Night fell, and Seo-jun, after putting Chun-bong to bed, wandered aimlessly around the yard.
The accommodations provided by the Namgung family were as grand as their reputation. It wasn't just a single building; the courtyard was filled with well-maintained plants and a pond. Seo-jun stood by, listening to the soothing sound of water while gazing at the moon reflected on the pond's surface.
'What is this feeling...?'
He couldn't shake the nagging thought from his mind.
Namgung Sua's expression—one could call it meddling, but the look on her face, from someone he had grown fond of, wasn't something he could easily dismiss.
"Hmm..."
With a frown, his lips pursed, and he absentmindedly scratched the ground with his foot. Then, abruptly, Seo-jun launched himself onto the roof.
It was there, not far away, that he noticed someone in a similar situation to his own.
Gliding silently through the air, Seo-jun landed on the roof next to the person and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Oh, you, sir," came the reply.
It was Namgung Sua.
She had been staring blankly at the sky but smiled softly when she noticed Seo-jun.
"And what about you, sir? What are you doing out so late?"
"Well... I just couldn’t sleep."
Seo-jun plopped down next to Namgung Sua, rolling his eyes as he gave her a small grin.
"By the way, sis, your father doesn’t seem to be pressing you too much about marriage, does he?"
"Huh?"
"Then why did you act like we were in a relationship? I mean, pretending to be lovers."
"Oh..."
Namgung Sua awkwardly chuckled as she brushed her long hair behind her ears.
"It’s embarrassing..."
Seo-jun remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
"Honestly... it’s nothing big. I just felt weird following you guys around all the time without a reason. I thought it might seem strange."
"What's so strange about it? If you want to stick around, you can stick around."
"Hehe, do you think so? I just... wanted to spend more time together. That’s all."
Namgung Sua blew into her hands as the night air grew chilly, burying her face between her knees.
"It looked like fun, you know? Traveling with you and Chun-bong, chatting together."
"Really?"
"Yeah... really."
Namgung Sua didn’t say anything else for a while.
Instead of speaking, Seo-jun simply sat beside her, gazing up at the sky.
The stars were abundant, and even the crescent moon, though small, shone brightly.
After a few moments, Seo-jun hesitated before gently patting Namgung Sua on the back.
"I’m not sure what’s bothering you, but... cheer up. Why do you seem so down?"
"I don’t know. I just feel like an idiot."
"Hmm..."
Seo-jun scratched his head.
"You know, if you say things like that in front of me, it leaves me at a loss for words. Should I tell you about all the dumb things I’ve done instead?"
"Will you?"
She really wants to hear this? Seo-jun was a little flustered but started wracking his brain.
It had been almost two years since he ended up in the martial world. He had made more than his share of mistakes, but recalling them wasn’t as easy as he thought.
Still, he began recounting some events from the beginning.
When he first arrived in the martial world, hearing a woman's scream and recklessly charging at a knife-wielding man in his confusion, getting his belly slashed open. The time he checked Chun-bong, who was pretending to be a boy, only to discover her true gender. And grabbing a branch to seek revenge on yet another knife-wielding opponent.
"...Wait a second. There are too many. If I keep talking, we’ll be here all night."
"Hehe, you’re such an idiot."
"Wha—!"
Namgung Sua lifted her head and giggled.
"I wasn’t calling you an idiot. I just feel stupid for getting hung up on something that’s not even a big deal."
"So, what is it?"
"Are you curious?"
"Of course I am. And they say that pain shared is halved. Though, to be honest, that sounds like a lie, but who knows, right?"
Namgung Sua, resting her chin on her knees, smiled at Seo-jun with a chuckle.
"It’s going to sound really stupid once you hear it."
"More stupid than me?"
"Yeah."
"Well, that’s a bit worrying, then."
Seo-jun scratched his head again, and Namgung Sua laughed once more.
She’s laughing a lot tonight. That’s a good thing. There’s nothing wrong with laughing.
Namgung Sua, after a moment of deliberation, finally opened her mouth slowly.
"You saw them too, right? My father and brother."
"They’re unique, both of them."
"Yeah... they are."
She pursed her lips, chewing them before she continued.
"Did I ever tell you why my mother passed away?"
"No."
"She had a chronic illness. She was always weak, and her martial arts level never went beyond the second rank."
Namgung Sua sighed deeply and looked Seo-jun in the eye.
"My father tried every possible method to save her, but... nothing worked. Part of the reason she got so weak was because of my and my brother’s birth."
"Oh..."
"After she passed, my father took up the sword again. My brother, as you saw, grew up bright and cheerful."
"Yeah."
"But watching all that... it made me feel weird. Like, while everyone was overcoming their struggles, I was the only one who couldn’t do anything."
Could you say Namgung Jincheon overcame his struggle? The way he constantly talked to his sword didn’t exactly give that impression.
"The truth is... I felt a lot of guilt about my mother’s death. If she hadn’t given birth to my brother and me, maybe her condition wouldn’t have worsened."
Namgung Sua locked eyes with Seo-jun and smiled faintly.
Her blue eyes shone beautifully in the dim moonlight.
They sat in silence, eyes locked.
After a while, Namgung Sua spoke again.
"Honestly, I resented my brother. I thought, if it weren’t for him, maybe mother would have lived."
She averted her gaze slightly.
"And I even resented my father. I thought, what good is being the head of the great Namgung family if you can’t even save the one you love?"
"And how do you feel now?"
"I just feel like an idiot. I don’t know why I had those thoughts. Now I’m too scared to even face them properly... it’s hard to explain."
Seo-jun wanted to say something wise or comforting, but nothing came to mind.
In the end, he scratched his head again and gently took her hand, resting on her knee.
"You’re just too kind, that’s all. Honestly, who hasn’t had thoughts like that at least once in their life?"
"Do you think so?"
"Of course. People always find someone else to blame for their troubles."
"Mm..."
Namgung Sua buried her face in her knees again, then suddenly stood up.
Seo-jun watched her, hoping that his words had made her feel even a little better.
Namgung Sua glanced down at him and chuckled, then held out her hand to help him up.
"By the way, do you remember what you said before? That I enjoy getting hit?"
"Uh... yeah."
The sudden change in topic caught Seo-jun off guard, but he was secretly relieved. He was starting to run out of things to say.
"I’ll prove that’s not true."
But this wasn’t what he had expected.
Namgung Sua took Seo-jun's hand and placed it against her lower abdomen. Her skin was smooth, but her stomach was firm, protecting something precious beneath.
"Wait a minute... isn’t this moving a bit too fast...?"
"Shh."
Namgung Sua leaned in close and whispered in his ear.
"Do you feel it?"
"Feel what...?"
"My heartbeat."
"Why are you making me feel your stomach to check your heartbeat...?"
To be fair, he could feel it. Her heart was pounding quickly, thudding under his hand.
If an expert martial artist like him couldn’t sense a heartbeat this obvious, it would be a disgrace to his rank.
"Here."
Namgung Sua pressed his hand deeper into her abdomen.
"Haa..."
Her hot breath brushed past Seo-jun’s ear, making him shudder.
"How is it?"
"What...?"
"I’m not getting excited from being hit, am I?"
What on earth was he supposed to do in this situation?
Feeling flustered, Seo-jun quickly pulled his hand away and stepped back.
"P-pervert!"
Namgung Sua giggled.
"You’re cute."
"What?!"
Seo-jun snapped out of his daze. This was serious. His pride as a man was on the line.
He took a step forward, and Namgung Sua, still laughing, looked up at him.
"Why?"
"Ha..."
Seo-jun raised his hand. Namgung Sua tilted her head, wondering what he was going to do, just as his hand swiftly moved.
Smack!
"Kyaa!"
Namgung Sua grabbed her plump bottom and plopped down.
"S-sir...?"
"See! You like getting hit!"
"No, that’s not—"
Namgung Sua tried to stand, but her legs gave out, and she collapsed again.
"Huh?"
Seo-jun stared at her blankly as she smiled awkwardly.
"My legs... gave out."
It really was a day full of events.
Last night, Seo-jun had no choice but to carry the now-docile Namgung Sua back to her room.
Leaving her on the roof would’ve been too cruel, even for him.
On the way to her room, and as he laid her on her bed, the strange atmosphere between them left his mind restless.
As a result, Seo-jun spent the entire day staring blankly into space, earning a frown from Chun-bong.
"What’s wrong with you? Did you eat something bad?"
"Seems like it."
"What the hell..."
Chun-bong sighed, crossing her arms and pouting.
"You said you had something to teach me. Are you going to keep acting like this?"
"Oh, right."
Seo-jun snapped back to reality and stood up abruptly.
There was no time to be distracted when something important lay ahead.
For peace of mind, Seo-jun squeezed Chun-bong's cheeks a few times before declaring loudly:
"Blue Cloud Divine Art Mk.2!"
This was the beginning of Chun-bong's Meridian Sealing Cure Operation.
‘Wait a minute.’
But if her meridians get fully healed... will she grow even more? That would be disappointing.
Thinking of an all-grown-up Chun-bong gave Seo-jun a slight headache.
"The heavens are so cruel!"
Why must children inevitably grow up!
"...You’re really something," Chun-bong sighed.