PJ (Hyunjin) short story collection

The Fugitive in the Silk Palanquin

Sitting inside the clan's stiff, suffocating carriage, draped in a heavy, expensive silk wedding robe, I waited for the coming doom. I had been forced into marriage with a cruel high-ranking official who could never be trusted, and I was destined to become his sixth wife. They said all of his previous wives had died under suspicious circumstances from "illness" or childbirth. My parents knew his dark reputation all too well. And yet, when that cruel man showed interest in me at a palace banquet, my parents, blinded by nothing but the promise of rising in court, greedily agreed to the match.

The procession wasn't even grand. Honestly, if it had been some enormous parade, I would have felt even more miserable. It would have looked like they were putting on a hypocritical show of pretending to care, right before taking me behind the tall, tightly locked walls of his estate to torture me.

Then, suddenly, drumbeats exploded around us like thunder. The rhythmic yet chaotic pounding shook the wooden walls of the carriage I was in. Peering through the thick silk curtains, I saw a wandering troupe of street performers completely surrounding us from all sides. Bright sashes and spinning sangmo ribbons flashed past the window in a blur, throwing the guards escorting me into instant confusion.

And then, in that moment, I saw him. Hyunjin.

He was my childhood friend. The child I had been forced to part with before our coming-of-age ceremony in order to avoid the malicious rumors of the upper class. It had been years since we last spoke, but he looked dazzlingly vibrant, free, and happy. The complete opposite of me, who was nothing but an empty shell.

Our eyes met through the crack in the curtain, and the brilliant smile that seemed to define him spread across his face. As if he had read the utter despair in my eyes, he moved toward the carriage I was in. Blending his movements naturally into the dynamic choreography, he slipped a secret message to me alone with his gestures. I'll get you out of there. Trust me.

This sudden, chaotic performance was no accident. I had no idea how he had learned about my forced marriage, but even so, a wave of overwhelming relief washed over me.

As the carriage turned into a narrow alley, the horses came to a complete stop, pressed by the overwhelming density of the performing crowd. The booming of the janggu grew so loud it made my ears ring, building a perfect wall of noise. In that instant, the carriage door that had been suffocating me swung wide open. The moment I saw Hyunjin standing there, the fear that had remained in my heart melted away like snow. With a breathless smile, he held out his hand to me.

I quickly took his hand. With fluid, practiced movements, he lifted me from the seat and effortlessly into his arms in one smooth motion. Then, spinning away to avoid the guards who knew nothing of what was happening, he slipped me into the fake carriage waiting nearby. He sprang up and climbed in right beside me, and the silk curtain fell softly shut, sealing us safely inside. Still smiling, he gently cupped my cheeks with his warm hands and wiped away the tear that had spilled over with his thumb.

"You'd be happier being my bride, right?" He smiled, winking with that familiar warmth and teasing affection.

I nodded with a big, tearful smile. It felt as if the heavy weight that had been pressing down on me for the past few weeks had been completely blown away. Leaning forward, I pressed a soft, lingering kiss to his lips, startling him.

"Let's go." At last, free, I breathed against his lips.