A Drumstick in Both Hands
Ah, the sublime taste of pheasant meat that awaited me—earned only after enduring no fewer than three agonizing commands to "wait."
Screeech—
"If it's just the two of you, this room will do nicely. Well, then..."
"Thank you."
Look at him, always so polite. Now then, let's see...
While Ga-wol exchanged courtesies with the woman—whether she was the innkeeper or a maid, I had no clue—I darted into the room like a shot.
Twitch—
A successful touchdown.
"Er... what on earth are you doing?"
"Huh? Can't you tell?"
I was staking my claim, obviously. Securing the perimeter.
Ga-wol looked down at me as if I were utterly pitiful.
"No... I gathered you were trying to call dibs on a spot, but why in the world are you doing that?"
Oh, that?
"Uh..."
Well, naturally...
"Er..."
Truth be told, an overwhelming urge had seized me to curl up and claim this corner first, though I couldn't explain the reason myself.
"I-instinct?"
Even to my own ears, it was a shockingly pathetic excuse.
"Haah... Fine, take that spot. It makes no difference whether you sleep here, there, or over yonder anyway."
"Uh... yeah."
I swear, the impulse had simply taken over before I could think!
"Stop babbling nonsense. Let's stable Daeseong and go grab some lunch."
Ah, at last...
"Right! Let's hurry."
Out of everything that had come out of Ga-wol's mouth all day, that was by far my favorite sentence.
"Hmm..."
Pbbbrrrpt—
After stowing our travel packs in the room, Ga-wol and I led Daeseong to the stables and tethered her inside.
It looked a bit cramped.
"Is it all right to leave her like this? Won't her legs get sore?"
Come to think of it, across both of my lifetimes, I had never once seen a horse sleep lying down. In books, paintings, or whatever media I remembered, they were always standing upright or galloping across plains.
At my question, Ga-wol replied offhandedly, "Oh, horses sleep lying down all the time."
Assuring me that I was worrying over nothing, he unfastened the harness straps across Daeseong's back.
Slip—
"There we go. Rest up."
Neighhh—
Thud.
"...What the. She really does lie down."
With the entire stall to herself, she sprawled out flat on her side as if relishing the roomy comfort, lazily thumping her tail against the straw-covered dirt every now and then.
Dusting his hands off, Ga-wol turned back toward me.
"Right, then. Shall we go find something to eat as well?"
Hmm... He clearly thought he had brushed himself off, but his technique was sorely lacking.
"Hey. You've still got straw stuck to your hand." Just a tiny piece.
"Ah, dear me."
Flick—
"Gone now?"
"Yep."
Performing a small act of kindness left a warm, fulfilling sensation in my chest. If I could just fill my stomach now, things would be positively sublime.
"So, you're definitely buying me pheasant stew, right?"
If he tried to back out now, I would never believe a single word out of his mouth again.
"Of course. Though... I suppose our first step should be heading back the way we came."
"Huh? Why...?" Was there something back there?
"I believe I saw an eatery selling baeksuk on our way into town. Besides, your clothes are flapping around far too loosely. It simply won't do."
"These? They're comfortable."
I had deliberately asked for extra-wide sleeves and legs when having them made. Didn't they look cool?
"Be that as it may, you are nominally my personal bodyguard. I merely thought it proper for you to dress with a modicum of decency."
"Is... that so?"
Well... It was true that dirt tended to get shoved down my trousers whenever I rolled across the ground. But other than that, what was the problem?
"Indeed. And pull your lapels together while you're at it. Aren't you freezing?"
"Mmh..."
He worried about the strangest things.
"Rangin run hot, so I'm fine."
I conveniently kept it a secret that I had nearly frozen to death two months ago.
"If you don't believe me..."
Smack.
I caught his idle left hand and pressed his palm directly against the bare skin just beneath my throat.
"See? Warm, right?"
A full degree or two higher than an ordinary human, thank you very much. In Celsius, of course.
"......"
Hey, why the sudden silence?
Ga-wol's expression curdled into pure, weary distress as he quickly averted his gaze.
"That... is yet another reason why you must cover up."
"Why now?"
I literally just touched your hand to my chest so you would stop telling me to cover up!
"I can see."
"See? See what?"
What on earth was he babbling about? And what was with that look on his face?
"Haah... If you truly cannot fathom it, let us simply be on our way."
"Uh... sure."
He didn't even bother giving me an answer.
Looking as though every drop of his life force had been abruptly siphoned away, Ga-wol muttered under his breath, "Seriously, what kind of person..."
With that exhausted grumble, he began marching ahead.
We walked for quite a while.
"...I'm hungry."
"First, we must do something about that outfit. Even setting aside the chest that you could simply pull closed, the fabric billows in every passing breeze, and with your limbs half-exposed, you look positively chilled."
"I told you, I'm not cold!"
"Well, watching you makes me cold."
"Ugh..."
Listen to him, sounding like some nagging schoolteacher. Back home, it had been a total nightmare being bundled up from head to toe even when the weather was warm.
"If you refuse to cooperate, lunch will be dry beef jerky instead of stew. Understood?"
What?
"Where is the justice in that?!" Are you blackmailing me?
"Right here. You seem to continually forget... in this relationship, you are strictly the debtor. I am the creditor."
"......Ah, right."
I had completely spaced it. I owed this guy money, didn't I...?
And a rather staggering amount, at that.
"S-so... what are you planning to do?"
I suppose hearing him speak so politely had subconsciously tricked me into forgetting my place as the subordinate.
"Hmm..."
Ga-wol scrutinized me from head to toe with sharp, analytical eyes.
Could you hurry it up? You're making me feel like a pedigree hound at a kennel club appraisal...
"How long are you going to stare?"
"Just a moment..."
After studying me intently for a good while, Ga-wol offered a concise solution.
"We shall bind the cuffs of your sleeves and trouser legs, then wrap your wrists and ankles in white cloth."
Why go through all that trouble?
"What's the cloth for?"
"Bare skin gets scraped easily."
"My skin doesn't tear just from rolling around on the ground, you know...?"
Hey, my skin might be smooth and soft, but that doesn't mean it's fragile!
"Even so, it is far better to wrap them."
I'm asking why, genius.
Faced with my piercing glare, Ga-wol finally relented.
"......Aesthetically speaking. In other words, I believe it would look quite dashing."
Aha...
"You could have just said you thought it would look good on me."
"Ahem. Old habits die hard, it seems."
What a flimsy excuse.
"What kind of habit is that, anyway?"
"Well... Back in my hometown, I frequently tailored clothes for the neighborhood children."
"And?"
"Whenever I mended torn garments, I figured they might as well look handsome while I was at it, so I often added various embellishments. The memory simply came flooding back, and..."
"Oho..."
Jack of all trades, isn't he?
"Fine, whatever. Let's try it on first."
If he wanted to dress me up that badly, the least I could do was serve as his personal mannequin.
"Excellent. Follow me."
Clop, clop.
Led along by Ga-wol, I stepped into a draper's shop.
Slide—
"Proprietor! Do you happen to carry military-grade fabric?"
From amidst towering bolts of silk, hemp, and ramie dyed in every color of the rainbow, a man noticeably broader than Ga-wol lumbered out from behind the counter.
"Oh! Just had a few bolts come in, as a matter of fact. How many yards do you need?"
"One full bolt, please. Ah, in white. That's the cheapest, correct?"
Wow... Talk about a big spender.
"Aye, it is. But a whole bolt? If you're tailoring clothes, indigo would serve you far better..."
"Ah, we aren't making clothes from scratch."
Pat, pat.
Grrrr...
Hey, get your hands off my head. Can't you see my ears are pinned back?
"I intend to add bindings and wraps to this fellow's attire."
"Aha... In that case, white is a fine choice. Here you are. Would you like me to cut it down to size for you?"
"Ah, that would be greatly appreciated."
"Right then..."
Snip, rip—
"Here you go."
"Thank you kindly."
"Mm, come back soon!"
"Will do!"
"Hmm..."
A remarkably friendly shopkeeper. That was my honest takeaway.
Grumbleee—
"Haaah..."
Stepping out of the fabric store, I looked at Ga-wol.
"So, are we finally going to eat now?"
Right?
"Well, the thing is..."
"Answer me."
"Mmmgh..."
What is it? Why are you stopping?
"Ah... somehow, we appear to have walked all the way back to the inn."
"Huh?"
That made zero sense.
Whisk—
"What the... you're serious?"
I looked around. Sure enough, the scenery was identical to what we had left earlier.
"Weren't we heading to the stew place?!"
Ga-wol averted his gaze once more and cleared his throat.
"Truth be told, there was one minor detail I neglected to mention..."
"......What is it." What sort of nonsense are you about to spring on me?
"You see..."
Don't drag it out!
"...It turns out the baeksuk restaurant and the draper's shop are on completely opposite sides of town."
What......?
"Hey!"
An irritable screech ripped out of my throat purely by reflex.
"You expect me to walk that entire distance all over again?! Huh?!"
I told you I was starving! My stomach was practically plastered against my spine!
"Well... while we are here, we can tidy up your attire before we go, so isn't this for the best?"
He offered an awkward, apologetic smile.
"Let us head inside and adjust your garments first..."
Is this punk serious?
"You... did this on purpose, didn't you?"
"Heaven forbid. Why would I?"
"......"
Save your breath, Siun.
"Shall we?"
Shameless bastard.
"Ugh..."
I stood before the cracked mirror tucked into the corner of our room.
"Phew... Fine. Do your worst."
"Then please stand still."
Ga-wol gathered the ends of my sleeves and trouser legs, tying them off.
"Eep—!"
"I told you not to move."
"I can't help it, it tickles!"
"It will be over in a moment."
He cinched the hems of my trousers just below the knees and bound the sleeves just above my elbows.
"Hey, take it easy..."
"Yes, yes."
Rustle—
There, that felt a little better.
"And finally, the cloth wraps..."
He wound the white strips around my limbs several times before tying them off securely.
Tug—
"Ngh—"
"Phew... All done."
"This feels bizarre..."
A strangely snug, locked-in sensation. If I had to compare it to anything from my past life... ankle socks?
"Have a look in the mirror."
"Let's see..."
Hmm. Well, having the white accents certainly broke up the plain silhouette, so maybe it wasn't half bad...
Swish—!
I kicked into empty air.
Legs felt fine.
Whoosh—
Arms felt stiff.
"Hey, untie the knots on my sleeves."
"Pardon...? Ah, very well."
Ga-wol loosened the bindings around my arms.
"One more time..."
Whoosh—
Snap!
"Ah, much better. Tying up the arms completely ruins my range of motion. Can't do it."
We could compromise on that much, surely.
"Mmm... A pity, but it cannot be helped. Haah..."
Hey. It's not even your outfit, why are you so disappointed?
"Ahem. So... we are really going to eat now, right?"
Trick me again and I'm sinking my fangs into your arm, swear to god.
"Th-that is... ah, yes. Of course. In the opposite direction of where we just walked... ah, but I already explained that."
"Just get moving!"
Slurrrp—
"Mmmph... Om nom."
Swish, swish. My tail whipped back and forth in pure ecstasy.
"Mmm..."
Holy crap. This was proper baeksuk. An honest-to-goodness portion for two! He had actually kept his word!
The rich aroma of medicinal herbs infusing the boiling broth, paired with the hearty, delightfully chewy texture of fresh pheasant meat... What a heavenly combination.
"......"
Meanwhile, Ga-wol hadn't taken a single spoonful of his own share. He just sat there, quietly watching me.
"Hmph. Hey, why aren't you eating?"
Did he want me to eat his portion too? What a spoiled brat, letting good food sit.
"No, it's just... I was rather surprised to see how meticulously you pick the bones out."
Pfft—
What kind of idiotic comment was that?
"Don't you even know it's dangerous to swallow avian bones like chicken or pheasant?"
Even a dog wasn't supposed to eat cooked bird bones!
Ga-wol looked genuinely flabbergasted.
"What is this... Why are you being so sensible...?"
Grrr...
"I'm not a wild beast! I have basic common sense!"
"Is that so? Then, like the cultured intellectual you claim to be, perhaps you might consider using your spoon and chopsticks...?"
"A drumstick is meant to be gripped with both hands and torn apart with your teeth!"
My adoptive father had said the exact same thing back in the day.
"Right, right... Suit yourself."
Only then did Ga-wol finally pick up his spoon and take his first sip.
Slurp—
"Oh. This is remarkably good."
"Told you, didn't I?"
Did you think I buried my face in the bowl for nothing?
"......If only it hadn't cost six silver liang per serving."
"Uh-uh! Zip it."
You don't ruin a good meal by counting pennies!