DKM 26

I apologized once more, but Moyong Hwa’s lips remained tightly shut. I would have felt more at ease if he had just acted arrogant and rude like before. Soseo’s words—that the Moyong clan was truly a place that could drive a person mad—came to mind. I spoke softly.

“Young Master Moyong Hwa. As a token of my apology, shall I tell you a secret?”

“…….”

Moyong Hwa averted his gaze from me and stared blankly at the flowing water. He wasn’t interested. I immediately pivoted to grab his attention.

“Even Young Master Soseo doesn’t know this one.”

Moyong Hwa looked back at me. But I didn’t stop there; I drove the point home.

“If you know this secret, you might even win the martial arts tournament……!”

I let out another loud shriek and collapsed to the floor. No, I’m the one who baited him, so I’m not in a position to complain, but why does he love pinning people down so much? First it was on top of Soseo, and now on top of me……! Just as that thought crossed my mind.

—Thwack.

A sleek silver blade slammed into the ground right next to my neck. The razor-sharp edge gleamed even in the dark alley. If that long, slender sword had shifted just a fraction to the side, I might have actually fainted while having the same imagination. Holding the sword, Moyong Hwa spat out words like a growl.

“Speak.”

I gazed up at Moyong Hwa. Looking [visit our site]at him like this……. A thought [stolen content][visit our site]suddenly flashed through my mind.

“……You haven’t changed at all, have you?”

I had been completely mistaken. He hadn’t changed one bit. The face of the child from five years ago—always full of anger and desperate for recognition from others—remained exactly the same in the expression he used to shout at me. Moyong Hwa tightened his grip on the sword and yelled sharply.

“I said speak, now!”

The moment I realized it, neither Moyong Hwa nor the sword threatening me felt scary anymore.

“That secret is…….”

If I said, ‘It will be revealed in 60 seconds,’ my head would actually be chopped off. I didn’t stall and spoke immediately.

“It’s that Young Master Moyong Hwa is actually a wonderful person.”

For a moment, it felt as if time had stopped. Nothing moved. Not Moyong Hwa, nor I. Just as I thought that, I felt a sting in my neck.

“……You’re saying that’s the secret?”

Moyong Hwa ground his teeth.

“Do you think that makes any sense? Tell me a real secret before I actually cut you.”

“No, this is the real secret.”

My mouth started moving as fast as a motor.

“I keep emphasizing this, but it’s such a secret that neither Young Master Soseo nor Young Master Moyong Hwa himself knows it! It’s something only I know……!”

“Stop talking nonsense!”

Seeing Moyong Hwa shouting with a face like a Yaksha, he was honestly a bit scary, unlike a moment ago. I take back my previous thought. It really felt like that sword might slice my throat……. But I had to say this.

“Young Master Moyong Hwa, you really are wonderful. Don’t mind what the people around you say……!”

Drip.

A cold droplet fell onto my cheek. I stopped talking and looked up at Moyong Hwa. His two eyes, brimming with moisture, were shining sorrowfully. Had he grown his bangs long to hide those beautiful eyes? To keep from enchanting people, did he leave his bangs like that…… No, what on earth am I thinking? Even in this situation, I was proving myself to be a face-con. I gathered my thoughts and looked at Moyong Hwa again. His lips moved slowly.

“How…….”

“Pardon?”

“How can you not care?”

The hand holding the sword trembled slightly.

“Even if I try to ignore it, I can’t.”

“I know. It must be really hard. But…….”

Before I could finish, Moyong Hwa added with a trembling voice.

“I’ll never be able to beat Soseo hyung-nim in my entire life.”

“Is there a need to beat him?”

“And I’ll never be recognized by him either.”

“What?”

Moyong Hwa quickly shut his mouth, as if he had let those words slip by mistake. I continued, pretending not to notice.

“You don’t need to be recognized. Young Master Moyong Hwa, just by existing…….”

“Shut up!”

Thwack. The sword slammed next to my neck again. I let out another shriek. This time, I thought it was actually going to hit me. Did I provoke him too much? Calming my racing heart, I finished what I was saying.

“Young Master Moyong Hwa, you are a precious person just by existing.”

“…….”

The hand holding the sword began to tremble several times more violently than before. The moment he noticed it, Moyong Hwa scrambled away from me as if he had been burned. Clinging to the wall and shivering, he asked abruptly.

“……Who are you?”

“Pardon?”

Toward me, who asked back with a blank face, Moyong Hwa said something shocking.

“Why on earth are you acting like this toward me? You’re scary.”

“……I am?”

I feel like that’s my line. Why on earth are you the one huddled against the wall? And how can you, a Martial Artist, be scared of me? Go block the road and ask people who’s scarier between us. Ten out of ten would say it’s you. I crossed my arms and shut my mouth in disbelief. But seriously, what is he scared of?

That question was answered shortly after. Suddenly, Moyong Hwa gripped his sword so hard his knuckles turned white. Then, pointing the tip of the blade toward me, he asked bluntly.

“What exactly do you want from me?”

“What do I want…….”

I shook my head.

“I don’t want anything.”

“……Liar.”

Moyong Hwa pressed himself even further against the wall.

“Like my father or grandfather, you must want something. That’s why you’re using sweet words…….”

That put me in a difficult spot. As expected, I’m not good at lying. In the end, I confessed honestly.

“Actually, there is something I want.”

“I knew it! I knew you would!”

As soon as Moyong Hwa shouted with a voice mixed half-and-half with relief and anxiety, I shouted back just as loudly, refusing to lose.

“I want Young Master Moyong Hwa to cheer up!”

It didn’t feel like someone else’s problem to see people giving unsolicited advice when someone is already doing well enough. Moyong Hwa jumped in surprise at my voice, which sounded as if I had swallowed a megaphone. The eyes visible through his parted bangs looked like a truly startled cat. Moyong Hwa sheathed his sword and muttered again.

“……You really are weird.”

With those words, Moyong Hwa vanished like a bolt of lightning. As expected of the Moyong clan’s successor. It seems he is also proficient in ‘lightfoot technique,’ the martial arts that allow one to move at high speeds by lightening the body. But what should I do about this? The food bag that flew far away when I fell is one thing, but…… I raised my hand and felt around my neck. It stung when my finger touched the wound.

“…….”

It’s chilly. The air is heavy. I sat in the chair, quietly bowing my head. Myoryeong was glaring at me with his arms crossed.

“I’ll forgive the fact that you went out to buy food and were missing in action for a while.”

“……Thank you.”

“But this.”

Myoryeong grabbed both my cheeks firmly with his hands. His gaze, suppressing a great deal of anger, lingered on my neck.

“It would be best if you told me the truth about how you got this wound.”

“……I have no intention of lying to you either. Instead.”

“Instead?”

I pulled a small piece of paper from my clothes.

“Please sign this.”

“……What is this?”

“A pledge that you won’t get angry after hearing my story.”

Myoryeong obediently wrote his name on the paper. Good, now we’re set. I put the paper back in my clothes and told him what happened.

“—And that’s how I parted with Moyong Hwa. That’s all.”

“…….”

Having finished the story, I checked Myoryeong’s reaction. Myoryeong, who was breathing very heavily, stood up. Then, he suddenly smacked me across the back. My body, along with the chair, staggered and flew toward the door. Feeling wronged, I yelled.

“You said you wouldn’t get angry!”

“You believed that? You actually believed that? Huh?!”

Myoryeong grabbed me by the collar.

“Who told you to seduce another man without my permission?!”

“……I didn’t seduce him! I was just encouraging him!”

“Shut up, you seductive bottom! Do you think you have any say in this?!”

Myoryeong began to rain a series of punches on me. This won’t do; I’ll take the beating since I’m in the wrong, but I have to set the record straight on one thing.

“Stop with the bottom talk……! Why do you keep calling me a bottom!”

I stated my demand clearly.

“If you’re going to call me something, call me a top!”

The merciless barrage of punches suddenly stopped. With his fist awkwardly frozen in mid-air, Myoryeong asked in a trembling voice.

“……Do you now accurately understand what a top and a bottom are?”

I blinked and asked.

“I’m not entirely sure, but they say the top is on top and the bottom is on the bottom. Then isn’t being a top better?”

“With that statement, you have officially become a bottom.”

“Why? Don’t tell me it’s because of my height?! I heard you can be a top even if you’re small!”

“……You’d be a bottom even if you were eight feet tall, my friend.”

I got irritable.

“How on earth is the top and bottom decided?!”

“You wouldn’t understand even if I told you. Let’s treat that wound first.”

Myoryeong applied medicine to my neck. After that, the cut seemed to look even redder. It really was just a slight scratch, but……. What should I do? What excuse should I give Soseo?

“I wonder what Soseo is doing right now.”

“He’s probably being dragged around by Young Master Soyu. But he won’t be too late.”

“Until then, let’s think of a way to hide this wound.”

“Any thought of being honest?”

“I don’t want to see Moyong Hwa and Soseo fighting before the martial arts tournament even begins!”

“I see you know Soseo cherishes you.”

“Of course.”

Because if a friend I cherish came back after being hit by someone, I’d lose my mind and go find the person for a real-life fight immediately. Covering a tiny wound like this with a bandage would make it stand out more. Hiding it with makeup…… No, that’s too risky. What if it rubs off while playing with Soseo? Just then, a great idea flashed through my mind. I immediately asked Myoryeong to find a sewing kit and ran back outside. If my memory is correct, it was definitely around here……! While looking around, I spotted a makeshift stall made of cloth and wood, and a merchant uncle who was just about to pack up his goods.

“Wait a moment……!”

I shouted with a voice projected from my diaphragm and ran with all my might, quickly scanning the stall. Then, I pointed to a bracelet with blue beads.

“Mister, I’ll take this!”

“Eh……? Oh, sure.”

The merchant uncle was flustered by my overly serious attitude, but he deftly took the money. I gripped the bracelet tightly and returned to the lodging. Myoryeong had already found the sewing kit and was waiting for me.

“What are you really trying to do?”

“You’ll see.”

Inside the sewing kit, there were plenty of fabric scraps. This would work. I cut a thin strip of black cloth. Then, I cut the bracelet to separate the string and the beads. Finally, after attaching the bead to the cloth……. It’s done! I announced triumphantly.

“Ta-da, choker complete!”