Unexpected Encounter - 5
“My thinking was too narrow.”
Young Hero Cheon-un’s apology came swiftly.
When I looked at him in bewilderment, unsure what he meant, he continued.
“From what the people of the Dang Clan were saying, even if there are intimate scenes, it is still the story of a true righteous hero. To think that Dangga Pungun has planted longing for heroes not only in the hearts of the martial artists of the murim but in the people of Yichang as well… it seems I looked at it with far too harsh an eye.”
Cheon-un bowed his head with genuine regret.
“For my benefactor to lower his head like this… this is not something Young Hero needs to apologize for.”
Please raise your head, Young Hero Cheon-un. You are not yet a sinner. I hurriedly rose from where I had been perched on the edge of the bed and stepped toward him.
“No. Anyone who could write a work popular enough for that would have succeeded even writing ordinary erotic tales. Knowing that you kept writing novels without letting go of your dream of becoming a hero even in difficult circumstances, I simply cannot feel at ease without apologizing.”
Cheon-un bowed to me once more.
Sorry about that. Honestly I hadn’t even wanted an apology. I had only hoped to ease the awkward atmosphere between us, yet here he was going all the way to apology.
Of course I was the one who had steered public opinion. But the world is full of people who, even when the stage is perfectly set for them, refuse to say a simple “I’m sorry” and instead snap, “Y-you started it, you crazy bastard!”
On top of that, I was at fault this time. Naturally someone like Young Hero Cheon-un could have thought, “Why should I apologize to some black-haired barbarian? To some erotic novelist at that?” Yet he had apologized at once.
“I am the one who wishes to apologize.”
I bowed in return toward Cheon-un, who showed no sign of lifting his head.
“What?”
“Standing before the hero I so admired, I wanted to hide my shameful flaws. I am sorry I could not fully reveal what kind of novel mine truly was.”
It was true that Cheon-un’s rejection of me had soured the mood, but I had provided the spark. In situations like this the best course was for both sides to admit fault and lighten each other’s burden.
“It is human nature to want to display one’s merits and conceal one’s faults. Rather, scold me for changing my expression over such a minor blemish.”
Cheon-un looked at me once, then bowed his head again.
“How could one who received the grace of having his life saved dare to scold his benefactor?”
Can’t we just accept each other’s apologies and be done? This upright young man, this impeccably mannered Taoist of the great Wudang Sect, this handsome hero, kept apologizing so earnestly that it was starting to make me uncomfortable.
“I am the one who is utterly ashamed for having scolded Young Master Kang without knowing anything of your circumstances.”
We kept apologizing to each other in an endless loop.
It was better than an awkward atmosphere, but continuous mutual apologies weren’t good either. At this rate it would turn into one of those comics where every fight scene is filled with backstabs and reverse-reverse-reversals with no end in sight.
I straightened my back, gently took Cheon-un’s shoulders, and lifted him upright before speaking.
“Then since we are both sorry, let us simply stop mentioning the rights and wrongs of this matter.”
“Would you truly do that?”
At my words Cheon-un nodded with an expression of gratitude.
If the food of this world sometimes made me want to nitpick because it ignored proper Wuxia historical accuracy, there was something I wanted to praise precisely because it ignored the accuracy as well.
That was the well-maintained water and sewage system.
Whether the world was trying to match the clean appearances of every game character or not, in this world you only had to turn the faucet in your room and water came out.
In a proper traditional Wuxia setting, if you wanted to wash at an inn you would have had to pay for every bucket of well water.
“The water was cold a little while ago, but now lukewarm water is coming out. If you wish to wash, now would be a good time.”
Of course even with good plumbing, whether they turned on the hot water still depended on the innkeeper’s mood.
I showered as quickly as if I were racing the hot-water window in the army so that Cheon-un could also wash in warm water, then called him.
“Ah! I-I’m fine.”
Cheon-un glanced at me, then turned his head and spoke while staring at the wall. Even after reconciling, looking at each other’s bare upper bodies was still awkward, I supposed.
“The innkeeper only turns on the hot water briefly after mealtime. If you don’t go in now, you’ll have to wash with cold water in this freezing weather.”
“Even in midwinter I tempered my spirit with cold water. I’m fine.”
Had Young Hero Cheon-un trained by standing under waterfalls? After seeing only fake murim people, hearing a real martial artist’s training method was a little surprising.
I nodded at his words, changed into comfortable clothes, and approached my bed.
“What’s with the dumplings?”
Several dumplings sat on a plate atop my bed.
“I was worried Young Master Kang had not eaten because of your concern for Young Lady Dang, so I bought them.”
I had heard the door open briefly earlier—so he had gone out and come back.
“I appreciate the kindness, but I have no appetite because of Hwarin.”
Cheon-un’s consideration was welcome, yet I truly had no appetite. Hwarin was still unconscious, barely managing to swallow liquid food.
Would we be able to reach the Sichuan Dang Clan safely? If we did, would Hwarin live? The worries about her that I had deliberately pushed to a corner of my mind all rushed in at once and killed my appetite.
I lifted the plate of dumplings and set it on the side table.
“To protect Young Lady Hwarin, Young Master Kang must also take care of his own body. If you have no desire to eat, then think of it as accepting my apology and eat.”
In an instant Cheon-un was beside me, holding out the plate of dumplings.
I didn’t want to eat them. Still, unwilling to ruin the atmosphere that had only just improved, I accepted the plate.
“Well… then at least let me pay for them. I’m already grateful that Young Hero Cheon-un worried about me; I can’t let you spend money as well.”
“Don’t worry about that. I didn’t spend my own money.”
“Then someone in the party bought them?”
“No. When I ordered dumplings, the innkeeper’s daughter said they were leftovers anyway and gave them to me free of charge.”
What nonsense. Leftover food at an inn? Even in the days I wandered as a black-haired beggar I had never once eaten “leftover food” at an inn.
“She even said that if the hot water didn’t come out, I should come to her room and she would help. Even in a backward village, it seems people’s hearts are not cold.”
Cheon-un gave me an awkward smile.
So that was how it was. I stared at Cheon-un for a moment.
A refined face rarely seen in a village like this. I had never seen him naked, but given his martial training he surely had the lean muscle women loved.
I was jealous. The life of a pretty boy.
I bit into a dumpling with a bitter feeling. Had they made them specially? Somehow they seemed juicier than the dumplings I usually ate.
“They’re delicious.”
Though my insides felt sour for some reason, I said it out of politeness toward Cheon-un, who was watching me intently.
“I’m glad they suit your taste.”
Only then did Cheon-un smile in satisfaction and nod.
It reminded me of the old days. Back when I ate school lunches there had been a handsome friend like Young Hero Cheon-un. On Valentine’s Day his desk had been piled mountain-high with chocolate.
— Yunho. Want one?
I had been staring enviously and nodded without thinking, so I got one chocolate.
‘That was what they meant by a trap without malice.’
— Why are you eating that?!
Of all things, the girl who had given him the chocolate saw it go to me and broke into full-scale wailing. Even after my friend and I apologized, I was later torn apart behind my back. And not my friend—only me.
It had been so absurd. My friend felt bad about it too, so we reached a dramatic settlement for exactly twenty hours of PC-room time and three bowls of PC-room ramyun.
“Would you like a dumpling?”
Lost in old memories, I finished one dumpling and looked up to find Cheon-un staring fixedly at the remaining dumplings.
“Ah, no.”
Whatever he had been thinking, he was startled and waved his hands at me.
“Is something on your mind?”
“It’s not that… Looking at the dumplings suddenly reminded me of a story I once read about a hero of the Beggar Sect.”
A Beggar Sect hero who liked dumplings?
“A Beggar Sect hero who likes dumplings… you must mean Great Hero Gougai, the Dog Beggar.”
“You know the stories of Great Hero Gougai?”
Cheon-un looked at me with startled eyes.
“A writer is someone who writes, but also someone who reads a great deal. Of course I know the tales of Great Hero Gougai.”
I remembered Great Hero Gougai. Before writing Dangga Pungun I had read many murim stories for research.
The stories had been neither interesting nor, with their excessively filthy and realistic depictions of the Beggar Sect, easy to stomach, but I still remembered laughing that even this world had people who loved dumplings.
“The tales of Great Hero Gougai aren’t popular even among Beggar Sect stories, and the books are hard to find. You’ve actually read them?”
Cheon-un asked with a faintly suspicious look, as if probing me. His expression somehow resembled a streamer who had put on an otaku persona staring at you thinking, “You’re just a fake otaku who only knows the surface, aren’t you? I see right through you.”
Well, in this world murim stories weren’t popular to begin with. Among them, having read an unpopular book could seem a little dubious.
“I am a writer, but I am also the manager of a bookstore. Of course I have read them.”
Because murim stories weren’t popular, Daseogak had plenty of them left in stock. I decided not to add that unnecessary detail.
“Someone who’s actually read the stories of Great Hero Gougai… honestly, this is a first!”
A strange excitement colored Cheon-un’s voice. When he got this happy I had to play along.
“It wasn’t a popular book, matching the unpopular nickname of ‘the one who begs for dog meat.’ But looking back on his deeds, he was certainly worthy of being called a hero. Especially the time he stormed into an evil sect that was squeezing the blood of the local merchants and beat the sect leader half to death for the hilarious reason that they wouldn’t give him dog meat—that was truly refreshing.”
“Exactly! I love that story too!”
Cheon-un shoved his face close with the excited look of someone who had given up on finding fellow fans for a decades-old minor work he loved, only to discover that his desk-mate was one of them.
“Haha.”
Your face is way too close. I gave an awkward laugh to express that even a handsome face was burdensome if it belonged to a man.
“Ah! S-sorry.”
Realizing he had been rude, Cheon-un pulled back a little, yet he still could not hide his excited expression.
“It’s fine. It’s only natural to be happy when you meet someone who shares your hobby.”
Out of courtesy I ate one more dumpling and prepared to lie down.
“Um, well…”
Even after I lay down, Cheon-un showed no sign of moving.
“Is there something you need?”
“If it’s all right… could we talk a little more about the stories of Great Hero Gougai…?”
Cheon-un hung his head deeply as if embarrassed to suggest talking about novels. If he was embarrassed he didn’t have to speak, yet he seemed truly desperate.
This was the first real hero I had met since coming to the Central Plains. I had thought Cheon-un was “The” orthodox-sect type, but this side of him was unexpected.
Given how much he admired heroes, he must have been thirsty for someone to discuss unpopular hero stories with. As someone who had also dug into minor content, I understood.
It was best to maintain a good relationship with Young Hero Cheon-un. I didn’t know how far he would accompany us, but if I could be a conversation partner he might travel with us longer.
To escort Hwarin safely to the Dang Clan, I needed every bit of help I could get.
“Of course.”
I talked with Cheon-un until my eyelids grew heavy.
Half-asleep, I heard the sound of water.
“Haa… hmm-hmm.”
The first sound started in a low register, then rose into a faintly high, pleasant nasal hum as if he was enjoying himself.
‘Is Young Hero Cheon-un washing now?’
It could be Cheon-un, but since we were being pursued the thought also crossed my mind that it might be an intruder. After all, there were thieves who came into other people’s homes, stole money, filled their bellies, and even took a hot bath with bath salts before leaving.
Of course, any bold intruder who got caught by me would need to start over from basic training.
“Young Hero Cheon-un, are you washing?”
I deliberately sharpened my mind and put force into my voice.
It was a method I had used quite well since my beggar days. When thieves came after the money of a homeless man, simply letting them hear that I was awake was enough to make them panic and run.
If it was Cheon-un he would calmly say he was washing; if it was an intruder he would panic that my keen sixth sense had exposed his stealth.
Who are you?
“Y-Young Master Kang? Weren’t you asleep?”
Contrary to my expectations, the flustered voice belonged to Young Hero Cheon-un.