The Plan (2)
"See you next time."
"Bye, mister!"
Come on, I'm hardly old enough to be called mister. Still, it was a relief to see the kids growing up bright and cheerful under Jun. Their faces had all looked half-dead when Matthew was in charge. This wasn't some brutal training camp from the eighties. There was no reason to drive them that hard. Yeah, let's look on the bright side. Jun wasn't listening to Shylock anyway and kept playing around with the kids, so this was bound to happen eventually. It had been a castle built on sand from the start.
The drizzle from the night before hadn't dried, leaving the mountain path slick and muddy. As I made my way down that sticky trail, I tried to steel my resolve. Right. First, meet up with Rebecca. She said she was heading to Lilly's house today, didn't she?
"Matthew's being completely uncooperative. I need to get her out before they run into each other."
Plop.
A single drop of water landed on the bridge of my nose. I frowned and looked up. It wasn't raining, so it must have rolled off a leaf? The clouds visible between the trees looked heavy and bloated. The sky had turned an ominous, murky gray. Looked like rain was coming. I should hurry.
"Lilly, are you there? It's me, Lee Han! I've come to pick up Rebecca!"
The house with the blue roof was where Lilly lived with Matthew. After losing her parents early, she'd been raised by her grandfather. Since I was often away, I'd left Rebecca in their care many times before. It was a good environment—Matthew worked and had hired a housekeeper—and honestly, the most reliable people are always business partners.
Once Rebecca got older she refused to be left there anymore, but the two girls still seemed to be the best of friends. When Rebecca stopped visiting for a while, Lilly had come sobbing, carried on Matthew's back. She seemed to think of her almost like a real sister.
Still, Rebecca's visit to Lilly's house today probably wasn't just to strengthen their friendship.
Creak.
"Lee Han? What are you doing here?"
"I came to get you. It's getting late. Let's go home."
"Oh my! Lee Han came all the way to pick you up? How kind..."
Golden hair and blue eyes. A face common enough, yet aristocratic in its lines. If not for her pale complexion, I might have mistaken her for some nobleman's daughter.
Lilly sat in the rocking chair and gave a gentle wave. We weren't exactly close, but we were on greeting terms, so I waved back.
"Is your grandmother out today?"
"I told her she could leave early since Rebecca was coming over."
"I was about to take Rebecca home... Lilly, will you be all right by yourself?"
Rebecca frowned at me as if to say don't interfere.
"No, Lee Han! I promised I'd take responsibility for Lilly today. You can't just—"
Hmm. So the matter wasn't finished yet.
"Let's stay until Matthew gets back."
"Cough, cough. No, Rebecca. I'm fine. Grandpa will be home soon. What could possibly happen?"
"Now, Lilly. That kind of complacency isn't good. Especially while you're coughing like that. As promised, I'll take responsibility today, so don't worry."
...Had my speech patterns rubbed off on her? That aside, running into Matthew again today was already awkward enough, and his stubbornness was making things difficult.
Lilly had been frail since childhood. I didn't know the details, but I'd heard many times that her survival itself was a miracle. Matthew must have cared for her with absolute devotion. That was why I'd been able to entrust Rebecca to them. Seeing him raise a child so preciously had given me at least a measure of trust.
From Matthew's perspective, it wasn't a bad thing for his sickly granddaughter—who could barely leave the house—to have a friend.
"Leaving boring old Lee Han aside, what does Grandpa Matthew like best?"
"Rebecca, you seem awfully interested in your friend's grandfather today."
"Well, huff, it turns out Lee Han works with Grandpa Matthew. This kid needs to make a good impression so things will be easier going forward."
"Oh dear, is that so? I heard Grandpa works as a bartender at a restaurant. Did you get a job there too, Lee Han?"
Rebecca was desperately signaling me with her eyes. She sets the stage and leaves the cleanup to me.
"Something like that."
"Goodness, didn't you say you joined the military? You quit? What a shame. I wanted to hear all your stories if you went far away. Why come back to this boring Zachsen restaurant?"
"That's... well. With the war breaking out and everything, it got dangerous... so I decided to work somewhere safe in Zachsen."
"Wait, you can just quit whenever you feel like it? Sigh... I really wanted to hear war stories... Can't you go back to the battlefield now?"
"..."
"Hahaha—cough—ha. I'm just joking, Lee Han. Who am I to criticize you for quitting? But I was serious about wanting to hear lots of interesting stories. Come visit often with Rebecca. You know the two of you are my only friends."
"...I'll try."
I quietly leaned back on the sofa, listening to the two of them chatter away. Village gossip, beauty tips, stories about Matthew, and the occasional glance my way with a bit of criticism thrown in. On a broad scale they might be useful, but they were all trivial things. I wondered why Rebecca had asked to stay longer. While I organized what we'd talk about on the way home—
Thud.
Matthew had returned.
"Ah, Grandpa's back! Today with Rebecca—"
"Oh, I see. Lilly. It's been a while since Rebecca came to visit. But this grandfather has something to discuss with young Lee Han."
"Ah, Grandpa. I heard you started working together. There must have been some problem, right? Still—cough—don't scold him too much, okay?"
"Haha, Lilly. This old man isn't that harsh, you know. Don't worry too much. We just have some unfinished business from this morning. Rebecca, I'll speak with Lee Han for a bit. Could you watch Lilly a little longer in the meantime?"
"Yes, sir. I was planning to go back with Lee Han anyway, so it's fine."
Matthew's expression was grim. That made sense. He'd always been extremely wary of anyone connected to the guild setting foot in his home. Rebecca had no direct ties, so that was one thing, but I was different. It wasn't without reason that I had avoided visiting Lilly often.
At Matthew's gesture I followed him into the room with heavy steps. He'd driven me away when I tried to talk this afternoon—was this a good sign? The atmosphere didn't feel good at all.
The moment the door closed, Matthew's face hardened.
"Lee Han... I clearly expressed my refusal today, didn't I? Coming all the way here makes things difficult."
"No, that's—"
But there was no need to explain that I'd been waiting here on purpose, was there? At least I'd succeeded in starting the conversation.
"I didn't want to go this far either. But..."
"If I said no, then accept it!"
This old man hadn't listened to a word from the start.
"You didn't even listen to me. You just gave me a drink and kicked me out."
"Ha, do you think I wouldn't know? Lee Han, people who truly want to get close don't act so vaguely while sharing drinks. Do you think I worked as a bartender for nothing? Distinguishing between someone who came for guild business and someone who came to drink is child's play for me. And you clearly came today for something related to the guild. Am I wrong?"
His face flushed red in a way that was unlike him.
"Do you think you're the first person to approach me like this? How long will you keep acting as the guild's dog? Are you satisfied with your current position? Ha, it's ridiculous. Those people aren't any different—they just have smooth tongues."
He seemed to have figured out more than I'd expected.
"I'm... not trying to be greedy."
"I know. I know. The constraints placed on you, and what you hold dear. Yes, you're not the type to be swayed by personal desires. That's why I feel sorry for you. I'm sorry. I cannot... betray Shylock. I don't know what methods you've used or what plans you've made, but the moment I hear your circumstances, our relationship will become irreparable. So... stop here."
Deep regret settled into his wrinkled face. His old, scarred hands. Matthew pressed that rough palm to his forehead and quietly closed his eyes.
"Lee Han, I care about you more than you realize. Well, if you're pessimistic about everything, you might see me as nothing more than a business partner. But isn't that because you never received proper upbringing?"
"No, that's a bit—"
"Isn't it the truth? That's why I understand even when you speak informally and act rudely."
"..."
"I've watched you since you were young, haven't I? The day you arrived carrying Rebecca is still vivid in my memory. The fact that you've protected her until she's become such a fine young woman. Becoming friends with our Lilly. I evaluate all of it positively. And whether you know it or not, we built a bond through training, didn't we?"
Matthew slowly lowered his hand and reached out. His target was my shoulder.
"Lee Han. Those who have something to protect are supposed to grow weaker."
"If that's the case..."
"So... I'm begging you."
The hand on my shoulder tightened with sudden force.
"Make sure I never have to treat you as an enemy. This is the plea of an old man who's spent his life protecting his own."