INT. NEW THRONE ROOM/EXT. TREE & MEADOW – DAY
Gwi sits on his throne reading through a book, light streaming in. Tae appears walking toward him.
TAE
Gwi, a word?
GWI
(light-hearted)
Good to see you, brother. Is this a serious word?
TAE
Yes.
GWI
(gets up and walks toward Tae)
Let's go somewhere else. I don't want Hye-ryung to accidentally overhear.
As Gwi walks toward Tae the throne room changes into the meadow where HR used to meet Tae.
TREE & MEADOW
GWI
Well?
TAE
What is it exactly that you said to the council?
GWI
(sky clouds over during this as Tae becomes angry)
I assume you mean just the bit about me becoming a man. As I recall they asked me what I would do if my work as a demi-god took me away from Hye-ryung. I told them I'd simply request to become a man. They asked why I would want to be demoted and I put it off on Providence bringing us together in the first place. At that point, they talked amongst themselves briefly and told me the proceedings were finished.
TAE
What the hell, Gwi? There was no need to take a stand this early. Why didn't you just put it off for now? You are practically asking for it to play out that way. How can you ask for something so infuriating when you've just come back to us? You will live for what, 60 years if you're lucky? It's not as though you will simply return to divinity at that point.
GWI
Tae, I am not in any doubt here. The fact that you and Providence Himself started all of this is just further confirmation, so it's mildly baffling that you want to slow things down now.
(stops Tae from jumping in)
I don't want to put it off and I can't feasibly expect Hye-ryung to continue being with me with no clear idea of what our future may or may not look like. I'm surprised she hasn't asked about it yet, but she must be wondering how we can be together past tomorrow. She's already limited in time, Tae. I don't want to be with her while she grows older and I stay the same. I want to join with her entirely. And you know it doesn't make sense anyway for a demi-god to be with a human. Any children we might have would be both and neither. The gods are never going to approve that.
TAE
(sighs)
I can see you've already made up your mind. I don't know why all your decisions have to be so final. There's no rush though. Put it off – 5 or 10 years. That's all I ask. That's not long at all. You won't even have very many charges in that time.
GWI
5-10 years?
(laughs)
You tell Hye-ryung to wait 5-10 years then. If you can in good conscience, after all she's already been through, convince her to wait that long for marriage and the chance to start a family, I will at least consider it. In all honesty, I think we'd have to separate again to manage even a few years. It's not going to be long before she's really suffering with sexual frustration.
Tae moves around, irritated.
GWI (CONT'D)
You're receiving her prayers still, aren't you? Tell me I'm wrong.
TAE
(tears in his eyes, angry at situation, paces and thunder rumbles at various points)
I know that you're prioritising her above everything else right now, and that's natural. I can't even say that you're wrong because it does seem like Providence is pushing for this. But I just got my brother back after hundreds of years of not having him. And now you're telling me that all I have to look forward to is a few years with him and eternity ahead with the loss. I just got you back!
(pauses, mumbling)
Anyway, it's not you I'm angry with really. It's myself. I don't know why I didn't see this coming. It's so obvious. I suppose with Yeon-hee it never occurred to me to want to become human, further proof that perhaps I never really loved her.
GWI
(smiles)
Maybe we should follow Hye-ryung's lead and yell at the gods.
TAE
(chuckles)
Maybe.
GWI
Listen, Tae, I expect that I am going to have to speak to the council fairly soon, certainly within a year. But I also plan to spend as much time as possible with all of you. I know it won't be a long time, but that just means that we will have to make it the best of times.
Also, you have to think, the gods may refuse my request. And then we'll have a serious problem on our hands. I haven't thought too much on that, but all hell is going to break loose if I wind up going against their wishes – and we all know I would.
TAE
Let's not think about it. As you say, this is all Providence's doing. We ought to trust to that.
GWI
I've never been brilliant at doing what I ought to. Come round for dinner tonight? Just the three of us.
TAE
Yes, I'll be there.
(turns to go but remembers, half turns back while still walking away)
Gwi?
GWI
Hmm.
TAE
Maybe speak to the council sooner than a year. I do still hear her prayers.
Tae walks away and disappears. Gwi chuckles, then becomes serious, tears up a bit. Breathes deeply to shake it off, turns and disappears.
