Let's Keep Our Distance
"Eori. Let's put a little distance between us for now."
"Father! Give me Eori!"
"I'm sorry."
"......Pardon?"
"Dad!"
The moment Eori's father came home, I dropped to my knees and asked for her hand. But he shook his head with an unusually serious expression.
"No, no. Why?"
I was on my knees in Eori's family inner room, utterly baffled as I asked. I'd known Eori for over ten years now, and I got along fine with her family. There was no reason this shouldn't work.
"Young master."
He called me "young master" instead of my new nickname. Kneeling across from me, Eori's father bowed his head low, treating me not as a prospective son-in-law but as his lord.
"I know full well how you feel about Eori and how much you cherish her. However, you do not suit our family."
"Is it because I'm an outsider?"
"It's because we're from Hwacheok Village."
Ugh. I almost felt a pang of inferiority there.
"Why? Even folks from Hwacheok Village are proper commoners who pay taxes and serve in the military."
Butchers weren't treated like the lowest of the low until the late Joseon era. In this early Joseon time, they were just regular commoners. Hwacheok villagers were the same—upstanding folk who paid their dues.
"But you know how we're still treated like butchers, young master."
Eori's father wasn't wrong. Even though the king had accepted the Hwacheok people as commoners, the original villagers still looked at them through colored glasses. Eori had it rough too. As a Hwacheok kid, she had to keep her head down everywhere, and without me around, even much younger children teased her.
"I understand your feelings, young master. I know what feelings our Eori harbors for you. But marriage is out of the question. A concubine, perhaps—"
"That's...!"
A surge of anger made me forget he was still speaking. A corner of my heated mind screamed no, but my mouth moved on its own.
"Is that something a father with a daughter should say?"
"Young master."
"Don't you know how my mother bore me?"
She'd been middle-school age in modern times when she had me—by none other than Kim Jin-sa, who was old enough to be her grandfather. After becoming his concubine, she endured endless abuse from the principal wife until I turned six, when they kicked her out. If the Hwacheok folk hadn't been so kind, Mom and I would've been dead long ago.
Marry someone else on top of that, and make Eori go through the same hell? Better to stay single forever. Ah, is that why the eldest young master still hasn't married?
A small realization hit me, and I stood up.
"I understand."
"......!"
Eori's father bowed his head deeply as I nodded. He must've thought I'd given up. I patted her head to soothe her and declared,
"I'll handle things on my family's side. If worst comes to worst, I'll just forge a household registry."
"Young master! It's not that simple!"
"The tougher the problem, the simpler the solution. I'll figure out the family difference somehow."
"And if you really end up forging one? How will our Eori eat?!"
"We've still got some tiger meat and bones left."
I'd given the priciest cuts to Kim Jin-sa and the magistrate, but the rest were still valuable. Plus, the tiger pelt I'd sent to Hanyang would fetch a good price—enough to live comfortably for a while.
"Sorry, but I must take my leave. Father, I'll send the fortune-teller's chart for an auspicious date."
I bowed and rose. As I left the inner room, I pondered how to make this marriage happen. Should I just pull a Bill Gates son-in-law move and lie that Kim Jin-sa approved? Eori's dad might buy it. Nah. Better tackle the magistrate first—he still had pull despite his age.
"Master!"
Eori came chasing after me from the inner room, her braids whipping behind her. Even down in the courtyard, her height forced me to look up.
"Eori. I'm sorry."
I took her hands in both of mine as we faced each other. Gazing up at her blushing cheeks with a warm heart, I vowed,
"I'll get their permission somehow. If not, we'll go live in Hanyang together. Remember our promise?"
Taking down a tiger single-handed with just two arrows? Military academy entrance was a sure thing. And if I let the reincarnators know I'm a modern guy, I could easily support Mom and Eori.
"Y-yes. Master. But,"
"It's fine. I took down a tiger. I can do anything."
"I know, master. But,"
"I said it's fine."
"You've got the wrong straw sandals on, master. Those are mine."
"......Oh?"
I looked down at my feet. Not my sandals. I'd been so deep in thought, I'd grabbed the wrong pair.
"Sorry. I jumped to conclusions."
"Hehe. No, master."
I passed the smiling Eori and headed back to the porch. But my sandals were nowhere.
"Huh? Wait. My sandals. Where are my sandals?"
"Here they are, master."
"Where, Eori?!"
My sandals emerged from Eori's bosom. She squatted down in front of me and slipped them on my feet herself.
"I held them close so your feet wouldn't get cold, master."
"But they'd have dirt on them."
"It's fine. I brushed it all off."
"Still..."
"Hehe. How do they feel now, master? Nice and warm?"
The sandals she'd just held to her chest radiated cozy warmth. But one massive problem had arisen—not just big, but imposingly huge.
This damn puberty body!
"N-no, uh, hold on. Eori. Eori. Just... back off a bit."
"Pardon? What's wrong, master?"
"No, it's just... you're too close. Back off a little."
Her squatting to put on the sandals had brought her smooth scalp right at the perfect height, triggering my raging teen hormones.
"Master? Are you alright?"
"Y-yeah. Fine. No big deal."
"Why are you standing so awkwardly? Are you hurt? Let me help you."
"No! Nooo! Don't! You don't need to! I'm fine!"
Her sincere intent to support me by draping my arm over her shoulder was touching. But the soft swell pressing my side was... truly appreciated, no, a total disaster.
"Eori. Let's put a little distance between us for now."
"Y-yes? Did... did I do something wrong?"
"N-no, the opposite. I like you too much. No. I'll just sit here a bit."
Right now, cooling my overheated body trumped convincing the elders. I sat on Eori's family porch, trying to calm down.
"Haa, fuuu...! Haa, fuuu...!"
Shake shake shake!
I deep-breathed and jiggled my legs to settle the conspicuously bulging pants. Just as the excitement ebbed, Eori sat right beside me instead of going inside.
"Master."
"Ah, hold on. Eori. I said let's keep some distance?"
"We kept plenty of distance this fall."
"That's not what I... Eori...!"
I'm losing it. Seriously. Why is my body like this? Should I just chop it off— no, can't do that.
A moment ago, I'd been a man willing to defy all for love. Now I was a man defying all in a very different way.
"Master."
Aaaah! I'm going crazy! For real! Wow! Insane!
My ideal girl bumped my shoulder lightly with a shy smile. The dreamlike moment plus her sweet scent made my vision swim.
"Uh, uh, Eori. Just... go to the other side...!"
"Hehehe. No."
"No, uh, ah, fine. I'll move. I'll go."
To avoid stimulation, I scooted over. But Eori wriggled after me.
"E-Eori. Don't come. No."
"Hehehe. Why not?"
"No, uh, just...!"
No matter how far I shifted, she followed. By the porch edge, our shoulders aligned—and our thighs touched.
"Hehe. Master."
Having cornered me in every sense, Eori whispered. Her breathy voice turned unintentionally seductive, against her intent.
"How many children would you like?"
Aaaah! No! Eori! Not now!
"I'd love ten."
I'd love that many too— no! Yeah, it'd be great, but not the time! Eori!
Like always, she had no idea her effect on the opposite sex. I was the only peer she'd ever talked to like this.
Ah, please. Eori. Why do you keep testing me?
"Hehehe."
A innocent laugh rang out—not from the clinging Eori.
"Hehe. Kiss sis."
"Eww! Gross!"
Eori's younger brothers, Eoji and Eosu, had cracked the door open to spy on us. She yelled at them with a totally different tone than with me.
"You two wanna die?! Get inside now!"
"Hehe! No way!"
"What? No? Hey, Kim Eoji. Get over here."
"No! Sis come!"
"Master, wait just a moment? Hey, Kim Eoji. Kim Eosu. You're dead today."
She growled low and stood from the porch. Eoji and Eosu slammed the lattice door shut; Eori grabbed the handle like she'd rip it off.
"Open up now! Three seconds! One! Two! Three!"
"Four! Five! Six!"
"You little—! Master? This'll take a minute."
She flashed me a smile despite looking ready to curse. Seeing her big-sister mode helped me cool off, and I stood.
"No, Eori. I'll head out quick and talk to Kim Jin-sa. Tell him I'm marrying you."
"Hehe. Yes. Thank you, master."
"Thank you. Just wait a bit."
"Yes. Safe travels."
"Yeah."
I hurried out the gate before she could cling again. Immediately, her sharp voice pierced from beyond.
"Hey! I said I'm gonna kill you for real!"
"Aaaah! Brother-in-law! Tiger Boy! Th-there's another tiger here!"
"Master's busy! Don't call him!"
"Brother-in-law! Broooother-in-laaaaw! Broooother-in-laaaaw!"