Night Market at Gyeongbokgung
"Shall we head to Gyeongbokgung now, then?"
"……."
Gyeongbokgung.
I took my class there on field trips more than a few times. The kids always complained it was boring, but…
Recalling those noisy, bustling days, Ji-oh asked,
"You mentioned there was a night market, didn't you?"
"That's right. There's nowhere better if you want to soak up a proper Korean atmosphere."
"It sounds like fun."
"Want to try wearing hanbok while we're at it?"
"Hanbok…"
Memories that weren't all that old bubbled up one after another. Unless the school was the one sending them, he'd never gone out of his way to visit—but Gyeongbokgung still had its charms, dressing the kids up in hanbok and snapping pictures.
Especially that last class of mine. They put on a full-blown royal court intrigue for me in real time.
Ji-oh sank into the recollection. The bloody showdown between the queen and the eunuch had been the absolute highlight.
Thanks to those adorable, chaotic students, he had plenty of good memories of the place. As the chaperone he'd never gotten to wear hanbok himself, but that didn't mean he disliked the idea of trying it.
"I'd like that."
"Really?"
Yu Seong-un swallowed a quiet sigh of relief at the response.
I was half-worried that, being a portrait at his core, he might find changing outfits unpleasant.
Fortunately, Ji-oh didn't seem to have any strong aversion to new experiences.
"Great. I know a good place."
"A hanbok rental shop?"
"It's the kind that never gets too crowded, so we can take our time getting there."
"I'm looking forward to it."
"Then shall we hop on the elevated rail? We'll be arriving at the station soon."
"There's a set arrival time?"
"It's not the kind of transport that comes around all that often…"
As he guided Ji-oh toward the station, Yu Seong-un found himself caught in a peculiar train of thought.
When he introduced himself as Ji-oh, I figured he was just copying Korean culture—but maybe the culture he's imitating isn't Korean after all?
The table manners Ji-oh had shown at the restaurant were hard to call Korean. If anything, they'd leaned Western, which was odd given how knowledgeable he usually seemed about Korea.
"…Hmm."
But it hardly mattered now.
"How was the restaurant?"
"It was delicious."
"That's the kind of reaction that makes a tour guide feel proud."
When Ji-oh's presence had been overwhelming, it had been nearly impossible to read any expression on that face—but now Yu Seong-un could at least tell he was enjoying himself in his own way.
Makes the guiding go a lot smoother, too.
Yu Seong-un continued the thought.
He's acting human enough that as long as no other hunters pick a fight, we shouldn't have trouble. And if Guildmaster Bi Sa-beol is right, Ji-oh is the type who avoids friction whenever he can…
Ji-oh offered an observation of his own.
"The elevated rail runs straight through the buildings."
"Doesn't that make commuting easier? Dropping you right inside the building is convenient, isn't it?"
"That's true."
"Two more stops and there's a station that cuts right through a department store."
"No noise issues?"
"They soundproofed everything, of course. Exactly how is a question for the Magic Division, but…"
Watching him enjoy every little thing he was shown, it seemed Ji-oh had taken a liking to this human world.
A man nearly a hundred and ninety centimeters tall acting like that could easily look childish—and yet.
The line of his turned neck, the fingers lightly brushing the window—none of it somehow looked young. He was clearly having fun, but it felt less like a child's pure wonder and more like the detached interest of a ruthless observer.
Is it just because of that heavy atmosphere of his?
Not laughing as an equal, but looking down from somewhere high with his hands clasped behind his back…
"Are we getting off soon?"
"Ah—right."
Yu Seong-un led Ji-oh off at Gyeongbokgung Station and pointed down below.
"That's Gyeongbokgung."
One of the elevated rail's greatest advantages was the unobstructed view of the city. At a modest height, paper lanterns drifted and swayed as if alive, and beneath them lay Gyeongbokgung and the hanok village.
Because the night was lit by actual fire rather than electricity, the whole scene glowed with a gentle warmth. People stopping by after work or visiting as tourists bought food from the night market stalls lined up inside and outside the palace grounds. Hanbok tailored to whatever role each person had chosen fluttered lightly in the winter wind.
Yu Seong-un waited until Ji-oh had taken in the entire vista before speaking.
"If you've come to Seoul, you've got to stop by Gyeongbokgung. It's a world-class tourist spot in its own right."
"……."
"What? Too many people? Too noisy?"
"No. I simply never imagined the atmosphere would be this lovely."
"Glad it doesn't seem to bother you. Then let's enjoy it ourselves."
Yu Seong-un took the direct elevator down and led Ji-oh into the hanok village. People in hanbok and people without wandered the not-particularly-wide alleys.
The winter hanbok rented out by the shops all came with thermal treatment, so even in the dead of winter, people's clothing wasn't especially bulky.
"This way. Let's get changed first."
"We're going to a hanbok rental place?"
"That's right. If you want to do this properly, you've got to prepare a few things."
The Gyeongbokgung village was a maze of intertwined hanok where first-timers could easily get lost, but Yu Seong-un had been here enough times that finding the way was easy. Tourist spots dense with these kinds of "Stories" always meant overflowing work for him.
…He's in a livelier mood than usual today. Doesn't look like he'll cause an incident, but he's a lot more active than normal…
On the roofs of the hanok, "Stories" mimed sweeping snow; others, also dressed in hanbok, played at being scholars or young ladies of good family.
"……."
Yu Seong-un spotted the one wearing a wooden mask and deliberately looked away. They rarely attacked first, but the ones at Gyeongbokgung were the sort you gained nothing by holding eye contact with for long.
A courtyard hung thick with silk, warm-colored lanterns dangling from the eaves. Yu Seong-un pulled Ji-oh—who had been quietly taking in the surroundings—inside the hanok.
"Ma'am."
"My goodness, if it isn't Seong-un."
A middle-aged woman dressed in flower-dyed hanbok greeted him warmly.
"It's been a while. Entertaining a guest again?"
"A company guest this time, so I'll need to be extra careful."
"Then our house's hanbok is exactly what you need."
She smiled elegantly and turned to look at Ji-oh.
"This must be the guest?"
"We'll mostly be wandering the night market rather than playing around, so pick something comfortable."
"Why skip the games? We've got all kinds of fun things running right now."
"We've been out all day. I'm completely wiped."
"Then we'll dress him as a scholar, hmm? If the clothes are too thick or heavy he'll be uncomfortable, so a light scholar's set it is."
"That sounds perfect."
Yu Seong-un turned to Ji-oh.
"What about your face? Want to keep it covered, or…?"
"I'd prefer it covered."
Please guarantee the anonymity of the portrait.
Ji-oh was rattled by the larger-than-expected crowds. Someone who always preferred to stay far from human attention, he wanted his face hidden so people's gazes would slide right off him.
Yu Seong-un couldn't know the timid heart behind the request, but he could guess Ji-oh wouldn't enjoy a loud, chaotic situation. He nodded in rough understanding and asked the proprietress,
"Got a mask?"
"Want a roomy one?"
"That'll be more comfortable, yeah. Please."
"Then let's pick the clothes first."
The proprietress looked at Ji-oh and asked,
"Could you take the cloak off for a moment? You can keep wearing it later, but I need to see your build to choose the right hanbok."
"Understood."
Ji-oh obediently removed the cloak and draped it over his arm. Having followed instructions so diligently, he looked at the proprietress with quiet pride.
"……."
"……."
"…Ma'am."
Yu Seong-un called to the proprietress, who had frozen like a stone guardian statue.
"Your guest is going to run away if you keep that up."
"…Oh my. How embarrassing of me."
She finally reacted.
"Your guest is so handsome I forgot to breathe for a second."
"Don't say weird things to my guest."
"With a frame like that, dressing a handsome guest is half the fun. Just give me a moment."
Before long she returned with two young women, pushing two clothing racks hung with hanbok. One held cool blue-toned pieces; the other was mostly neutrals.
"Both are silk spun by our own silkworms. Smooth as can be—won't irritate the skin at all."
"The blue one's mine, I take it? Isn't that a cold color for winter wear?"
"I simply brought what suits you best. Who else but you would wear a color like this in winter, Seong-un?"
"I feel like I'm being used here…"
"If you wear it around and do a little free advertising, I'd be grateful. Hunters really do make the best hangers, don't they?"
She turned to Ji-oh.
"Out in this weather dressed so lightly—you must be a hunter, yes? Our hanbok is made sturdy and light enough for hunters to move freely, so don't you worry."
"I wasn't worried."
Ji-oh wasn't a hunter in the first place.
Would it be strange to say so right now?
The proprietress fanned herself lightly and smiled.
"Hunters don't care much for cumbersome clothes, so I figured you might. I don't recognize your face, so you're either unofficial or only just got certified, hmm?"
"……."
"If you'd rather not say, that's fine. Judging by how determined you are to keep your face covered, you must hate having your personal information dug up. I'll hide you very stylishly."
Personal information dug up?
Is doxxing just a common occupational hazard for hunters?
What a terrifying world this was. He'd ask Yu Seong-un later. For now, Ji-oh accepted the black hanbok the proprietress—her hair elegantly pinned up with a binyeo—recommended. A black dapho over a gray dopo, the waist sash a clean white.
"If you're going to Gyeongbokgung, you need a gat too. Yes, it suits you wonderfully. You could hang a whole set of norigae and it'd still look perfect. This one's made of coral—try it on."
"Thank you."
"And a muffler. Oh my, white looks so good on you. Your skin's so clear it just makes everything prettier. This is a money pouch for your copper coins—tie it securely so it doesn't fall off, all right?"
"……."
"And finally, the veil."
Ji-oh was briefly startled by the billowing pitch-black cloth. He knew what a neoul was, but he'd never worn one.
"…How do I put this on?"
"We'll help with that. Dan-u, would you put the veil on our handsome guest?"
"Yes, ma'am."
A young woman with a pink daenggi ribbon approached and draped the black cloth over Ji-oh's gat. Strangely, his vision remained perfectly clear, as if nothing were covering his face at all.
"You said you'd mostly be walking the night market. You'll be eating often, and a mask over the mouth would get in the way. For people who don't want to show their faces, a long veil like this is perfect."
"……."
"With the atmosphere you give off, someone might still recognize you—but the clothes are so splendid and you've got so many accessories that who would bother looking that closely at your face?"
"I see."
"The muffler's thick enough that it covers most of your jaw, so you've got everything covered. Enjoy our village with peace of mind, young scholar."
From the other side, Yu Seong-un—now changed into blue-toned hanbok—asked the proprietress,
"We'd like to buy a couple of lanterns as well."
"My, going all out, are we? What kind of lantern do you want?"
"Nothing particular in mind. What's popular these days?"
"Well, the young ladies tend to like the moon lanterns."
"Uh… and for men? We're not exactly young ladies."
"You think pairs of men like you, Seong-un, come here that often?"
After a moment's thought she called one of the girls with the daenggi hair.
"Hong-yeon, would you bring the aquarium?"
"Yes, ma'am."
The woman called Hong-yeon soon wheeled over a large glass tank. Inside, various lanterns made of hanji moved through the light as if alive. The proprietress scooped up two small fish with a net.
They fluttered finely, looking for all the world like real fish.
"How about goldfish? Small and subtle—won't be hard to carry around."
"Those look good."
Ji-oh was culturally shell-shocked.
The lanterns are alive?
When Yu Seong-un had said "lanterns," he'd pictured handheld sky lanterns or hanging ones. But the goldfish lanterns Yu Seong-un purchased drifted gently through the air, and one soon settled beside Ji-oh's face.
"……."
Even looking directly at the gently swaying tail didn't hurt his eyes.
"Have fun, you two. Be careful."
The proprietress waved them off.
Stepping out of the silk-draped courtyard brought them back onto the noisy village street. Yu Seong-un called to Ji-oh, who was looking around the village with interest.
"How is it? Not uncomfortable?"
"It's very comfortable."
"If you want to look around the village before we go into Gyeongbokgung proper, we can do that."
"The village?"
"The village market closes earlier than Gyeongbokgung. By the time we come out of the night market, the village lights will probably be out."
"Then would it be all right if we walked around the village a bit?"
"Of course."
Yu Seong-un led Ji-oh—who still looked unused to this environment—into a fan shop.
"……?"
Standing stiffly beside the shop was a group of figures in crude wooden masks, peering around. Their movements weren't rigid, exactly, but they were uniform, like machines running on preloaded commands. They didn't look particularly human. Ji-oh tilted his head, unable to identify what they were—then Yu Seong-un addressed the shopkeeper.
"Sir, could you show us some fans?"
"Oh my, what fine young scholars we have here. What shall I bring out?"
"Something sturdy would be good…"
"Then this side's the best."
Ji-oh soon pulled his gaze from the lingering group of masks and looked around the village market with open curiosity.
Every single merchant is wearing hanbok.
Traditional hanbok, modernized hanbok—or sometimes modern clothes underneath with just a durumagi over the top. They catered primarily to the tourists wandering about in hanbok, matching their energy.
Before long, Yu Seong-un presented Ji-oh with a black fan.
"Here. You're dressed as a scholar—you need at least one fan."
"…Are fans originally essential for scholars?"
"They might be, they might not. It's just a souvenir with no real meaning."
"Souvenirs from tourist spots are special in their own way."
The fan of black bamboo and cloth was quite high-quality. Ji-oh briefly wondered whether the all-black look made him seem a little too much like a grim reaper, but he liked black anyway, so he accepted it without complaint.
"Most of Gyeongbokgung Village sells souvenirs. Or ingredients. Whole cuts of meat hung up to dry, or farm and marine products they grow themselves. A lot fresher than anything shipped in from the provinces, so plenty of people come here on purpose."
Ji-oh nodded.
"The atmosphere really is wonderful."
"Right?"
After wandering the village for some time, the two finally entered Gyeongbokgung itself.
"Hold on—we need to exchange money first."
"Money?"
"The proprietress gave you a pouch, remember? That's a basic service for holding copper coins. Inside Gyeongbokgung you can only use copper coins, so it's best to exchange as much as you'll need."
"What if there's some left over?"
"You can take them home as souvenirs, or exchange them back at the booth."
Yu Seong-un soon returned with the pouches nicely filled.
"They say these are deliberately lightened versions of the old coins, but they still have some weight to them."
"Don't people find this system inconvenient?"
"Well… I'm sure some do if you look hard enough, but people come here specifically to enjoy this kind of atmosphere. And the Gyeongbokgung merchants like it too—when they take payment in copper coins, they effectively earn more than the listed price."
"How do they earn more?"
"The government subsidizes the merchants."
Yu Seong-un smiled faintly.
"That way people use the copper coins more actively."
"I see."
"Here—take this. This is your identity tag."
"……?"
There was a tag, too?
Copper coins as currency made sense, but what was an identity tag for? When Ji-oh looked at him, Yu Seong-un shrugged.
"Free pass."
"Ah."
That was excellent.
(To be continued)