DKM 28

After parting ways with Soseo, we headed toward the Martial Arts Arena. The area around the arena was already bustling with people. Myoryeong hopped up and down, complaining.

“We’ll never see a thing from here. Let’s move forward.”

“Alright.”

First, we lightly tapped the shoulder of a large man standing in front of us. The man whipped his head around and asked irritably,

“What?!”

We looked up at him with our usual pitiful expressions. Taking advantage of the moment he hesitated, we slipped right past him. After repeating this process diligently, we succeeded in getting right to the front of the arena. Myoryeong made a gesture as if wiping sweat from his forehead.

“Even in wuxia novels where everything is solved with brute force, the honey trap still works.”

“But Myoryeong, isn’t this more of a ‘cuteness trap’ than a honey trap?”

Since I’m a baby hamster and you’re a confident hamster. Myoryeong agreed with my point. Regardless, from here, we could see the participants’ pores. In fact, we were so close that my neck was starting to ache a bit.

Just then, someone stepped up onto the arena. He was a man with light brown hair dressed in blue-green martial arts attire… He was a warm-hearted beauty, the type who looked like he would kindly offer a glass of water and a snack to a female lead struggling with her training while giving her gentle advice. I’m glad I followed them to the martial arts tournament. There are handsome men with great bodies everywhere. But who is he? Myoryeong asked me.

“Who is that neat beauty—no, that neat handsome man who looks like he’d ignore a clinging, regretful ex and just go his own way?”

How should I know? The answer came from another Read on Read BL Novelsspectator next to us, who had been [visit our site]focused unauthorized copyon the arena without blinking for a single moment.

“He’s the winner of the last tournament.”

“The winner?!”

The moment we gasped, the man on the arena performed a cupped-fist salute and bowed his head.

“I am Dan Jahan, a second-generation disciple of the Wudang Sect.”

A thunderous roar erupted like a bolt of lightning from the sky. As mentioned before, Sects like the Wudang Sect recruit disciples at regular intervals, and they are divided into ‘first-generation, second-generation, and third-generation disciples’ depending on when they entered. It’s similar to how grades are divided in school.

By the way, does the law that the more beautiful you are, the stronger you are apply to wuxia as well as romance fantasy? I didn’t expect the previous tournament winner to be that handsome.

After greeting the crowd, Dan Jahan lifted a massive wooden pillar that looked like it had been plucked from some mansion. When Dan Jahan struck a bell with the pillar, a clear and grand sound resonated. It was the bell signaling the start of the martial arts tournament. After raising the bell, Dan Jahan sat in a chair prepared inside the arena. Several martial artists wearing the same clothes as Dan Jahan sat behind him. I couldn’t even imagine how many Sects longed to sit in those seats. Then, a man presumed to be the referee stepped onto the arena and shouted,

“Then, let the first match begin!”

Once again, a cheer shook the venue. We began to enjoy the battles unfolded by the martial artists in earnest. There were many participants but only one arena, so I worried about how on earth they would ever make it to the semifinals and finals, but that turned out to be a completely useless worry. It didn’t take long for the matches to be decided. Most were settled within fifteen minutes. Of course, there were occasional cases where the levels were similar, but the overwhelming majority involved one side unilaterally crushing the other. Just as my neck was getting stiff from staring at the arena, the referee called out the name I had been waiting for.

“Paeng Soseo of the Paeng Clan and Wol Hwa-cheon of the Huashan Sect! Please step up to the arena!”

At the referee’s call, a man appeared on the arena. Neatly groomed long hair, clean and fair skin, and a slender body wrapped in silk clothes. Oh my god, he’s too handsome! Way to go, my baby! Of course, I didn’t raise him, but… regardless, he’s my proud baby. We immediately waved pieces of paper and cheered like crazy. Then, it suddenly occurred to me.

Why is it so quiet around here…?

We looked around with puzzled eyes. The people, who had been staring blankly at the arena in silence, began to whisper one by one.

“The Paeng Clan? Is he really from the Paeng Clan?”

“What kind of Paeng Clan member is that thin? He looks like he’d blow away if the wind blew.”

“Did they introduce him wrong?”

Paeng Soseo looked down at the spectators and smiled softly. At that, the people—who had remained calm even when someone who had barely learned martial arts sent a middle-aged Master flying, or when they found out a green youth was a Master older than his wrinkled opponent—went wild.

“T-that…! He must have heard our conversation clearly, look at him smiling!”

“A fragile and calm Paeng Clan member? I absolutely cannot accept this!”

“….”

These people were just like fans when a formula is broken or a character’s personality is ruined, just like the Clan Head of the Namgung Clan. No, but is Soseo’s existence really that shocking? Can’t they just accept it as—

—KWA-BOOM!

…it is. The spectators’ mouths snapped shut all at once. Soseo had slammed his opponent into the ground without even using a weapon. Even I, who had been daydreaming, snapped awake. The referee shouted,

“P-Paeng Soseo wins!”

Soseo left the unconscious opponent behind and straightened his body. Then, he gave that same soft smile from before. The referee shouted again at the top of his lungs,

“Paeng Soseo! Wins!”

The spectators, who had been watching in a daze, each added their own comment.

“Yes! That monstrous strength! He is definitely from the Paeng Clan!”

“The Paeng Clan is best when they’re hearty!”

“The Paeng Clan is the best!”

…Did he not use a weapon just to clearly show that he is strong? I muttered with a blank face.

“Soseo must really be going through a lot.”

“I know. People expect too much from Soseo.”

And this isn’t just Soseo’s problem. Probably Moyong Hwa too…

“Moyong Hwa of the Moyong Clan and Pil Jae-seung of the Hengshan Sect! Please step up to the arena!”

Just as I was thinking of Moyong Hwa, [stolen content]I was surprised once again. In the meantime, Paeng Soseo had stepped down and the next match had Read on Read BL Novelsbegun. The referee looked for Moyong Hwa.

“Is Moyong Hwa not here?! If you’re not here, you’re disqualified!”

“….”

His luck is really bad. Of all people, Moyong Hwa has to follow Soseo. He’s bound to be compared again. Did Moyong Hwa realize that and decide not to come up? But if he doesn’t come up now, he’ll be disqualified. I started to feel anxious.

“If you don’t come up right now, you’re disqualifi… gasp!”

As if he had been there from the start, Moyong Hwa was standing behind the referee. Moyong Hwa silently passed the referee and stood before Pil Jae-seung. Wearing plain martial arts attire without a single embroidery and with long bangs, the spectators began to gossip again, pointing at the gloomy Moyong Hwa.

“…Seriously, what’s with this tournament? People from the Moyong Clan are famous for being flamboyant.”

“I heard they have so much gold and silver that even the servants wear fancy silk clothes. If even the servants wear clothes like that, this guy is too…”

“And look. He’s staying quiet even though he can clearly hear us. I heard the Moyong Clan has immense pride in their family and is famous for flying into a rage if insulted.”

Moyong Hwa’s aura grew even darker. Oh no, this reminds me of things from my original world. I see myself overlapping with him, having completely ruined my first presentation in front of the professor and my classmates and losing all my confidence for a while…! Just then, the referee shouted loudly,

“Moyong Hwa wins!”

Moyong Hwa also won in just a few exchanges of blows, but unlike with Soseo, the spectators’ reaction was lukewarm. In a reflexive surge of indignation, I shouted loudly,

“Moyong Hwa is cool!”

Moyong Hwa, who was descending from the arena as if escaping, whipped his head around immediately. Exactly toward me. I waved my hands vigorously and shouted once more,

“You’re really cool! Good luck next time too!”

Tsk, tsk. I heard a clicking sound from beside me. I turned my head. Myoryeong was looking at me with eyes that saw a world-class fool digging his own grave. Myoryeong shook his head.

“Don’t come to me when you regret this later.”

Eh, why would I regret this? I ignored Myoryeong’s words.

One sijin later, I realized.

“….”

That Myoryeong was right. I glanced at Soseo, who was standing in front of the room with his arms crossed. Soseo spoke with a crestfallen face, like a puppy caught in the rain.

“I’m hurt. You didn’t say anything when I was fighting.”

“No, it’s just that it ended before I could even say anything…!”

Soseo repeated,

“I’m really hurt right now, Myoha.”

My heart tingled as if I’d been electrocuted. Since his already pretty face looked sulky, it added a touch of sorrowful beauty…! Almost instinctively, I grabbed Soseo’s face. I accidentally pressed a bit too hard, so his cheeks squished, making him look like an even cuter puppy. Oh my god, I want to beat my past self to death right now…! I’m absolutely in the wrong for making such a beauty feel hurt! I’m a heinous criminal! I hugged Soseo tightly.

“Starting tomorrow, no matter how quickly it ends, I’ll cheer for you with all my heart.”

Soseo hugged me back.

“…You’re not saying you’ll only cheer for me?”

“How could I only cheer for you? I’m going to cheer for your younger brother, Soyu, too.”

“….”

A brief silence followed my words. Since Soseo had his face buried in my shoulder, I couldn’t possibly guess what he was thinking. Soseo mumbled, still with his face buried in my shoulder.

“…Then if I fight Soyu or Hwa, who will you cheer for?”

I immediately turned serious.

“Ask something that makes sense. You, of course.”

“Really?”

“When have I ever lied to you about something like this?”

Soseo slowly lifted his head and met my eyes. The eyes that had been like a whimpering puppy were now smiling dazzlingly bright.

“I’m so happy, Myoha.”

“It’s only natural. Soseo, you get happy over the smallest things, don’t you?”

The arms Soseo had wrapped around me tightened a bit more.

“I like you so much.”

“I like you so much too.”

“…Yes, I know.”

Let’s see if anyone can find a friend as cute and steadfast as me. While I was praising myself inwardly, Soseo, still hugging me, waddled over to the window.

“But Myoha, I think it would be better if you didn’t go around alone for a while.”

The moment I looked at the blue sky, the people packed together like bean sprouts, and the buildings of various heights, Soseo reached out and closed the window. I looked at the closed window with puzzled eyes and then nodded.

“Ah, yeah. Okay.”

Soseo rubbed his cheek against my head and asked,

“Aren’t you going to ask why? I think you’d be curious.”

“I want to ask, but I’m trying to hold back because I feel like there might be some complicated reason.”

“There’s no particular complicated reason. I just thought if I told you, you’d have too many things to worry about.”

“Really? If that’s the only reason, then I’ll ask.”

“The only reason? To me, that’s the most important reason…”

Soseo stopped talking and stared at me intently. What is it? The moment I blankly stared back at Soseo, he pressed his cheek against my head and rubbed it again.

“If you look at me that cutely, I have no choice but to tell you.”

Huh? I wasn’t in pleading mode just now. Did I unconsciously make a pitiful expression? Anyway, let’s hear the reason. Soseo pulled me closer and whispered softly in my ear.

“Hwa was watching you from the roof of a nearby shop.”