6 Entering the other world (1/2)
”Sir, do you still have that trap in your storage?”
”What? Trap? Why do you want that?”
Old man Kim looked confused. He didn't expect him to specifically ask for that.
”Why would you want that rotten piece of junk?”
Kim wasn't convinced that his possession was worthwhile. It was an old, rusty piece that was too heavy and difficult to use.
”I need to use it.”
”Why not use a new one? That thing needs a lot of work for it to be ready. Even if you did, it'll still be bad. It's too heavy! There are plenty of lighter and stronger traps available.”
Joonbum shook his head at the suggestion.
”No, I need that specific trap.”
”For what? Misusing it will cause trouble, and you can drag me into that trouble also.”
Kim was not willing to let him take it, but Joonbum was persistent.
”Please. Don't worry, I'm not going to try to use it for dangerous purposes. It's only for a video. Nothing serious.”
Kim eyed Joonbum, unconvinced.
”Well, you're not the lying type so I guess I can trust you. Follow me.”
Kim spoke as he turned around to walk to his storage. Although irritated, Joonbum followed him.
'Damn old man!'
Kim was good at making fun of people with words. He did not mean to be offensive as it was supposed to be a pun, but many people were annoyed by it and he still did it anyway.
When the door to the storage room creaked open and Kim turned the light on, Joonbum was able to easily locate the pile of old traps stacked up like trash.
”I've used'em to catch some rabbits, wild birds, small deer, or boars when food was scarce… but there's food everywhere these days and with all these nature protecting or something groups, you don't use these anymore. Don't you ever use it to hunt for anything. If anyone comes across and gets caught in one of these things, you're going to jail. Hell, you'll get fined for just using it now. When you're done shooting, make sure you clean'em up, you hear?”
”Yes, yes!”
Kim mumbled a lot of things while Joonbum observed the pile. With some searching, Joonbum was able to find what he needed.
'This is it. This should do!'
It was an iron trap with an iron chain designed to seize the unsuspecting prey's ankle, durable enough to capture a variety of predators ranging from boars to bears. Blacksmiths created these on a case-by-case basis, not some mass-produced stuff. Even with all the rust, it still looked heavy and durable.
”Well, it does hold well compared to the newer ones… it's durable, easy to repair…”
'Oh boy, here it goes again.'
Joonbum raised his eyebrows as Kim started mumbling again. Kim was trying to put some value into it by saying how good it was just so that he can sell it for more.
”So how for it all, sir?”
”You want all of these?”
”Yeah, I will if the price is right.”
”Hmm, how about three hundred thousand?”
”I can do a hundred thousand.”
”What? I can sell it for more at a junkyard!”
”That's not true.”
Kim shook his head at the offer.
”Can't do it for that price.”
”Then how much?”
”Two hundred fifty!”
”I can do one hundred fifty.”
”Two hundred!”
”Hundred seventy?”
”Argh, you win!”
With the deal complete, Joonbum stacked all the traps into a small wooden box and loaded it onto his truck. Kim curiously asked him questions upon looking at the truck loaded with a variety of stuff.
”Ha! Going somewhere far, eh? Why all of this? Trying to be a peddler?”
”Oh, it's just essentials for outdoor video shooting. You just never know what you might need in the wild.”
Kim nodded proudly at the explanation, as if he knew all that before even asking.
”That's right. If you want to survive the outdoors, you need all kinds of things. When I was your age…”
Kim started babbling the moment he saw an opportunity. It really wasn't anything spectacular. Just an old man's tale about when he was young. He traveled around a mountain looking for a rare, expensive ginseng, then moved out to the middle east for labor that got him good money which his wife at home ran away with after having an affair.
It was just an ordinary rant about life.
”Here you go!”
Joonbum handed the money to Kim. Kim spit on his hand and started to count the money while glancing over at Joonbum suspiciously. It was obvious that Kim didn't trust Joonbum on handing him the right amount.
'Oh well, he only saw me a few times…'
But it was still not a pleasant experience to be doubted.
”Hmmph! Farewell then.”
”Thank you, sir!”
Joonbum hopped back into his truck and started driving. It was time to go to that place.
'Will it happen again? Or else…'
His heart pounded as he stepped on his gas pedal harder.
Chapter 5. Re-entering the other world
”Whew!”
Joonbum let out a breath and started flattening out the ground. The mixed smell of sweat, dirt, and grass pierced his nose.
'It's nearly done.'
He shoveled the ground to make it flatter.
There was no accessible route by car to the place he camped the other night which also housed the enormous tree. There was a small road could be used for travel, but there was too much debris like twigs, embedded rocks. and potholes that prevented cars from passing through.
Joonbum picked out a rock with a shovel and it was the last one. He put the shovel back in his car and got back in his car. Soon, as he carefully passed over the road he had just fixed, it was only a minute away from his campsite.