It began with a little boy.
His name is Lee Gilyoung and he was born to a happy mom and a happy dad. Unfortunately, his parents passed away in a great and quiet tragic accident and he’s left to the “care” of his relatives.
His relatives are great and quietly cruel, shuffling him about from one to another, each no less nor no more silent and cruel. Useless. Unwanted. Unhappy. Finally they found a last aunt of an aunt of an uncle of an brother and this one was less silent and more openly mean. A day into their care, they’d already pushed him about and made him work in their house.
Like a servant! he thought but could only continue sweeping through the house, bent over like a creature.
One day, there was an invitation from the King. Sent out to everyone in the Kingdom, calling for all citizens and children to participate in an insect catching hunt.
But his relatives with their own children to care for, didn't want little Lee Gilyoung to come and interrupt their fun. And so, they trapped him at home.
Under the bright afternoon sun and weeping tree, Lee Gilyoung wished and wished, “Please let me go to the Insect Hunt.”
A fairy godmother appeared in great dark clothes and let him escape with a wave of the wand which looked more like a sword than a stick. “Do not forget, the magic will disappear before midnight so if you want to go home in time, remember to leave before the clock strikes at midnight!”
Lee Gilyoung nodded and went off on the back of a great dog turned into a mighty mount.
At the Insect Hunt, Lee Gilyoung immediately found paradise.
Not even a few moments later and he had found a great and rare beetle.
Indeed, the Insect Hunt was a great day to find these awesome insects!
A kind looking man noticed him and complimented his bug.
In fact, the man had noticed the boy was alone and so wanted to make sure he was safe in the woods as they go bug catching.
They spent time finding more bugs together and Lee Gilyoung had the most fun he had experienced for a long time.
"I really want to do this again, Dokja- hyung!" Lee Gilyoung said.
But Lee Gilyoung became really quiet like his relatives always told him to be even when he hasn't spoken another word than 'Thank you' and 'Please', and he said, "I don't think we can after this."
"I'm sure we will." The man gently rubbed Lee Gilyoung's head and held out his hand. "Here, give me your hand."
And so Lee Gilyoung did and later on he will recall this as one of the best memory of his life.
Eventually though, the old clock tower struck half past 11 and Lee Gilyoung went home with a harried excuse.
“I’m sorry, hyung, I-I, uh, I have a curfew!”
Having had so much fun, Lee Gilyoung went home to his relatives right before they arrived, looking like he hadn’t left at all.
He had a secret though. A secret he would never ever tell his relatives and one he kept close to his heart, treasuring it with all his childish whispers and dreams. A keepsake that he hid in his pockets—half a glass beetle.
But having experienced such joy, Lee Gilyoung played around too much at home.
“Useless child!” His relatives said. “We feed you, we clothe you, we put a roof over your useless head. Stop playing around, else we’ll send you off to your distant uncle!”
Lee Gilyoung was afraid of his distant uncle, he only knew him to be a loud and mean old relative, and was afraid to be thrown out of the house.
He wished and wished, “Please, anyone, save me.”
Someone knocked on their front door and the relatives quickly hid him in his room.
Then the kind man from the hunt appeared before his door and smiled.
“Hello, I am here to find the matching half of my glass beetle.”
“And why should we let you in, to find this missing half?” asked Lee Gilyoung’s Aunt.
The man continued smiling, and gestured further outside. Lee Gilyoung, trapped in his dark and windowless room, heard the voice of the kind man and had instantly tried to fight his way through the door. He pounded on the door, scratching his fingers into the hardwood.
He’s here to save me! Thought Lee Gilyoung. Someone is here to save me.
The kind man outside said, “Here.”
Lee Gilyoung couldn’t see what they saw but heard their great big gasp.
“Come in! Oh do come in, of course we have your missing half, for surely you’ve come here knowing so!” his relatives said.
“I’m here! Hyung, hyung! I’m here!” Lee Gilyoung yelled and called. But no one came and he banged on his door and still no one came. He crouched on the floor, head resting against the door. He said, "Please save me, hyung."
The half of the glass beetle in his pocket suddenly lit up, and it crawled out of his pocket, beaming of light and magic. And with a great shudder, it suddenly started growing and growing and growing! At first was barely half his finger but soon it was taller than Lee Gilyoung but it did not stop and instead grew even more. It grew so much it was almost the size of the whole room, soon reaching the height of the ceiling!
With one swing of its now enormous beetle arm, Lee Gilyoung was carried into its half body and then it stomped its feet. With a great boom, it smashed through the floor of his room and jumped down into the main foyer.
His relatives were screaming in horror all around him as this giant half beetle made of glass suddenly appeared and smashed through their roof but all Lee Gilyoung could see was the kind man and his smile.
The man held out his arms.
The kind man was the king of the kingdom and, on that day, he rescued the boy from his relatives.
