, he realized he was already in the shop. “Welcome.” He turned his head at the clear voice and saw a man. He was wearing a gat on his head and short robe thrown over his shoulders. He had a fan in his hand as he smiled. ‘Just some crazy guy.’ ‘Regardless of his good looks, he just seems too weird.’ The man stepped back voluntarily. ‘I didn’t see anything… I saw nothing.’ He was about to leave like this. Then the crazy man spoke. “You’re going to see your mother, right?” The man froze on the spot. He couldn’t help it. ‘How…?’ ‘Was that a lucky guess?’ Did he always say that because all the people in the underground market at the express terminal were all going to their hometowns? “And you haven’t found a present yet?” The more he spoke, the more the man grew worried. Why? Because that man was speaking as if he was looking in to his mind. As he was slowly fanning himself. “Let’s see… What about this?” He pulled out a strange-looking bottle from a deep corner in the shop. He took it in a moment of confusion and felt something swish around in it. “This…?” “Oh, it’s medicine. Isn’t your mother sick? “Uh… How did you…” “You know of it only as body aches and a cold, but it’s actually cancer.” “Watch your mouth!” “She’ll get better if she drinks this.” Seoul bastards. ‘People say that people in Seoul will cut off and steal your nose right as you watch, but this shop in the underground market has the gall to pull a stupid trick like this?’ He was on the brink of getting angry at the man’s words, sounding like a medicine peddler, when his body stopped moving like he wanted. It was because he was actually thinking it wasn’t just a cold. ‘That voice… That way of talking… I know what it means.’ ‘Don’t people say the relationship between parent and child is set in fate?’ The man had felt something was off about his mother’s voice. Not only that, but this strange man’s aura was tying his body and heart to this shop. So he asked.  “How… How much is it?” He was going to leave if the man came back with a ridiculous price. “Since I like you, I was only going to ask for 500 won.” “Huh?” But it was 500 won? This was also a ridiculous price. In a completely opposite direction from what he was thinking. “500 won. Do you not have that?” “I don’t have cash…” “Cards are fine, too.” There was a card reader in this shabby shop? “Wait, but if this is medicine can even cure cancer… then why just 500 won…” “You probably can’t remember, but we aren’t strangers.” The man in the gat waved his fan as he laughed. The snow-white teeth peeking from behind those red lips were quite charming. Looking at him again, he really was handsome. But was he really the acquaintance of a man like this? That was impossible. No matter how busy his life was, he wouldn‘t have been able to forget someone who had this face. “No luck even if I try. Okay, just take it for now. Go and be sure to give it to your mother.” “Uh… Oka… Wait this. Um.” He was practically shoved out of the shop, and when he came out, the shop was gone. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, but it still was gone. ‘What…?’ It was too real for him to wonder if it was a dream. And the bottle. The bottle was real. ‘He’s just as clumsy as ever.’ The owner of the shop, Jeon Woo-chi, looked out from inside and shook his head. They didn’t have that great of a connection. When he was sentenced to death because the king disliked him, that fellow brought him water as he was groaning in his cell. ‘What you gave was water, but what I received was life.’ Thanks to that wather, his sorcery recovered for a while, and he was able to trick everyone. In the end, the reason why he was able to survive until now was all thanks to that clumsy boy. ‘Now… I should slowly get to…’ He waved his fan once more and he was no longer in the underground market. He was standing at the top of a high, high mountain. He looked up at the sky. He looked at the movements of the sun, the moon, and the stars. They hinted to something new to occur. If Jeon Woo-chi was a greedy man, then he would have used this to gain something incredible. But that wasn’t in Jeon Woo-chi’s nature. ‘Something fun will happen.’ The sorcerer who had lived for over one thousand years just laughed. Because something fun was coming for him again. - Ring As the sound of strings rang in Jeon Woo-chi’s ear, he was moved to a place he’d never seen before. “So this is the platform.” It was a place he’d never seen before, but it wasn’t that he didn’t know of it. He’d already heard of it long ago. “Welcome, Sorcerer Jeon Woo-chi.” “Psh, sorcerer. Call me a clown.” “Call someone who’s figured out the secrets of nature be a clown?” “A sorcerer must be judged based on their general behavior. To me, I am the greatest clown.” Thanks to his insight, he took a sip of alcohol in preparation, so Jeon Woo-chi was able to tease the guide. The guide was very confused. ‘What’s with this human?’ Of course, figures like Yeomra or Yi Sun-sin, or people who took history by the throat and shook it, could come to the platform and not lose their identity. But Jeon Woo-chi? Did he ever take history by the throat and shake it? Wasn’t he at best a back-alley trickster? “Yes, you’re right. I am a back-alley clown in midday.” “Wait, I said-“ “So I can do whatever I want here, right? “Uh… Yes.” “That’s good. Then whom shall I play with?” “Uh… If you leave already… And he’s gone.” The guide had never experienced this, so he was flabbergasted and his eyes grew round at the ridiculousness of the situation. On the other hand, Jeon Woo-chi had hidden in the space, pretending to have disappeared. He was watching the guide, snickering. ‘Shall I play with you first?’ Jeon Woo-chi thought he would be able to keep meeting amusing people if he followed him.