The event occurred just as night turned to morning.
Lately, I had been indulging in frequent meditation, which had caused me to sleep in more than usual.

I had even asked Pae Woo-cheol to wake me as late as possible if he could, since I didn’t want to be forced to wake up early.

Today, I assumed it was the same situation.

"Hyung-nim... Hyung-nim."

I slightly opened my eyes at the sound of a voice. It seemed like it was about time to get up.

My body felt heavy as I tried to lift myself. This had been happening a lot lately.

I wondered if something was wrong with my body, but I couldn’t sense anything particularly strange. It seemed like most of my fatigue was mental.

"...Hah."

With a heavy sigh, I forced myself to sit up. I didn’t want to, but I had to get up.

As I managed to lift my body and open my eyes, I noticed someone in front of me.

Was it Pae Woo-cheol? If not him, maybe one of the other roommates?

"...Huh?"

Surprisingly, it was neither.

Pae Woo-cheol certainly didn’t have such a delicate frame.

I rubbed my still-groggy eyes and looked at the person again.

The sunlight streaming through the window was warm, as if heralding the arrival of morning. The light seemed to focus solely on this one person.

"...You?"

Kneeling with her legs tucked beneath her…

It was none other than Wi Seol-ah, sitting there calmly, gazing at me.

Her light brown hair shimmered with a faint golden hue, and her half-closed golden eyes caught my attention.

No, this wasn't the time to be admiring Wi Seol-ah’s appearance.

‘Why is she here?’

I wondered if I was still dreaming, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

Not only was the situation odd, but the other guys in the room, who had been moving around, also froze in place.

Their eyes were all shaking as if they didn’t know what to do, standing there as stiff as stones.

What the hell?

What is going on here?

I quickly glanced over at Pae Woo-cheol, who had woken me up.

That huge guy seemed just as confused as the rest of us.

Noticing my gaze, he hurriedly came over and whispered in my ear.

It seemed he still wasn’t capable of transmitting his voice directly using his inner energy.

"What’s going on here?"
"...She said she needed to see you urgently..."
"And you let her in?"
"I told her you were sleeping… but she insisted she’d wait inside…"
"And you really let her in? There are a bunch of guys in here!"

And what's with calling her "nuna"? Wi Seol-ah is definitely younger than Pae Woo-cheol.

Even I’m younger than Pae Woo-cheol.

Hadn’t he passed his coming-of-age?

"...I’m sorry. I was caught off guard too."

As Pae Woo-cheol awkwardly scratched the back of his head, Wi Seol-ah spoke up quietly.

"I was the one who insisted. I asked to come in. Pae Gongja did nothing wrong."

At the sound of Wi Seol-ah calling him Pae Gongja, Pae Woo-cheol's face melted.

He seemed pleased.

Whack!

"Oof!?"

Not liking the look on his face, I lightly kicked Pae Woo-cheol’s calf. His large body instantly collapsed, and he grabbed his leg in pain.

He’s faking it, though. I barely touched him.

"You’re such a drama queen, Woo-cheol."
"...Hyung-nim, I think you really broke something."

Ignoring Pae Woo-cheol's exaggerated complaint, I turned back to Wi Seol-ah.

"What do you need?"

"...I have something to say to you, Gongja-nim."

Something to say?

‘She said she needed time to think.’

Our last conversation had ended with Wi Seol-ah telling me she needed time to think and asking for some space.

How many days had passed since then?

I had respected her request and stayed quiet for a few days.

And now Wi Seol-ah had come to me.

That’s all fine.

Everything is fine, except…

Why come this early in the morning?

"What is it that you want to say?"

As soon as I spoke, I regretted it.

I could have said something polite, like, "It’s been a while," or, "You look well," or even asked if she had eaten breakfast.

But instead, my tone came out blunt and rude, as always.

This habit was likely something I wouldn’t fix, even until the day I died.

Hearing my question, Wi Seol-ah lifted her head slightly.

Her golden eyes were locked onto me.

The innocent, bright gaze she used to have when she was serving me…

It still lingered, though only faintly.

I found myself feeling a bit regretful about that.

My mind was still foggy, half-asleep.

I felt dazed.

Even though my body had reached its peak condition, it seemed strange to feel this tired just because of a bit of lost sleep.

Feeling like I needed to shake it off, I circulated my inner energy to clear away the fatigue.

And that’s when Wi Seol-ah spoke.

"I like you."

"...Huh?"

The words that reached my ears made me utter a dumb sound in response.

"What did you just say…?"

Ignoring my attempt to clarify, she repeated herself, as if to make sure I hadn’t misheard.

"I like you."

It was the same words, delivered clearly once more.

Something crashed down in my foggy mind, scattering the haze.

"You…"

Wi Seol-ah, who had just said those words, wore a calm expression.

For a few seconds, I was utterly speechless.

What should I say?

My head was filled with thoughts, but no words would come out.

I felt like my mouth was behind a transparent wall.

I finally managed to force out a question.

"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"

My voice trembled a little as I spoke.

"I’ve finished thinking."
"Thinking?"
"Yes. I’ve been thinking."

She had said she had a lot to think about.

She had asked for time to sort out her thoughts.

And now, this was the conclusion she had reached?

What was going on?

Was this really not a dream? It felt more realistic that way.

‘What is this…?’

I studied Wi Seol-ah carefully. Looking closely, I noticed something.

Though her expression seemed calm, her ears…

Were burning red.

"…"

Seeing that, I made eye contact with her again.

"Uh…"

I tried to think of something to say, rehearsing the words in my head.

After a few short seconds, I went through thousands of possible responses, struggling to find the right one.

Just as I was about to say something…

"Since that’s the case… please take care of me from now on."

Before I could even speak, Wi Seol-ah suddenly said those words, then bowed her head and quickly stood up.

"Uh… what?"

Her ears, which were already red, had turned even darker.

I hurriedly tried to call after her, but Wi Seol-ah swiftly moved and bolted out the door.

She was so fast, I couldn’t even get a word out.

"What the…"

By the time I heard her footsteps fading down the hallway outside the door,

I was finally able to process the whirlwind of events that had just unfolded.

‘What did she just say?’

She said she liked me, didn’t she?

Yeah, that’s what she said.

While I was still standing there, stuck in a daze…

"Hyung-nim."

Pae Woo-cheol cautiously called out to me.

"...Uh… yeah… what is it?"

It seemed that not only my head but also my mouth had stiffened, as my response came out awkwardly.

Pae Woo-cheol, looking oddly serious, bowed his head slightly before speaking again.

"With all due respect… Hyung-nim."
"Go ahead."
"...May I hit you just once?"
"What did you just say?"

I scowled at him, and Pae Woo-cheol quickly backed off.

This was likely the moment when Wi Seol-ah’s behavior had started becoming strange.

   
   ******************
   

I naturally skipped the morning training.

After attending the theoretical class, it was already lunchtime.

I had heard that there was something extra attached to the afternoon training, which explained the early lunch.

Not that it mattered much.

“What’s for lunch today?”
“Don’t know….”
“Yeah, I’m used to that by now.”

It had become a bit of a routine to ask Pae Woo-cheol, even though he never remembered.

From what I could tell, he ate everything without caring what it was, so there was no reason for him to remember.

“I think I heard it’s chicken.”
“Then you won’t be able to eat it.”
“They say you should never skip a meal, no matter what it is.”

While chatting with Pae Woo-cheol, a familiar figure, Jamryong, slid into the conversation.

Ever since a few days ago, Jamryong had casually started joining us for meals, acting like nothing was amiss.

I didn’t stop him, but there was a small issue.

“…Can you please be more aware of people’s stares?”
“I didn’t expect you of all people to say that to me.”

Jamryong’s response was filled with surprise, and I let out a deep sigh.

The reason I brought it up was simple.

Jamryong, being part of a Taoist sect, had special meals prepared for those who didn’t eat meat.

Yet here he was, blatantly piling meat onto his plate…

“Hey… your senior brothers look like they want to kill you.”
“They’re not my brothers, just some random guys. Don’t worry about them, I’m an only child.”

No way… those guys definitely look like they’re from the Wudang sect.

Sometimes I wondered if Jamryong was truly insane.

How did Wudang not kick him out by now?

‘…Is it because of his talent?’

Was it really?

Considering the level of talent Jamryong had, they probably wouldn’t let him go, even if he caused trouble.

“Ah! Chicken!”

Look at him getting excited about meat. Is this guy really a Taoist?

‘…Master Noya did say that even the legendary Huang Ah-bu-reong from Shaolin used to eat meat and drink alcohol when he was young.’

Honestly, compared to those hypocrites pretending to be virtuous, Jamryong might actually be more genuine, living according to his instincts.

“Hyung-nim…”
“What?”
“Isn’t that a bit too much? I don’t think you can finish all that.”
“If I can’t, you’ll finish it.”
“That sounds like a great idea.”

Pae Woo-cheol smiled brightly at my words.

With us moving as a group, I could hear whispers behind us.

• Is Jamryong really hanging out with them now?

• He’s joined Cheol Cheol-yang’s group? Even the Wudang Dragon’s been recruited? How is that possible?

• Wait, isn’t it Cheol-yang-cheol, not Cheol-cheol-yang?

• That’s not the point.

• The name doesn’t matter?

• I heard Sword Dragon is also hanging out with Jinryong these days… Could it be?

• If Mad Dog Cheol Ji-seon commands three of the Six Dragons, then what does that make him…?

 

The rumors spreading were enough to give me a headache.

Despite all this, the infamous title of ‘Mad Dog Cheol Ji-seon’ just wouldn’t die.

No wonder Cheol Ji-seon was always on edge.

It wasn’t just me hearing the rumors.

Jamryong, quietly receiving his meal, chuckled to himself.

“So now it’s Cheol-yang-cheol-hyeok, huh?”
“Don’t just casually add stuff like that.”
“What’s the big deal? You made it up as a joke, so why not throw in another one?”

The fact that he knew I was joking back then showed how sharp his perception was.

As expected, he’s annoyingly quick-witted.

“But seriously, is this okay for you?”

Jamryong tilted his head slightly, looking puzzled at my question.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, hanging around with us like this. It might cause trouble later, you know?”

“Ah.”

I knew how obsessed the Wudang sect’s leader was with maintaining appearances and reputation.

Especially for someone like Jamryong, who was favored by the sect master.

Wouldn’t it be a problem for him to hang around troublemakers like us?

But…

“I don’t care. It’s fun, isn’t it?”

Jamryong was as carefree as ever. As expected, this guy was far from normal.

“And besides.”
“Huh?”
“Being able to eat quietly is a huge blessing.”
“Look at the number of people in the dining hall. Do you think you can eat quietly?”

Because we had come a bit late, the hall was already packed. There was no way it would be quiet.

Jamryong just chuckled at my remark and resumed eating.

In the meantime, he grabbed more meat.

I shook my head at the sight.

Finding a seat was never a problem.

Moyong Hee-ah, always quick to act, had already secured a spot for us in the dining hall.

The people gathered there were from three of the Four Great Families.

With representatives from the Namgung, Moyong, and Tang families sitting together, few dared to join them.

Even when someone did try, a few sharp words from Moyong Hee-ah or Tang So-ryeol were enough to send them away with their tails between their legs.

Occasionally, Peng Ah-hee would show up to eat with Tang So-ryeol, but even that was rare.

In the end, the remaining seat was always reserved for me.

“What are you doing?”

“Huh?”

Just as I was about to sit in my usual spot, Moyong Hee-ah’s cold voice stopped me.

“What?”
“Why are you sitting down without asking?”

Her tone was icier than usual.

Even though she was normally cold, today she seemed especially frosty.

What’s going on?

“Hmph…”

She turned her head away abruptly, and it finally hit me—I had messed up.

I realized why Moyong Hee-ah was acting this way.

“Sorry, I had something come up last time.”

A while back, I had planned to talk to Moyong Hee-ah alone, but ended up breaking that promise because of Cheol Ji-seon.

It seemed she was still upset about that.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t followed up with her after that.

…She had every right to be angry, actually.

“Sorry.”

I apologized again, and Moyong Hee-ah turned her gaze back toward me.

“…Next time, I won’t forgive you so easily.”

Her expression softened slightly. Surprisingly, she wasn’t as difficult to deal with this time.

In my past life, she had been relentless.

After apologizing one more time, I finally sat down in the empty seat.

Seeing this, Jamryong and Pae Woo-cheol also sat down.

I naturally took my place beside Namgung Bi-ah, who was half-asleep, and just as Jamryong was about to sit next to me…

Namgung Bi-ah, without a word, gestured with her hand. She was pointing at Jamryong.

“There… seat… there.”
“…Huh?”
“Seat. Over there.”
“Oh, sorry.”

Jamryong, realizing she meant there was already someone else coming, shifted one seat over.

Who else was joining us?

“Is someone else coming?”
“…Yes…”

Namgung Bi-ah replied sleepily and rested her head against my shoulder again.

Her fine hair was slightly bothersome while I was trying to eat, but at this point, I had grown used to it.

While I was casually eating my meal, Moyong Hee-ah suddenly spoke to Jamryong.

“It’s been a while.”

She smiled, but there was an edge to her voice.

Jamryong, noticing the underlying sharpness, cleared his throat mid-bite.

“…Ahem. Your voice sounds quite different.”
“It’s natural to change tone depending on the person you’re talking to.”
“…Ah, right. Well… It’s been a while, Miss Moyong. I apologize for the late greeting.”

Moyong Hee-ah took a sip of her tea after hearing Jamryong’s words.

What’s going on with these two? Did they meet before?

“When I approached you last time, you said you had no intention of joining any side.”
“Well, sometimes things change. People are unpredictable, aren’t they?”

Ah.

‘So it’s true… she’s been recruiting the disciples.’

One of the largest factions within Sinryong Hall revolved around Moyong Hee-ah.

Scholars stuck with scholars, merchants with merchants.

Basically, people from similar backgrounds grouped together.

Apparently, not long after she arrived, Moyong Hee-ah had started gathering people.

She must’ve approached Jamryong too, only for him to turn her down.

And now, seeing him with us, it clearly didn’t sit well with her.

“I apologize.”

Surprisingly, Jamryong offered an apology.

Moyong Hee-ah folded her fan and smiled slightly.

“It’s fine. It’s actually better that you’re with Gongja.”

“…Haha.”

“If you had gone somewhere else, I might’ve had to bury you…”

“Sorry, what?”

“I’m just joking. Haha.”

That was no joke.

Of all the things Moyong Hee-ah had said, this was the closest to the truth.

Jamryong, sensing the danger, started to sweat a little.

Even this crazy guy seemed to find Moyong Hee-ah scary.

In our past lives, Jamryong would go out of his way to avoid her.

Whenever he caused trouble, he’d usually throw me under the bus to get away.

…The memory makes my blood boil.

Feeling a burning sensation inside, I reached for the cup of water Namgung Bi-ah had poured for me.

Creak.

Someone sat down next to me.

So this must be the person Namgung Bi-ah said was coming.

I looked up to see who it was.

Along with a familiar scent of flowers, a familiar presence settled next to me.

“Oh.”

It was Wi Seol-ah, the one who had confessed to me earlier in the morning.

She usually avoided eating with us, so what’s going on today?

While I pondered this, I glanced at the food she had brought.

‘Did she pile up her plate like a mountain?’

She had taken large portions of everything.

Noticing my gaze, Wi Seol-ah’s cheeks flushed slightly as she explained.

“…I heard it’s good to eat a lot….”

Apparently, she had taken my advice about eating more to heart.

“Do you want me to take some back if it’s too much?”

“Take it back? No way. You have to finish it all.”
“…Okay.”

Wi Seol-ah relaxed a little at my words and began eating.

There was no mention of the earlier conversation.

It seemed she was just quietly eating.

For a moment, I wondered if she had already forgotten about what happened in the morning, but her ears, even redder than before, suggested otherwise.

‘…Did Namgung Bi-ah invite her?’

After all, Namgung Bi-ah had mentioned someone else was coming.

She probably knew.

Meanwhile, Namgung Bi-ah simply leaned against me with her eyes closed.

“…I was hoping we’d have one less person, but oh well. Tsk.”

Moyong Hee-ah quietly muttered under her breath.

It was shaping up to be an awkward meal.