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Walking through the cramped alleyways of Insadong, Beomjin stopped again, head bent over his phone.
“No matter how many times I come here, I can never get used to these streets.”
The low buildings pressed in on all sides, blocking the view, leaving him feeling suffocated. He retraced his memories step by step, and soon enough, a faintly familiar scent reached him.
At the end of the alley, he spotted a sign: Insadong Daepo-jip. His destination was across from it.
Yeah. This was the place.
A weathered sign jutted out from under the eaves: Seongwondang.
The frame shop he remembered.
The glass door was so old its lettering had peeled away. What was once “Folding Screens, Frames, Production & Sale” had lost half its syllables, leaving only garbled fragments. To anyone passing by, it looked like nonsense characters.
Beomjin peered into the dim interior, then pushed the sliding iron door. It screeched from lack of oil.
The musty smell of mold. The distinct scent of ink, herbal medicine, and dusty paper. The low drone of a TV. The occasional thunk, thunk from the back.
Everything matched his memory.
The warmth of familiarity calmed him. He hadn’t expected a welcome anyway. The old man in charge of customers was out more often than not.
“Hello?”
No reply. He raised his voice. The thunking stopped.
“Who’s there?”
A familiar voice. From the back room emerged an old woman with white hair, glasses as big as her face, and brightly colored clothes. Wang Sun-ae froze when she saw him.
“Oh my! Nearly scared me half to death. What’s with the tiger?”
“Hello. I came to buy some medicine.”
“What, tigers still exist these days? What kind of day is this…”
She dragged out a chair from the side.
“How’d you even know about this place? Sit down first.”
The rickety, dark-brown chair creaked as if ready to snap. Beomjin sat, eyes wandering across the scrolls on the wall. Sun-ae brought out a cold mug of barley tea.
“Have a drink. Say, you look familiar.”
“This is my first time here. The tea’s good, though.”
Normally he would’ve been reserved, but not now. He sipped like a grandson visiting his grandmother’s house.
“That so? Well, tigers have pretty much disappeared nowadays. Hard to run into one. Still… something’s strange.”
Her gaze roved up and down. She tilted her head, frowning.
“What is?”
“You smell like a tiger, but it’s all jumbled. Your eyes and nose haven’t even opened, yet the scent’s this strong? Never seen that before.”
Eyes and nose opening meant awakening as a Beast-Blooded. Open eyes revealed hidden forms. Open nose caught beast bloodline scents. With them came the potential for strength, hearing, and more—abilities beyond normal humans.
“Ah, ha ha… maybe. I only found out about Beast-Blooded recently, so I don’t really know.”
“Strange. Didn’t think it could happen like this.”
She nodded, still unconvinced. Beomjin figured it must be because of his unexplained return to the past.
“So you came for medicine?”
“Yes. I want to open my eyes and ears faster.”
“I’ve got some, but rushing it won’t be easy. Do you understand what that means? Let me check if there’s any left.”
“Could I have another cup of tea?”
“Good, isn’t it?”
She smiled kindly, poured him a larger cup, and disappeared into the back. Soon she returned with both the tea and a small bundle wrapped in gold foil, like gongjindan1
“There’s medicine, but only the weaker kind and this one. Take this, and you’re guaranteed to suffer.”
Last time, he’d taken powdered medicine—twice a day for a month. It had been tedious but safe. The only catch was he had to cut out foods with garlic or mugwort, which annoyed him.
This time, he needed something stronger. To awaken more, faster. If he wanted to beat Dragon, moderation wasn’t an option.
“Is this the strongest one? I’m looking for the most potent.”
Her eyes went wide.
“Why on earth would you want that? Overdo it and you’ll ruin yourself! Three days of this is plenty, no more nonsense.”
“Three days?”
“Yeah. Take it before meals, then eat. Simple as that.”
The medicine he’d taken before hadn’t been three-day pills. He clearly remembered there was one even harsher, but far more effective.
“Isn’t there also a one-dose medicine? I heard you could get it here.”
“A one-and-done pill? Pssh, nonsense. There’s no such thing.”
Sun-ae waved her hands wildly, but her wavering eyes gave her away.
“Come on, I know it exists. You’re just hiding it, aren’t you? I heard it’s smaller than this one and red.”
“No, no. I told you, nothing like that exists.”
She shut her eyes tight, feigning ignorance. Just then, noise rose from outside.
“Oh, that old man. Finally back.”
The door creaked open, and the heavy stench of alcohol rolled in. Cha Sun-woong staggered on the threshold, waving a black plastic bag. Unlike the petite Sun-ae, Sun-woong was built like a jolly Santa Claus—round-faced like Doraemon, with a belly that looked like it had never known hunger.
“You went out saying you’d bring breakfast, and you’re back just before lunch?!”
Her sharp scolding only made Sun-woong chuckle. He proudly thrust out the bag, belching as he spoke.
“I brought kimbap, didn’t I? Two rolls. One’s breakfast, the other’s lunch.”
“Lunch, my foot! And you couldn’t resist drinking on the way?”
“I was only going to have a single glass, but then I ran into someone. Come on in already!”
Blocking the doorway, Sun-woong beckoned.
“Well, well. Good day, madam. We’re back again.”
“Mother, we’re here too.”2
Uwan and Jinyoung poked their heads in, bowing. Then they noticed Beomjin sipping barley tea.
“Wait—aren’t you Baek Beomjin?”
“Hello. Didn’t expect to see you here.”
Polite words, but Beomjin turned away, unsettled by the encounter. Especially the sharp glare from Jinyoung—it was unbearable.
“Hey, Seo Jinyoung. You should at least say hello.”
“…Hello.”
“Oh my! My pretty bear-girl is here! Come in, come in. You should’ve called first.”
Spotting Jinyoung, Sun-ae bustled over, delighted like a grandmother greeting her granddaughter.
“Mother, I’m here too. What am I, invisible?”
“You drop by all the time, frog-boy. And don’t think I don’t know you were the one who dragged my husband out drinking again.”
“Hey, she drank too! Why am I always the one getting blamed?”
Grumbling Uwan sat down next to Beomjin, with Jinyoung bristling beside him.
“Didn’t expect to meet you here, Beomjin. This shop isn’t exactly famous.”
“Not famous? Ha! Find me medicine better than mine, if you can!”
Sun-woong’s roar came from behind, punctuated with a smack to the back of Uwan’s head. He guzzled barley tea straight from the kettle, then noticed Beomjin.
“Huh?! Cough, cough, cough! Dog-Head?!”
“Haha, good to see you too, sir.”
Sun-woong always called him Dog-Head. Strangely, it never bothered Beomjin when it came from him.
“I came for medicine.”
“Medicine?”
His face red, Sun-woong muttered to himself, studying Beomjin. Then he asked Uwan:
“You know this Dog-Head?”
“We’ve just started getting close.”
“Well, even if you look half-baked, your eye for people isn’t bad. Heh.”
He patted Uwan’s shoulder, then turned back to Beomjin.
“Doesn’t look like you even need medicine. Leave you alone and you’ll open your eyes soon enough.”
“I want them open now. What I’m looking for is a small, red pill.”
“Bah! The tiger asks for Seomdan,3 but even if I say it doesn’t exist, it won’t matter!”
From the back, Sun-ae’s voice carried, irritated.
At the word Seomdan, all three—Sun-woong, Uwan, and Jinyoung—visibly flinched.
“You came here for Seomdan, Beomjin? I don’t know where you heard of it, but listen to me—take that stuff recklessly and you’ll be in deep trouble! It could fry your brain completely!”
Heard it? From you, obviously.
Beomjin thought sourly, watching Uwan flap his hands in panic. The mood, serious a moment ago, turned loud and chaotic.
Everyone else looked tense, but Beomjin stayed calm. If anything, their united opposition only stoked his urge to try it.
“So, you’re saying there’s no Seomdan? If not, I’ll be on my way.”
If it wasn’t here, there was no reason to linger. Just seeing Sun-woong and Sun-ae’s faces had been enough. He could always search elsewhere.
But as he turned to leave, Sun-woong stopped him.
“There is medicine. Sit down. I’ll bring it. Better to take it here than somewhere else. At least we can keep you alive.”
He disappeared into the back, and Uwan leaned in, whispering.
“Are you seriously going to take Seomdan? That’s for Beast-Blooded who already know how to control their powers, not for someone just awakening. I’m not kidding—you could die.”
“I know. But it means I can draw out even more power. That’s why I’m taking it.”
Uwan’s face was full of worry, but Jinyoung looked indifferent.
When Sun-woong and Sun-ae returned with the medicine, their smiles were gone. They looked solemn, like they were performing a sacred rite.
“This is the one you wanted. Take it, and your heart will pound twice as fast. You’ll feel dizzy, your skull will feel like it’s splitting, your guts may twist themselves inside out. If you can’t endure it, you’ll never open your eyes again.”
“I wish you wouldn’t… that tiger’s stubbornness is something else.”
“It’s fine. I need to get stronger, even if it costs me my life.”
Beomjin picked up the Seomdan. It was the deep red of an overripe cherry. He took a sip of barley tea, then dropped the pill into his mouth. Plop.
In the heavy silence, he swallowed. His throat tickled as if something huge had slid down.
“…Are you okay?”
Uwan stretched his neck like a turtle, peering at him.
Beomjin clenched his fingers, swallowed again, but felt nothing.
“What the hell? You all scared me, and it’s nothing.”
Jinyoung’s flat remark echoed his own disappointment.
“By now, it should’ve kicked in… Strange.”
Even Sun-woong frowned. He leaned in close, sniffing loudly at Beomjin’s face.
“You didn’t bring the wrong thing, did you?”
“No. I made sure it was Seomdan. Unless… it went bad?”
“Beomjin, don’t you feel anything at all?”
Uwan’s curiosity overcame his worry. With his wide eyes, he really did look like a frog.
Beomjin took a deep breath, jogged in place lightly—still nothing.
“Maybe one isn’t enough? Are you sure you only take one?”
“Of course! Take two and your heart would explode!”
Sniff.
He inhaled again. Somehow, scents around him seemed sharper than before.
“Guess I’ll just wait for it to kick in. In the meantime, let me pay for this one.”
Leaving their stunned stares behind, he followed Sun-ae to the register.
His eyes caught on a hanging scroll beside the counter. A tiger, descending from the mountains, drawn bold and majestic.
“Oh? It’s still here.”
It was the same painting Sun-woong and Sun-ae had once given him, saying it suited him. He couldn’t tear his eyes away.
“Heh, you like it? Good, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I can’t stop looking—huh?”
Beomjin gripped the counter. His breath caught. His throat burned like needles, his vision spun, and his knees buckled.
“Oh dear, looks like it’s working now. What a mess.”
Sun-ae rushed to steady him, feeling the heat radiating off his body. Sun-woong and Uwan hurried over.
“Beomjin! Are you okay? You should sit down.”
Beomjin closed his eyes, focusing on the spinning in his head. He slowed his breathing, lifted his chin, and felt his heart hammer. He could almost see the blood pressure pumping through his arteries.
He held his breath, pushing sensation all the way to his fingertips and toes.
“Old man, this tiger’s not gonna make it. He looks bad.”
“Bring the white liquor and the round iron pot.”
“…Wait.”
Beomjin slowly opened his eyes. He exhaled, letting his chest sink. His hands and feet tingled like they were charged with electricity.
“I think I’m… fine—urk!!”
Suddenly, scents rushed into his nose. The fishy reek of frog. The damp, sour grease of mandarin duck. The sweet, heavy sawdust smell of bear.
“I can smell it all.”
He clenched his fists tight. It felt like being reborn.
“What? That’s it?”
Uwan let out a deflated sigh, his face asking if they’d given him the wrong drug.
“Could he really be fine? This tiger’s something else.”
Sun-ae poked at him, wide-eyed. Even Jinyoung frowned in disbelief.
“Are you sure? You feel normal? Truly?”
Like a pediatrician, Sun-woong pried at his eyes and ears.
“You’re a little feverish, but otherwise…”
“Hmm… Tiger, huh. He really is one.”
He tilted Beomjin’s head back and forth, checking again and again. Then he went inside and returned with another Seomdan.
“If you truly want to risk your life to get stronger… why not try a second one?”
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