Archive of Our Own

Cho Khien would've be told tIf hat his brother will get beaten up and lose his mind, scolding everyone and breaking everything yesterday, he would've laugh in their faces. His sweet Cho Sam? The one Cho Sam, who became a member of beggars sect, just to help Cho Khien to get money? But now, looking how beaten up Sam-ah running away to Shanxi without looking back, (Seventh said that lil' Sam wanted to get to Huashan martial arts school. Real cute, but a little too reckless) Khien didn't have words. Work ended earlier, so he speeded up to pick up his donseong to read together a book (about, what a coincidence!, foundation of martial arts), which he found on one of the tables of the restaurant, where he sometimes worked as a loader. Khien quickly got his knitted bag, where he had a little bit of food and fabrics and run after his little brother. His donseong will die from exhaustion faster, than he could've run at least one tenth of the way!

It was cooler in the woods than in the village. The birds chirped as if greeting Khien, and the leaves rustled from breeze. Khien fled with all his might. He hadn't eaten since yesterday morning, preferring to give yesterday's dinner to Cho Sam, and now he was after a hard day at work, so he didn't have enough stamina at all. Cho Khien looked around the area. He hoped that Sam-ah didn't run into the depths of the forest, where there were no well-trodden paths, but it would be foolish to exclude this possibility. In the distance, Khien heard muffled footsteps and soft grunts. Cho Khien rushed in that direction.

Cho Sam was sitting under a tree, breathing heavily, and seemed to be trying... Meditate? Cho Khien only smiled faintly at this. His little brother is so cute! (In his past lives, he would never have thought that way, but don't blame him, he didn't remember them from birth, and by that time he was already formed as a different character!) Cho Khien approached his brother. He didn't really hide his footsteps or his presence, but it was always difficult for his youngest to figure out where Khien was just by hearing. Khien just shook his head at that.

– Hmm... – Khien hummed softly, sitting down next to him. Cho Sam didn't react to him in any way. Khien frowned at this, but decided to wait just a little bit.

Today, one kind ajumma gave him ripe apples and fresh bread ("For a kind heart and good work," – she said. Khien just grunted at this, but took the bread), so he wanted to eat with his youngest, but he seemed to have decided to start a 'riot'.

Shaking his head and still smiling, Khien silently opened the book and began to read. At some point, he felt Cho Sam's qi, but he couldn't determine what the younger was doing while sitting next to him, so he didn't pay much attention to it. Maybe he saw Khien practicing at night? Even if Khien didn't want to become too strong, he wanted to be able to protect himself and his youngest, and maybe other children, from bandits.

After a while, Cho Sam opened his eyes and, seeing Khien, shuddered.

– Cho Sam, – Khien said sternly, without looking up from the book. The basics written in it, and the clarity of the content and well-arted examples pleasantly surprised Khien. – Do you want to explain why you thought it would be a good idea to run away from the village without telling me?

After these words, Khien raised his head and looked directly into the surprised eyes of his younger brother.

– You and I both know that you're weak, – Khien continued, not noticing how Cho Sam shuddered. – If you really wanted to go to Shanxi, then you should have just told me about it, – Khien looked away. He wasn't sure is he wanted to see Cho Sam's face. – I may not have much money, but I can give you some of that I've saved for food, so that you can have at least some kind of place to live on the way. You know I've always wanted the best for you.

After these words, Khien looked up and saw the embarrassed, belittled (surprised as fuck) look of Cho Sam. He looked so adorable that Khien couldn't resist pinching his cheek. At this, Cho Sam just yelled and recoiled.

– Ha-ha! – Khien laughed loudly and briefly from his brother's expression. He looked at Khien angrily with pouting cheeks and lips. He might have been very thin, but the slight baby fat on him hadn't gone away just yet, which was why Khien kept thinking of the younger version of Cho Sam when he charmingly ran like a tail after Cho Khien. Even his first word was hyung, not amma or appa. Khien just chuckled at his thoughts. – Sorry-sorry, I couldn't resist, – Khien reached out and stroked Cho Sam's head, while he stubbornly (too surprised) remained silent, not noticing Cho Sam's slight shudder. – Let's do this. You and I will go to Shanxi, find a Huashan school there, and while you study there, I will live in the village. That way we can visit each other, right? – Khien smiled gently. Cho Sam tilted his head sweetly in thought. He was a little quiet today, of course, but Khien didn't pay much attention to it. There were days when Khien couldn't or wouldn't talk on a regular basis, so only such rare shifts were a small victory.

Cho Sam timidly (suspiciously) looked up. There was uncertainty in his movements and gaze. Khien only sighed softly at this.

– Don't worry, we'll get there together faster than if you ran by yourself. Let's go back home for now, pack our things there, and after that I'll look for information, which way will be the shortest, hmm? – Khien smiled gently, closing his eyes and slightly tilting his head. He didn't see how Cho Sam was looking at him.

–...yung...– Cho Sam muttered to himself. Cho Khien found this endearing, so he pinched Sam's cheek again, and this time he hissed softly.

– I'm sorry, I'm sorry... What did you say? – Khien asked, still smiling.

– Cheong Myung... Call me Cheong Myung! - Sam-ah... No, Myung-ah muttered more confidently.

– Hmm? Why changes so suddenly? – Khien tilted his head in surprise and, putting his index finger to his chin, looked closely at Myung-ah. His eyes narrowed slightly. It seemed that something had changed in Cho Sam, or rather in 'Cheong Myung'. At first glance, his posture seemed much more relaxed, although he was very tense, his tone changed to a rougher one. And his look... He seemed to be directed not at the one who raised him, literally replacing Appa and Amma from an early age, but at a stranger who interfered with his business. Khien shuddered. Sam, of course, was a bit of an unusual boy, but not that much...

Amnesia? Was he really hit on the head that hard? Khien stretched out his hands to Sam's head in the hope of checking for lumps, but Sam recoiled. Khien shuddered again, and his hands froze in the air where the top of Sam's head had been... No, now it was the head of the "Myung". Khien bit his lower lip. Really, this guy... Is it possible that in this body now not the soul of "Cho Sam", a sweet boy who was often visited by dangerous thoughts, but "Cheong Myung", who, according to Khien's brief observations, did not understand at all where he was and who was in front of him?

Khien looked longingly at his brother... No, at the boy who was his little brother just this morning. But... Khien could take care of this guy too. His soul, the soul of "Cheong Myung", is still in the body of "Cho Sam", Khiyong couldn't just leave him.

– You... – voice was trembling, and the hands did not obey at all, slowly sinking to the ground until they reached the grass. – You... Not Cho Sam, right...? – asked Khien quietly. At his question, "Cheong Myung" shuddered and looked away. Couldn't lie? Didn't want to? Didn't know how to justify himself? Could it be that this rebirth or transmigration was not at the behest of "Cheong Myung"? Khien shook his head. — Okay... Just tell me, did you know that you were going to be reborn or transmigrated into this body?

Khien looked up from the green grass. Despite the storm of emotions inside both of them, everything was fragrant around them. The birds continued to chirp calmly, and all sorts of small animals kept running around. The wind gently shook the leaves, as if afraid to interrupt the moment.

The sun shone on Khien's features. He had a soft sad smile, and his eyes were a little watery. "Cheong Myung" twisted his face.

— no... I died, and in an instant I was already in this body, immediately getting beaten by that bastard... — "Cheong Myung" lowered his gaze. His eyes were clouded, as if he was remembering something extremely unpleasant.

– It's alright... – Cheong Myung looked up, meeting Cho Khien's gaze. – Huashan... It's connected to your past life... – Khien smiled faintly. – Then let's follow my original plan. I'll take us to the Hua Mountains, and then we'll see by circumstances, – Khien took Cheong Myung's hands in his. –Take care of my youngest's body, hmm? I won't force you to call you hyung, but many in the village won't understand if you abruptly stop calling me that. Let's go back, I'll tell you how everything works, hm?

Khien stood up and dusted off his clothes, and then extended his hand to Cheong Myung. He was still in pain. His adorable little brother just... Disappeared. A complete stranger came to replace him. It hurt that his sweet and wonderful brother was no longer around, but Khien just hoped that his soul would be well taken care of. Love and tenderness flickered in his eyes, intertwined with pain and resentment. Cheong Myung only looked at his hand uncertainly for a moment and immediately after that he grabbed it, like a drowning man grabbing branches or protrusions of the earth, hoping to stay above the water for just a second, hoping to stay on the surface and continue breathing.