Daldal: Main story

Chapter 37

Startled, Eun-oh awoke, only to realize it was well past noon. Despite an inability to pinpoint the precise hour, the hue of the sky hinted at the early evening. He had unwittingly dozed off, squandering the entire afternoon.

"Ah, come on!"

Slapping his own cheeks, Eun-oh scolded himself. No matter how tired he claimed to be, was this the behavior of a servant living off someone else's food? Doing things so carelessly, how could he ever gain forgiveness from his Young master and leave? The determination he had set earlier mocked him bitterly.

In the meantime, the shirt he had spread on the floor was completely dry. Quickly putting it on, Eun-oh hurriedly left.

His desperate footsteps reached the main porch, where he saw the familiar figure of someone sitting alone and gazing at the sky.

It was Kang-hee.

Perhaps it was due to his slouched shoulders or the chilly night breeze, but Kang-hee seemed lonely. Despite not being particularly close, Eun-oh held a certain fondness for Kang-hee. In this place filled with intimidating and difficult people, Kang-hee stood out as different. From the beginning until now. Maybe that's why Eun-oh couldn't just pass by without acknowledging Kang-hee's vulnerability.

Hesitant, Eun-oh took steps toward Kang-hee, sensing his presence. Suddenly, Kang-hee turned to look at Eun-oh.

"...!"

Meeting his eyes, Eun-oh flinched. Kang-hee, usually emitting a gentle aura, now appeared strangely cold. Fortunately, it was short-lived. A smile soon graced Kang-hee's eyes and lips, softening his features and bringing back the familiar warmth. Relieved that he recognized someone he knew, Eun-oh sighed.

"Oh, it's you. Seems like we're meeting for the first time today. Hello."

"Uh, hello."

"Why are you out? Without resting?"

"No, I rested all this time. So now, I came out to work..."

"Now? There's nothing specific to do now, except kitchen duties."

The sun was setting, indicating it was not the time to start new tasks but to finish ongoing ones.

"Right, it's too late. I didn't plan to rest for so long, but when I woke up... it turned out like this."

"You must be really tired. I heard you carried water for the bath during the day. Must have been tough. It's heavy."

"Yeah, you're right. It was heavy, and I spilled a lot. So, I got scolded by the young master..."

"Really? Did you get scolded a lot?"

"Yeah. I couldn't handle it well. He even told me to stop. Haha."

As Eun-oh awkwardly chuckled, Kang-hee joined in with a smile.

"Even those who claim to use strength find carrying water challenging. It seems a bit overwhelming for you, Eun-oh. Don't do it from tomorrow."

"Ah... then, what should I do tomorrow?"

When he asked the Young master during the day, there was no clear answer. While it was good not to have a temperamental taskmaster like Mr Cho, the lack of someone to give instructions and manage the work was a bit inconvenient.

"Well, I don't know. What would be good?"

Amidst the ambiguous silence, Kang-hee looked up at the sky again, leaving a prolonged period of quiet. Sensing the awkwardness, Eun-oh fidgeted with his fingers and rolled his eyes. Then, suddenly, he approached Kang-hee, sitting about three spans away on the veranda.