Festival Sightseeing – 2

Having received the new liquor, Soyou ascended the stairs and stood before Master’s room.

Unlike when she had left, the door was slightly ajar, and sensing another presence, she waited for the conversation to end before the door.

She wondered if it was Master’s guest, but upon realizing it was Inho inside, Soyou worried that the disciple might be spouting nonsense again and was about to enter the room.

“I may not know much about education, but I do know that you shouldn’t push someone who’s discouraged even harder,”

Inho’s voice came from inside the room.

The playful demeanor gone, hearing the disciple’s utterly serious voice, Soyou’s hand, which had been gripping the doorknob, stopped.

Soyou silenced her footsteps and peered into the room through the crack in the door.

The back of Inho, kneeling before Master, came into view first.

“There’s some truth in your words. Children around Soyou’s age might be like that. But Soyou is a martial artist.”

In that instant, Master’s eyes met hers.

In that brief encounter, Soyou read Master’s intention.

‘Stay still.’

At that gaze, Soyou suppressed the urge to slam the insolent disciple’s head into the ground and make him bow to Master.

-Gulp

Namgung Soyou swallowed.

“Before being a martial artist, she is a person. Grand Master.”

Inho retorted to Yeomjin’s words.

It was a simple statement without any embellishment, but for some reason, Soyou felt as if those words struck her heart deeply.

Inho calmly spoke his thoughts to Master.

There was no haste or rash judgment in them.

Soyou found Inho’s voice, which was usually just playful, unfamiliar.

-Thump, thump

And her heart beat very faintly but clearly.

“Do you see your Master as a young girl?”

Master’s voice was heard again.

“Depending on the situation, yes.”

Leaving Inho’s words answering Master behind, Soyou heard nothing.

-Thump, thump

The sound of her heart was audible. It was strange.

As she stood there blankly for a moment, she sensed movement from inside.

She saw Inho bowing to Master and about to leave the room, and Soyou crouched down, grabbed onto the railing, and hung from it.

Only after confirming that the disciple’s footsteps had moved away did Soyou use her arm strength to return to her original position.

“……”

As Soyou hesitantly opened the door, Yeomjin looked at Soyou with a sly smile.

“So, did you bring the liquor?”

“Yes. Here it is.”

“Pour me a cup.”

Soyou knelt on one knee and poured the liquor.

The clear liquor shimmered in the cup.

“Hmm…. The aroma is good.”

Her Master closed her eyes and took a sip of the liquor.

Enjoying the lingering aroma in her mouth, Yeomjin slightly opened one eye.

“Soyou, Inho said he wants to go see the festival.”

“…Yes.”

“He seems very interested in the market or festival, perhaps because he has only lived in the village, so go out with him and show him around.”

Soyou avoided her gaze at her Master’s words, which saved her face.

“…I understand.”

“Yes, go with a light heart. Don’t think about martial arts or training today. Or anything like that.”

“…Yes.”

Soyou bowed and left the room.

“Have a good time.”

She heard her Master’s voice, laced with laughter, from behind.

Soyou moved her feet. Surely the disciple would have returned to the room to look for her.

Whether they had crossed paths, Inho was not in the room.

When she asked the Shopkeeper who was passing by, he said he didn’t know exactly, but he heard that he went to the garden.

Soyou’s steps toward the garden were somewhat slow.

This was because she couldn’t figure out what to say when she saw Inho’s face.

‘Insolent thing. Who does he think he is, daring to ask Master to go out and play?’

The first thought that came to mind was not a pleasant one.

But that thought didn’t last three steps.

‘Well, still, his intentions are good….’

Thinking about his efforts to cheer up someone who was discouraged, she thought that she shouldn’t be angry.

After walking a couple more steps, the thought of the festival now filled her head.

‘By the way, what is there to see at the festival?’

When the thought of [What would be fun to do with him?] came to mind, Soyou shook her head wildly.

‘Get a grip. I’m just trying to “guide” him at Master’s request.’

Taking strange poses, Soyou arrived at the garden.

When Inho’s figure came into view some distance away, Soyou unknowingly approached him at a faster pace.

However, upon seeing Cheong-yeon’s face standing in front of him, she froze in place like a stone statue.

“Huh?”

An involuntary exclamation rose up her throat.

Seeing the face of Bingryungong, who had inflicted defeat upon her, Soyou felt as if something had dropped.

In addition, she felt a sticky and thick negative emotion rising from her solar plexus, climbing up her neck, and reaching the top of her head.

‘Why are you there?’

Soyou wanted to fly over there right away, grab Cheong-yeon by the collar, and shout.

She wanted to ask why he was throwing stones into the pond called her barely calmed heart.

However, her legs would not move easily.

This was because the words that came from Cheong-yeon’s slow mouth had tied up her legs.

“Today’s match. Did you see it?”

The quiet garden. Cheong-yeon’s voice struck her ears clearly.

Namgung Soyou felt nauseous.

‘What is this feeling?’

There should have been a word to define this feeling, which was disgusting, annoying, sad, and murderous, but Soyou couldn’t think of it.

“Bingryungong defeated Yomryun Skill.”

At Cheong-yeon’s words, Soyou lowered her head.

This was because she was the one who had contributed to the historic defeat.

“There’s no need to stay in Yomryun Skill anymore. You can continue to learn martial arts even if you come to Bingryungong. You might even become stronger than you are now.”

Cheong-yeon’s voice, speaking each syllable clearly, tore apart Soyou’s self-esteem, which had been barely patched up.

Her head was dizzy, and her ears were ringing.

Just standing in this place made her feel sick and dizzy.

There were two options Soyou could choose from here.

One was to squeeze into that gap,

The other was to turn around and return to her room as she was.

Naturally, Soyou chose the latter.

She turned around and took a step with her legs, which had become heavier than before.

“Why would I?”

Inho’s blunt answer was heard.

Soyou quickly turned around.

Cheong-yeon was also surprised by Inho’s answer, and his eyes, which had always been lazily open, were wide open.

“Huh? Well, because Bingryungong is stronger than Yomryun Skill.”

“So. Just because Bingryungong is stronger than Yomryun Skill, why would I switch to Bingryungong?”

“Isn’t learning martial arts to become stronger…?”

Cheong-yeon tilted his head and asked.

“Well, that’s one of the reasons.”

Cheong-yeon frowned even more at Inho’s cool answer.

“Isn’t it right to learn stronger martial arts? If you haven’t been training in Yomryun Skill for long, there’s no problem in learning a different Internal energy cultivation method.”

“I’m not learning Yomryun Skill just to become stronger.”

“Then?”

“It’s because Master is here that I’m learning Yomryun Skill.”

At Inho’s words, Cheong-yeon blinked.

“I, I don’t understand.”

“Um… to put it simply. I’m in Yomryun Skill because I want to be by Master’s side.”

-Thump, thump

Soyou’s heart, which had stopped, began to beat again.

“Even if Master was a master of some third-rate dojo in a remote village. I would have been by Master’s side.”

“…I don’t get it.”

“They say you can’t fathom people’s hearts anyway.”

Inho chuckled.

“But… then it will become dangerous.”

At Cheong-yeon’s incomprehensible words, Inho thought for a moment and then raised his thumb as if there was no problem.

“I don’t know what’s dangerous, but what’s the worst that could happen besides dying?”

“……”

At the very carefree words, Cheong-yeon seemed to freeze in place and did not move.

-Snap

The sound of a branch breaking was heard in the distance, and Cheong-yeon and Inho turned their heads.

Seeing Namgung Soyou walking towards them, Inho waved his hand.

“Ah, Master! I was just looking for… Ugh?”

Namgung Soyou, who had walked with large strides, covered Inho’s mouth with her palm and moved him behind her.

It was as if Namgung Soyou had separated Cheong-yeon and Inho.

“Yes, I heard from Master. Let’s go to the festival.”

Namgung Soyou said, looking straight into Cheong-yeon’s eyes.

“Cheong-yeon. Don’t ever do this again.”

Namgung Soyou growled lowly, and Cheong-yeon left the garden without a word.

Inho, who had bowed to Cheong-yeon’s receding back, turned his gaze to Namgung Soyou.

“Phew, I was nervous thinking you two were fighting. Master, let’s go quickly… right?”

Inho looked at Namgung Soyou, who was leaning on his shoulder, with a strange expression.

“What, what. I just leaned on you because I was feeling dizzy, so be quiet.”

Feeling Inho’s gaze staring at her, Namgung Soyou turned her red face to the other side and muttered.