Silvern (The Gilded Series) (11 page)

The silverware clicks against china and mixes with soothing classical music. Our table borders the window, giving me the perfect view of Seoul spread below like a patchwork quilt. The Hyatt brunch is one of my favorite things. We usually come only for special holidays, but Grandfather insisted this was the place we should meet. The waiter arrives and passes Dad his coffee, Grandfather his green tea, and me my tall orange juice.

Dad’s got on a pair of khaki pants and a white button-down shirt underneath a black jacket, a little more relaxed than his usual business suit. This is the first time since we went golfing that I’ve seen him without a tie. Grandfather, on the other hand, is wearing his usual Korean-style jacket with a black stand-up collar, buttoned all the way up. It’s form fitting and shows off his muscular frame.

“So,” Dad begins the conversation. “What is the occasion for such an extravagant breakfast?”

I’m assuming he’s referring to the fact that I’m not wearing my usual jeans and T-shirt, rather than to the food. Today I want Dad to see how serious I am, so I chose a short brown embroidered jacket over a white shirt and tight brown pants. I’m wearing a long dangle necklace that Michelle bought me for my birthday.

“I have a humanitarian opportunity for Jae Hwa to take part in,” Grandfather says. “With your permission, of course.”

Dad leisurely sips his coffee, but I see the muscles in his neck stiffen. “I’m listening.”

“My school has found a way for us to deliver medicine to TB patients,” I say, and then hold my breath, listening to how ridiculous this whole idea now sounds. He’s never going to allow me to go into the most dangerous place on the planet. “Can you imagine how that will stand out on a college transcript? Michelle says it’s a first-class ticket to Ivy League.”

“Tuberculosis?” Dad says. “Isn’t that contagious? I don’t feel comfortable with you doing something like this.”

“We’d just be delivering the supplies,” I say. “Not interacting with patients. It’s more of a gesture of goodwill between North and South Korea. It’s all been approved by the school and both the South and North Korean authorities.”

“North Korea?” Dad’s eyes widen, and he sets down his coffee cup with a clatter. “Are you saying you would go to North Korea for this? Absolutely not.”

“It is an excellent opportunity for Jae Hwa,” Grandfather says. “We do not know how long the window will remain open for us to enter the country.”

“I didn’t think any foreigner was allowed into North Korea.” Dad scowls. “Besides, she has an American passport. You know how they feel about Americans.”

“Dad,” I say, gripping the edge of the table. “Grandfather has already applied for the visas, and they’ve been approved.”

Dad scowls at Grandfather. “You did this behind my back?”

“It’s a very short trip.” I lean forward to get Dad’s focus back on me. “It will only be for one night and two days. We are going into the Diamond Mountains tourist area. It’s perfectly safe there.”

Okay, that may have been a slight exaggeration.

“You mean Kumgangsan? Didn’t a lady get shot there for walking on the beach?” Dad says. “Yeah, that sounds
real
safe.”

“Things are different now,” Grandfather says. “The North Koreans need money and our medicine. There have been no issues in the area for over two years. She would be under my protection. I promise to keep her safe.”

Dad dumps a packet of sugar into his coffee and swirls his spoon through it. He rubs his forehead and then says, “My answer is no. I can’t let her go.”

I stand too quickly and knock my chair backward. It’s hard to focus because I can see our whole plan unraveling before my eyes. I want to tell Dad that if I don’t do something, Kud is going to kill everyone I love. If nothing else, this trip buys us more time. And if Kud is watching, he’ll think I’m following his instructions.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Dad says. “You know I couldn’t bear it if something were to happen to you.”

I nod, pressing my lips together, and pick up my chair. “I’m going to the buffet to find something to eat.”

Before I go, though, I pull out my folder with all the photos Kumar printed off for us. They’re pictures of the TB patients. Each patient’s medicine is different and specialized depending on that patient’s needs. I toss the folder in front of Dad, and storm off to the buffet.

I’m not sure how long I stand by the buffet, but soon Grandfather comes beside me and pats me on the shoulder. I flinch at his touch.

“Never give up hope,” Grandfather says. “We must always cling to it even in our darkest hours.”

I stare at my plate, seeing it has only a slice of cheese and a piece of sushi on it. I’ve lost all appetite. Grandfather heads over to dish soup into a bowl while I shuffle back to the table. Deep down, I can’t blame Dad. If things were reversed and he announced a business trip to North Korea, I’d throw a fit. I swallow my disappointment and plop into my chair across from Dad.

Sitting on my plate is an origami of a paper frog made from one of the coffee napkins. I lightly touch it with my fingers and look up at Dad. He gives me a sad smile and reaches over and squeezes my hand.

“You really think this is safe?” he asks. I nod, afraid my voice will expose the truth. “I’m glad you’re thinking about your future. This is a huge step in the right direction. I’m just not sure if a humanitarian trip is the right solution.”

“You know that poster in your office? The one that says, ‘Don’t let your dreams be dreams’? This, Dad, is one of my dreams. To make a difference in the world. To not sit by and wait for someone else to take risks while I sit back on a cushy couch, and to not watch others suffer when I have the power to help them.”

He stares at me with his dark-brown eyes as if he’s in pain. “The frog is a symbol of safe travels,” he says, gripping my hand in his. “When you go to North Korea, carry it with you and come home quickly to me.”

“Thank you.” Gingerly, I scoop the frog into my palm. I bite my lip, the tears welling up in the corners of my eyes. “I’ll never forget this.”

Tuesday after school on the afternoon of the Dano Festival, I hurry to the gym to meet Michelle and Lily. As I rush inside, my heart sinks. The place is a mess. The three-foot paper lanterns that were supposed to be hung are scattered about on the floor. The tables we ordered brought in are MIA. Boxes, overflowing with the strings of flowers that Michelle, Lily, and I strung last weekend, are tossed in a heap in the corner.

And the worst part? Not one volunteer in sight.

“You can’t be serious.” I drop my backpack and sag against the wall. “We’ll never be ready.”

“Need some help?” a deep voice says behind me.

I turn to face the volunteer, already formulating a list of things to do—until I see who it is.

It’s Kang-dae, standing there in his black leather jacket, long hair half covering his dark eyes and that strong jaw cracked in a half smirk.

“What are you doing here?” I ask. “How did you get on campus?”

“I told the guard I was with you.” He gives the room a quick glance. “Not as in dating, of course. Just helping with this party you’re apparently putting together to raise medical funds.”

“Oh.” I glance around, hoping for someone to show up, while clutching my fists, furious no one had.
Where are Michelle and Lily?

“Appears you need a little help,” he says.

I follow his gaze to the paper flower piles, the trash scattered about the gym, and the easels heaped by the bleachers where the pictures of North Korean kids are supposed to be displayed. I can only imagine the panicked look I must be wearing.

“I could put you to work.” I plant my hands on my hips and pretend to size him up. “You man enough?”

“I hadn’t pegged you for a party organizer,” Kang-dae says. “But I’d hate to disappoint someone of your lineage.”

I scowl. He has no idea how mentioning my lineage disturbs me. “I can put on a party if I need to. But since you’re here, you can go find some humans to hang these ridiculous lanterns.”

He laughs, shakes his head, and with a salute, marches off. The moment he leaves, I text Michelle and Lily, asking them where they are. Next I call the maintenance office about the tables and dump the first box of flowers onto the gym floor. By the time I have flowers stretched out in long roped lines across the gym floor, Kang-dae saunters through the gym doors, a parade of soccer players following in his wake.

“Will these suffice for the humans you were asking for?” Kang-dae asks.

I’ve no idea how he managed to wrangle the soccer team to help hang decorations, but who am I to complain? I show them the ladders and hand them fishing line. Meanwhile, a group of
ajusshi
come in with the tables. After I direct where to set them up, I drag the ropes of flowers to the tables and start taping them to their fronts.

“Care for help?” Kang-dae asks.

I glance at my watch. Four o’clock. I have three hours to finish decorating and somehow slip into my dress. I’d call Marc, but he’s at his training until 7:00 p.m. He won’t even be at the party on time.

I hand Kang-dae a rope end. “Hold this,” I say, and stalk to the other side of the table, where I tape down my portion of the rope.

“Quite the operation you’ve undertaken,” Kang-dae says, lazily watching as I wrestle with the rest of the string before we move onto the next table. “Do you think this whole clandestine endeavor will work?”

“I hope so.” I stand back to assess my work. The flower strand is skewed and two of the loops are off-center. “Let’s hope it works better than my decorating.”

“Agreed. But if it were me, I’d just lie my way into North Korea. Why mess around with all of this nonsense?”

“Because it has to look believable. We can’t just go traipsing into North Korea without a reason. There is no way the government would allow a bunch of teens into the country. Plus, what would our parents say? You know it would be all over the news.”

“If you say so.” He sprawls out on a bleacher, crossing his arms. “So how long have you and Marc been dating?”

It feels like we’ve been together forever, but as I think about it, I realize it’s only been about four months. Then I blush as I remember our first kiss. It was right after he’d saved me when Haemosu pulled me into the Spirit World through my locker.

“Not long,” I say, trying to fluff a flower I’d accidentally stepped on. “He’s been really supportive through all of this. I don’t know if I could’ve made it without him.”

“Oh, I’m sure you could. You’re tougher than you think. You should give yourself more credit.”

I focus on the flower, not sure what to think about Kang-dae’s look or why he’s complimenting me. We work for the next few minutes in silence, putting the final touches on the flowers and then piling the flower arrangements onto the tables. The soccer team hauls in ladders and yells directions to each other.

Kang-dae and I are tacking the photos onto the easels when Michelle and Lily rush in, each holding a long white cake box.

“Girl,” Michelle says, out of breath. “I’m over-the-world sorry. The vendor called and we had
issues
. Lily and I had to taxi it to the other side of eternity to find another bakery that had fresh
kongtteok
.”

“Those rice cakes better taste good.” I peek inside the box, discovering round cakes of steamed rice sprinkled with beans and smelling of honey. My stomach growls at the sight. “Don’t worry, though, I saved plenty of work for you.”

“So.” Michelle scoots closer to Kang-dae. “Who’s your friend?”

“Kang-dae, meet Michelle and Lily,” I say. “He’s a friend from Yonsei University. While the two of you were touring Seoul, he came to my rescue.”

Michelle is all smiles and she bats her eyelashes. Even Lily looks a little overwhelmed by Kang-dae’s striking looks as she sets the boxes on the table.

“You could drag that background against the wall and set it up behind the donation table,” I tell him.

“Your wish is my command,” Kang-dae says. He flashes my friends a smile and then heads across the gym.

“My, my,” Michelle says. “Where did you pick that specimen up?”

“Does Marc know about him?” Lily asks.

“He’s actually a friend of Marc’s.” I smile over this, because Marc actually hates Kang-dae.

“Does he have a girlfriend?” Michelle asks as she uncovers the cakes.

“He’s a college boy,” Lily says. “I’d stay clear.”

Michelle grins. “I know.”

“I really don’t know much about him,” I say. “But I do know we’ve got a party to get on.”

Astonishingly, by seven o’clock, the room is set up. Techno music plays over the system, and the air smells a mix of sweet from the rice cakes and savory from the sesame-seed sauce for the
kimbap
. A table in the corner is stacked with lanterns that people can buy later and write their wishes on. At dark, we’ll light the lanterns and release them into the air. I already know what will be on mine.

We’ve strung the pillars in the lobby with tiny white lights to greet partyers as they come in, as well as looped lights along the bleachers. A disco ball, which the soccer team somehow managed to hang along with the colored lanterns, spins from the ceiling. It spits sparkles across the walls, making me feel a little light-headed. The background is set up behind the lantern table, asking for medical funds, while the easels are strategically placed about the gym.

I stop and stare at one of the pictures on the easel in front of me. It’s a girl, her hands clasped together. Streaks of dirt are smeared over her cheeks and forehead. Wisps of black hair have been pulled out of her ponytail. But it’s her eyes that make my breath catch. They stare at me, empty and hungry. I’m not sure if it’s hunger for food or a hunger for life, and that thought twists at my heart.

Even though the forefront of this mission is to find the White Tiger orb, my heart warms knowing that even if we fail at that task, we’re still providing relief and hope to many North Koreans.

“Jae Hwa,” Lily says, traveling up to me in her blue gown. Her top is tight, with spaghetti straps, while the chiffon skirt swings freely around her knees. She’s curled her long blond hair into perfect ringlets. “You haven’t changed yet? People are arriving. You’d better hurry.”

“You look gorgeous,” I tell her. “Kumar is going to have a heart attack when he sees you.”

“I sure hope so.” She smiles slyly. “He’s supposed to be here by now. He was going to give Marc a ride.”

My heart sinks, knowing he’s being dragged into this insane world I’m a part of. I almost spit out everything, but I bite my tongue instead. Now isn’t the time.

“Marc said they’d be here around seven thirty, so you’ll have to wait a bit.”

“At least Michelle is having a good time.”

I follow Lily’s gaze. Michelle is standing by the punch bowl with Kang-dae, lightly touching the sleeve of his navy button-down shirt. She whispers something into his ear. He laughs, throwing back his head as if what she said was the funniest thing ever. Which it could possibly be. Michelle’s not only smart and gorgeous, but she can put the charm on when she wants to.

Still, a stab cuts through me. Which is ridiculous. I shouldn’t feel jealous that he’d rather talk to her than me. I should be thrilled. My best friend finally found somebody to help her recover from her jerk of an ex-boyfriend back in Ohio.

“I’ll be back in two seconds and help you cut those cakes,” I promise Lily.

Snatching up my backpack and dress, I dart down the steps into the basement of the gym. I don’t want to be caught changing in the main bathroom when everyone is arriving, so I head to the girls’ locker room instead. After swinging the door open, I grope along the wall until my hand scrapes across the light switch.

The bulbs blink, a skittering noise, as if resisting the electricity. The light settles over the lockers and worn benches in an uneven, yellowish glow. I toss my pack onto the first bench. I strip down to my bra and panties, eyeing the shower and wishing I could rinse off. But there isn’t time, so I resort to slipping on my black dress. It hugs my body, and I have to stretch to zip up the back. The one strap over my right shoulder is all twisted. I am trying to adjust it when the faucet squeaks in the adjoining bathroom. Then a rush of running water echoes over the tiles.

My skin chills. Did someone else come into the changing rooms after me? I peer around the corner to where the sinks are, but no one’s there. Before Haemosu messed with my brain, I would’ve shrugged the noises off. But those days are over.

My heart speeds up as I pad barefoot to the sink area. A row of five sinks with identical mirrors stretches before me. The bathroom stalls are all propped open, empty. The sound of rushing water has vanished, replaced with a steady
plink, plink, plink
. Water drips from the sink directly in front of me. I clamp my hand over the cold, clammy handle to turn off the faucet. It doesn’t budge. It’s as if it’s been welded into place.

The plinking sound rises around me, reverberating until it’s deafening. Instinctively, I push my hands over my ears.

My gaze slides up to the mirror. A face that’s not mine stares back at me. I scream and stagger backward, desperate to escape, but my eyes are paralyzed by the face that floats out of the mirror and becomes a whole body, wispy as a ghost.

It’s a
gwishin
. My temples pound. She’s wearing a floor-length white
hanbok
, and her long black hair blows as if she’s trapped in a wind tunnel. Her lips move, but all I can hear is the pounding of the water. She reaches out to me, her gnarly fingers grasping, almost clawing.

My back presses against the concrete wall. I should run or yell or
something
, but I’m immobilized. A small part of my brain reminds me how I promised myself I’d never let fear immobilize me again.

The faucet squeaks and water gushes from all the spigots, full blast.

“Danger surrounds you”—the
gwishin
’s voice finally breaks through the madness.

Water spills out of the sinks, tumbling in waterfalls onto the floor.

“Trust no one,” she continues.

I’m standing ankle deep in water. “Leave,” I say. “Now.”

“Death wants you.” She’s reaching out both hands. “Come with me instead. Join us.”

Terror spears through my chest. It empowers me enough to wrench myself away from whatever power she holds over me. I swipe my arm at her face, but swing only through chilled air. She cackles and vanishes.

The noise plummets into silence.

Somehow I’m standing by the sink again, hands hugging my sides, my chest heaving. The sink is dry. Not a drop of water on the floor. I chance to look back into the mirror and see Kang-dae strolling through the bathroom door. I jump and scream.

“Whoa!” he says. “I came to check on you. Heard some screaming. Everything all right?”

“God,” I yell, running shaking hands over my face. “You scared the life out of me. What are you doing in here? I could’ve been naked!”

He holds his hands into the air. “Calm it down. You know the Council wouldn’t be too pleased if I let anything unpleasant happen to their most prized girl.”

“Like you could do something about it.” I let out a long breath, feeling idiotic for acting like a fool in front of him. I push my hair back and press it into place.