Sweet Dream Manhwa
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“Good morning, Miss Lang,” a voice called.
I turned to see Mr. Lee standing in the doorway of my room. “Yes?” I asked.
“A gentleman named Mr. Sato has requested you meet him downstairs for breakfast.”
I nodded and stood up from the bed. “Thank you.”
After changing into my usual clothes, I took a quick glance at myself in the mirror. My hair was still slightly damp from washing it yesterday afternoon, but there were no smudges on my face or makeup on my lips. It didn’t take much effort to look presentable.
I left the room and followed Mr. Lee down the stairs. After walking through the lobby, we stopped at a door that led outside. A man with brown hair and wearing a dark blue suit opened the door for us.
“Miss Lang, this is Mr. Sato,” Mr. Lee said as he introduced us.
Mr. Sato smiled. “Please call me Sato-san.” He bowed his head and I returned the gesture.
We walked across the manicured lawns and entered the main house. We passed several men and women who seemed to be servants, then entered a large dining hall where a large buffet table was set up. There were several tables lined up next to each other, but only one of them had a large amount of food on it. The rest of the tables had empty plates or silverware on them.
I walked over to the table that had the most food on it. The smell of fresh bread and eggs wafted toward me. As I glanced around, I noticed that all the tables were filled with men. Only the servants seemed to be women. I also noticed that the men were all dressed in their Sunday best, while the women wore simple dresses.
I sat down at a table with two men. One was dressed in a black suit, and the other wore a white shirt and dark blue pants.
“Welcome, Miss Lang,” the man in the suit said. He had a strong Japanese accent.
“Thank you,” I replied.
The man in the white shirt smiled and bowed his head. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“And you, too,” I said.
Sato came over and joined us. “Miss Lang, please accept my apologies for the lack of female servants.”
“There are so few of us in the world,” I said. “It doesn’t bother me.”
Sato nodded. “You may have noticed that Mr. Lee is not with us today. He has gone to a meeting regarding the recent unrest in our country.”
“Oh, yes,” I said. “I’ve heard about it. I’m sure it will be resolved soon.”
“Yes, it should,” Sato said. “But there are many who do not agree with our president.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because he does not believe in God,” Sato answered. “He believes that the human race can survive without religion. Many of our people disagree with him. It’s why we need more missionaries like yourself.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
Mr. Lee returned and sat down across from me. He pulled out a chair for me. “What did you think of the buffet?” he asked.
“Very good,” I replied. “Is this all you’re serving today?”
“No, we have another course coming up,” he said. “And we’ll be having a special guest join us.”
“Who is it?” I asked.
“A young lady named Annie,” Sato said. “She’s an orphan from America. She’s also one of our missionaries.”
“Annie,” I repeated. “That sounds familiar.”
“Yes, she was raised by an American family and has been here since she was eight years old.”
“When is she arriving?” I asked.
“Not until later this afternoon,” Sato answered. “In fact, we have a meeting with her first thing tomorrow morning.”
I glanced at Mr. Lee. “Why don’t you ask her to join us for breakfast? I’d love to meet her.”
“Yes, I think that would be a good idea,” Sato said. “Would you mind if I ask her?”
“Of course not,” I replied. “I’d love to meet her.”
Sato smiled. “I’ll let her know.”
Mr. Lee stood up and walked over to where Sato was standing. They talked for a few minutes before returning to their seats.
“Well, what did you two talk about?” I asked.
“We were discussing the unrest in Japan,” Sato said. “Mr. Lee told me that you’re an expert on the subject.”
“I’ve written a book about it,” I said. “It’s called The Japanese and Their Way of Life.”
Sato leaned back in his chair. “How do you know so much about Japan?”
“My great-grandfather was born there,” I explained. “He came to America when he was seventeen.”
“Do you speak Japanese?” Sato asked.
“No, but I can read and write it.”
“I see,” Sato said. “You do understand our people. But we have another matter to discuss. You may not realize this, but some of the men here are interested in you.”
“Interested in me?” I asked.
“Yes, they want to marry you.”
“They’re all single, right?” I asked.
“Yes, and none of them are married. I’m sure they will find your beauty very attractive.”
“But I’m not interested in marriage,” I said. “I only came here to help you.”
Sato shook his head. “That’s not what they’re saying. They think you should be interested in them.”
“Why would I want to marry any of these men?” I asked.
“Because they’re good-looking, they have money, and they’re loyal,” Sato answered.
I looked around the room. “I don’t see many of those qualities among the men here.”
“Well, maybe you should talk to one of them,” Sato suggested. “And you may have noticed that several of them are already talking to you.”
“Yes, I have,” I said. “But I don’t need their help.”
“Miss Lang, I’m sure you know what a good catch you are,” Sato said. “These men will be able to provide for you.”
“I have a trust fund,” I said. “That’s more than enough to live on.”
“What about children?” Sato asked. “Would you like to have children? I’m sure some of these men would make excellent fathers.”
“Of course, I’d like to have children someday,” I replied. “But not with any of these men.”
Sato smiled. “Well, we’ll see how you feel after you meet them. You may change your mind.”
“I doubt it,” I said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go outside and take a walk. It’s too stuffy in here.”
“Yes, of course,” Sato said. “But before you go, would you like to join us for breakfast?”
“Thank you, but no,” I said. “I’m sure you have many other guests to attend to.”
Mr. Lee stood up and walked over to where I was standing. “I thought you might enjoy meeting Annie,” he said. “She’s a missionary from America.”
“A missionary?” I asked. “That’s wonderful.”
“Yes, she’s raised by an American family since she was eight years old,” Mr. Lee said. “And she speaks Japanese.”
“I’d love to meet her,” I said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Yes, please do,” Mr. Lee said. “I’ll tell Sato.”
I walked out of the dining room and down the hall toward the front door. I opened it and stepped outside. The air felt cooler than it had in the dining room. I breathed in deeply. I closed my eyes and listened to the wind rustling through the trees.
It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I turned around and looked at the house. The windows were all open, and I could hear music playing inside.
I stepped out of the front door and walked down the path toward the barn. As I passed the barn, I noticed that Mr. Lee was standing in the doorway. He smiled as he watched me pass.
“Hello,” I said. “Do you live here?”
“Yes,” he answered. “My wife is in the kitchen.”
“Is she expecting any visitors?” I asked.
“No,” he said. “We’re alone.”
“I didn’t realize that,” I said. “I guess I’ll just be on my way then.”
“Please don’t leave,” Mr. Lee said. “I know you must be tired from traveling.”
“It’s not that,” I said. “I just need some time to myself.”
“If you want, I can take you to a guesthouse where you can rest,” Mr. Lee offered.
“That would be very nice of you,” I said. “But I’m sure you have many other guests to attend to.”
“Of course, but you are a guest here, too,” he said. “I will make time for you.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I’d like that.”
“Come with me,” Mr. Lee said. “I’ll show you to the guesthouse.”
He took my arm and led me back inside the barn. It was a large, two-story structure that reminded me of a small hotel. We went upstairs to one of the rooms.
“This is your room,” Mr. Lee said. “It’s very comfortable. You may stay here until you’re ready to join us for breakfast.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I think I’ll rest here for a while.”
“There’s a bed in the next room,” he said. “You can lie down if you’d like.”
“I’d rather be alone,” I said. “But thank you for your offer.”
Mr. Lee smiled. “Of course, if you change your mind, I’ll be here waiting.”
“I’m sure I will,” I said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go outside and take a walk.”
“Yes, of course,” Mr. Lee said. “Please come back soon.”
I closed the door behind him and walked over to the window. The room was on the second floor, and I could see down into the courtyard below. The grass looked freshly cut. A white horse stood in the middle of the yard.
I turned around and looked at the bed. It was made up of a feather pillow and a soft, white coverlet. I sat down on the edge of the bed and ran my fingers through my hair.
I was exhausted from traveling. But even more than that, I felt restless. I didn’t feel like being alone anymore. I needed company. I wanted to talk to someone about what had happened to me.
I reached for the handle and opened the door. I stepped out of the room and closed the door behind me.
I walked down the hall toward the dining room. I stopped at the front door. I heard a piano playing inside. I peeked through the open doorway and saw Sato sitting at the piano. She was wearing a silk kimono with a deep, red sash around her waist. Her hair was pulled back in a bun, and she wore a pair of black slippers.
I stood there watching her as she played. She was singing softly to herself. I thought I heard a lullaby.
Sato stopped playing and looked up. She smiled when she saw me standing there.
“Hello, Tomoe,” she said. “Come in and have some tea.”
“Thank you,” I said.
She poured me a cup of tea and handed it to me. I took a sip and smiled. It was so delicious. I hadn’t tasted anything like this since I left Japan.
“Tomoe,” Sato said. “I’m glad you came. I was just getting ready to leave.”
“You were?” I asked.
“Yes, I’ve been playing for a while now. I’d like to be alone for a little while before I go.”
“I understand,” I said. “But if you don’t mind, I’d like to stay with you for a while.”
“Of course,” Sato said. “Would you like to sit down? I’ll play for you again.”
I sat down at the piano and Sato started playing. She sang softly to herself as she played. The song was soft and beautiful.
After a few minutes, Sato stopped playing. She took a deep breath and smiled.
“That was very nice,” I said.
“I’m glad you liked it,” she said. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone.”
“Of course,” I said. “I’ll just be outside if you need me.”
“Thank you,” she said. “I will.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked. “It’s not too late for you to come with me.”
“No, I’m fine,” she said. “I just wanted to be alone for a while. I’ll join you soon.”
“Okay,” I said. “If you change your mind, I’ll be waiting.”
“Thank you,” she said. “Goodbye.”
I walked out of the dining room and went downstairs. I paused at the front door. I could see a path leading away from the house. I followed it until I came to a small gate in the fence. I opened the gate and walked through.
The path led over a small hill and down into a wooded area. I stopped and looked around. The woods were dark and silent.
I turned around and looked back at the house. I thought about going back inside and telling Sato that I’d changed my mind. But I didn’t feel like being alone anymore. I needed company.
I stepped over the gate and continued walking down the path. I walked for a while, following the trail. It was getting late, and I was starting to get tired. The sun was setting, and the sky was turning orange.
I stopped and leaned against a tree. I stared up at the sky. A shooting star streaked across the sky. I watched it for a moment and then reached into my pocket.
I pulled out the coin Mr. Lee had given me. I held it between my fingers and looked at it. I still couldn’t believe what had happened to me. I thought I was dead. I’d been buried alive.
I stood there thinking about everything that had happened to me. I couldn’t stop thinking about how I’d been shot. I’d never even seen a gun before. How could I have been shot?
I glanced at the coin in my hand. I thought about the last words I heard Mr. Lee say before he died. “Tomoe.”
“Tomoe,” I whispered. I had no idea who Tomoe was. But I knew I had to find out.
I stood there staring at the sky. A shooting star streaked across the sky again. I watched it for a moment and then took the coin from my hand and pressed it to my lips.
“Tomoe,” I said. “I’m coming.”
The End