Chapter Text
In a scene that chilled the chest, the sky had donned its black cloak, studded with brilliant stars that illuminated the vast expanse.
The night was cold, but the cold wasn't necessarily bad.
Sometimes, it's pleasant to feel the cold slowly and deliberately seep into your bones.
The gentle night breeze was more noticeable, and the sounds of tiny insects and falling leaves were louder with each passing moment.
When a faint breath escaped her lips, she could clearly see it, perfectly white, slowly melting in the air.
Winter was coming, knowing that is delightful.
"Ha? What's this brat doing here?"
She almost jumped from her place as a voice came out of nowhere. No one else was supposed to be awake at this time.
But she knew it was her fault. She had lingered here too long, lost in the ambiance, forgetting she needed to return to her room.
"Eh... What are you doing here, Sajae? Isn't this bedtime for you?"
She asked with a small smile, trying to mask the tension on her face, but her expression returned to seriousness when the boy raised his fist slightly, clearly annoyed.
"Who do you think you're talking to like a child?"
"Calm down, Sajae! I was joking! A joke!"
Chung Myung clicked his tongue and lowered his fist a bit, but with the next passing breeze, his nose caught a scent that grabbed his attention like a magnetic aroma.
His eyes brightened slightly at the sight of the carefully placed jars on the roof, but he didn't seem too surprised, as if he had already expected to see them.
"Wait, sajo! These jars are mine! Were you trying to steal them?!"
"Eh... I was wondering whose they were."
She smiled slightly as she watched him grab a bottle and sit in place. He uncorked it with a mix of impatience and eagerness, like a child yearning for candy after a long day.
After downing the first gulp of alcohol, Chung Myung licked his lips and glanced sideways at her, a gentle smile appearing on his face.
"Sajo, why are you running away?"
"Running? Who? Me?"
She laughed, though she had indeed been about to sneak away, taking advantage of his distraction with the bottles of alcohol. But it seemed she had been too slow. Or probably he wasn't even distracted, not for a moment.
"Tsk, y'all act like I'll hit you just for breathing!"
'Isn't that exactly what happens? Especially to Jo Gul?'
The words were right at the tip of her tongue, but they died there, never seeing the light of the moon. She cautiously sat back down, glancing at the guy seated a few steps away.
Her heart was beating slightly faster than it should, as if she had been running or exerting herself, which made sense given her nerves.
She had never interacted with Chung Myung before, maybe exchanged a word or two in passing, maybe giving simple nods, even during missions.
At least she was never alone facing this person—her sahyungs and sasuks usually took the brunt, while she stayed in the background.
The space around them fell into a silence that could be described as comforting. Her nerves calmed, as though warm water was gently pouring over her scalp, and she adapted to the situation within moments.
"Sajo..."
However, whenever he spoke to or called her, she still felt goosebumps and unease.
She turned slowly, giving him an almost blank look, save for a hint of caution and tension.
At the sight of her expression, Chung Myung, whose face was now slightly flushed after gulping down two bottles of alcohol, laughed.
"Hey, sajo, are you the one who's been putting jars of alcohol here from time to time?"
Chung Myung tilted his head slightly, the strands framing his face swaying gently with the breeze. His tone carried a teasing edge capable of igniting the worst flames of irritation in others.
But she was simply shocked, pointing at herself in genuine surprise and wonder. At her reaction, Chung Myung tilted his head back, internally assuming he had been mistaken.
"Me? No, wait—are you saying someone keeps placing jars of alcohol on the roof? What kind of prank is that?!"
It was surprising to think about. She had assumed Chung Myung had placed them here to sneak them later, but was someone else doing this nightly on a regular basis?
"Isn't it you?"
"Why would I ask you if it were me? Should I be scared of you or something?"
"God forbid."
She looked away with a vacant smile. Of course, there was no reason for Chung Myung to fear her in any way—who was he, and who was she?
"But seriously, hasn’t Sajo been slacking off in training lately?"
"Wha—?! What…?"
At first, her voice nearly rose, but in the end, she whispered with profound astonishment.
She looked at him in shock, clutching her robes over her heart in genuine panic, while he stared back at her blankly, unconvinced by her reaction—and frankly, he didn’t care.
"What? So you’re just really weak and struggling to improve compared to your peers, who were already surpassing you?"
She felt a sting in her pride, so sharp it forced her to clutch her stomach, her complexion paling slightly.
Thin beads of sweat trickled down her forehead like rain, and she looked at him with a faint smile.
Weak? Yeah maybe? She is kinda weak, isn't she?
"Sajae, this must be your wild imagination. I’m not falling behind the sahyungs."
"Do you dare say that with those noodle-like, jelly arms of yours?"
Another stab, this time between her ribs, sharp enough that it felt like she might cough up blood.
If Chung Myung believed his own words, she could only imagine the kind of training she’d be subjected to—hell itself!
"That’s normal for me! I’m just a girl!"
Chung Myung stared at her with disgust as she dramatically turned away, wiping an imaginary tear from her eye with her fingertip.
"Are you going to keep this up?"
"Sorry."
"Tsk."
Chung Myung clicked his tongue in annoyance and turned slightly forward, his gaze sinking into the horizon like a fish swimming into a trap.
He brought the jar of alcohol to his lips, and slowly, its cold ceramic rim met them.
She watched the process intently, not missing a single detail.
Chung Myung was terrifying when it came to training, but somehow, he always managed to be impressive.
In moments like this, when Chung Myung could relax even a little, when his expression drifted and his mind wandered—this scoundrel looked ridiculously beautiful.
"I’m not sharing any of my alcohol with you."
"Tch."
She turned away, but inside, she felt a bit flustered. She’d forgotten that even when he seemed distracted, he was highly alert. It was embarrassing that he caught her staring.
"But if it’s like you say, shouldn’t you just give up? Just be the little girl you are."
She was slightly surprised because she hadn’t really thought about what she’d said earlier. It had been a fleeting thought to avoid a dangerous misunderstanding.
She looked at him. It was incredible how he could maintain such a cold expression even while nearly drunk—but then again, he was Chung Myung.
"Eh? How does what I said mean that?"
She tilted her head slightly, wearing a small smile. Chung Myung, who raised an eyebrow, didn’t seem impressed by her composure.
"That’s exactly what you said."
"Not true! We were talking about physical strength."
Though Chung Myung knew this perfectly well, he wanted to annoy her, probably to ensure she understood. If she didn’t, he’d generously make her understand completely.
She knew. She’d dealt with this sahyung before.
"I don’t plan to limit myself to physical strength. There are plenty of other areas where I can compensate. Even so, I’ll keep training with the sahyungs."
"Tsk, still not good enough."
"Seriously!"
She huffed and turned away. Even when she tried to be serious, he mocked her, no matter the context.
Though his eyes returned to the horizon, his gaze was tinged with an emotion that hadn’t been there moments before.
A look that seemed to peer into a living soul, not just the line separating sky and earth.
She knew life could be unfair, could take without giving. But still, it stung a little.
"You know, Sajae? You’re really strange."
Her words were odd and out of place, enough to pull him out of his contemplation. He looked at her instead of the glittering stars shining like precious stones in the depths of the dark sky.
"Do you want me to hit you?"
"Sajae, lower your fist, please."
She leaned back with a slightly trembling smile, planning to move a bit farther away if he didn’t comply. Fortunately, he did lower his fist.
She sighed internally and opened her eyes, only to find her feet within her line of sight. She pulled them to her chest, hugging them carelessly as her gaze drifted to the dark clouds leisurely following the wind’s path.
"When Sajae first came to Mount Hua, I had a good feeling. I have to say, it was just a hunch."
Chung Myung looked at her once more with a mix of bewilderment and slight annoyance. He didn’t quite understand why she was saying such a thing out of nowhere.
Time had passed, and it had been a considerable while since his feet had stepped on the grounds of Mount Hua again.
There was no meaning in saying something like that.
"If you think I’ll go easy on you just because—"
"Sajae, stop."
She leaned back a bit when it seemed like he was about to pull her hair for some reason, regretting saying anything at all when faced with his bizarre reaction.
"Anyway, whether it was a hunch or not, it’s good that it wasn’t wrong!"
"Tsk, this brat!"
Instead of pulling her hair, he delivered a light punch to the top of her head. Naturally, she couldn’t dodge it and clutched her head, lowering it in pain.
"Ouch! You don’t have to be so mean, Sajae!"
"Then stop spouting weird nonsense."
Chung Myung sat down again, taking one of the jars of alcohol in his hand, while she wiped away the few tears of pain that managed to escape.
When he felt her angry gaze on him—not that he cared—he glanced at her from the corner of his eye before letting the bottle meet his lips once more.
"What’s the occasion, anyway?"
Chung Myung wasn’t particularly interested in knowing, but her annoyed turning away to ignore his question irked him enough to make him consider smacking her head again.
"Occasion? I don’t know; it’s just something I that crossed my mind."
Though it was obvious she was lying, he wasn’t invested enough to bother questioning her about it.
And she wasn’t about to explain herself.
It had been some time since Chung Myung’s birthday.
He didn’t seem to care about it, most likely forgetting it altogether, given how preoccupied he was with sect affairs, training the disciples, and his own rigorous practice.
Since no one alive knew the exact date anymore, he likely saw no reason to waste time on such trivialities.
But she couldn’t help but feeling like she has to do something about it.
"When you’re done, Sajae, don’t leave the bottles lying around everywhere."
"Don’t tell me what to do."
He watched silently, a mixture of irritation and boredom on his face, as she stood and made her way toward the edge to descend.
When his surroundings were finally empty, he found himself lost in the darkness of the sparkling black sea above.
The cluster of clouds that had gathered earlier had dispersed, drifting away with the wind.
The moon glowed faintly in the center of that vast expanse, its white light brushing against his face without leaving any discernible feeling behind, illuminating his bright, ethereal eyes—among the most beautiful creations of nature.
"Sahyung."
He closed his eyes as the autumn night breeze swept through, gently displacing his unruly strands of hair, the ends brushing lightly against his skin.
He opened his eyes slowly, and the moon seemed particularly tender tonight. Somehow, it felt as though its radiant light was embracing him.
"These kids talk too much. What should I do with them?"
A soft chuckle slipped from his lips. He tilted his head back, grasping the last remaining jar and pouring the sharp liquid that had been sitting inside it for a while into his mouth.
Lowering his head quickly, he wiped away the alcohol that had suddenly dripped down his chin. For some reason, a strange smile had crept onto his lips while he was drinking.
Though puzzled, he made a small assumption and glanced to his side.
The spot two steps away from him had been empty and cold for some minutes, but he let a small, mischievous laugh escape. It carried a playful, impish quality.
—
What had she done?
Her life had been relatively peaceful before now, not compared to the average Mount Hua disciples, since she’d been accompanying the Five Swords on their missions recently. But compared to specific ones—take poor Jo Gul, for example—she could say she’d lived in peace, kinda...
She didn’t think she’d done anything wrong, yet that bastard Sajae seemed to hold a grudge against her for some reason.
"Sajo! It looks like you’re sweating less than the others! Do thirty more laps around the mountain!"
"…"
"Sajo! Don’t take your usual rock. Take this bigger one!"
"…"
"Come on! Five hundred more push-ups shouldn’t be a problem for Sajo!"
"That motherfucker Sajae… Just kill me already…"
Her legs and arms were already trembling slightly. Chung Myung had deliberately focused on her during today’s training and didn’t even bother hiding it.
The other sahyungs and sasuks watched silently from a distance, their tense expressions unmistakable, but none dared to intervene.
She closed her eyes and bit her lip slightly in frustration. It had been a while since they’d effectively declared her abandoned.
The only one who dared approach was, of course, none other than Baek Cheon.
"Chung Myung-ah…?"
"Huh? What does Dongryong want?"
"Don’t call me that."
Baek Cheon closed his eyes in mild irritation and let out a faint sigh, trying to clear his mind. He wasn’t here to argue with this man, but for the sake of his poor sajil.
When he looked at Chung Myung, the complicated expression on Baek Cheon’s face deepened. The younger man’s smile exuded a sense of curiosity, as if he genuinely didn’t understand why anyone would come wanting to speak to him about some kind of matter.
"Uh… It’s just that…"
Baek Cheon’s hesitant gaze alternated between Chung Myung and her who's dying in the background. Without making any specific comment, Chung Myung finally turned his attention to the latter.
"Huh? Is there a problem with Sajo?"
‘I should be the one asking you that, you bastard.’
Baek Cheon closed his eyes briefly, suppressing those words before they could escape. Finally, he opened his mouth and spoke slowly.
"Actually, I’m curious. Is there any problem between you and sajil?"
"Huh? Why would you think that?"
"Then… did she do something wrong?"
"What’s with Dongryong today, asking all these weird questions?"
The man felt a hint of despair as he looked at the younger one, but then a terrifying scream echoed across the courtyard.
Both Baek Cheon and Chung Myung turned toward the source with slightly surprised expressions, only to see a cloud of dust shooting across the training yard like a meteor.
"You think this is anything?! Who’s going to stop me?! I’ll get out of here and kick that scoundrel's ribs!!!"
She charged forward like someone possessed, as if nothing in the world could restrain her now.
‘Who’s this poor soul scoundrel…?’
While Baek Cheon’s expression grew more complica
ted than ever before, on the opposite end of the spectrum, Chung Myung smirked in amusement and shook his head.
Finally, he glanced back at Baek Cheon.
"Sasuk worries too much about trivial things. Sajo can handle this much!"
Chung Myung laughed and strolled away cheerfully.
Baek Cheon was utterly speechless.