By Zephyria 
Mae-yeong found this situation amusing. ‘I’ve fed you a potent poison that will cause seizures whenever I press your Acupoint’? So ‘work in the Sound chamber if you want to live’?
It was midday when he woke up in an unfamiliar room, and he was greeted by a man he had never seen before tending to him. The man, who was clearly wearing a human skin mask, introduced himself as Cho-jin, the person in charge of the Drunken Dream Pavilion. And then, without any preamble, he ordered Mae-yeong to work in the Sound chamber from now on.
But, contrary to his somewhat cruel and harsh tone, he didn’t make him entertain guests much, except for playing the zither for one or two hours a day. He even took care to ensure he was well-fed every meal, and every evening he served him a different wine, treating him with such care that it was hard not to find it amusing.
Mae-yeong thought that now that his heat cycle had subsided, killing Cho-jin and leaving without a trace would be a piece of cake. Even if he had really been poisoned, he was confident he could subdue his opponent before they could press his acupoint, and he didn’t think Cho-jin’s skill was above his.
However, when he secretly entered his room at night to kill him and leave, he found that he had ‘Moonless’. He didn’t know how Cho-jin had gotten his hands on Moonless, which he had given to Jin Geum-ryeon, but what was interesting was that Moonless had accepted him as well. That was what piqued his curiosity about who Cho-jin was and made him stay in the Sound chamber. Also, once he started talking to him, he found him quite enjoyable in his own way.
He lay on his side, picking at snacks and looking at a book of humorous stories. It was just past the hour of the rooster when the door opened and Cho-jin entered.
“It’s time for your performance.”
“Is it that late already?”
“So please come out quickly.”
Mae-yeong slowly got up from his seat and straightened his clothes. Since coming to the Sound chamber, he had been eating and playing so well that his face was glowing.
And what about his attire? He was now wearing a splendid red long robe that Cho-jin had provided, instead of plain white cotton clothes, and the long robe was lavishly embroidered with plum blossoms.
Ak Mujin thought the clothes suited Mae-yeong very well, but he still didn’t think he should be kept in a place like this for long. How could he, as the original author, stand by and watch a proud, reclusive master degenerate into a dissolute gigolo in a house of courtesans, even if it was a place that only dealt with music!
“How about going to the Welcoming Guest Pavilion tomorrow? I heard their pig’s knuckles are amazing.”
Whether he knew Ak Mujin’s feelings or not, Mae-yeong mentioned food as if to be lifted up, and stretched his arm towards Ak Mujin. His attitude was that of someone ordering around a servant. Ak Mujin sighed, but took his hand and helped him up.
“There’s no time for that. And I don’t have any money.”
Ak Mujin was somewhat anxious as he said that. The reason he had kept Mae-yeong here was to lure Jin Geum-ryeon. The sound chamber was just a device to make Jin Geum-ryeon realize his feelings for Mae-yeong.
However, it had already been well over a month since he had kept Mae-yeong in the Sound chamber, but there was no news from Jin Geum-ryeon. Even though he had sent him a messenger hawk declaring war, telling him that he was holding his master hostage, he hadn’t even sent a single person, let alone come to see him himself.
Was he not worried about his master at all?
His respect for his master must have hit rock bottom!
Mae-yeong, who had keenly noticed that Ak Mujin was somewhat displeased, smiled and leaned his face closer to his.
“I heard that the number of guests has increased a lot thanks to me, so why are you so upset?”
Indeed, since Mae-yeong started performing on stage, his amazing zither playing and beautiful appearance quickly spread by word of mouth. Thanks to this, the sales increased and he was able to recover from the accident he had caused as soon as he arrived at the Drunken Dream Pavilion….
What good is it if there are many guests? The person who really needs to come isn’t coming.
Ak Mujin could only sigh instead of answering. Well, he didn’t think it would be that easy from the start. In the first place, this absurd plot could not work properly unless this world was <Red Plum>.
He was thinking of letting Mae-yeong go soon, when Bong-myeong quickly came up the stairs and approached Ak Mujin.
“Mae-yeong! I’ve found Mae-yeong.”
He took a breath after discovering Mae-yeong standing behind Ak Mujin.
“What’s going on?”
“Hyeon-ryeong has brought an important guest. He wants to hear Mae-yeong’s zither performance, but is that alright?”
Ak Mujin was hesitant to have someone who was not really a gigolo entertain guests, even though he was the one holding Mae-yeong here. Just as Ak Mujin was about to open his mouth to refuse on his behalf, Mae-yeong spoke first.
“I want to drink good Daughter Red today.”
Mae-yeong was gaining confidence in his playing these days. Thanks to this, the thought that he was not the person to be in this place had flown far away. Besides, he wouldn’t refuse good wine every day.
“Daughter Red! I’ll get it for you no matter what! The guest doesn’t want to stay long either, so half an hour will be enough.”
Ak Mujin looked at Mae-yeong with a sullen expression, but Mae-yeong, who was simply happy at the thought of drinking Daughter Red, smacked his lips and smiled faintly.
“Come, come. Follow me. This way.”
Bong-myeong hurriedly guided Mae-yeong and Ak Mujin. Even as they crossed the second floor, which consisted of individual private rooms, the sound of people admiring Mae-yeong’s beauty erupted from everyone who passed by.
Finally, Bong-myeong stopped in a quiet place located deep in the hallway. He announced the arrival of the musician from outside the private room and slowly opened the door.
Ak Mujin was taken aback when he looked inside. Seo Moon-gwang was sitting inside with the stout Hyeon-ryeong.
Ak Mujin was so surprised that he stood rooted to the spot, forgetting that he had to go back. Hyeon-ryeong’s important guest was none other than Seo Moon-gwang!
The appearance of Seo Moon-gwang in the Sound chamber where Mae-yeong was working was an unexpected encounter that initially confused him. However, he soon realized that he was wearing a human skin mask and felt relieved, and soon this coincidental situation began to feel like a huge clue. Did I get it right? Is the puzzle starting to fit together now?!
No matter how infatuated Seo Moon-gwang was with Ak Mujin, now that Ak Mujin was a dead man, Seo Moon-gwang would have to find a new love as soon as possible. Then, wouldn’t his heart go to Mae-yeong, who was his old friend!
In <Red Plum>, Jin Geum-ryeon realizes his feelings due to Seo Moon-gwang’s twisted obsession with Mae-yeong. Maybe he could make good use of Seo Moon-gwang.
Ak Mujin had told Mae-yeong that he was the person in charge of the Drunken Dream Pavilion, but in fact, he was only there to rely on them, so he didn’t have to help with the work, so he couldn’t get involved any further. However, he couldn’t bear to send Mae-yeong in alone, and he had to see with his own eyes how the situation was going, so he took a step forward.
He quickly asked Bong-myeong for his understanding, said that he would serve in this room, and hurried inside before Bong-myeong could even answer.
Seo Moon-gwang’s face, which he was seeing after a long time, was somewhat haggard, but he had taken care to dress neatly. His hair, neatly tied up in a half-updo, had a coral hairpin in it, and a sparkling ornament was attached, making a jingling sound as he turned his head.
Seo Moon-gwang suddenly discovered Ak Mujin and stared at him intently. Ak Mujin felt somehow anxious at the straight gaze and swallowed hard. Just as Seo Moon-gwang was about to open his mouth to say something to him, Ak Mujin quickly made the first move.
“Ahem. This is Mae-yeong, the best musician in the Drunken Dream Pavilion.”
Then Seo Moon-gwang discovered the person who had entered with Ak Mujin from behind and looked him up and down with an absurd expression.
“…The one who plays the zither so amazingly… was you?”
Mae-yeong was also quite surprised to unexpectedly encounter Seo Moon-gwang here, but somehow, after doing this for more than a month, he developed a sense of professionalism and walked inside with his head held high, carrying the zither.
“It’s been a while.”
Then he found a seat and sat down, plucking a long string. While Seo Moon-gwang was chuckling in disbelief, Hyeon-ryeong looked back and forth between the two with a bewildered face. Ak Mujin now sat in the seat closest to the door, the lowest seat, and watched the situation.
“Seo Gokju. Were you acquainted with Mae-yeong?”
“…Yes. We’re old friends.”
“Were friends.”
Mae-yeong corrected Seo Moon-gwang’s words, and then immediately began to play the zither. Seo Moon-gwang was still dumbfounded. He was listening to his friend’s music in the Sound chamber, of all places.
“That’s quite… a strange relationship!”
Hyeon-ryeong didn’t know what to do in this awkward situation. He was glancing at Seo Moon-gwang’s face several times, worrying that he might be upset.
“No, you. How did you end up playing the zither in a place like this?”
“It’s none of your business, so mind your own.”
Mae-yeong’s voice was very stiff as he answered Seo Moon-gwang’s question. Seo Moon-gwang also made a sullen expression after hearing the answer and tilted his glass. After that, Seo Moon-gwang didn’t speak to Mae-yeong again, and Mae-yeong just continued to play silently.
Somehow, Ak Mujin felt deflated. It was because he had been expecting Seo Moon-gwang to try to rescue Mae-yeong, or something like that. However, Seo Moon-gwang’s attitude seemed to show that he had a dislike for him, just like Mae-yeong. But the fact that he didn’t specifically dismiss Mae-yeong seemed to indicate that he also wanted to make him suffer.
When the performance was over, Mae-yeong got up from his seat and left the private room altogether, as if there was nothing more to see. A dazed Ak Mujin got up to see off the guests and bowed to them, holding his hands together respectfully. Seo Moon-gwang was about to follow Hyeon-ryeong out, but stopped and slowly approached Ak Mujin.
“…May I know your name?”
It was the moment when the last shred of expectation that there might be a Doujinshi-like atmosphere between Seo Moon-gwang and Mae-yeong was ruthlessly trampled on.
“I know it’s a rude thing to say, but I felt… the scent of an old lover from you.”