Chapter 42
At Tian Ailang's warm greeting, Dam Soyeon slowly lifted her head. Her eyes were already puffy and swollen. When he smiled softly at the sight, she glared at him fiercely. Then she bowed her head again.
Tian Ailang spoke with a smile. "Haha? Come on, lift your head. It's been so long since we last met."
At his urging, Dam Soyeon shook her head while still keeping her gaze down.
Tian Ailang asked, "Where is this place? And how did you end up here?"
Dam Soyeon snapped her head up and shot back curtly, her face puffed out in a pout. "What? That's all you have to say to me?"
Caught off guard by her inexplicable sense of crisis, Tian Ailang hesitated. But how could he possibly understand a woman's heart? He just tilted his head and replied, "Pardon? No. Is Dam Sojeo here too? What about my close friends?"
At Tian Ailang's oblivious response, Dam Soyeon finally exploded. "Argh! What the hell is that?! Do you have any idea how much I cried thinking you'd died after vanishing in Shenyang? And if you were alive, couldn't you at least send word? It wasn't like you were in Qinghai or Xinjiang—you could've reached out to the Damga house in Shandong! And when we meet again, shouldn't it be in good health? What am I supposed to do with you showing up half-dead like a corpse? Plus, you don't even ask how I've been—you just demand to know why I'm here? Why? You got a problem with me being here? Your Dam big brother? He's on the first floor. Your friends? They're with him too. Happy now? Yeah?!"
Dam Soyeon unleashed a machine-gun barrage of words, huffing indignantly. Tian Ailang stared at her in stunned silence. If words could manifest as a swift sword, he was certain Dam Soyeon would be the world's fastest swordswoman.
Tian Ailang scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Ha, haha… Sorry."
Dam Soyeon crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. "Sorry for what?"
"Pardon?"
"What are you sorry for?"
Tian Ailang racked his brains furiously, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't pinpoint his mistake. He finally stammered out, "Uh, just… sorry for everything…?"
Dam Soyeon's brow furrowed even more. "So you don't even know what you're sorry for, and you're just saying it to shut me up?"
Tian Ailang's pupils shook violently. "N-No…"
"No what?"
Cold sweat trickled down Tian Ailang's back. He half-wished Paeng Pung-gwol would appear right then—fighting him would be easier than figuring out the right answer here.
Watching Tian Ailang flounder, Dam Soyeon let out a deep sigh. "Sigh…"
She stood, brushing the dust from her pink skirt. "They say it's a miracle you're even alive. Not an inch of your body was unscathed—broken ribs, burst blood vessels in your eyes, massive blood loss."
Deep worry clouded her expression, her eyes glistening as if tears might spill at any moment. Tian Ailang gave her an awkward smile. It felt novel and grateful to have someone worry about him this much.
Then Dam Soyeon glanced at the bandages wrapped around his body. They were soaked with fresh blood, likely from his reckless movement despite needing absolute rest. She shook her head and gathered her dropped items. "Heavens… Let's get you back to your room first."
"Pardon?"
"You planning to meet people covered in blood?"
Tian Ailang looked down at himself and chuckled, nodding. "And no matter how tightly those bandages are wrapped, you can't just wander out without clothes. Looks like the ones around your lower body are clumped up too. Need to redo them."
At her last words, Tian Ailang glanced down below. "Ha, haha…"
"Takes a delicate touch down there. Hurry back to the room, change the bandages, get dressed, and head down."
Led by the hand by Dam Soyeon, Tian Ailang returned to the room. Watching her prepare clean bandages, he cautiously asked, "How long was I out?"
"Over two months."
"Pardon?"
Dam Soyeon's face, now much more relaxed, turned to him. "A month ago, you were brought to the clan in a cart. They said you were in a coma the whole time during emergency treatment and transport."
"Ah! So this is your clan's place, Soyeon-nangja?"
Dam Soyeon chuckled and, grasping the hem of her pink skirt with her fingertips, curtsied slightly. "Yes, welcome to the Damga house in Shandong~"
"Hahaha!"
Tian Ailang laughed heartily, and his smile lit up Dam Soyeon's face too. "Hee hee hee."
With his heart much lighter, Tian Ailang sat on the bed. "I'll unwrap the blood-soaked bandages now."
Dam Soyeon began slowly removing them. "Ngh."
Tian Ailang winced as pain throbbed through his body. "Stay still."
At her firm command, he straightened up like a fresh recruit. Swish.Swish.
Sudden silence filled the room. The soft sounds of unwinding bandages rang hugely in their ears.
"Um…"
"Um…"
They spoke at the same time. "Haha, you first."
"No, you first, Tian Gongja."
Tian Ailang ventured carefully, "That time I was unconscious… did you treat me, Soyeon-nangja?"
She shook her head. "No, I called the Divine Physician. You have no idea how hard it was to deal with him. Ugh, that grumpy old man! Great skills, zero social grace."
Tian Ailang's eyes widened slightly at "Divine Physician." Then he asked what had been nagging him. "Then… the bandaging?"
Dam Soyeon raised an eyebrow as if it were the most obvious question. "Obviously, I've been doing that the whole time."
She looked at him expectantly, as if awaiting praise. Tian Ailang hesitated before adding, "Even… the lower body ones…?"
Only then did she catch his meaning, her ears turning red. But Dam Soyeon was Dam Soyeon—the bold lady of the Damga. She squared her shoulders defiantly. "O-Of course. As his assistant, it was only natural."
"His assistant?"
"Yeah~ I've been learning basic medicine from the Divine Physician."
Tian Ailang nodded, impressed by her confident demeanor—it gave off a professional healer's vibe. Hiding her flushed ears behind her hair, Dam Soyeon finished rebandaging his bleeding upper body.
"Upper body's done. Now the lower one. Looks like it's clumped on one side—probably wrapped wrong."
She reached for the bandages around his lower body. 'Wait, that's not a clump.'
Tian Ailang urgently grabbed her hand to stop her. Their hands clasped unintentionally. Silence descended once more.
Whoosh! Startled, Tian Ailang flung her hand away. "Eek!"
Dam Soyeon stumbled. Tian Ailang caught her waist in panic. "……."
He hastily steadied her and stammered, "Sorry. It wasn't on purpose."
Seeing his fluster, she giggled. "It's fine~. The lower bandages seem okay now, so get dressed quick. There are tons of people downstairs who'll be thrilled you're awake."
Tian Ailang nodded. "Yes."
He picked up the neatly folded clothes from the table—black silk martial robes similar to the ones he'd worn when shopping with the Dam siblings for the first time. The smooth silk felt wonderful against his skin. A soft smile touched his lips. He could feel how much the siblings had missed and remembered him, even in these clothes.
As he tried sliding his bandage-laden legs into the pants, he sensed eyes on his back and turned. "……Soyeon-nangja, does the physician need to watch me change too?"
Dam Soyeon jumped in surprise, making a fuss. "Hohohoho~ What's wrong with that? I've seen it all anyway."
"……."
His silence made her wave it off embarrassedly. "Okay, okay. I'll head down to the first floor first. Come carefully."
Her pink skirt swishing, Dam Soyeon left the room. Only then did Tian Ailang struggle into the clothes. The severe injuries and tight bandages made it exhausting. He paused, sitting on the bed to catch his breath. "Whew…."
Alone now, various thoughts flitted through his mind. From descending the mountain, days without peace; the people he'd met along the way; among them, Nidahyuk, Dam Soyeon, Chanhho, Song Sogeol, and others waiting downstairs—it thrilled him. He reflected on his growth too: facing Salma, Yohyang, Draku, Paeng Pung-gwol, and more.
His thoughts drifting to martial arts stirred a strong urge to meditate. "Gotta hold off."
He shook his head lightly. He wanted to review and fully assimilate those drifting experiences, but with people worrying and waiting, he couldn't just sit there. "Later's fine."
Song Sogeol would clutch his neck and scold him for such nonsense, but Tian Ailang took it easy.
He opened the door and stepped out. Creeak.Creeak. With each steady wooden step, his excitement grew.
As the wooden stairs came into view, voices from below drifted up.
"Little sister. You that happy Tian Gongja's awake?"
"W-What are you talking about?!"
"Anyone can see 'happiness' written all over your face right now."
"Whoa~ As expected of big brother."
"No! Song Gongja, you're teasing me too?!"
"Whoa, whoa! As if. I'm just as happy as you, Dam Sojeo, same expression too. Right, Chanhho hyungnim?"
"Spot on. But when's Ailang coming down? He didn't collapse again, did he?"
"Gasp! No way? Dam Sojeo, didn't you say he was fully awake?"
"Yes. Totally… looked healthy. Should I go check again?"
Just then, Tian Ailang gripped the stair railing and slowly descended to the first floor. All eyes in the room turned to him at once.
Seeing their familiar faces, a bright smile bloomed on his own. "Hyungnim!"
"You're here."
Song Sogeol and Chanhho lit up at the sight of him. Nidahyuk and Dam Soyeon were the same.
"Tian Gongja, long time no see."
"Hee hee."
Tian Ailang greeted those who'd worried and waited for him. "Great to see everyone. Ah~ Nearly kicked the bucket, huh."
At his jest, Nidahyuk and Dam Soyeon exchanged glances and giggled. Chanhho smiled steadily, while Song Sogeol looked exasperated.