637 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

"Hyangmae." "Master Kang. Are you feeling any better?" Jegal Sojeo peeked her face out of the box, asking me as I sat on the bed. "I'm not well enough to say I'm fine even in politeness, but I have recovered to the point I can move." It's been days since I've seen Hyangmae's face. The exhaustion that weighed my body down has vanished, and I replied with a smile at her pleasant sight. "Because of... me..." Hyangmae seems to blame herself, her expression turning somber. "As I said on the day we escaped, there's no need to apologize. It wasn't your fault, Jegal Sojeo." It was just an outcome of strange coincidences. There's nothing for Jegal Sojeo to feel bad about, especially since we both escaped safely. I reassured her with an expression that showed I wasn't bothered at all. "Still..." "How is Hyangmae doing? You look quite gaunt." "Should I say I'm okay or that I have a slight issue?" Jegal Sojeo's face darkened. She kept gauging my reaction, seemingly unable to shake off her guilt easily. "I'm glad you're in a similar condition to mine. Oh, by the way, my father came to see me." In times like these, switching to exciting news is best. "Dad came?" "He asked me to call him father-in-law." "Really?!" Jegal Sojeo's face lit up in surprise, her melancholic expression gone with the joyful news. "Yes, really." "Wow!" Flowers of laughter bloomed on Jegal Sojeo's face in an instant. "It's really over now. Jegal Sojeo, you've truly been through a lot." Even though it was tough, in the end, everyone acknowledged us. Although both our conditions aren't the best, a nice winter rest should solve that. "..." "Hyangmae?" Just when I expected her to be happy, Jegal Sojeo's face suddenly turned somber. Is something wrong? Puzzled by her sudden change, I looked at her. After a moment of hesitation, she finally spoke. "Master Kang, when you were in the Sanhasajikdo, did you notice anything strange or different?" "Something strange? Is there a problem?" I assumed it was just her condition. When I asked, Jegal Sojeo, her expression crestfallen, approached me from the box. "Master Kang, I thought you might know." Does Jegal Sojeo have something different about her? If anything, her loose-fitting clothes seemed unchanged. Huh? "Why are you covering your head with your hands?" Why is she covering her head with her hands? I wondered why she hadn't come out of the box before; it was to hide her head? "Well, it's just that... Master Kang, don’t be shocked." With a worried face, Jegal Sojeo cautiously removed her hands from her head. What I saw then was... "Rabbit ears...?" They were indeed rabbit ears. Could it be they sprouted from her head? While I was trying to check her crown in disbelief, Jegal Sojeo suddenly started unbuttoning the clothing she was wearing. "Jegal Sojeo?! Why are you taking your clothes off in the morning?!" "You must see." Is this a second round of outgoing room play if I don't? I didn't have much reason to refuse, but the sudden development made my heart race. The worn clothes covering Jegal Sojeo started coming off completely. "Well, someday I'll see everything but... what?" Should I undress too? Muscle aches make it tough to move normally. While debating, what unfolded before my eyes was something I had not anticipated. "Laugh." "...A white rabbit?" Jegal Sojeo had turned into a white bunny girl. ———— "What on earth happened...?" A white bunny girl, seriously. Jegal Sojeo had turned into the white bunny girl I had envisioned. The silver-haired, blue-eyed beauty, with a shy movement, tried to cover her upper chest with her hands, but her dazzling white skin shone in a way no hands could completely hide. Her gradually blushing face painted a palette of colors over her fair canvas, creating dizzying lines from her outfit and figure that could make any man swoon. In the face of such a stunning sight, I couldn't even manage to close my gaping mouth. "Master Kang, do you... like something like this?" "Yes, I do. This time, it's not a lie." How could I possibly deny it? I answered immediately. "Really?" "Huh?! Hyangmae! There's no need to rush." I managed to regain my composure and spoke. How did she even get a bunny girl outfit? Could the Sanhasajikdo have known my preferences? "No, that's..." "We are officially recognized by our family! I don't know how you found out I like this, but! I want to start off on a respectable note!" "Respectable?" Jegal Sojeo took a step towards me. The overwhelming view in front of me swayed. The unconquered snowy peak came my way. My heartbeat raced. Hit with a burning passion as significant as a rabbit girl preference. The beat of my blood pulsed in rhythm. Long live the white bunny girl. "Certainly, it’s not an indecent outfit! It adds just the right tension to the male-female relationship. Huh?! Did you prepare this as a present for my safe return?!" "Master Kang, I can't keep up with your thoughts." "Speed. Yes! That's right! Someday during a lull, gradually begin with a bunny girl... Eugh." I meant to stop Jegal Sojeo from approaching but ended up collapsing back onto the bed. "Master Kang? Are you okay?!" "No, it's... just a bit difficult to get up suddenly..." The beat of my blood went to an unfortunate place. "Huh? Should I, umm, put my clothes back on?" "Please." "Really?" "Yes, please. At least put them back on for now." Indeed. For a normal conversation, sometimes a sacrifice is necessary. I couldn't help but compromise. —————— "When I woke up, I was wearing a bunny... a white rabbit outfit?" Once I managed to regain my calm, I listened to Jegal Sojeo's tearful recount. "Yes. Didn't Master Kang call me a white rabbit after you passed the Hocheonmirijin? So I thought you might know something about it." That's right. After escaping the Hocheonmirijin, I indeed called Jegal Sojeo a white rabbit. It certainly must have been awkward. A bunny girl outfit isn't something one would expect a dignified young lady from a prominent family to wear. What should I say? It's hard to just wave it off as if I don't know anything about the clothes now. Before finding out more, it's essential to clarify any potential misunderstandings. "In Joseon, it's a dress that wives wear for their beloved husbands on special occasions." I decided to be honest. "Such a scandalous outfit?" "Ahem! It's one of the wife's duties to support her hardworking Joseon husband." I emphasized it's an essential form of support. "Could that really be...!" Jegal Sojeo looked at her own outfit in surprise. "Due to ongoing wars, there are fewer people who can make traditional attire, so it's a tradition kept only by some families now. It's a precious tradition as it's fading." I'll make sure to preserve it, even though it's a fading tradition. I said, attempting a serious demeanor. "Oh... In the Jegal family, we have a similar tradition when we offer food at ancestral rites." "Exactly." It's heartbreaking to explain this misinterpreted Joseon custom to Jegal Sojeo, but I must make a little investment for my future happiness. "But why am I the one wearing this? It won't come off." A bunny girl outfit that won't come off. Perhaps there's an issue with the Sanhasajikdo. "Would you like me to try and remove it?" "Huh?" "Ah! I didn't mean it that way!" Of course, not without some ulterior motive. "Then, could you take off the headband first?" Bunny ears usually come off last. I was contemplating whether to mention it. "Are they inside?" "Mother?" "What?!" We heard Jegal Sojeo's mother's voice from outside the door. "May I come in?" "What do we do?!" A situation with a daughter in a bunny girl outfit and a man about to help her out of it. Hyangmae was startled, her eyes darting in confusion. "In such historical moments, the wardrobe is the answer! Hyangmae...?" "..." Turning my head, Jegal Sojeo was nowhere to be seen. A master of stealth indeed. Did she hide in the box? "Yes, y-you may come in." The door opened as soon as I spoke. "Excuse me. Are you feeling better?" "I think I'm at a point where I can start moving around again. Mother." "Mother...?" Her mother questioned with a playful expression. Why is she curious? I didn't ponder it much. Her tone was teasing. "Mother-in-law." "That's it. Our son-in-law." She smiled warmly as though nothing had happened and approached me. "Hahaha!" "Whether it's 'mother' or 'mother-in-law,' say what you're comfortable with. As I mentioned before, I'll consider you like a son." "I'm grateful." "The gratitude is mine." "Mother-in-law?" She came closer, gently holding my hands. Her touch was filled with apology and affection. "Really... Thank you for coming back alive. Because of our troublemaker daughter, my son-in-law suffered so much." "I only did my duty as a man." "Seems like I did well to bring you in as my son-in-law. Now, if only our daughter would get back on her feet." She smiled proudly at me. "Is there something wrong with Jegal Sojeo?" "She sleeps all day. They say there's nothing wrong, but she just eats and sleeps, eats and sleeps. Now that I think about it, it’s not much different from when she's home, but still..." "Ha ha." Jegal Sojeo, listening in, might get a bit hurt. "I'm worried if there's something else wrong with her. She's going to marry, and she should stop worrying her mother." Her face was that of a mother who only worried about her daughter. "If that's the case, there's something I’d like to discuss." "Is there something going on?" Yes. Given that there's an issue, there's no need to hide behind embarrassment. I sat up and lifted the box where Jegal Sojeo hid. "Jegal Sojeo, please come out... huh?!" The box was empty. What just happened? "Was Hyang here?" "Yes, just a moment ago..." Did she escape in that short time? It seems plausible given Jegal Sojeo's capabilities, but I'm dumbfounded. Perhaps she slipped away, and as I checked the box again, her mother raised another topic. "That's impossible. I checked on her just now while she was sleeping." "...What?" —— "You think something might be wrong with Hyang?" "I'm not sure. Let's go see." "Alright." I stood up immediately, proceeding with her mother to Jegal Sojeo's quarters. "Hyangmae! Are you in there?" What could be happening? For the sleeping Jegal Sojeo to have appeared in my room. Did she pretend to sleep and then rush to me? Something strange was occurring. I knocked on Hyangmae's door, filled with anxiety. "Ah! Yes!" Thank goodness. She’s inside. I sighed in relief. "I'll come in." "W-wait! I'll come out." "Yes, we'll wait in front..." "No, you can't." Her mother approached from behind. "Mother-in-law?" "That tone hints at something. Let's go in immediately." "But why... this is..." Following her mother's suggestion, I paid attention, hearing the anxiety in Jegal Sojeo's voice. Something was definitely off. "Jegal Sojeo, we're coming in!" "Mom, I'm coming in." "Oh! No!" When we opened Jegal Sojeo's door, what we saw was far beyond expectation. "You, Hyang?!" "What in the world..." There was the white bunny girl Jegal Sojeo we had just seen. And also... "Are there two Jegal Sojeo?” Lying on the bed was another Jegal Sojeo.