𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗦, Go Won

𝟬𝟯𝟳. 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝗼-𝗶

A while ago, when Yul, Uk, Dang-gu and Da-hye accompanied Master Lee to the palace. Back in Songrim, Mu-deok was framed for murder. Fortunately, she was not the murder. But Songrim was still trying to find the murder of the thugs and the guards from Chwiseonru. Yul believed it was a female swindler named So-i.

"If the blind girl these men were picking on is the same girl the broker knew as So-i, then she probably could not have killed them herself." Yul told Sang-ho. "She must have someone helping her." Da-hye had a gut feeling that somehow Jin Mu was related to this.

"If the authorities take these bodies, they will catch the murderer." Sang-ho responded. "Mu-deok would know about So-i." Sang-ho said. But, Naksu was currently in Mu-deok's body. Meaning that she did not know who So-i was. So-i knows Mu-deok but Mu-deok does not know So-i. "We should send her to help with the investigation." Sang-ho suggested.

"She will be falsely accused and suffer." Yul said. "I will ask her myself if necessary." Yul said. Da-hye caught the vibe that either Yul had feelings for Mu-deok or he knew that Mu-deok is Naksu.

Behind them, were Dang-gu and Uk. Dang-gu waved with that silly little smirk he always had. "I do not think you need to step up." Dang-gu told Uk. "Yul seems to be on top of it."

"Dang-gu, are you staying with Uk?"  Da-hye asked. 

"Yes." Dang-gu said as he nodded his head.

The four of them decided to have lunch together. Da-hye sat next to Yul, while Dang-gu and Uk sat in front of them.

"Uncle looked into Mu-deok. He asked the broker about her." Dang-gu said. "Did you know that?" Dang-gu asked Uk. They were talking about the night that Mu-deok had been framed for murder. Also when the four of them had been at the palace with Master Lee.

"Yes. I heard from her." Uk said.

"He has become suspicious because of the soul shifter incident." Da-hye explained. "He is suspecting everyone." Da-hye shook her head disapprovingly.

"You are right." Dang-gu said. "If there are soul shifters in the palace. Songrim may have them too." Dang-gu suggested.

"Why is the cast-out successor of Songrim worrying about such a thing?" Uk asked jokingly.

"I am not totally cast out." Dang-gu said.

"I would not to be to sure about that." Da-hye said jokingly.

"He is already regretting it." Uk said.

"Hey!" Dang-gu said.

"You were so confident yesterday." Yul said. Da-hye chuckled. She liked making fun of Dang-gu. Although, she did miss him a lot.

"Ah. Uk is the one who always gets kicked out." Dang-gu complained. "What am I doing here?"

"You will get used to it." Uk said.

"It is quite miserable the first time. Is it not?" Da-hye asked. Back when Da-hye was little, she was a bad kid. She was a little troublemaker. It was always her and Uk getting into trouble.

"Only Yul would have no idea how we feel." Uk said. But Uk was wrong, when they were little Dang-gu had broken a ink stone. They had got in trouble because they tried to hide it.

"What do you mean?" Dang-gu asked. "Yul has been kicked out too."

"No way." Uk said.

"He is correct." Da-hye said agreeing with Dang-gu.

"Do you remember the time that I broke the gold-plated inkstone and we all lied together?" Dang-gu asked. Da-hye remembered Dang-gu crying ugly and her laughing at him. Uk had suggested that the bury the ink stone but Yul did not want to. "Eventually the four of us agreed to cover it up." Dang-gu said. "But Yul became ill afterward. Yul had never done anything wrong. He got sick worrying we would get caught." Dang-gu explained. "We ended up confessing because we thought Yul would die. We were all kicked out together."

 Da-hye and Yul looked at each other. Dang-gu remembered it incorrectly. They had actually gotten caught because Sang-ho found the inkstone half buried.

"I got kicked out so many times so I do not remember everything." Uk said. 

"That makes sense." Da-hye commented. Uk was always being kicked out of everywhere.

"But I doubt Yul was sick because he was afraid of being caught. He suffered because he knew what he was doing was wrong, and that fact was hard for him to endure." Uk explained. "He is someone who gets lost is he is caught off guard. He must have been worried and scared to do something he knew was wrong just to protect his friends." Uk said. Da-hye raised her eyebrow. Did Uk know something she did not? Why did he say it like that?

"Yes, I remember it clearly." Yul said. "I suffered quite a bit."

"To punish oneself more harshly than others would." Dang-gu said. "Is it some sort of a heightened state of morality?" Dang-gu asked. "Gosh, you were already there at that young age? That is incredible."

"Can you imagine what I felt, burying a broken inkstone with my immature friends?" Yul asked. "We could not even bury it well. We were soon caught."

"What?" Uk and Dang-gu both said.

"We were caught?" Uk asked. "You said we confessed."

"Dang-gu remembered it wrong." Da-hye said. "We never confessed. Sang-ho found the inkstone half buried. That is why we were caught." Da-hye explained.

"Is that right?" Dang-gu asked. "I must have romanticized the memory. I thought we did the honorable thing." Dang-gu explained. "How embarrassing."

"What are you embarrassed about?" Uk asked. "You are currently a runaway."

"Who will be the next leader instead of Dang-gu?" Yul asked.

"Will it be you, Da-hye?" Uk asked.

"No, will it be Sang-ho?" Da-hye responded.

"Is that right?" Uk asked. "I should get on his good side." Uk said jokingly. He, Da-hye, and Yul loved teasing Dang-gu.

"You three cannot discard me like this." Dang-gu said. "You should take me side like before." Dang-gu told Uk. "Come on, Uk."  Dang-gu said. Da-hye put a hand over her mouth as she giggled.

Uk moved away. "I will not be much help to you." Uk said.

"Da-hye, you are my sister." Dang-gu turned to Da-hye. "You will take my side, right?" Dang-gu asked.

"But what will you do for me?" Da-hye laughed. Dang-gu's smile faded slightly.

"Hey, Yul." Dang-gu said.

"I am not good with words." Yul said. "Especially about love...."

Yul, Uk, and Da-hye clinked their glasses. Dang-gu joined in.

"So you are on my side." Dang-gu said. Yul was looking a little bit tired. "Yul, do you not sleep well these days?" Dang-gu asked as he poured Yul a drink. "Drink as much as you want today and get a good night's sleep." 

"You have trouble sleeping?" Uk asked Yul.

"No." Yul said.

"But, you look so tired." Da-hye commented.

"Yes." Dang-gu said. "I saw you wandering around until late." Dang-gu told Yul. "You usually go to bed like clockwork. Are you concerned about what is happening at Seoho fortress?" Dang-gu asked.

In the night, after drinking a lot, Yul had fallen asleep early. Uk had decided to help Da-hye take Yul home as Da-hye was also tired. During the boat ride, Da-hye had also fallen asleep. Yul leaned his head on Da-hye's shoulder and Da-hye leaned her head on Yul's head.

𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗜 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱'𝘃𝗲. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿.