Ep457 - I Became a Drunkard in a Martial Arts Novel.

A Mutual Understanding. It was this shared sentiment that had brought Yuhwa-yeon and Shin Yehwa together so quickly. Reflecting on memories of him, now only remnants of the past. Falling asleep with emotions that can grow no more and are destined to fade with time. And, as it always does, morning arrives once again. Chirp, chirp, chirp! Shin Yehwa awakens to the sound of sparrows tweeting at her window. Her barely opened eyes see nothing but a neatly arranged bed. A familiar sight. Yuhwa-yeon always rose before dawn to train, after all. "Yawwn." With a small yawn, Shin Yehwa lifts herself from the bed. After washing her face with water in the yard, she heads towards the dining room. A space filled with mouth-watering aromas. Yet, aside from the cook preparing the meal, there were no peers to be seen. "......" Accustomed to it, she sits alone at the empty table as dishes are placed before her one by one. Finishing a hearty meal, her next destination is the training ground. "The lower guard is sloppy." Thwack! "Ouch...!?" Her comrades, who had bravely charged at the Blood Witch, now lay sprawled on the ground after their openings were exploited. The air felt so heavy from the constant outpour of zeal and intensity. From one corner of the training ground, she was loosening up her body, stiff from the night, when she suddenly felt a sense of curiosity. 'Miss Yu said she was training with Woojin, right.' She then suddenly frowned. "He isn't Woojin anymore...." The person she knew as Baek Woojin was not the same. Though they looked alike, they were entirely different individuals. Just as Miss Yu refers to him as 'Master Baek,' she should do the same, but.... It just didn’t come naturally to her lips. That wasn't the only issue. 'I still can't believe it.' Even though she had seen her beloved childhood friend off before her very eyes, there are still moments it feels unreal. Master Baek. Whenever she faced him, she found herself instinctively denying reality. 'Could this all just be a dream? Is Woojin playing a trick on me?' She knew it wasn't. There was no reason for everyone to conspire together to deceive her. Yet she sometimes wished it were so. How much easier it would be if that were the case. She recalled Yuhwa-yeon's appearance the previous night, adorned with countless wounds both big and small. And she wondered. Just how rigorous must her training have been to sustain so many injuries? Why did she not lose her smile even when utterly exhausted? '...Should I take a look?' A thread of curiosity led her steps. To the small training ground adjoining Baek Woojin’s quarters where they earnestly trained. "Hiyaa-!" The fierce battle cry. Clang! The raucous noise of swords clashing followed, prompting her to instinctively duck behind the wall. The fiery exchanges, like souls igniting and clashing dozens of times in a single breath. In that moment, her very presence felt intrusive. A meaningless existence disrupting the time of two individuals solely devoted to their practice. "Haa, haa...." Unconsciously, her breaths quickened, and she turned to peek at them once again. "You must never grip the sword too tightly," he instructed. "Yes...!" Despite targeting each other with their expertly honed swords, advice and responses were exchanged. Each time, Yuhwa-yeon absorbed and corrected her bad habits as if soaking up water. "Your shoulders are open." Swish! Baek Woojin’s sword deftly exploited the opening, grazing Yuhwa-yeon’s shoulder lightly. The red liquid staining the torn martial robes. "Ugh...!" With a brief groan, she quickly adjusted her posture, swinging her sword with even greater resolve. Shin Yehwa watched them in a trance. Throughout watching their exchanges, her eyes never blinked, filled with curiosity. 'Why go to such lengths?' She didn't understand. Even if it simulated real combat, was it necessary to train while earning such wounds? What was the source of such determination? 'How can they push themselves so far?' They had made a promise. To aid him, walking through a path of thorns in place of their loved ones, to see their journey finished. However, the weight each bore was not equal. Yuhwa-yeon raced forward like a horse on a track. She ignored all crossroads that appeared before her, focused solely on that promise. Even if it meant burning herself to the very ground. Unlike her, Shin Yehwa was walking a completely different path. She had promised to help him, but it was hard to find the motivation. Every time she tried to do something, lethargy wrapped around her and futile thoughts consumed her mind. ‘What’s the point of trying? Woojin isn’t here anymore…’ Her beloved childhood friend was gone, no longer existing in this world. These thoughts constantly hindered her determination whenever she tried to take action. She knew her state wasn't healthy and tried to shake it off, but even that wasn't easy. Each attempt was met with a haunting question that stopped her struggles. ‘What am I supposed to live for now?’ She truly didn’t know. She understood she liked Baek Woojin, but she hadn’t realized it would strip her life of direction. And that made it hurt even more. If only she had known how deeply she loved him. But her thoughts stopped there. She knew that continuing further would only lead to meaningless fantasies, drawing her deeper into despair. Then her gaze returned to the two figures exchanging blows with swords, as if ready to kill each other. She wanted to ask them. How they could bear others' burdens and endure hardships they could avoid. Why they struggled so fiercely when no amount of effort would bring back their loved ones. "Haa..." With a short sigh, she stepped out from behind the wall and into the training ground. Noticing her presence, the two paused their sparring and turned to look at her. With newfound resolve, she boldly declared to them, "I... I want to join too!" She made her choice. To ask questions not with words, but by immersing herself and seeking answers through actions. * * * "Hiyah!" "Heya!" Watching the two women charging at him from both sides, Baek Woojin fell into thought. Shin Yehwa. He had noticed her presence long ago. At first, he thought she had come just to observe. ‘Did they mention they shared a room?’ Having shared a room with Yuhwa-yeon, she must have been surprised by her injured state the previous night. He expected her to watch discreetly from behind the wall and then leave. 'I didn't expect her to jump in so suddenly.' Thanks to their long history together, the two coordinated well. Their dynamic movements covered each other’s openings, significantly reducing Baek Woojin's opportunities to strike. However, it didn’t last long. Even their seemingly seamless coordination couldn’t hide minute gaps, which Baek Woojin was able to exploit. "Eek...!" "Ouch!" Their reactions to new wounds were tellingly different. While Yuhwa-yeon held her tension even after a brief groan, Shin Yehwa vocalized her pain and visibly faltered. Still, that lapse didn’t last long. Yet, battles with a skilled opponent often end swiftly. Even though it was a duel close to real combat, it was merely part of training. He might have overlooked her mistake once. Sssh However, Baek Woojin mercilessly thrust his sword into the gap, placing the cold blade at her neck as he declared, "Lady Shin, you just died." "……!" The chilling word, ‘death’, lingered in her ears. Only then did she realize her complacency. This was sparring designed to inflict wounds, to teach lessons through pain. She should have gritted her teeth, realizing mercy wouldn’t be afforded even in moments of agony. "……." She felt humiliated. For having been declared ‘dead’ due to her own foolishness. Slumping her shoulders, she turned to one corner of the training ground, sitting down to wait for their sparring to end. Clang! Clang! Thwack! She thought it'd end quickly. Baek Woojin, who confidently thrust his sword despite their joint efforts, would soon overpower Yuhwa-yeon just as he had with her. But she was wrong. The sparring that started when the sun was high in the sky continued until it set. There were countless perilous moments. At each one, Yuhwa-yeon suffered new cuts and grazes but refused to fall. She gasped as if her breath might give out at any moment, but her resolve remained unbroken. "Why..., just why...?" She was curious. Why did they go to such lengths? Even if they persevered, their deceased loves wouldn't suddenly appreciate their efforts. Enduring such physical strain won't erase pain or sorrow, so why do it? While pondering this question—one she couldn’t easily answer—the sun set, and the intense sparring between the two finally drew to a close. Baek Woojin extended a hand to Yuhwa-yeon, who was overcome by pain and fatigue. "You've done well." "Haa..., so have you, Master Baek." Shin Yehwa observed them, noting the gentle smiles they exchanged. For some reason, it didn't sit well with her. Rising from her seat, she approached them with determined steps. "…Good job." Offering her own remark first, she anticipated a similar acknowledgement in return. "Lady Shin." "Huh…?" "If you intend to continue as you did today, it might be best if you no longer join the training." The unexpected response left her dumbfounded. --- Author's Note: Apologies for the delay. The past few days, I've been unable to write due to COVID, and extracting the emotions and actions I've sketched in my mind has proven challenging. I'll do my best to make up for the shortcomings soon. I'll see you in the next chapter. Thank you always for reading. Have a peaceful night. (_ _)