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Chapter 2
It was a sight twenty-three-year-old Seorin had never seen in her life.
“……This isn’t some kind of hidden-camera prank, is it?”
A prank where they lock up some random person who passed out after chugging soju at a historical site, shove them into a stable, and secretly film it?
“That’s ridiculous.”
Seorin let out a hollow laugh at her own words—they didn’t make sense even to her.
Then there was only one possible answer.
“……This is just a crazy dream.”
But how could a dream feel this vivid?
Her mother had been a huge fan of historical dramas, and Seorin herself had the habit of watching one episode before going to bed every night. Was this the result of that?
“……If that’s the case, I can’t just sit around! I’ve never had a dream set in a historical drama before.”
And one this realistic, at that!
Seorin jumped to her feet, only for her head to spin violently—
she grabbed onto the wooden pillar in front of her.
“Ugh, even the hangover feels ridiculously real?!”
As she stood up, the clothing draped over her slipped off, and a chill ran through her. After a moment of hesitation, Seorin picked it up and put it back on.
As she loosely tied the garment’s ribbons, she noticed it didn’t look like the hanbok she knew.
“What era is this from? It doesn’t look like Joseon.”
Judging by how loose the fit was, it didn’t seem to be women’s clothing either.
Rolling up the long sleeves, Seorin stepped out of the stable.
“Huh?”
The moment she did, she was struck dumb by the sight before her.
A massive crowd made up entirely of women was charging toward her, kicking up clouds of dust—like people fleeing from a swarm of hornets.
“W-What is going on?!”
Swept up by the sudden surge of people, Seorin didn’t even have time to regain her bearings before she was swallowed by the crowd.
“Kyaa!”
Th-This feels exactly like that time—
December 31st, when she’d gone to Bosingak to hear the bell ring and almost gotten trampled to death!
She tried desperately to edge her way out to the side, but the constantly moving crowd trapped her in place. Like a tiny boat caught in a massive wave, she was helplessly pushed along wherever the tide of people flowed.
“E-Excuse me—w-where is everyone going right now?”
She asked the person next to her, but they either didn’t hear or ignored her, eyes fixed straight ahead as they hurried forward.
Every face around her was tense and resolute.
What on earth is happening?
Carried along by a mix of curiosity and anxiety, Seorin was eventually swept to their destination.
They had arrived in front of a notice board attached to a building.
“Th-There’s a poster!”
At someone’s shout, the crowd surged toward the board.
“Gah!”
Pushed from behind, Seorin was shoved right up against it and ended up reading what was written there.
“What… is this?”
The entire notice was filled with classical Chinese characters.
Having earned the highest level on her Chinese proficiency test for extra points during hotel job interviews, she was able to read it at a glance.
“Hyeeumwon Assistant Clerk (院吏)¹—Document Screening… Passed?”
‘Hyeeumwon was a hotel, right? Then an assistant clerk would be… a hotel staff member?!’
Intrigued, Seorin scanned the notice again—and spotted a familiar name among the forty successful candidates.
“Huh? Wh—What?! Number eleven (十一番), Oh Seorin (吳曙璘)?! Why is my name there?!”
And she was listed as born in the Eulyu year (乙酉生)?!
Her birthday matched exactly—except for the year!
‘……If it’s an Eulyu year, that would make me nineteen?’
They say dreams reflect one’s desires.
In her dream, she had suddenly passed the document screening for a national Goryeo-era hotel—and even gotten younger in the process!
‘It’s not like I hated my age or anything, but still…’
Around her, the sounds of joy and sobbing from those checking their results filled the air.
Seorin, who had never really “passed” anything in real life, found tears streaming down her own face too—but they weren’t tears of joy.
“…If only it were like this in real life.”
She was wiping her eyes with her sleeve when a white piece of cloth entered her view.
Looking up with red, watery eyes, she saw a cute-looking girl standing in front of her, holding out a handkerchief with a worried expression.
“Um, th-there’ll be another chance next time. D-Don’t cry.”
Needing to deal with the flood of tears and runny nose, Seorin accepted the handkerchief and blew her nose—honk.
“Th-Thank you. Um… I’ll wash this and give it back to you later.”
If they met again in the dream, that is.
“Huh? Th-Thank you.”
Even though she was the one lending it, the girl was thanking her instead.
‘…She’s really kind.’
After enduring workplace bullying and subtle disdain for being “just a high school graduate,” Seorin found her heart opening up to this gentle stranger.
‘A dream with an ideal friend, too. This isn’t bad at all.’
“I’m Oh Seorin. What’s your name?”
“Oh! I-I’m Park Gap.”
“Gabi?”
“The Gap from Gapot—as in armor.”
“Are you the eldest daughter, by any chance?”
“Y-Yes. H-How did you know?”
…How could anyone not know?
Gap, Eul, Byeong, Jeong, Mu, Gi, Gyeong, Sin, Im, Gye…—
Creak—
At that moment, the large front gate of the building swung open, and a man in official robes stepped outside, addressing the gathered applicants in a stern voice.
“Successful candidates are to enter immediately, in order of their assigned numbers.”
Hearing this, Gabi looked at Seorin apologetically.
“I-I have to go in now.”
“Huh? What number are you?”
“I’m… I’m number twelve.”
“I’m eleven. I passed too. We can go in together.”
Gabi’s face lit up instantly.
“R-Really? Th-That’s great!”
She must have assumed Seorin had failed after seeing her cry earlier. Seeing Gabi’s genuine happiness made Seorin’s chest ache once more.
Following an official, the successful applicants entered through a massive central gate—and their eyes widened in awe.
“Woah…!”
The interior of Hyeeumwon was nothing short of spectacular.
Built in terraces along steep mountain slopes, its sheer scale was overwhelming.
The hillside was divided into eleven tiers, each lined with dozens of grand buildings arranged in orderly fashion. Water flowed down around the structures, cascading along flower-decorated stairways, forming small waterfalls before collecting into large ponds at intervals.
The ornate rooftops and buildings, perfectly harmonized with the surrounding landscape, were utterly breathtaking.
“Haaah—!”
She inhaled deeply, the rich scent of grass filling her lungs.
Before she fell asleep, this place had been nothing but empty land. Seeing it now packed with magnificent architecture felt surreal.
‘Wow… my imagination is incredible. To recreate something this vivid in full 3D inside a dream.’
Lost in admiration, Seorin walked on until the group reached a broad open area.
In the center of the front courtyard (前庭)² stood a wide stone plaza, open on all sides. A temporary platform had been erected there, surrounded by white cloth screens—likely the interview site.
Directly in front of the platform, men who appeared to be Hyeeumwon staff sat behind tables.
“We will now verify identities and distribute exam slips. Line up in groups of five!”
Once the applicants formed neat lines, the staff collected identity documents and handed out exam slips.
When it was Seorin’s turn, however, she had nothing that could prove her identity.
Seeing her flustered expression, the man in front of her sighed and slid over an inkstone with paper and ink.
“There’s always at least one airhead like this, no matter where you go. State your exam number, then leave your handprint here.”
“Number eleven.”
When Seorin stood there blankly, unsure what to do next, the staff member clicked his tongue, smeared ink onto her palm, and pressed it onto the paper himself.
He then carefully compared it to the handprint already on Oh Seorin’s application document before handing her the exam slip.
“With that kind of attitude, how do you expect to pass the exam? Pull yourself together!”
“I-I’m sorry.”
However it happened, Seorin safely received her exam slip and pinned it to her chest. Looking around, she noticed a single empty spot at the very end of the line.
