On a dark night, Namgung Il was passing through the dormitory entrance.
‘Phew… Thankfully, I’m not late.’
It seed he had arrived at the dormitory just before curfew, cutting it quite close. If he had been just a little later, he definitely would have missed it. It was fortunate that he had hurried a bit, having been late once before.
“……”
For the past few days, Namgung Il had been going out like today and returning to the dormitory late at night. The reason was to use a brewery located outside. Since there was no brewery inside the academy, he had no choice but to go out.
‘I’ve finished making all the alcohol, so I can just have the vice-owner deliver it to Old Man Heo later.’
A total of one thousand bottles of Luhuanju. That was what Old Man Heo had demanded in exchange for the Small Rejuvenation Pill. It was quite a daunting amount to work on alone, but it wasn't sothing he absolutely couldn't do. Considering the fortuitous encounter he gained from the Small Rejuvenation Pill, wasn't it rather a cheap price? If one could obtain a Small Rejuvenation Pill simply by making alcohol, most martial artists would willingly do so.
‘Still… I should probably reconsider that.’
The brewery Namgung Il was currently using was a rented place, just like before. He had to get the alcohol to Old Man Heo quickly, so he had found a place in a hurry. He had no choice but to use it this ti, but he would probably use a different place the next ti he made alcohol.
‘First, a closer place would be better.’
The biggest problem was, after all, the distance. Just the travel ti took one shichen (two hours) for a round trip, which was why he always arrived just barely on ti for curfew like now. If he could just reduce the wasted travel ti, he could focus more on his work. It wouldn't be a big deal if he were only using it this once, but if he was going to continue dealing with Old Man Heo in the future, it was a problem he couldn't ignore.
“……”
Besides that, there were other points to consider, of course. The humidity and temperature of the workshop, and the surrounding terrain. He had considered finding a brewery that t the conditions and buying it outright, but if there was no suitable place, he was even thinking of building a new one.
‘I’ll have to think more about this part.’
In any case, it wasn't a problem that could be decided quickly. He would have to instruct the vice-owner to search for places and then check them out with his own eyes. They say a craftsman doesn't bla his tools, but the choice of location was a rather important issue when making alcohol.
Thud—.
In the anti, Namgung Il arrived in front of his room.
Just as he was about to habitually open the door, Namgung Il felt a presence inside and paused his hand.
“……Ah—.”
Soon, Namgung Il let out a small exclamation as if he had realized sothing.
And his hand moved towards the door again.
Namgung Il threw the door wide open without hesitation.
“What.”
“……!”
“When did you get here?”
Namgung Il asked the person in the room with a smile.
A person who, like Namgung Il, could be called the owner of this room.
Facing Jong Seo-eon here now, Namgung Il couldn't help but be pleased.
“Captain!”
“You being here ans I can assu you’re fully recovered, right?”
“Yes! I was told I could return to the dormitory now.”
“……”
Namgung Il silently walked closer to Jong Seo-eon.
Jong Seo-eon looked at him quizzically, and as Namgung Il’s hands began to feel his body, he was flustered and stepped back.
“C-Captain?”
“Stay still.”
“No, suddenly, my body, why…”
“I don’t like touching a man’s body either. Just bear with it for a mont.”
“……”
In the end, Jong Seo-eon stood still as Namgung Il had said.
Namgung Il approached Jong Seo-eon again and felt his body with both hands once more.
“Keuk……!”
“If you make another weird noise, you’re dead.”
“No… it’s just that you’re touching such a sensitive spot, Captain…”
“……”
Thwack—.
Namgung Il’s fist finally struck Jong Seo-eon’s abdon.
Of course, he hadn't hit him with full force, so the impact wasn't that great, but that didn't an it didn't hurt.
“Why, why did you hit !”
“Because you’re making weird noises.”
“Still, to punch soone who just got out of the infirmary… that’s too much!”
“I checked, and you seem to have returned to normal. Don’t make such a fuss over this.”
Checked?
Only then did Jong Seo-eon understand why Namgung Il had been feeling his body with his hands.
‘The Captain was worried about …’
He had made strange comnts about him touching sensitive spots, not even knowing his true intentions. The person who had worried about him the most was probably Namgung Il. Jong Seo-eon knew that Namgung Il had done that to Hwang Dong-jae out of anger over what had happened to him, and that he had stayed by his side continuously while he was unconscious.
“I’m sorry!”
Jong Seo-eon imdiately bowed his head and apologized to Namgung Il.
Pat—.
Just then, a touch was felt on Jong Seo-eon’s shoulder.
Unlike the fist that had just struck his abdon, it was a very warm touch.
Jong Seo-eon carefully raised his head.
“Welco back.”
“……!”
“Don’t get hurt again.”
Namgung Il said with a gentle smile.
Jong Seo-eon couldn't say anything in response and just stared blankly at Namgung Il, and soon his lips trembled and tears began to fall from his eyes.
“What! Why are you suddenly crying?”
“I-I’m sorry… but… I’ve never been worried about like this in my life…”
Waaaaah—!
In the end, Jong Seo-eon couldn't finish his sentence and burst into tears.
Tears stread from his eyes like a child's.
Namgung Il looked at him with a troubled expression, then raised his left hand as if he couldn't help it.
‘This junior disciple of mine is so high-maintenance.’
Namgung Il silently patted Jong Seo-eon’s back until he stopped crying.
***
“……So you cried like that last night?”
Jeong Hyeon-yeong asked, looking at Jong Seo-eon.
A sense of bewildernt was palpable not just in his tone, but also on his face.
Jong Seo-eon’s face flushed red with embarrassnt.
“I-I don’t know why I cried so much yesterday either…”
“……”
“But how do you know I cried?”
“Of course I’d know.”
Jeong Hyeon-yeong said and gestured to the people around them with his eyes.
“You should have closed the door.”
“……What?”
“The sound of you crying was heard all around. Probably most of the kids here know about it.”
“……”
At that mont, Jong Seo-eon’s face turned pale.
He had been strangely conscious of the stares around him since he entered the lecture hall. He had thought it was because he was showing his face after a long ti, but was that not the case? Hearing Jeong Hyeon-yeong’s words, Jong Seo-eon finally understood the reason.
‘The reason they’re whispering while looking at … could it be!’
At that mont, Jong Seo-eon’s face turned even redder than before.
A grown man crying like a child, wasn't that too embarrassing even for him to think about? He didn't know it when the tears were flowing, but now that ti had passed, he was so embarrassed he couldn't control himself. And to think everyone else had heard it… Jong Seo-eon felt like he wanted to crawl into a mouse hole right now.
“I-I can’t attend the academy anymore!”
Jong Seo-eon said and buried his face in his desk.
It was his first class in a long ti, and he had been very excited, but now he wanted to go back to the dormitory right away, even before the first class started.
“I-It’s okay! A man can cry! I sotis cry too when I get emotional.”
“……Really?”
“Yeah, it’s actually more relieving to just cry for a bit.”
“I cried for about two gak (30 minutes) yesterday.”
T-two gak?
Jeong Hyeon-yeong, who had been continuing his words of comfort, was at a loss for words at that answer.
“……That’s a bit long.”
“I knew it, I can’t attend the academy anymore!”
Jong Seo-eon eventually tried to run away from the lecture hall.
Fortunately, Jeong Hyeon-yeong caught him with both hands before he could, but even while being completely restrained, Jong Seo-eon continued to try to escape.
“N-Namgung Il! Don’t just stand there, do sothing!”
“……”
“Class is about to start! If we can’t calm this guy down before Teacher Cha Yul-ryeong cos, we’ll all be in trouble!”
In the end, Jeong Hyeon-yeong asked for help from Namgung Il, who was sitting nearby.
However, far from helping, Namgung Il showed no sign of getting up.
His gaze was clearly directed this way, so Jeong Hyeon-yeong was sure that Namgung Il had heard his voice.
“Why are you just standing there!”
“……”
Contrary to Jeong Hyeon-yeong’s thoughts, Namgung Il had not heard his voice.
No, to be precise, his mind was so full of other thoughts that he wasn't even paying attention to Jeong Hyeon-yeong’s voice.
‘Co to think of it, I’d forgotten until now.’
Since last night, Namgung Il had been constantly thinking about it.
When he first entered the Flying Dragon Academy, Namgung Il had planned to pass on the Dog Beating Staff Technique, which had been lost in the current Beggars' Sect, to Jong Seo-eon to maintain its lineage.
But with all the recent events, he had completely forgotten about it until Jong Seo-eon returned yesterday.
‘I should probably start passing it on soon.’
If he planned to finish passing it on before graduation, it was actually a bit late to start now.
On top of that, due to the circumstances, he couldn't openly pass it on, so he had to assu it would take more ti.
No matter how much Jong Seo-eon trusted him, if he openly showed him the Dog Beating Staff Technique, he would surely beco wary of him.
‘As long as I have no way to prove that I am Do Yeok-san, I can’t openly show him the Dog Beating Staff Technique.’
Then how on earth would be a good way to teach Jong Seo-eon the Dog Beating Staff Technique?
Namgung Il had been pondering that part since last night.
“Jong Seo-eon! Stop struggling and sit down!”
“Just leave alone!”
“Are you planning to skip the first class right after being discharged? And Teacher Cha Yul-ryeong’s class at that?”
“I’m finished anyway! And if this rumor reaches Young Lady Wol-yeong’s ears… I’ll really die!”
The two were still struggling.
Jong Seo-eon didn't stop struggling even when Cha Yul-ryeong’s na was ntioned.
Why was a guy who had just been discharged so energetic? Jeong Hyeon-yeong was starting to feel the strength drain from his arms.
“Ah, let’s do that.”
Just then, Namgung Il muttered and got up from his seat.
And his steps headed straight for where the two were.
Jeong Hyeon-yeong thought that Namgung Il was finally going to help him restrain Jong Seo-eon and sighed in relief inwardly.
“Jong Seo-eon.”
As Namgung Il approached and called his na, Jong Seo-eon’s movents montarily stopped.
A completely different reaction from when he had said sothing.
As expected, Namgung Il’s words seed to be effective on Jong Seo-eon.
‘Yes, just like that, calm this guy down.’
Fortunately, it seed it would be settled before Cha Yul-ryeong arrived.
Jeong Hyeon-yeong thought so inwardly and released the strength from the hands that were holding Jong Seo-eon.
However.
“Let’s create a society.”
“……?”
To anyone, those words did not sound like words ant to calm Jong Seo-eon down.
(End of Chapter)
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