Ep458 - I Became a Drunkard in a Martial Arts Novel.

His cold and dismissive tone, usually reserved for enemies, was suddenly directed at me. A single word, like a bolt from the blue, left me completely frozen. 'Why...?' I wanted to ask, but my mouth wouldn't open. The way he spoke, as if I was of no use, pierced deep into my lungs and heart. My breath quickened. No matter how hard I tried to breathe, it felt as though the air was escaping somewhere beyond my lungs. 'Why...' He gently supported Yu Hwayeon, telling her she worked hard, yet spoke so sharply to me. Why am I the only one who has to endure such harsh words? This is discrimination. No matter his true intentions, to her at that moment, there was nothing else she could perceive it as. She had been pushed to that point. She was on the verge of breaking, her heart beating erratically as if it might burst at any moment. In that fragile state, Baek Woojin’s single remark became a catalyst. Shattering everything unstable, breaking it, and pushing her towards the edge of a cliff. "I'm... I'm sorry." I don't even know what I'm sorry for. Yet, the thought that my very presence might be a nuisance to him led me to say those words. And then she turned away. "Lady Shin, wait..." Ignoring his attempts to call her back, she sprinted in the opposite direction of where Baek Woojin stood. Baek Woojin tried to follow her immediately. "Hold on." But Yu Hwayeon's sudden outstretched hand and words stopped him. As he looked at her with urgency, she responded with a sorrowful look, shaking her head. "Right now... following her is pointless." Even though the words weren’t directed at her, she had an inkling of Shin Yoojung’s current state of mind after hearing them. Unlike herself, who had a steely side, Shin Yehwa was kind, pure, and above all, fragile. Unable to comprehend the direction her heart was taking her. Her heart, lost without a compass, constantly wandered aimlessly for the same reason. She didn’t know what Baek Woojin truly intended by his words. However, it was clear that his words had only wounded her heart further. While generally, wounds should be tended to before they fester, sometimes, it’s necessary. Those moments when the bleeding naturally stops, and the pain gradually ebbs away. That’s why she intervened. "It’s best to wait until Lady Shin has sorted her thoughts... Then would be a better time." Baek Woojin hung his head at her words. "...Alright." His low reply was followed by a realization. He understood that he had made a mistake. * * * She ran aimlessly. Avoiding those returning from arduous farm work, drunken revelers staggering along, merchants packing up after a day’s trade. Through a crack in the closing city gates, she darted into the depths of the forest as the evening deepened. ‘To a place where no one else is.’ A place where she could be entirely alone was what drew her here. In the middle of the forest, where only the occasional sound of insects could be heard, she collapsed onto the ground. Moments ago, his cold expression and words continued to echo in her mind. "I know. I know...!" The fact that her inability to fully commit to anything and her lost sense of direction was a hindrance to everyone. "I'm trying to change, but I can't. What am I supposed to do?" The one most frustrated by the situation was, in fact, herself. Her companions hadn’t pressed her with any accusations. Undoubtedly, they did so out of consideration for someone who was grieving a precious loss. But even that consideration felt burdensome to her. So she made every effort to resolve this suffocating situation, but it wasn’t easy. When she ate something delicious, his face appeared in her thoughts. ‘If only I could have shared this with Woojin, it would’ve tasted even better…’ Even when seeing a beautiful scene, his image emerged. ‘If only I could have seen this with Woojin…’ That his image would continually rise to her mind, the way it troubled her beyond her control, what could she do about it? Will she ever be able to return to her former self after losing someone so precious? Is staying by the side of someone who constantly reminds her of her childhood friend the right thing to do? "I'm sorry, Woojin…" She had promised she would definitely help him, but now, she felt she was disappearing. She no longer felt she could be someone who would help him, much less stand by his side. Until the dew formed on the leaves at dawn, she remained unmoving, then she finally rose to her feet. After a night of deliberation, she had made a decision. Her journey would end here. "...Let's go back." With weary steps, she crossed the deep forest. Destination: the Shin Residence in Shaanxi. It was her home. * * * One day, two days, three days passed. Despite the passage of time, Shin Yehwa did not return. For someone like him, who had the support of the Hao Moon's information network, locating Shin Yehwa was not particularly difficult. "She entered the Shin Residence this morning." The Shin Residence. Much like the Baek family in Shaanxi, it was a well-regarded martial family in the region and her home. Her return there could only mean one thing. '...She's left us.' It marked the end of a long journey. She must have finally decided to conclude the journey they had continued since their time at the martial arts academy at around twenty years of age. Baek Woojin pondered. 'Should I just let her go?' If ending things this way was truly the path she wanted, it was only right to respect her choice. He earnestly hoped. For both Yu Hwayeon and Shin Yehwa. That they could bury the sorrow and pain of losing someone precious and find happiness once more. As much as they had suffered due to the whims of a third-rate writer, who could hardly be called a deity, he wished they could receive happiness magnitudes greater in compensation. As long as that could be achieved, nothing else mattered. Whether they continued their journey with him or left to find new meaning elsewhere. That was why he deliberated. Whether seeking out the woman he had wounded with a careless word was right or if letting her go was the better choice. "......" One day, then two. After twenty-four hours of contemplation, Baek Woojin made a decision. 'I should go find her.' Whether to bring her back or to let her leave for good. He still hadn't found the answer. But, there was something he needed to do first. 'I need to apologize.' He knew she was restless after parting with 'Baek Woojin.' After all, hadn't he been the same? How many days had he drowned in drink before rediscovering vitality in his original world, disheartened by not seeing her? He didn't want to be a burden to her. He secretly wished that she would drift for as long as she needed and then find her footing again in life. The intention behind his words that day was much the same. But unbeknownst to him, he had spoken with an incredibly cold tone and expression. All he wanted to say was not to overexert herself and to rest. '...I was too sensitive.' Even though it was only a sparring match, the ease with which she had exposed her weakness had gotten to him. If he had been an enemy and that had been a real battle, she might have lost her life. Considering this made him hypersensitive. He wished for her to live happily and not die, as much as he wanted her to become stronger. And so he decided to go. Whether they would continue together or part ways here. To clear up the misunderstanding she might have. Having resolved this, Baek Woojin gave a brief explanation to his companions that evening and set off early the next morning. Before departing, the women who came to see him off offered advice, whether it was precisely that or not. "Think carefully before you speak to Lady Shin." Tang Sunyoung. "P-Please consider your tone and atmosphere as well…." Jegal Yeonji. "Don't forget to keep a respectful distance, brother." Even Doe Kyung. "And try not to empathize too deeply or over-understand." Even Sul Sooyeon added. As he stood amidst their incomprehensible guidance, Geum Yeoul curiously questioned her sisters. "But sisters... do you really think this will help?" Yong Seollan, who had just claimed the spot as the youngest, chimed in. "Hoho... I don't think it will help at all…." The sisters frowned at the two younger ones' remark, making them quickly shut their mouths. Seeing their words and actions, Baek Woojin had a puzzled look on his face, which prompted Tang Sunyoung to give his back a push. "Go and come back. Make a choice you won't regret, no matter the outcome." A choice without regrets. "I'll be back." After embracing each of the women, Baek Woojin set off. * * * Shin Jik, the head of the Shin Residence. Recently, he hadn't been in the best of moods. Not long ago, he was quite pleased. Why? Because his daughter, who he'd hardly been able to see since she entered the martial academy, had returned. "Haha, my daughter is back!" When he rushed out to happily greet her, what a surprise it was. "Father… I'll rest now." "H-huh…?" Father. She called him father! The child who always affectionately called him 'Dad' was now wearing a gloomy expression and addressing him formally as 'Father'! "My, my daughter called me 'Father,' dear…." "Sigh, a grown daughter calling you 'father' isn't so unusual." Even his wife seemed unperturbed. "Did you hear that? My daughter actually called me 'father'…." "I don't understand what the problem is." Nor did the chief steward. "......" No one seemed to understand his sorrow. No one sympathized. What was more, since returning home, his daughter wore a perpetually gloomy expression and rarely smiled. Even when he brought her favorite foods, her reaction was disinterested at best, and it pained him to see his daughter seem to wither away like a wilting flower with each passing day. What on earth had happened to cause his daughter to be this lifeless? Then, a thought suddenly struck him. "Could it be that Baek family brat...?" Baek Woojin. The cheeky boy who had been playing with his daughter since childhood. Recently he had risen as a stellar new name in the martial world with titles like the Heavenly Sword God, or something along those lines. Could it be that this boy was the one who drained his daughter of her vitality? "Dare that insolent boy...?!" Enraged to the core, he grabbed his moon blade, ready to storm out, when— "It’s been a long time, Master Shin. Have you been well?" The very nemesis of his daughter had appeared at his doorstep, ready to face him.