Hwayugi 2

Chapter 10

Son Oh Gong shrugged.

They were being brought to what seemed like a banquet hall. It was decorated simply but elegantly with flowers that glow. Ribbons and laces grace the walls and ceilings, and a big chandelier overshadowed the other light sources. It wasn't too bright and too dim. Just enough to attempt a lovely ambiance.

But what strikes Son Oh Gong the most was the aroma spreading across the hall.

He looked closely and found that the flowers were, on his disbelief, lotus.

Of all flowers, it just had to be lotus, huh?

With few chairs and tables on the left and right side, an aisle with a red carpet on it leading to the altar, greeted Son Oh Gong.

The slaves led him to the altar 10 meters away from the entrance while Sunny was escorted to one of the chairs on the right.

He found Seo Mijin on one of the chairs on the left and saw that her hands were inbited. Son Oh Hong tried to meet her eyes but the woman wouldn't look at him.

What's with her, again?

Son Oh Gong reached the front of the altar and waited for his one hell of a bride.

He thought regretfully, I wish I married Jin Seonmi before she died so I won't be able marry this scorpion, and sighed.

He was standing there for a few minutes when a piano suddenly played.

Son Oh Gong sighed and faced the entrance.

There walked the worst female ever born, Scorpion. In human eyes, she may seem like a runway supermodel-- tall, perfect toned body, breathtakingly beautiful. But for goblins like Son Oh Gong, all they see is a wretched scorpion under the veil.

She walked slowly and leisurely towards Son Oh Gong and he wanted to cry.

Jin Seonmi should be the woman walking towards me. Jin Seonmi should be wearing that dress and holding those flowers. Jin Seonmi should be the one I'm marrying. Why the hell can't I just have her?!

When Scorpion reached him, Son Oh Gong gave her the fakest smile he has ever given in his long, immortal life.

He took her outstretched hand and led her closer to the altar. One of Scorpion's demons served as the minister of the ceremony. When they reached the minister, he spoke for everyone to hear, "Today, we will witness the union of two individuals-- Son Oh Gong and Scorpion. This is a very happy and joyful moment for all of us since there is no other ceremony more bounding and more promising than marriage. Marriage was first given to the first beings-- Adam and Eve----"

The minister was stopped by Scorpion clearing her throat.

However, the minister only continued what he was saying, "God ministered himself the union of Adam and Eve which later produced to numerous children across many generations. Humans, demons, whatever our differences---"

Again, Scorpion cleared her throat and this time glared at the minister, "Please, get on with the vows."

It was the minister's turn to clear his throat. "Anyway, this ceremony will bind these two for the rest of their lifetime. Are you all ready?" The minister looked to the audience.

Everyone nodded.

"Good," the minister commented. And then with a booming voice, he said, "Because we're here to stop this madness. Attack!"

At that, Son Oh Gong smirked and jumped away from his "bride". The minister turned out to be Mawang in disguise and Secretary Ma and General Frost started attacking Scorpion's minions.

"WHAT DOES THIS MEAN!? MAWANG, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" Scorpion can't help but exclaim. "YOU HAVE FOOLED ME ONCE AGAIN, SON OH GONG. YOU WILL PAY WITH YOUR LIFE."

Before Son Oh Gong could reply to her, Seo Mijin's voice rang behind Scorpion. "No. You will pay with your life."

Scorpion snarled at Mijin before the two women started their fight.

As Son Oh Gong helped the others by killing some enemies, he can't take Seo Mijin's expression out of his mind.

"No. You will pay with your life."

Only a handful of Scorpion's minions was left but because he was distracted, one actually managed to stab Son Oh Gong through his chest.

"Aaaaaggghhhh," he screamed from the pain.

General Frost killed the one who stabbed Son Oh Gong before coming to his aid, "Son Oh Gong-nim!"

Out of nowhere, Jin Seonmi's face came into Son Oh Gong blurring view. "Jin Seonmi..."

She was bleeding and was starting to cry. She held Son Oh Gong in her arms and caressed his cheeks.

Son Oh Gong can't help but chuckle. "Where have you been, Jin Seonmi? Why aren't you calling me? I've been looking for you."

Jin Seonmi didn't talk and only kept holding him.

"Why won't you talk? I want to hear your voice, Jin Seonmi."

At that, Jin Seonmi smiled through her tears.

Son Oh Gong smiled, too. "You're still so beautiful. As I keep looking at you like this, you keep getting beautiful. How is that possible?"

In the faintest of whispers, Jin Seonmi told him, "Keep still."

And he did.

With closed eyes, slowly, Son Oh Gong can feel the pain ebb away.

As he opened them again expecting to see Jin Seonmi, he found Seo Mijin.

Disoriented, he sat up and searched for Jin Seonmi. Realizing what he did, he scratched his head and turned to Seo Mijin, "I mistook you for someone else, I'm sorry."

With that, he walked away and exited the cave with a heavy heart.

He almost thought that dying would have been better than losing Jin Seonmi for the second time.

Jin Seonmi, please, I beg you, call me.
----------

Son Oh Gong, Seo Mijin, Mawang, Secretary Ma, and General Frost made it back to Seungah's temple in time.

They told the moon deity that Sunny has already arrived in his temple safely and is preparing himself for the power surge.

Seungah thanked them and left them to her servants' care as she needs to prepare herself, too.

It was 2 hours before the eclipse when they came back.

While everyone else was celebrating and talking, Son Oh Gong quietly excused himself to the gardens.

He still can't get Jin Seonmi out of his mind. Her touch seemed real to him. It looked and felt like she was really with him at that moment.

As he was sitting in one of Seungah's gazebo's for almost an hour, Seo Mijin arrived and sat across him.

"So, what happened to Scorpion?" He asked curiously.

"I bound her with the inhibitor she gave me," Seo Mijin replied, nonchalantly. "What goes around comes back around. She might have ti live for the rest of her life without powers, too."

They shared a chuckle.

"Well, good riddance, I say," Son Oh Gong spoke.

They were silent for the rest of the minutes that passed.

Weirdly, Son Oh Gong found it comforting, calm even. The silence with Seo Mijin wasn't awkward at all.

Five minutes before the ecplipse, Seo Mijin spoke softly, "What would you do with Jin Seonmi if you found her, right now? Like at this moment?"

Son Oh Gong smiled sadly. "Easy. I'll watch this eclipse with her while I brag that I saved the world for the second time."

The gloom around Seungah's temple started to rise. She needs all her powers, probably that's why she lifted it for the meantime.

"The eclipse is close," Seo Mijin said.

"Yeah." He agreed. "It is."