Yoon

I stretched the collar around my neck. The tight dress I wore cutting the air from my windpipe. It's hard to breathe. I haven't worn this dress since mother set me up with a matchmaker on her failed attempt to find me a husband.

"Stop obsessing over your collar, Hana."

I breathed frustrated. "Why do I have to wear this dress? It's just Yoon coming home. It's not like we're expecting someone important."

Mother glared at me. "Your brother is coming home. He's an imperial scholar now. He's the most important person in this town."

"He's not my brother." I retorted. "And he won't even care if I'm here or not."

Mother's nose flared. "We've been through this before. I don't know why it is so difficult to accept Heung and Yoon into your life, they've been nothing but loving to you?"

I gave her a bewildered look. We must have been talking about completely different men. This woman is so dense, she really has no idea the life I endured growing up in this house.

I grew up terrified of my stepfather, teetering around the house, making myself invisible so he wouldn't notice me. I always felt the menacing presence of his shadow when he walks down the hallway with his heavy footsteps. It weighted a menacing presence that could not be mistaken.

"I doubt he'll even know I'm here. Can I just go back to my sewing until he leave?" I'm already behind on my alterations and I still have numerous people on the waiting list. "Those dresses are not going to sew themselves."

We were interrupted by the voices at the front door.

"Oh, thank goodness he's here." Mother sprung from the sofa and ran to the door while I stayed behind trying to gather my nerves. Nervous. I haven't seen Yoon in years, and I don't know how I will react to seeing him again.

I found myself hoping his stay won't be long.

The excitement by the door streamed all the way to the living room. I heard mother's glee and stepfather's proud voice greeting Yoon at the entrance until they eventually made their way to where I am.

I straightened and conjured a smile waiting for Yoon to come around. And when Yoon appeared from the corner, he's barely a reflection of how I remembered him. He's grown into a man. Taller. His body beneath his robe is a picture of strength. He looked like he put on a lot of muscles. He's also handsome, it's not as if he isn't handsome before but Yoon's features matured into a man. The boyish look is gone. Yoon carried elegance to him that only nobles and royals have. This must be what happens when you move into the palace.

"What happened to you?" I murmured.

Yoon glanced at me, he wore the same emotionless façade I'm far too familiar with. He stared at my face with no reaction, then down to the uncomfortable dress I'm wrapped with. "Is there a wedding today I don't know about."

Mother cracked a laughter. "Don't be ridiculous. Hana is wearing her finest clothing for your arrival."

*****

I couldn't wait to get out of this dress, rushing to chance so I could make some last-minute delivery. I told lady Chang her daughter's wedding dress will be ready today and I almost forgot about it.

I never miss a deadline. It's bad for business.

I gathered the wedding dress into a fancy box before hurrying to leave the house. I told mother I will be out for delivery and would come back before dinner time.

"Alright Hana, hurry back. I wouldn't want you to miss dinner with your brother."

"He's not my br...." Nevermind, my retort dissolved in my mouth.

I passed by the living room on my way out where Yoon and stepfather warmed themselves with fresh brewed tea. I saw a glimpse of Yoon as he got distracted by my skittering but I'm too much in a hurry to stop and say anything.

It's already well into the afternoon and the distance from lady Chang's house is too far of a walk from our home.

I don't want to get caught in the dark. I don't want to meet a handsome man and get eaten by him. It's too dangerous. The last incident of someone missing was three years ago and that's the longest time it ever went without anyone disappearing, but you'll never know.

There's whispers from the local people that the spirit fox was either dead or gone.

"Maybe it moved on to a different village...it had eaten too many people here and left in search of a better populated town.

Or perhaps someone killed the demon fox. Maybe it was mistaken for a rodent and was trapped and killed like an animal."

We may never learn the truth or what led it to stop kidnapping people but one thing is for sure, we can never be too careful.