Ghost-seeing actor

[He never came back.]

Choi Moo-baek spoke bitterly.

[He left the palace and devoted himself to the independence movement. Back then, we exchanged letters a few times, but fate can be cruel. He died of tuberculosis right before liberation.]

‘In the end, you never met.’

[Staying in this world is probably because of my lingering regrets. I made a promise with Seong Nain to meet here when flowers bloomed, but I couldn’t keep it.]

From beside him, Jung Hyuk curiously interjected.

[So you’ve been guarding this place as a ghost all this time? Have you ever seen Seong Nain visit here?]

[No. I wonder if she’s ill or if this is just how it’s supposed to be…]

Thinking deeply, Tae-joo finally spoke.

‘Maybe she came, but you didn’t recognize her.’

[You’re saying I didn’t recognize Seong Nain?]

‘The Seong Nain you remember is a lively seventeen-year-old girl. But so much time has passed. She must have changed.’

Choi Moo-baek’s expression twisted as if struck by a stone.

[Why did I forget that? It’s been so many years.]

He tore at his hair, overwhelmed by the pain.

[She might already be gone… Time has passed so mercilessly…]

‘She might still be alive. So, think carefully. Maybe she left a sign for you.’

After struggling for a while, Choi Moo-baek finally raised his head.

[That’s right, she said she would leave a red ribbon on a tree branch to mark her visit. I’ve been searching for it all along.]

Tae-joo moved his body to examine the blooming trees.

He looked for any sign of the red ribbon.

He searched the branches carefully with his eyes, but the red ribbon was nowhere in sight.

Jung Hyuk watched Tae-joo with sympathy.

[It’s been too long. It’s impossible for Seong Nain to still be alive.]

‘She might still be waiting. She promised to return if her love came back.’

Tae-joo glanced at Choi Moo-baek, who was scanning the trees with a desperate and earnest expression.

It reminded him of the time when he was desperate, searching for his parents after losing them.

‘Let’s try a bit more.’

Just as sweat drenched his head and his lips dried out, a staff member, who had been watching him, approached.

“The park is closing soon. You’ll have to leave.”

‘I can’t leave like this.’

Desperate, Tae-Joo asked the staff member,

“Did you happen to see a red ribbon tied to a tree near Buyeongji?”

“A ribbon?”

“If you remember anything, please let me know. It’s very important to me.”

The staff member paused to think, then spoke,

“Oh! Now that you mention it… Let’s go to the office.”

Soon arriving at the office, the staff member rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a dusty, yet neatly preserved, red ribbon.

Choi Moo-baek’s face twitched with emotion.

[Yes, that’s Seong Nain’s ribbon.]
“A grandmother used to visit this place regularly. She tied that ribbon here. She was supposed to meet someone here, and the ribbon was needed to recognize them.”

“Can we meet her here?”

“No. She hasn’t been seen for years.”

Tae-joo felt a crushing sense of despair.

The staff, as if remembering something, said,

“Oh, come to think of it, she left a contact for anyone who might come looking for her.”

***

That evening, Tae-Joo visited a nearby nursing home in Gyeonggi Province.

Walking down the corridor, he spoke with a staff member.

“I heard she waited a long time. Even when she was healthy, she visited that place every Friday. After she fell ill, it had been a long time since she last went.”

The woman added, looking at Tae-Joo,

“But I believe she never actually met the person she was waiting for. Still, she always left that old ribbon tied to a tree to let them know she was there. So, what relation do you have with her?”

“A grandson-like… stand-in? Well, something like that.”

Tae-joo glanced at Choi Moo-baek, who followed quietly beside him.

He could feel Moo-baek’s emotions, raw and heavy, reflecting through the years of longing for his lost love.

The anticipation of meeting her after half a century, the guilt of not keeping their promise—everything weighed heavily on his heart.

A longing so heavy it felt suffocating.

***

Upon entering the hospital room, an elderly woman lay motionless in the bed.

“She lived a long life, didn’t she? I never imagined she would live past 100.”

“She lived a long life.”

“She was like a walking corpse. Suddenly collapsed… It wouldn’t be strange if she passed at any moment.”

A heavy silence filled the room.

The woman sitting by the bedside let out a heavy sigh, her gaze locked on the still figure.

“She never married and grew old alone. She was so beautiful, you know?”

“The person she was waiting for… do you remember their name?”

“I think it was Choi Moo-baek. One morning, I saw her pouring water and praying. That’s when I heard the name.”

Tae-joo bowed his head deeply at the bittersweet story.

“It seems like you found the right person. Please, have a good conversation with her.”

The woman stepped aside, allowing Tae-joo to approach the bed.

What lay before him was a woman on the verge of taking her last breath.

The face, covered in liver spots, was wrinkled and pained.

Seeing the elderly woman, barely clinging to life and unable to do anything, was heart-wrenching, filled with sympathy, guilt, and sorrow.

These emotions were not his own, but Choi Moo-baek’s.

Tae-joo, blended with the spirit, fully experienced his emotions.

[It’s joyous to meet again… so wonderful… but my heart hurts so much.]
Choi Moo-baek wept, holding the elderly woman.

The transparent silhouette passed right through her.

[So many words left unspoken… so many things I couldn’t do. Meeting you now, after all these years, is so painful. It feels unjust that the living cannot hear the cries of the dead.]
He turned to face Tae-joo.

[Please, convey my words to Seong Nain.]
Tae-joo nodded quietly, his throat tight, eyes reddened.

Tae-joo tightly grasped the cold hand of the dying woman, completely merged with Choi Moo-baek’s longing emotions.

[Seong Nain, I have come. I found your ribbon in the blossoming Buyeongji and brought it to you.]
His voice, though strained, managed to maintain a composed yet emotional tone.

[I am sorry for coming late. Don’t hold it against me for dedicating my life to the country, not to you.]
His voice trembled, and his eyes filled with tears.

Unaware, Tae-joo didn’t notice the trembling eyelids of the elderly woman whose hand he held.

[On the day we made our promise at Buyeongji, I had words I couldn’t speak—words my heart couldn’t express in the palace. But now, I want to lay bare my feelings.]
Tae-joo gently pressed the wrinkled hand of Seong Nain against his cheek.

It felt like a butterfly gently alighting on a beating heart.

[I love you, Seong Nain. Words cannot capture how deeply I adore you. Every moment, every thought has been of you alone, my heart only holding you.]
Suddenly, warmth returned to the lifeless hand of the elderly woman.

[I will wait for you, just as you waited for me. If, in the afterlife, we meet again, we will live a hundred years together. I will love you without limits.]
Barely cracked eyelids revealed a crescent moon shape.

Though speechless, it was clear—hearts connected.

At that moment, their love was confirmed.

From Choi Moo-baek’s entire being, an overwhelming light burst forth.

A powerful wind enveloped Tae-joo.

***

In the bustling marketplace under the starry night sky, a small figure walked through the narrow alleyways.

Seong Nain, with her head covered in a scarf, moved swiftly, occasionally pausing to adjust her steps.

Today, after a long six months, she had visited her only remaining family, her sister.

Since the Japanese occupation of Korea, the atmosphere within the palace had grown increasingly tense.

Concerned for the safety of the upper court officials, the palace maids devoted themselves to their service, and family visits became rare.

“This late entrance into the palace… I’m sure a noble lady will scold me. But with a gift, she might ease a bit.”

Her anxious expression relaxed somewhat as she thought about the gifts in her bundle.

“The warrior is on patrol today, guarding the gate.”

As she walked quickly, her long red ribbon swayed with each step.

In the distance, the palace appeared, and at that moment, dark shadows enveloped her.

[Where is this fine young lady headed so late at night?]
[She’s not an ordinary woman. Look at her attire. She doesn’t seem like a common girl; is she a palace maid?]
[She belongs to the king!]
[Indeed, Korean women are fair-skinned and beautiful.]

Several rough men, with shaved heads and gleaming skin from edge to forehead, encircled her.

‘Surely…’

The anxiety gripped Seong Nain as she tightly held the bundle she carried.

She remembered her sister’s warning from earlier:

—Lately, Japanese ronin have been wandering the streets. Even near the palace, they roam at night. Avoid getting noticed and stay safe.

Her eyes widened in fear.

Unable to understand what they were saying, she cried out desperately, “P-please… help me!”

Before she could even finish, they seized her.

Their rough hands crawled over her face, down her neck, and shoulders.

The unpleasant sensation made Seong Nain bite down hard on one of their hands.

[Guh! This girl is serious!]
“Gah!”

They shoved her violently to the ground.

Seong Nain’s body trembled uncontrollably in fear.

‘Please… someone help me. M-mom. Moo-baek.’

At that moment, the distant sound of heavy footsteps echoed.

Before she could even recognize who it was, a man embraced her, pulling her away from them.

“Seong Nain, are you alright?”

“…..Moo-baek?”

Opening her eyes, she saw Choi Moo-baek standing there, having come to her rescue.

“Worried that Seong Nain hadn’t returned, I came out. Who would have thought I’d find these fiends?”

The murderous glare in Choi Moo-baek’s eyes shone fiercely.

“Leave this place at once. Before you lose a limb.”

[Who the hell does this Korean dare talk to us like that?]
[How dare this Korean speak to a great Japanese warrior?]

The ronin drew their swords simultaneously.

Trembling in fear, Seong Nain begged Choi Moo-baek, “M-Moo-baek, please, run away.”

“It’s alright, Seong Nain. I will handle this.”

Choi Moo-baek pushed her back gently.

“Close your eyes and count to 100. I’ll finish this within that time.”

She obediently covered her eyes with both hands.

Behind her, the men grew angry and swung their swords.

[How dare this fool be so bold! Attack!]
Sring.

Choi Moo-baek drew his sword from his waist.

“Bring it on.”

His eyes blazed with fiery rage.

“I’ll show you a swordsmanship beyond compare.”