RPPL C40

“You’re being… really nice to it.”

When Muyun muttered sourly, Bipa stopped the hand that was stroking Suni’s coarse fur.

“Well, it’s good-natured and cute?”

“Cute?”

Muyun’s gaze was fixed on the fox. The more he stared, the more Bipa strangely tried to hide Suni, which only made Muyun’s gaze sharper. Like a knot being pulled tighter and tighter, the tension wouldn’t ease.

“It’s a kind-hearted spirit. It likes people, and it’s just been a long time since it’s seen someone who won’t harm it. If you look at it for a while… maybe it’ll look a little cute to you too?”

Bipa’s explanation, as usual, had a rambling quality to it. His eyes darted around, clearly showing he was struggling to figure out how to explain.

He knew. He knew Bipa wasn’t cruel to strange beings.

Bipa was different from him. Ever since he was almost made a Saetani, Muyun had hated all of them. He had no intention of forgiving them. But his master would probably just let it go, even if he got hurt by one of them.

Bipa wasn’t unconditionally kind, but when it came to the young and the innocent, he was generous enough to be called a living Buddha.

That’s why he had taken him in.

“Good kids are good. They’re affectionate and warm.”

“…I?”

“What?”

Muyun, who had mumbled something, was looking at Bipa’s hand before he turned his head away. His cheekbones and temples turned a faint shade of red. But it wasn’t very noticeable because his ears were numb from the cold wind.

It was jealousy. He was questioning him out of jealousy. The gaze of Gapdori, who was staring blankly at him, was also just irritating, whether it was mocking him or if that’s just how its eyes were.

Muyun was about to apologize for his own prickliness, but seeing Bipa continue to stroke the fox, he spun around and stormed out of the courtyard.

“Muyun?”

Left behind, Bipa looked down at the fox with a bewildered expression. The hand stroking it was, in fact, no different from stroking a dog’s back or belly. It was closer to touching it without any thought.

But even if he had known that, Muyun’s embarrassment wouldn’t have been lessened in the slightest. Bipa only realized this after hearing Gapdori’s question as it suddenly looked at him.

“Isn’t Muyun cute?”

“What?”

“You just said it. ‘Am I not cute?'”

“Muyun asked that? Is that what he was saying?”

“Bipa didn’t hear?”

Bipa covered his mouth, bowed his head deeply, and then burst out laughing, “Ahaha.” The clear sound of laughter that erupted in the air pierced the ears of Muyun, who was striding away.

Even while being ashamed of himself for asking such a question, the fact that he found that laughter pleasant made him feel like a real idiot. Idiot. Idiot.

❀࿐

Seventeen. He wasn’t sure, but he heard that it was usually around this time that people suffered from the fever of first love or made mistakes out of youthful ambition.

Bipa, lost in thought with his chin propped on his hand, didn’t even notice his tea getting cold. He was still leaning against the window like laundry hung out to dry, the collar of his robe left open.

A little while ago, Muyun had suddenly said, “I’m going for a short walk,” and hadn’t returned. The sound of his panting breath was still clear in his ears. The thought that he was cute came before the thought that he was being impertinent and insolent.

“Bipa!”

Gapdori came running, hopping up and down. Bipa thought he was going to fall, and sure enough, he tumbled right into a snowdrift piled up on the side.

An imprint of Gapdori’s one leg, his unusually long arm, and his exceptionally small head was left in the high snowdrift. The sight of his face, covered in clumps of snow as he lifted it, really did look like a dog. When Bipa, resting his chin on the windowsill, smiled and asked what was wrong, Gapdori pointed to the side.

“It’s a guest!”

A rustling sound could be heard. It was the sound of silk sliding against silk. A hint of expensive musk scent was mixed in with the wind that happened to blow by. It was the hem of a purple garment that came into view first, not a face.

At the emerging figure, Bipa shot to his feet. The guest smiled brightly.

“I was worried you might not actually come, but seeing you like this makes me happy.”

“…Songui.”

Bipa muttered blankly. He had sent word of his arrival, but he hadn’t expected him to come in person.

“It’s been a long time, Bipa.”

Songui approached and reached a hand out to Bipa. The hand that was about to touch his cheek fell away lightly as Bipa turned away. He clicked his tongue.

A relaxed expression and gestures. For someone who had sent a letter out of concern for his father, he looked fine. No. He was more than fine. Even with age, he was still uninhibited, and it was clear he was still living his life with himself at the center.

Bipa gave a slight nod.

“Let’s go inside and talk.”

❀࿐

Muyun let out a deep sigh. His breath scattered into the air. Leaning to the side, he scooped up a handful of snow and rubbed it between the joints of his fingers. The snow melted in an instant, washing away the blood that was on them.

“Seems like there are guys like this wherever you go.”

Muttering briefly, Muyun easily stepped over the bodies of those who had just picked a fight with him.

The little boy who would bite with rage and hold onto an ankle, enduring the beating, was no more. Muyun, who had grown bigger and stronger in both build and stamina than an average person, was no longer robbed or unilaterally beaten.

Still, he felt much better. He might have been waiting to get into a fight. That’s why he had only roamed through the grimy alleys. He had deliberately acted more insolent, like a dog pissing carelessly in a place that had already been marked as territory, just hoping one of them would take the bait.

He had stormed out of the house because he couldn’t stand the sight of those things fawning over Bipa. If he had stayed, he didn’t know what else he might have said. It was ridiculous and embarrassing to be jealous of some half-formed Dokkaebi spirit or a fox cub.

They were harmless and powerless things. There were countless ways to get rid of them, and it wouldn’t be difficult. So there was no need to get worked up… Muyun bit his lip firmly. He was confused whether it was because his nerves were on edge after leaving the place where it had been just the two of them, or because of the suspicion that had taken root in his heart.

While Muyun couldn’t stand himself for being like this, he didn’t resolve not to do it next time. That, he just couldn’t do.

He just wanted to go back quickly. Back to their old home where it could be just the two of them.

Although his anger hadn’t subsided yet, he broke off an icicle hanging from the eaves, rubbed it on the back of his hand, and came out to the market street.

People in arm warmers, hunched over, passed by with hurried steps. The stalls selling trinkets, hair ribbons, and flower shoes also shivered, shivered with the wind.

Muyun, who was about to pass by, stopped in his tracks when he suddenly spotted a water-colored norigae.

“Aigoo, you’ve got a good eye. This is the finest quality jade. It’s as transparent as water and as clear as the sky.”

When he unconsciously reached out to touch it, the merchant said, “Oh, oh,” and quickly snatched the norigae and hid it in his robes. He played it up, saying it was very precious, but his gaze towards Muyun was uncomfortable.

Muyun found the merchant’s behavior a little strange. Was business more important than the ominous and uncomfortable feeling he got from him? What an interesting place.

“This is quite a high-priced item, so…”

His words trailed off as his eyes busily scanned Muyun up and down. His attire wasn’t bad, but he didn’t look like a nobleman, and his short hair made him look like a commoner. But the intimidating aura he gave off was unusual.

These days, with the world being so chaotic, high-ranking people were hiring commoners and even butchers as guards, without discrimination. He wondered if this was one of them. It wasn’t the first or second time that undeserving thugs had thrown their weight around and caused trouble. The merchant’s eyes quickly turned cold.

Muyun had no money. In his pocket was some pocket money he had earned by selling firewood in the village when Bipa wasn’t around. It was truly pocket money. When it was just the two of them, he had never wanted to buy or have anything.

But now, Muyun wanted to buy something. To buy it and give it to Bipa.

Considering his light purse, he looked around for something else instead of the norigae. Then, at the very end, a crumpled, water-colored silk ribbon caught his eye.

But its color was distinctly different from the jade on the norigae. It wasn’t made like this on purpose; it looked cloudy, as if it hadn’t been dyed properly. He wasn’t pleased with it at all.

Muyun put the hair ribbon down without even picking it up. It was a daenggi that only young children used anyway. Instead, he spoke to the merchant.

“That. Show it to me again.”

“What. The norigae?”

Muyun nodded. But the merchant didn’t seem to have any intention of showing it easily. He just stared with wary eyes, like a hen brooding her eggs. Muyun, whose insides were already simmering with residual heat, got annoyed.

“It’s not like it’s going to wear out just by looking at it. Are you going to be this stingy?”

“It’s true it won’t wear out from looking, but it’s also true that I’m being stingy.”

Muyun let out a scoff, then suddenly noticed something crouching at the boundary where this stall and the adjacent stall met. It was a young girl with one eye missing.

“……”

The man who had seemed ready to argue instantly fell silent and stared at one spot, so the merchant naturally followed his gaze. But there was only a shadow there, nothing else.

“What, what are you looking at?”

“……”

“Hey, you there!”

Muyun was lost in thought for a moment. His master had told him to pretend not to see even if he did, but that wasn’t an easy thing to do. Especially now… Muyun scratched the back of his neck and suddenly started to bargain.

“You’ve been having trouble sleeping lately, and for some reason, even with the same merchandise, things from this stall don’t sell well, do they?”

“How, did you know…”

The merchant asked back with a bewildered face.

“If I solve that for you, you give me one item for free.”

“You’ll solve it?”

Without any further explanation, Muyun squeezed his way in.

The girl was sitting crouched with her arms around her knees, glaring at Muyun. She was a child on the verge of becoming a wandering ghost. Children’s spirits were the most numerous everywhere.

Muyun knew that he too had been fated to become one of them. In fact, his situation would have been worse than theirs. Even if he had escaped the jar, he would have died in the mountains. The fact that he was still alive was purely thanks to Bipa.

Letting his thoughts inevitably drift to Bipa, Muyun crouched down.