Ballad of the Mountain Fox

제 2 장: Trouble Clef

Gong Il Woo slammed his fist down on the table, making the chopsticks jump next to his bowl of black bean noodles.

The chopsticks weren’t the only thing that jumped—the scrawny figure of the magistrate sitting across from him did as well, doing his best to avoid eye contact.

Il Woo snorted contemptuously.  Ever since the horse incident earlier in the day, he had been in a sour mood, scheming of a way to get back at Young Min, that impudent yangban!  Who did he think he was, stopping Il Woo’s fun like that?

Obviously, Il Woo had a skewed sense of 'fun.'

“That saekki,” Il Woo swore, stabbing his chopsticks into the bowl before him and twisting the noodles around.  A slurping noise came from the other end of the table as the magistrate gulped down the rest of his meal, and the corner of Il Woo’s mouth turned down in contempt.  Apparently, offering to pay for a meal had been the only way to convince the magistrate to stay long enough and give Il Woo the information he needed.

Il Woo set his chopsticks back down.

“You said Oh Jimin and Park Young Min will be engaged soon?” he asked the magistrate, trying his best to be calm.  Yet, if anything, his change in attitude only seemed to make the magistrate even more nervous, and the man downed a glass of soju before replying.

“Uh, yes, that’s right.  T-they’ve been seeing each other for a few months now.  The lady was away on a trip for the past few weeks, but it doesn’t seem to have affected their relationship at all.  I do believe they are quite fond of each other.  And they’re a good match, so it only makes sense that they’ll be married.”

“I see.”  Il Woo rested a silk-sleeved elbow on the table.  “And you mentioned she has a bit of a temper…”

“Well, a little,” the magistrate shrugged.  “She is, after all, only human.  But I’m sure with Young Min as her husband, it will be nothing to worry about.  They balance each other quite nicely.”

“It seems quite a pity to me, though,” Il Woo said, “wasting such a pretty face like hers on a cad like him.”

“A-a what?” the magistrate spluttered.  “Park Young Min is certainly not a scoundrel!  Why, he’s one of the most respected—” he broke off, suddenly remembering who he was talking to as Il Woo raised an accusatory brow.  “I mean, he…well, it’s just…”

Il Woo took some pleasure in the man’s discomfort for a few more moments before finally interrupting.

“Yes, you lot are quite fond of him, aren’t you?”  His tone was dangerously quiet, and the magistrate paled considerably.  “I’ll certainly have to fix that.  This has gone on for far too long.”

“Wh-what do you mean?” the other man asked.

Il Woo took a moment to cast an appreciative gaze at a passing gisaeng, taking in her willowy figure, expensive clothes, and painted face as an idea began to form in the back of his mind.  It was with a smile that he turned back to the magistrate and finally answered.

"I mean exactly what it sounds like.  It's time to put Park Young Min in his place."

========================================================

Oh, you have more questions.  I should have realized I’d have to explain a bit to someone who hasn’t lived as long as I have in this country.  So, what’s first?

Saekki is a swear word, obviously.  A derogatory term for an illegitimate child.  I’m sure you understand.

Soju is a rice liquor—like the Korean version of vodka.  Surely you know what vodka is?

Good.  At least you aren’t completely hopeless, then.

Now, as this is the second time I've mentioned a gisaeng, I suppose you're curious as to what one looks like.  Let me see if I can find you a picture—yes, of course I have a phone!  Just because I’m not human doesn’t mean I can’t have one now, does it?  Ah, here you go.  See?  The gisaeng is the fancier one, of course.  With the big hat for all that hair.

 Now, anything else?  Well then, back to the story.