Chapter 3

I hadn’t been awake for long when I stepped out into the yard and blinked at the scene before me.

For some reason, my second and third brothers were kneeling on the dirt ground.

The hems of their pants were slightly rolled up, revealing bruised shins with vivid marks.

I had a pretty good idea that our father had been very angry last night.

Seeing these usually unruly boys so deflated gave me a sense of satisfaction.

“Sister, we were really wrong yesterday,” the second brother said with a trembling voice.

His usual sly demeanor was completely gone, and he looked like a defeated puppy.

The third brother kept bowing his head and repeating apologies.

“Please forgive us.”

Their awkward and stiff apologies made my sister tilt her head in confusion.

She looked up at me with innocent eyes, clearly not understanding what was going on.

Without any explanation, they were apologizing first, so of course, my sister couldn’t grasp the situation.

I looked down at my brothers with a cold gaze.

“Do you even know what you did wrong yesterday?”

At my icy tone, the second brother hesitated and began to stammer out an excuse.

“We… took our sister to the back mountain for a bit… but we ended up… losing our way…”

Hearing that, anger surged within me.

How could they abandon our little sister in the mountains and then try to explain it away? It was truly absurd.

As I silently glared, the second brother looked at me with frightened eyes.

“Don’t ever lay a hand on my sister again,” I said firmly.

At my stern attitude, the second and third brothers nodded in fear.

“We’re sorry, sister! We won’t do it again!”

Their desperate vows seemed sincere, but I wondered how long they would last.

I just hoped nothing like this would ever happen to my sister again.

Still not understanding the situation, my sister tugged at my clothes and looked up at me.

She seemed to vaguely sense that her brothers had done something wrong, but her expression remained bright.

Feeling a pang of emotion, I held her hand tightly to reassure her.

Leaving my kneeling brothers behind, I closed the door and suddenly thought of spending a lively day with my sister.

“Sister, how about we go to the market together today?”

At my words, my sister’s eyes sparkled.

“Really? Sister, I’ve been wanting to go to the market!”

Unable to contain her joy, she jumped up and down, making me laugh.

I took out a bright pink hanbok and dressed her in it.

After carefully adjusting her outfit and neatly braiding her hair, she looked like a proper little lady.

In front of the mirror, my sister checked her reflection and smiled brightly, twirling around.

“Sister, do I look pretty?”

“Yes, my sister is really pretty.”

I gently kissed her soft, warm cheek, which felt like a freshly bloomed peach petal.

“Let’s go to the market, eat something delicious, and see lots of pretty things.”

Hearing this, my sister raised her hands and cheered.

Her pink hanbok fluttered in the sunlight, making her look even more adorable.

Today, I wanted to forget all worries and spend a bright day together.

“Sister, what will you wear?”

My sister looked up at me with curious, sparkling eyes.

I took out a neatly folded navy blue hanbok from the wardrobe.

“How about this?”

When I showed her the outfit, she clapped her hands and nodded.

“It looks really pretty!”

Her compliment made me smile.

As I adjusted my outfit in front of the mirror, my sister kept saying how pretty I looked.

Her cheerful demeanor made the start of the day even brighter.

As we left the house, my sister skipped ahead, her straw shoes wearing out with each jump.

Carrying a new purse, my steps felt lighter too.

The warm sunlight and birdsong greeted us.

Looking beside me, my sister held her fluttering skirt with one hand and walked with small steps.

Her smiling face looked even warmer than the sunlight.

‘I’ll buy my sister something delicious and pick out a pretty accessory for her.’

With this resolve, we headed to the market.

Upon arriving at the market, a lively energy welcomed us.

The sweet smell of pastries, the savory aroma of fried food, and the fragrant scent of flowers all tickled our noses.

“Wow!”

My sister’s eyes sparkled as she ran around, marveling at everything like a child discovering a new world.

I held her hand tightly to keep her from getting swept away by the crowd.

We strolled through the market alleys, browsing various shops.

From stores with colorful fabrics to displays of shimmering accessories and alleys filled with mouth-watering food smells, it was hard to decide where to start.

My sister stopped in front of a hairpin shop.

Behind the display, various hairpins sparkled in the sunlight.

As if she had discovered a treasure, my sister couldn’t take her eyes off them.

I glanced at her face.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement like a child’s.

I carefully examined the display and chose the one that would suit her best.

Instead of something too flashy, I thought a simple and clean design, like her pure eyes, would be perfect.

After much deliberation, I picked a small silver hairpin shaped like a plum blossom.

The delicate carving and subtle shine won me over.

“I’ll take this one.”

The shopkeeper smiled and handed me the hairpin.

Carefully holding the wrapped hairpin, I knelt in front of my sister.

“Close your eyes.”

At my words, my sister obediently closed her eyes.

I gently lifted her hair and carefully pinned the hairpin in place.

Her soft hair brushed against her delicate neck.

“All done.”

When I spoke, my sister opened her eyes with an expectant look.

I held up a small hand mirror, and a bright smile spread across her face.

“It’s really pretty, sister! Thank you!”

Her cheeks flushed red.

Her radiant smile was more beautiful than a blooming flower.

As we continued walking through the market alleys side by side, in the distance…

The noisy sound of instruments and the bustling chatter of people stopped us in our tracks.

Turning my head, I saw a clown in a colorful mask dancing to a lively rhythm.

The dazzling movements and playful expressions naturally caught my attention.

My younger sister, with curious eyes, stared at the clown and tugged at my sleeve.

“Older sister, what is that?”

Her clear voice was filled with anticipation.

The clown swung a large fan around, sometimes jumping and making playful expressions.

Each skillful movement made the crowd burst into laughter and applause.

I wondered what the real face hidden beneath that mysterious mask looked like.

There seemed to be a subtle hint of emotion behind the playfulness, a mix of humor and sorrow.

I found myself mesmerized by the clown’s dance.

My sister, with sparkling eyes, was completely captivated by the clown’s movements.

Her wide-eyed expression was like a child seeing a magical toy.

Her adorable attempts to mimic the clown made me smile.

The clown’s performance reached its climax.

Spinning rapidly to the fast rhythm, the clown led the crowd into even louder laughter.

My sister buried herself in my arms, laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

Seeing her like that made me feel proud.

I thought to myself how glad I was that we came to the market today.

After watching the performance for a while, the sun was already high in the sky.

Reluctantly, I prepared to leave, but my sister kept looking back with a disappointed expression.

Holding her hand, I comforted her and got ready to head home.

Just then, the familiar mask of the clown brushed past me.

I caught a glimpse of lips trembling faintly beneath the mask.

“Bad luck is coming…”

A low, whispering voice brushed past my ear.

Instantly, my hair stood on end, and a chilling sensation washed over me.

My heart pounded violently.

I turned my head sharply to glare at the clown.

But the clown was still making playful gestures toward the crowd, as if nothing had happened.

Was what I just heard my imagination?

Or was there something hidden beneath that mask, deliberately warning me?

Sinister thoughts filled my mind.

I unconsciously gripped my sister’s hand tighter.

She, oblivious to my expression, continued to look around with interest.

Thankfully, she didn’t seem to notice anything.

“Sister, let’s go.”

I spoke in the calmest voice I could muster and pulled her along.

When we got home and lay down side by side on the bed, the tension in my body finally seemed to ease.

The noisy sounds of the market faded away, and the room was filled with quiet and the faint scent of grass.

My sister was sound asleep, and I quietly hugged her.

The soft touch of her hair against my cheek felt nice.

But the clown’s eerie words kept echoing in my mind.

“Bad luck is coming…”

Was it just a coincidence that I kept hearing such ominous words lately?

Or was there really something threatening me and my sister?

Unanswerable questions kept piling up.

The faint moonlight seeped through the window.

In the distance, the faint sound of cicadas could be heard.

I closed my eyes and listened to my sister’s steady breathing.

I tried to calm my mind, but the anxiety lingered like a shadow in the corner of my heart.

Before the bright sunlight could fully rise, a loud noise came from outside.

The sound of chickens clucking wildly, dogs barking, and an indescribably ominous noise mixed together, piercing my ears.

I got up with a frown.

When I opened the door, a foul smell hit my nose.

Holding my breath, I stepped into the yard and froze.

My whole body felt like it had turned to ice.

The yard was littered with dead rats.

Torn and clawed apart, blood and guts were smeared everywhere.

The horrific scene, contrasted with the peaceful morning sunlight, was hard to believe was real.

I barely suppressed the nausea and looked around the yard.

All sorts of disgusting smells assaulted my nose.

“What on earth… is going on…?”

Suddenly, the old man’s eerie prophecy came to mind.

“It will start with the small ones. Rats will die, then cats, then chickens.

You can ignore it if you want.

But if you want to survive, run before the cows die.

You’ll need to run over a thousand miles to escape.”

I swallowed hard and looked at the scene before me.

This horrific sight perfectly matched the old man’s prophecy.

Goosebumps covered my body.

‘Could it really be starting…?’

“What on earth is going on…?”

My father’s trembling voice came from behind.

I turned around to see his face frozen in shock.

Before I could fully grasp the situation, my sister’s sleepy voice reached my ears.

“Older sister… what’s going on…? I smell something delicious…”

My sister was rubbing her eyes and walking toward the door.

I quickly turned and hugged her.

I couldn’t let her young eyes see such a horrifying sight.

“Shh, it’s nothing. It’s just… the smell of breakfast.”

I spoke in a trembling voice.

Making an excuse I could hardly believe myself, I stroked her head.

‘Delicious smell…? What on earth did she sense?’

All that wafted from outside was the stench of rotting blood.

Seeing my sister’s innocent expression as she looked at me, a chilling feeling crept over me.