Ah! Namgung Family Episode 018
018 I’ll Do It. That Thing Called Proof (1)
Someone kept poking his face. He waved his hand to stop them, but they kept doing it, so annoyance flared up.
“Agh, stop it!”
He shouted and shot to his feet, and before he knew it, it was morning.
And not in a room, but on a wooden platform in front of a thatched hut in a bamboo forest.
He turned his head and saw Namgung Suhak trembling in fear, his body shaking.
“Hyung. What’s wrong?”
“Sigh…”
Namgung Ganghae scratched his head as he thought about yesterday’s events.
Namgung Suhak had briefly returned to normal and taught him the Lone Soul Sword. To memorize it, he had trained continuously until late at night. Thanks to that, he had memorized not only the forms but also the footwork. For now, he just needed to repeat the practice until it became familiar.
“Elder.”
“Hmph! I’m leaving. I’m not playing with Hyung.”
Perhaps startled because he had been scared just moments ago, Namgung Suhak dashed into the thatched hut. Namgung Ganghae was still bewildered because it was so different from what he had seen yesterday.
He left the bamboo forest to eat breakfast. And as he went to the dining hall, he wondered if he should tell the family head, Namgung Museong, about yesterday’s events.
It seemed useless to speak of it now. Namgung Museong completely ignored Namgung Ganghae. He didn’t try to say a single word to him. So what would he think if Ganghae said that the senile Namgung Suhak had suddenly returned to normal and taught him such things?
Moreover, this sword technique called the Lone Soul Sword was something he had heard of for the first time. As far as Namgung Ganghae knew, there was no such sword technique in the Namgung Family. So it wouldn’t be too late to speak of it after he had thoroughly trained in it and learned its power.
“You’re here.”
“Huh? Ah.”
When he arrived at the dining hall, Namgung Aran welcomed him with a bright smile. Seeing that, Namgung Mugi's expression twisted slightly. The others had looks on their faces as if they had seen something they shouldn’t have.
“Hurry, come over here.”
Namgung Aran grabbed his sleeve and pulled. Namgung Ganghae, swept along, went into the kitchen and understood what she wanted.
“We have plenty of ingredients, so make some dishes. I’ll help from the side.”
He had thought she would only order him around. Yet she said she would help. Namgung Ganghae stared at her for a moment, trying to discern her intentions. But there didn’t seem to be any hidden meaning.
Namgung Ganghae first started the fire. Then he quickly trimmed the vegetables and placed an iron pot with handles over the fire. It was something he had recently made and brought here. He had pounded a sheet of iron about one chon thick over ten thousand times to make it.
“Cut the meat.”
“Okay.”
As the pot heated up, Namgung Ganghae poured in oil. Then he added the trimmed vegetables and cut meat and stir-fried them. Stir-fried dishes had to be quickly cooked over high heat for the seasoning to penetrate and become delicious.
One dish was made in a jiffy. With Namgung Aran’s help, Namgung Ganghae made three more and served them together with rice.
The people gathered at the table swallowed hard upon seeing the dishes. The food Namgung Ganghae made not only stimulated the appetite with its aroma but also looked good.
“Let’s eat.”
As Namgung Ganghae and Namgung Aran sat down, Namgung Museong quietly spoke. As the people ate, they continuously showed expressions of surprise.
It was incomparably more delicious than anything they had eaten before. Normally, all sorts of conversations would flow during meals, but now no one said a word. Everyone was solely focused on eating.
Namgung Aran, who had been watching them with satisfaction, looked at Namgung Ganghae. Then she spoke to everyone.
“Today’s meal was prepared by Ganghae.”
“No wonder it was so delicious.”
Namgung Hwa-in mumbled with her mouth full of food. At that, Namgung Museong slightly furrowed his brow. He had told them to mind their manners, and yet.
“So what I’m saying is, I wish everyone wouldn’t dump all the work on Ganghae.”
At Namgung Aran’s words, the atmosphere suddenly turned cold. Because of that, the one put in a difficult position was Namgung Ganghae.
“Ah, n-no, there’s no need to go that far…”
Clack!
Namgung Mugi was the first to set down his chopsticks. And looking at Namgung Ganghae, he asked.
“Did you tell Aran to say that as payment for cooking?”
“No! Brother! This is my…”
“You stay quiet!”
“Brother!”
“If that is your intention, I will not eat the food you made.”
When Namgung Mugi said that, Namgung Hwa-in gauged the mood and set down her chopsticks. Namgung Sohye did the same.
However, the eldest, Namgung Icheong, silently continued eating. At that, Namgung Mugi's gaze turned to her.
“Icheong Sister.”
“What?”
“Sister intends to eat knowing that guy’s intentions?”
“Yeah. It’s delicious.”
Since that was the truth, there was no way to refute it. Namgung Icheong was always like that. She was expressionless and didn’t speak much, so no one could tell what she was thinking.
Just then, Namgung Byeongseo entered the dining hall with the two people he always went around with.
“Oh, everyone was eating. But why is the atmosphere like this?”
He sat down first, and the two who came with him sat beside him. Everyone was uncomfortable with those three, but they couldn’t show it openly. After all, he was the younger paternal cousin of the family head, Namgung Museong. Even if his conduct was improper, they couldn’t treat him carelessly.
“I’m hungry.”
It was a request for rice. As Namgung Aran tried to get up, Namgung Ganghae stopped her. And instead, he went to the kitchen and brought out rice and the remaining dishes.
“You never showed up in the mornings before; have you decided to eat together now?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Meals should be eaten together as a family.”
Though he probably didn’t mean it that way, when Namgung Byeongseo spoke as if defending Namgung Ganghae, the already unpleasant atmosphere grew heavier. Feeling this, Namgung Aran, unable to contain her frustration, shot to her feet.
“Since everyone happens to be gathered, I simply must say this. Why is everyone acting like that toward Ganghae? Uncle’s death isn’t Ganghae’s fault. Everyone knows that, yet…”
“Enough!”
Namgung Museong, who had been quiet until now, cut off Namgung Aran’s words. Then everyone’s gaze turned to him.
“Let us end breakfast here.”
Namgung Museong left with a weary expression. With the family head gone, there was no point in continuing the conversation. Namgung Aran bit her lower lip and gripped Namgung Ganghae’s hand.
“Let’s go.”
“Huh?”
“Hurry up!”
Namgung Ganghae looked at everyone before being pulled away by her. Watching that, Namgung Mugi's expression hardened frighteningly.
“No, why is everyone like this at the breakfast table? Tsk tsk. Oh, this is delicious.”
Namgung Byeongseo clicked his tongue as he spoke, then after tasting a dish once, he muttered in surprise. At that, the two who came with him raised their chopsticks in puzzlement.
The reason the three of them rarely came here was partly because they slept late from drinking and talking until late at night, but more so because the food had been tasteless.
But now that they tasted it, it was completely different from before. It was an extremely common dish, yet it melted softly in the mouth.
“This is really delicious.”
“Right?”
When even the two of them praised the food Namgung Ganghae made, Namgung Mugi felt sick to his stomach. He got up from his seat, glared at them once, and left the dining hall. Then he saw Namgung Aran holding Namgung Ganghae’s hand and talking to the family head, Namgung Museong, about something. That grated on his nerves again.
He suddenly couldn’t understand why Namgung Aran was acting like that. Hadn’t she treated Namgung Ganghae coldly just like the rest until yesterday?
“Father!”
“Did I not tell you to stop?”
“But this is wrong. It’s mistaken. Father, you know that too.”
“Namgung Aran!”
Unable to endure it, Namgung Museong’s voice grew louder. At that, Namgung Aran flinched and closed her mouth. Namgung Museong looked at her silently, then looked at Namgung Ganghae.
“Go and rest.”
Sighing as he spoke, Namgung Museong soon left. Watching that figure, Namgung Aran deeply bowed her head. And in a voice that was barely audible, she said.
“I’m sorry.”
“Huh?”
“I feel like the matter grew unnecessarily big because of me…”
“Why are you suddenly like this?”
“It’s not sudden. You don’t know how much I regretted my actions all day yesterday while following you around. And I…”
Namgung Aran trailed off and raised her head. Because of that, their eyes met, and Namgung Ganghae subtly turned his head away.
“I wanted to hold my head high in front of you. Just like Uncle did. Just like you did.”
“R-right.”
Namgung Ganghae’s heart pounded strangely. Namgung Aran was pretty. Cute. But that was it. There was no reason for this.
After thinking for a moment, Namgung Ganghae concluded that it was because he had never been this close to a girl his age before.
“You!”
Someone roughly grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. It was Namgung Mugi.
“What on earth did you say to Aran?”
“Me?”
“Follow me.”
Namgung Mugi spoke fiercely as he glared, then walked ahead. It was as if an answer wasn’t even necessary.
“Brother!”
“Be quiet.”
Namgung Aran shouted, but Namgung Mugi didn’t stop. He only glanced back over his shoulder to provoke Namgung Ganghae.
“What are you doing? If you’re scared, you can just go. But don’t ever show your face again after this.”
Having heard those words, he couldn’t just stay still. Namgung Ganghae followed Namgung Mugi. Then Namgung Aran had no choice but to walk along as well.
Arriving at the training ground, Namgung Mugi went to the storage shed and took out two wooden swords. And he threw one to Namgung Ganghae.
“I don’t know well what is right and wrong. But this much I know. In the martial world, might is justice. If you think you are right, you prove it with strength. That is the way of the martial world.”
“Father never taught Ganghae martial arts even once. You know that too, Brother.”
“So? Whether he learned something or not, I don’t care. If you have something to say, first become qualified to say it.”
“Then I should also…”
“Stop.”
Namgung Ganghae stopped Namgung Aran. And holding the wooden sword, he slowly walked to the center of the training ground.
“I’ll try it. That thing called proof.”
Namgung Aran couldn’t understand. When she watched the training sessions, Namgung Ganghae only ever practiced the Thirteen Forms of Namgung. So everyone knew that the only martial art he had learned was that.
Moreover, Namgung Mugi had often bullied him by asking for sparring matches. In short, Namgung Ganghae was no match for Namgung Mugi. So she couldn’t understand why he would try to face him.
Namgung Ganghae placed both hands in front of him and politely showed proper respect. It wasn’t the kind usually done for ordinary sparring, but what one did during a duel or a life-or-death match. Until now, he had never done such a thing.
“I will learn from you.”
Namgung Ganghae’s sincere determination was transmitted.
But it was laughable. During normal sparring, he was nothing but a punching bag. Nothing would change just because he suddenly acted like that.
“Come at me. I’ll concede the first move.”
Namgung Mugi spoke as he leveled his wooden sword. He had learned more than half of the Daeyeon Swordsmanship. His accomplishment in the Daeyeon Divine Art had reached five-tenths. Furthermore, he was abundant in sparring experience. There was no chance he would lose to Namgung Ganghae, who at best practiced the Thirteen Forms.
“Here I come!”
Namgung Ganghae instantly closed the distance with him and swung the wooden sword. It was a diagonal slash from the upper right to the lower left.
Namgung Mugi snorted as he parried Namgung Ganghae’s wooden sword. And then his expression hardened in surprise.
It wasn’t the usual power. Namgung Ganghae’s sword strike was heavier and stronger than expected.
The attacks continued. Namgung Mugi focused and blocked or parried them all. Each time, his wrist stung slightly.
“You bastard!”
Namgung Mugi, who had been only defending, countered sharply. It was an attack showing no mercy. Naturally, Namgung Ganghae couldn’t block it. That was how it should have been. As far as he remembered.