Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Oct 4, 2004 0:38:07 GMT -5
"Hey!!!"
Chun Soo puffed and puffed as he tried to keep up with Soon Shin's brisk pace. "Soon Shin-ah! Soon Shin-ah! Let's rest for a bit and then go on!" he begged, tripping over his own feet.
"Why? We have to be in Chusan by dawn," Soon Shin said rather matter-of-factly.
"It's too difficult, I don't think I can continue," Chun Soo wheedled. When his friend simply patted him on the shoulder and continued on, Chun Soo shouted, "Hey, what are you doing?!" Panting with his hands on his knees, he said, "Let's at least drink some water and eat a little before we go on!" Soon Shin gave a small sigh of resignation.
Washing his hands in the river, Soon Shin looked over in his friend's direction and shouted, "Chun Soo-yah! Come on, finish up and let's go!"
Peeking out from behind a rock, Chun Soo waved a large leaf and replied, "Hey, no matter how big a hurry we're in, first things first..." and with that he went about finishing his business.
Soon Shin laughed at his friend's comment but the smile disappeared from his face as the blade of a sword appeared by his chin. Pulling his pants up about his waist, Chun Soo looked up and saw his friend at knifepoint. He crouched down quickly so as not to be seen.
"Who are you?" Soon Shin asked his captor quietly.
The unseen man chuckled. "The one who is going t you to hell," he replied. Hearing this, Chun Soo covered his mouth with his hand. Raising his sword to strike, Soon Shin was startled when all of sudden he fell back. Looking up, he saw Chun Soo, rocks in hand shouting, "Soon Shin ah! Hurry and run! What are you doing?!" He gestured frantically for him to get moving.
As they ran, they were confronted by two more men, armed with swords. The first assailant caught up with them and together the three men ran after Soon Shin and Chun Soo. Having lost track of them, they spotted one of their discarded sandals on the ground. Splitting up, they took off in three different directions. The first man stopped and heard the sound of rocks shifting. Smiling, he walked in that direction as Chun Soo crept behind him, a large stick in his hands. Hearing him, the man turned at put his sword under Chun Soo's chin. "Idiot," he said chuckling. Chun Soo closed his eyes, waiting for him to strike, but before he could, he fell with a loud crack. When Chun Soo finally unscrewed his eyes, he saw Soon Shin's face and the attacker now unconscious on the ground.
The others, not hearing their leader, turned around and retraced his steps to find him lying on the ground. Kneeling, they shook him vigorously. "Hey, man! Get it together! What-" They stopped when Soon Shin eased the sword between their faces. Right by his side was Chun Soo, stick ready, looking quite pleased.
Tying up the three, Chun Soo kicked one soundly as he muttered through his gags. "Shut it!" He and Soon Shin were about to continue when Chun Soo had an afterthought. Grabbing his friends arm, he said, "Wait." Walking back to their captives, he picked up his lost sandal and slid it on his foot. They set off, but not before Chun Soo had given one final kick of satisfaction to their attackers.
_________________________________________________________________________
Weary after so much walking, the two friends sat down to rest by a river. As they stared at the serene landscape, Chun Soo smiled with childish wonder at the world that was so different from Asan. "Once we reach the capital, do you think our troubles will end?" He looked away. "Well, even if not, what can we do? We can't turn back." Looking at his friend, he told him in a small voice, "Soon Shin-ah, honestly, I'm completely afraid...But we have to go, right? We have to give it a try, right?" Soon Shin said nothing but smiled.
_________________________________________________________________________
It was impossible to believe that what lay within the capital city's walls was even more impressive than the walls themselves. Huge tile-roofed towers loomed over massive stone walls, sentries along the whole length. Chun Soo's face could not have hidden his delight even if he had tried. Scores of people thronged the gates - women with bundles on their heads, men with baskets and pots on back frames. Taking a few tentative steps towards the entrance, Chun Soo looked up at Soon Shin. "Once we pass these gates, we will be in the capital, right?" His voice took on a note of hopefulness. "Now, it's time I forgot everything. This poor salt peddler Yim Chun Soo - my father, Asan - everything will be forgotten! I'm going to make something of myself, is what I'm saying...You watch! I'll be more successful even than you!" Soon Shin smiled at his friend's newfound optimism.
At the entrance, uniformed soldiers were examining the wooden plaques that people over the age of 16 carried as a means of identification. Rummaging around his sack for his, Chun Soo began to get nervous as he could not find it. "Oh...."
"What?"
"My identification, where did it go?"
"NEXT!!!" the soldier's irritated voice rang out.
As Soon Shin showed his Chun Soo still felt around, muttering, "Where could it be hiding..."
"You idiot!" the soldier shouted sharply. "Can you stop blocking the line?!"
"Yeah...I-"
Chun Soo was so busy fumbling that he did not notice the seedy-looking man behind him watching him with interest. The man grew even more interested when Chun Soo finally dropped his plaque - and his string of money - onto the ground. Picking it up quickly, he showed it to the officer. "See, I found it, sir..." The soldier shot him an exasperated look and handed it back to him. Chun Soo bowed obligingly. The strange man followed him with his eyes.
When they were some distance from the gate, they heard a voice shouting behind them, "Hey! Hey, you!!" Turning, they saw a man in a blue shirt waving his arms as he ran towards them. Catching up, he asked in a loud voice, "Where are you off to?"
"Who is asking?" Chun Soo said.
Chun Soo puffed and puffed as he tried to keep up with Soon Shin's brisk pace. "Soon Shin-ah! Soon Shin-ah! Let's rest for a bit and then go on!" he begged, tripping over his own feet.
"Why? We have to be in Chusan by dawn," Soon Shin said rather matter-of-factly.
"It's too difficult, I don't think I can continue," Chun Soo wheedled. When his friend simply patted him on the shoulder and continued on, Chun Soo shouted, "Hey, what are you doing?!" Panting with his hands on his knees, he said, "Let's at least drink some water and eat a little before we go on!" Soon Shin gave a small sigh of resignation.
Washing his hands in the river, Soon Shin looked over in his friend's direction and shouted, "Chun Soo-yah! Come on, finish up and let's go!"
Peeking out from behind a rock, Chun Soo waved a large leaf and replied, "Hey, no matter how big a hurry we're in, first things first..." and with that he went about finishing his business.
Soon Shin laughed at his friend's comment but the smile disappeared from his face as the blade of a sword appeared by his chin. Pulling his pants up about his waist, Chun Soo looked up and saw his friend at knifepoint. He crouched down quickly so as not to be seen.
"Who are you?" Soon Shin asked his captor quietly.
The unseen man chuckled. "The one who is going t you to hell," he replied. Hearing this, Chun Soo covered his mouth with his hand. Raising his sword to strike, Soon Shin was startled when all of sudden he fell back. Looking up, he saw Chun Soo, rocks in hand shouting, "Soon Shin ah! Hurry and run! What are you doing?!" He gestured frantically for him to get moving.
As they ran, they were confronted by two more men, armed with swords. The first assailant caught up with them and together the three men ran after Soon Shin and Chun Soo. Having lost track of them, they spotted one of their discarded sandals on the ground. Splitting up, they took off in three different directions. The first man stopped and heard the sound of rocks shifting. Smiling, he walked in that direction as Chun Soo crept behind him, a large stick in his hands. Hearing him, the man turned at put his sword under Chun Soo's chin. "Idiot," he said chuckling. Chun Soo closed his eyes, waiting for him to strike, but before he could, he fell with a loud crack. When Chun Soo finally unscrewed his eyes, he saw Soon Shin's face and the attacker now unconscious on the ground.
The others, not hearing their leader, turned around and retraced his steps to find him lying on the ground. Kneeling, they shook him vigorously. "Hey, man! Get it together! What-" They stopped when Soon Shin eased the sword between their faces. Right by his side was Chun Soo, stick ready, looking quite pleased.
Tying up the three, Chun Soo kicked one soundly as he muttered through his gags. "Shut it!" He and Soon Shin were about to continue when Chun Soo had an afterthought. Grabbing his friends arm, he said, "Wait." Walking back to their captives, he picked up his lost sandal and slid it on his foot. They set off, but not before Chun Soo had given one final kick of satisfaction to their attackers.
_________________________________________________________________________
Weary after so much walking, the two friends sat down to rest by a river. As they stared at the serene landscape, Chun Soo smiled with childish wonder at the world that was so different from Asan. "Once we reach the capital, do you think our troubles will end?" He looked away. "Well, even if not, what can we do? We can't turn back." Looking at his friend, he told him in a small voice, "Soon Shin-ah, honestly, I'm completely afraid...But we have to go, right? We have to give it a try, right?" Soon Shin said nothing but smiled.
_________________________________________________________________________
It was impossible to believe that what lay within the capital city's walls was even more impressive than the walls themselves. Huge tile-roofed towers loomed over massive stone walls, sentries along the whole length. Chun Soo's face could not have hidden his delight even if he had tried. Scores of people thronged the gates - women with bundles on their heads, men with baskets and pots on back frames. Taking a few tentative steps towards the entrance, Chun Soo looked up at Soon Shin. "Once we pass these gates, we will be in the capital, right?" His voice took on a note of hopefulness. "Now, it's time I forgot everything. This poor salt peddler Yim Chun Soo - my father, Asan - everything will be forgotten! I'm going to make something of myself, is what I'm saying...You watch! I'll be more successful even than you!" Soon Shin smiled at his friend's newfound optimism.
At the entrance, uniformed soldiers were examining the wooden plaques that people over the age of 16 carried as a means of identification. Rummaging around his sack for his, Chun Soo began to get nervous as he could not find it. "Oh...."
"What?"
"My identification, where did it go?"
"NEXT!!!" the soldier's irritated voice rang out.
As Soon Shin showed his Chun Soo still felt around, muttering, "Where could it be hiding..."
"You idiot!" the soldier shouted sharply. "Can you stop blocking the line?!"
"Yeah...I-"
Chun Soo was so busy fumbling that he did not notice the seedy-looking man behind him watching him with interest. The man grew even more interested when Chun Soo finally dropped his plaque - and his string of money - onto the ground. Picking it up quickly, he showed it to the officer. "See, I found it, sir..." The soldier shot him an exasperated look and handed it back to him. Chun Soo bowed obligingly. The strange man followed him with his eyes.
When they were some distance from the gate, they heard a voice shouting behind them, "Hey! Hey, you!!" Turning, they saw a man in a blue shirt waving his arms as he ran towards them. Catching up, he asked in a loud voice, "Where are you off to?"
"Who is asking?" Chun Soo said.