His senses were assaulted the moment his consciousness returned: unfamiliar scents, a cacophony of strange noises, loud shouts rising above the din... the very air itself tasted different.
Jeongguk jerked awake to find himself curled up against a wall on a street that was populated by people in strange clothes and unusual square beasts with round wheels for feet rolling down the busy road.
There was a dense smoke hanging in the air that made him choke, his eyes watering. Strange buildings shaped like blocks with high rectangular window panes towered up and up so much that Jeongguk had to crane his head back as he whirled around to take it all in.
"Outta the way kid!"
"What are you doing you lunatic!"
Panicking, Jeongguk dodged a beefy man sitting astride his steed—a two-wheeled, black monster that breezed by noisily—and ran helter-skelter without paying attention to where he was headed.
He jumped in fright as he ran in front of the rows of beasts in the middle of the road and they all started honking at him like geese, with their angry human drivers poking their heads out from inside their bellies to yell at him.
Jeongguk darted and jumped and dodged and bumped his way across the street then stopped to catch his breath. Leaning on the wall, he realised even his clothes had changed, matching these people's attire more or less.
Where was he anyway? Did they speak his language? Were they Korean too?
They looked Asian enough—
Wait, magic! Magic would solve his problems!
Jeongguk held up a hand and snapped his fingers, intending to obtain information on his bearings as well as a rundown of just what exactly he was dealing with.
But nothing happened.
In a cold flash, he realised just what his mentor meant when she said absolutely no magic.
He had been exiled to a non-magical universe.
The great Jeon Jeongguk had been banished to Gods knows where just because Her Great Crabby Witchiness thought he was being too, quote on quote, 'reckless and irresponsible'.
Like any self-proclaimed genius magician, Jeongguk slumped to the ground and sulked.
>
"Come back here boy!"
It didn't matter in which dimension, Trouble followed him like a faithful dog follows its master.
Already Jeongguk had tried exercising his street smarts once emboldened by his growling stomach.
He had been sitting on the cold ground, paying attention to the spatter of conversations as people hurried past him to try and learn more about this unfamiliar world.
Stealthily, he edged closer to a street stall and to his delight, he spied delicious crispy chicken sticks displayed on the grill.
Jeongguk wasn't a man of many morals: dealing with magical tricksters and master manipulators on the streets from a young age, he knew that it was all man for himself in life. And so without even flinching, he crept still closer and at the right moment snatched a bunch of the sticks before fleeing the scene.
But just as stealing came easy to him, Trouble never dawdled far behind.
"Stop thief!"
Jeongguk ran.
He sprinted away into dingy alleyways, bursting out onto busy roads and nimbly zigzagging through the beasts ( he learned they were called cars), ignoring the angry shouts and panicked screeching sounds of the vehicles stopping abruptly.
But Jeongguk breezed along with nary a care and even had the audacity to smirk at the two bumbling men in blue uniforms chasing him.
He hadn't been in this new city long, but he had already concluded that some landmarks would be more or less untouched, like the Artisan Market luckily a few streets away. After all, this was merely an alternate version of the Seoul he knew (also he had heard people mention the place during his time sulking on the pavement but he'd like to think that he was just being brilliant and coping magnificently, in case the Gods were keeping watch on him.)
So through persistent stamina and lucky guesswork, he managed to lose his pursuers and ended up at the square where the street food market was located.
Magic would of course have made it easier by simple teleportation or even flying but he was just thankful Hecate hadn't dropped him too far from his usual haunts.
>
It was the voice that ensnared him first, like siren song.
Jeongguk heard the sweet notes of a melodious rich tone drifting on the wind. Nobody else seemed to be paying it much attention but Jeongguk was hooked immediately.
For a moment, his hands stilled around the dumplings he swiped from a stall, rice grains dropping from his chin. Then he was up and searching for the voice like a madman, frantic and eager.
He had always been sensitively attuned to music but this voice...this voice was heavenly, like melting honey and golden sunshine in a pot and he had to find the owner right now.
He found the singer at a busker's corner, set up on a chair, plucking on an instrument that looked larger than a lute and singing blissfully, eyes closed.
Her eyes enchanted him when she blinked them open: so curiously clear and innocent-looking, he wondered if that were true of her real personality.
She didn't look to be older than himself. He stood against a wall, quietly enjoying her repertoire of songs and joining the smattering of applause as she bowed gratefully, accepting the coins people threw in her instrument case set in front of her.
He watched her pack up and leave, only coming to his senses when he noticed the bobbing amber head was going to vanish into the crowds thronging the market.
"Hey! Hey excuse me miss!" He yelled as he caught up with her.
"Yes?" she turned.
He was blasted with a full smile and Jeongguk wondered just what powerful spell she was working to have him so entranced at first sight.
She looked especially exquisite underneath the warm golden light from those artificial suns on top of poles that lit up when night fell.
Jeongguk shivered, realising how late it had grown, and quite chilly at that. "Uh...just wanted to say...you sing very nice. Hope more people hear you and pay you better."
She smiled happily, her chubby cheeks flushing pink. "Oh thank you! I'm not very good to be honest, there's Jihyo and Taeyeon, they both sing like angels, you should listen to them..." she added enthusiastically, "and they're very nice too, they teach me a lot!"
Jeongguk's jaw dropped. "But...but you are good! Your voice came from the divine heavens itself!"
How could she think otherwise?
Apollon would make her his muse, and Zeus would snap her up to make her a member of the divine chorus in a blink, he was sure of it!
She lowered her head shyly, her hands buried deep in her pockets. "Thank you," she murmured bashfully.
Jeongguk could only stare at her in wonder. It was astounding-not once had he come across someone so humble about their talents. In fact, most people he knew were cocky boasters who bragged endlessly.
This girl was indeed a breath of fresh air.
On second thoughts, it was better that Zeus did not learn of her existence or he could get frisky, Jeongguk scowled.
"Hey, are you alright?" the girl said in concern. "Have you lost your coat? Here, let me give you mine, it's quite cold out."
So pure and innocent.
"No no it's alright!" he said hastily as he stopped her from slinging off her instrument bag off her shoulder, "yeah I kinda got lost heh, it's my first time in the city," Jeongguk invented, "and then some blasted thief took my coat and I socked him one in the face but he got away which is rather unfortunate. It's all good don't worry. A man's gotta tough it up, you know?"
She giggled, her hand flying to cover her mouth the moment she caught him staring. "What?"
He smiled. "Even your laugh is beautiful. I wonder if your name is just as pretty?"
Laughter filled the air between them: warm as freshly baked bread out of the oven. "Smooth, huh?" She stretched out her hand. "I'm Rosé. Pleased to meet you...?"
He bowed and took her calloused fingers, turning the wrist to kiss her knuckles. "Jeongguk at your service, ma'am."
He smiled up at Rosé, her hand tucked in his and her cheeks blushing a deeper pink in the orange haze of the myriad suns dotting the square.