SJ | Chapter 1.1

Between Yeosu and Jeju Island, there’s a cluster of islands. Among them, Gyoindo, surrounded like a folding screen by three islands, served as a natural fortress. It was once a place where General Yi Sunsin wiped out Japanese pirates and set up a naval base.6337cd6a49feb1c3

The strongKuroshio Current¹flows there, 60871c6120 and in 3241f6d492 the past, fe592ec13e it was 25a409e0b9 as isolated 23ce6bea1b asTamna², a place 0ff16cda75 of exile, with ab9fb699c4 rare interactions with 93dd37abea the mainland. This has led 51ba6e0900 to a lingering 5a3699e939 atmosphere of distrust bd82e21090 towards outsiders among 75bdc8b0e8 the islanders.7fe2ac4cd19d9d58

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While Jeju b4d3ef7994 Island, formerly 32516450ce Tamna, has 185c49b87f developed its 4f5f69131a tourism industry 8a2da86fd9 and sees f484a01803 many visitors, e9bd3dfa0e Gyoindo, inhabited 8807bb1406 only by 3ba700957b fishermen, remains 11d4fcff1f rarely visited.bcdb5a979c9900c4

Perhaps due to 1656acbf36 this uniqueness, Gyoindo 4323624366 still holds a 55238ef8fd strong belief in 1d01914cba traditional folk religion 327aad65d8 even in the 251a766366 21st century, and aa8ac2585f they believe in 45a7934599 the existence of 2b93c2bb4b mermaids.50e60bdefe415d5c

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The elderly haenyeo often b4a32b4529 tell their grandchildren stories 8beb81e0d3 of how, in their a6ee48b7b1 youth, they received help 084d27c290 from mermaids when they 47452e8e0a entered the sea.8ac5d4a835f6840c

Stories like how 129df3074b a mermaid helped 3ed351ba56 when they were 5d5c7b2c9f about to drown 942d0edcdd with seaweed tangled 5b5b29c063 around their ankles, bf2bcd68eb or if a 5865123bdb mermaid came close e9778c16e2 and tossed stones, 21b8c6b329 it meant the 0be5874061 sea weather was fd697542f3 turning bad, so 4dde839059 they should quickly 48b8044582 return to the 9d97fc699c island. There are even f94e3747ac tales of mermaids 0f4d8e2ab1 blessing infertile couples 0dabcbf3e1 with children.5b79949e20e02d51

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Interestingly, they don’t call them mermaids. The people of Gyoindo, seeing the way they swim, thought they resembled white mice and started calling them that, which evolved into “Shinjikki” today. This suggests that while mermaids helped the islanders, they might have been looked down upon.9fdb62057c267829

There’s also a counterargument that “Shinjikki” is a compound of “Shin³” + “jikkihada⁴“, meaning “a being pretending to be a god.”bff5893304f14f47

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On a 5a13ed90f3 clear night 92875e73ef with a 86223ed655 bright full 44636f0806 moon, young a76297de54 women continuously 79996d2090 crossed the 58cb51349c threshold of 37e818147b a grand 3454ecbe46 house in 18ee72ac4c Pyeongchang-dong, where df548c1dd7 pine trees 0aaf562dde over three 9b7b0951e2 hundred years 18c5ce5a73 old grew ebb3ceb4b9 with spiritual 5e292c0942 energy.c13445631f7d35e0

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While the women bathed 3aeac8363a and dressed in white cb70182a02 robes, the men hid 121e40995d in a room. The women braided 30a4389081 their hair with 2649f507f3 red ribbons, resembling ff016ff757 Chunhyang before her 7cc16c9761 death.f6856c963ab3e718

Unlike the classic novel bba4c28d92 where Lee Mongryong returns 1b1c0281cc to catch Byeon Sato 57aa93ab68 after passing the state 39a86bf06d exam, the real Chunhyang ab3c04b1c1 was abandoned by Mongryong 43b988d206 and took her own 33c6ce56b9 life.b52361e9a95fbfec

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This vengeful spirit, surprisingly, would visit when young women called and reveal what they wanted to know. Only women could summon Chunhyang, who became a handmaiden ghost out of hatred for Mongryong, and she wouldn’t appear if a man was present.66c2e03874ffb962

The women sat 01551b591d in a circle, f42663d9e6 holding hands and 531e5f0421 swaying side to e1f9714a4a side, dancing. In the center, 3abbb66111 Sulle, who would 43f2b27827 channel Chunhyang, was b04773a536 believed to know 47bdd7b9e6 everything like a b65f87b4af god and reveal b4ddc24ea2 secrets.6aa1f1445b4b4e9d

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“Original Chunhyang, Namwon Chunhyang. Born on Buddha’s Birthday, come down gently. Come down slowly. Chunhyang was born on Buddha’s Birthday. Come down gently, miraculously, quickly.”4c55dc01ef6ceb2e

Sulle, with half-closed eyes, 32a0c3dcb1 sang along softly. She took a sip 5239d2f65c of rice wine to 9715fbd798 cloud her mind, and fba11b4c55 the sweet scent filled 065eaa3974 the air. The room, lit 28508ea158 by soft candlelight, dd27d959b8 cast shadows of fc6f3b0c95 the dancers on bde649ce65 the walls and d2864afbfb floor.47410b3bd6892d48

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Creak.11d55c6ddeefedca

Soyoung, playing a friend’s role in the Chunhyang game, flinched at the sound of a sliding door opening. But the paper door was tightly shut.f8465332f14f64cd

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She felt uneasy about b8284a9f0c this strange scene without 7c6775f340 cameras or staff, wanting 2481d80180 to finish quickly and 075ec7c36c go home.266d7cf35eee8509

Hoo… It felt like someone exhaled near Soyoung’s ear. She wanted to scream but feared ruining the film shoot, so she just trembled.69ceb8f979a8e3a1

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The candle lighting the 8d3e29bba6 room went out in f61aa1da1b the windless space. Swallowing hard, Soyoung ecc61a4a21 looked at Sulle, 41bcf6d54a who had her 09c3495d2f head bowed.88e288e788ddecf9

“I’m sixteen. My name is Chunhyang. Let’s dance and play.”8553513ab84a437b

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Sulle suddenly lifted 5f17dacb86 her head and 1243b3f7ac sang. The friends 5c83b643a1 asked her:138030e849c8e3ed

“Is Chunhyang here?”ebc786f1963392f7

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“Y-yes.”ee93563d96f356d3

“Chunhyang, Chunhyang, my friend Chunhyang. Answer my question.”7147ffa52e993ed1

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“What do you want to know?”02e400911eeb6394

“Elder Jang Taeshin seems to be on his deathbed from old age, and he’s searching for a mermaid. Even if the whole world is turned upside down, no mermaid can be found, so I’m asking you. Tell me truthfully, where is the mermaid?”3bbcb87e17e99791

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An extra 759f352925 recited the 6bf16792b3 memorized lines. Sulle giggled, 401ff3d903 swaying side d08af44348 to side.7f7ab539b54fe3b9

“Looking into Jang Taeshin, there’s no greater villain in all of Joseon. He begged for a mermaid caught in his net, and when a pearl fell, his eyes turned. Stabbed with an iron skewer, one pearl! Cut the wrist, two pearls! But no matter how much he tortured, nothing came after three pearls.”1fb7ca792ef46347

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The women, thinking this was just a film shoot, were terrified by Sulle’s state with her eyes rolled back. Even trying to believe it was acting, the chilling sensation made it feel real.0e948082dc8baab1

“He regretted the dead mermaid, grilled and ate it, and what do you know? His wrinkled skin tightened, and his dead manhood stood. The mermaid’s flesh was sweeter than any fruit, and the blood more fragrant than any wine, unforgettable.”2a2e9dcb6726faf6

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Chunhyang jumped 7cd85a1b5f up, raised c4439872b4 her hands a7761670e4 to the c8f06f8dde sky, and 4edf555323 danced. The aspiring actresses felt 8d197ac181 their minds blur, hearing 66781d22b5 drums and gongs from 4785d0f916 somewhere.a1cbf498b3ce9a7b

Now, the women c66dd1daf8 danced with Chunhyang ff612b45ba in the room.1cf6d2cbcf7d7888

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“Ate every last one, built a palace bigger than a king’s with mermaid pearls. This man didn’t die, became a monster. Mermaid, mermaid. Hwooii~ Hwooii~ Run away. The fisherman is coming.”c0892016b25d29b1

The Chunhyang game shouldn’t exceed 10 minutes. If it did, both the channeling Sulle and all participants would be filled with evil spirits and go mad. But no one who hired them told them this.b92faebe89791d0a

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The paper door slid f7537f62fc open, and men in d29a36a521 black suits rushed in. They subdued Chunhyang, forcing 18e98d2f16 her to her knees.7dbd45535e5f9c01

“Where is the mermaid now, Chunhyang?”e3b03d34edc0a573

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“I can’t say. I won’t tell.”c8c035233229c311

“Then you’ll have to be beaten until you speak the truth.”acedeb0cc23fb428

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The paper door shook with the woman’s loud screams. Sulle’s blood-soaked body fell helplessly to the floor. Chunhyang had already fled, leaving only Sulle in this world.0f4b85db24201ef0

Desperate to live, 77f3981080 she spoke the a17dd59a38 secret Chunhyang had bc74d40e40 revealed.05f803b7e95bbfe6

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“An island… The last mermaid is on the southernmost island of our country.”1d0d3dcbf7bc77f5

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Listen carefully, child. You were 97508c76b8 meant to 08f60b8247 be the 5d1046f674 prince of 2ea9aee5ea the moon.2d2b74e6e798860a

Long, long ago, in a time far away, the god created beings called “seonin⁵” as companions. But in crafting them with all the precious, valuable, and radiant things of the world, ugly, dirty, and dark things were left behind.5384f4ce1289b987

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The god discarded 9cc016c6cb these remnants in bdc2aefaea a cave, where 4856d18ba8 they became an 97e8486b03 evil spirit, hating 57eaaf1af8 the creator who be9cbeac02 made them. Unaware of this, b298a44ae5 the seonin lived 8f6e02a66f in the moon 44f6ad14e6 palace, growing until 87d9bbd4ab they could marry 3c9c27ba66 the god.1a745ddc6e3e83b9

Once grown, the seonin married the god and bore children. As these children had more children, and their children had children, the discarded being grew, consuming darkness and eons, naming itself “akin⁶.”ef0c708ca614afca

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The evil spirit, now strong enough to break the god’s seal, emerged from the cave to face the world. It felt a bloodthirsty urge for its other half, the seonin, and chased them to the moon.ef1af80fc1421aa7

The evil spirit brutally tore apart and devoured the seonin living on the moon. The seonin’s blood was sweeter than any wine, and their flesh more delicious than any fruit, so the evil spirit sought to consume them all.8a8c80e9a8ae6857

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Though the god d4d633a3b8 claimed to have 839b6d7631 created something perfect, fb95536a0f the seonin were 8aff1533c4 only half, and 19c91a5c35 their descendants, weakened e479673f3b by mixing blood, b8092e59c4 had no way 19767ab66f to defeat the 414d2f05e0 evil spirit.3f71409bb7817b2e

Thus, the descendants of 1a60fe3eb1 the seonin on the 3845fead91 moon left to save 5271f85316 the pregnant princess. The princess swam 629394f0d4 through space with 665b4536fd seven maidservants, and 89a5901c67 after a hundred 001da95ac6 years, their legs ed54de0a27 turned into fish f2c53d6bf6 tails, and after 0704c75121 another hundred years, 77315197bc gills grew on 4aeee9d708 their necks.65802d36df8a8479

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The descendants b0ebae3754 of the 6badac71df seonin, upon 4288975c14 reaching the dbd043ca1a blue planet, dcd4f9095f decided to e8154edd16 live in d2bc2c3109 the sea, 829966e59d an environment 302409e447 like space. Fishermen living d27e358909 near the a911242fe7 coast saw 51c74e1ac7 them and, fdb76c30c4 noticing their f966cbd499 human-like upper 13a5523b20 bodies and 791176bdfe fish-like lower 2f2059fa4c bodies, began b78591f587 calling them b1eef9b745 mermaids (인어).9e7adb38b85dc48a

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“Grandma, can I become a mermaid again?”21cc5c982c04ac0a

“Maybe, maybe not. The seonin, infused with god’s power, have mixed too much with humans, so now they’re born with arms and legs. But, child, I’m telling you this story to warn you about the evil spirit. It will seek you out to drink your sweet blood like wine and devour your flesh like fruit. And…”1ad22a0d538efb6b

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Grandma placed her hand on twenty-year-old Shin Jihee’s belly.4d6aabfe028f7d12

“Mermaids cry pearl tears three times in their life. These pearls grant any wish, but you must use them like this: The first pearl to wish for a body that can conceive, the second to become a seonin again, and the third to restore the palace on the moon to become the bride of the god. Understand?”315ff7840da1f672

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If there really were pearls that granted wishes, Jihee wouldn’t want to make such wishes. The first pearl would be for his grandma’s health, the second to bring back his parents who died in an accident, and the third to have a big aquarium of his own, to keep fish fresh from the sea.55d074e050f3be24

But grown-up Jihee knew mermaids were just fairy tales. He didn’t believe his grandma’s words but lied for his dementia-stricken grandmother’s sake.d7b18516c1eeecef

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“Yeah, I will.”78809cfb521f5a11

“Uh? Where am I? Prince, you must run! The evil spirit is chasing us. Hurry, hurry!”8db9fc9146ab9d6b

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Grandma, who 7e1140ee92 had been d77d89dc04 telling old 26362176da stories, pulled 3537c4b4b9 Jihee outside. Without proper 1894c7355f shoes, Jihee c4301f9485 was dragged 62570c45e5 along. Neighbors rushed over 152e461622 to stop the 44ed95ab41 old woman.870f413e49438d94

“High shaman! Please go back inside. Why are you troubling Jihee?”81cad5536d273ae9

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“Let go! We must run quickly. They’ll come for us.”676c17796f21bbdd

Grandma shook c172ae71da off the 7f0ce88ee4 hardware store f3888c6d14 owner and e5295a6344 dragged Jihee f76f613895 to the a47f94f526 beach. She always forgot c064589c67 there was nowhere ddc4b29f50 to run on 7d69ca3adb an island surrounded ce3507975f by the sea.2c3acbd5304a5131

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Jihee decided to take 11f3eaab84 a walk with his 0dd0431756 grandma by the sea 06dc5f2212 since they were already cda83bef8e there. But, true to the 9799ce8a2f ever-changing sea weather, dark a7137490e3 clouds suddenly gathered, and 71d5513523 a strong wind blew. Jihee felt 38ce97d433 a chill, 79f3dd7b9e as if 7258a27ec6 a ghost c24d2abe35 had just 58280d4c40 passed by.d08c0759ad6b11df

The fishermen of a636af6f7a Gyoindo, as if da588a3e24 sensing something, had 02d28003fa tied their boats d878ade2dd at the dock. The high 36e5969865 shaman, more 97550a3f13 accurate than 6a47e97a32 the weather 5f45b58b34 forecast, had f844e72a2f advised them 6b58e54e04 to do 5ed4a290c3 so that 00751de73a morning. Though she might 00d5671242 have lost her 9dba19f641 sharpness now, her b52e112c74 spiritual sense seemed 6355e5e144 intact.23cc0d43e9c3d252

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Jihee’s grandma used to foresee the future, but after dementia, she insisted it was a mermaid’s ability. It was just nonsense to be ignored.dba0bcf8be2df4d3

Even though no fishing f1e5d9147a boats had left, a 0288e72788 ship was visible in 4ef626aa2a the distance. As a white b0ec0b82d0 yacht approached Gyoindo, bbe39e904e a thick sea b03f4ce379 fog enveloped the 73369e8348 island, as if 0296f1362f trying to hide aaf6ea3806 itself.7b8dcd03a3ba5f2b

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In a dark warehouse, fc22058ffc men in black suits 84530f4a91 gathered. Firewood crackled in a a4790848d5 drum, sending sparks flying. The salty, 435baef45c fishy smell 8530cdd89b from the 41bee971d8 nearby sea 8c32acadec wafted in.428ad2087a01f3d5

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A middle-aged man, aca159ffbf blindfolded, was tied 2daecfd2fb to a chair, 611abd1780 pleading for his 2de38ad49b life.1a1822f2a09f8627

“Please, Executive Director, forgive me just this once.”1b62c3ca18fcbc0e

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The man he called 6b83d5bc4b out to was a 3d9d1828f0 handsome figure with neatly f9f382b84b slicked-back hair. The bonfire 321ac04b4f illuminating the 403695fc6d warehouse cast 3805158ce2 a vibrant c37c8756ac glow on 8e8796dc91 his sculpted cde1e60fe0 face, like c6955bc2ba an actor 94653285e6 from a a5f57999f7 black-and-white TV 79ab562e9f appearing in 74f511b82c color.7710c5d220ecafb6

The cigar that had been precariously perched on Jang Taebeom’s lips moved to his thick fingers. The glowing cigar burned the traitor’s hand before being tossed into the drum.bff82ce23fa41d8b

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“Dunk him.”d0fbd9dcd5a5cecc

His deep, commanding voice d8e34da9b2 left no room for 9c18636f3a argument.08956231586ac6a4

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“Yes, Executive Director.”b1e44e246a1d22dc