1440 - Chapter 42

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 42
“Baduk?”
At Yeon-su’s question, Nam Du-yuk-seong let out a small groan.
“Mm. It’s that this belonged to my predecessor, so it never took to me. Even after playing with it for over a thousand years, it won’t accept me. It’s frustrating, to say the least.”
Nam Du-yuk-seong’s fingertips traced the engraved grooves of the smooth Baduk Board. Then, with a practiced motion, he began placing black and white stones in turn.
Yeon-su thought it was time to excuse himself. When Nam Du-yuk-seong played Baduk, it meant he was about to start working.
As Yeon-su rose to leave, Nam Du-yuk-seong, who had been carefully setting down a black stone, spoke.
“Next time, could you bring me another Baduk Board? I can’t play with this creature anymore, I’m telling you.”
Yeon-su, straightening his clothes in preparation to go, laughed.
“Well… I’m not sure I’ll be able to find something that suits your taste.”
“Just find one. I’m tired of jade now—get me one made of wood. It would suit this setting perfectly.”
At his words, which sounded like those of an aesthete savoring life’s pleasures, Yeon-su chuckled softly and slowly opened his eyes, which had been narrowed with amusement.
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“I didn’t realize you were so attached to the Baduk Board.”
The moment he spoke those words and opened his eyes, his gaze met that of the man looking down at him.
The man from the Separate Residence sat in the room that had become so familiar to him, looking down at Yeon-su with his eyes widened in that distinctly round way, his dark pupils devoid of even a flicker of light.
Yeon-su belatedly realized he had woken up from talking in his sleep. He remembered falling asleep together in the man’s room after the Curse Ritual ended yesterday, supposedly to perform a Misfortune Cleansing.
The man’s hand was touching Yeon-su’s cheek. On the cheek that had been struck repeatedly by Hong Ja-yoon, bruises were beginning to surface darkly.
The man, who had been earnestly rubbing and caressing it to fade, saw Yeon-su slowly opening his eyes along with his sleep-talk and blushed before withdrawing his hand.
Yeon-su’s face reddened as well. He was embarrassed at having talked in his sleep like a child. And he was pleased that the man had spent the night tending to his injury. When their eyes met, he felt in the man’s blushing face a resonance similar to his own feelings, and that pleased him too.
“When did you wake up? You should have woken me.”
The man laughed softly at his flustered question. Joy was evident in his face, and Yeon-su tilted his head in confusion. What was so amusing?
It never occurred to Yeon-su that the man had found pleasure in observing his sleeping face. He tried to get up, saying they should eat. Then the man took his hand and they went to the Kitchen together.
On the Kitchen counter was a plate of raw vegetable strips that required no cooking. Seeing it, Yeon-su turned to the man with suddenly wide-awake eyes.
“…Don’t tell me? You made this yourself? Or did Kim Hye-won come by and…”
It was more likely that Kim Hye-won, who harbored goodwill toward the Separate Residence, had brought it.
As Yeon-su stood muttering blankly, the man shook his head firmly once, then mimed the motion of cutting with a knife. He quickly lowered his arm, apparently embarrassed by his own gesture. Anyway, in a way that suggested he had indeed made it himself, he stepped closer to the side of the dish.
It was too endearing. He wanted to embrace him immediately. They had already embraced before, and they had kissed on the cheek—surely it would be fine to hold him once more? As these idle thoughts ran through his mind, Yeon-su clenched his fists tightly.
“That’s impressive. Shall we have this for breakfast this morning then?”
At his question, the man gestured, apparently having already intended to prepare rice. He mimed the motion of scooping rice but seemed uncertain where to scoop from.
Yeon-su showed the man the Electric Rice Cooker and slowly demonstrated how to operate it. Then he closed the lid again and had the man open it himself.
The man immediately opened the lid and peered curiously at the mixed-grain rice inside. Then he turned and smiled at Yeon-su—a smile full of delight.
“I’ll teach you lots of things, okay?”
Korean, how to use appliances—
The methods to escape this place and live a normal life. I’ll be the one to teach you all of that.
It was only now that Yeon-su understood that this was truly what would set the man free.
***
“Ow, ow.”
Yeon-su raised himself from where he had been lying on the worn Leather Sofa and rubbed the back of his head. At that, O Sang-hyeong, the Detective Agency owner who had been smoking cigarettes one after another amid a disorienting tower of stacked documents on his desk, jutted out his chin to regard Yeon-su.
“What’s this, young master? Did you just take a blow?”
His eyes narrowed as they lingered on the back and shoulders of Yeon-su’s head. Yeon-su, who had been rubbing his head for a moment, fully sat up and leaned his back against the sofa’s armrest. As he tilted his head back, the sharp throbbing pain that had been whining subsided somewhat.
“Mm. Our Baek Yeon-hyeong seems to find his younger brother quite disagreeable. He keeps throwing things at me.”
At Yeon-su’s words, Sang-hyeong rubbed his cigarette irritably in the ashtray.
“Ha! That eldest is something else. As people say, a mediocre fellow just gets worse—and apparently his greed knows no bounds.”
“More importantly, don’t call me young master.”
“Then you don’t use informal speech with me either.”
At Sang-hyeong’s retort, Yeon-su laughed aloud. Though his head seemed to hurt more from laughing, he soon furrowed his brow again.
At least this place was the one place he could lie about comfortably. The bickering with O Sang-hyeong was more like playful jesting—something they could do because they trusted each other.
Lately, his brother had been acting out constantly. The reason was obvious: Yeon-su had been resolving commissions one after another, earning Father’s praise, and beginning to catch his eye. That clearly didn’t sit well with him.
Particularly recently, he kept tapping the back of Yeon-su’s head over and over. In any case, it was clear the man was deeply irritated that Yeon-su had a head on his shoulders that his brother didn’t.
But to be so obvious about it like this, brother? Isn’t the basic rule of scheming that the target remains unaware?
Having thought this, Yeon-su tightened his lips against the mocking smile trying to twist them. He was concerned he might end up resembling Baek Yeon-hyeong’s pathetic face.
“Shouldn’t you pay him back too?! A blow for a blow!”
At O Sang-hyeong’s excited outburst, Yeon-su’s head throbbed even more. He shook off the aching and began organizing the scattered documents on the table.
Most striking among them were the obituary of Hong Ja-yoon and a photograph of the corpse. Yeon-su neatly classified them and fed them into the shredder.
“You shouldn’t be hitting people recklessly. New Disciples aren’t supposed to do things like that.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Our brother is just a reckless fool who doesn’t know any better, so that’s why he acts that way.”
At those words, Sang-hyeong also laughed along with Yeon-su in quiet snickers.
Certainly, Baek Yeon-hyeong was a man to whom the word “reckless fool” applied perfectly. Sang-hyeong, who had spent some time investigating the man’s affairs, shook his head and clicked his tongue.
The man eyeing the Separate Residence, unsatisfied with his wife and lover, was meeting mistresses more than twice a week. He certainly spared no time or effort when it came to his sordid affairs.
Even so, he still had the nerve to throw barbs at Yeon-su—a persistence she had to grudgingly admire.
“Huh.”
Yeon-su straightened his spine in a stretch and turned to O Sang-hyeong.
“So the article hasn’t spread any further, then?”
“No, well. Since it happened out in the mountains, most people didn’t pay it any mind. The article itself was written as a simple case of falling and dying on the slope, so even less attention. Nothing to worry about.”
“Good. That’s a relief, then. Ah.”
As Yeon-su replied, he wrapped his hands around his temples and staggered. The pain—as if his very eyeballs were being clawed at—made his vision go black for a moment.
When O Sang-hyeong caught him as he wavered, Yeon-su quickly lifted his head and laughed as though nothing was amiss.
“God. My head feels like it’s going to split open. A man who lived in the mountains for years, now trying his hand at all sorts of things out here in society—it’s all too much.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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