I recalled the day I first met him.
It was when I had just become the Young Master.
It was the time I first appeared at the Gathering of Dragons and Phoenixes, just like now.
Of course, it was a few years later than now, after I had regressed.
Normally, upon obtaining the position of a noble family's Young Master, one is not treated merely as a young talent but as a proper member of the Central Plains' Murim.
However, there was an unwritten rule of not attending such gatherings of young talents out of pointless pride.
My attainment of the Young Master position itself was unofficial.
And since I had never stepped outside the family, I needed connections even if it was late.
Of course, given my personality back then, I doubted it was possible to meet people and build friendships, but
•
What could I do? The family's orders were absolute.
A body more grown than now, a mind more rotten than now.
Vicious inferiority complex and the burden of the karma to bear were enough to ruin a young man.
Now, it's only a notorious reputation one might hear if they looked for it.
But the rumors about me around the time I came of age.
The Ghost of Shanxi.
The Shame of the Gu Family.
Recalling that I was called such things, it was on a different level.
Naturally, I couldn't have attended the banquet normally.
Honestly, the memories of that day were blurry.
Whether Wi Seol-a was at the banquet then, whether Dang So-yeol was. Whether Murong Hui-a was.
Yeongpung, Jamryong… Noeryong?
Even how many familiar faces there were. Honestly, I don't remember well.
It meant I wasn't in my right mind.
However, there was one thing I clearly remembered.
- Nice to meet you, Young Master Gu.
The hand he held out.
The smiling gaze.
The voice feigning affection.
All of it was still vivid.
- I am Jang Seon-yeon.
It wasn't because of any special feelings.
It definitely wasn't because of some touching tale of him approaching me when I was alone.
Why would I be happy about a male bastard approaching me?
The only reason that insignificant situation was stuck in my head and wouldn't leave was one.
- I am unworthily called Do Shin-seong.
Simply, because that was the beginning of our ill-fated relationship.
The day of the Friendly Martial Arts Tournament finals dawned.
Days passed, and this day had finally arrived.
The time was now slowly approaching sunset.
I wondered why they set it at such a late hour, but in Henan, it was actually the most vibrant time.
Thanks to that, I welcomed it since I could eat well and rest up before going up.
"Cheer up, Young Master!"
Wi Seol-a shouted brightly.
Perhaps because I made sure she ate a good lunch, she looked exceptionally bright.
I quietly stared at Wi Seol-a, then stroked her hair.
"Ueeei…"
"I'll try my best."
I'm not sure about cheering up.
I'm not even sure if it's worth trying to cheer up.
"To come see something on such a cold day."
As it was the heart of winter, the cold was fierce.
Just sticking my hands out made my fingertips hurt.
"But…"
"But what?"
Wi Seol-a sometimes looked at me with those eyes.
Eyes like looking at a child left by the water.
When anyone could see she was clumsier and more scatterbrained than me, why did she keep looking at me with such eyes?
Our master-servant relationship had long been ruined, and we only kept the formalities, but
Seeing things like this, it was truly subtle.
"If anyone saw us, they'd think I was your mother."
"…Huh?"
I let out a snort of laughter at her expression asking what on earth I meant.
'Ah, I brought up mother.'
Then, I suddenly flinched at the words I had brought up.
It was the realization that I had uttered something about my mother out loud.
Or, have I forgotten now?
'No. I haven't forgotten.'
That's not it.
Because it's a story I must not forget.
This too was something I had to ask my father someday, not too far in the future, and a story I wanted to bring to an end.
Whether the wind blew or not, I quietly gazed at Wi Seol-a's face.
Moving the hand that happened to be stroking her, I touched her hair ornament.
Perhaps because it wasn't a very expensive gift.
The texture wasn't that great.
As I kept touching it, Wi Seol-a urgently pulled her body away and created distance.
"Hmm?"
Wondering why she was acting like that, I sent her a glance, and Wi Seol-a urgently covered her head with her hands.
Especially the part with the ornament.
"What's wrong?"
"I... I'm not giving it back…"
"What?"
"It's mine…! You gave it to me…. I said it's mine."
Did she think I might take the ornament away?
Wi Seol-a was glaring at me with a fiery gaze that didn't suit her at all.
Seeing that, I replied.
"I'm not taking it. Why would I take it back and use it for?"
"Y-You could give it to someone else as a gift."
"…Stealing something I was using to give to someone else?"
What kind of annoying and cheap-looking act is that.
"It's precious to me…"
I had no words at the sight of her hiding it tightly as if declaring she would absolutely never let it be taken again.
For that thing.
It was just something I roughly picked out from the family's store at best.
Maybe it was because of Wi Seol-a's reaction, but it became unnecessarily hard to face her.
I was about to let out a slight cough to clear the air, but a voice slipped in.
"…I have one too."
It was Namgung Bi-a, staring blankly with heavily sleepy eyes.
At that sight, I said with a mixed sigh.
"I told you to sit and rest."
"…I am resting."
"Who would look at that and say you're resting, you blockhead."
Why come all the way here when there are perfectly fine spectator seats.
And a patient at that.
"I'm fine…"
"Is there something that's not fine?"
" "
At my words, Namgung Bi-a made an expression of agonizing over it.
Why are you agonizing over that…
Namgung Bi-a, who had been resisting the brief silence, opened her mouth as if she had finished agonizing.
"…I'm sick…"
She didn't finish, she gave up.
She used the patient shield.
Laughter leaked out of me before I knew it.
This was laughter born from sheer bewilderment.
Where did Dang So-yeol go in the meantime?
Did she go to see Seolbong again?
It seemed Dang So-yeol had been frequently visiting Murong Hui-a lately.
"Well, so what? Do you want me to nurse you or something?"
"…Are you going to?"
"Are you crazy…?"
Taking a joke seriously.
I had to go up to the arena in a little while, and it wasn't anything else, but my head hurt so much I felt like I'd lose.
But I couldn't flick the forehead of a patient.
As I was looking at her with this and that in my eyes, Namgung Bi-a erased her disappointed expression and stuck out the top of her head.
"What?"
"…Stroke it…"
"Why do you seem to get younger as time goes on?"
Should I say her whining increased?
Recalling my past life, it felt like she was a completely different person.
Just a few months ago, let alone asking me to stroke it, she seemed embarrassed just sticking her head out, but now she's saying it outright.
Of course, the problem might be that I do it without saying anything else.
'If it were my past life, I would have freaked out too.'
I would have scowled deeply, wondering what this crazy bitch was talking about.
Perhaps it's these trivial changes coming together that change one's mindset.
"You said you'd show me something last time."
I asked, stroking the white hair brushing against the back of my hand.
At my words, Namgung Bi-a flinched.
At the same time, I could see the top of her head slightly turning red.
"…Ah."
The answer did not continue.
Only her bright red ears caught my eye.
Moving the hand that was stroking her, I slightly grabbed Namgung Bi-a's ear.
It was warm.
In this freezing weather.
"…I'm sorry."
Namgung Bi-a apologized abruptly.
What is she apologizing for?
I looked at her with slightly surprised eyes.
"I couldn't show you…"
Ah.
It was because of that.
Namgung Bi-a seemed to think she couldn't show me anything because she lost.
It was a remark showing she didn't know herself at all.
When she had shown me so much.
How could she say she couldn't show me anything?
Namgung Bi-a had shown me infinite possibilities.
More certainly, how far she could go alone.
Namgung Bi-a was never someone meant to be protected in the first place.
I had never once thought of her as someone who couldn't stand on her own.
Does she know?
That even right now, she's being called Sword Dance Princess or Little Sword Marquis.
Of course, the most common title was something like the Greatest Beauty of Anhui, though.
Even having lost, Namgung Bi-a had gained quite a lot.
Perhaps more than I did, if you looked at it a certain way.
"Because I saw a lot. Don't worry."
I had never tried comforting someone, so all I knew to say were these coarse words.
"I didn't miss a single thing and saw everything."
Clear enough to know what I didn't before.
So I wish she wouldn't make that kind of expression.
"Don't make such a crying face and just rest. It's cold."
Even if the sword wound was shallow, it wouldn't be a simple injury that allowed her to move around so easily.
She was clearly drawing upon her internal energy to protect her body.
Unless her internal energy was overflowing, it was an inevitably reckless method that shouldn't be used.
I tried to add a word or two, but it seemed there was no time for that.
Because I had to slowly head up.
"Sit with her for a bit."
In the end, I grabbed Wi Seol-a and even made a request.
Otherwise, it seemed she wouldn't leave.
"Eiing…. I want to watch from here too…"
The problem was that Wi Seol-a didn't particularly listen to me either.
Fortunately, there was a method even for cases like this.
"Should I call Hong Wa?"
"I'll go… Let's go, sister."
Wi Seol-a listened to Hong Wa's words again.
Only after the two moved to their seats with faces full of reluctance did I slowly step onto the arena.
Wicked thoughts never rest.
Slowly but endlessly, they will crawl toward the conclusion.
Since Namgung Bi-a wanted to show me something.
It meant it was time for me to answer that as well.
Coming up to the arena, Jang Seon-yeon was already in position waiting.
He clearly seemed to have suffered considerable damage from the match with Namgung Bi-a.
But he looked much more intact than expected.
My eyes met with such Jang Seon-yeon.
He looked at me, smiled faintly, and opened his mouth to speak to me.
"Nice to meet you."
-Nice to meet you, Young Master Gu.
It was a light greeting, but why was it?
The reason it overlapped with my past life.
The situation was different, he was younger than back then, and the voice was lighter than back then, yet.
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Why did it sound like that?
"So we meet like this. I didn't know it would turn out like this when we first met."
"I knew it."
At my words, Jang Seon-yeon tilted his head.
"Are you saying you knew we would meet in the finals?"
"Yeah. I knew it."
I should have shown etiquette, but perhaps because I let go of the respect I had been barely holding onto, formality didn't easily form in my words.
Honestly, more than that.
I just didn't want to show any formality to that bastard.
"It's that kind of situation, isn't it? It was arranged from the start."
"#-.
99
It was a bit of an exaggeration.
Jang Seon-yeon would have made it to the finals no matter what bracket he was placed in.
'Except if he met me from the very beginning.'
Only the format arranged for more attention and circumstances was different.
It was a story that would have ended up like this anyway.
"May I ask the reason?"
Jang Seon-yeon asks me.
"What reason. Why are you so certain?"
" No."
"Then..."
"The reason you harbor hostility towards me, Young Master Gu."
It was a quite chilling question.
Yet, not erasing his smile made it infinitely bothersome.
"I have done nothing to warrant your hostility, Young Master Gu."
"Right. You've done nothing."
"But, for some reason, you seem to hate me, Young Master Gu. I do not know the reason."
It was a valid point.
He had done nothing to me.
Yet, that is.
I swallowed back the killing intent that was threatening to burst out and said.
"Can't I hate you?"
"I cannot arbitrarily control another's feelings, but I just feel a bit unjustly treated…"
You hate me too.
When I cut off his words and interjected, Jang Seon-yeon tightly shut his mouth.
Rather than because I interrupted him, it was probably because of the words I spat out.
"Isn't it?"
"…Why do you think so?"
I could see the crack in the smile Jang Seon-yeon was wearing.
Why do I think so?
It's simple.
No matter how I looked at it, the current me was closest to the type of person he hated the most.
How he thought of and treated such an opponent was too easy to know when recalling my past life.
The Demon Realm Transfer Incident that occurred in my past life.
It was known as the worst natural disaster where most of the young talents who attended the Gathering of Dragons and Phoenixes were transferred to the Demon Realm.
The reality was different.
The main culprit of the incident was Jang Seon-yeon.
The goal was likely Jamryong.
He hated Jamryong like crazy.
The problem was that what he did because he couldn't contain it was too massive.
When I realized the truth about this incident in the future.
The situation was far too late.
"Don't play the good guy so cheaply, it's disgusting. Let's keep it moderate, shall we."
"Hah."
"I tried to put up with it if I could. But this really doesn't go my way. So don't do it either."
I tried my best.
I tried hard to endure it, and I tried hard to ignore it.
Thinking about it, there was no need for that.
It wasn't something that suited my temper anyway.
Should I say I felt like I had to be a total bastard with my words at least to endure it.
"Young Master Gu."
Perhaps struggling to maintain his cracked mask, the smile gradually disappeared from Jang Seon-yeon's face.
I thought he'd hold out well, but it seemed he couldn't.
"Nice expression. Live with that expression. That way, it's comfortable for me too."
"…How can the bloodline of a prestigious family make such a mistake."
"I'm going to make an even bigger mistake from now on, so what. I came with my own permission. I'm allowed to cause trouble."
Ah, of course, my father didn't permit it.
It'll be fine. Elder Yi will take responsibility.
Perhaps because I didn't back down from a single word, Jang Seon-yeon finally let out a sigh and straightened his posture.
"I acknowledge you, Young Master Gu. That you are a martial artist with remarkable talent."
"Many people tend to say that."
This part was a bit embarrassing, having to shamelessly say it to my face.
He seemed to just pass over my words, as he didn't stop talking.
As if proving the cold frost, his breath was vivid.
"However, even if you possess outstanding talent, it seems you lack much humility in comparison."
His words were still valid, but maybe it was because the one spitting them out was the problem?
My mouth kept curling up.
Should I say it felt like watching someone's dark history.
"Therefore."
"The humility you lack, Young Master Gu. Please find it in this match."
Those words meant he would teach me himself.
I had a lot to say to that, but I didn't bother spitting it out.
The bloody emotion visible in his eyes was enough.
Should I say I'd rather it be this way.
"That's a relief."
" ?"
Jang Seon-yeon had a question at the suddenly brought up words, but his posture didn't waver.
It seemed he felt something from the match with Namgung Bi-a.
"I was a little worried."
As I brought up the words, perhaps it was time, the referee's voice was heard.
- Finals, Gu Yang-cheon of the Gu Family of Shanxi versus.
"I wondered what if you were actually a good guy around this time."
"What do you mean by that all of a sudden…"
"It's a thing, I had something I was agonizing over. But meeting you solved it cleanly."
- Jang Seon-yeon of the Jang Family of Tailing.
"Oh, just in case you don't know, I'm telling you in advance."
— Start.
"Since I don't plan on going easy, it'd be best to use everything you can from the start. Don't try to gauge me so pitifully."
"What on earth are you talking about since earlier…!"
Boom!
"Keok…!"
While he was spitting out words, Jang Seon-yeon let out a groan from a sudden impact.
At the same time, Jang Seon-yeon's vision flipped.
With the floating sensation of his body lifting off, he felt the sweltering heat around him.
There was no time to even feel the severe pain in his chest.
Because the impact wasn't just once.
Kwaaang-!
With the ensuing impact, the front of Jang Seon-yeon's face slammed into the arena.
Seeing the flying debris and the cracked floor of the arena, one could tell how massive the impact was.
Amidst this, Jang Seon-yeon couldn't figure out what movement or how this had happened.
Because it all happened so instantly.
'I need to get up quickly…'
Leaving the pain behind, he tried to force his trembling body up.
A voice came from right in front of Jang Seon-yeon's nose.
"First of all…"
A voice full of resonance, as if speaking from inside a cave.
And the raw emotion thickly smeared over the surface of the sound was enough to throw Jang Seon-yeon into confusion.
"Shall we start with the arms?"
The words spat out nonchalantly.
For some reason, Jang Seon-yeon felt a chill down his spine.