Body & Soul 🇰🇷 Part 1

Chapter 41: Seon-Ho

My mind wondered back to the time when I sulked home after watching Hui-Jee and Hwi; I came across the same kite seller as we did the previous day. Out of both anger and curiosity I picked up my own kite and asked him the meaning. The look on his face was unforgettable; it was a mixture of astonishment and envy. That was the first time anyone had been jealous of me before. It took me aback long enough to forget why I was in a bad mood at all. He looked at me hesitantly before asking me to put it back as he shook the contents on his bag and made me choose again 3 times "that's the only kite of its kind in that whole bag of maybe 50-60. And you keep choosing the same one over and over again." He muttered under his breathe "tell me what it means then" I snapped at him. He led me behind his stall to meet an old woman whilst holding the kite I chose. My curiosity peaked more and more as the old woman gave me the same look he did earlier on. "Well well, this is certainly unexpected. Especially with someone with your birthright...or maybe it is a match after all." "Can someone tell me what's going on exactly? What does it mean?" "You've chosen a very...particular kite with a very specific destiny young man. Such matters are not to be taken lightly" I just scoffed and went to make my way back home before her voice stopped me in my tracks "you have had a hard youth, that is undeniable. But you have a lot of misconceptions about yourself; you think you have poor luck and fortune, you are mistaken. You think you will never achieve glory; you are mistaken. You think you will never attain a soulmate; you are also mistaken. You will attain everything you desire and even more than you even allowed yourself to imagine...only when you have her by your side." "Her? I have...someone as lowly and unloved as myself...I have a soulmate?" I could hardly believe it...she was speaking on things I had not allowed myself to think about since childhood. "The all-consuming kind of love that will not burn out until you pass this life...and even onto the next a few more times. Your ambitions will slip away from you because you are not nearly as disciplined as you believe. But her...she will set you onto the right path, she will shape you to be the best possible version of yourself in this life full of good luck and glory. But all is not as simple; she is also consumed in her own pain that will force her to drift a few times. She will test your will, your loyalty and your love many times over it but wherever she goes, you must follow. Whatever she does, you must forgive and if you cannot understand it, you must set your pride aside as all will become clear later on. You must not let her out of your sight...or it will bring yourself and your loved ones calamity and an early death...in this life and all the rest. She will heal your pain and gift you the love you so desperately crave. She will hold the answers you seek in your life. But when she hides from you again you must find her. She is a master of disguises. Everything you seek will chase you once you have her...once you surrender to her. She is both your guardian and protector in all of your lives whether you are or are not destined to meet again."

I didn't dare to believe it...did someone like that really exist? Just for me? I wanted to laugh it off but I...indeed felt something stirring deep inside me with these words. Only after knowing Hui-Jee for a few days...I know that she was not the one who was born for me. I had to be patient and wait for this...this beautiful person who would finally love me for who I was...

And it looked like that theory was going to be put to the test soon when there was a new mission for the army and I signed up for immediately without even looking into the details. I packed my own things and I kept it ready by the door until it was time to leave. I buried myself in all the work I could, trying to distract myself from thinking about what could potentially happen to Yeon if anything happened to me. Who was going to look after her? That damned brat was out of control, even her brother had to choice but to keep his distance from her for the time being. But she wasn't as invincible as she thought; she may be capable than most women in our nation but she still needed a man to protect her...no, not just a man...the girl needed a husband. And from what I heard, she was doing everything she could to run away from any potential suitor that came her way. She would even revert to her old habits when she lived in poverty to scare away anyone her brother brought to her. But I...the thought of Yeon marrying someone else completely hit a nerve in me. I was so conflicted that all I could do was hope that I had enough time in the military to think about my next move...and hopefully it gave her enough time to stop rebelling against me and maybe...hopefully I would cross her mind long enough for her to think about me.

The day finally came and I wanted one last sneak peek of her before I went away for gods knows how long...who knows if I was even going to come back alive or in one piece? But no matter how hard and long I looked I couldn't find her at all. My depression hit a low point right there and then...was she hiding? From me? Today of all days? Was she really that desperate to get away from me? I couldn't even fathom what she had been through mentally but...I couldn't live like this anymore. If she didn't want me then fine...maybe I should just go and kill myself if even she didn't want me around anymore. Maybe then I would cross her mind.

Everything went by in a blur; we were sent to fight off some highly armed rebels who wanted to dethrone the Queen and had started pillaging other villages in rebellion. It was our job to help with repairs, fight the rebels and take them to the Queen herself. We had been there for about a month with not a single rebel in sight and a lot of repair work. I remember Hwi and I sitting down and talking about the Liadong war in detail and he told me everything about the jackass that was supposed to be their leader as not only myself, but many others in our battalion couldn't stop glaring at our so-called leader who seemed to be my karma for putting Hwi in that war. He was every bit a gluttonous selfish corrupt bastard as my father was and everyone else in his world. It was clear as day that he was the son of someone rich and didn't have a damned clue what he was doing. If I didn't have Yeon on my mind constantly even now then I would have done something about it a long time ago. I was too depressed to even eat properly and I only had Hwi's letters to keep me company as well as his extra padding me send for me to place under my armour. I looked over at my bruised hands and I couldn't stop thinking of the times she would tend to me in the mansion with a smile just for me, how she looked to me when she could and we would exchange our secret looks in front of my father which would bring me so much warmth...

But soon enough the rebels came to our camp and broke my warm thoughts. I grabbed my weapons and finally found targets to unleash all of my frustration which soon turned into a rage I was getting lost in, hoping that someone would kill me right there and then. I turned around when I heard someone running towards me. I threw my sword down and I almost threw my hands out, waiting for death to take me away and return me to my mother who I also couldn't stop thinking about since Yeon left...only to see someone throw me onto the floor as they took over my fight; essentially saving my life. The fight was dwindling down and I almost burst into tears right there and then...before I couldn't help but notice that something was strange about this solider...he was the skinniest one I had ever come across with no muscle at all; one swipe from any man here would surely knock the wind out of him. But he had...a spirit about him that made him keep going until the job was done and practically everyone who came his way was dead at his feet. But before the captain came over to announce either victory or defeat, the soldier ran away! There were too many red flags about him as I soon found myself up on my feet and running after him. He ran a fair distance before he started stripping his clothes and practically jumped into the river to wash himself. I edged closer without making a sound, not wanting to scare him off...only to almost fall into the river myself in shock when I saw who he really was.