Chapter 4

¨Rose don´t just throw the bicycle on the ground.¨

¨But if I don´t I will fall with it.¨

¨You are not giving yourself a chance to balance it. And falling is part of the process of learning. If you fall then next time try another way to make the turn. Okay now get on.¨

¨Don´t leave me.¨

¨Yes I´m right here.¨

¨Don´t look at me, it makes me self-conscious.¨

¨Okay I am not looking.¨

¨Eomma you are looking!!¨

¨No I am not…...Okay now I won´t, see I am turning around.¨

Rose got on the bicycle and took rounds of the field. Body shaking in fear as she gripped the handle tightly. She looked back to see her mother, who as promised had her back on her.

¨Eomma.¨

Her mother turned with a smile which soon faded into terror. Rose felt the strong impact, making her lose her hold on the bicycle. Her brain could sense her body falling but it never collided hit the ground. She kept falling into the bottomless pit of nothing.

Her own voiced echoed in her head but it was muffled as if she was under water.

¨There is nothing there! Nothing exists. It's all black. Everything black!¨

¨Your Highness! Your highness wake up!¨

Rose threw her eyes open with a gasp. Dan-Bi was rubbing her hands in panic not understanding why Her Highness was turning cold.

¨What happened?¨

¨Oh good lord thank you so much.¨

¨Are you okay?!¨

¨I am fine. Are YOU okay?! You scared the living daylights out of me. I got up and saw the maids rushing you in and you kept repeating nothing exists in your sleep. After which you started screaming and crying. I came to wake you up and felt your body was chilled. My heart stopped for a second there!¨

¨ I thought you were going to die in my arms! You weren´t responding and kept trying to touch my face I think. Then you puked and went all blank. That doctor she splashed water on you. Oh and she also tore your clothes!!! She was calling you Goyangi. I didn´t know what to do, on top which that lady kept giving me the stink eye!!¨

¨Sang-Ki is not that friendly with anyone.¨

¨No I think she particularly hates me.¨

¨I am just happy that you are okay.¨

Dan-Bi hugged Rose, finally relieved, seeing her sitting up and talking to her. Rose returned the gesture equally grateful to see her friend not puking her guts out.

¨And you are too.¨

Dan-Bi pulled away first but didn't let go of Her Highness´ hands.

¨By the way why did you keep saying nothing exists.¨

Memories from earlier came rushing back to Rose and she let go of Dan-Bi.

¨Dan-Bi, I know it will be hard to believe bu-¨

Loud sirens blasted into her head before she could finish and her body fell back on the bed.

It was cold. And dark. There was light at a distance. But one step closer seemed to push it three steps back. No amount of running to get it closer, it only resulted in a desperate cry for help. Curled up in a ball in a pool of fruitless tears.

Rose woke with a start for the second in the day. Dan-Bi was lying on the floor unconscious. Rose stepped down to checkon her but stopped when she realized the girl wasn't moving at all as if she was…..frozen. It was then Rose noticed the few details around the room.

A cup of tea, which was most probably for Rose, was tilted while the tea hung mid-air. The trees outside her window weren´t swaying like usual. The shadows of her maids on the other side of the sliding paper door were also still.

¨Hey¨

Rose turned around to find where the voice came from but there was no one except her and Dan-Bi, who was still not moving, in the room.

¨Who are you?¨

¨Um...your conscious? We don't really talk a lot these days. You should talk to me often Seo-yeon , it will make you feel better.¨

¨You are not my conscious.¨

¨How are you so sure?¨

¨Well I am pretty sure my own conscious would know I am not Seo-yeon.¨

¨I had a feeling it was like this. Who are you then?¨

¨I am not giving my details to someone I can't even see.¨

¨Okay. Since you are not a character, there is no harm in coming out.¨

Rose took a step back as pink petals rushed in through the window. They swirled at the center of the room , dancing gracefully around a figure which was being put together little by little. When it seemed to be done the petals disintegrated immediately.

¨Were you hiding in the petals?¨

¨Oh no I just wanted to make a cool entrance.¨

The boy in front of her had brown hair, a slightly upturned nose which had a pair of glasses resting on them framing the small eyes behind. He was wearing a black hood over a plain white sweatshirt with a star pendant adorning his collarbone in between the red headphones hanging around his neck. His right hand was filled with wristbands and he-

¨You have no legs!! Oh my god I am so sorry that was rude.¨

Rose covered her mouth not wanting to speak anything stupid.

¨No I do...I do have legs okay. One minute. The company really needs to upgrade our transportation. We can't just go everywhere in parts. ¨

He clicked a few buttons on the screen attached to his left hand, whereafter a pair of legs appeared connecting to his upper body. In addition to them, a small warm pinkish beige color cat jumped into the room. Straight away she climbed on the boy, sitting on his shoulder she scanned the room with her yellow eyes.

¨Ah we are in korean historical fiction. Has this one got a jealous queen or a tyrant king….there is a strong dowager queen and a sly minister plot too. I really like those.¨

Rose gaped at the cat who was speaking so casually. The cat noticed her shock and slowly closed his mouth.

¨Meow?¨

¨He can speak?¨

¨ I am actually a she….just putting it out there.¨

¨Oh I am really sorry. Wait! You can actually speak!!¨

The boy placed the cat on the floor and his tiny pocket notebook out.

¨Yeah she can speak, no big deal. The important thing is who are you?¨

¨Andrew let me have the spotlight for sometime will you!?¨

Ju-Mi slapped his leg with her tail and sashayed away to Dan-Bi. Lying next to her, she tucked her tail in and closed her eyes, not bothering with anything.

¨Forget her, she is a drama queen. So which century are you from?¨

¨21st.¨

Andrew wrote it in his notebook and continued with his questioning.

¨Okay. Which year?¨

¨2021.¨

¨Place?¨

¨Iksan, South Korea.¨

¨Yeah, a pretty place. Name?

¨Rose.¨

¨There are many Roses living, tell me your full name.¨

¨Rose Lee.¨

¨Age?¨

¨Twenty-one.¨

¨What were you doing when the transmigration happened?¨

¨What?¨

¨You know right before you were sucked into a black hole.¨

¨I was talking to a friend….and I got up from my bed to open the door.¨

¨Okay. I will report this back to the company and arrange for you to go back as soon as possible, till then please don´t go around telling the characters they are not real. It is disrupting the momentum of the story and you will end up destroying this world. Oh and another thing all the characters will forget what happened today so that they don’t start questioning their existence. Let's go Ju-Mi.¨

The feline got up and jumped on Andrew´s shoulder, ready to leave.

“Hey kid, a bit of advice. Next time do not get too engrossed while reading, it may be close to your heart but still isn’t your reality.”

“I haven’t read this story.”

Ju-Mi hopped down instantly at the new information. She walked around Rose examining her carefully.

“Interesting.”

“Wait for me both of you.”

Ju-Mi rolled her eyes and sat down next to Rose while they watched Andrew’s head form back slowly.

“That’s it, I am filing a complaint against the transportation department as soon as we go back.”

Andrew threw a fit when his whole body was back.

“And I am the dramatic one. So Rose, had you no idea of this story?”

“Andrew, are you thinking what I am thinking?”

“Yeah, even though this happens very rarely like once in a blue moon kinda thing but it is possible.”

Rose looked at them in confusion as they both pondered on her situation deeply.

“We need to get back to the company and report this first. We will get back to you as soon as possible. Remember do not do anything out of character okay.”

With that Andrew started disappearing again and Ju-Mi stepped closer to him.

“At least tell me what it is!”

“A character from the book summoned you. We don’t know why but it most probably requires you to change the story.”

With that Ju-Mi disappeared too and everything resumed again.

“Your Highness, why are you standing like that?”

Rose sat down slowly at her small table and looked at Dan-Bi.

“I want to eat Bukkumi. Lots of them.”

Dam-Bi looked at her strangely but did not question her.

“Okay I will let the chef know. Wait for me.”