Rabbit Alliance (2)
‘So that’s why they dragged me here and tied me up.’
The mood in this room was dangerously bad. If she stayed quiet, it felt as though they might carve her open alive and rip out her liver.
Baek Yuri hurriedly defended himself.
“It wasn’t me. I have no memories of a past life or anything like that. I’m not the kind of person who’d steal and eat someone else’s thing, either. I’ve never done anything unlawful or immoral, and I’ve never wanted to.”
“……”
“And if you look closely at my face, I think I resemble something else more than a rabbit…. People have always said I look less like a rabbit and more like a swan.”
“……”
“Also, I might look healthy on the outside, but I’ve had summer colds before, and I’ve had plenty of minor ailments too.”
After rattling all that off, Baek Yuri pressed her lips together and glared at the Sea Witch before adding, “And I’m an identical twin. If I were really the rabbit’s reincarnation and I possessed the power of the elixir, shouldn’t that power have been split in half? Then my sibling should have been healthy and alive too.”
Once she’d said all that, Baek Yuri found herself thinking that it might almost have been better if she really had been that rabbit. Wouldn’t Baek Namu still be alive if that had been the case?
‘If we had been the rabbit’s reincarnation…. If Baek Namu hadn’t gotten leukemia and had stayed perfectly healthy. Wouldn’t that have made him value his life a little more?’
Would he still have thrown himself into danger to save a stranger, rather than lying sick in bed until death came for him? Would he have run out into traffic so recklessly…? Probably not.
A little piece of liver won’t kill you. There would be side effects, of course, but with the help of modern medicine, recovery would be possible.
Living liver donors had 60 to 70 percent of their liver removed and were left with only 30 percent, but in a week it would be twice that, and in four months more than 80 percent would regenerate, or so she’d read.
If giving up 70 percent of her own liver could save her sibling, Baek Yuri would gladly do it.
If 70 percent of her liver still wasn’t enough, then they could take 30 percent from Baek Namu’s too and make one whole, and recover together with all their might. Surely that would be enough to let them live happily side by side.
At twelve, Baek Namu had said:
― Baek Yuri. Someday I’m going to stand on every stage in the world. I’m going to travel the globe and hold concerts all year long.
― Concerts for a whole year…? That sounds incredibly hard.
― Why would it be hard? Just thinking about it makes my heart race. Imagine it. The whole world going wild for you.
― I think that would scare me a little.
― Huh? What’s scary about that?
― It’s just… so many people all staring at me. Of course it’d be scary. But, um… I am curious. I wonder what it would feel like, to be loved by so many people and have them come to see my stage.
― Then come with me. If you stand onstage with me, everyone will only look at me. You won’t be scared at all.
But the boy’s dream had been broken swiftly and brutally. Acute myeloid leukemia, which had first come for him at fourteen, had seemed to vanish after two years of treatment, only to return at seventeen. Baek Namu died in an accident at seventeen, before he could receive a bone marrow transplant.
‘If Baek Namu were alive.’
He would have soared higher than anyone, claiming every stage in the world for himself.
Even as a child, Baek Namu had seemed like someone born only to become an idol.
The things Baek Yuri had to pour his whole life into just to barely manage, Baek Namu could do easily and with pleasure. No—it was more than that. He made it look better, higher, brighter.
Baek Yuri envied that twin brother of his, and hated him, and yet secretly felt proud too.
Her eyes stung.
“If I were truly the reincarnated rabbit, I’d make a surgery appointment this very second and cut out my liver for you. But I really am not.”
He looked straight at the Sea Witch, then Won Hasin, then Dong-dong, and finally Neoul in turn, proving that not a single word of his was a lie.
Hearing the whole story, Neoul stepped in front of the Sea Witch.
“Please unbind Baek Yuri, sir. Baek Yuri is not a rabbit.”
“Is that so? And how would the prince know that?”
“Baek Yuri gave me the rabbit’s liver and brought it to me. If Baek Yuri were a rabbit, how could he have calmly handed over the organ of his own kin?”
“Oh?”
The Sea Witch raised one brow. From the gentle way he’d acted until now, she’d expected him to blurt out some naive nonsense about trusting Baek Yuri because he seemed like a good person.
Instead, a rather convincing reason had come out of his mouth.
“And if the memories of his past life haven’t come back yet?”
“Then I’ll keep an eye on him.”
“Fine. Do as you like.”
It’s your father who’s sick, not me.
The Sea Witch turned to Won Hasin and jerked her chin at the scissors.
The reason she had him do it instead of Neoul, who was standing closer, was simple enough: Neoul still wasn’t used to human tools, and she was worried he might accidentally snip off one of Baek Yuri’s fingers.
With a look of apology, Won Hasin took the scissors and approached Baek Yuri, intending to cut the tape.
“Huh? You—!”
But Baek Yuri had already freed himself. During the conversation, he’d quietly peeled the tape off his wrists on his own.
“How…?”
Baek Yuri rose from the chair with an embarrassed smile. Since it was summer and he was wearing short sleeves, the skin on his wrists had been rubbed raw and stung.
“My father was a police officer. He taught me when I was little.”
Baek Yuri shrugged and stepped away from them, edging toward the stairs in case he needed to bolt. Then, in a clear voice, he said, “I won’t report what happened today. But I’d appreciate it if you didn’t do this again.”
Impressed by how boldly Baek Yuri said exactly what needed saying, the Sea Witch smiled with narrowed eyes. Then she said to Neoul, “The Dragon King is sealed up for now.”
“Sealed?”
“Yeah. It means we bought some time. Finding a reincarnated rabbit won’t be easy, after all. I’d say… about five years from now? Anything beyond that would be too much even for me.”
Seeing Neoul’s eyes go round in shock, the Sea Witch waved him off.
“That’s all I can tell you. I’ve said everything I know. It’s your father’s business now, so from here on out, you handle it.”
“But….”
“Honestly, I don’t care much whether the Dragon King lives or dies. Your younger brother’s still young and weak, so once that old geezer kicks the bucket, I might even be able to put the Dragon Palace in my own grasp. Why would I go running around in a frenzy?”
She always had to add things she didn’t need to say.
Needlessly so.
But Neoul knew she had no real interest in the Dragon Palace at all.
“Thank you, truly, for helping us this far.”
“I won’t be in touch for a while. If you need anything, tell Won Hasin here.”
“Yes.”
Neoul bowed, exchanged a glance with Baek Yuri, and went downstairs.
The Sea Witch turned to Dong-dong.
“Little octopus, you should go too. You ought to stay with the prince, shouldn’t you? You’re part of the Dragon Palace, aren’t you?”
“Sea Witch! Are you after the Dragon Palace?”
Dong-dong ground his teeth and glared at her fiercely.
“Hm. Who knows?”
“Don’t you even dream of it! Even if the Dragon King passes on, I, the guard unit, and every soldier will protect the princes and the Dragon Palace to the very end!”
Hmph!
Dong-dong huffed and stormed off.
* * *
By the time the sound of feet pounding down the stairs had faded into the distance,
“I’m glad the children are spirited,”
the Sea Witch muttered, then suddenly lost her balance and slumped.
“Munyeo-nim!?”
Won Hasin was startled and caught her.
“Munyeo-nim! What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“You’re making my ears hurt, so be quiet. Let’s go outside. I’m going home. Don’t make a fuss.”
Won Hasin helped her to the garage. He put the staggering Sea Witch in the back seat and drove her to Incheon. She remained silent the whole way to her house in Eurwang-ri, as though she’d fallen asleep.
“We’re here, Munyeo-nim.”
After parking, Won Hasin opened the back door and woke her.
The Sea Witch slowly got up and took off the white pointed hat she’d been wearing pulled so low it covered half her face. Her complexion was poor.
“Ha-ha, was five years too long…? I should have made it one or two instead. How foolish of me.”
Won Hasin realized it then.
She had sealed away the Dragon King so he wouldn’t die for five years, and in doing so she hadn’t taken care of her own body at all; she’d forced herself far too hard. And before the children, she’d acted as if nothing was wrong.
Won Hasin couldn’t say a word and only supported her with careful respect.
Lying flat in the master bedroom after going inside, the Sea Witch let out a groaning sigh at the ceiling.
“Goodness. It seems the gods are a little angry with me.”
“Pardon?”
“I said too much. A shaman has to keep her mouth shut.”
But I’ve always been a bit of a rogue, haven’t I?
She had betrayed the secret of the rabbit that the sea god had told only to her. She had sinned by speaking it carelessly. It felt as though the rebuke of an angry deity were reaching her from the farthest depths of the sea.
Won Hasin, standing beside her, frowned and lightly pressed the back of his hand to her forehead. She was burning with fever.
‘She’s not even human, so she can’t go to a hospital. What am I supposed to do?’
He was going to get torn apart by his grandfather for this. He’d be asking what he had done while failing to properly look after Munyeo-nim.
He was the one at his wit’s end, but the Sea Witch, despite being ill, looked strangely pleased and was chuckling softly to herself.
‘Has this witch lost her mind?’
Annoyed beyond measure, Won Hasin asked, almost accusingly, “Why go this far?”
What on earth was it with Galneoul? She’d just said the Dragon King or whatever didn’t matter to her, yet she was going this far, wearing herself out and running a fever just for that kid. He couldn’t understand it.
“Hmm…. Mother’s favor?”
The Sea Witch laughed nonsensically and closed her eyes.
“I can endure my own body hurting a hundred times over, but my child’s aching heart… even once is hard to bear.”
“You’re not really their grandmother, though.”
The Sea Witch nodded without protest.
“Of course. All the blood relatives of the prince have long since died.”
“Died… all died?”
“Yes. Why do you think Neoul grew up in the Dragon Palace? There were no merfolk left to care for him, so the Dragon King took him in.”
“……”
“Be good to him. Humans like that sort of thing. They slaughter as they please when something’s abundant, then once the population drops and a species is on the brink of extinction, they suddenly start cherishing it and saying it must be protected. Though… maybe there are those who kill and display, and those who cherish, in separate camps entirely….”
“……”
“Neoul is the last mermaid left in the world. So you should protect him and treasure him.”
Won Hasin was left speechless and sealed his mouth shut.
“I’m going to sleep, so go on and leave. If I’m to recover my strength, I’ll have to stay asleep for quite a long time.”
The Sea Witch issued her dismissal and closed her eyes, saying no more.
Won Hasin noticed the salt still crusting against the Sea Witch’s white butterfly-like clothes. It seemed she had come straight here from the sea palace, without even time to change after offering a rite.
Even the socks peeking out from beneath her skirt had seaweed tangled in them.
Carefully, Won Hasin brushed away the seaweed, took off the socks, and laid them beside her. Then he dampened a towel, wrung it out hard, placed it on her forehead, and finally pulled a blanket over her before leaving the room.
“Should I call Grandfather?”
If he said Munyeo-nim was sick, wouldn’t they surely send a doctor—or a veterinarian, or even an expert in marine animals? He’d have to sign a confidentiality agreement, but still.
Yet he suspected she would hate the commotion of having a swarm of doctors come flooding in. They’d say a god’s wrath was involved, but it wasn’t as if they could actually fix that.
With a sigh, Won Hasin slipped out of her house and headed back up to Seoul.
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