By Zephyria 
65
“What is it?”
“I mean, carrying that. It looks heavy……”
“……”
The woman stared intently at Ho-eun.
“……”
Chilbok also stared intently at Ho-eun. Ho-eun felt a strange familiarity in their gazes. That look. A look that said, ‘He’s strange.’ He felt inexplicably small, and the tips of his fingers curled inward.
The woman wrinkled her nose and sniffled. Then, she handed one of the Straw Sacks she was carrying to Ho-eun.
“Well, if you insist……”
At that, Ho-eun spread his palms wide again. He bent his back awkwardly, tensed his slender thighs, and pressed down on the ground with his heels. He was preparing to receive the load in his own way.
Then, he swallowed hard. He was nervous. He had never done any heavy lifting in his life. His parents were overly protective, but Deok-woo was even more so. He absolutely forbade him from lifting anything heavy. He was worried that his fingers would break or his wrist would fall off even if he only held an apple.
As he glared at the Straw Sack with wide eyes, the woman handed it over. And the moment the weight was entirely on Ho-eun.
“Ugh!”
Ho-eun collapsed to the ground. The Straw Sack was very heavy. It was like a house-sized rock. He couldn’t even guess what was inside, but it didn’t seem to be grain, at least.
If the woman hadn’t deftly snatched the falling Straw Sack, Ho-eun might have been crushed to death. It was that heavy.
As Ho-eun sat sprawled on the ground, staring blankly at the Straw Sack, the woman clicked her tongue.
“What do you think you’re doing, trying to help with that delicate body…… Chilbok, take him and give him more food.”
She effortlessly picked up the Straw Sack and placed it back on her shoulder. It was clearly as heavy as a rock, but in her hands, it looked as light as a pillow.
She sniffled again and disappeared between the tents. Ho-eun stared at her retreating figure with a face as if he had seen a ghost. He giggled. He heard someone laughing. Ho-eun quickly turned his head. Chilbok, who was covering his mouth with one hand, was shaking his shoulders as he laughed.
“Chilbok, don’t laugh.”
Ho-eun said as a warning. But it didn’t have much dignity. It was because the last part, “Don’t laugh-ah,” trailed off like a whine.
Ho-eun, with an embarrassed face, quickly got up and brushed the dirt off his clothes. Chilbok, who quickly approached, helped him brush off his clothes. Even then, his lips twitched with laughter.
“Half the people here are Gods of War, young master. Whether you’re a man or a woman doesn’t matter at all.”
“Still, I was taught that you shouldn’t make a woman carry heavy things.”
“Heeey, how can you say that after seeing Dong-ja Noonim? Dong-ja Noonim could lift me and you with one hand.”
“I would have helped even if Dong-ja Noonim was carrying the load.”
“Young master, really…….”
Chilbok shook his head. Soon, Ho-eun, who had brushed off all the dirt, fiddled with his hair and mumbled.
“Still…… it’s a little embarrassing.”
“That you fell?”
“No, that I tried to act like a man with this strength.”
Ho-eun clenched his fist. And he tried to put strength into his grip, but even he felt that his strength was truly pathetic.
What could he do here with these hands…… Would he be helpful…… Would he be of any use……
As he sighed deeply, he felt a gaze from somewhere. It was a very clear and persistent gaze, so much so that it felt like a touch.
Ho-eun inadvertently turned his head in that direction. Far away between the roughly arranged tents, he saw someone standing. An unusually tall height even among the soldiers, an unrivaled presence, and a heavy sense of oppression.
“……General?”
It was Tae-muk.
Ho-eun tilted his head. How long had Tae-muk been there? This was the Crimson Rain Brigade’s camp, and it wouldn’t be strange for Tae-muk, the owner of the Crimson Rain Brigade, to be anywhere, but it seemed like he hadn’t been there a moment ago.
But is he looking here? Why? Anyway, he should say hello, right? But is he really looking at me? What if he’s looking somewhere else?
As Ho-eun pondered, Chilbok, who was also looking at Tae-muk, whispered very, very softly into Ho-eun’s ear.
“The Commander must have heard you.”
“Heard what?”
“The sound of you falling.”
“Did I make a sound when I fell?”
“You said, ‘Ugh.’”
“The General heard that? And came all the way here after hearing that?”
Ho-eun made a face as if he had heard a strange ghost story. It was because it didn’t make any sense at all.
It was possible that Tae-muk was nearby by chance. But this place was too noisy. There were many people, the wind was blowing a lot, and the flags were fluttering. He hadn’t screamed loud enough to make the world tremble, so there was no way he could have heard that short sound.
But there wasn’t even a hint of playfulness on Chilbok’s face.
“The Commander sees everything he looks at, and hears everything he listens to.”
“……Huh?”
Ho-eun tilted his chin slightly forward as if he still didn’t understand what he was saying. He wondered if it was like saying there was a mountain spirit living in the river, or a dragon living in the sky.
But Chilbok smiled and grabbed the end of Ho-eun’s sleeve and led him forward.
“Let’s go now.”
“But I have to greet the General.”
“He’s already gone.”
“……Already?”
Ho-eun took a step forward and turned his head towards where Tae-muk had been. Indeed, Tae-muk had already disappeared. He had disappeared without a trace, making him feel as if he had seen a ghost.
And many soldiers passed by over the spot where he had been standing. Everyone was walking straight ahead, step by step, step by step. Some were even running. It didn’t seem like a Devouring Ghoul had appeared, but there seemed to be many things to do on the battlefield besides fighting.
“Everyone’s busy…….”
Ho-eun, who was being dragged by Chilbok, muttered to himself. Then, he quickened his pace and stood next to Chilbok.
“You must be busy too, I’ve kept you for too long, haven’t I? I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“You’re not in trouble, are you? You won’t get scolded by your superiors…… If so, blame it on me. Say I dragged you away arbitrarily. Huh?”
“No.”
Chilbok shook his head as if he was really okay. Then, he strode forward. His steps were the same as those of the other Crimson Rain Brigade soldiers.
It was the gait that only someone who knew exactly where they had to go and what they had to do could have.
Ho-eun envied Chilbok. At the same time, he was also ashamed. Even young Chilbok had things to do, but he was just living the good life, accepting the food he was given, looking for a mirror, and leisurely asking to be shown around……
“I need to do something too…….”
At Ho-eun’s words, which he uttered with a profound look, Chilbok quickly looked at him.
“Are you bored? Should I get you a snack? We don’t have anything as good as chocolate, but we have walnuts and peanuts……”
Ho-eun couldn’t help but smile at Chilbok, who was chattering busily. He was touched and grateful to see him trying to do something more for him, and at the same time, he was cute. Ho-eun gently stroked Chilbok’s rough cheeks, which were not like those of a boy.
“I didn’t mean it that way. I just wish I had something to do.”
“…….”
Chilbok flinched as if he was unfamiliar with the touch on his cheek. But he didn’t avoid Ho-eun’s touch. Ho-eun, who was looking at him, exclaimed, “Ah.”
“But Chilbok, what were you going to do with the salt?”
Ho-eun, who was squatting under the bed, looked at his hands with a serious face. The tips of his fingers were all wrinkled. Even an old man’s hands wouldn’t be this wrinkled.
“Haa…….”
Ho-eun sighed as he slowly bent and straightened his stiff fingers.
Ho-eun had been wiping cucumbers with Chilbok all afternoon. They said they were making Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi, and the amount was like a mountain. It was only natural since they had to feed close to a thousand mouths.
When another cook handed him a cucumber, Ho-eun would wipe it with salt. It was easy enough for Ho-eun, who had never experienced it before, but it was quite tiring.
His back hurt, his legs hurt, and his shoulders hurt, but what was most painful was his hands. Every time he rubbed the coarse, hard salt on the cucumber, his palms felt like they were being torn apart. It was as if he was being slashed by small pieces of glass.
Chilbok had told him several times not to do it, but Ho-eun had stubbornly continued to work. It was the first thing he had done since coming to the camp, and he wanted to finish it no matter what. It wasn’t something someone else had told him to do, and he had volunteered to do it, so he couldn’t quit halfway.
Moreover, rumors were spreading. He didn’t know why, but anyway, the rumors about him were good, and he couldn’t bear to see them turn into scandals.
“Nothing’s easy…….”
It’s not like he’s killing a Devouring Ghoul, so why is making Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi so hard?
Ho-eun, with his eyebrows drooping, blew on his wrinkled fingertips. Will it be okay tomorrow? He hoped he wouldn’t have to live with these wrinkled hands forever. As he was diligently drying his hands,
The tent shook greatly and Tae-muk appeared. His hair was wet as if he had just washed, and he was only wearing a Durumagi over his pants. His water-soaked upper body shone glisteningly.
Ho-eun, who quickly got up, bowed to him.
“You’re here.”
“…….”
Tae-muk stared at Ho-eun like that. Then, he suddenly wrinkled his nose. It was a somewhat exaggerated wrinkle.
“I smell salt.”