Scars
After leaving the pavilion, Cheongwol and Ak Seo-ah strolled along the streets of Geumdang, letting the walk settle their stomachs while they took in the city.
There was nothing especially remarkable about the place, but the rich, nutty scent of sweets fried in oil brought Cheongwol to a stop.
"Seo-ah, shall we buy one?"
And yet, after saying they still had to eat dinner later, here she was, already looking for snacks.
Still, Ak Seo-ah had already accepted Cheongwol’s invitation to share a meal at the pavilion, so she nodded without complaint.
"Then give me one of those, soin."
A little while later, the two of them were wandering the streets again, chewing on candied sweets until their cheeks bulged.
The sweets were pleasantly oily and satisfying to bite into, and even though they had just eaten, Cheongwol found herself constantly popping more into her mouth.
By the time the candy in their hands had nearly disappeared, Ak Seo-ah turned to Cheongwol and spoke carefully.
"Cheongwol sojo."
"Hmm?"
"You came to Sichuan to go to Dang Clan, did you not? That means we’ll have to part tomorrow. Chengdu is right next to Geumdang, after all."
"...Right."
She was headed for Dang Clan, and Ak Seo-ah for Mount Emei.
They had both known they would have to split once they reached Sichuan, but saying it aloud made the loss feel sharper, and both of them were left with a faint, reluctant ache.
"I truly enjoyed being with you. I hope... Cheongwol sojo feels the same."
"...Seo-ah."
Ak Seo-ah was usually so energetic that even this slight sadness made Cheongwol’s chest tighten. She took the other girl’s hand and nodded.
"Yes. I felt the same. Enough that I wanted to keep traveling with you a little longer."
"Cheongwol sojo..."
The mood had grown warm and a little awkward, but tomorrow they would be walking separate roads anyway.
Cheongwol was willing to accept at least this much of a parting.
As always, though, Ak Seo-ah suddenly brightened, her eyes flashing as she began shaking Cheongwol’s hand with earnest force.
"Then that is wonderful! Cheongwol sojo! Why not come with me to Mount Emei?"
The earlier gloom had vanished somewhere completely unknown.
"Why would I do that?"
Cheongwol tried to pry her hand free, looking bewildered, but it was already too late.
"Just a moment ago, you said you didn’t want to part with soin. So I’m saying you should come to Mount Emei first. If you do that, I shall finish my family matters and then help you, Cheongwol sojo."
"Help me...?"
Cheongwol asked with a slight furrow in her brow.
"Wait a moment... Ah, found it."
Ak Seo-ah reached into her robes and rummaged around for a while before pulling out a gleaming golden plaque.
Unlike its flashy appearance, there was no pattern or ornament carved into the center—only a single set of red characters engraved with force.
Shandong Ak Family.
"It’s the family head’s token of the Shandong Ak Family! Father was going to entrust it to my younger sibling, but I begged him to trust soin just this once, and at last he gave it to me!"
She proudly held it out, but Cheongwol’s heart was filled only with suspicion.
...This looks fake.
She barely suppressed the doubt rising to her throat and asked, "I understand that you have the family head’s token. But how exactly are you planning to help me with it?"
"Cheongwol sojo, do you know what Dang Clan is like?"
"Roughly. They use poison and hidden weapons, and they have a rather closed-off air about them. For an Orthodox faction, their methods are also..."
"Enough! That is more than enough!"
Seeing that even more negative words were about to spill out, Ak Seo-ah hurriedly cut her off.
Of all places, to speak carelessly about Dang Clan while standing on Sichuan soil...
After quickly glancing around and confirming that no one had overheard, she finally let out a relieved breath.
"Cheongwol sojo. Just so you know, you must never say such things where people can hear you. At the very least, not anywhere in Sichuan."
"I won’t."
Only after receiving Cheongwol’s promise did Ak Seo-ah continue.
"Anyway, besides what you just said, there is something else you must know. Dang Clan is an enormous noble house."
"I know. It’s one of the Six Great Clans."
"Exactly! If you go there alone, what do you think they will do?"
"Uh... I don’t know?"
"Hundreds of people pass through Dang Clan’s gates every single day! If you have no special business, and if your luck is bad, they could shut you out for more than a year!"
Ak Seo-ah spread both arms wide and cried out with all the fervor of a preacher.
"But do not worry! I am the eldest daughter of the Shandong Ak Family, a clan that stands shoulder to shoulder with the Six Great Clans! With this family head’s token, I can get you past the threshold in one shot!"
"Oh..."
The more she heard, the more convincing it sounded, and before she knew it, Cheongwol was nodding along.
It really did seem better to stay in Mount Emei for a few days and then visit Dang Clan with Ak Seo-ah than to go alone and wait endlessly at the gate.
"That’s right. You’re the daughter of a distinguished family."
"Ahem. It isn’t something to boast about, but yes! I am the eldest daughter of the Shandong Ak Family, Ak Seo-ah!"
As if deliberately repeating the fact that she was the eldest daughter of the Shandong Ak Family, Ak Seo-ah drew herself up with great dignity.
Watching her, Cheongwol finally let out a snort of laughter.
"All right. But once you finish your business at Mount Emei, you really will help me, right?"
"Of course! There are only two things I hate most in this world: first, lies, and second, people who speak them!"
"...Really?"
"Yes!"
Cheongwol pinched Ak Seo-ah’s cheek, smiling at her with exaggerated confidence.
"Then tell me now. Why did you ask me to come with you to Mount Emei?"
"...?"
Ak Seo-ah looked away as if she had no idea what Cheongwol was talking about, but that trick would not work on Cheongwol, who had already seen through her completely in such a short time.
"I’m sure you’ll be sad to part with me. But you wouldn’t have offered up the family head’s token just for that reason, would you? As far as I know, that token isn’t something you can just use anywhere."
"That is..."
"It’s fine, so tell me. I need to know why, or I won’t be able to relax."
At Cheongwol’s subtle urging, as though she already knew everything, Ak Seo-ah hesitated for a moment before finally drawing in a long breath.
Then, unlike usual, she wore a grave expression and wrapped one arm around the other.
"...As expected, I cannot hide anything from Cheongwol sojo. That is right. There is another reason..."
With her head hanging low, Ak Seo-ah stared at her toes, her eyes dim and trembling.
"When I left my family, do you remember that I said I wasn’t alone?"
Remembering the bandits they had met, Cheongwol gave a slight nod.
"I remember. You said you’d been separated from your companions because of some matter, didn’t you?"
"That is correct. You remembered. But that matter... was in truth that I ran off on my own and abandoned my group."
Cheongwol could tell it had taken great resolve to say that much, but to her, it was hardly surprising.
To be honest, she had already assumed as much.
"Why?"
As a friend, though, she asked out of courtesy. This time, the words that came from Ak Seo-ah’s mouth were completely unexpected.
"Because my younger sibling despises soin terribly."
"Hold on."
Instinctively, Cheongwol stopped her, sensing that this was not going to be a simple story.
"How much do they hate you? Is it just a little quarrelling?"
She asked carefully, but Ak Seo-ah’s expression only darkened further.
"Trash, cripple, vermin... Those are all things my younger sibling has called me."
Every insult she listed was so vicious it was hard to believe they had been hurled at family, and Cheongwol’s expression grew equally grim.
"I ran off from the group because I couldn’t bear it anymore. When they cursed at me in front of others, I could endure it, but whenever they used sparring as an excuse..."
As if the memory had returned all at once, Ak Seo-ah could not finish and instead grew misty-eyed.
"My sibling and the rest of the group must already have reached Mount Emei. The others may be all right, but my younger sibling is surely furious... I’m so scared to go in there alone. So, please..."
"Seo-ah."
Before the plea could even leave her lips, Cheongwol drew her into a light embrace.
"It’s okay. You don’t have to say any more."
"Cheongwol sojo..."
"And I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked something so personal. It must have been hard to say."
"...I did not want to deceive you. We are not just any friends."
"I know. Thank you for being honest with me."
"Then..."
"How could I send you there alone now? Don’t worry. I’ll go with you."
"Thank you. Truly..."
At last, Ak Seo-ah buried her face in Cheongwol’s shoulder and began to sob, and Cheongwol gently patted her back.
"No need to thank me. That’s only natural between friends."
When she opened her eyes again after briefly closing them, the feelings she had tried so hard to keep hidden seeped into Cheongwol’s gaze.
It had once been a feeling she set aside for revenge, but Ak Seo-ah was now also a precious bond she could not do without.
That was why Cheongwol intended to let just a little of the emotion she had kept buried show through.
So this is how it goes. The ones who have everything truly do know no restraint.
Unlike herself, who no longer had even family to call her own, Cheongwol’s mouth hardened as she thought of the people who trampled even the bonds they had been given.