His stomach felt heavy.
This familiar and stable weight.
As Seo-jun opened his eyes slightly and looked down, he saw Chun-bong as expected.
"Oppa..."
Chun-bong murmured in her sleep, her eyes red from crying.
Suddenly, fragmented memories began to flash through Seo-jun’s mind.
"Ugh..."
He furrowed his brow.
The headache was bad enough, but he couldn’t be sure if his actions had been completely his own will.
Clench—!
When he balled his fist, he felt an odd surge of strength.
Seo-jun closed his eyes and observed the state of his own inner world.
What had once been a lively landscape now appeared as if a storm had torn through it. Rotten plum trees bloomed wildly, and an overflowing river had ravaged the surroundings into chaos.
Yet, even in this chaos, it was a natural part of the scenery, making it hard to dismiss as something entirely wrong.
"Haa..."
He let out a vacant sigh, causing his stomach to rise and fall.
More precisely, it was Chun-bong, who had jolted awake, lifting her head quickly.
"Oppa...!?"
Huff, huff... Chun-bong, panting, wore a distressed expression.
"Get up already, you fool..."
"Okay."
"Ahhh!!!"
Chun-bong leaped up.
Her expected landing spot was Seo-jun's stomach. Preparing for the impact, Seo-jun braced himself, but Chun-bong landed with one arm and leg bracing herself, panting.
"Is, is your body okay...!?"
"Yeah. I’m fine."
Seo-jun lifted Chun-bong, who had landed in an awkward position, and sat her down before getting up. She immediately leaned in close, examining his face.
"Stay lying down! Should I bring you some water!?"
"No, I’m fine. What about the martial arts tournament?"
"Is that really important right now!?"
Fuming, Chun-bong forcibly pushed Seo-jun back into a lying position.
"So what happened?"
"What do you mean, what happened! The tournament’s been postponed for three days!"
"Oh, that’s good."
When Seo-jun chuckled, Chun-bong's gaze grew sharper.
"Hey, Lee Seo-jun."
"Hm?"
"Do you think this is funny? Do you even realize how close you were to dying? No matter how talented you are, charging at a Huashan elder like that is ridiculous!"
Chun-bong’s outburst ended in a deep sigh.
"That’s it. Forget the tournament. You’re not getting out of bed for a while."
"No, I’m really fine."
"......"
This time, it was Chun-bong who fell silent.
But it wasn’t just silence.
Her eyes were speaking more than any words.
In the end, Seo-jun awkwardly took a lying position again, smiling sheepishly.
"Did I look really weird?"
"Of course. Do you think that was normal?"
"It happens sometimes."
Staring blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling, Seo-jun realized this wasn’t the ceiling of the inn they had been staying at.
Judging from the faint scent of medicinal herbs, it seemed they were in some sort of clinic.
"But seriously, I’m fine. Even when I lose my temper, I don’t do anything I wouldn’t normally do."
It was the same this time.
Although he’d gone overboard, even if he had been in his right mind, he would have charged at the elder.
Hearing this, Chun-bong’s eyebrows drooped slightly.
"Care about your own body first before worrying about mine."
"I’m fine..."
"If you say ‘fine’ one more time, I’ll kill you."
"Oh..."
Seo-jun chuckled softly.
Watching him, Chun-bong sighed heavily and scooted closer to him.
"So, is there something you’re hiding from me?"
"Hiding? Not really."
"Don’t lie. Things have been strange for a while. You’ve been keeping things from me, haven’t you?"
There isn’t...?
Seo-jun tried to lighten the mood with a playful tone, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
Chun-bong’s eyes were so serious that he worried she might get hurt if he made light of it.
"There is one thing I didn’t mention. I’m not sure if it’s related, but it’s not a big deal."
"What is it? Just tell me. Or is it something you can’t say to me?"
"Of course not. There’s nothing I can’t tell you."
Scratching his head, Seo-jun suddenly sat up.
Chun-bong shot him a look that said, "You should stay lying down," but this wasn’t something to discuss lying down.
"I mentioned before that I came from another world, right?"
"You did."
"I lived a pretty normal life, but there was one peculiar thing."
It was something from Seo-jun’s childhood.
From what he remembered, his family had been happy.
His parents got along well, and they doted on him.
At least, that’s how Seo-jun saw it.
"But my mom had an affair. Then, suddenly, she left."
His father was so shocked that he didn’t recover for a long time.
That didn’t mean he abused Seo-jun, though.
In fact, he took care of Seo-jun’s needs even while neglecting his own.
"Several years passed like that, and then, one day, my mom came back."
She cried and begged Seo-jun’s father for forgiveness.
She admitted her mistakes and pleaded for them to start over.
Seo-jun didn’t know what was going through his father’s mind at the time, but he accepted her request without hesitation.
And from then on, he treated her with even more love than before.
It seemed like their happy family was returning.
"Then, a few days later—maybe not even a month—a woman showed up at our door."
It was late at night.
Unable to sleep, Seo-jun had been tossing and turning when he heard the doorbell ring.
Sneaking out to see what was happening, he found his father talking to a woman at the door.
He still remembered her vividly.
She was busty, pretty, like someone you’d see on TV.
Seeing someone like that in real life was fascinating.
So, Seo-jun quietly watched as they talked.
"And then my mom came out. The woman recognized her."
He had thought she was just one of his mom’s acquaintances.
Seo-jun was about to go back to his room.
Would things have been different if he had?
Just as Seo-jun was turning away, his mom pulled out a hidden kitchen knife and stabbed his father in the back as he chatted, completely unaware.
"What...?"
Chun-bong, unable to help herself, gasped and covered her mouth.
"Uh, no... Keep going."
"That’s the end. There’s not much else."
After his father collapsed, the woman laughed and said something to Seo-jun’s trembling mother before they both left the house.
After that, the police came, he went to an orphanage, and his life returned to something resembling normalcy.
"I still don’t really know what it was all about. I don’t know why they spared me, or what they gained by killing my father."
"Uh, no..."
Chun-bong rolled her eyes in disbelief, then cautiously moved closer and hugged Seo-jun tightly.
"A-are you okay?"
"I’m fine. It was a long time ago."
When Seo-jun chuckled, Chun-bong, on the verge of tears, spoke with a trembling voice.
"I’m sorry..."
"For what?"
"If I’d been there, I would have killed that woman with a single strike."
"Oh, don’t worry. I already killed her."
When he was twenty-four.
Not long before he fell into the martial arts world.
He had been walking down the street when he saw her by chance.
Seo-jun, feeling as if he were possessed, had followed her. When they were in a quiet area, he picked up a rock and smashed it into her head.
"After hitting her about ten times, she died."
He had hidden for a while, waiting for the police to come, but when he came to his senses, he was in the martial arts world.
Sometimes, he wondered.
How was his mother doing?
He was a bit curious, but he didn’t want to dwell on it.
He didn’t even know how he would react if he saw her again.
"...You did the right thing."
"Right?"
"Yeah. That bitch deserved it."
This was the martial arts world, after all. It definitely had a different moral compass from the modern world.
Feeling a sense of peace wash over him, Seo-jun pulled Chun-bong, who was still hugging him tightly, closer as he lay back down.
The warmth washed away his fatigue.
But for some reason, he wasn’t sleepy anymore. Even with his eyes closed, he didn’t feel like he would fall asleep.
"Geum, let’s go for a walk."
"...Where?"
"Anywhere."
"...That's an unusually sensible answer."
"So, you’re saying yes?"
Seo-jun got up and checked his clothing.
His martial robes were gone, replaced by thinner garments.
"That’s fine."
He grabbed the sword that was lying next to him.
The sword that had been broken in half.
Clicking his tongue, Seo-jun sheathed the sword and fastened it to his waist.
"Let’s go."
"So, Chun-bong."
"Hm?"
The small hand he held squirmed slightly.
Seo-jun looked down at her, and her large, round eyes looked back up at him.
Something about it made him chuckle, and Chun-bong squeezed his hand harder.
"Now that I think about it, doesn’t my story have nothing to do with me losing control sometimes?"
"Of course it does. It absolutely does."
"Really?"
As he looked up at the sky, gazing blankly at the moon, its brightness dazzled him.
A half-moon, swollen and round.
It seemed like the moon would be full in just a few days.
"Wait a second. How long was I lying down?"
"Not even a full day. Are you really sure you’re okay?"
"I told you, I’m fine."
Yawning and walking idly for a moment, he suddenly felt a tug on his hand, causing him to stop.
"Why?"
"Are you really okay?"
"Geum, seriously, I’m fine."
"No, you’re not. You don’t seem fine at all."
"What?"
Scratching his head, Seo-jun looked at Chun-bong as she stared at him intently.
"Today, you’ve been way too quiet. It’s weird."
"You’re always telling me to stop acting crazy."
"That’s just how I talk."
Mumbling, Chun-bong suddenly shut her eyes tightly and leaned forward with her head down.
"Come on!"
"Huh? What is it? You want a kiss?"
"No, you idiot! I’ll let you pinch my cheek, so cheer up!"
"Oh, I see."
This adorable little rascal.
Her face had slimmed down a bit, but she still had those chubby cheeks. As Seo-jun gently pinched them, he felt a sense of peace wash over him.
"Hoo… Is this what enlightenment feels like?"
"…What are you even saying?"
Chun-bong pouted, slightly opening her eyes to look up at Seo-jun.
"I’m not like that."
"Hm? What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"I would never betray you, oppa. Never. I’d even bet my father’s honor on it."
Her father’s honor?
The statement was random, but Seo-jun understood what she meant.
"I know, don’t worry."
"…Good."
Anyway, Chun-bong was precious to him, and that was enough.
The next morning.
"Lee Seo-jun is back!"
Seo-jun sat up, stretching his arms.
"Ugh… so noisy first thing in the morning…."
"Did I wake my little Chun-bong up?"
"I’m going back to sleep… Don’t wake me up…."
"Okay, sleep more."
After tucking Chun-bong back into bed, Seo-jun sat there, staring off into space, when he suddenly sensed something.
What’s this?
Instinctively, he grabbed his sword and waited. Soon, there was a knock at the door, followed by a voice.
"May I come in?"
The voice was strangely familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.
It was the voice of an older man, but who could it be?
Furrowing his brows in thought, Seo-jun responded.
"No, you may not."