Self-Awareness - (4)
Watching Dokgo Ryeong leave while clutching Wi Ilcheong’s sleeve, the three women left behind in the room snickered among themselves.
“Look at that. Ryeong Mae secretly likes it too, doesn’t she?”
“Right? When we pushed her earlier her resistance got a little weak, you know?”
“Really?”
“Yes~. If you look carefully, Dokgo-sojeo was the weakest of all of us~.”
“Right? When you really look at her, Ryeong Mae is just so lovable. Hehe.”
Un Sohong tilted her head as she watched the two chatting.
“But are the two of you all right with this?”
“Hm?”
“With what?”
“If Dokgo-sojeo and Young Master Wi get along well… um… that means the two of you left behind are having Young Master Wi stolen from you.”
“They say a hero keeps three wives and four concubines, don’t they?”
“I’d even be fine as a concubine~.”
“Ahh…”
Un Sohong nodded as if she understood.
“But… both of you have learned martial arts, right?”
“Mm, roughly.”
“Yes~, that’s right.”
“Then… shall we secretly follow them?”
“Hm?”
“Ehh?!”
“Aren’t you curious? I only learned self-defense, so I focused mainly on stealth arts and lightness skills.”
“Ah, I’m confident in stealth arts too~!”
“Mmm… I’ll get caught, so I’m not going. You two go and tell me about it later.”
When Baekri Sohyeon took a step back, Un Sohong looked at Eun Gwanyeong.
“Eun-sojeo, are you going?”
“Yes~! More than that, just call me Gwanyeong. I’m probably younger, right?”
“Is that really all right?”
“Yes~, I like that better~.”
“Okay. Then Baekri-sojeo, we’ll be back?”
“Mm-mm. You have to tell me how it went, okay?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll even draw a picture of it for you~!”
Baekri Sohyeon stared blankly after Un Sohong and Eun Gwanyeong as they excitedly headed outside, then let out a sigh.
Stealth arts… I really need to train my martial arts more…
Lately Dokgo Ryeong’s martial prowess had been rising sharply, and Eun Gwanyeong had been stronger than her from the very first meeting. The thought that she herself had become a burden if she wanted to keep traveling with Wi Ilcheong slowly crept up, and a corner of Baekri Sohyeon’s chest ached.
…If I want to stay by their side, I have to work hard.
At first she had been the one teaching Dokgo Ryeong the Shoot the Sun Sword Art, yet now it felt as though the other woman’s understanding had already surpassed her own. At some point she had started asking Dokgo Ryeong questions about the sword art instead, and she could no longer casually demand to be called “Unnie.”
…Instead of thinking like this, I should be swinging my sword.
Only by diligently using free moments like this would she ever catch up to those two. With that thought she opened the door and stepped outside…
“Hm?”
“Ah… hello.”
“The young lady who was with Wi Ilcheong, I see.”
The Sword God, Namgung Woncheong, stood there.
“Uh… what brings you here?”
“Just killing a little time. But there’s no one inside.”
“Yes. Ryeong Mae and Brother Wi went out just now. They said they were going for a short walk.”
“Is that so. Hmm…”
Namgung Woncheong’s gaze dropped and settled on the sword she was holding.
“Were you on your way to swing your sword?”
“Ah, yes…”
“Shall we swing them together?”
“Pardon?”
Baekri Sohyeon’s eyes went wide at the sudden offer.
“M-me?”
“This old man has nothing left but meddling now that he’s aged, keul-keul.”
“If you would give me instruction, I will gratefully receive it!”
Life returned to Baekri Sohyeon’s usually hazy eyes, and Namgung Woncheong smiled with pleasure.
“Glad to hear it. Then will you keep this old man company for a while?”
“Yes!”
“Then let us go together, keul-keul.”
Namgung Woncheong took the lead, and Baekri Sohyeon followed. Gripping the sword in her hand tightly, she made a quiet vow.
I won’t fall behind either, Ryeong Mae.
“…”
“Dokgo-sojeo.”
“Y-yes… yesh?!”
“You’ve been quiet for a while. Are you all right?”
“Uh… ah… that…”
As Dokgo Ryeong floundered, Wi Ilcheong gave an awkward smile.
“It seems I was the only one looking forward to this. When you asked me to go out together first, I got a little excited.”
“Hweh?! No… that…”
Dokgo Ryeong fidgeted and clutched his sleeve even tighter. Standing in front of someone who admitted he had been looking forward to it, she felt a twinge of guilt at the thought of saying “Actually I wasn’t the one who suggested it” and turning him down.
“Th-that… I… uuu…”
“Would you like to go back?”
Seeing the faintly bitter look on Wi Ilcheong’s face as he smiled and considered her feelings made a corner of Dokgo Ryeong’s chest ache.
No, fuck… for real…
Who the hell could just say “Let’s go back” when he looked at her like that and spoke that way? Rationalizing it to herself, Dokgo Ryeong gave a tiny shake of her head.
“N-no.”
“I’m glad. Then shall we go this way?”
“Uh… where are we going?”
“I’m not quite sure what Dokgo-sojeo likes either. You don’t seem the type to enjoy flower viewing, but taking a lady to a blacksmith’s shop is also a bit…”
“Let’s go! The blacksmith!”
“…”
Wi Ilcheong looked startled.
“Uh… are you sure that’s all right?”
“I like blacksmiths! We’re going to look at weapons, right?”
“…Yes. I heard there’s a blacksmith of fairly good skill nearby.”
“Where is it?”
“This way, please.”
Wi Ilcheong walked ahead, and Dokgo Ryeong followed while still holding his sleeve. Watching them from a distance, two young women let out simultaneous sighs.
“Haa… of all things, going to a blacksmith with a man who might become her destined partner…”
“I know, right~… I knew Dokgo-sojeo was a little unusual, but I never thought it would be like this. I deliberately picked a path with pretty flowers and fewer people~…”
Eun Gwanyeong fell into thought.
“Uuu… if we leave them like this, nothing’s going to happen between them at all~…”
“Gwanyeong-ah, how about this?”
“What is it~?”
“We deliberately stage those kinds of situations.”
“Hm?”
“I mean…”
Un Sohong whispered something into Eun Gwanyeong’s ear, and smiles gradually bloomed on both their faces.
“That sounds fun~.”
“Right?”
“Then let’s do it! They’re walking, so we should go ahead and set things up first~!”
“Yeah, hurry.”
While walking toward the blacksmith, Dokgo Ryeong and Wi Ilcheong fell silent. Both of them were carrying the same worry.
…What am I supposed to say?
What should I bring up?
Now that the situation had actually arrived, they both realized how little they truly knew about each other.
I should say something at least…
Just as Dokgo Ryeong steeled herself and opened her mouth—
“Th—!”
“I—!”
Their words overlapped, and both closed their mouths again.
“Y-you go first…”
“Please, Dokgo-sojeo first.”
“I-I don’t want to. It wasn’t anything special…”
“Mine wasn’t anything special either.”
“I-I’m not saying it!”
“Keuk, very well. I’ll speak first.”
Wi Ilcheong smiled and looked at her.
“What does Dokgo-sojeo like?”
“Uheh?!”
“Your reactions keep getting more varied the longer we go.”
“Uh… that… weapons… and spiritual medicines… and beating up bad guys?”
“…”
Hearing her answer, Wi Ilcheong let out a sigh.
“Haa… you really are on a completely different track, Dokgo-sojeo.”
“…Is that weird?”
“Yes, it’s truly strange. But… that only makes me more curious.”
Wi Ilcheong stopped walking, and Dokgo Ryeong stopped with him.
“What do you plan to do after we arrive in Tianzhu, Dokgo-sojeo?”
“…I don’t know.”
“You haven’t thought about it at all?”
“…”
Come to think of it, Dokgo Ryeong had never once considered what would come after. Of course she hadn’t—once they reached Tianzhu and stole the sacred relic of the Thunder Sound Temple, she would return to being a man. She would go back to being the Mad Demon Dokgo Jin. After that she had planned to offer Wi Ilcheong a suitable amount of thanks, smash the Diancang Sect, and return to her old life.
Crush those Tang Clan bastards… and maybe smash the Moyong Clan’s house one more time… though I should think that one over.
Dokgo Ryeong suddenly realized she had truly been living without any thought for the future. Her life had been nothing more than beating trash into the ground day after day for the sake of revenge, and she had assumed it would stay that way. So she answered honestly.
“…I don’t have anything planned. I’ll just… keep living like that, I guess.”
“Is that so?”
“…”
“…”
After her answer the conversation between them broke off again. Just then a flower fell from the tree above her head and landed right on Dokgo Ryeong’s hair. Seeing it, Wi Ilcheong gave a soft snort of laughter.
“It suits you.”
“Wh-what does?”
“A flower has bloomed on your head.”
Wi Ilcheong casually reached out, plucked the flower from her hair, and held it up for her to see.
“It matches Dokgo-sojeo’s hair color quite well.”
“Hweh?!”
As Dokgo Ryeong’s hair began to flush a soft pink, Wi Ilcheong laughed.
“It suits you right now as well, keuk.”
“Th-that’s enough!”
“My apologies. But no matter how many times I see it, it really is a beautiful color.”
“Th-that too… stop saying that…”
“That it’s beautiful?”
When Wi Ilcheong stared straight at her, Dokgo Ryeong turned her head away in embarrassment.
“It’s weird… saying that…”
“It’s simply the truth that you are beautiful. Both Dokgo-sojeo’s hair color and Dokgo-sojeo herself.”
“H-hwaaa… d-don’t do that kind of thing!”
“Keuk, my apologies.”
Wi Ilcheong placed the flower back on her head as he spoke.
“Dokgo-sojeo’s reactions are simply too entertaining.”
“Y-you…!”
“You make such a variety of expressions every time, sojeo.”
“S-stop teasing me!”
“Yes, keuk. But when I said you were pretty, I meant it.”
“Hweh?!”
Just as Dokgo Ryeong had started to relax, she was ambushed again and even her ears turned bright red. Watching her, Wi Ilcheong laughed once more.
“You see, sojeo? With reactions this good, how could I easily give up?”
“F-for real…”
Dokgo Ryeong whined and tugged repeatedly on his sleeve, so Wi Ilcheong took her hand.
“Shall we continue?”
“H-h… h-hand…”
“From here on there will be many people. It would be troublesome if we lost each other, wouldn’t it?”
“Ah… uwa…”
Wi Ilcheong’s words made no sense at all. Dokgo Ryeong’s sensory perception was excellent, and Wi Ilcheong’s was no less sharp. There was absolutely no chance two people who had trained in martial arts would lose each other simply because of a crowd.
“Uuu…”
Yet Dokgo Ryeong flushed, lowered her head, and gripped his hand even tighter.
“I-it would be troublesome if we got lost…”
“Yes.”
Wi Ilcheong held her hand firmly and began to walk. Once the two of them disappeared into the street, the two young women hiding in the bushes burst out.
“Oh my oh my oh my!”
“It went well, Sohong-unnie!”
“Right, Gwanyeong-ah? See? In the end the flower was important, wasn’t it?”
“Uuuu~ Dokgo-sojeo acts like such a tomboy usually, but she gets so weak at times like this~!”
“I know. Heuu~, this is too much fun.”
“Let’s hurry and follow. We’ll lose them.”
“Mm-mm.”
Un Sohong and Eun Gwanyeong once again set off after the path Dokgo Ryeong had taken.
“Dokgo-sojeo, are you all right?”
“Y-yes… yesh!”
“Please hold on tightly.”
“Uuu… yes…”
Dokgo Ryeong’s grip on his hand tightened. The market crowd was larger than expected.
“They say the blacksmith is this way.”
“Ah… yes.”
The alley they entered after pushing through the crowd was quiet and deserted.
“Hoo… there are fewer people now.”
“Yeah…”
Wi Ilcheong released Dokgo Ryeong’s hand and adjusted his clothes. Then he held his hand out to her again.
“Shall we go?”
“…Yes.”
There was no longer any excuse to keep holding hands, yet Dokgo Ryeong naturally took his hand anyway.
“The alley is narrow, so please be careful as we go in.”
“…Yes.”
The alley was so narrow that only one person could barely pass through. As they walked that cramped space, Dokgo Ryeong looked down at the hand she was holding, then at Wi Ilcheong’s back walking ahead of her.
“…”
Just as she was beginning to realize that having someone walk in front of her like a shield was more pleasant than she had expected, Wi Ilcheong suddenly stopped.
“Uweh!”
Dokgo Ryeong bumped into his back and lightly smacked it.
“Wh-why did you stop all of a sudden?!”
“Dokgo-sojeo.”
“…Yes.”
“There is no one coming or going here.”
“Pardon?”
Wi Ilcheong turned around and pushed the hand he was holding against the wall. Naturally pressed back against the wall, Dokgo Ryeong looked up at him in flustered confusion.
“Wi… Wi Ilcheong?”
“Of all times, you call me by name now.”
“Uh… ah… nooo…”
Wi Ilcheong’s face drew gradually closer.
“I have something to say.”
“R-right now?”
“Yes, right now.”
“I-in this position…?”
Wi Ilcheong had both arms braced on either side of her, pinning her to the wall.
“Yes, in this position.”
His face came closer still, and his breath brushed her skin. At that, Dokgo Ryeong was once again reminded of that night. Wi Ilcheong wiping her face. The approaching breath, the touching noses. And then…
“Uuu…”
In a situation that felt like a direct continuation of that night, Wi Ilcheong’s face drew nearer.
“Ha-uuu… th—”
“Please don’t speak, Dokgo-sojeo.”
“Hup.”
“I can’t hold back any longer.”
Hearing those words, Dokgo Ryeong closed her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. Her hands tightly gripped the fabric of her own skirt.
Uuu…!
Wi Ilcheong’s nose lightly brushed against Dokgo Ryeong’s.
And then…