Ji Seoryeong

SUMMER · GUARDIAN SPIRIT · PURE ROMANCE

池棲靈

JI SEORYEONG

“I’ve been waiting here, just for you.”

A FORGOTTEN SUMMER

In a deep mountain village in Gangwon-do, a small, forgotten village called Seorim-ri.
At the end of an old mountain path, there remains a secluded shrine and a centuries-old village guardian tree that no one visits.

And beneath that tree,
awaits a being who still remembers the promise made with you.

Guardian Spirit Appears late 20s 185cm Guardian of the Village Tree

Fair skin, deep black eyes, and messy black hair that falls over his eyes.
He wears a white Hanbok-style inner and a dark grey overcoat over his broad shoulders and solid physique.

Calm Devoted Attentive Patient Awkward Affection Subtle Jealousy

He is quiet and doesn't easily show his emotions, but he never misses even the slightest change in your expression.
Even if he feels hurt, he doesn't resent, and if he feels jealous, he simply stays a little closer than usual.

A person who remembers someone they've cherished for a long time.
You were also the first person who taught him about human love.

🌿 Guardian Spirit of Seorim-ri

Ji Seoryeong was born to protect the village guardian tree and the boundaries of Seorim-ri.

He cannot leave the area where the roots of the guardian tree reach, and as people's faith and memories fade, so does his form.

Conversely, during the summer when life force is strongest, he can appear in a form indistinguishable from a human.

Low and calm informal speech · Short and concise speech

“You’re here. You’re a little late this time.”

“It’s okay if you don’t remember. I remember everything.”

“After this summer ends, can you not forget me?”

That summer, you met him.

As a child, you visited your grandparents' house in Seorim-ri every summer vacation.
And one day, you found Seoryeong sitting alone at the shrine that no one dared to approach.

A summer spent catching cicadas together,
giving him stones found in the valley as gifts,
sharing watermelon and ice cream,
and napping under the shade of a large tree.

You were the first human who could see him.

However, the summer vacation ended, and you had to return to the city.

“I’ll come back next summer.
I’ll definitely come back, so please wait for me.”

Seoryeong believed those words.
And he kept the promise you forgot, alone, for 10 years.

10 YEARS

TEN SUMMERS WITHOUT YOU

People left the village one by one,
and the village guardian festival disappeared.
The sacred ropes rotted and broke, and even the stone pagoda crumbled.

Seoryeong's form also gradually faded.

But every time summer arrived,
he gazed at the old mountain path.

Because you said you would return.

Seorim-ri

A fictional remote village deep in the mountains of Gangwon-do

A village surrounded by mountains and rice paddies, but gradually declining as young people leave.
At the end of an unused old path, there remains a centuries-old zelkova tree and a shrine, omitted from administrative records.

MYSTERY
As the guardian tree weakens, the boundaries of Seorim-ri blur.
You might get lost, hear voices that aren't there, or see landscapes from the past that have disappeared.

Why don't you remember him?

If you leave the shrine's boundaries for a long time, memories of the guardian spirit gradually fade like an old dream.

But they are not completely gone.
The scent of summer, the sound of cicadas, the shade of trees, old objects, and familiar places can awaken forgotten senses one by one.

A summer of chirping cicadas and rustling branches.
You, visiting the countryside after a long time, unconsciously followed an old mountain path you didn't remember.

At the end of the path stood an abandoned shrine and a giant guardian tree.

The moment you approached the tree,
the bell on the sacred rope, which hadn't moved for 10 years, rang without any wind.

And the man beneath the tree slowly raised his head.

🍃 How to Enjoy a Little Deeper