Teach One, Know Ten
There's a saying that if you teach someone one thing, they understand ten.
It's a phrase commonly reserved for geniuses.
Cheon Seo-hui was exactly that.
She was a genius.
“Hah…”
Slash—. The longsword Cheon Seo-hui swung cleanly cleaved through empty air.
A stance free of excess, delicate control of power. Even with standard-issue equipment that took no account of her physical build, it clung to her as if it were her own weapon.
A level she had reached in a mere three days.
The world really is unfair.
Perhaps this was how my first master, the captain of the kingdom's knights, had felt. Only after the fact did I finally understand his heart, and I quietly watched her train.
“Hoo…”
Whether she knew my thoughts or not, Cheon Seo-hui finished a full set of cross-cuts, wiped her forehead, and spoke up.
“I'm done.”
One way or another, a disciple's growth was a teacher's joy.
“Good work. Rest a little, then we'll continue.”
We settled side by side on the platform in the corner of the training ground, each with an ice cream from the snack bar melting in our mouths, taking a break. Little treats like this were necessary so training wouldn't grow stale.
“…Teacher.”
“Hm?”
As I blankly ate my ice cream, Cheon Seo-hui glanced over and asked.
“But what about tomorrow?”
“What about it?”
“Tomorrow's a day off.”
“……Ah.”
I had completely forgotten. Tomorrow was the Academy's founding anniversary—a rare and precious holiday. With so much else on my mind, the day off had slipped clean away. I licked my ice cream and turned the problem over carefully.
What to do.
Excluding today, only five days remained until Cheon Seo-hui would decide whether to drop out. Subtract the weekend and the holiday, and only two days were left.
We've gotten a lot closer in the meantime.
I glanced at her.
“……?”
Melon ice cream still in her mouth, she met my gaze with a look that asked if I had something to say. We had grown much closer these past few days, yet if asked whether it was enough to reverse her decision to leave, the answer was still no. The encouraging part was that she followed every instruction I gave without fail.
I need one decisive move.
It seemed I would have to win her heart from an angle other than pure instruction. People, after all, are weak to affection.
“What should we do.”
“…….”
“Have class?”
I held back any firm answer and carefully watched her reaction. She made a face that clearly said, Why are you asking me? I had the feeling that if I simply declared we would hold class, she would quietly obey…
“Never mind. When everyone else is resting, we should rest too.”
Whether it was my imagination or not, the suggestion to rest seemed to leave her faintly dejected.
“…Okay. Then.”
She looked oddly endearing.
“Ah. But are you busy tomorrow by any chance?”
“No.”
“You'll be home the whole time?”
“…Why?”
“Well, I was thinking of bringing you some side dishes.”
“Side dishes…?”
From everything I had seen so far, Cheon Seo-hui did not seem the type to feed herself properly at home. Just the other day she had announced there was no food in the house and prepared to skip dinner as if it were the most natural thing in the world. So this time I intended to prepare a few side dishes and deliver them.
“After Friday it's straight into the weekend. I don't think you'll take care of yourself well at home during that stretch.”
“That's true, but…”
“I may not look it, but I'm an eighth-dan housewife, you know? It'll be far better than anything store-bought.”
Though Nakyeong had since seized the kitchen and forced me into retirement, I had once been told I had a decent hand with cooking.
“…….”
Ice-cream stick still between her lips, Cheon Seo-hui stared at me with an unreadable expression. I could not tell whether she liked the idea or hated it. In moments like this, seizing the initiative first was best.
“Don't think of it as a burden—just take it when I give it. This is all necessary for your grades too. After all, you need to eat well if you want to pour out mana without holding back.”
The source of mana is a full stomach. Advancing that baseless logic and pressing for an answer, I watched Cheon Seo-hui turn her head slightly and reply in a tone that said it was all the same to her.
“…Okay.”
That counted as strong affirmation.
After seeing Cheon Seo-hui off as usual, I finally found myself alone, driving home.
“What kind of side dishes should I make so my cute little disciple will like them…”
Just as I stopped for a light that had turned red, a large and awkward question rose in my mind: how exactly was I going to explain this to my daughter?
Ah…. This won't be easy.
Even bringing the subject up would be a major ordeal. Nakyeong already hated the fact that I was looking after Cheon Seo-hui with extreme intensity. She was only barely restraining herself because of the “official business” pretext. And now I planned to announce that I was making side dishes because I was worried the girl might go hungry on a holiday? I would definitely not hear anything pleasant.
…I absolutely cannot tell her about this.
The problem did not end there. Even if I hid the side-dish story, actually preparing the food was a separate issue. She stuck to me like glue except when she was asleep, so making anything in secret was nearly impossible. And if I suddenly produced a large batch of side dishes, she would certainly grow suspicious. In practical terms, preparing food for Cheon Seo-hui at home was close to impossible. I had promised side dishes, yet I could not even touch the ingredients.
Is there no way to persuade her somehow?
If I forced the issue a little this time as well, she might understand eventually. Delivering side dishes was, after all, well within a teacher's proper domain. In the old classics, teachers would invite poor students into their homes, feed them, and tutor them, would they not? Looking at it that way, Cheon Seo-hui and I were similar… though whether Nakyeong would see it the same way was another matter.
…First, let's buy some bribes.
With that resolute determination, I recalled the snacks Nakyeong liked and sped home faster than usual.
“You're home?”
“Yeah. Did you eat?”
“I ate roughly as soon as I got back. …But what's that?”
“Ah, this? Cake. Hope it didn't get squished.”
“Cake!? Whose birthday is it?”
“Just. Thought of it on the way, so I bought it for us to share.”
“Wow! Dad's the best!”
Fortunately, the girl who came out to the entrance to greet me did not look to be in a foul mood.
Should I float the idea a little?
Riding the momentum, I was carefully testing the waters with the topic of Cheon Seo-hui still held behind my teeth when—
“Dad.”
“Hm?”
“Want to go see a movie tomorrow?”
Nakyeong unexpectedly seized the initiative.
“Uh…. Tomorrow…?”
“Yes! We have the day off tomorrow!”
Inwardly flustered, I continued the conversation as if nothing were amiss.
“What movie? Anything good out these days?”
This could actually be an opportunity.
“This one just opened, and the reviews are said to be historically good.”
“Oh yeah.”
“I even got a popcorn discount coupon this time. Let's watch a movie and go on a date tomorrow!”
I nodded readily and accepted her proposal.
“It's been a while—shall we?”
“Yes!!”
In exchange…
“Then, can I go out for a bit during the day?”
“During the day? Where are you going?”
“I have a quick errand.”
The face that had been purely bright only a moment earlier sank at once.
“What kind of errand?”
As if she had sensed something, a subtle ominousness settled over her expressionless features.
“I was going to feed the kid I'm looking after a meal real quick.”
“……A meal?”
Sure enough, she frowned openly and showed a reaction of pure disbelief. If I mentioned side dishes here, date or no date, I would be trapped inside the house all day.
“Nooo…. She lives alone, you know. Looking at her, it seems like she doesn't even eat properly.”
Turning the wheel all the way, I desperately tried to persuade her.
“…What does that have to do with you, Dad?”
“My disciple is going around hungry—how can I just sit still? I can at least buy her one meal.”
“I guess she can't even cook for herself.”
“Not everyone has good life skills like you. How many people are there who, even as adults, can't cook a simple meal and just buy everything?”
No more, no less—just one lunch. I would eat and come straight back. With that condition on the table, I naturally attempted a deal.
“…….”
Round eyes wide, Nakyeong seemed to weigh the matter inside for a moment.
“Haa. Fine.”
In the end she readily accepted my condition.
“Go out, then come straight to the meeting place.”
She even delayed the appointment time a little, taking my route into account.
I really raised one daughter right, didn't I?
As expected, only my daughter.
“Should I book the movie?”
“I'll do it. I have membership.”
“You will?”
“What time should we do?”
“What times are there?”
“Hmm…. How about five-thirty? We can watch, come out, eat dinner, wander around a bit, and head home.”
“Five o'clock is…. Hmm…. Seven? This looks good. How about it?”
“That's too late.”
We bickered a little over the movie time. In the end I conceded a fraction and we settled on booking the five-thirty showing.
Now what remained was…
…Side dishes—what to do.
Preparing the side dishes I had promised Cheon Seo-hui.
The next day.
I slipped out of bed early and prepared to go out for the first time in a while. Using the date with Nakyeong as an excuse, I intended to put a little more effort into my appearance than usual.
No harm in looking good no matter who the other party is.
So I deliberately wore the clothes Nakyeong had chosen.
“Which is better, this or this?”
“The right one. That one's prettier.”
If this was not killing two birds with one stone, what was?
About this much should be fine.
Leaving home early, I hurriedly drove and ran an untimely supermarket open-run—none other than to gather ingredients for Cheon Seo-hui's side dishes. To be precise, to buy the ingredients I would use at Cheon Seo-hui's house.
This is the only way left now.
At first I had considered making the side dishes somewhere else and then going to her. But the time wasted in between would have been far too great. And simply buying ready-made dishes from a shop after all the boasting I had done was out of the question. Thus the solution I arrived at was to cook hot, fresh side dishes right in Cheon Seo-hui's kitchen. She would receive the food and be glad; I would see how she was living and be glad. Beyond two birds with one stone, it was sister happy, brother-in-law happy, see the beloved and pick the mulberries too—the ultimate win-win.
She should be awake by now.
Having finished shopping faster than ever, I drove straight toward Cheon Seo-hui's house while placing the call.
“…Mm… Hello…”
“Hello? Were you sleeping?”
“…Who is this…?”
Her voice was thick with sleep and carried a clingy softness I never heard from her normally.
“It's Han Dohyeon. Your teacher.”
“…Ah… Hello…”
“Yeah. Listen, I'm on my way to your place right now.”
“…Huh?”
“Something came up and I couldn't make the side dishes. Sorry, but could I use your kitchen for a bit? I'll make them really delicious for you.”
“….”
“Seo-hui?”
“Uh…….”
On the other end of the line, Cheon Seo-hui sounded half-awake and thoroughly flustered. If I had just woken up only to hear my teacher announce he was coming over, I would have been just as startled. That did not mean I was going to turn around, of course.
“It'll take… about thirty minutes, give or take.”
“Th-thirty minutes…?”
“Sorry for dropping by out of nowhere. I'll just cook and leave, so make yourself comfortable.”
Fortunately, even while panicking, Cheon Seo-hui managed to give an affirmative answer.
“Aaah…! Shit…!”
Just before the call cut off, I heard something crash and tumble on the other end.
“…What was that?”
With no way of knowing, I simply kept driving toward Cheon Seo-hui's house.