The full circle of the rosy morning sun hangs over the mist-caught treetops by the time they enter Baekan village. It’s on the larger side for a village, being built on a three-way intersection; The roads leading to Palgong mountain’s peak and Donghwa temple intersecting with Gatbawi road, leading to a famed stone Buddha. Still, it has a distinct rural feel, grasses swirling around their feet as they walk through the village outskirts, past thatched houses similar to Haeok’s own- and and the stream which runs through the village is so clear that he can see the pebbles at the bottom as they cross over it. Changsi markets like these aren’t permanent. Instead, traveling merchants will convene in rural towns on specific days, constructing a bustling market from nothing, and moving on just as fast. Haeok knows they’re necessary, as there’s no other way for farmers to access manufactured or specialty goods, but the prices notoriously fluctuate throughout the day as the sellers try to make the most for their money. He’s never been good at bargaining, but Jungok must know what to do. The air is crisp with the morning chill of the mountains, a few people quietly milling about the market as they walk past a merchant setting up his display- wicker baskets and sandals. The sweet smell of cinnamon punch drifts under Haeok’s nose, warm and familiar. “Suok-ah, go and get us some Sujeonggwa cider?” Jungok asks, nodding to where a vendor is selling the seasonal drink. “Oppa and I will be getting grain, so come find us when you’re done.” She looks to Haeok for confirmation, who nods his assent. Suok’s face brightens at the suggestion, and she nods agreeably as Jungok passes her the coin purse. “Okay,” she affirms, heading for the stall. The elder two continue down the road until Jungok spots a merchant selling grains, Haeok trailing her as she strides to the side of the road. “We need enough rice and millet for three weeks, maybe,” Jungok mutters as they approach the stall. “Cloth too, and we should sell the rest for enough yen to buy tickets.” Haeok nods. He watches Jungok’s easy smile as she finds the vendor’s eyes, striding up to the booth. “One gwan of rice, for half of the persimmons.” The merchant sneers. “Eight and a half pounds? Do you know how much grain that is? I wouldn’t even give you cracked barley for that much.” “You know these are worth more than that, look how big they are,” Jungok insists, plucking a persimmon from the basket and gesturing to it. “More than a gwan of persimmons, I’m already being generous.” To her side, Haeok shuffles idly, hands in his pockets. “You’re being generous?” the man scoffs. “Do you know how hard it is to sell rice like this, with those jjokbari bastards taking it all? I’ll need all of that fruit just to make up my losses.” Jungok’s posture is stiff, arms folded tightly against her chest as she responds. “All of them, then, if you add a half gwan of millet.” The man nods, mouth curled slightly. “Sure, a fair deal.” Haeok’s lips purse as the man moves away to pour the grain into two wicker bags, Jungok’s fingers tapping against her arm. “You’re good at this. We’ll have enough,” he assures her, voiced lowered to keep out of earshot. Jungok’s voice is as tense as her back when she responds. “He ripped us off, he knows there’s nowhere else to get it from. I’m sure in an hour or two our persimmons will be sold for twice the price,” she hisses. The merchant returns to the front of his stall with the bags of grain, mouth cocked into a smile as he passes them over the stall. Haeok reaches out to take them, one in each hand. “Thank you,” the man says, inclining his head to Jungok. She bows stiffly in response. A bounce in her step, Suok’s smile is relaxed as she approaches, both hands clutching a cup of cider. She holds out it out for her siblings, round face tinged with pink in the crisp air. “It’s really good,” she encourages, taking a sip from the glass. Haeok nods and sets the grain down for a moment to take a sip, humming in pleasure as the drink warms him. Jungok has some next, letting out a satisfied sigh as she finishes. “Ahh. Sujeonggwa, the taste of autumn.” Suok giggles, accepting a sip of the drink as her sister hands it back. Haeok bends to grasp the bags of grain, and they continue into the village. “Tell me if you see the butcher,” Jungok says, eyes scanning the changsi vendors. “We should sell the chickens next.” They pass another stall, Suok turning back to look at it before quickly looking to Haeok. “Can I go talk to the seunim?” Suok’s wide set eyes looked up at her brother, small lips jutting into a pout. “Please?” Haeok looked back. Easily distinguishable in their grey robes and shaven heads, four seunim monks had stopped at a stall to look at gamnip-cha persimmon tealeaves. Jungok raises her eyebrows meaningfully at him, to which he tilts his head slightly, unsure of her desired response. He looks back to Suok. “Sure,” Haeok shrugs, the youngest beaming in response. “Don’t stray far, and don’t pester them.” “I won’t- thank you!” Suok affirms quickly, before she turns to approach the seunim. Haeok is mildly surprised by the easy recognition on their faces as she approaches. “I’m worried about her,” Jungok reveals to her brother as they watch the youngest, now happily conversing with the seunim as they walk to another stall. “I think she wants to be a monk. She’s always talking about them.” Her index finger taps lightly against her skirt. “I’ll talk to her.” Haeok looks away from her face as she turns to stare into his eyes, eyebrows drawn together. “You need to, it’s serious!” Jungok’s voice is forceful, and she pulls him over to the side of the road. “Oppa. One time, in the middle of the night, she walked all the way to Donghwa temple.” At that, Haeok’s narrow eyes snap up and met hers. “What?” He asks, hushed. “All the way? In the middle of the night?” “Yes!” Her tone is emphatic, though her pinched expression relaxes at the urgency in his tone. “When I woke up, she wasn’t there! She came back in the afternoon, a monk brought her back- but when I asked why she did it, she only said that she asked the mountain’s Sanshin god to protect her, and then left.” The odds that she would have come out of that okay, unharmed, and having gotten back home- Haeok doesn’t want to think about what might have happened. “Oppa. Please, talk to her, she doesn’t listen to me. Sometimes when I wake up early, she’s not in bed. I’m worried.” Haeok lets out a long exhale. “Why did she even go to Donghwasa?” “Well,” Jungok says, hesitating. “Ever since you left, but especially since mom and dad have been gone, Suok has been very… devoted.” Jungok’s brow is furrows as she speaks. “She does meditation a lot, and visits the temple closer to us- bukjijangsa. I don’t know why.” “That doesn’t seem bad.” Going out at night aside, it sounds like a good thing to Haeok. The three of them could use some spiritual goodwill. “No, it’s not bad,” Jungok agrees, shaking her head. “it just happened very suddenly. One day she just changed, if you were here you would understand-” Hastily, she cuts herself off. “I don’t mean that you should have been here, I just meant if you’d seen-” “Don’t worry, I know.” Haeok is quick to assure her. He should have been with them, but that’s beside the point. “I’ll ask her, yeah?” Jungok nods, relieved. “Okay. Okay, good.” She sighs. They find the butcher soon after that, who gives Jungok a fair amount of yen in exchange for the chickens. They seem to be well acquainted, Haeok notes, as his sister thanks the man for the beef strips he gave her a few days ago. Maybe a little more than well acquainted, as the man eyes Haeok suspiciously. “Who’s this you’ve brought?” He grunts. “Oh, sorry- this is my elder brother.” Jungok smiles, looking between them, and the butcher’s shoulders relax. “Ah, good to meet you,” the man intones, bowing slightly. Haeok nods, and bends in kind. “Okay, we have to keep going- it was good to see you, Pujuhan-nim!” Jungok finishes with a smile, stepping away from the stall. Haeok is quick to follow her. “Ah, okay- See you soon, Gyeong-nim!” Once they’ve walked far enough to be out of earshot, Haeok looks to his sister, smirking. “You’ll have to tell your Pujuhan-nim he won’t be seeing you. Maybe he’ll want to write to you?” “Ugh, stop,” Jungok protests, averting eye contact. “He doesn’t think like that, we only talk at the changsi.” Her cheeks betray a light pink. Smiling widely, Haeok raises his eyebrows at her response. “Hmm, you might have to tell him that. Your pujuhan-nim seems to think otherwise.” “Stoooop,” she whines, shoving his shoulder as he snickers. The last items they have to sell are miscellaneous houseware- their extra bowls and utensils, all the pots save for two, spare pillows and sheets. Anything they can’t leave behind in the house, and anything they can’t take with them. Jungok hands the items over to a vendor who would accept them for yen, watching the woman inspect them carefully. Haeok frowns as the woman opens the box which holds the tea set, ducking his head to mumble to his sister. “I thought it was a set for three?” From where it’s placed on the woman’s table, there are only two cups. “Yes, the third one broke.” Jungok mumbles, lips pulled down. Haeok nods. He watches as Jungok negotiates a price with the merchant, takes the yen as exchanged and places them in a small pouch, tucked carefully into her skirt. The women exchange bows, and Haeok trails after his sister as they leave the stall. “Well, I think that’s all we needed to do,” Jungok says, looking to her brother. After he nods, she continues. “Time to collect Suok-ah.” They walk side by side through the market, eyeing the stalls they pass by for Suok. Though the sun has long since broken above the line of trees, mountain fog still drifts through the market. It takes moving closer to discern Suok’s figure as they walk to where she stands beside the monks. “Suok-ah, we’re ready to leave,” Jungok announces, waving to the younger. At her voice, Suok looks up. “Ah, okay.” She bends at the waist, before turning towards her siblings. “Goodbye Seunim, Kun Seunim!” One of the two smiles as she turns. “Goodbye, Suok-ah. Take care.” “I will! You too!” Pines line the road home, morning dew collecting at the ends of sharp needles. The condensation can be felt in the air, wetness tangible against Haeok’s skin, in his breath as the warmth of it clouds the air before him. The way his sisters talk, banter- it’s pleasant, warming, but at the same time- Haeok is outside of it. He’s an outsider, looking in at their closeness, their camaraderie- and it’s painful, to not share that intimacy anymore. It’s painful, that the family he’s returned to have different faces, different voices, different interests than what he remembers- Haeok feels like he’s mourning the loss of his relationship with them even more than he’s mourned the absence of their parents. Gradually, he slows his steps. Slows until they’re far enough ahead to be tangled in low-laying mist, far enough behind that their silhouettes become slightly obscured. Softly, Jungok’s laughter floats over the gap to where he walks. Still- it’s okay. Even though he can’t be as close as he once was, he’s not too late to protect them. From the outside, he might have a better ability to do so, not being necessary inclusion in that equation. He’s not a child anymore, and they might be older now, but his sisters are still children- he can guard that for them. If it must be from a distance, then so be it. What Haeok doesn’t see is the way that Suok shrinks inwards when her outreached hand goes unnoticed, crossing the bridge out of town; what he doesn’t see is the way that Jungok’s finger only taps against her skirt in sets of three.