By Zephyria 
In the clearing Dallae pointed to, ropes and blue and white flags lay scattered. One side depicted a dragon, the other a tiger. It seemed to have been a contest of strength, a game of dividing into teams to snatch each other’s flags.
“You were the most enthusiastic, saying the dragon had to win… Oh, right, you took off your outer robe and forgot to take it with you.”
Dallae set down the rice cakes she was making and rummaged through a bundle.
“It looked like a precious garment, so I kept it safe. Please take it and deliver it to him.”
The neatly folded garment was a pale white-green robe made of heavenly silk. Biryoo’s brow furrowed as he took it. It was aggravating enough that Young-pa had tossed aside the robe he had personally made for him, but the bigger problem was that Young-pa had stripped it off and played around with a bunch of rough men.
“After that, he went to Sosaha. It’s the river on the west side of the village.”
As Biryoo turned to leave with the robe draped over one arm, Dallae called out, “Little Brother.” Turning back, he saw Dallae smiling brightly.
“Since you’re here, you should eat something before you go.”
In the palm of her hand was a freshly made jeolpyeon. Looking closely, it was a long rice cake shaped like a dragon, with scales meticulously crafted. In her other hand, she held a small liquor cup.
“Please, don’t be modest. The rice cake is fresh, and this liquor is a cuckoo flower wine brewed in spring; the taste is wonderful.”
Biryoo hesitated, but Dallae sprang up and held the rice cake right under his nose. Caught off guard, he took the jeolpyeon and took a bite.
“How is it? Is it enough to move the Azure Dragon to grant us rain?”
The rice cake caught in Biryoo’s throat, causing him to cough a few times. As he took the cup and drank, the scent of azaleas filled his mouth.
“I do not know how the Azure Dragon would feel, but to my taste, it is not bad.”
Dallae beamed. Biryoo left the place, escorted by the women. On his way back, the sight of humans praying for sweet rain looked different to him.
‘Since I’ve eaten their food, I suppose I have no choice.’
Biryoo briefly removed his necklace and, as if reluctantly, brought rain down upon the fields. The people cheered and danced with joy.
≋ ≋ ≋
Biryoo traveled along the river flowing west of Nazgol. The sight of egrets and swallows flying in the azure sky and a single small boat drifting on the river seemed tranquil. The sky, where cirrocumulus clouds were spreading, was clear, but the sunlight was piercing, forcing him to pull down his bamboo hat.
“Row, row, heave-ho, heave-ho!”
As the fishermen rowed, the fishing boat surged forward. A single heron watched the scene with indifference.
Biryoo headed toward the riverbank where people had gathered. People were eating and drinking around a tavern, but Young-pa was not there either.
“My longing one… ah, I’m drunk….”
Instead, there was a man who had become completely wasted: Lee Shim. He was humming a song in front of a table set with various side dishes.
Even though Biryoo sat on the opposite side of the table, Lee Shim didn’t notice for a while. Then, his eyes widened.
“Huh! Ch-ch-ch-ch, Ch-ch… Cheong-nim!”
Unexpectedly, Lee Shim’s face lit up with joy.
“What brings you all the way here? Hey! A precious guest… hic! Has arrived, and you haven’t brought more liquor!”
“Yes, sir! I’ll bring it right away!”
The landlady hurried over and placed a new bottle of liquor. Whether it was confidence from having become a proper dragon or simply courage fueled by alcohol, Lee Shim was not intimidated by Biryoo, nor did he stutter.
“Please have a drink, Cheong… no, Brother!”
Lee Shim poured the drink without hesitation, but Biryoo didn’t touch the cup. His interest was entirely elsewhere.
“Have you seen Young-pa?”
“Brother Young-pa? Right here! Uh, where did he go? He was here just a moment ago… hic!”
Lee Shim looked around and accidentally knocked over the liquor bottle. Biryoo set the bottle upright and asked.
“What was Young-pa doing here?”
“Well, about that…. It’s a long story.”
Lee Shim took a deep breath as if he were about to tell a grand tale.
“While I was practicing some amazing acrobatics flying through the air….”
In short, while flying above the clouds, he saw a human fall into the river and not come back up. Lee Shim dove in hurriedly and rescued the human. However, instead of a thank-you, he tasted a fist that made his head spin—and that person was Young-pa.
“To run into him right there, isn’t it just a ghostly coincidence?”
“Was he searching for something in the river?”
“How did you know? Some kind of ring or necklace… hic! Anyway, he was scouring the riverbank like he was hunting rats. I was dragged along and searched with eyes wide open for a long time. Thanks to picking up a few gold pieces there, I’m eating and drinking like this. Wahahaha!”
Lee Shim, caught up in the mood, sang and danced.
Biryoo looked around and spotted a familiar object on the ground. Picking it up, it was a pouch with a navy background embroidered with gold and silver threads. Inside were the leaves of the heavenly flower that Biryoo had personally picked and placed there.
“Do you know where Young-pa went?”
“He said he was completely doomed since he lost a precious item, and after screaming so loud the whole mountain shook, he said he was going to… Ju, Ju… Juwang Mountain? No! Juhul Mountain, hic!”
‘Juhul Mountain….’
It was a name that sounded familiar. Biryoo recalled where he had heard it recently.
‘I was originally the mountain god of Juhul Mountain, with the name Cheon-ho.’
Indeed, Young-pa often mentioned the fox he had met at Paegang. Mostly in the vein of how the fox’s disguised form was infuriatingly seductive.
Then, did Young-pa go to meet Cheon-ho? Had he given up on finding the ring?
Since there was no way to know without asking directly, Biryoo stood up with the scent bag. The sound of Lee Shim humming grew distant.
≋ ≋ ≋
The mountain located at the entrance of the Baekdudaegan range had a magnificent landscape, like a crane spreading its wings. By the time Biryoo arrived, the sun was setting in the west, and twilight was descending.
Biryoo encountered a tiger on the mountain path, which stepped back upon realizing Biryoo was no ordinary being. Recalling Cheon-ho’s story of being chased away by tigers, Biryoo watched as the beast disappeared down another path.
Since orange tufts of fur were visible everywhere he went, it seemed Cheon-ho had indeed returned to Juhul Mountain. Biryoo searched for a cave where a fox might dwell. Then, he saw animals gathered together.
“Mountain God, Mountain God. Every time I go out, someone steals the acorns from my hideout. Could you look into it?”
“Mountain God, I came back from an outing to find my cave collapsed. Please help me find the culprit.”
“I want revenge on the kestrel that keeps tricking me. Please help me just once, Mountain God.”
The fox, Cheon-ho, was listening to the stories of the animals surrounding him.
“Your acorns are being taken by the squirrel living in the oak tree across the way, so guard them better. Your cave simply collapsed because a rock rolled down in the strong wind, so just dig it again. That kestrel is simply too mischievous; even I cannot do anything about it.”
At his answers, the red squirrel, the badger, and the leopard cat bowed deeply and withdrew. After sending them off, Cheon-ho lay down comfortably. Then, as Biryoo revealed himself, he sprang up and sat.
“Young Master!”
A look of joy spread across the orange fox’s face.
“Thanks to you letting me go that day, I gathered the courage to return to Juhul Mountain. I persuaded the Mountain Lord and reclaimed my position as the mountain god, so it is all thanks to you Young Masters.”
“The one who let you go was someone else; it is not I who should receive your thanks.”
“Ah! If you mean that graceful Young Master, he visited a short while ago.”
One step too late again, Biryoo muttered to himself.
As the fox sat up and stretched his neck, something folded was visible between the fur of his neck. Looking closely, he was wearing Young-pa’s hair ribbon.
“Why do you have that?”
When Biryoo asked coldly, Cheon-ho looked at him warily and untied the ribbon.
“This… this… the pretty Young Master left it behind… and I thought I could wear it….”
Biryoo snatched the ribbon and plucked the fox fur from the pale indigo silk.
“What happened that would cause a ribbon to come undone?”
Biryoo asked quietly, but his cold voice sounded like an interrogation. Cheon-ho answered while trembling.
“Actually… that Young Master said he lost a precious item and had to beg his lover for forgiveness.”
“And?”
“He asked me to teach him how to act with coquetry… so I dared to show him a few tricks….”
If Cheon-ho had harmed Young-pa in any way, Biryoo intended to slaughter him. However, the answer was completely unexpected. As Biryoo glared with a look of incomprehension, Cheon-ho added.
“I taught him how to make sensual moans in a lingering way and how to exaggerate one’s movements during intimacy. I told him that letting his hair down would make his head movements look more seductive, so he untied the ribbon himself; he simply forgot to take it with him. So please, quell your anger.”
“Do you dare mock me?”
“No, no! Absolutely not! How could I dare…. I shall… show you myself.”
With a thin trail of smoke, Cheon-ho transformed into a naked human boy before Biryoo’s eyes. He lay prostrate and began to move his pelvis and make nasal sounds, as if engaging in intimacy with an invisible person.
“Ah, my husband! My husband! It feels so good! Ah! Hng!”
It was such an eyesore that Biryoo frowned.
“Stop. That is enough.”
Cheon-ho returned to his fox form. Biryoo let out a long sigh before speaking.
“Then you mean he practiced such things while half-naked?”
“Well… he wasn’t completely naked… but he was wearing a jeogori that was see-through. It was also slightly damp….”
Biryoo’s eyes narrowed.
He knew better than anyone that the jeogori was thin enough to reveal the skin. Perhaps it was his own fault for dressing him in it because it looked so good. He had told him to always wear an outer robe when going out, yet Young-pa’s robe was currently draped over Biryoo’s arm.
Meanwhile, Cheon-ho, thinking the misunderstanding had been cleared, looked much more relaxed.
“That Young Master is a stunning Jade-like Beauty and his body is as supple as a willow branch, but crucially, it seemed he was not very good at radiant energy. No matter how peerless one’s beauty is, if they are as stiff as a block of wood, they won’t be loved, so I taught him even more diligently….”
He trailed off upon seeing Biryoo’s expression turn ice-cold.
“Could it be… that you, sir….”
“I am the partner of that clumsy fellow.”
“Oh my, oh my! I failed to recognize you and committed such a discourtesy. No wonder, thinking back, you said that day that the two of you would spend the night together…. Ah! My mouth is too fast.”
Cheon-ho flattened himself against the ground. The sound of him begging for forgiveness for his mortal sin shook the mountains.
“Do you dare say my person is bad at radiant energy?”
“He was just speaking generally! Please forgive me just this once!”
“There must be a reason you thought so.”
At Biryoo’s question, Cheon-ho lifted his head.
“Eh? It was obvious at a glance. His actions and gaze are rough and violent, so he is a heavenly fighter, but being well-versed in eroticism and being soft is a different field entirely….”
He continued, gauging the reaction.
“I told him that during lovemaking, sensual moans should be made secretly and erotically, mixing coquetry as if in pain yet enjoying it, but he just screamed like a water deer. I thought the mountain was going to collapse. When I taught him the soft, swaying, lingering movements, he said it wasn’t working and just kicked me…. I am the victim here. It is not my fault that the Young Master is as stiff as a log, is it?”
Biryoo sneered at Cheon-ho inwardly. If he had heard just once the sounds Young-pa made unconsciously during intimacy, or seen him in a state of delirium, he would never have dared say such things, even as a joke.
Biryoo had no intention of letting anyone hear or see such things. His partner’s secret side belonged to him alone, forever.
“I see. Where did he say he was going after doing those things?”
“He went to Naeto. I told him a suitable place since he was in a hurry to find good liquor.”
Biryoo left the place without looking back. Cheon-ho’s screams of having committed a mortal sin echoed through the mountains.
≋ ≋ ≋
That riverbank had long been considered a place of great beauty, as the breeze was clear and the moon bright. The low-hanging moon cast a faint light over the Hangaram river, and seagulls cried in the distance.
Since he had yet to find the person he had spent the whole day searching for, Biryoo had no leisure to admire the scenery. As night finally fell, his composure and patience reached their limit.
As he walked along the riverbank, he found a single shoe. The silk shoe, with silver cloud patterns embroidered on a blue background, lay discarded just like the ring, robe, scent bag, and ribbon Young-pa had lost. Biryoo picked up the shoe, smoothed out the creases, and brushed off the dust.
Woof! Woof!
A dog came running with the other shoe in its mouth. The grey shaggy dog stopped before Biryoo, dropped the shoe, and wagged its tail vigorously. It was a dog he was seeing for the first time, but there was something familiar about its appearance.
As Biryoo waved his hand, Cheongsim returned to his original form. Lee Shim must have cast a disguise on him so that humans wouldn’t be surprised.
“Cheongsim, you’ve come.”
As Biryoo smiled and scratched his head, Cheongsim whimpered, saying he had missed him so much.
“It seems Young-pa is nearby.”
Woof!
“You’ve worked hard accompanying your master all day. I will take over now, so you may roam freely.”
Woof! Woof-woof!
Cheongsim thanked him, adding that he had been very bothered by a squirrel in a certain tree. He rubbed his cheek against the back of Biryoo’s hand and ran off somewhere.
Biryoo picked up the final silk shoe and walked along the riverbank.
‘He must be walking barefoot again.’
Young-pa tended to find things that other humans did naturally to be cumbersome. When Biryoo first met him, he looked so wretched that even a beggar would weep, and Biryoo thought his mind had gone strange because his soul had been split. He later found out he was a perfectly intact human who hadn’t been robbed of a thing. He simply had a personality that found grooming tedious.
‘Do I not also find many things bothersome? Come to think of it, we are not so different.’
Biryoo allowed himself to think so and smiled, his mood improving.
“Just take it down!”
“Win! Our side, win!”
Where the bright moon reflected on the river and the waves shimmered, against the backdrop of the silently sleeping jade mountains, village children were flying kites. As the strings were released and pulled, two kites rose and fell on the wind.
“Do it properly!”
Among the high-pitched voices of the children, there was a distinct adult voice; a man in a thin jeogori, with his hair undone and bare feet stomping the ground, was shouting.
Biryoo couldn’t help but break into a wide grin. Who was the fool who had taken this beggar-like man as a partner and cherished him so dearly? The moment he saw him, his heart began to beat uncontrollably; it was too late to revoke their marriage vow now.
“Yes, like that! Cut the string!”
Seeing why Young-pa was so worked up, it was the children’s kites. One was a Black Tortoise Kite, and the other was an Azure Dragon Kite.
The Black Tortoise Kite looked sturdy, made of starch-stiffened paper and dyed, whereas the Azure Dragon Kite, drawn poorly like a doodle, flew weakly, and even the child flying it looked much younger.
“Good job! You’re doing great!”
Young-pa was shouting, cheering on the pathetic Azure Dragon Kite.
The kite fight continued for a while. Biryoo noticed that whenever the Azure Dragon Kite was about to be cut by the Black Tortoise Kite, the wind would suddenly blow in an unexpected direction, allowing it to escape the crisis.
When the Azure Dragon Kite finally cut the Black Tortoise Kite, riding a suspiciously favorable wind, Young-pa let out a cheer and lifted the small child onto his shoulders.
“Waaaaah!”
“Aaaah! We won!”
The children circled around Young-pa. Young-pa shouted with joy as if he himself had won. It didn’t take long for him to notice Biryoo.
“Biryoo!”
As joy lit up his handsome face, it seemed the surroundings brightened. Young-pa set the child down and ran over quickly. Then, he jumped high and threw himself straight into Biryoo’s arms. In the process, Biryoo’s bamboo hat was knocked back.
“I missed you so much…. Is this a dream or reality?”
As he instinctively wrapped his arms around the man’s waist, the scent of human sweat and river moss wafted over. The scent of the mortal realm that Biryoo had feared yet loved. The fragrance of the person he had longed for throughout the long day.
“Biryoo…. How did you get all the way here? Hmm?”
Young-pa hugged Biryoo’s neck and rubbed his forehead against his. Who had dared to say he was as stiff as a block of wood? Biryoo felt as if he were melting at every one of his movements.
Young-pa pressed his lips against Biryoo’s while clinging to his shoulder. As the two shared a deep kiss, the children shrieked with excitement and scattered.
Only after their lips parted did Young-pa descend to the ground. Biryoo buried his nose in the crook of Young-pa’s neck and inhaled, before remembering that he was supposed to be sulking. Biryoo stood up straight and placed one hand on his hip.
“Why do you ask how I came all this way? You vanished like a single gust of wind; did you expect me to just sit idly by?”
Young-pa’s bright expression darkened. Avoiding Biryoo’s gaze, he stealthily hid his hand behind his back. Biryoo fought back a laugh and feigned ignorance.
“Is something the matter?”
“No… no, sir?”
Conflict flickered across Young-pa’s face. He let out a sigh so deep it felt as if the ground might cave in, his expression fraught with distress.
“Actually… I have lost one of my rings.”
A gentle smile spread across Biryoo’s lips. It was simply lovely to see this man, who in the past had lied at every opportunity, now striving to be honest before him. He wanted to pull him into a tight embrace, but he endured it for a moment longer to tease him.
“How audacious. How long has it been since I placed it on your finger, and you’ve lost it already?”
“It was my failure to keep watch. I believe it fell into the water while I was washing peaches in the stream… I thought it had flowed down to the mortal realm… but it was not in nazgol, nor in sosaha.”
Unaware that Biryoo was playing a prank, Young-pa looked down at his dirty toes with a gloomy expression.
“I am sorry. I will find it no matter what, so please wait for me.”
Before tears could fall from his partner’s beautiful eyes, Biryoo pulled the ring from his robes. Young-pa’s eyes widened.
“Oh! Where did you find it?”
“It was in the flower jealousy stream.”
Biryoo pulled Young-pa’s hand toward him and slipped the ring onto the dirty finger; it fit perfectly. Young-pa let out a deep sigh, looking as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
“Thank goodness… truly, thank goodness.”
“The only thing truly fortunate is that you left me for such a trivial reason. I thought my partner had abandoned me and run away.”
“What? Abandoned? Run away!”
His mood brightening instantly, Young-pa chuckled and pulled Biryoo’s hand—wearing a matching ring—to intertwine their fingers.
“I only came this far because I feared you would be disappointed since I lost such a precious ring.”
“And while you were down in the mortal realm, you managed to get a free meal too?”
“The honey cakes tasted divine. I ate five plates.”
Biryoo draped his outer robe over Young-pa’s shoulders.
“Were you so absorbed in play that you stripped off your clothes in front of everyone?”
“I couldn’t help it. It felt far too hot. It is midsummer here, after all.”
“And you dropped your scent pouch by the river.”
With a startled look, Young-pa fumbled at his empty waist. Biryoo smiled and tied the scent bag there for him. Afterward, he roughly combed through the stray hairs with his hand and tied them together with a ribbon.
“And did you learn bedchamber arts at juhul mountain?”
“Since I am a sinner who lost the token of our love, I thought I might try to melt your heart, even if by unconventional means.”
“My heart melted from our very first affection; how foolish of you.”
Young-pa spun around with a smirk.
“Still, if I practice coquetry and sensual moans, perhaps you will love me even more.”
“If you had practiced such things, the entire mountain would have heard your voice.”
“They’re all just animals who wouldn’t understand anyway.”
Young-pa answered nonchalantly, his eyes sparkling. He linked arms with Biryoo and looked up at him.
“Cheon-ho is incredibly knowledgeable about radiant energy. He said that first, I must practice how to become a skilled courtesan to be adored.”
“A skilled courtesan?”
“The method of tightening the lower dantian to steal a man’s soul.”
Biryoo let out a breathy laugh, feeling absurd. Even now, it took an eternity just to get him to relax his muscles whenever they joined bodies; such a notion was preposterous.
He gave Young-pa’s cheek a light pinch and spoke.
“One day you try to do strange things with severed root’s members or blocks of wood claiming you’re improving your gokdo, and now you’re practicing useless things. Never go back there again.”
“But the animals in that neighborhood are so friendly.”
“Didn’t you just say you didn’t care if you were heard making scandalous noises because they were animals who wouldn’t know any better?”
Young-pa laughed heartily and buried his forehead in Biryoo’s arm.
“I shall frequent the place until I have been taught everything by Cheon-ho.”
Biryoo pulled his stubborn yet adorable partner close and kissed his forehead.
“Those wicked legs… I cannot even break them so you cannot wander off.”
“You love my legs so much, yet you say things you do not mean.”
As Young-pa stretched out his arm, the wish-fulfilling orb atop the ring glistened in the moonlight. With a proud expression, he withdrew his hand and looked up at Biryoo.
“Now that you’ve found the ring, I can breathe a sigh of relief. I shall never lose it again.”
“Such a thing can be remade as many times as needed. The only thing I was worried about losing was you, my beautiful bead.”
Young-pa’s face flushed red. Biryoo leaned down, cupped his cheeks, and pressed their lips together. Young-pa opened his mouth and leaned in as if he had been waiting for this.
Biryoo had intended a light kiss, but things did not go as planned. After their lips met and parted repeatedly, Young-pa’s tongue slid deep into his mouth. He sucked on Biryoo with an urgent yet skillful intensity, refusing to let go. Biryoo forgot that they were by a river where humans passed by, surrendered to Young-pa’s long kiss.
Young-pa’s breath grew ragged. Biryoo could feel the heat radiating from where their sataguni pressed together. Biryoo was in no different state. Had they not been so close to a village, he would have laid his partner down and listened to those sensual moans he had practiced until juhul mountain shook.
Biryoo wiped the corners of Young-pa’s mouth with his sleeve and, as a consolation, peppered kisses across his forehead, eyelids, and cheeks.
“Are we returning home now, Azure Dragon?”
Young-pa whispered in a slightly raspy voice.
“We should.”
“I found some fine liquor; would you like to have a drink and dinner?”
Young-pa ran toward the riverbank and returned with a gourd. The pungent smell of unfiltered rice wine wafted from it, leaving Biryoo speechless.
“You go around dropping everything, yet you cherished the liquor above all else?”
Young-pa, having no excuse, simply burst out laughing.
“That’s not all. I brought this too.”
Young-pa pulled red petals from his trouser pocket and held them out. Judging by the shape and scent, they were balsam petals.
“If you crush these, mix them with salt, and apply them to the fingernails, they dye them red. Human children love it, so I thought Cheon-hae and Suro would find it fascinating if I did it for them. Perhaps Yeomdani too.”
Biryoo listened to Young-pa’s chatter with a feeling of enchantment. He found it admirable that he thought of the children. How could his partner be so lovely in every aspect?
“Yes. Those children would love it.”
To think the end of such a dreadfully long day could be this joyful. Recalling the morning hours spent searching for Young-pa in anxiety, Biryoo knelt on one knee. He pulled Young-pa’s dirty feet toward him one by one, brushed off the dust, and put on his shoes.
“Let us go home now.”
Instead of summoning a cloud, Biryoo transformed into a dragon. It was far faster.
Young-pa’s eyes widened, and he looked around to see if anyone was watching. As soon as he climbed aboard, Biryoo soared into the sky.
‘How can even a weight as light as a bird’s feather be so lovely?’
The fact that Young-pa was sitting on his back, and that he was carrying him back to their dwelling, felt precious and ecstatic anew.
“Which pavilion shall we go to? Seo-o mentioned that the purple flowers in the Garam Hall have bloomed beautifully…”
“Put the liquor away. We are going to the bedroom.”
“Pardon?”
“Must you not pay the price for the sin of making me scour the mortal realm to find you?”
Young-pa was silent for a moment.
“How did you know I enjoy being punished?”
He murmured with excitement and snuggled close to the mane, acting coquettishly.
“My dear Lord, you may look forward to today. I shall show you everything I learned from Cheon-ho all through the night.”
The flirtation he had learned was absurdly unnatural, but to Biryoo’s ears, even that sounded sweet. When Young-pa burst into laughter, Biryoo could not resist following suit. The laughter of the two mingled, embroidering the summer night sky.
｢Late Autumn Scenery: The Beauty of Late Autumn｣
If the underground was a succession of nights without day, the heavenly realm was the opposite. A world filled only with light, where night never came. That was the world of the heavenly realm.
The dragons built roofs and set up screens to create shade. They erected buildings and pavilions upon the clouds, creating ponds, waterfalls, forests, and hills. And in that place of abundance, they spent long, peaceful days.
A dragon’s day was close to the utopia humans dreamed of. Anyone could wander the vast terrains of the heavenly realm and do as they pleased. Some dragons flew freely, some searched for food, and some spent their time lounging in sleep. Far from fighting or clashing with others, they rarely even encountered anyone, and they lived comfortably without heat or cold. The scenery was beautiful, and there were plants and foods not found in the mortal realm.
Despite this paradise, some dragons grew bored and descended to live in the mortal realm. Even then, once they settled in a mountain or river, they received the fear and respect of other beasts; dragons were creatures born for a life of ease. To human eyes, the boredom they spoke of seemed like nothing more than the complaints of the well-fed.
“Do you all feel bored too?”
Young-pa, lost in thought, let the question slip. The dragons, who had been engrossed in shaping mountains and valleys out of clouds, looked up.
“No? Why do you ask such a thing?”
“We aren’t bored at all.”
Cheon-hae and Suro shook their heads simultaneously. Young-pa replied while raising a towering peak with his palm.
“I was curious because I heard that dragons fear boredom.”
As Cheon-hae tilted his head back, the mountain ridge Suro had been painstakingly crafting was crushed. Suro glared at him, but Cheon-hae spoke with an innocent expression.
“We are still young, so we don’t know well, but the adults certainly seem bored.”
“Really? Even the Azure Dragon?”
“Yes. The Azure Dragon is very kind to us. But there were many times when they looked bored.”
As Suro shifted his posture, his elbow flattened the valley Cheon-hae was making. Cheon-hae’s eyebrows shot up, but Suro spoke brightly.
“Even if they didn’t say they were tired of it, they would sigh deeply, and sometimes they couldn’t hide their vacant expression. But that was in the past. The Azure Dragon has changed a lot recently, hasn’t they?”
“Right. Lately, they’re smiling even when nothing is happening. It’s kind of strange.”
“I know, right. I wonder why?”
“You idiot, it’s probably because we won the war against the underground.”
“For once, I think you’re right. The serpents have vanished from the mortal realm since then.”
While Yeomdan had guessed the relationship between Young-pa and Biryoo the moment he saw him, the young dragons did not understand the emotion of romantic love. They viewed Young-pa as a powerful eccentric who had come to the heavenly realm to play.
“Yeongparang, I am confident I will never be bored.”
“I’m more confident than you, Yeongparang!”
Cheon-hae and Suro seemed to have lost interest in the cloud mountains and valleys they had been working on. They chattered with wide eyes.
“If I get tired of the heavenly realm, I’ll build a nest in the sky like the birds.”
“If I still get bored, I’ll wander the mortal realm like the tigers.”
“Or I’ll swim in the sea like the fish.”
“And if I get tired of that too, I’ll crawl in the underground with the serpents. I will never take my own life like some of the other elders!”
Listening quietly, Young-pa felt a streak of mischief and gave an eerie laugh.
“Have any of you ever been to the underground?”
“Huh? No…”
“Listen, there is no light in the underground. That means even if something is lurking in that pitch-black darkness, you can’t see it.”
Cheon-hae and Suro’s faces turned pale at the same time.
“Even if an enemy is wriggling toward you from afar, you only hear the sound—ssssss—getting closer… and then, BAM!”
As Young-pa startled them by making claw shapes with both hands, the children screamed and ran off in opposite directions.
“Tender and tasty dragons, I shall eat you up!”
“Kyaaaaaaa!”
“Kyaaaaaaa!”
Young-pa laughed out loud and chased the dragons. In the process, the mountain peaks they had piled and the valleys they had dug were ruined, but the children were happy. When Young-pa summoned a strong wind, they struggled to transform into dragons so they wouldn’t be blown away.
The play grew increasingly rough, ending when a tail swung by Cheon-hae hit Suro in the eye. Seeing Cheon-hae and Suro fighting by biting each other’s manes and shooting jets of water, Young-pa hurried to stop them.
“Stop! If you fight, I won’t play with you next time.”
“I won’t fight, Yeongparang.”
“Really, Yeongparang. I’ll stop fighting.”
Young-pa finally calmed the dragons down and stood up. There was a reason Biryoo had said they were handfuls. They were experts at draining a person’s energy.
“Let’s play again next time.”
“Are you leaving already? Why?”
“Play just a little more, please?”
When Young-pa first arrived in the heavenly realm, the two dragons had been shy and wouldn’t even make eye contact. But after he took them to the seaside and played with them physically, they asked to play every single day.
“I’d like to, but I have to go meet the Azure Dragon.”
“Then it can’t be helped.”
“Goodbye, Yeongparang.”
Mentioning the Azure Dragon’s name was the perfect way to make them give up. Finally freed from them, Young-pa ran toward the palace.
≋ ≋ ≋
The building with a roof of flower clouds shone silver even from a distance. Large and small pavilions decorated the perimeter, connected by bridges made of jade and amber. Tall trees cast shadows around a pond wide enough for a dragon to immerse itself in.
As Young-pa entered the grounds of the cloud palace, Suchong, who was sweeping in a pavilion, bowed and indifferently returned to his work. The Azure Dragon’s subordinates were all equally taciturn.
‘They really take after their master.’
Young-pa walked around the pond where blue lotuses bloomed. Purple carp swam leisurely in the silver waters. Pure white heavenly flowers bloomed on the knee-high shrubs.
How surprised he had been when he first arrived and saw that there were landmarks even above the clouds. He had been speechless at the splendor of the cloud palace, but after spending five months in the heavenly realm, it had become as comfortable as his own home.
The large wooden doors opened slowly with just a slight push. Young-pa’s pace quickened as he walked down the corridor that reflected the rainbow colors of the ceiling. As he walked, he came upon a great hall decorated with folding screens and paintings; from there, climbing the coral railings and white jade stairs led to the rooms of the Azure Dragon’s kin and Young-pa’s own room.
His steps grew even more hurried as he proceeded to the end of the corridor. When Young-pa lifted the golden curtain with the back of his hand, a spacious circular area appeared.
Woof! Woof!
Cheongsim rushed forward and licked his face, leaving Young-pa unable to see anything for a moment.
“I was only gone for a little while, stop making such a fuss.”
Only after the dog had fully expressed its joy and stepped back did the throne, located at the edge of the great hall, come into view. At that moment, neither the high cloud ceiling nor the shimmering, wave-like walls mattered anymore.
The Azure Dragon sat leaning back in a relaxed posture upon the high seat. They wore a golden crown and earrings befitting their status, dressed in the heavenly robes of a blue-green hue. Despite such glorious attire, they were rolling their eyes with a bored expression, chin resting on the back of their hand.
As their gazes met, the Azure Dragon’s eyes curved, and a bright smile appeared on their face.
‘I still cannot believe that person is my partner.’
It had been nearly half a year since he had lit the eastern bridal candle with this man who was like the clouds and the moon, yet Young-pa still felt as if he were riding on a flower cloud. He caught his breath and stepped toward the throne.
“The Yellow Dragon and Hwa-ryong, who fought fiercely in the middle of Yeoul-rim last time, have now clashed in seoritgol and wish for the right and wrong to be determined.”
As he drew closer, he heard a voice. Only then did Young-pa realize that Seo-o was standing beside the throne.
“Let them handle such matters themselves.”
“But Master, this is not the first or second time they have clashed.”
“Since they keep running into each other in this vast heavenly realm, it must be fate; tell them to simply get along.”