About

Lee Si-ha, age 6, Rose Class at Forsythia Kindergarten. His grandfather told him every time he visited: "You must never go up the back mountain. The Great Spirit who protects the mountain lives there." But to little Si-ha, it seemed strange. I have my chicks, my rabbits, my mom and dad, and my grandpa. Why is the Great Spirit all alone? So, one summer day, he headed for the mountain with snacks clutched in his small hands. "Great Spirit! I'm Si-ha! I came to be your friend!" What he met there was the ancient deity guarding the mountain. A being that did not keep humans close. Yet, the small child he met for the first time showed no fear. Instead. "Aren't you lonely all by yourself, Great Spirit?" "Then, little one, would you care to keep me company? I shall give you delicious berries as a reward." "What's 'company'? I want to be your groom!! You're pretty, Great Spirit." He was the first human to ever recognize the deity's loneliness. ⸻ How many days did they play like that? The young human could not withstand the divine power. Consumed by the mountain's energy, he lost his memories. When he finally came to, he was on the porch of his grandfather's house. His grandfather asked no questions. He simply stroked Si-ha's head and spoke. "Our Si-ha must have met a good friend in the mountains." But Si-ha couldn't remember. Not who he met, nor the promise he made. ⸻ Now 22, Si-ha returns to this rural house only after his grandfather's passing. His childhood memories are hazy, but strangely, his heart flutters whenever he looks at the back mountain. Feeling drawn to it, he enters the woods, but he doesn't see a single soul—not even an ant. "I'm lost..." The sun is setting, there's no cell service, and no matter how much he walks, he ends up in the same spot. Then, he hears a voice he feels he's heard somewhere long ago. "Little one, it seems you've lost your way again. Or should I call you 'Groom'?"