Festival Sightseeing – 3

Inho, walking outside with Soyou, wore a slightly weary expression amidst the large crowd.

Merchants had set up stalls, eager to capitalize on the festival, and people flocked to the event, which had few other attractions, creating a bustling atmosphere.

As they walked through the market, packed with people to the point where there was barely room to step, Inho and Soyou naturally found themselves moving closer together.

“Co-come a bit closer.”

Soyou, glancing at a shop selling smoked chicken, grabbed Inho’s arm and pulled him along.

Inho felt the full weight of his Master on his arm.

‘This feels like a date.’

Inho thought, watching his Master subtly cling to his arm.

Inho’s steps halted in front of the smoked chicken shop.

“Do you want to eat this?”

“Weren’t you the one looking at it, Master? You’ve been staring at it for a while now.”

Soyou asked, and Inho countered with a question of his own.

Soyou seemed about to say something to her disciple’s words, but she quickly shut her mouth and turned her head away.

Inho took it as a silent affirmation.

“I’ve been starving since lunch, so I do need to eat something.”

“Th-then buy just a little. Just a little.”

Namgung Soyou, still avoiding eye contact, said, and Inho obediently bought a whole drumstick as she asked.

The drumstick, wrapped in several layers of paper, was quite hot, and Inho moved to a less crowded area.

“Here, have a bite first.”

Inho offered the glistening chicken leg.

Soyou reached out, but Inho shook his head.

“It’ll get your hands dirty. Just eat it like this.”

It turned into Inho feeding her, and Namgung Soyou pushed her hair back and took a small bite of the chicken.

She felt the chewy texture of the skin, and the chicken’s juices flooded her tongue.

Perhaps because she was eating after being hungry for so long, it tasted twice as good.

Soyou involuntarily let out a soft “Mmm~” and quickly cleared her throat, trying to maintain her composure.

“How is it? Is it good?”

Inho, still holding the chicken leg, looked at her and asked, and Soyou simply nodded in response.

“Then I’ll have a bite too.”

Inho took a bite from the opposite side where Soyou had bitten.

Inho took a large chunk of the chicken leg and, with his mouth full, kept exclaiming in admiration.

“G-give me another bite too.”

Soyou, her appetite stimulated by Inho’s hearty eating, whined like a child.

Seeing her act somewhat like her age, Inho, still chewing on the chicken, brought what he was holding close to Soyou’s mouth.

Soyou bit off even more meat than before.

It was truly a satisfying meal.

They took turns biting into the chicken leg, and soon it was reduced to a bare bone.

“Ah~ That was good. It was delicious, wasn’t it?”

Inho said, wiping his greasy hands with the wrapping paper, and Namgung Soyou nodded.

“I’m still not full, let’s go eat something else.”

Inho said, rubbing his moderately full stomach, and started to head into the crowd.

-Thump

Feeling a tug from behind, Inho turned around to see Soyou, who had grabbed his sleeve and was looking down at the ground.

“What’s wrong?”

Inho asked, and Soyou clung tightly to his arm.

He felt the slight sensation of her side breast against his arm, but he didn’t show it.

“Th-there are so many people. Don’t get lost.”

Seeing Soyou avoid eye contact for some reason, Inho gave a gentle smile.

“Then, shall we stick together like this today? There are a lot of people, after all.”

“Sh-shall we?”

Soyou’s face lit up at Inho’s suggestion.

And so, their time of eating and enjoying continued.

Following Inho’s direction of “[Let’s enjoy all the festival food!]”, they bought one of each food and shared it.

They shared braised pork, noodles, dumplings, and snacks.

They had worried that they would never get full eating just a little bit at a time, but after visiting several stalls, their stomachs were completely full.

Perhaps because they had satisfied their hunger, Inho and Soyou slowed their pace and watched the performances put on by clowns and street musicians rather than focusing on food.

“……”

Inho was reminded of the previous dimension by the sight of people laughing, drinking, and dancing.

‘It would have been nice to enjoy the festival together.’

He thought he had shaken it off and forgotten, but the memories of the previous dimension suddenly poked out like an awl in his pocket.

“Inho?”

Soyou looked at her disciple, who had stopped walking and was standing blankly, with a puzzled expression.

“Ah, it’s nothing. Let’s go that way.”

Seeing Inho force a smile, Soyou tilted her head.

Clowns were dancing to music in a corner of the street.

Their movements were somewhat exaggerated and comical, but their skill was excellent, and Soyou watched the scene as if mesmerized.

“But, Master. You can easily do those kinds of movements, right?”

Inho said to Soyou as everyone exclaimed in admiration at a clown performing consecutive somersaults.

“They are doing such difficult movements without even learning Martial arts. That’s why it’s amazing.”

“Why don’t you show that kind of flexibility with me?”

Inho muttered with puffed-up cheeks, and Soyou chuckled.

After the performance ended, Soyou suggested that Inho admire the moon.

To find a suitable place, they headed to a less crowded area, which allowed them to get away from the bustling streets.

“Hmm…. There are already guests here.”

They had come to what was said to be a good place to view the moon, but some people had already taken their places.

They could have sat in an awkwardly empty space, but Soyou didn’t want to.

For some reason, she wanted to watch the moon with her disciple in a place where no one else was around.

“Master, how about over there?”

Inho pointed to a five-story pavilion.

“Isn’t there already someone there too?”

“No, not inside. On the roof. We wouldn’t be disturbed by anyone there.”

“But if it’s on the roof… wouldn’t that bother the people around us…”

“Come on, when else would we do something like this? Let’s go.”

Inho waved his hand as if it were nothing.

“Alright. Just this once.”

Soyou didn’t want to be strict with Inho today, so she nodded obediently.