Reaching Out
The first thing Hoeyeon saw upon waking that morning was Gayul's back as she sat in her place, combing her hair.
"You're awake?"
Gayul spoke without turning around.
"Yeah. Mm."
Neither of them said anything more, and for a while the only sound was the soft whisper of Gayul's comb sliding through her hair.
"Hoeyeon."
"Y-yeah!?"
Gayul's hand stilled on the comb.
"I'd rather you not speak of what happened yesterday."
Her voice was trembling.
And the cause of that tremor was embarrassment.
The ear left bare by her swept-back hair had flushed a delicate pink.
The sensation of that ear between Hoeyeon's lips and tongue the night before came flooding back — a tingling, faintly aching feeling that prickled through her.
"O-of course."
Hoeyeon's voice was trembling with embarrassment too.
Last night, Gayul had felt it… no, done it… gone and—anyway, after that, Hoeyeon had felt every last quiver of her body through her fingertips, holding on until the shaking finally subsided.
And when Gayul went limp and collapsed, Hoeyeon had not caught her as she slipped from her hands.
She couldn't. She hadn't known what she might do if she did.
Hoeyeon was embarrassed thinking about yesterday too. Not the unpleasant kind of shame — the kind that made her heart thump and flutter.
"Good. That's settled, then."
Gayul resumed combing.
"However."
"H-h-however?"
"You told me that the thing I have hidden all my life was beautiful."
This time, joy was mixed in with the embarrassment in Gayul's trembling voice.
"And so, I thank you."
"…Yeah."
The same thing was mixed into Hoeyeon's voice as well.
"Ah, yes — would you turn around for a moment?"
"Uh… sure?"
Wondering why, Hoeyeon turned her back, and there came the rustle of Gayul approaching.
"Hold still."
And then the comb touched Hoeyeon's hair.
"Ohh."
A soft, pleasant sensation drew that sound from Hoeyeon's lips.
"Is this all right? Tell me if it's too hard."
Swish, swish. The comb swept through her hair, slipped free, returned, and swept again.
Wherever it snagged, Gayul paused and carefully worked the tangle free with her fingers before continuing, and Hoeyeon's hair — still mussed from sleep — quickly grew sleek and glossy.
"I've thought so for some time, but your hair is truly fine."
"I-is it?"
"Your skin as well. Remarkably pale, soft, and fair."
"Ahem… thanks."
"Do you know that you are lovely?"
"…You're laying it on thick."
"I am entirely serious."
And indeed, Gayul's voice was serious.
Gayul had teased Hoeyeon often enough before, but there was no teasing in her tone now.
"You are lovely."
"…You're prettier than I am."
Gayul's looks were the sort that made the phrase peerless beauty spring to mind without effort.
"My being beautiful does not make you any less so."
Even as the conversation continued, Gayul's hands kept gently combing.
"Are you trying to pay me back?"
Trying to repay yesterday's compliment with a compliment of your own?
"I am trying to repay you, and I also mean every word."
This is by no means empty flattery spoken merely for the sake of returning a favor.
"…Okay."
Just a moment ago, Hoeyeon had known Gayul was embarrassed by the way her ears flushed red.
What color were her own ears right now? And looking at that color, what was Gayul thinking?
The thought made her heart flutter anxiously.
Just as the combing was finishing, Arang stirred awake and began pestering them to comb her hair too. And just like that, what had happened the night before became a secret between the two of them.
After Gayul's disappearance and the fall of Geon, no single power had risen again to claim the entire realm.
The world was now divided among three great factions of roughly equal strength, and aside from minor skirmishes, no real conflict had broken out among them.
Crossing their borders, therefore, was ordinarily a simple matter.
Ordinarily.
"Our luck is poor."
Gayul spoke, deep in thought. They were discussing what to do beneath the shade of a tree, well clear of the border and the soldiers guarding it.
"Of all times for this."
"Is something wrong?"
Arang tilted her head beside them.
"You needn't worry about it."
"Gawooong."
Gayul stroked her head absently, still lost in thought, and Arang purred with pleasure.
"Should we slip across at night?"
"Possible, of course — but the difficulty is that if a commotion starts, there's no telling how far it might spread. People could die if things go wrong."
"Disguises, then? Though if that causes a scene, we'd be in just as much trouble."
"Troublesome. Is there no other way?"
Recently, a string of attacks on travelers had occurred in the area. With the truth still unknown, mutual suspicion had led both sides to tighten their border controls far beyond the usual.
"Hmmmm…"
Gently combing Arang's tail with one hand, Hoeyeon began to think hard as well.
"A bribe?"
"Not as simple as it sounds. And the money I currently have on hand would be insufficient for a bribe."
"Hawawaang…"
"For reference, how much would be enough?"
"At the very least a full ingot of gold, would it not? Though if the quality of the officials is poor, less might suffice."
"Auuung… But what are we even trying to cross? Is it a river?"
Hoeyeon answered Arang's question.
"Well… a country and a country?"
She wasn't sure of the precise political terms, but calling them countries would do for now.
"A country?"
Arang tilted her head.
"Isn't there only one country of people?"
"There was, once."
Hoeyeon was careful not to glance at the woman who had once been emperor.
"Well, news can be slow when you live deep in the mountains."
Hoeyeon said.
"Hm…"
Gayul suddenly looked at Arang.
"Come to think of it — how old are you?"
"Me? I'm six this year!"
Arang proudly held up one whole hand and the index finger of the other, all stretched out.
"Six years old."
Gayul's blue eyes swept Arang up and down in a quick appraisal.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Arang tilted her head.
"I was thinking your fox form is rather large for a six-year-old. You must be quite gifted."
"Ehehe…"
Pleased by the praise, Arang beamed.
"There is a renowned Hoin who shares your name. Have you ever heard of her?"
"What's a same-name-person?"
"Never mind. At any rate, Hoeyeon — we ought to think on this a little longer."
"Agreed."
Hoeyeon nodded at Gayul's words.
"But where are Gayul and Hoeyeon going, anyway?"
Arang looked up and asked.
"Uh…"
Is it all right to answer? Hoeyeon glanced at Gayul. Arang and her family seemed to live apart from the human world, after all.
"An unremarkable, dull stretch of land. I simply have business there that requires my presence."
"If it's no fun, why go?"
"Because there is work to be done. That is what it means to be a grown-up."
"Ung… Then I don't wanna be a grown-up! Why are you laughing!? You too, Gayul!?"
Arang stamped her little feet on the ground in a huff. A breeze stirred. Carried on the cool autumn wind, Hoeyeon and Gayul's laughter spread through the air.
It was a fine autumn day.
Twitch. The tip of Arang's nose quivered.
"Huh…?"
Still laughing, Hoeyeon and Gayul were a beat late in noticing the change in Arang's expression.
"Ah…"
Arang curled forward, hunching in on herself. Clutching her head as though it ached, she let out a low moan.
"Arang? Are you okay?"
Hoeyeon realized something was wrong the moment she looked into Arang's face.
Her eyes were wide open and unfocused — as if she were seeing something that wasn't here. Or listening to a sound coming from somewhere else.
"Hoeyeon… Gayul…"
Arang forced the words out with difficulty.
Her eyes still wouldn't focus.
"Get away…! Hurry!!"
The young girl's scream.
And then the enormous fox they had seen on the mountain path yesterday appeared.
"A—"
The instant Hoeyeon began to call her name, Arang's forepaw struck her body and sent her flying far away.
"What are you doing!?"
Gayul cried out. Then she looked at Arang and sucked in a breath.
"A-ga-aaaaah!"
Arang's eyes were wrong. Her gaze rolled wildly, like someone high on hallucinogenic herbs.
With a roar, Arang lunged to bite Gayul. Gayul leapt aside and shouted again.
"Arang!?"
"Kill, kill me, kill this humble one, ah, it hurts, how, how dare—!"
Something like black mist seeped from Arang's violently trembling body. Internal energy. Uncontrolled internal energy, clawing its way out through her insides as it leaked free.
But black energy was something only Masu produced.
"How?"
Gayul's bewildered gaze locked onto one spot. From the back of Arang's neck, the black energy was flowing out especially thick.
Dodging Arang's claws once more, Gayul got a proper look. It wasn't merely energy leaking — something was embedded in the back of her neck.
A Masu core!? Don't tell me they planted one in a person!?
Gayul's eyes went wide.
She had heard the name Arang before. The name of a woman said to be among the strongest and most beautiful of all Hoin.
That was why she had assumed this child could not be that Arang. But she had it backward.
Because she was strong, they had weakened her just enough. Gayul didn't know how they had done it, but she could guess why.
So she couldn't resist when they implanted the core. So she would be unable to fight the hostility, rage, and murderous intent the thing was pouring into her like poison — so she would lose her mind.
"How could anyone be so cruel…!"
Tormented in both mind and body, Arang roared again and swung at Gayul. Gayul hurriedly tried to cast a binding spell — but a small, sharp object flew in from another direction, and Arang collapsed where it struck her.
"I came to catch a runaway, and what a coincidence. Though a fortunate one, I must say."
Gayul, who hadn't heard anyone approaching, hastily put distance between them. Looking toward the direction the object had come from, she saw a man.
A thin, pale, long man. The assassin who had attacked Hoeyeon and Gayul that day was walking toward them without a sound.
"I happen to owe you two a debt, you see."
But in the next instant, the assassin twisted his body sharply. The tip of his hair was sliced off and fell to the ground.
"I thought I smelled snake."
Hoeyeon landed and clicked her tongue.
"I didn't make a sound with my footsteps."
"Didn't you hear what I just said?"
"Catching a snake's scent and leaping all the way here in a single bound — are you a frog?"
"And what does that make you, a worm?"
Then, keeping her eyes fixed on the enemy in front of her, Hoeyeon spoke to Gayul behind her.
"I'll take this one. Look after Arang."
"Understood."
No further words were needed between her and Gayul.
"Haven't been too cold without a roof over your head?"
"And you've been slithering around just fine without a tail?"
But with the bastard in front of her, it was another matter entirely.
Hoeyeon and the assassin charged at each other, each intent on killing the enemy before them.