Boy Monster Chapter 89

Jae Eunho is excellent at ignoring unnecessary emotions, and he would do so this time as well. Thereafter, the few months Eunho spent until the day of the invasion passed faster than the single day he had lost Jang Hwonwoo.

August, September, October.

Jae Eunho visited the monster trapped in the armory every day. Sa Hwelju believed that Jae Eunho had used Jang Hwonwoo. He believed that after failing to take personal advantage of Jang Hwonwoo, Eunho had ultimately sold him off to the Japanese military as a weapon. Jae Eunho persistently persuaded the infuriated Sa Hwelju.

「If we succeed」

「Forever」

「You」

「Love」

Jae Eunho lied to him and used him once again. He would surely receive punishment for deceiving him until the very end.

His weight dropped to 56kg. The Guardian Buddhist Monks and the Hweljus expressed their concern in unison. Eunho replied. “I’m fine, I won’t die. I still have work to do, after all.”

In November 1941, Japan succeeded in installing a small remote missile inside the monster’s body, and on December 7, Jae Eunho and the beast boarded an aircraft carrier and headed for the Pacific.

The target was the American fleet in Pearl Harbor. The soldiers’ mission was the annihilation of the American standing army, and Jae Eunho’s mission was the death of Sa Hwelju and Sa Yeonri. Since he had imagined the moment of death thousands of times, there was nothing particularly fearful or special about it.

Thanks to Sa Hwelju taking countless enemy lives under Jae Eunho’s resonance, Japan achieved a great victory in the raid on Pearl Harbor.

Taking advantage of the gap when the soldiers, intoxicated by victory and slaughter, grew indolent, everything was carried out without issue. On the returning aircraft carrier, Jae Eunho stole the remote missile button.

After the ship arrived at the port, the cargo compartment carrying the monster was unloaded1). Jae Eunho walked out of the ship, limping on his leg.

If even a single soldier deemed him suspicious, it would fail. Death had to be right now.

As he flung the large doors open, the monster saw Jae Eunho. Eunho leapt into its embrace while avoiding the gaze of the curled-up black dragon.

The moment he pressed the button without a shred of hesitation, Jae Eunho found his breath taken away. It was due to a sharp blade piercing through his heart. The tip of the monster’s wing was touching his back. As the sharp bone at the tip of its wing pierced through Jae Eunho’s back, blood splashed out from his back.

The monster knew. It knew that Jae Eunho would betray it.

If we succeed, I will love you forever… it was not a being that would be fooled by such a promise. Before the next attack could pierce through Eunho’s head, the device’s signal reached the missile.

“I’m sorry. I deceived you until the end.”

Let’s go to the hellscape together, Hwonwoo.

Eunho mustered the courage to look into the monster’s eyes. A tender ash-gray spoke like this:

“Of course, let’s go and have an outing for the first time in a while.”

“Eating out is good, but how about practicing social dancing?”

“I’ll take the responsibility, so Teacher, just hold my hand.”

An ear-piercing explosion shook the port.

On the ground where the freight train car had been, there was only a pool of mucus mixed with red fresh blood and flesh scattered about. Jae Eunho’s body, rolling in the midst of it, looked like a dark red lump of meat.

Swept up in the explosion, Jae Eunho left the human realm covered from head to toe in the beast’s blood. Jae Eunho’s second uprising was a perfect success. Sa Hwelju and Sa Yeonri met the most certain path of all: death.

The Japanese soldiers who filmed the scene recorded: ‘He who coveted forbidden power shall be destroyed by that power.’

Royal officials who knew the secrets said: ‘Sa Hwelju dies only when his heart is eaten away by Yeonri.’

The curse cast by the former head of the family seemed to have bypassed Sa Hwelju, but it exerted its effect on Jae Eunho. Despite having his chest pierced at the scene and suffering impact and burns from the explosion, Jae Eunho remained alive in a vegetative state.

The Japanese military tried to execute Jae Eunho for destroying Sa Hwelju’s power at his own whim, but they gave up as he was in a state as good as dead anyway, and they faced strong opposition from the Joseon royal family.

Jae Eunho, who continued to cling to life in that way, passed away on March 3, 1942, the day of a lunar eclipse. To the Japanese military, Sa Hwelju and Sa Yeonri were now non-existent. Interest in the divine power of Joseon gradually faded from their minds.

:･⚜️⊹.️

On June 30, 1943, Prince Yeong, who was in Japan, visited Joseon to pay respects at Hongneung2). After paying his respects at the tomb and traveling a long way to reach Sadong Palace in Gyeongseong, Prince Yeong sat facing his half-brother, Prince Euichin.

A quiet and intimate conversation continued for a long time. Prince Euichin set down his teacup and emphasized once more to the pensive Prince Yeong.

“The fact that Jae Eunho has been reborn through the curse of samsara must be kept an absolute secret from Japan.”

“Yes. I shall keep it strictly in mind.”

Jae Eunho, who died in March of last year and was buried in a cemetery, opened his eyes in that same spot on the day of a solar eclipse, February 5 of this year. Thanks to a monk who had visited the grave every day, he was able to escape from the coffin teeming with maggots and larvae in just a couple of hours.

The phrase of the curse ‘He shall suffer the pain of death forever’ meant that Jae Eunho would meet his death on the day of a lunar eclipse forever. Since eternal death requires eternal life, he had undergone reincarnation.

Prince Yeong carefully began to speak.

“I heard it’s already his third suicide attempt since coming back to life.”

“That’s right. He failed every time because of the curse. However, just yesterday… he came to me and said he wants to continue doing work for Joseon.”

“What kind of sudden change of heart…?”

“It seems he realized he is still connected to Sa Hwelju. Apparently, a doctor at the hospital where he was admitted due to the suicide attempt tried to commit a foul act of molestation against him, and he frothed at the mouth like someone who had been electrocuted. Is that not the phenomenon that appears when a connected Hwelju—Yeonri has sexual contact with another person?”

But Sa Hwelju is already dead.

As Prince Yeong tilted his head slowly in doubt, Prince Euichin’s explanation followed.

“I cannot know the reason. To think the connection is still maintained even without sleeping together. One can only guess that a connection with Sa Hwelju is originally meant to last for several years. Or perhaps the curse that Sa Hwelju would be immortal manifested in that way… there is no exact answer at all.”

There was a knock at the door. Jae Eunho, limping on his left leg, entered the room and bowed deeply. The King permitted Eunho, who could no longer kneel, to use a table chair.

Jae Eunho, having returned alive after undergoing horrific events and death itself, was the same as before. Aside from looking a bit haggard, there was no outward difference at all. However, Prince Euichin could sense that something very large within him had snapped. Within those eyes that had changed significantly, there was a certain listlessness—whether to call it vacant or unraveled—that felt different from the past.

“It is deeply regrettable that the primordial power was destroyed by your hand, but I intend to choose the future rather than punishment for what cannot be undone. Japan is now a runaway locomotive with no way back. Regardless of what government takes over later, we will protect you, so do not let your talents go to waste. Jae Eunho, you are our hero.”

“I could hardly be that. A hero should be decisive and succeed in their goals grandly. I hesitated and suffered hundreds of times, failed, and lost everything.”

“Lost… everything?”

“Yes. I lost everything.”

Facing those calm, resolute eyes and voice, the King could not bring himself to answer. Jae Eunho spoke again.

“I have lost everything, Your Highness.”

“……”

“But as long as we are connected, I cannot die. I made a promise. Even if he discards me, I will not discard him. What we dreamed of together was freedom and the protection of the nation. Now, what should I do?”

Through reincarnation, Jae Eunho’s divine abilities reached beyond Gyeongseong to the countries surrounding the Korean peninsula. While living in hiding at Sadong Palace, Eunho was able to resonate with the Japanese Emperor and the military factions, inducing them to make reckless decisions.

In exchange, the royal family restricted Eunho’s use of power only to times when they themselves were not susceptible to the influence of his ability. Such constraints were neither stifling nor uncomfortable for him. Something vital had already been uprooted from within Eunho’s heart. Jae Eunho’s hollow soul desired nothing at all.

Hyeon-yul, who had long harbored a one-sided love for Jang Hwonwoo, paired up with another Hwelju and started a family. Hyeon-yul overcame her pain while working alongside her husband. Even during the time Eunho was absent, she had organized the ‘Four Heavenly Kings History Research Society’ to manage the Hweljus and Yeonris in his stead.

Hyeon-yul took meticulous care of Jae Eunho. She seemed concerned for Jae Eunho, who lived in hiding at Sadong Palace as a dead man. Visiting the palace today with a bounty of food, Hyeon-yul was as lively as ever.

“Teacher, you know… you are ‘seriously’ an adult.”

“Is ‘seriously an adult’ not grammatically correct?”

“No. You’re not just a serious adult, it’s right to say you are ‘seriously’ an adult.”

“What does that mean?”

When Eunho asked back with a thin smirk, Hyeon-yul answered with tearful eyes.

“Why don’t you ever say that things are hard? You can lean on me. If it’s too difficult to complain to His Highness, at least vent to me. It’s okay to do that, Teacher…”

Jae Eunho smiled with expressionless eyes. Internally, this was his response:

Well, I don’t have the right to do that.

“I can’t do that. I’ll just be a ‘seriously’ an adult, then.”

“Teacher…!”

“Instead, I have one favor. Could you secretly get me a film projector?”

“A projector? The kind used for moving pictures?”

“Yes. And, there should be a film buried in the garden of our old mansion. It’s Hwonwoo’s personal effect… You must bring it without anyone knowing. I’m asking you because you’re the only one I can trust.”

Jang Hwonwoo had said there was an important secret contained in that film. It was a movie that no one else should see. Hyeon-yul nodded vigorously as if such a favor was nothing at all.

Hyeon-yul’s ability to get things done was remarkable. Two days later, a projector disguised as a refrigerator arrived, and three days after that, the film arrived, hidden between sets of wagashi. For Jae Eunho, who didn’t know how to use a film projector, Hyeon-yul had paid a projectionist to write down detailed operating instructions and delivered them to him.

In the dark of night, the screening of <Hysterical / Atrocious / The Best of Asexuals / Follower of Established Theory / King of Rationalism / Anti-Romanticist / Erotic Sa Yeonri> began. The audience was just one person: Jae Eunho.

Eunho drew all the curtains in the room, turned off the lights, and switched on the projector. As the motor began to turn with a steady clack-clack sound, a bright light passed through the frame assembly holding the film. The bulb attached to the sound lamp also cast its light onto the film.

From the black-and-white video projected on the wall, upbeat swing jazz music flowed out. The image of Jae Eunho from several years ago captured on the film moved within the white light. A voice that suddenly cut into the middle of the music provided narration.

—Hello, I am Jang Hwonwoo, the successor of the Sashimcheon family. The reason I am filming this movie is because of my greed to record every passing moment of Sa Yeonri-nim. Since it isn’t a work with any particular plot, I intend to insert Yun Shimdeok’s as background music. This song is a track that contains memories of our childhood and the protagonist of this film, Jae Eunho Sa Yeonri-nim. It’s the song we heard on our very first outing together.

On the flickering screen, Jae Eunho’s pale face looked into the distance, looked at the camera, or looked at Jang Hwonwoo. Back then, staring at Jang Hwonwoo who held the camera, Jae Eunho had a vivid gaze that was difficult to describe in words.

I had that kind of look when I watched him. A subtle yet sad sentiment washed over him like a quiet tide. Eunho kept his eyes fixed on the video and lit a cigarette. One side of his suspender strap slipped loosely down his shoulder.

—It’s a song released by Korea’s first soprano, Yun Shimdeok; she wrote the lyrics herself. Carrying a background of tragic love that even death could not part, this song is our country’s first hit popular song. Her voice, singing of the era’s pain and unattainable love, was heart-wrenching, yet also tender, as if she understood our suffering.

The Jae Eunho in the movie laughed and played pranks. His expression was truly bright then. To think he knew how to make a face like that. In the scene where Jae Eunho, having finished his jajangmyeon first, wiped his mouth and subtly teased Jang Hwonwoo, a laugh burst out involuntarily.

“Haha.”

—By the way, did you know there is a total lunar eclipse next March? A total lunar eclipse is one of the three types of lunar eclipses. It’s news that our Teacher, who loves the moon, will go crazy for.

Dropping his gaze, Jae Eunho inhaled and exhaled cigarette smoke deeply for a while. Deep, slow smoking numbed his thoughts. At a certain moment while staring at the light of the image reflected faintly on the floor, Eunho could no longer stand the pain. It was an unbearable agony. It was just as he turned to pull the power cord connected to the projector.

The screen, which had been shaking hectically the whole time, suddenly stopped. Eunho looked back at the wall. In the changed scene, Jang Hwonwoo was sitting in a chair, wearing his uniform.

—Phew! I’m so busy that I’m filming looking like this. Please understand, Teacher.

Jae Eunho dropped his cigarette, its embers already extinguished, to the floor. Breath would not come, as if someone were clutching his heart.

—I’ve said I revere you and yearn for you until my lips are worn out, so that’s enough… from now on, I’m going to tell you an important secret. Listen carefully. And don’t be too surprised.

 

Footnotes:

1. Unloaded (揚荷): The act of discharging cargo from a ship.
2. Hongneung (洪陵): The tomb of Emperor Gojong and Empress Myeongseong.