BSW 247
“What?”
“Dong-ja Noonim and Man-soo Hyung-nim only gave permission for a ‘brief’ visit… I have stayed too long.”
“Brief?”
Tae-muk frowned, as if he didn’t understand what that meant. However, Ho-eun stepped back immediately, as if there were no time to explain. He didn’t want to be away from Tae-muk. But it would be disastrous if he lingered in front of him and Tae-muk ended up harming him.
The battle wasn’t over yet. He didn’t know what state Tae-muk might end up in next; if he got hurt here, he wouldn’t even be allowed to linger by his side. Not only would Dong-ja and Man-soo become utterly thorough, but Tae-muk himself would likely avoid him.
Now that he had seen Tae-muk was better, he could afford to withdraw.
With his lips pressed tight and a solemn expression, Ho-eun began to pull back the blanket. But Tae-muk wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him into his embrace.
“It’s okay. They came in earlier, so I sent them away.”
“The two of them came?”
“Yeah. They both stormed in with spears, looking like they were ready to stab me to death.”
“…….”
“I told them it was fine and to just go get a straw mat. The floor is stolen visit our sitecontenttoo hard for you to lie on.”
Tae-muk had given the order in a deliberately soft and calm voice to tell them not to be on guard, but Dong-ja hadn’t believed him and tried to snatch Ho-eun away. Tae-muk had to push her head back while holding Ho-eun in his arms. Beside her, Man-soo watched Tae-muk with suspicious, narrow eyes, and as if testing his patience, he even poked Tae-muk’s thigh with his spear. In the end, he was kicked out after receiving a barrage of coarse curses from Tae-muk.
Tae-muk shook his head as he recalled the moment. Ho-eun asked with an awkward expression.
“Are you… really okay?”
“What if I’m not? Do you think I’ll do something to you?”
Tae-muk asked back with a self-deprecating smile. Then, Ho-eun spoke, casting his eyes slightly downward.
“I… would like you to…”
“…….”
For a moment, Tae-muk felt his breath hitch. It seemed this lewd Young Master was trying to kill him again, just as he had barely returned from the brink of death.
Knowing what he might do.
Knowing what he might suffer.
How fearless.
Fearlessly beautiful.
Tae-muk gazed blankly at Ho-eun’s lovely face, then pressed his lips firmly against his forehead and spoke.
“I hate it. It’s such a waste just to touch you like this; what more do you want me to do?”
“But still…”
“I can bear it. I can endure it.”
Tae-muk hunched his back and hugged Ho-eun tightly. Then, he pressed his cheek against Ho-eun’s. He even pulled Ho-eun’s hands around to wrap them around his own back.
Tae-muk’s body was trembling slightly. Occasionally, his muscles would turn hard as stone, and he would inhale so deeply that his chest seemed to swell as if it might burst.
“…….”
Ho-eun felt this, blinking silently, and soon hugged Tae-muk back. He gently patted the broad, firm back. Yet, for some reason, his expression was dark. Tae-muk had recovered, but he still felt a sense of frustration and sorrow.
How long did they stay like that?
“Ah.”
This time, a short gasp escaped Tae-muk. Startled, Ho-eun asked hurriedly.
“What is it? Does something hurt?”
“Just a moment.”
Instead of answering, Tae-muk abruptly pushed himself up. He then reached for his military uniform, which lay crumpled in the corner of the tent—stiff with dried blood and still bearing the vicious tooth marks of a Devouring Ghoul—and began to rummage through it.
Ho-eun, who had also sat up, watched him blankly.
Tae-muk looked anxious. He seemed worried that whatever he was looking for might have been ruined. Then, his face suddenly brightened. Something slid out from the uniform.
It was none other than… a handkerchief. The very handkerchief that Ho-eun’s mother had once embroidered with azaleas. Tae-muk smiled faintly, as if he were incredibly glad to see it.
“It’s surprisingly intact.”
Tae-muk looked at the handkerchief as if it were a marvel. He found it strange that the handkerchief remained fine while his clothes had been reduced to rags. It was certainly different from an ordinary handkerchief. Both in its appearance and the energy it held. It was, so to speak, like a mystical talisman.
While Tae-muk was admiring the handkerchief.
“…….”
Ho-eun was just blinking. Was the handkerchief intact? It didn’t look particularly intact, being stiff and shriveled from soaking up so much blood.
But why did he take that out all of a sudden? Was there something to wipe? Did he still have a wound that hadn’t stopped bleeding? Where? Just as Ho-eun, misunderstanding the situation, began to scan Tae-muk’s body with his eyes.
Tae-muk sat close in front of Ho-eun and gently unfolded the handkerchief. Ho-eun couldn’t [[stolen content]class="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">unauthorized copy]understand his actions, but he watched in silence.
Finally, the tightly folded handkerchief opened, and what was inside appeared. Ho-eun’s eyes slowly widened.
“This is…”
“It’s an azalea. They were blooming by the river.”
Inside the handkerchief was an azalea. An azalea that had turned deep red, soaked in blood.
The flattened, crushed azalea wasn’t particularly pretty. It had lost its original color and shape. But regardless, it was an azalea. An azalea whose fragile petals remained attached without a single one being broken or torn. A common flower, yet one he hadn’t seen once this year.
As Ho-eun gazed down at it, Tae-muk spoke with a somewhat excited face.
“You said you were disappointed that you couldn’t see them last time.”
At those words, Ho-eun felt a sharp pain, as if his heart were being crushed. His eyes involuntarily twisted and then smoothed out.
“So… you picked this for me?”
Ho-eun asked in a low, sunken voice. His cheeks were pale, and his eyelashes hung heavy. Seeing this, the smile gradually evaporated from Tae-muk’s face.
“…Why. Do you hate it? Because it’s a dead flower? Or because it’s too ugly?”
He had never given flowers as a gift before, so he didn’t know. He had just picked it on impulse, and it seemed he had made a mistake. Indeed, it was too stolen [unauthorized copystyle="font-size:0;position:absolute;left:-9999px;">]contentdamaged. In the eyes of Ho-eun, who had grown up seeing only the finest and most precious things, it must be no different from trash.
As Tae-muk began to lower the handkerchief containing the flower, Ho-eun quickly supported the back of his hand. Then, he reached out, unable to bring himself to touch the flower, and instead stroked the nearby handkerchief, asking in a murmur.
“You picked this in the middle of such a fierce battle?”
“Huh? Uh…”
“To give it to me?”
“Yeah.”
“You picked it and kept it tucked against your chest all this time?”
“Yeah.”
At the repeated affirmations, the corners of Ho-eun’s eyes slowly dropped. Then, in an instant, tears welled up in his eyes. His voice became damp.
“Why… why did you do that? Why…”
“…Ho-eun?”
The moment a surprised Tae-muk raised an eyebrow.
“Ah… ahhh…”
Ho-eun burst into tears. He suddenly seemed so sorrowful that he wept with his whole face contorted, his body curling up.
Flustered, Tae-muk didn’t know what to do and just blinked stupidly before setting the flower down as if throwing it away. He then carefully cupped Ho-eun’s cheeks and tried to meet his gaze. To make eye contact with someone so much smaller than himself, he had to bend his waist and tilt his head.
“Why, why are you crying? Don’t cry. Did I do something wrong? Do you hate that I picked a flower? I won’t pick any more in the future. Should I go plant this back? If I plant it well, it might live again—”
Tae-muk was rambling incoherently, but Ho-eun suddenly grabbed Tae-muk’s wrist. Then, he tossed his body about, as if he were shaking Tae-muk or perhaps shaking himself, acting out in distress.
“Why, why must you be the General? Why…”
“…Ho-eun.”
“Why, hic, why are you the General, why…”
Why you, someone so lovely and fragile, were born with such power, why you have to fight those monsters, save people, and protect the country. Why do you have to do that? Why…
It felt unfair. He felt like he was going crazy from the unfairness of it. He wanted to point an accusing finger at the heavens and kick the earth. But it seemed Tae-muk was the one receiving that accusation and those kicks.
“Do you… hate that I’m a General?”
Tae-muk asked back with a stiff face. Did Ho-eun hate the General? Why would he hate it? Was it because it was lacking, or because it was too much? It was probably the former. He had always brought only the best things.
But seeing Tae-muk’s face, Ho-eun was startled. He abruptly stood up, knelt, and crawled toward Tae-muk to embrace him.
“No, no. I don’t hate it. I don’t. I love everything. I love everything related to the General. I misspoke.”
“…….”
“It’s just, it’s just so unfair…”
Ho-eun pressed his face firmly into Tae-muk’s chest. Tae-muk looked down at the crown of Ho-eun’s head, gently stroking the back of his head as he asked.
“What’s so unfair?”
“That the General…”
“Yeah.”
“That you are in pain, that you get hurt, and that you bleed… it’s unfair.”
“…….”
“It’s so, so unfair.”
I wish the General wasn’t the God of War.
Ho-eun tightened his grip on Tae-muk’s waist. The strength of that embrace suggested he [unauthorized copy]truly felt it was unfair. However, Tae-muk could not understand his grievance. He stroked Ho-eun’s long braided hair and spoke.
“What’s so unfair about that? I don’t find it unfair at all.”
“…Pardon?”
Ho-eun peeked up. His face, drenched in tears, looked exactly like a young child’s. Tae-muk pulled him up and sat him on his lap. Then, patting his thin back, he met his eyes.
“If I hadn’t become the God of War, how would I have met you?”
“…….”
“How could someone like me have a precious person like you as my Bondmate, as my lover?”
“…….”
“I don’t find it unfair at all.”
“…….”
“In the next life, I hope we are exactly this happy—no more, no less. There’s no way I’d find this unfair.”
At those words, Ho-eun, who had been sobbing, opened his eyes wide.
“…Happiness?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you happy? Right now?”
“Of course.”
“…….”
Ho-eun’s pupils wavered violently.
Enjoying the story?Support me on Ko-fi
Comments 0
You must be logged in to comment.
No comments yet. Be the first!