Nostalgia (2)
Nostalgia (2)
"...So, you're saying that because Seon-go wanted to learn martial arts, you attached wheels to a chair?"
"That's right. The attendants worked hard on it."
Sannyeo reached out her hand, and a sturdy-looking attendant scratched his head with a smile.
"We happened to have some spare carriage wheels in the warehouse, so I modified them a bit."
He was a resourceful man. Reminding myself to look after him later, I turned to Sannyeo and asked,
"So, do you think there's any real possibility?"
"Well, I'm not sure. For one thing, there aren't any martial arts that let you fight without using your legs. I can't even get a sense of how to approach it. The foundation of any martial art is rooting yourself and putting power into your strikes, but you can't do that if you can't use your legs."
"It's fine. I'll figure it out as I go! Starting today, I'm going to do twenty pushups and fifty sit-ups every day! You'll be shocked later when I've become an incredible martial arts master, you know?"
Despite Sannyeo's discouraging remarks, Seon-go spoke in a spirited voice.
"I'm really looking forward to it. Every martial artist in this world was nothing more than an ordinary person at birth. You, Seon-go, the daughter of a sect leader, could certainly become a master."
Of course, I didn't actually believe she would become a martial arts master. If twenty pushups and fifty sit-ups were all it took, then I, who had trained in a cave for two years, would have already become the Heavenly Demon by now. I couldn't bring myself to tell her it was impossible, so I offered her encouragement instead.
Seon-go beamed at my words. Seeing her bright smile after so long, the fatigue accumulated from the long journey seemed to softly melt away.
"Thank you."
Then, mid-smile, she furrowed her brow again. She looked up at me with a somewhat displeased expression and said,
"But... aren't you forgetting something?"
"Forgetting something? A gift?"
Seon-go shook her head. When I tilted my head, failing to catch on, she spread her arms wide and said,
"You came a long way. You should hug me."
Seon-go looked up at me with her arms spread like a child. It was so endearing and unexpected that I laughed. Sannyeo hummed a tune and turned away to give us privacy. I bent down and held Seon-go tight. She buried herself into my shoulder and took a deep breath.
"I probably smell bad."
"You do smell. Of earth, a bit of sweat, and alcohol. Did you drink on the way here?"
Seon-go asked in a small voice, her head resting on my shoulder. I stroked her hair as I answered. We were crouched there in the middle of the courtyard. From the side, we must have looked like a man confessing his sins to an elderly nun.
"There was an unmarked grave, so I poured some alcohol for it before I came."
"You did well."
Seon-go's hand stroked my back. My hand was carefully stroking hers, too. In the Crimson Ring Sect's courtyard, instead of battle shouts and the sound of stamping feet, there was only the sight of a man and woman tenderly stroking each other's backs.
The attendants quietly slipped away, and a sandy wind blew. The wind was chilly despite the daylight, and we held each other closer, seeking warmth. When my hand tightened around her waist, Seon-go spoke in a small voice.
"Would you like to bathe? I already heated the water for a bath."
"Together?"
Seon-go's hand went to my waist. The way she teased me, gently playing with the tied cord, was her answer. I lightly untied her clothes ribbon and laughed, and Seon-go pulled me tighter and said,
"Carry me there. I'm tired, I can't walk."
She hung from me like a necklace. I lowered the hand wrapped around her back to support her bottom and lifted her up. Only the empty chair remained in the courtyard. I called to a female attendant passing nearby and said,
"Bring this chair and place it in front of the bath."
"Yes."
Seon-go was laughing happily, holding me tight. Finding her cute as she entrusted her body to me so defenselessly, I kneaded her bottom while still carrying her. Seon-go flinched in surprise, her shoulders twitching, then she glared at me and whispered,
"...You lecher."
At her mischievous remark, I firmly kneaded her chest with my other hand.
"Ah...!"
Seon-go arched her back at the sudden stimulation and let out a cute sound. She looked up at me with her face covered, and I said,
"You've got quite the mouth on you toward your husband."
When I spoke in a stern voice, she seemed to shrink back, then folded her hands, glanced up at me, and said,
"...Are you going to punish me?"
"...Yes."
It seemed today I was completely in the palm of Seon-go's hand.
******
Of course, I was the type of person who rewarded the wife who had been waiting for me — if anything, I spoiled her rather than punishing her.
We undressed with our backs turned, like lovers on their wedding night, and entered the bath in turn. The Crimson Ring Sect's bath, tailored to the tastes of its pleasure-loving leader, was quite large and clean for the size of the sect.
The tub, carved from stone, had a wooden pipe connected to it for easy filling. Beside the tub, a stone table resembling a dining table was placed, seemingly for drinking or enjoying banquets. The floor was made of bumpy stones, and whenever Seon-go entered or left this bath, she always draped a towel over her knees and carefully crawled.
I hadn't had the leisure to notice such things until now, but seeing how uncomfortable it looked, I thought that now we were somewhat settled, perhaps I should renovate the bath.
"Should we grind all the stones flat?"
But unexpectedly, Seon-go shook her head and said,
"That would make it slippery. There was actually an accident where someone slipped. When the bath was expanded, that person ordered it made like this. I don't like that person, but I think it was a reasonable measure, so I have no complaints. What if you slipped and hurt your head while bathing?"
"If a martial artist slips in the bath and hurts his head, I'd just say it was his day to die."
If that was his fate, he would have slipped and died even when meeting bandits. You just have to accept it humbly. But since it was apparently a safety measure and Seon-go seemed to have no complaints, I had nothing more to say. While I was resting my chin on my hand, lost in belated contemplation, Seon-go quietly crawled forward first, soaked a towel in the warm water, and rubbed soap on it.
I often saw her naked body, but holding a towel lathered with soap suds in the bath, she exuded a different kind of charm. She spread her hands and said,
"Now, more importantly, sit here. I'll wash you."
Wrapped in warm steam, her body glistened with a sheen. Her wet breasts and smoothly shining thighs. And the line of her neck beaded with sweat. Since my encounter with Hong Ye in Sichuan, I hadn't been with a woman, so my lower half reacted on its own.
"I can wash myself."
But sitting with my back to Seon-go, I spoke like a boy going through puberty. Having someone else wash my body was not a familiar experience for me.
"You've come a long way. Of course I should do this for you."
When I indirectly declined, Seon-go became even more stubborn. Even though I had refused, she clung tightly to my back after I had obediently turned around. There was no mirror in the bath, so I couldn't see her face, but I thought I knew exactly what kind of expression Seon-go was wearing.
"Stay still. I'll do everything. Do you know how much I missed you?"
"I missed you t—...! Pff...!"
The moment I opened my mouth, warm water poured down as if she had been waiting. Soaked from the head, I opened my mouth to exhale, and Seon-go laughed happily. I spat out the water that had gotten in my mouth and continued.
"...I missed you so much, too."
"Hmph, you say that, but you met another woman, didn't you?"
My back trembled at Seon-go's words. How did she know? But whether she noticed my back trembling or not, Seon-go slowly pushed the towel down my spine. As she gently pressed and rubbed up and down my body, weary from mountain travel, I felt my muscles naturally relax.
Seon-go lathered my shoulders as well and continued,
"Still, I'm relieved you returned safely. The world is so frightening these days. You missed me a lot too, right?"
"Of course."
Seon-go's hand came around to my front. The way she held the suds and rubbed my chest felt more like caressing than washing. Her hands traced my neckline in circles, then went down to lightly scratch at my nipples, and before I knew it, she was rubbing my stomach.
Seon-go clung so closely to my body that we felt like one. Through the smooth soap suds, her body felt vivid.
"When you met me, what did you want to do?"
Seon-go asked.
Her hand moved toward my lower half. Gently rubbing my lower abdomen, the hand that slipped between my legs, generously coated in soap suds, firmly grasped my erect shaft. Seon-go's hand moved gently, tickling me, and her voice was full of playfulness.
"Tonight. What did you want to do with me?"