How Does Brother Namgung Know About Micro Bikinis…?
“It is called the Femboy Divine Art. Remember it well.”
“……What kind of name is that?”
The bizarre name was so far from anything I had expected that I simply could not let it pass without asking.
“Ahem!”
Thwack—!
“Ow!”
A sharp flick landed square on my forehead and a yelp escaped me before I could stop it. Brother Namgung tried to put on a stern face, but the corners of his mouth kept twitching upward no matter how hard he forced the tone.
“There is deep meaning in the name. Do not quibble over it for no reason.”
…………………………………………
“Then… from now on, will Brother Namgung and I share the bond of master and disciple?”
Whatever the name, the man was teaching me martial arts, so he was my master, was he not? Yet at my perfectly natural question Brother Namgung shook his head.
“No. I do not form that sort of bond. …Ah, if you are fretting that I might neglect your instruction, then I would like you to trust me and follow without worry.”
Having said that much, he ruffled my hair with one hand.
“In the East, the young lord of a Wa noble house; in Mongolia, the sworn brother of a clan chieftain; even in the Western Regions, a fair-skinned Semu pirate youth. Gifted souls from every corner of the world have, under my wholehearted guidance, perfected the Femboy Divine Art.”
Honestly it sounded like pure hot air, yet the gentle hand stroking my hair felt so pleasant that the words somehow gained a strange persuasiveness. That those slender, elegant fingers belonged to a man left me with a decidedly odd feeling… Looking back now, things had already become a little—no, quite a lot—strange. Still, Brother Namgung was the closest person I had known in my short life. I had been living in hiding here since my early teens, after all.
At some point the stroking hand vanished. When I opened my eyes and came back to myself, Brother Namgung was busily unpacking a bundle.
“…Now then, to begin proper study one must wear suitable attire. I shall show you garments that will suit you one by one; choose whichever takes your fancy.”
Clothes I had never seen before—like the Manchu-style outfit Brother Namgung himself wore that left his thighs completely bare—drew my gaze from the opened bundle.
………………………………………………
“Th-this is…”
Good heavens. What on earth was this thing?
“This is popular attire in Wa. Over there they treat animals, objects, even abstract concepts as if they were people. This one was made in imitation of the clothes worn by warships.”
“…Ships wear clothes?”
“Just a manner of speaking. Do not overthink it; focus on the garment itself.”
“Ugh………”
A short white top that left the navel completely exposed. Worse, there was no fabric at all over the shoulders or underarms. The bottom was a scrap of cloth too shameful even to call a skirt, plus red-and-white striped… things that looked like they went on the feet, and shoes that must have been a full cheok long.
“Ah, those are called gāotǒngwà…. The Semu folk call them knee-socks. Well? Do you like them?”
Expectation colored Brother Namgung’s flushed cheeks and soft voice.
“No—I am not saying I want to wear them… Before that, how is anyone supposed to walk around in clothes like these?!”
“…Hmm. Nothing for it, then. If they do not please you, pick something else.”
Ignoring my protest, he held up a new outfit.
“………”
“This one is good too. It is said to be a replica of the attire worn by one of the Twelve Knights of a certain famous Western emperor while on a mission.”
“……I see………”
The second set he offered was a white-and-pink top, a short pink skirt, and finally another pair of those white… gāotǒngwà, knee-socks. What kind of man would ever put on such clothes?
“Brother Namgung. This one is also a bit… the navel is completely bare, and overall it just feels wrong, does it not…?”
Hearing my answer, Brother Namgung let out a long sigh this time.
“Haa… You are far more stubborn than I expected. So you dislike clothes that show too much skin…? Let me see, then how about this?”
After rummaging through the bundle for a good while, he produced the next outfit with the air of one who believed I could no longer refuse.
“This one is modeled after a rabbit…. In the Western Regions it is wildly popular as the uniform for inn servants.”
And what in the world was this net-like something that looked as if it went on the legs?
“Those are called sīwà. Also from the West. The Semu call them stockings.”
Noticing my bewildered stare, Brother Namgung kindly supplied an explanation I had never asked for.
“First you put on the stockings that cover the lower body completely, then over them this black… jǐnshēnyī that reaches up to the chest. Ah, the Semu call it a leotard. Finally you wear the headband that represents rabbit ears.”
Smiling brightly, he stepped forward to place the headband on me; I waved both hands frantically to stop him.
“Wait—! Brother Namgung! I never once said I would wear any of this! What possible purpose could you have for dressing a perfectly normal man in clothes like these?”
However justified my protest, what came back was Brother Namgung’s sharp rebuke.
“Ahem! Rejecting every single garment necessary for your training—you are the one who is going too far!”
“If you truly hate them all, I shall put this one on you and make you walk the marketplace!”
“…And what ‘perfectly normal man’? Looking at your build alone, compared to me who has trained in the Femboy Divine Art for ten years…”
After scolding me, Brother Namgung muttered something else, but his voice was too low for me to catch. I had no attention left for it anyway, because of the undergarment he was now thrusting at me.
“…Brother Namgung, what in the world is that…”
Just looking at it made my face burn. It was clearly meant for the chest and groin, yet it was less clothing than a few thin strings that barely covered the private parts.
“…Oho. Could it be that this is the one you like best…? It looks like underwear, but it is not. It is called a micro swimsuit.”
Seeing me flush and hang my head, Brother Namgung grinned as if he understood everything and pushed the garment closer. From him, now only a breath away, came a deep, sweet scent of figs.
“But as expected—or rather, truly impressive. You are the first ever to choose this micro swimsuit. Ah, do not worry; I am not saying it is unpopular. There is a type of swimwear that came from the West, and this is the version improved in Wa……”
Ugh………
While I stood speechless with sheer bewilderment, Brother Namgung was already treating it as nearly settled that I would put on those insane string underthings. No matter how I looked at it, this was a scheme to force me to pick something—anything—just to escape that micro swimsuit. If I stayed silent I would be swept along and end up wearing the mad string thing; if I hated that, I would have to choose one of the outfits he had offered myself. A true no-win situation. My face must have been as red as a beet by now.
“…C-can’t I just wear something similar to what I have on now…?”
“Absolutely not! Strip at once! I shall put this micro swimsuit on you with my own hands!”
“…Th-that one over there! I’ll take that one!”
…………………………………………
It was a choice made in pure panic, yet Brother Namgung looked greatly satisfied and nodded.
“An excellent selection indeed! These dolphin shorts may look ordinary at first glance, yet they possess a far more lethal charm than the flashy outfits. Also from the West; the Semu call them dolphin pants.”
The clothes I had chosen were overall navy blue, with white hems and a slight cut-out along the sides. …Although the matching white top was short enough to show a little of my navel, which I disliked, it still looked far better than those other deranged garments—especially that micro swimsuit or whatever it was.
………………………………………………
And so, half by force, I changed clothes… yet the pants turned out shorter than I had expected.
“Brother Namgung… both the ones I am wearing and the ones you have on leave the thighs completely bare. Would it not be better to put something like trousers underneath?”
Hearing me, Brother Namgung clapped his hands together with a sharp smack.
“Ah, I have not explained yet. What I am wearing is called a qípáo. …Come to think of it, there is a very famous female hero of the Li clan who is said to wear stockings under her qípáo. You have come up with a truly splendid idea.”
What on earth was this man talking about?
“No, Brother Namgung. That is not what I meant…”