TYMIR Ch 20

“No, wait, this.”

At that, Hyowon gently curled the corners of his mouth, rummaged through his sleeve, and suddenly held something out.

“It’s what you mentioned back then. I told Suni about it, and she gave me this. How did Makgae’s hopae end up with you, Yoonyi? Could it be that Makgae is also involved in this incident?”

A wooden hopae lay forlornly on a palm that stretched out long like bamboo. Gazing down at it, Hyowon suddenly narrowed his neat eyes and asked. At his cool gaze, Yoonyi quickly shook his head. He couldn’t create trouble in a situation that wasn’t yet certain.

“Ah, no. I just found the hyungnim’s hopae and forgot to return it….”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes, it seems the item I was looking for must have been dropped somewhere else.”

Yoonyi softened the corners of his eyes and showed a smile.

“I see.”

“But, why haven’t you asked me anything?”

The question that had been swirling in his chest suddenly popped out of his mouth. No matter how cherished a servant was, it was unheard of not to ask about the circumstances when something big happened. But Hyowon had a look on his face as if asking what he was talking about.

“About injuring young master Seunghun….”

“What nonsense are you talking about. There’s no way you would do such a thing.”

His well-defined eyebrows crumpled in an instant. Hyowon did not hide his displeasure.

“If you’re going to say such useless things, you’d better get some more sleep.”

“I’ve slept so much that I can’t even fall asleep now.”

“Still. From what I’ve seen, Yoonyi, it seems you get better by sleeping.”

“Then how long must I pretend to be asleep like this….”

“If you’re so frustrated, how about you try to wake up around tomorrow?”

“Yes…! Sounds good.”

🎐⋆｡🍥

Yoonyi quietly looked down at his body. Even in the dim darkness where the clouds covered the moon, the beast’s eyes captured everything more clearly than ever.

The bruises that had been scattered here and there had melted away without a trace. The short phrase he had heard during the day, ‘I believe you,’ kept echoing in his ears.

“…How can you trust me so much.”

His tightly shut lips weakly let out a voice. When had the young master, who had seemed so young, grown up so much. It was a truly strange feeling.

Yoonyi rummaged through his pocket and stared at the old hopae he had gotten back from Hyowon during the day. Smelling a faint scent of flowers, Yoonyi brought it to his nose and took a deep breath. A subtle floral fragrance that others couldn’t sense still lingered.

“It’s definitely the same scent I smelled back then, but why does Makgae hyungnim have this….”

That day, while he was carrying young master Seunghun on his back and crawling across the yard, he had been knocked over helplessly by someone’s rough kick. The memory became clearer with each passing day, as if it were yesterday. The scent he had smelled then was the same as the one remaining on the hopae in his hand.

He knew all too well that Makgae had disliked him since they were young, but how could he do something like this, going so far as to injure the young master? Was his grudge that deep? His heart felt heavy.

Yoonyi clenched the hopae tightly in his hand. But since there was no way to explain it, he felt uneasy for not being able to tell Hyowon properly.

🎐⋆｡🍥

A warm breeze blew in through the open window. The more he closed his eyes, the more clearly he could feel the presence of people around him. There was more than one set of footsteps climbing onto the veranda. Could it be that his senses had become sharper thanks to awakening as a fox last time? It felt truly strange, as if he had become a little closer to a beast.

“What are you doing? Not coming in?”

Suni and Manseok came in one after another, but Makgae still hesitated, standing at the threshold. Suni, frustrated by his behavior, suddenly spoke out. At that, his hesitant steps finally moved inside.

“…How is he, nuna. Is there any improvement?”

His questioning voice trembled faintly, unlike usual. Yoonyi, more keenly than anyone, noticed the subtle difference that no one else would.

“Oh, he’s much better.”

“But isn’t it a bit slower this time?”

Makgae stared intently at Yoonyi’s face, who had his eyes closed. The bluish bruise marks that had been on his pale, flour-dough-like skin had long since disappeared. He looked the same as always, yet it was strange that he still hadn’t regained consciousness.

“I guess the physician that orabeoni brought last time wasn’t very good.”

“Hyungnim, where did you bring that old man from?”

Despite Suni’s scolding, Manseok just stared blankly out the window as if it were nothing. He knew that the effectiveness varied greatly depending on the physician, but Yoonyi had bounced back overnight even from a state like a frozen corpse, so it was hard to believe he couldn’t get up from just this.

“What’s it to you.”

As Makgae’s gaze shot askance, Manseok glared back and replied.

“I’m just saying. Anyway, hyungnim, why are you always trying to pick on me?”

A commotion quickly arose by the bedside. At this, Yoonyi made his eyelids tremble faintly, as promised with Hyowon.

“Oh? Yoonyi.”

At Suni’s single word, the commotion instantly subsided, and he could feel everyone’s gaze turn to him. As if he had been waiting, Yoonyi slowly opened his eyelids. He had kept them closed for so long that his vision was blurry for a moment. As he blinked, his sight gradually cleared.

“…Nuna.”

“Yoonyi! Are you okay now? Are you conscious?”

Suni’s eyes quickly welled up with tears. Seeing her face, he somehow felt bad. Instead of answering, Yoonyi slowly nodded his head.

“Thank goodness, I shouldn’t have entrusted the young master to you then. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s a relief that I was the only one who got in trouble.”

Suni’s face, which had been relieved, quickly turned gray as if covered by dark clouds. Yoonyi had no intention of blaming her in the first place, so he continued to speak calmly.

“Don’t even say that. Do you know how worried the young master was after you became like this? Aigoo….”

At that, Suni’s dark brown, sun-kissed eyes stared into the distant void as she mumbled. But come to think of it, the refreshing scent was gone, and Hyowon was nowhere to be seen. Even when he listened carefully, he couldn’t feel any other presence.

“It was the first time I’d seen him so alarmed.”

A low voice that had been silent suddenly brushed past his ear.

“Manseok hyungnim.”

Yoonyi propped himself up on the mattress with his slender hand and carefully sat up. It felt like it had been a very long time, which made him even happier to see him.

“Are you able to get up? Just as Makgae said, your recovery is slower than before, so you don’t know how worried I was.”

“I heard you brought a physician at night. The young master told me. Thank you, hyungnim.”

Manseok studied Yoonyi intently. The gaze within his sharp eyes was incredibly warm. So Yoonyi smiled brightly.

“What did I even do.”

“Aigoo? Orabeoni, why are you so shy?”

Manseok, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a rough hand, finally managed to move his lips. A playful tone quickly mixed into Suni’s voice.

“But, where is the young master?”

Yoonyi blurted out the question he had been wondering about.

“I came because they said you were dying, but what’s this, it was nothing.”

In that moment, Makgae’s fiercely slit eyes narrowed into a thin line. He forced his gaze down, moving only his lips. At the small voice, almost a whisper, Yoonyi’s eyes trembled faintly. It was so quiet that it seemed no one else had heard.

“The young master said he was stepping out for a bit. Why are you looking for the young master as soon as you open your eyes?”

“Ah, no. Come to think of it, it feels like it’s been a while since I’ve seen you too, Makgae hyungnim.”

A smile began to spread across Suni’s face again. At this, Yoonyi quickly changed the subject.

“…Huh? Oh, right. You were lying down for several days.”

At his bright, smiling face, Makgae flinched and his shoulders trembled.

“What are you so surprised about, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Su-surprised, who said I was surprised?”

Suni tilted her head, her eyes fixed on Makgae. Makgae still had his eyebrows raised high, strangely on edge.

“It’s just an expression. Yoonyi, is your ankle all better too? The young master wouldn’t let anyone even touch it.”

“…The young master did?”

Suni waved her hand in the air as if she was truly fed up. It was obvious that he had purposely done so because he didn’t want to show others his strangely fast recovery. Since when had he started to be so considerate? Just as Yoonyi was about to get lost in thought.

Makgae tilted his head and asked back. His pitch-black eyes glinted unusually.

“Yeah, this time the young master pretty much nursed you all by himself, I think?”

“He’s truly peculiar.”

“Peculiar? How well has Yoonyi treated the young master.”

At Makgae’s remark, Manseok uncharacteristically snapped back.

“That’s true too. Unlike some people, he has served the young master diligently since he was a child.”

“Hey, why is everyone picking on me?”

Makgae, who shot up at the successive attacks, huffed and glared at the two of them. Soon, his cold gaze seemed to land on Yoonyi before he stormed out of the room. Thump, thump, the loud sound of his heels stamping on the veranda floor faded into the distance.

“Aigoo, that temper of his, honestly.”

Suni let out a sigh, her expression crumpling in exasperation.

“But, nuna. That day. Do you know where Makgae hyungnim was?”

“Huh? Why do you ask that?”

Yoonyi had never gossiped about others before. At his question, Suni blinked her eyes as if it were very surprising. In response, Yoonyi just gave a faint smile.

“Probably… sweeping by the wall, maybe? Right, orabeoni?”

Her chubby fingers repeatedly tapped the floor. Suni, lost in deep thought, suddenly opened her mouth.

The place where he played horse riding with young master Seunghun was the backyard of the main sarangchae. If it was the wall dividing the small and main sarangchae, it was a place where one could surely see. Since he was a naturally ill-tempered person, he might have suddenly gotten mischievous while sweeping the wall…

“How would I know. I was in the mountains.”

Manseok, who had been sitting there with a blank face, narrowed his eyes for a moment. His gaze was still fixed on Yoonyi.

“It’s not for certain, but Makgae practically lives with a broom in his hand these days.”

“Thank you, nuna.”

“Don’t mention it. Are you trying to get up already? Can you get up?”

As Yoonyi put strength into his calves to stand, Suni asked with wide, rabbit-like eyes.

“Of course.”

Thankfully, she didn’t seem to question his answer. Yoonyi replied with a shy smile.

“That’s great. The young master has looked so lifeless these past few days. Aigoo, now that I’ve seen you’re okay, I should hurry to the kitchen. Actually, I was slacking off here to see if you were alright.”

Suni crinkled her nose and quickly got up. Her playful demeanor made him laugh naturally.

“Hyungnim, why have you been staring at me so intently since a while ago?”

Even though Suni’s footsteps had faded far away, Manseok remained in his spot like a stone statue. At the still persistent gaze, Yoonyi asked, his mouth curving into a gentle smile.

“You… Never mind. Then get some rest.”

The low voice seemed to squeeze through his teeth and then cut off abruptly. Manseok shook his head and left the room. Although he was a man of few words, something felt unresolved. What on earth was he trying to say?

Yoonyi took out the hopae from his pants pocket and gripped it tightly.

🎐⋆｡🍥

“The more time passes, the more peculiar he gets about that guy.”

Makgae, who had left the room first, had a very noisy mind. That punk Yoonyi, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, had immediately started looking for his master the moment he opened his eyes. What kind of lowborn follows his master like that? Those confused eyes looked like a baby bird that had lost its mother, or no, there was a strange wistfulness to them, just like.

“Could it be….”

Makgae turned back again and glared at the small sarang. Surely, with this, he could kick out that pale, unsightly bastard. His dark eyes, captured by greed, glinted suspiciously.

“Hyungnim.”

“Aigoo, you scared me to death!”

At the voice that came without warning, his round shoulders jumped up noticeably.

“Why do you get so startled every time you see me?”

Yoonyi stood neatly where the sunlight touched warmly. Yoonyi had a very calm expression.

“St-startled, who said I was startled. But are you allowed to be out here?”

“Yes, I can walk slowly.”

“…Ri-right. Well, it’s good that you can move.”

His bewilderment was brief; Makgae quickly composed his expression and stared down at Yoonyi who stood before him. As if asking what business brought him here.

“But, I found something.”

“Found something?”

Makgae pushed his thick lips forward and asked. In response, Yoonyi took out the hopae he was holding and held it out. At that, his dark-tanned face instantly turned pale, and his thick hands began to rummage everywhere, starting with his pockets.

“W-why do you have this!”

After rummaging for a long while and finding only dust in his pockets, Makgae suddenly shouted.

“I just picked it up, why are you so angry?”

“Huh? Ah, no, that’s right. Thanks, Yoonyi.”

At the sharp question, his twisted expression quickly returned to normal. Makgae naturally reached out to snatch the hopae, but Yoonyi pulled back faster.

“What do you think you’re doing….”

“Hyungnim, where did you lose this?”

The tone that was about to question him sharply was cut off.

“…How would the person who lost it know?”

“That’s true too.”

Yoonyi gave a faint smile and finally handed over the hopae. Makgae took it and ran off like an arrow. If he had simply lost it, there would be no reason to be this angry. It was the moment his suspicion turned into certainty.

🎐⋆｡🍥

“Something he might like….”

The path from late spring to early summer. The breeze now carried warmth, making it feel stuffy after just a short walk.

Hyowon was strolling through the marketplace alone. It was a little lonely without Yoonyi, who was always by his side, but that would end today. He had probably woken up in front of Suni and the others by now. There was a strange lightness in his steps.

Goods were piled up like mountains on the stalls that stretched out along the timely market. Though it might be considered slightly undignified, Hyowon’s gaze as he looked around was nothing but serious. But he couldn’t figure out what Yoonyi might like, and soon his eyebrows drooped dejectedly.

“Young master, are you buying a gift for your lover?”

His aimless steps happened to stop in front of a stall with colorful accessories. A woman with a warm impression asked with a smile.

“N-no, I’m not.”

At the word “lover,” a reddish flush bloomed across his cheeks in an instant. Hyowon quickly hastened his steps. His gaze next landed on a paper shop.

🎐⋆｡🍥

Meanwhile, Yoonyi, who was sitting on the veranda swinging his legs while waiting for the absent Hyowon, let out a small sigh.

He thought they got along well, eating from the same pot, but he never imagined Makgae hyungnim held such a deep grudge against him. Had he been holding onto the fact that his body servant position was taken all this time?

Suddenly, he recalled Manseok hyungnim’s expression from earlier. It seemed he was about to say something but stopped. Could it be that he had noticed that I knew? The suspicion, once it took root, only grew larger.

“Yoonyi.”

“…Young master?”

For some reason, Yoonyi was staring blankly into the air. Finding this strange, Hyowon approached right in front of him and called his name. At that, Yoonyi, who had been lost in a daze for a long while, finally responded.

“What were you thinking about so deeply that even with your sharp ears, you didn’t know I was coming?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. The weather was so nice, I was just basking in the sun.”

“Indeed, I suppose I did tell you to stay too still.”

The familiar scent once again rode in on his breath. A smile instantly spread across Yoonyi’s white and fine face, like a moon jar.

“You did it all for my sake. But where have you been?”

He had heard that Hyowon went out early in the morning, and in the hands of Hyowon, who was neatly dressed in a grass-green durumagi, was a bundle.

Yoonyi glanced down and asked. At that, Hyowon gently grabbed his wrist and pulled.

“Come here.”

As if matching his stride without needing to be asked, their slow steps led to the small sarangbang. Hyowon quickly pushed the lean body onto the thick mattress.

“Y-young master. This is your….”

As the startled Yoonyi tried to quickly move aside, Hyowon firmly shook his head. Then he slowly untied the bundle in his hands.

“It suddenly reminded me of the old days. When I was busy learning to write, didn’t you use to stare at me so intently, Yoonyi?”