Gatewatching

I woke up late, around ten in the morning, long after the sun had risen. Strength and vigor in the morning! Yeah, right. Yesterday, Monday, the aftereffects of anemia still lingered, so I ate at school and headed straight back to the boarding house. Once there, with no one around, I simply collapsed into bed and slept like the dead.

The result? Complete revival! Perfect Shirabayashi! After taking medicine, eating properly, and resting deeply, the anemia from two days ago had fully recovered. Despite my pathetic stats, my recovery speed felt even better than it had been in the twenty-first century.

…Is this what youth feels like?

Guess I should head to school soon.

The specialized academy wasn’t a university, but it was a higher education institution on par with one. Classes weren’t mandatory like in middle or high school. Morning general courses were mostly theoretical anyway—if I just memorized the terminology and aced the tests, that was enough. But afternoon major courses were different. I needed to attend those, so I dragged myself up from the floor.

Ugh, what a pain…

I was up, but the thought of walking down the hill, catching a bus or taxi, and heading to school already drained me. No ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠matter the era, going to school was always a chore for students…

Then I heard the front gate of the boarding house creak open outside my room. I opened the door and peeked out. Men in black suits. They were direct subordinates of Takahiro from the Shimazu-gumi.

What’s going on?

Following them were the owner of this house, Ham Wonsam, and his daughter, Ham Seoju. Seoju spotted me and brightened immediately.

“Oh my! Student guest! …You didn’t go to school?”

“Yeah. I was just about to head out. By the way, you’ve been discharged?”

“Yes.”

I asked Ham Wonsam, who was sitting on the wooden veranda.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Young student, can’t you tell just by looking? I’m completely healed! It was just a few bruises to begin with…”

Then he continued, “And those Shimazu-whatever fellows kept saying ‘We’re truly sorry about before’ and ‘Sumimasen’ while taking care of everything. They even paid for the hospital stay, waited on me hand and foot, and drove us home in a car! Heh heh! When have I ever received treatment like this…?”

Just as he said, a sleek black luxury car was parked outside the gate. It seemed they had given the father and daughter a ride home after discharge.

But Takahiro himself was nowhere to be seen. I’d planned to at least acknowledge him if he was here…

I asked one of the subordinates who was about to leave through the gate.

Whether it was on Takahiro’s orders or Renka’s, even his subordinates were now calling me “Young Master” and speaking to me with respect. Speaking of which, guests at Renka’s house? Well, that wasn’t any of my business.

I asked the syndicate member.

Since they were still calling me “Young Master” and speaking respectfully even after finishing their service to Takahiro, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to make a little more use of them. To the guy whose eyes were spinning, unsure what order might come next, I smiled and said.

***

After arriving at school in the comfortable car, I leisurely attended the afternoon major course. The classroom for swordsmanship majors resembled a martial arts training hall. I arrived on time, changed into a training uniform like the other students, and sat down. That’s when I started hearing whispers from all around.

Ahem.

Come to think of it, I had slapped Renka’s cheek on Saturday morning. I left school during the morning, and yesterday—Monday—I stayed in the infirmary before eating with my squad members and returning to the boarding house. So today was the first time other students had seen me since I slapped Renka’s cheek.

It seemed the rumor had spread wildly while I was gone.

Shock! A Korean who slapped Lady Shimazu in front of everyone and even made her apologize?!

…Thinking about it now, I probably went too far.

No matter how angry I was at the time, slapping Renka had been far too impulsive. Besides, she had apologized for the incident, and I had essentially forgiven her. But I had still hit her in front of everyone. It would be best to apologize to her separately when I saw her next.

By the way, Renka isn’t taking this class?

Morning general classes were held by class, but afternoon major courses were divided by specialization regardless of class. Yet just like last week, Renka was nowhere to be seen in the afternoon swordsmanship class. Didn’t she use a sword? Shouldn’t she be taking this?

Or maybe she’s already mastered swordsmanship and doesn’t need classes like this…

The only time I had seen her use a blade was on the first day I woke up, when she sliced a tetra pod—or rather, a takoyaki as they called it now—in one strike. That level of skill would easily qualify her as a hunter even if brought to the twenty-first century. Moreover, she hadn’t learned swordsmanship against magic beasts from the start. She must have trained rigorously against human opponents first before facing beasts. In that case, she really wouldn’t need basic swordsmanship classes.

On the other hand, I…

My swordsmanship had been learned from the beginning by cutting down monsters inside gates. So while I could use a sword decently against magic beasts, I was completely useless against human opponents. It wasn’t that I lost when blades clashed—it was that I couldn’t win without cutting the opponent somewhere. That’s why I needed to learn swordsmanship against people from the basics. So I was practicing basic stances in place, swinging my sword through the air in time with the counts.

Students who already had some skill paired up for sparring, while beginners received instruction on basic forms from Professor Genryu. Since I needed to build my foundation from the ground up, I had joined the latter group.

While ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠practicing forms by swinging my sword in place, a rough voice called out to me.

It was Murasaki. Looking at his face that seemed ready to explode, it was clear he had been grinding his teeth ever since last week’s spar.

Was losing to me that humiliating?

Murasaki came charging at me with flared nostrils, demanding a rematch, but I cleanly refused.

He made a face like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, then shouted.

He raised his sword and charged. Of course I dodged lightly, but he kept coming without getting tired, yelling “Ken o motte!” At this point I was starting to think, Should I just break one or two of this guy’s limbs to make him stop?

Just then—

A loud roar rang out. The old swordsman Professor Genryu, who had been correcting another student’s posture, strode over and—

Slap!

His thick hand struck Murasaki across the cheek.

“No, sir, teacher! I was just—”

As Murasaki panicked and tried to explain, Professor Genryu roared again.

“Huh?”

“Draw your sword! I’ll even use a wooden sword for you!”

Dragged away by Professor Genryu, Murasaki soon started screaming.

Serves him right.

With both entertainment and an annoying pest taken care of, I swung my sword with a much lighter heart.

***

After finishing the afternoon major class, I went looking for my squad members. Naturally, I excluded Murasaki, who only hung around with his own little gang. The reason I was looking for them was obvious…

The Gate!

To go see the gate—called a mamun—that had opened outside Dongsomun. Of course my real goal wasn’t just sightseeing. I planned to slip in alone while leaving the others behind. Still, acting together as a team was better for building teamwork in many ways.

I first found Song Byeong-o at the shooting range and joined up with him. Then I spotted Lee Yuha and Aikawa, who were heading back to the dormitory, and greeted them in Korean.

“Yuha~”

“……? Chulyeon.”

I asked Lee Yuha, who still didn’t seem used to receiving greetings.

“How’s your body feeling?”

Lee Yuha smiled softly and answered.

“Why do you always ask after my health whenever we meet? I am truly fully recovered now. Dr. Heukbyeon… no, Dr. Kurobe has also diagnosed me as completely cured.”

She still seemed more comfortable with the Sino-Korean reading than the Japanese-style name, calling him Dr. Heukbyeon before correcting herself to Dr. Kurobe. Anyway, it was good that she had fully recovered.

I got to the main point.

“You heard about the mamun that opened outside Dongsomun, right? We’re going to check it out after school today. Want to come?”

“Is Yang also coming along?”

Lee Yuha’s expression changed as she first asked whether Yang Bok-ja would be joining. But since Yang Bok-ja had been the one who first suggested going to see it, it was only natural she would come.

“Yeah.”

“Then I shall pass. You all go and enjoy the sight without me.”

Lee Yuha turned her head and spoke firmly. Hmm. It seemed things were still awkward between the two of them.

I asked Aikawa.

Timid Aikawa clasped her hands together and refused, clearly terrified. So in the end it would just be me, Yang Bok-ja, and Song Byeong-o.

When Song Byeong-o and I left the school gate and reached the beginning of the uphill road, Yang Bok-ja was already waiting. She had secured three rickshaws.

“Shirabayashi-kun! So-kun! Over here, over here! Kocchi, kocchi!”

Spotting us from afar, Yang Bok-ja jumped up and down, waving her hands wildly. Song Byeong-o turned his head and muttered.

“That’s a bit… embarrassing. A grown girl acting like that… Sigh.”

Just as he said, among the female students, Yang Bok-ja—who was exceptionally well-developed—bouncing up and down in place was quite a sight. Speaking of which…

A rickshaw.

It had already been almost a week since I fell into this era, but riding in a vehicle pulled by a person still felt strangely repulsive. Maybe it was because I had been living near Ham Wonsam, the rickshaw puller.

I gave the rickshaw pullers Yang Bok-ja had hired a few coins and sent them away.

“Aigoo, thank ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you!”

“Eh?! Shirabayashi-kun? Why did you send them away?”

After dismissing the pullers, I spoke to the confused Yang Bok-ja and Song Byeong-o.

“Let’s take a taxi. I’ll pay.”

“Wow, you really do have a lot of money…”

To be precise, it wasn’t me who had money—it was my parents. …Saying it like that made me sound like an incredibly shameless rich kid, but it was the truth. Anyway, now that I was squeezing money out of my father Baek Nopyeong through Gye Chunhui, I didn’t need to be stingy with small change like this. When it was time to spend, you had to spend.

We caught a taxi and headed toward Dongsomun. Sure enough, as the taxi heading south passed Hyehwajeong and crossed Dongsomun, the thing in question became visible amid the rice paddies spreading in all directions.

“There, there! Shirabayashi-kun! That must be it!”

Yang Bok-ja, sitting in the back seat, got all excited. I, in the passenger seat, turned around and said.

“…Yang Bok-ja, since we’re outside school, can’t you just call me Baek Chulyeon?”

“Moo! This is more comfortable for me! And Shirabayashi-kun should call me Tomiko too!”

A sphere floating in the middle of the rice paddies beyond Dongsomun, writhing with indescribable colors. It was a gate—called a mamun in this era.

We got out of the taxi and approached the mamun. Song Byeong-o adjusted his glasses and said.

“I can’t tell if we came to see the mamun or to see the people!”

“Yeah, I can’t see it well—”

Yang Bok-ja added, standing on tiptoe and craning her neck. Just as they said, the mamun was surrounded by so many people and makeshift tents that it was hard to get a good look.

I looked around and suggested.

“Let’s go up there to watch.”

We climbed onto the old city wall connected to Dongsomun. Once we each found a spot on the grass-covered wall and sat down, the view was much better than before.

Hmm.

I examined the mamun that had appeared in the middle of the rice paddies and its surroundings.

Is there any gap where I could sneak in…?

Soldiers encircled the mamun, with several makeshift tents set up inside that perimeter. Countless hunters had also gathered. As I pondered how to slip inside, Song Byeong-o, who was watching beside me, muttered.

“Dongcheok stock is going to rise again!”

Yang Bok-ja chimed in.

“That’s why my father bought some Dongcheok stock too! He says it’ll never drop!”

“Hah! Must be nice to play with money when you already have money! This is why the bourgeoisie…”

Dongcheok. While soldiers stood guard around the mamun, the ones actually screening the hunters at the very front and letting them through were employees of “Dongcheok”—the Oriental Development Company.

That Oriental Development Company is involved here too?

Yes, that very company. The one I had read about in modern history textbooks back in the twenty-first century. A state-run corporation established by Imperial Japan to exploit Korea’s land and resources. And over the past few days, through school classes and books, I had learned something new. In this era, in addition to land and resources, they also managed the gates—mamun—that appeared in Korea.

Any newly formed mamun on Korean soil basically became the property of the Oriental Development Company. Their own hunters and surveyors would first enter the mamun to assess its type and scale. Afterward, hunters from other guilds or independent hunters would be brought in as subcontractors to exterminate the magic beasts. Once cleared, the mamun might end up under the control of other hunter guilds depending on shares and interests, but fundamentally, Dongcheok managed it.

If it had been a mamun taken by the Shimazu-gumi, I could have asked Renka for help, but that won’t work here…

At the front of the mamun, Dongcheok employees were meticulously checking hunter licenses before allowing entry. There didn’t seem to be any way to sneak in.

But as I watched the scene closely, I noticed something and asked.

“Hey, hey, look over there. Why are those people going in without any checks?”

There were indeed people entering without showing hunter licenses. And they weren’t even properly dressed hunters. Most of them looked quite shabby.

Yang Bok-ja answered.

“Shirabayashi-kun, you didn’t know? Those are nakashi! In other words… porters!”

“Porters?” I repeated, and Song Byeong-o adjusted his glasses and added.

“Baek Chulyeon, no matter how little experience you have with actual sites, it’s surprising how lacking your common sense is in unexpected areas! Of course hunters need people to follow them and provide support, right?”

When I looked at the scene again after hearing that, I saw that after licensed hunters entered the mamun, the shabby-looking people following behind them without showing licenses were all carrying bags or boxes on their backs and in their hands.

…I see! Porters!

The hunters underwent individual inspections, but the “porters” brought by the hunters were treated like the hunters’ personal belongings and skipped separate searches or checks.

That’s it!

An unexpected way to enter the mamun had appeared.

***

At the same time, with a flash of sword light, a bamboo stalk was sliced horizontally.

——Slice!——

The upper part of the horizontally cut bamboo target fell away, and soon flames erupted from the severed surface with a whoosh.

But unlike usual, Renka’s heart was not satisfied.

Huu…

The news of an unwanted ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠guest arriving had left her feeling unsettled since yesterday, and it refused to settle.

Renka lowered her sword straight down, closed her eyes, and steadied her zanshin before beginning to raise the blade again. But at that moment—

A voice came from behind her, and someone overlapped their hand over hers where she gripped the sword.

At the voice brushing her ear, Renka felt a chill run down her spine. She swung her arm and violently knocked away the hand that had overlapped hers.

Frowning, Renka said.

She turned her body and glared at the man before her, continuing.

Only then did Aoki remove his military cap and bow politely toward Renka.

……

Renka continued glaring at the man with eyes that seemed ready to cut him down. Five years ago. Just as Major Aoki said, this was the first time she had seen him since their engagement was arranged when she graduated from the elementary division of the Tokyo academy.

In her childhood, the first thought that came to mind when facing this man was fear. It felt like becoming a katydid standing before a praying mantis—despite knowing those spiked arms would not be directed at her. And that detestable attitude of his, as if hiding something! On top of that, the way he acted as if he enjoyed her father’s favor despite being an army officer! …None of it sat well with Renka.

Unpleasant.

So more than the harsh training of her childhood, what she hated most was meeting this man. But since the marriage was still far in the future and she assumed it was her father’s will, she had simply buried it in her memory. Yet now—

I had forgotten about it.

He had appeared before her eyes once more. And the impression Aoki gave upon their reunion was no different from back then.

Aoki, as if only now noticing Renka’s venomous gaze, smiled gently and said.

Renka’s brows narrowed once more. She had no desire to show this man any courtesy. She asked directly.

Aoki kept his gentle smile as he put his military cap back on and said.