Chapter 105: Lost Property (3)

“I didn’t expect you to fish at night.”

“Well, I heard you disappeared.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You disappeared, so I figured you’d try to die again and send the promised items before doing so. I was waiting.”

“You didn’t have to stay up all night for that.”

“I can’t stop someone determined to cross the River Styx as soon as possible. I should cooperate with a filial son who wants to meet his ancestors quickly.”

“Haha, you’re right.”

Mok Yeon-seong laughed heartily, wiping away tears.

“It’s been a long time since I laughed like this.”

“Keep laughing. You’re scaring the fish away.”

“Have you caught anything staying up all night?”

*Whirr!*

Cho Un-hwi flicked his wrist to retrieve the hook and sighed.

“Not a thing. The fish keep eating the worms and escaping.”

“Really, nothing?”

“If I had, would I still be here all night?”

“Who knows if you’re hiding something to get more items later?”

“Wow.”

Cho Un-hwi exaggeratedly opened his mouth and gave a thumbs-up.

“You’re quite clever. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Don’t just keep it in mind. Let me know as soon as you get the items. I want to keep my promise and cross the River Styx as soon as possible.”

“Seeing you here means you didn’t succeed today. Let’s pack up.”

*Clack. Clack.*

As he packed his fishing gear, Cho Un-hwi said, “I’m exhausted. I’m hungry. Start a fire.”

***

After a short meal, Mok Yeon-seong felt satisfied.

‘It was quite tasty.’

It was the same meal as usual, but it felt memorable for some reason.

Was it because it was his last supper?

What last supper?

It was just semi-dried fish and coarse grains.

But with a full stomach, he felt better.

*Roll.*

Rolling on the ground, he saw a faint figure beyond the well-made bed.

“Are you sleeping there?”

“I was just falling asleep when a brat woke me up.”

Thinking he was quite skilled at making people feel uncomfortable, Mok Yeon-seong apologized into the air.

“I’ll succeed tomorrow. There must have been a mistake today.”

“…Alright.”

“Do you have to watch me so closely?”

“Just go to sleep, kid.”

*Thud!*

Hit by a pillow made of woven grass, Mok Yeon-seong laughed.

***

The next day, Mok Yeon-seong returned.

But he got the same answer.

“It’s not here. It must have drifted elsewhere.”

The day after that.

“I’m serious. It didn’t come this way.”

“Do you think I’m lying?”

His frustration made him doubt, but he backed down.

The next day, not wanting to waste more time, he brought the items during the day.

But the reaction was strange.

“What are you doing? External items are prohibited.”

“Can’t you just consider it driftwood and let it slide?”

“No! Driftwood is driftwood, and external items are external items!”

He complained about the lack of precision.

He insisted on following the rules.

He said it was an insult to the instructor’s honor.

It was all the same, but the resistance was unusually strong.

“Alright, I was wrong. Stop it.”

“You scared the fish away. Just bait the hook.”

“Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“The fish only respond to the worms you bait.”

“Why don’t you open a bait shop?”

Grumbling, Mok Yeon-seong spent a long time replacing the bait.

***

Feeling dejected, Mok Yeon-seong trudged out of the training ground.

Thinking he had failed again, he stared at a puddle and was startled.

The clear water reflected his smiling face.

“I’m… smiling?”

His fingertips touched the corners of his mouth, which were curved in a smile.

Then he realized.

“Haha. I’ve been looking forward to this meeting!”

Tears welled up as he realized his emotions.

“I thought my tears had dried up.”

He now understood that it wasn’t his tears that had dried up, but the repetitive dark times he faced every day.

“Ugh. Ugh.”

Mok Yeon-seong’s suppressed sobs burst out like a wild animal’s roar.

***

That night, Mok Yeon-seong walked through the swamp with a light step.

‘I won’t try to die anymore.’

Instead, he decided to continue this strange relationship.

He would use the excuse of sending the items he had promised.

He had failed many times, so he would find the instructor fishing again today.

‘Besides, I didn’t send any items today.’

Thinking of teasing the instructor, he felt a bit of joy.

As he arrived at the riverbank, Mok Yeon-seong froze.

“Hey, I got the items you sent.”

The temporary instructor held a familiar bundle wrapped in waterproof cloth.

“It must have drifted around before finally coming this way.”

He didn’t hear the rest.

His gaze was fixed on the promised items.

‘I have no excuse to come here anymore.’

Feeling like the sky was falling, his legs gave out, and he heard a mocking voice.

“Come on. Eat some warm food before you go. It’s cold out there. The water temperature is no joke tonight.”

It was an infuriating voice.

***

“Hey, doesn’t it smell amazing?”

Maybe I should become a chef.

In his daze, he heard a cheerful voice.

He looked down at what he was holding. In a roughly carved wooden bowl, a fragrant fish soup was steaming.

“I used Namgung’s secret spices. He’ll probably scold me tomorrow.”

“…”

“Eat up. It’s best when it’s hot.”

“…Thank you for the meal.”

*Slurp.*

As he carefully lifted the bowl, the fragrant aroma filled his nose, followed by warmth spreading through his body.

‘It’s delicious.’

The warmth loosened his tightly wound nerves.

“It’s perfect for a last meal, right?”

If only he hadn’t said that, he could have savored this feeling longer.

Instead of responding, he gulped down the warm broth and hurriedly ate the fish soup.

‘It’s fantastic.’

How could he think of dying when there were such delicious things in the world?

There must be even more delicious and fun things in this world. How could he leave now?

“Eat up. They say children who die before their parents don’t even get offerings. Better eat now.”

“…Ugh.”

He paused.

Staring at the empty bowl, Mok Yeon-seong finally spoke.

“…Temporary Instructor, do you need a baiting expert?”

“What’s that?”

“Someone who specializes in baiting hooks.”

“Why would I need that? I can do it myself.”

“You said the fish only respond to the bait I put on.”

“Now that I think about it, it was actually because of my excellent skills.”

He wondered if a man who couldn’t even bait his own hook properly was fit to be called a fishing master.

But he was desperate, so Mok Yeon-seong changed tactics.

“Do you need help with anything else? Life in this swamp must be tough.”

“I’ll just use other assistants.”

“Wouldn’t you like to live without lifting a finger? I know a hard worker.”

“Laziness is a martial artist’s enemy.”

It was frustrating to hear such reasonable words from someone who barely moved.

Seeing no progress, Mok Yeon-seong finally revealed his true feelings.

“Temporary Instructor.”

“What?”

“…I’ll be honest.”

*Gulp.*

Swallowing hard, Mok Yeon-seong closed his eyes and confessed.

“I realized there are still many places I want to see.”

“There are many things I want to eat. I heard there are fish that live in salty water.”

“I want to wander around.”

“You asked if I’d open a bait shop. Why not? There might be many things to do outside the Jianghu.”

“I want to see my parents. They always welcomed me with a smile.”

He poured out his grievances.

“I asked the instructors for help, but they told me to fix my weak mind first.”

“After that, the bullying got worse. It felt like I had become an officially sanctioned toy.”

“With the label of a family that converted from a demonic sect, they had a perfect excuse to bully me.”

“Do you know? The worst part was seeing myself change.”

“I became anxious, fearing someone would jump out to bully me.”

“There was no one behind the corner. I was afraid of nothing.”

“Then it became a cycle. I couldn’t do anything right because I was anxious, and the bullying got worse.”

His rambling had one clear message.

“Still, I want to live.”

Despite claiming to be indifferent to life before, now he wanted to live.

It was unbearably shameful. But he endured it.

With his eyes tightly shut, Mok Yeon-seong waited for a response.

“…”

But there was none.

He expected mockery or indifference, but there was nothing.

After waiting for a while, he peeked through his eyelids.

He saw a clear smile.

He couldn’t see the expression beyond the shaggy hair, but the temporary instructor was clearly smiling.

Then he realized.

‘He knew all along.’

How did he know?

Staring blankly, the temporary instructor poked the campfire and spoke.

“I knew that much.”

“…Since when?”

“From the beginning.”

“At first, I really wanted to die.”

“People who truly want to die don’t get attached to things like cleaning.”

I see.

I wanted to live from the start.

He had known his feelings before he did.

“When you acted like you were done with life, I realized. Oh, this is how kids create dark pasts these days.”

“…”

“How does it feel to have your hidden feelings exposed?”

“I want to die of shame.”

“Idiot. You should say you want to find a hole to hide in.”

“…You’re right.”

The temporary instructor laughed loudly.

“Now you look like a proper kid.”

Touching his lips, he realized it was true.

The muscles in his face, which had been stiff, moved smoothly.

“If you want to live, live. If you want to die, die.”

“Isn’t that irresponsible for an educator?”

“I’m just a temporary instructor.”

“I have a request.”

“No.”

For the first time, a firm answer came.

“…How do you know what I’m going to ask?”

“I’m not taking in a kid who can’t take care of himself.”

“…”

He picked up a half-burned stick from the campfire.

When it pointed to his chest, Mok Yeon-seong felt suffocated.

But he endured and pleaded.

“I’ll do anything you ask.”

“Find another job.”

“I’m diligent. I’ll be more useful than others.”

“I’ll use several other assistants.”

“Temporary Instructor.”

“No.”

The firm answer made Mok Yeon-seong tear up.

“If you want to live as a servant, you’ve come to the wrong place. This is Shinmu Academy, and I’m a martial arts instructor.”

“But if you want to continue living as a martial artist?”

“I’ll show you the fundamental path.”

Mok Yeon-seong’s eyes trembled.