As True as a Dream Chapter 104

“Hiya, this is Wolmido! I never thought I’d see the day I’d come here in my lifetime!”

 

“Well, I’ll be around a lot from now on, but be careful on the stairs, Eomui!”

 

Hae-Joo was jolted out of her thoughts by a gruff, booming voice from somewhere and turned around.

 

A group of tourists were getting off the free bus that took them from Incheon Station to Wolmido.

 

As she turned to look in the direction they were hurrying, she saw modern girls carrying backpacks, modern boys with canes, Koreans in simple hanboks, a few Japanese in kimonos, and a few blue-eyed, yellow-haired Westerners.

 

“We’re coming, too.”

 

“Here… No, you’re going there?”

 

Yi Ho frowned, as if he didn’t like the idea, but Hae-Joo, who was already used to his moods, just smiled.

 

“You said it’s my birthday, so do what I want.”

 

“…Right.”

 

Hae-Joo swallowed her laughter as she watched Yi Ho struggle to suppress his irritation in the rippling crowd.

 

She grabbed Yi Ho’s sleeve and pulled him into the wave of people.

 

Her pale pink dress, belted at the waist, fell below her knees, and her hair was neatly tied back in a half bun.

 

She put on a little makeup and carried a side-slung handbag she’d fallen in love with months ago at Mitsukoshi’s department store.

 

Her easy-to-move, bright outfit and flowery smile made a few passersby turn to look at her.

 

No, maybe they weren’t looking at her, but at Yi Ho, who was walking alongside her.

 

He’s wearing the same shirt, vest, and jacket as yesterday, but somehow, it’s not wrinkled, and his hair is swept up in a loose bun, softening his stoic demeanor.

 

Hae-Joo pursed her lips as she became aware of the women’s stares at him and moved closer to his side.

 

She glared at them, calling out that she was the one in charge, but they didn’t seem to care about her.

 

“Careful.”

 

Her eyes darted around, but Yi Ho suddenly put a hand on her shoulder, pulling her closer.

 

She looked up, wondering what he meant by being careful, but he wasn’t looking at her.

 

Puzzled, Hae-Joo followed his gaze and made eye contact with a man.

 

She blinked, and the man’s face flushed bright red, and he stumbled and fell, not sure what he’d stepped on.

 

Hae-Joo’s eyes widened and she looked up at Yi Ho.

 

Irritation furrowed his brow even deeper.

 

As he stared at her, Hae-Joo couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.

 

She and Yi Ho seemed to be doing the same thing.

 

She was wary of women looking at him, and he was wary of men looking at her.

 

“Why are you laughing?”

 

“Is that man jealous of me?”

 

She asked, smiling sheepishly, and Yi Ho raised one eyebrow and glanced at her.

 

Hae-Joo knows it’s pretty childish to check someone’s affection with jealousy, but she can’t help but feel good about it.

 

Suddenly, she didn’t care what the women thought of him.

 

Walking beside Yi Ho with a smile on her face, Hae-Joo patted him on the arm and pointed to a sign at the fork in the road ahead.

 

The left side led to the beach, the bathhouse, and the Dragon Palace, while the right side led to the zoo and botanical garden.

 

“Let’s go to the zoo first. I’ve never been there before.”

 

Hastening her steps, Hae-Joo took the path to the right and soon turned to look back at Yi Ho, her eyes widening at the wide-open space.

 

“Boss, look!”

 

Hae-Joo exclaimed excitedly as she glanced at the brief notice on the signboard near the entrance.

 

“Boss, there’s a raccoon! There’s also a fox, a kangaroo, an ostrich, a peacock, a sheep… There are more animals than I thought.”

 

“Kangaroos?”

 

“Have you ever seen a kangaroo in person? I’ve only heard of them.”

 

Hae-Joo’s eyes widened as she recalled the description of a kangaroo she’d heard from her taxi companion.

 

With pointy ears and a large pouch on their belly, they were said to be as big as humans, but very gentle and cute.

 

“Let’s go see the kangaroos first, then.”

 

“Okay, and then a fox, I’ve never seen one before.”

 

Nodding her head in agreement with Yi Ho’s words, Hae-Joo looked away and couldn’t help but think of her stepfather when she saw all the families everywhere.

 

She’s sure he’d click his tongue at the sight of Wolmido, saying that he wouldn’t recognize it at all, but he’d also be happy to be here, as he’s a quick-tempered, fast-moving person.

 

‘Father, I’ve finally arrived at Wolmido. But you are not with me. Instead, the one I love is with me. I’ve come to the place I’ve always wanted to be with you. See? You were so worried about leaving me alone. Now you don’t have to worry. I’m not alone anymore, and I’m not lonely. On the contrary… I’m happy.’

 

“What are you doing? Over there.”

 

As she continued to talk quietly to herself, Hae-Joo flinched at the gentle touch of Yi Ho’s fingertips, but then she wrapped her fingers around his and let go.

 

She had to be careful about being any more intimate for fear of being labeled a gossip, but just the touch of his fingertips was enough to make her heart melt.

They saw a kangaroo carrying a baby kangaroo in its bulging belly pouch, a peacock with its colorful wings spread and its eyes downcast, and a sheep with its fluffy coat.

 

Hae-Joo was mildly disappointed that the lambs weren’t as white or cute as she had imagined.

 

It was a pale brownish color from age, and up close, its eyes had a yellowish tint.

 

“You don’t like sheep?”

 

“Um… sheeps are kind of scary.”

 

Shaking her head and turning away, Hae-Joo suddenly pursed her lips.

 

“Maybe we should have packed a lunch.”

 

“Are you hungry?”

 

“Not really, but… Huh? It’s a fox!”

 

Hae-Joo, who had been scanning the huddled masses eating lunch, saw the fox cage diagonally across the room and walked quickly, excitedly.

 

“Boss, come quickly, it’s a fox! Oh my God, it’s so beautiful, it must be a cub.”

 

Hae-Joo hung on the fence and stretched her upper body forward, trying to get a closer look at the fox.

 

Yi Ho came up beside her and stood side by side.

 

“Do you like foxes?”

 

“I know they’re supposed to be cunning, but they look so mesmerizing. They’re so defiant… and they’re just like you, boss.”

 

Hae-Joo, who had thought Yi Ho looked like a fox many times before, looked up at Yi Ho and smiled teasingly.

 

“Do I look like a fox?”

 

“Yes. You have that kind of personality, and you’re mesmerizing to look at…”

 

Hae-Joo turned her gaze back to the fox as she spoke, then jerked her upper body back from its forward lean in surprise.

 

For some reason, all the foxes scattered all over the place had all swarmed in front of her, sitting still and staring at her.

 

“What… why…?”

 

The murmur grew louder and louder, as the people surrounding the fence were also curious.

 

The five foxes, with fur the color of straw, stared at them with their golden eyes fixed in one place, as if they were loyal dogs.

 

Hae-Joo looked down at them, a little puzzled, but soon realized that they were not looking at her.

 

The foxes weren’t looking at her, but rather… at Yi Ho, who was by her side.

 

“…Is it just my mood, or are these foxes looking at… you…?”

 

Hae-Joo looked at Yi Ho, blaming her own useless thoughts.

 

Yi Ho lowered his eyes and a strange smile curved his lips.

 

“Hmm… what?”

 

His gaze turned to her, and he asked curiously.

 

“They look at you… like they’re… submissive to their boss.”

 

“I don’t think so. If you’re done, let’s go that way. There are too many people.”

 

As he turned to the foxes’ strange behavior, a howl erupted from the huddled mass of foxes.

 

A sharp, ferocious purring sound, more like a cat’s than a feline’s, made the hairs on Hae-Joo’s arms stand up on her arms and she looked back at the foxes.

 

For some reason, the foxes turned around with their ears and tails down and scattered again.

 

It was as if they had been scolded by someone.

 

“What is this…?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

Yi Ho grabbed her shoulder from behind and pushed her gently into the crowd.

 

“The foxes here are a little… strange.”

 

Hae-Joo looked back at the fox enclosure surrounded by people and scratched her head.

 

Yi Ho wasn’t interested, so he pointed to a large, heavily traveled street.

 

“I think there’s something over there, do you want to go?”

 

Hae-Joo followed him and soon put her curiosity about the fox to one side.