RPPL C30

Waking in a daze, Bipa realized his hand wouldn’t move and was slightly startled. He wondered if he was experiencing sleep paralysis, but the rest of his body moved just fine. He turned his head to see his hand was being held tightly.

For whatever reason, Muyun had fallen asleep while holding his hand and pressing it to his face. It looked like an uncomfortable position at a glance, but it was also cute, so Bipa laughed under his breath.

Then he sat up and laid Muyun down properly. It seemed he wasn’t in pain today, as he was sleeping soundly, breathing softly. After settling him down, he pulled his captured hand free. The hand instantly tingled with pins and needles; it seemed he had been holding on quite tightly. Bipa held his wrist, clenching and unclenching his fist a few times as he looked down at the sleeping Muyun.

His hand was warm. The child’s body heat had clearly transferred to it.

“Sleep well,” Bipa whispered. The sleeping child, of course, did not answer.

“Don’t have any nightmares.”

Every time he said something kind to the child, his own heart felt warm, as if he himself were the one receiving the words. Was it the feeling of being compensated by saying the words he had never heard? What a strange thought.

Bipa carefully lay down beside Muyun. We have two rooms, but it’s the first night and it’s snowing, so it should be fine to sleep together, he thought.

❀࿐

“Muyun! Wake up!”

The next morning. For almost the first time, Bipa woke up before Muyun. Muyun stirred and sat up at Bipa’s voice. The unfamiliar surroundings were puzzling for a moment, then he remembered the events of yesterday and realized he was in the new house where they would now live.

When he opened the door, he saw Haesol. He must have arrived during the night while Muyun, for the first time in a long while, slept sweetly without any strange dreams. How on earth did he know they had settled here? It seemed that a word without feet had traveled a thousand ri in the meantime.

“Do you remember? That big guy we met when we first met. The Dokkaebi, Haesol!”

Bipa introduced Haesol in an excited voice. Haesol, seeing Bipa who, contrary to his worries, seemed to be doing very well, rumbled with laughter. He looked the same as always, like a hunter with his tanned skin, disheveled hair, and clothes patched with leather. Haesol gave Bipa a light hug and laughed once more.

“Did I see you yesterday?”

“It’s already been several years.”

Bipa didn’t seem particularly hurt. A Dokkaebi’s time was bound to flow differently. Besides, he wasn’t unaware of how rambunctious newborn Dokkaebis were. It was only natural for the years to fly by in the blink of an eye while looking after them.

Muyun also stepped down to the floor. However, his expression was more of reluctance than pleasure.

Haesol put Bipa down and opened his arms wide. Then he snatched Muyun up into a hug. It was like hugging a bundle of straw. Muyun was flustered by the sudden embrace. It was different from holding hands freely with Bipa.

“You’ve grown a lot. It seems like just yesterday you were following me around, looking like a scrawny, mangy mouse.”

Haesol was still stuck on ‘yesterday.’ Muyun, the tips of his ears turning red, muttered, “That was a long time ago.” Back then, even he had to admit that he really did look like a mangy mouse….

“You were on the verge of becoming a demon back then, but now you look like a proper human! Bipa must have raised you surprisingly well. Ah, right. Come to think of it, were you able to talk originally?”

It was hard to tell if the words he spoke while rubbing his smooth chin were now criticism or admiration. On top of that, he couldn’t even remember whether he had spoken or not.

Muyun swallowed a sigh and pretended not to hear. Dokkaebis were always cheerful and boisterous only about things that interested them. He had heard often enough that for everything else, they were as careless as they would be with weeds, wild greens, trees, or Jangseungs.

Haesol placed Muyun in the middle of the yard and circled him once, inspecting his appearance. He nodded his head a few times, then suddenly slapped Muyun’s back hard. It was strong enough to make him lurch forward.

“So, have you been well?”

On top of that, he abruptly thrust his large, bulging eyes right in front of his face. Muyun pulled his head back slightly and answered, “…Yes.”

“Is it because he’s like Bipa? He’s not very charming.”

“You’ve become a bit more human-like.”

Bipa, who was watching their antics from the wooden porch, crossed his arms and let out a chuckle.

“You must have been near the village?”

“Of course. Because of the hearth. There’s nothing better than a hearth for newborn fire Dokkaebis. You, aren’t you going to the palace? The fire there is the best.”

“Well. I have no reason to go. I’m busy these days because of the baggage you gave me.”

Despite not being in a position to say he took diligent care of Muyun, Bipa lied without batting an eye. It seemed that in his mind, he saw himself as a rather excellent guardian. Haesol glanced at Muyun and snorted as if he understood.

“So what’s up? The fire Dokkaebi can’t have grown up already.”

“I just came to see you. To see if you two are doing well. As for the fire Dokkaebi, I left him in the hearth of a huge, traditional tiled-roof house. He’s probably sleeping on the warm floor.”

Haesol sat down on the porch uninvited and, when Bipa kept trying to talk to him, held up a large hand to stop him.

“Wait a minute. I’m starving.”

Haesol quickly emptied a whole basket of potatoes. As if that wasn’t enough, he even chewed on dried wild vegetables.

“Mmm, mmm. Delicious. But don’t you have anything sweet?”

he asked after licking the powder from his fingers. Muyun shook his head. Haesol, looking slightly disappointed, shifted his body this way and that, saying he was at least a little full. But on closer inspection, the way he was scratching his back looked a bit odd.

“What are you doing? Do you have fleas?”

Even if it was Haesol, letting fleas into the house was not an option. Don’t they say you can burn down the whole house trying to catch a flea?

Haesol pretended not to hear and kept touching his back, finally pulling out a piece of wood the size of an index finger and placing it on the floor.

“Grow, grow.”

Grinning, he slammed his palm on the wooden floor, and the piece of wood instantly grew to the size of Muyun’s upper body. The enlarged object was a bow.

“I made one for you because I was worried you’d starve to death without me. You know how skilled Dokkaebis are, right? This is a very good one.”

“Haesol, your crafting skills are the worst.”

While grumbling, Bipa fiddled with the bow, a smile on his face. Muyun, who had been keeping his distance as if he were a stranger, sidled up and took a seat next to them. Haesol grabbed the head of the boy who had almost become a young demon and said one word, “Use it well.”

“But I don’t know how to shoot a bow.”

At Muyun’s reply, he looked surprised, as if he hadn’t thought of that. Perhaps because of his large build, his eyes were truly as big as lanterns. Haesol scratched his cheek and looked at Bipa. Bipa chuckled.

“I know how to shoot.”

“Oh, really? Kid, tell Bipa to teach you.”

“All I know is what I learned by watching. And I have to teach him anyway. I… decided to be his master. A real master.”

Bipa, looking a little awkward, naturally demonstrated. He took the bow, placed it between his feet, and drew the bowstring. Next to him, Haesol exclaimed, “A maaaster? A disciiiple?”

“Yeah. A lot has happened while you were gone after leaving him with me. At first, it was just because we had nothing else to call each other…”

That was truly how it was at first. Father, uncle, sir… all were titles he absolutely did not want to be called.

“It just happened. I ended up looking after him.”

“Your talent for teaching is…”

“Better than yours.”

As if to prove his words, Bipa handed the barely-strung bow to Muyun.

Haesol looked back and forth between Muyun, who was pulling the bowstring this way and that, and Bipa. He tilted his head, stared intently at the two of them, and then hummed, “Hmm, hmm.”

“Alright. Well. You two do your best.”

“If that’s meant as encouragement, I’ll take it gratefully.”

Bipa retorted sarcastically at Haesol’s words, which somehow only seemed to drain his energy.

“You’re leaving again, right?”

“Yeah. I came because I was worried about you, but since you’ve got a disciple, well, you’ll be fine for a few years without me. I’m relieved.”

It’s not just a few years, we’re going to be together forever… Muyun grumbled under his breath. Bipa, who didn’t hear him, held out both hands in front of Haesol.

“What?”

“Give me some seeds before you go. We’re broke as a joke.”

His demanding posture was truly bold and shameless. Haesol let out a hearty laugh, then filled Bipa’s palms with all kinds of crop seeds. It was a much better gift than a bow he couldn’t even shoot right now.

❀࿐

After seeing Haesol off, Bipa and Muyun squatted in front of the hastily made garden.

“What should we plant here first?”

Even for Bipa, who was hardly affected by the cold, the chilly wind had frozen his face, making his cheeks reddish.

“What were you supposed to plant in winter again?”

“First of all… shouldn’t winter have to pass?”

“I guess so…”

Bipa thought deeply, then, deciding he was right, put the seeds back in his pouch.

Come to think of it, the year was already coming to an end. Bipa gauged the noticeably shorter length of the day. He looked up at the sky, then suddenly shook his head.

“No. If a man has picked up a hoe, he should plant at least one bulb.”

“I’ll do as you do, Master.”

Muyun enveloped Bipa’s cold hand.

What should they plant in a place left to ruins by a plague? We will be the last and first two people to plant the first seed in these ruins, Bipa declared with absurd ambition as he rolled up his sleeves. At that sight, Muyun’s chest swelled and he laughed like a child.

Only in front of Bipa could Muyun finally be himself. With Bipa, Muyun was not an ill-omened child, and with Muyun, Bipa was not a loner. Absolutely not.