Straw Sandals Pair with Straw Sandals
The young bastard from the yangban house had some real luck today. He'd scored three candies—something even one of was hard to get. He figured he'd give one to Eori like just now, one to Mom, and save the last for himself.
"Hey! You lowborn scum! School out already?!"
Of course, life never flowed that smoothly. He turned toward the voice that sounded like it belonged to a boy who hadn't even hit puberty yet. There stood four boys grinning wickedly. Their common trait wasn't just those smug faces. All four had fathers who were big shots in the area.
Beom-chang-bok, so fat his eyes could barely open, was the son of a major trading company head. Yun Seong-bae, who looked like a full-grown man despite being mid-teens, was the son of a steward for a 1,000-seok landlord. I-bang served the county magistrate of a small district office, with his prominent cheekbones and snake-like slit eyes. And finally, that pale-faced, high-bridged-nose Kim Hui-un...!
"You filthy lowborns! When you see a yangban, you bow! Get on your knees now!"
His father was Kim Jin-sa, a 10,000-seok landlord and the pillar of this county.
Slurp! "Ah, greetings, young master."
Eori spat the half-eaten candy into her hand and bowed politely. I clasped my hands in front and lowered my head too.
"Greetings, young master."
"Not doing well at all!"
"That's a relief amid misfortune."
"What?!"
"If you've been unwell until now, doesn't that mean you're feeling better now that you've seen me?"
"Like hell, you lowborn shit!"
Kim Hui-un yelled in disbelief and stomped over. Chang-bok, Seong-bae, and I-bang trailed behind like lackeys. Standing right in front of us, he threw out a random question.
"What'd you learn in seodang today?"
"We memorized the gugudan today."
"Hah! Multiplication tables! I mastered those ages ago!"
"Nine times three!"
"Twen—twenty-eigh—!"
"......"
"Wh-what're you staring at like that?!"
Smack! The bastard swung his palm. Eori's eyes went wide in shock beside me, and my cheek stung like hell, but I was satisfied—I'd landed one on him first.
"Hmph! As expected of lowborn trash. Can't compete head-on, so you cheap-shot instead."
He sneered, having flubbed the gugudan himself. His three goons chimed in one after another, trying to outdo each other.
"Right, young master! Lowborns can only think lowborn thoughts!"
"Throwing such a tough problem out of nowhere! Truly lowborn!"
"And solving it that fast! As expected of you, young master!"
"Heh, y-yeah?"
He hadn't even realized he'd gotten it wrong, despite bragging about mastering gugudan. Made me wonder if this guy was really yangban stock every time.
"Hmph, anyway."
His mood lifted by the bootlicking, he glanced at us with a smirk.
Kim Hui-un alternated looks between me and Eori before asking, "Why're you two always stuck together? You sweet on each other or something?"
"!"
"Lowborn trash suits lowborn trash! Ahahaha!"
Eori's head snapped up at "sweet on each other." Her already dark face flushed deep red as she waved both hands at me and the bastard.
"N-no, no, no! We're not!"
"What d'you mean 'not'? Anyone can see you match perfectly!"
Yeah. Exactly. So please stop. I'm gonna cry. She might be a kid with plenty of time in this life, but in my past one, I'd died a 23-year-old virgin with zero girl experience. Seeing Eori hate it so much her eyes welled up made my own eyes misty.
"Heh heh heh, sure."
The bastard cackled before sneering again.
"Straw sandals go with straw sandals. Try wearing leather ones and you'll regret it. Right, Si-jin?"
"Young master."
"Hah hah, I'm asking, aren't I? Say it. Straw sandals go with straw sandals."
To repeat: this bastard's father was a 10,000-seok landlord, the top dog in the county. And my father too. Meaning he was insulting my mom, the concubine.
"Say it! What d'you think of the young master's words?!"
I hemmed and hawed, unable to speak, when Seong-bae shoved my chest. I swallowed the rage boiling inside me.
This was normal, actually. The teacher only whipping me for acting up in class was the weird part. A regular yangban would've grabbed a club, not a hoechori.
"Come on, say it. Straw sandals should pair with who? Say it right, and I'll put in a good word with Mother."
It wasn't just status keeping me in check. The bastard's mom, the principal wife, naturally despised my concubine mom. That's why we lived kicked out to the lowborn village.
"Ha ha! As expected of the young master!"
Not much I could do. Cheek throbbing, mocked as a virgin, mom insulted—I had to grit my teeth and laugh it off.
"Of course! Like pairs with like, right?"
"Ha! Exactly! Didn't expect your tiny brain to get it!"
"Who could match you, young master? Beans from beans, red beans from red beans! How'd a lowborn like him pop out in a yangban house?!"
"......What?"
"I mean! How'd a bastard like you get born into the noble, ancient Pyeongan Kim clan? We gotta beat you on a mat for it. Right?"
"Uh, th-that's......"
"No, let me. Hey! Anyone got a mat? The second young master of the Pyeongan Kim clan, Kim Jin-sa's son, needs one for a beating! Lend us a mat!"
I raised my hand high and shouted at passersby. The yangban bastard's face drained white. He hated me, sure, but he only came after school for slaps and such. Threatening a public mat-beating outright? He backed away, spooked.
"F-fine! Not in the mood today!"
"No, come on! Don't bastards like you need a thrashing someday? Today's the day!"
"Enough! Keep being crazy over there!"
"H-hey! Where you going? Don't you need that beating, young master?!"
They say the dog that barks loud scares less than the drooling one. The bastard freaked at my antics and fled with his crew.
"Damn, that bastard needed a mat-beating today."
"You okay, master?"
Eori came up to me, looking worried as she touched my slapped cheek.
"Your cheek's all red!"
"Oh, this? Your fault."
"M-my fault?!"
Thinking I'd gotten hit because of her, her face paled. I gently took her hand as it slid down and met her dark eyes.
"Every time I see you, my face gets red. 'Cause you're too pretty, Eori."
"M-master! How can you say that?!"
She swatted my hand away and covered her face, turning to show only her braided ponytail.
"Sorry. You mad?"
"Yes! Very mad!"
"Huh? Want candy?"
"No! I'll eat mine! Nom!"
She popped the candy she'd spat out earlier back in her mouth. After fuming till her ears turned red, she finally showed her face again. Still pouty, though.
"......!"
Damn, cute. One cheek puffed out from the candy, she glared up at me with fierce eyes like a tantrum-throwing baby. Couldn't help but laugh.
"Come on, Eori. Let's go."
"......Yes, master."
I held out my hand; she grumbled but took it. Hand in hand, Eori and I headed home. We played gugudan games along the way and chatted about today's lessons. By the time the sting in my cheek faded, we'd reached Hwacheok Village, where our house was.
Everyone here except Mom and me were originally wandering nomads roaming the eight provinces of Joseon. But the current king—who'd go down as King Sejong—had given them houses and land to settle. Of course, being alternate history, it wasn't your average village. Our two-room house with a kitchen was made of cement, with neat sewers and household privies emptied regularly by the county office.
Sure, they got called Hwacheok Village instead of their original name, faced discrimination, and some elders missed the roaming life. But most settled in without complaint.
Tatata... Tatatata...
The steady machine noise grew louder as we neared home. I told Eori I'd see her later and went in.
"Mom! Back from seodang!"
The machine noise stopped, and the left door opened. Out came Mom, pretty face beaming with a smile.
"Oh, my Si-jin's home? Did you listen to the teacher?"
"Yeah, Mom. You're pretty today too."
"......What'd you do this time."
"Just saying you're really pretty!"
Mom was stunningly beautiful. No exaggeration—she was genuinely gorgeous. Blunt as it sounds, she didn't become a concubine for nothing. If born modern, she'd fit right on TV.
"Mom! Look! If I'd caused trouble today, I wouldn't have gotten these!"
I showed her the two candies. Realizing I'd gotten two while others got one, she smiled again.
"Really? Good job, my boy!"
"Yeah. I know."
"If only you weren't such a handful, you'd be perfect."
"Teacher said the same. Here, this one's yours."
As planned, I offered her one candy. She shook her head, smiling like it filled her up already.
"No. Mom doesn't like sweets. You eat it, Si-jin."
"Mom, don't you know? I take after you—I hate sweets too. Whatever, I'll toss it in the privy. It'll just come out as shit anyway. Might as well shit it out early."
"Fine, fine. Mom'll eat it."
As I headed to the backyard privy, she surrendered with a headshake. I popped the candy in her mouth, and her smile widened.
"Mmm! Delicious! Sweet as honey!"
"Mom, your son earned that fair and square. I'll make sure you get treats every day I'm in seodang."
"Heh, got it. Now wash up. Mom's got work. Okay?"
"Yup."
Hands might've already spread germs from feeding her, but I said nothing and went to the water jar. Mom returned to her room. That's when I definitely saw it: the sewing machine in the room, glinting faintly.
Hah hah, fuck. For real. Is this really Joseon?