A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 50

50. An Unexpected Visitor

The children were quiet.

Usually, the Seowon [traditional Korean private school] would be filled with their chatter, but today, they were as silent as mice, glancing at Sohn Bin.

This was partly because there were two new children in the Seowon today, but the main reason was that the new students were Jung-oh and Gye-gu.

‘Haa.’

Looking at the children, Sohn Bin sighed inwardly.

Out of nowhere, the Chief Manager of the Hoyeon Martial Arts Center had arrived and entrusted the young children to him, asking him to take good care of them.

Along with them, he had handed over a check with a considerable amount of money written on it.

At first, he didn’t even realize that this little child was Jung-oh.

His mouth was sticking out and he had a dissatisfied expression, but he didn’t think much of it since no child liked studying.

However, the moment Jung-oh entered, the children all became quiet.

Aeng-aeng immediately hid behind Soso, and Jau stepped forward as if to protect the others.

But Jung-oh just spat out a ‘Tch’ and turned his head away.

Seeing that Jung-oh had no intention of fighting, the children cautiously looked at each other and then at Sohn Bin.

And Sohn Bin realized that this child was ‘that’ Jung-oh.

Jung-oh and Gye-gu sat a little apart from the other children.

Jung-oh had his mouth sticking out, turned away from the others, and Gye-gu, who had come along, was restless, trying to gauge Jung-oh’s mood and the children’s mood.

Jau glared at Jung-oh as if to protect the others, but Jung-oh didn’t turn his head.

“Now, you are all classmates.”

Sohn Bin began.

The children all looked at Sohn Bin. Not only the children, but also the newcomers Jung-oh and Gye-gu turned to Sohn Bin.

“What is a classmate?”

Soso asked.

“It means you learn together and grow together. So, it means you are friends.”

At Sohn Bin’s words, the children looked suspicious and all turned to Jung-oh.

Jung-oh frowned and turned his head away. Gye-gu was still at a loss, fidgeting.

“Jau.”

Sohn Bin called Jau. Jau, who had been looking at Jung-oh, immediately turned his head to Sohn Bin.

“Yes, Teacher.”

Jau had become the most attentive of the children, always listening to Sohn Bin.

He diligently did whatever Sohn Bin told him to do, including reading and writing. However, that time didn’t last long, and he would immediately start playing with Gyeon-ja.

“Will you be friends with Jung-oh?”

“Um. But……”

Jau looked at Jung-oh with a troubled expression.

“Yes, I know. That you fought.”

Sohn Bin said in a quiet voice.

“But if you fought, you can make up. And to make up, the winner has to reach out first.”

Jau’s face was filled with pride, remembering that he had won.

“Yes, Teacher.”

Jau, who answered with a fairly mature face, said to Jung-oh.

“Let’s make up.”

But Jung-oh still had his mouth sticking out.

Sohn Bin said to Jung-oh.

“Jung-oh, your home is a martial arts center, right?”

Jung-oh didn’t answer.

“A truly strong person is someone who admits defeat and gets back up. If you lost, you just have to work harder and win again. That kind of person is called a martial artist with spirit.”

Jung-oh’s eyes wavered. It seemed that Sohn Bin’s words were quite persuasive.

However, perhaps because of his stubbornness, he still kept his head turned.

“If you really don’t want to, I’ll tell the Chief Manager……”

Before Sohn Bin could finish speaking, Jung-oh immediately turned his head to Jau.

“Okay, let’s make up. But remember, I’ll win next time!”

“Anytime. But my Twin Blades will be stronger!”

Once the two children agreed to make up, the expressions of the other children brightened.

Gye-gu, who had been restless, also let out a sigh of relief. As the tension eased, the children immediately started chattering.

Some of the children were quite interested in the newcomers, Jung-oh and Gye-gu.

‘Hoo.’

Sohn Bin was also relieved. He wouldn’t have been able to conduct the class in that kind of atmosphere.

After watching the children chatter for a while, Sohn Bin was about to start the class.

“Okay, then……”

“Teacher!”

Suddenly, Jau raised his hand.

“Why?”

“Jung-oh doesn’t believe it.”

Sohn Bin looked puzzled, wondering what he was talking about, and Jau said again.

“That Teacher’s martial arts are the best.”

‘The best?’

Sohn Bin gave a wry smile.

“But, people who look like Teacher are all weak.”

Jung-oh said, protesting.

“I know because my home is a martial arts center. We have so many strong senior brothers at my house.”

Jung-oh’s face was full of pride as he spoke.

“No! Our Teacher’s martial arts are the best!”

Jau shouted, protesting.

“Jau.”

Sohn Bin said quietly.

“It’s better to use a different word than ‘the best’.”

“Yes!”

Jau answered energetically. And then he turned back to Jung-oh and shouted.

“Our Teacher’s martial arts are the bestsupreme!”

“No. People like Teacher are weak!”

Jung-oh didn’t back down either.

“Teacher! Show us!”

“Show us!”

“Jung-oh, you’re dead to Teacher now.”

Now even the other children were making a fuss. Sohn Bin sighed softly, running a hand over his forehead.

‘How did it…….’

He wondered how it had come to this. He could scold the children to quiet them down, but that wasn’t Sohn Bin’s way.

“Okay.”

The children’s expressions brightened at Sohn Bin’s one word.

In fact, showing them wasn’t a difficult thing. He was doing it every night, and he had already shown them once before.

The fact that Jung-oh’s words had slightly touched his nerves was also a factor, but that wasn’t very important.

“But this is only for this one time. Okay?”

“Yes!”

The children answered in unison. Jung-oh also looked at Sohn Bin with a look that seemed to ask if it was true.

“Soso, go and get my sword…… No, no. I……”

Sohn Bin was about to get up, remembering that Soso didn’t like it before, but Soso said.

“Teacher! Make Jung-oh do it!”

“Jung-oh?”

Sohn Bin turned to Jung-oh, and Soso said to Jung-oh.

“Bring the sword next to Teacher’s bed. You can do that much, right?”

At Soso’s words, Jung-oh answered angrily.

“Of course! I’ve touched a lot of swords!”

“Then go and get it.”

As Soso looked at him as if daring him, Jung-oh jumped up.

“Ah, um……”

Aeng-aeng tried to say something, but Soso stopped her. Jung-oh ran vigorously into Sohn Bin’s room.

Thump, thump, thump.

The children watched his back with expectant eyes.

Gye-gu and Sohn Bin were the only ones who couldn’t figure out what was going on. And after a while.

“Ouch!”

A surprised voice was heard from Sohn Bin’s room.

“Wow!”

“Hahahaha!”

The children burst into laughter as if they had been waiting for it. It seemed that they had all experienced it at least once.

Gye-gu and Sohn Bin were the only ones who couldn’t laugh.

Thump, thump, thump.

“I, I brought it.”

Jung-oh’s mouth was sticking out as he brought the sword. Jung-oh handed the sword to Sohn Bin and immediately returned to his seat.

The other children were huddled together at the edge of the bamboo mat on the platform, their eyes sparkling with anticipation, but Jung-oh had his head turned.

‘Hmm.’

He wondered what was going on, but it seemed better to leave it alone for now. He had to deal with those eyes looking at him right now.

“Hoo-oo.”

Sohn Bin calmly took a breath.

∴

Whoosh.

The trajectory of light drawn by the shining silver blade cuts through the air and flows.

Each time the proud blade of the White Heron passed, a soft line like an illusion was drawn in the air.

“How is it?”

Jung-oh, who couldn’t take his eyes off it, turned his head at the voice he suddenly heard next to him. Jau was looking at Jung-oh with a proud expression on his face.

“Huh? Uh-huh……. Hoo-ah.”

Jung-oh tried to say something, but he couldn’t finish his words and took a deep breath. Jau wore a triumphant smile.

“Our Teacher is the best, right?”

“Uh.”

Jung-oh answered obediently. His stubbornness, his resistance to being dragged along, had disappeared as if it had never been there.

Jung-oh turned his eyes back to the beautiful movements of the sword unfolding in front of him.

“Really the best.”

Jung-oh muttered, nodding his head.

He boasted that he learned martial arts at home, but in fact, Jung-oh, who was just a young child, had only learned basic physical training.

He boasted that there were many strong senior brothers, but those senior brothers had never shown him such swordsmanship.

This beautiful trajectory of the sword unfolding before his eyes was almost a shock to Jung-oh.

‘Wow.’

Jung-oh watched Sohn Bin’s martial arts with his mouth open. Jung-oh’s eyes were sparkling like the other children’s.

∴

After the class, Sohn Bin’s house became the children’s playground.

It was no different today, and the children were running around Sohn Bin’s house, playing.

The only difference was that the number of children had increased.

“Waaah.”

Listening to the children’s chatter, Sohn Bin sat leisurely in his seat.

Soso and Aeng-aeng were squatting under the fence, playing, having found something, and the ever-active Jau and Gyeon-ja were running around and playing with Jung-oh.

The way they had ignored each other in the morning seemed like a lie.

‘As expected, children are…….’

He had been worried, just in case.

The fact that he had willingly taken out the White Heron at the children’s request was also for that reason.

But the children were running around and playing together like that, as if they had never fought.

Gye-gu, who had come along, was watching Soso and Aeng-aeng, looking around hesitantly.

“Hoo.”

Sohn Bin was relieved. The warm afternoon sun was shining softly.

“Excuse me.”

A clear, jade-like voice rang in Sohn Bin’s ear. Sohn Bin, who was sitting on the bamboo mat reading a book, inadvertently turned his head.

A young lady, not flashy but neatly dressed, was standing at the door.

Perhaps because she was a completely unexpected guest, Sohn Bin stared at the young lady with a blank expression for a moment.

He felt like he was seeing something wrong, or that she would disappear with the words ‘I’m sorry.’

But the young lady was standing quietly, looking at Sohn Bin.

“I……”

Her cheeks slightly flushed, she hesitated with a troubled expression, and only then did Sohn Bin realize his rudeness.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

Sohn Bin jumped up from his seat, went down to the platform, and approached her.

The door was always open, so other than designating a place for entry and exit, it was of little use, but she was quietly waiting for Sohn Bin without crossing the threshold.

“I’m sorry for visiting you so suddenly.”

She bowed to Sohn Bin.

“Ah, no, it’s okay.”

Sohn Bin bowed back to her. When he raised his head and looked at her, she was a young lady who seemed to have just shed her girlishness.

Since there was no way he would be related to such a young lady, Sohn Bin asked with a puzzled expression.

“But, who are you……”

“I came to see Master Sohn, the teacher of this Seowon.”

She said in a calm and gentle voice.

“I am Sohn Bin, but……”

At Sohn Bin’s answer, a slightly embarrassed look appeared on her face.

“You are Master Sohn?”

Sohn Bin nodded.

“Yes. I am Sohn Bin, and I am teaching children at this Seowon.”

Her embarrassed expression did not disappear. She looked around Sohn Bin’s empty house and then looked at Sohn Bin again.

“Is there another Master Sohn here?”

“No. I am Sohn Bin, and I am the only one in this Seowon.”

Sohn Bin explained accurately and kindly. It seemed that this young lady had come to the wrong place.

“Perhaps another Seowon…….”

“But Jung-oh said it was here…….”

The young lady and Sohn Bin’s eyes met.

And at that moment, the two of them could be sure that she had not come to the wrong Seowon and that the young man in the typical scholar’s attire standing before her was the teacher that Jung-oh was talking about.

∴

Clink.

Sohn Bin placed a teacup on the small table.

“Ah, thank you.”

The young lady, who was sitting on the bamboo mat, bowed her head and expressed her gratitude.

He couldn’t bring an unmarried young lady into the room, and there was no guest room to welcome guests, so as a temporary measure, he had her sit on the platform covered with bamboo mats.

He brought a small table from the room and placed it on the mat, and it became a decent way to treat guests.

“You are Lady Jeok Se-hwa of the Hoyeon Martial Arts Center?”

Sohn Bin asked, holding his teacup. She nodded.

“Yes. Jung-oh is our youngest.”

‘Ah, so the sister Jung-oh was talking about is…….’

Sohn Bin recalled Jung-oh’s appearance, boasting that he had a pretty older sister.

Jung-oh was completely in sync with Jau and was now always playing with him.

Jung-oh listened to Sohn Bin well and followed him quite a bit, and one day he said that with a proud face.

At those words, Sohn Bin just thought that he had a good relationship with his sister, but he never thought that she would be such a grown-up young lady.

“Jung-oh is studying hard and has a good relationship with his friends.”

Sohn Bin said with a comfortable expression.

“If you just help him with his homework, there’s nothing to worry about……”

“That’s not it……”

She bit her lip slightly. Sohn Bin looked at Jeok Se-hwa with a puzzled expression.

After hesitating for a moment, she asked.

“Do you perhaps know about swords?”

At the unexpected question, Sohn Bin flinched. And that alone was enough of an answer for her.

“Teacher.”

Her voice was slightly trembling.

“Please help my friend.”

“Yes?”