I'll Teach You Myself
Dan Yeop was so strikingly beautiful that people often said he looked like a male courtesan.
Baek Yu-hwa, pressed firmly beneath him, had gone as rigid as a wooden block.
Dan Yeop himself had frozen in shock just as completely.
Their faces were less than a handspan apart—so close he could feel her breath—and his mind had simply stopped working.
Or rather, in martial terms, it was stillness within motion.
In that fleeting instant, countless thoughts had flickered through his head.
Her clear black-and-white eyes were wide open, and every time her long lashes trembled, it felt like they were whispering to him.
Her exhaled breath carried a faint, sweet floral scent, and every time he breathed it in, his chest tickled strangely.
Haomun had first taken in children from the outside world starting from the fourth to seventh generations. Once the first-generation trainees adapted well to Byeongmachong, they began filling the ranks with children from the Six Gates the following year.
The Six Gates children sent as second-generation trainees were between six and eight years old.
Third-generation trainees were between seven and nine, and the age range gradually increased with each subsequent generation. This was simply because there weren’t enough children available from the Six Gates.
Baek Yu-hwa, a third-generation trainee, had entered Byeongmachong at nine years old and spent seven years there.
Dan Yeop had entered at four and spent twelve years inside, so although their generations differed, both were currently sixteen years old.
Baek Yu-hwa, who had belatedly regained her senses, spoke with a deliberately indifferent expression.
“You’re heavy. Could you please get off?”
“Ah? Oh!”
As Dan Yeop scrambled off in a panic, Baek Yu-hwa rose to her feet.
She looked at the awkward young man standing there and asked,
“So, what’s your answer, senior?”
“W-what answer?”
“I asked if we could work together.”
“It’s a misunderstanding. There really isn’t anything.”
Baek Yu-hwa stared intently at Dan Yeop’s face.
Looking into those dazed, almost idiotic eyes, it didn’t seem like he was lying.
Come to think of it, earlier he hadn’t been able to dodge her Beomcheon-su and had let her grab his wrist. It was hard to believe that someone who had rendered Yu Ja-cho completely helpless could be this clumsy.
Was he truly insane?
Or was he only pretending to be crazy to deceive everyone around him?
Either way, since he had refused her proposal, it was only right to keep her distance.
Tsk. He looks perfectly fine, though…
If even half of that face had been matched with talent, he would have made countless women cry.
“Well, I suppose we’ll see in time. I’ll be going now.”
Baek Yu-hwa gave a slight nod, then turned on her heel and walked away.
Even after she disappeared, Dan Yeop remained standing in a daze for a long while.
A short while later.
Back at his quarters, Dan Yeop pulled out the travel bag Baek Yu-hwa had mentioned from beneath his bed and examined it.
“There’s nothing inside?”
He shook it, turned it inside out, but not even a speck of dust fell out.
He couldn’t understand why his other self had been carrying this around.
“Surely not… right?”
Had he really taken some treasure, just as Baek Yu-hwa suggested?
Even if he had, there was no way for Dan Yeop to know about it.
There was another strange point.
The letter had said the travel bag was “necessary for treating juwha-ipma.” That meant the bag itself wasn’t needed because of some treasure.
“I don’t get it.”
Dan Yeop shook his head and shoved the bag back under the bed before heading outside.
His destination was the training hall of the Jeommun branch—the shop assistants’ organization.
Since his release from Byeongmachong was approaching, he intended to devote himself to mastering the Cheonji Dobop.
Unlike the genius Dan Yeop, the dunce Dan Yeop’s only goal was to successfully graduate.
Jeommun Training Hall.
Yusi cho (around 5 p.m.).
When Dan Yeop entered hesitantly, Instructor Go Muk suddenly asked,
“Are you challenging the Cheonji Dobop again this year?”
“Yes.”
“If you actually want to learn it properly, you should have come when the other trainees were here.”
Go Muk’s tone was icy.
If Dan Yeop had been the son of the Jeommun branch leader, things might have been different. But he wasn’t the kind of man who would generously give away his time to just anyone.
Especially not to someone like Dan Yeop—a known dullard.
Without another word, Dan Yeop turned to leave.
Just as he was about to walk out, Instructor Go Muk called him back.
“Where are you going?”
“To the Amun training hall.”
“You’re planning to ask Instructor Dan Bul-wi to teach you the Cheonji Dobop?”
“Yes…”
Although the Cheonji Dobop was Jeommun’s exclusive blade technique, Instructor Dan Bul-wi also knew it. That was why Dan Yeop had thought of going to him.
Instructor Go Muk frowned, clearly displeased.
The Amun branch, which dealt in human trafficking, already stood with one foot in the unorthodox path. Among them, Dan Bul-wi was notorious for being especially vicious.
Yet not long ago, that same man had distributed precious mayupo wine to the instructors and casually declared:
“Dan Yeop is my adopted son. I’d appreciate it if you all looked after him.”
A long time ago, when Dan Bul-wi had been a low-ranking manager, he had named several children and been called “adoptive father” in jest. Everyone had thought it was a joke, but the fact that he was willing to hand out such valuable wine proved he was serious.
And now he was supposed to send that boy away empty-handed?
If it were Dan Bul-wi, he would have no problem taking out his anger on the Jeommun trainees.
“Ahem! It wouldn’t be proper for an Amun instructor to teach Jeommun’s exclusive martial art. Bring me a blade.”
“Yes!”
Surprised by the sudden change of heart, Dan Yeop hurriedly grabbed a straight blade from the display rack.
When he returned, Instructor Go Muk jerked his chin, signaling him to begin.
Dan Yeop immediately executed the first form of the Cheonji Dobop—Cheonroe Nakcham (Heavenly Thunder Falling Slash).
However, he hesitated when he reached the second form, Hoengso Sanjeol (Sweeping Across Mountains and Severing).
Unable to watch any longer, Instructor Go Muk shouted,
“Turn left, strike the sky once, strike the ground once, then while facing forward—slash left and right! Chop! Chop!”
Dan Yeop fumbled through the movements exactly as instructed.
“No, damn it! Face forward when you slash! Why do you keep digging only to the left? Is there something over there?”
Only then did Dan Yeop turn his body forward, swing the blade, and stop.
“Is this correct?”
“Correct? Like hell it’s correct! You have to finish the form. You’ve only taken three steps. You need six more steps forward to complete it.”
When Dan Yeop stepped forward, Instructor Go Muk roared again.
“No! Who told you to go that way? I said six steps remain! Are you deliberately trying to give me a heart attack?”
“I’m not…”
“Not my ass! Damn it! If you were in the Sapa, you’d have already been turned into dumpling filling. Consider coming to Haomun a stroke of luck.”
“Yes…”
As Dan Yeop scratched his head awkwardly, a young girl entered the training hall.
It was Baek Yu-hwa, the prodigy of the Jeommun branch.
Just as Dan Yeop regularly sought advice from Instructor Dan Bul-wi, she, being from Jeommun, received comprehensive martial instruction from Instructor Go Muk.
When Go Muk saw her, he spoke as if she had arrived at the perfect time.
“Yu-hwa, you came at just the right moment. My stomach is about to burst from frustration. You teach Dan Yeop the Cheonji Dobop instead.”
Startled by the unexpected order, Baek Yu-hwa’s eyes widened.
“Me?”
“Yes. You can perform it with your eyes closed. Teach him the second and third forms.”
“Ah… yes…”
Instructor Go Muk quickly dumped the responsibility onto her and slipped away.
Baek Yu-hwa approached Dan Yeop, who stood with his shoulders slumped.
“Senior Dan, did you really come to learn the Cheonji Dobop?”
“Yeah…”
Baek Yu-hwa looked at him with a half-doubting expression, then spoke casually.
“Show me what you know.”
“……”
Though his pride was somehow stung, Dan Yeop slowly began performing the Cheonji Dobop.
He stopped after completing the first form of Cheonroe Nakcham.
“You don’t know the second form, Hoengso Sanjeol?”
“I do, but I can’t remember it well… Is it from the left? Or the right?”
Dan Yeop’s voice grew smaller and smaller, and his face turned bright red.
“Instructor Go Muk sings it every day. Turn left, strike the sky once, strike the ground once, then while facing forward—slash left and right! Chop! Chop!”
“Ah, it was from the left…”
Dan Yeop fumbled through the footwork and swung his blade.
Every time his movement stopped, Baek Yu-hwa called out the next one.
“Face forward and slash left and right! Chop! Chop!”
“Advance to the right while slashing left, then right, then bring the blade in front of your chest!”
By the time the second form, Hoengso Sanjeol, was finished, Baek Yu-hwa’s voice had grown slightly hoarse.
“Senior Dan, did you really defeat Senior Brother Deungpyeong and Senior Brother Yu? No matter how I look at it, you don’t seem capable of that. Are they all conspiring to tease me?”
Perhaps because teaching had made her more comfortable, her way of addressing him had changed from “Senior” to the more casual “Senior Dan.”
“It’s true. I told you, there’s another me inside. That’s who did it.”
“Ah, you mean the ‘Gap’ personality?”
“No, I’m ‘Gap.’ That one is ‘Eul.’ It was Eul who did that.”
“But the one who defeated Senior Brother Yu said that he was ‘Gap’…”
“He probably wants to be Gap. The real Gap is me. I am the owner of this body. Therefore, I am Gap.”
Dan Yeop seemed excited; he even pounded his own chest with loud thumps as he explained.
Finding the sight somehow pitiful, Baek Yu-hwa stopped arguing about Gap and Eul.
When he’s like this, he really does seem like he’s fallen into juwha-ipma…
After observing him carefully, Baek Yu-hwa said,
“Alright, Senior Dan.”
“W-what? You like me?”
For a moment, Dan Yeop’s pale face flushed crimson.
“When did I ever say I liked you? Don’t interrupt me with nonsense.”
“Ah, sorry. I misheard.”
“If Senior Dan successfully graduates with the third-generation trainees this time, I’ll believe that absurd story about your personality splitting due to juwha-ipma.”
“And if I don’t graduate?”
“Then obviously you stayed behind in Byeongmachong because you have something to take care of and have been deceiving everyone.”
“It could just be that my skills fall short of the instructors’ expectations.”
“That won’t happen.”
“Why not?”
“Because this year, I’ll teach you the Cheonji Dobop myself so you can pass the evaluation.”
“R-really?”
The gloomy expression that had lingered on Dan Yeop’s face due to Baek Yu-hwa’s relentless pressure instantly brightened.
“From today onward, once training hours end, come to the Jeommun training hall without fail. During regular training, learn the Cheonji Dobop with the others. After that, I’ll teach you personally.”
“If you’d do that, I’d be grateful. I won’t forget this kindness.”
“If I help you this much and you still fail the evaluation, that means you have some other motive. No objections, right?”
“That… seems a bit extreme.”
“Why? Are you that lacking in confidence?”
“My heart is desperate, but my head just won’t keep up.”
“Why? You sound perfectly normal when you talk. I’ll make sure you master the second form by the end of today. But first, we need to get rid of that ‘I can’t do it’ defeatist mindset of yours. Now, repeat after me: If the spirit is focused on one thing, nothing is impossible!”
Just as her father had taught her, Baek Yu-hwa intended to reshape Dan Yeop’s mind first.
“If the spirit is focused on one thing, nothing is impossible.”
Dan Yeop obediently repeated the words.
Part of it was because he was desperate to graduate, but mostly because he didn’t want to go against Baek Yu-hwa.
She was, after all, the closest person to him in his entire life so far.
“Louder!”
“If the spirit is focused on one thing, nothing is impossible!”
“Good. Then from now on, I’ll teach you the second form of the Cheonji Dobop. Don’t try to memorize everything at once. Just repeat it ten times, a hundred times. Eventually, your body will learn it on its own.”
“Okay!”
Dan Yeop nodded vigorously.
Come to think of it, that was exactly what Instructor Dan Bul-wi had said.
If your head won’t work, make your body remember!
Two hours (four hours) passed by in a flash.
Dan Yeop’s entire body was drenched in sweat, and exhaustion was clear on Baek Yu-hwa’s face as well.
“……Are you doing this on purpose?”
Baek Yu-hwa’s voice had grown so hoarse it was cracking.
“I’m not…”
“We’ve repeated it hundreds of times. How can you still not know it? It’s only nine movements? Huh?”
“I told you. The more I focus, the more my head goes blank…”
“Not your head. With that much effort, even a rock would have been carved by now.”
“……”
“Haa… We can’t expect to fill our stomachs with the first bite. Let’s continue tomorrow.”
“That’s…”
“It’s fine. You worked hard. Go back and rest, Senior.”
Cutting off Dan Yeop’s words, Baek Yu-hwa trudged wearily back to her quarters.