This is a story of a girl who loves watching Korean Dramas specially Sageuk.
She has only one dream and that is to time travel and go back to the past, in Joseon era.
Will her dream come true ?
Sageuk-refers to any Korean television or film drama...
I opened my eyes to see myself walking on a dirt road, surrounded by merchants selling different products. The place is crowded. I looked around to see shoes with a style so varied and old-fashioned, and I swear I saw it from the Sageuk dramas I've watched before. There are also colorful silks, elegant old paper, jewelries and meats showed from tent to tent.
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I am stunned. I don't know what to do. Then I finally realize that I am no longer in my timeline. Did the old geezer, oh! I mean the necklace just granted my wish?
I'm in the middle of a deep immersion when I hear a disturbance somewhere. I turned around and witness a group of men in armors, holding swords and spheres. From their clothing, I could easily identify them as the royal guards. The men were rounding up the street, and just stops to get a hold of a lady or two, like catching a fish in a river, not by rod but by hand. This causes tension with the people.
All of the women who got caught were struggling against these captors. Uneasy with the scene in front of me, a hand came up to hold my arm which caused me to shriek in surprise. A rough-looking guard peers at me, scowling and breathing on my face. I don't know what to do. Should I struggle or not? Yet the guard's face looks so scary and rugged, that in the end, I chose to struggle.
"Hey! Let go of me! You're hurting me!"
The guard tightened his hold on me and just dragged me away from the crowd. At the end of the street, there's a line of women, their hands bound by thick ropes connected from one woman to another. The guard that was holding me placed me at the end of the line and secured my hand with the dangling rope.
--
The guards marched us all to the direction of a traditional Hanok-style house but we did not use the front gate to get in. Instead we were led to a back alley, through a dimly lit front porch that is connected to a series of rooms. We pass by some open rooms, inside were few jolly men, either drunk or playing a board game called Go. The guards ushered us through a massive room and one by one, our hands were set free from the tight rope that bound us together. Then they quickly leave us behind.
I stepped closer to a lady near me and asked, "What is happening here? Why would they bring us here in this room? Where is this place?" I utter, asking a question after another.
"We're inside a gisaeng house. We're to be the new group of Gisaeng (Gisaeng were government's legal entertainers, required to perform various functions for the state). If you possess a certain beauty, you can have the honor to perform in front of the royal family, and if one took a liking of you, they can have you as his concubine. And I know they need us for the coming name day of the King." the lady said.
I don't know if I should be glad or afraid, but I think what I'm feeling right now is a mix of both.
My dream did come true but the joke is on me. My fate just submerged into a pity state. Why cannot I live this era as a mere traveler? Why should I be a slave? A gisaeng so soon? Oh brother!
But you know what? I can do this! This is what I always wanted anyway! Being able to go back in this era has always been my dream!
After some time, a group of women enters the room, wearing dresses that are very different from my time. I know that the dress is called Hanbok traditional clothing that Koreans wore on the past or let me rephrase that, it's what they are wearing now since I am here in their own time.
But base on the style of the Hanbok dresses of these women, I could identify them as Gisaeng ladies because of their translucent Jeogori (blouse-like top) and bright-colored silk of their Chimas (skirt-like bottom clothing). And their hairstyles were also different. They put it up on the side of their head with twisted braids, so now I am even more convinced of their Gisaeng status because the normal hairstyle of Korean ladies I've seen in dramas were styled fully braid that covers the whole head.
They approached us and we are all led to a bath. They cleaned our bodies and dressed us with Hanbok clothing. We were powdered, painted our faces with make-up and styled our hair, although not all of us were styled like the hairstyle the gisaeng women wear. Some of us, including me, were brushed and let our hair down. Hair ornaments is added for decoration.
After all of that fussing, an old woman of maybe 50 years of age shows up.
"Are they all ready?" she inquires.
"Yes madam. The preparations for these young ladies are all done," answered a Gisaeng lady that assisted us.
"Young ladies, listen carefully to what I am about to say. You are all brought here to be Gisaeng women. You're all to listen and follow every instruction thrown at you. If you complain or make mistakes, punishments as hard as iron will be given to you. Understood?"
"Yes madam!" They said in unison while I just stare.
The old woman's inquisitive eyes fell on me. "And you?"
"Yes madam!" I answer in surprise. My thoughts wandered about what will happen to me in this place. Just like the dramas I've watched, is there a possibility that I might face death in here or receive punishments for my wrongdoings. I need to ready myself and be wise.
