As True as a Dream Chapter 88

“I slept at the Song Yue Inn.”

 

“Oh!”

 

The Inn is a small luxury hotel within the Song Yue Pavilion.

 

Hae-Joo stopped staring at him as if convinced.

 

And when she did, Yi Ho just laughed.

 

How could she be so suspicious and so easily fooled?

 

As they drove away, Hae-Joo’s expression subtly changed to something less than favorable.

 

Wanting to know why, Yi Ho followed Hae-Joo’s gaze and looked away.

 

For some reason, there was a crowd of people at the entrance to the main street.

 

Of course, Main Street was one of the busiest streets in Gyeongseong, so it was always full of people.

 

But they weren’t in a hurry to go anywhere, they were gathered around as if they were watching something.

 

“I’ll stop here.”

 

Hae-Joo drove around until she found a spot on the side of a wide road, away from the traffic, and got out.

 

Yi Ho got out after her.

 

“That way… that’s where Mrs Na’s soup kitchen is…?”

 

Yi Ho furrowed his brow as Hae-Joo muttered something ominous as she turned and came to his side.

 

Meanwhile, Hae-Joo had moved forward, pushing her way through the crowd.

 

Yi Ho stood behind her without much difficulty and looked towards the center of the crowd.

 

“[Get back! Get back! Can’t you see this is a crime scene! Get back! Get back!]”

 

As people crowded forward in curiosity, a black-uniformed officer with a bayonet blocked their approach.

 

Yi Ho narrowed his eyes and glanced at the sign that read “Mrs. Na”, then stared at the inside of the shop as the guards bustled about.

 

His eyes, brighter than anyone else’s, took in the scene inside through the doors and windows.

 

On the floor lay a woman in a black striped blouse and red skirt, surrounded by a group of officers who peered in and out, talking.

 

“She’s dead.”

 

“What?”

 

His muttered words made Hae-Joo stop and look up at him.

 

Her face said, “What did you just say?”

 

But the answer came not from Yi Ho, but from the side.

 

“You mean the pretty girl who runs this soup kitchen? Is she really dead?”

 

“Yes. A worker found her this morning and freaked out and called the police.”

 

“How did she die?”

 

“She was robbed. All her money was gone, all her things were broken. No, they killed a woman, so they’re robbers, robbers!”

 

Then another passer-by joins in with a lament.

 

“I saw the owner of the soup restaurant a few times on my way to and from work, but she was always smiling and friendly. It seems that good people die quicker, eh?”

 

Hearing the strangers talking around her, Hae-Joo doubted her own ears.

 

‘Dead? The owner of the soup kitchen? Mrs Na?’

 

Hae-Joo was stunned by the stories that passed by her ears, unable to believe them.

 

Meanwhile, Yi Ho watched as Hae-Joo’s face turned pale at the chatter around her, but soon tugged on his arm and led him through the crowd.

 

“Hae-Joo, are you okay?”

 

But instead of answering, Hae-Joo stared at the crowd in confusion.

 

“You heard them, boss, right? They just said… the owner of the noodle shop, Mrs Na, is dead… did I hear that right? No, why…? What happened, a robbery?”

 

Hae-joo’s face stiffened as she stammered out the words.

 

Until then, the noodle shop owner would have been a special acquaintance to Hae-joo, who didn’t know many people in Gyeongseong.

 

It was only a day ago that her life had been threatened by such a person.

 

Before she could ask her why, she was gone forever.

 

She stared blankly in the direction of the soup kitchen, not sure if she should be sad, happy or angry that her path had been blocked.

 

“Sad?” Yi Ho asked, looking down at Hae Joo, her eyes slightly reddened and her small shoulders trembling slightly.

 

He wrapped his fingertips around hers, which had grown a little cold, and squeezed.

 

His own hands weren’t hot, but for the moment they were warmer than hers.

 

“It’s more than sad… No, it’s… I don’t know what to say.”

 

Hae-Joo looked up at him, her lips trembling.

 

“I just have a lot of thoughts…”

 

“What thoughts?”

 

“Like… why… did this… happen… Why did she suddenly die… uh… how do I find out where Guishan Dao is now… stuff like that… and… I must be an idiot.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Hae-Joo smiled at him in disbelief, the water in the corners of her eyes leaking out slightly.

 

“Because she’s just become the worst bitch in the world to me, but before that… she was a good bitch. I don’t know if I still have any feelings for her…”

 

She wondered if the fond memories that remained made her feel sad for a moment.

 

Hae-Joo pounded her fist against her chest with an embarrassed and pathetic face.

 

Soon her eyes were staring far away, somewhere behind him.

 

As he turned, he saw Mrs Na’s body, covered in a white sheet, being lifted by the guards and carried to the vehicle.

 

Hae-Joo stared at him wordlessly, biting her lower lip hard.

 

Yi Ho felt very sorry for Hae-Joo, so he squeezed her hand.

 

She clasped his hand in return, and after a moment of silence, she spoke again.

 

“It’s okay, I just got confused for a moment… This is the person who tried to kill me in the past anyway, it’s not like I’m some kind of bodhisattva, it’s okay now, I just…”

 

Hae-Joo’s eyes became determined, as if she had made up her mind.

 

“But why did she suddenly die?”

 

Hae-Joo looked at the still chattering people.

 

“Robbery… That’s possible, but the timing… It’s right after I searched for the Guishan Dao. Am I the only one who finds this strange?”

 

Hae-Joo’s clear eyes no longer looked confused or perplexed.

 

“I don’t know. In life… things often happen that don’t seem to make sense, so I can’t say for sure. Maybe it’s just karma.”

 

“But something’s bothering me. Why do people die when they get involved with Guishan Dao? Wait, Guishan Dao… Guishan Dao?”

 

Looking at Hae-Joo, who was scratching her head and pondering seriously, Yi Ho swallowed a sigh, realizing that he had shot himself in the foot.

 

“…Master Hongo said that the men who came down from Mt. Bonggae went to the noodle shop, the men Mrs. Na hired to kill me… maybe those men… they might know something…”

 

Hae-Joo’s eyes narrowed and she muttered to herself, then suddenly her eyes widened.

 

“Come on, we have to catch them.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Hae-Joo pointed a finger down the main road.

 

“Those guys! That guy with the bandage on his head over there! He kidnapped me, we have to catch him!”

 

He waved his hand in front of her and she let go and ran away.

 

Yi Ho ran after her.

 

Two rough men, who must have seen them, ran away with their backs to them.

 

Hae-Joo’s eyes burned brightly and the man running ahead grabbed the man next to him and pushed him towards Hae-Joo, throwing him off the stall and into the distance.

 

Yi Ho followed lazily, glancing at the crows perched on the building.

 

He had originally used Hongo’s crows to watch over the men who had kidnapped Hae-Joo.

 

They would have been useless if he’d let her talk, but not now that she was dead.

 

Hae-Joo must have thought the same.

 

Soon her strength ran out and she stood up, leaning back and breathing raggedly as if she were about to vomit.

 

“I’ll get him.”

 

She said as he passed her.

 

“I have to catch them, I have to, they’re the only ones who can…! Hmph!”

 

“Don’t worry.”

 

He ran at a moderate human pace, not daring to show his strength.

 

The man with the bandaged head gradually made his way to a less populated area, and the more he did, the more the smile on Yi Ho’s lips deepened.

 

He wondered how far he ran.

 

“Hey.”

 

Before he knew it, the man’s back was close enough to touch his hand.

 

Yi Ho reached out and grabbed the back of the man’s head, throwing him backwards.

 

“Ugh!”

 

The man spun around and looked up at him, eyes wide with surprise.

 

“Whew, whew, you, you, what… whew!”

 

The man, his entire body covered in sweat, staggered to his feet, putting some distance between himself and Yi Ho.

 

Yi Ho, on the other hand, was not out of breath, not even a drop of sweat.

 

And as if the man realized this, his face became more menacing.

 

“You fucking asshole…! Huh! What the hell are you doing following me?”

 

“I have some questions to ask and a debt to pay.”

 

As Yi Ho slowly approached, the man stumbled backwards, then turned and tried to run away again.

 

But he had driven into a deserted cul-de-sac and he couldn’t let that happen.

 

Yi Ho moved like the wind, grabbed the man by the back of the head again and threw him back like a toy.

 

“Ack!”