I'm kinda new to Tumblr and English is not my first language so please bear with me! I go by the pronounces she/her.
I mostly write reader/oc x canon wether it's romantic or platonic, my favorite genres to write are fluff, comedy, action, romance, slow burn. I also like angst and comfort but not sure if I'm so good at writing these two(you read and decide). I do other genres too so it's not only these mentioned up here. I'm also open to requests and suggestions.
What I DO NOT do is f/f & m/m, nsfw/smut, omega verse, lemon, lime, incest and pedo. So if that's what you want to read, I'm gonna act like I dropped my glasses oops!
Another you might want to know is that sometimes I can be really slow at writing requests and else, it's either because I'm lacking of passion or muse or time.. etc. So please keep that in mind when sending a request.
My longer works wich contain multi-chapter—just like Nights—are on my AO3 account and the pseud is sarotati too.
Also, I'm a ROTBB fan... If it's not clear enough haha.
A few months ago, I celebrated my birthday. As a gift for myself, I wished that chung myung would come home— and he did after another few months! In the form of a cotton doll...
So I took pics of him! (pls ignore the date I didn't realize my digicam's date was wrong)
Chung Myung visited a university (pls let me in) to see the sunflowers that had just bloomed. He even wore a cute accessory to match with them! You can mistake him for a sunflower this way haha.
He then went to go have lunch, even going too far as to order a piece of cake! I wonder if his stomach is bigger than his head. Ouch, my wallet :((
Just be grateful you're being carried. I hope you like the view.
i dont agree with outdoor cats but i gotta admit the fact me and my roommate can fondly talk about local cats like theyre our beloved neighbours is pretty cool. do i know any of the humans who live in my neighborhood? not particularly. do i know the little tuxedo cat with the pink collar who recognises the ice cream truck music and comes out to get pets from all the kids? of course they're a local celebrity to me.
Do u ever change ur PFP or sum, like since the day I followed you, you didn't change a THING.
Lol I used to like change my pfp every few seconds hahaha because y'know it's so easy and there are lots of beautiful ugh pics and arts you wanna see on your account, or blog in this case.
But I guess my laziness has reached a max level cuz I literally forgot that changing my pfp is an available option 🥹
Since you brought that up I think I wanna look for another pfp even tho this one is so freaking cute sjsjksksksnsknsk thanks for reminding ahahaahah
Do u ever change ur PFP or sum, like since the day I followed you, you didn't change a THING.
Lol I used to like change my pfp every few seconds hahaha because y'know it's so easy and there are lots of beautiful ugh pics and arts you wanna see on your account, or blog in this case.
But I guess my laziness has reached a max level cuz I literally forgot that changing my pfp is an available option 🥹
Since you brought that up I think I wanna look for another pfp even tho this one is so freaking cute sjsjksksksnsknsk thanks for reminding ahahaahah
If you don't mind, I'd like to make a request (if your requests are still open, that is).
A Cheong Myeong x male! Reader fic/headcanon/oneshot/etc (choose whichever you want), where the reader is half blood between a demon and human (he carries half demonic qi and non-demonic qi). Come up with your own lore for the Reader if you want! I don't mind lol
BUT, nobody knows that the Reader is half-blood between human and demon (not even Cheong Myeong). Why? Because he uses his non-demonic qi most of the time and keeps his demonic qi dormant. Hidden. Doesn't use it often. Now here's something that makes this a little interesting. Normally when one uses their qi on injuries, it soothes and heals them slowly (unless their qi level is strong enough to help heal them faster), right? The reader however (since he only uses his non-demonic qi, which is only half; not strong), can only heal himself very, VERY slowly, and mostly uses remedies like medicine and ointment to fully recover. This is the only choice he'll use when dealing with bodily damage like cuts, bruises, migraines, etc.
I say choice because there's a second; Using both halves of his qi. Sure, he can heal these injuries faster, but he'd only ever use them for one thing, and ONE thing ONLY: loss of limbs. YES. That's right. He CAN regenerate his limbs. UNFORTUNATELY, it comes with a cost. Losing a limb means exactly what it is; an arm or leg. And, regenerating one whole limb takes a lot of energy. Like, A LOT. I like to think the Reader rarely ever loses his limbs and doesn't have much of a reason to use both halves of his qi (which is why he sticks to using only one half) at all. So, imagine a scenario (you choose, cuz I like surprises) where the Reader loses a limb during a fight or accident, and Cheong Myeong is there to witness it. He helps the Reader to retreat back to the sect only for the Reader to get them somewhere secluded instead. Cheong Myeong gets confused. Reader insists. Cheong Myeong obeys (strange, I know), but is very worried (even if he doesn't show it). Surprise me and try to continue the rest lol
Sorry if this is so long and too much. I just idk how to shorten my sentences :(
Ps: Don't rush yourself! Take all the time you need!
Yes my requests are open, but may I ask are you requesting a romantic fic or a platonic one?
I wasn’t aware that the sago was on the Baek line but it makes sense now! I cracked when Chung Myung shipped his 2 parents figures hahaha! If you don’t mind can I ask you what’s the age gap between her and Chung Mun?
Tbh honest I think Chung Mun is the favourite parent because Chung Myung would never dare bite him but with his sago I think he does most likely because of their similar personalities and yeah the fact that she throw him on a cliff counts something perhaps.
The age gap between sago and Chung Mun is like 5 years. When he joined he was 12 while she was 17.
Though there should be an age gap around 10 years at least between the disciples of each generation. I like to think that Sago started training at an early age for...reasons.
Y'know, I don't mind an age gap especially a kinda small one like 5 years. I thought it was optional to make chemistry between Sago and Chung Mun so I chose not to. But I also thought it would be so funny if Chung Myung seriously ships them haha.
Oh and for the bite thing, as my mom says ☝🏻 a father is more intimidating than a mother and that's why it's usually the dad who puts kids in line. Chung Myung wouldn't dare to bite Chung Mun but Sago would give him a smack on the head and that's it.
Oh also, that was an emergency. He needed to threaten those guys. But I think he does bite her from time to time. Like you said she has a little of a similar personality so she feels less mature than Chung Mun.
Thank you for requesting that it was so much fun to write heheh
Can I ask for a continuation? To be precise Chung Myung hallucinating about his elder sister in a funny way or tragic? you choose ahaha And some more flashbacks about him growing up by her side (as a infant, as a kid, teenager, adult ecc.)with she being also kinda crushing over Chung mun? Hope I didn’t over request! Feel free to write as much as you like! Thanks!
Come Back, Tell Me To Stop
[Chung Myung & Reader]
Summary: No amount of alcohol would bring that time back to him, yet he still pushed that drink down his throat anyway.
[A sequel to "A Bad Example"]
WC: 7.3K
Trigger Warning(s): Childcare themes, teething discomfort, underage drinking, mentions of arranged marriage, excessive drinking, emotional longing and grief.
Note: no spoilers included. Also, I'm sorry to say I couldn't imagine Chung Myung's Sago having a crush on Chung Mun, i don't even know why's that.. but instead Chung Myung ships his Sahyung and Sago lol.
And because I just found out there's a limit to words.. I'm gonna reblog this post with the rest of the story.
A/N: I LOVED WRITING THIS ONE I ADORE BABY CHUNG MYUNG HAJSBSKSSNKSNSISBDSK.
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
Tak! Tak! Tak!
Whoosh!
The edge of the wooden sword sliced through the air with swift, razor-sharp precision.
Droplets of sweat scattered with every fierce swing and rapid turn. Faint, yet warm sunlight bathed the ancient, meticulously kept training grounds, while the crisp breeze of late autumn felt pleasantly cool against skin damp and sticky from relentless practice.
"Samae!"
After one final swing of her wooden sword, she finally stopped. Heavy breaths escaped her lungs in quick succession, yet her expression remained calm and resolute.
"Sahyung? Is something wrong?"
A man who appeared a few years older than her approached with a strange expression. She narrowed her eyes slightly as she wiped the sweat dripping from her chin.
"Actually... it's a little weird, um.. you'll understand later but for now, the Sect Leader wishes to see you."
"Huh?"
She froze at those words. Her sahyung noticed the look on her face, yet somehow he seemed even more confused than she was.
That alone made her wonder what could have happened to leave him looking like that.
She could count on one hand the number of times she'd been summoned by the Sect Leader since joining the sect, and she'd still have fingers left over. Most of those occasions had either been to assign her a little mission inside the sect or to receive a lecture from the elders over something idiotic she'd done.
Taking a deep breath, she returned her wooden sword to its proper place.
"I'll go."
"Good luck."
The older disciple watched as the girl ran toward the females bathhouse. She couldn't exactly meet the Sect Leader looking like this.
—
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Come in."
The wooden door let out a faint creak as it slowly opened.
A young girl dressed in the neat, pristine robes of a third grade disciple stepped inside, looking nothing like she had only a short while earlier.
"My greetings to the Sect Leader and the honored elders."
She bowed with one fist pressed into her other palm in a greeting.
The elderly Sect Leader smiled warmly, while the elders seated on either side of him carried themselves with quiet dignity.
"Good morning. How are you today?"
As always, the Sect Leader greeted her kindly. The wrinkles around his eyes deepened into a cheerful smile.
He had always treated her especially well. Still, today he seemed unusually happy.
She hadn't expected this, because the sahyung who had come to fetch her had looked far more bewildered than happy.
"I'm well, as long as the Sect Leader is in good health."
The Sect Leader nodded in satisfaction before gesturing for her to come closer.
She hesitated for a brief moment, catching sight of the vague expressions on the elders' faces.
Her brows furrowed in confusion, but she eventually stepped forward before her hesitation became something disrespectful.
As she approached, she noticed the senior first-generation disciple who had avoided her gaze the entire time. A bead of sweat hung from his cheek.
But what caught her attention most was the infant in his arms.
The child kept reaching enthusiastically toward the man's short beard with tiny, energetic fists.
She immediately looked away.
'I didn't see anything.'
Looking too closely at things only attracted them to you, and usually in a bad way. She had no intention of staring at a baby any longer than necessary.
Still...
It was the only unusual thing in the room. Which meant it was probably the reason she'd been summoned.
...No. She resisted the urge to violently shake her head. Naturally, she only slapped herself mentally. She wasn't about to bring bad luck upon herself.
"I heard you come from a family with somewhat many children."
The Sect Leader asked with a benevolent expression.
The corner of her mouth twitched. It felt as though her stomach had slipped from it's accurate place an inch.
"That's true."
The elders immediately looked away upon hearing how she practically squeezed those words out till her voice was almost unrecognizable.
As though telling the truth were akin to confessing to a crime. Yet lying had never been an option. The Sect Leader nodded with a satisfied smile.
She smiled back, desperately hoping the elderly man wouldn't notice the panic raging inside her.
'Don't say it... Please, please, please...'
Unfortunately, there was no way for the old man to hear the desperate pleas echoing inside her mind.
"Would you be willing to take care of this child?"
'I knew it.'
At that point, she couldn't hide her shock anymore.
Her gaze darted between the Sect Leader and the baby before shifting toward the elders, who suddenly found the farthest wall astonishingly fascinating.
"Um... me?"
"Yes, you!"
She waved both hands helplessly through the air as though trying to organize the chaos that had suddenly erupted inside her head.
"W-wait a moment! I mean... that's far too great a responsibility! I don't know if I'm suitable for something like this!"
She smiled awkwardly while her eyes darted everywhere. Her mind worked frantically to find an escape.
"I'm the youngest here in both age and rank! There are plenty of senior sajos older than me. Surely they'd be far more qualified!"
"Hmm. Actually... I asked them first."
"Huh?"
She stared at the Sect Leader as he stroked his white beard, trying to recall everyone's answers.
"Baek Rin said she's been far too busy with her cultivation lately and she can't stop to take care for the child because it will ruin her progress."
"..."
"Han So has never taken care of a child before... Ah, and little Baek Yoon plans to start working in the Finance Hall, so she won't have any free time either."
The Sect Leader continued listing the other disciples' excuses while trying to remember all their names. What a kind old man...
But that wasn't the point.
Her tightly clenched fist trembled as she remembered those women's faces.
Not a single one of those flimsy excuses would have fooled her. That stupid Baek Yoon hated math to the core! But now she's planning to work at the Finance Hall?!
They had absolutely done it on purpose, fully aware the responsibility would eventually land on her shoulders. And the ignorant male disciples obviously couldn't be trusted with something this important.
Her trembling gaze slowly shifted toward the infant, who stared at everything around him as though the entire world were endlessly fascinating.
She quickly looked away again as dread crept into her heart. If any of the elders had asked, she could have invented an excuse just like everyone else and escaped.
But because it was the Sect Leader himself...
That was much harder. No matter how shameless someone was, surely they couldn't be that shameless.
"W-Well... I suppose I can try."
"Wonderful!"
Her shoulders slumped in defeat as the Sect Leader laughed happily.
The first-generation disciple approached with an apologetic expression, as though he truly sympathized with her.
Even so, he eagerly placed the child into her arms.
"His name is Chung Myung."
"Chung...?"
She looked at her sasuk in confusion before turning toward the Sect Leader.
If they'd already given him a taoist name, that explained why sending him somewhere else had never even been considered.
Still...
That wasn't what concerned her most.
"Does this mean we're already accepting disciples of the Chung line?"
"Hm? No, not yet."
The Sect Leader shook his head, making her relax slightly.
This elderly man had helped her escape some troublesome situations over the few years she's been here. She wasn't sure whether the next Sect Leader would tolerate her the way he had.
She cautiously glanced toward the senior disciple of the Hyun generation, who looked strangely wounded by her reaction. Without hesitation, she looked away again.
Eventually, her eyes settled on the infant.
He laughed energetically while waving his tiny fists around with absolutely no control over them. Which was, admittedly, perfectly normal.
A pair of bright pink eyes, reminiscent of plum blossoms, sparkled as they looked up at her.
She was briefly taken aback by how beautiful and vivid the color was.
"Chung Myung-ah."
She tilted her head slightly and frowned when the baby burst into delighted "wahh"s and "oogh"s as though he'd understood she'd called his name.
Impossible.
Still, it wasn't particularly important whether he was an unusually clever baby or not. She only needed to endure this for a little while.
Later, she'd simply tell the Sect Leader she'd honestly tried but couldn't handle the responsibility. Then the work would be passed on to someone else.
Whether they liked it or not.
—
"Hello there, you little brat~"
"Waaagh!"
Baby Chung Myung squealed happily the moment the familiar smiling face appeared before him.
He blinked curiously when it disappeared behind her hands again.
"Boo!"
"Waaah!"
The baby enthusiastically flailed both tiny fists like a fledgling trying to take flight.
"Just look at yourself, Samae."
The amusement vanished from her face as she shot the older disciples a sharp glare. The damned sajos she's holding grudges against.
They weren't fazed by the glare in the slightest. Instead, they simply laughed.
"Looks like you really adore little Chung Myung."
"Shut up, Sajo! What kind of nonsense is that!?"
Her fists clenched tightly. One of the disciples behind the others leaned over with a stupid grin.
"Who would've thought our little sister had such a soft side for kids~"
The female disciples burst into laughter.
She trembled with rage. Then, unexpectedly, she took a deep breath and calmed down. The laughter gradually died.
The girls looked at her suspiciously.
"What's wrong with you all of a sudden...?"
"Hm. I knew I'd eventually need this."
The disciples stiffened as she reached toward something nearby. She carefully picked it up...
It was a dirty diaper.
Their faces instantly turned pale.
They instinctively stumbled several steps backward while she rose to her feet, smiling like a mischievous devil.
"Come here, you bastards..."
"Stay back! Samae! We're your sajos!!"
One of them desperately tried pulling rank. Unfortunately, that wasn't a particularly wise move.
Since when had Mount Hua ever cared that much about hierarchy? At least not among disciples of the same generation, who were practically siblings.
Still smiling, she drew her arm back.
"Careful. I don't think all of these are fastened properly."
"H-helppp!!"
The traitor disciples of the Baek generation fled in terror from their youngest sister, who chased after them laughing like a demon with several dirty diapers clutched in one hand like a weapon.
That day, the disciples of Mount Hua discovered something far worse than climbing Mount Hua for the very first time.
—
"Waaah! Waaah! WAAAAAH!!"
"Ugh... what's wrong now?"
She sluggishly climbed out of bed after her mistress called for her.
Everything around her was cloaked in darkness.
She opened the residence's door she shared with her mistress just enough for the pale moonlight illuminating the corridors outside to spill into the room.
She headed toward the bed that had been set aside for the child in her care, brushing her messy, tousled hair out of the way. With a sleepy sigh, she scooped up the crying Chung Myung, yawned, stepped out of her room, and then out of the residence.
She didn't really know what was happening.
Her drowsy mind was far too sluggish to think properly. All she knew was that his unbelievably loud cries would wake everyone in and near the residence if they continued, so she had to get him outside before the inevitable chorus of complaints began.
"What on earth is wrong?"
She frowned, gently patting his back as she paced back and forth, trying to soothe him.
But the child only cried louder into her shoulder until it felt as though her eardrum would burst at any moment.
She lifted him slightly to look at his face.
Chung Myung's chubby little face was scrunched up tightly. Seeing tears rolling down his cheeks was indescribably upsetting.
"If only I knew what was bothering you."
She tilted her head as she murmured to herself, not expecting an answer. The baby before her knew only how to cry and laugh to express what he wanted.
She checked his diaper first. It was clean.
So she headed to the kitchen, wondering if he was simply hungry.
With considerable difficulty, she managed to prepare a bottle of milk using only one hand.
Finally, she placed it in his tiny hands and watched as he calmed down slightly while trying to grip it before bringing the tip to his mouth.
She sighed in relief as his crying gradually subsided.
So it was just late-night hunger after all?
Little Chung Myung chewed on the soft tip for a moment before...
"Ow!"
She flinched with a yelp when he threw the wooden bottle straight into her face.
Opening her eyes in annoyance, she looked at the bottle that had rolled across the floor, possibly cracked, then back at the child, who had resumed crying with renewed determination.
She sighed.
Then paused. Something caught her attention.
Adjusting her hold so she could support him with one arm, she reached a hand toward his face.
The instant Chung Myung sensed it, he grabbed her hand and immediately shoved one of her fingers into his mouth.
Crunch!
Her eyes widened.
It was as though she had just uncovered one of the universe's greatest secrets.
She could feel something hard pressing against her finger. Something that definitely hadn't been there before.
"Are you teething?"
She stared at the child in astonishment.
Naturally, he didn't answer.
But at least he'd stopped crying now that he'd found something to chew on and soothe his aching gums with, aside from the occasional hiccup and the tears that still clung to his lashes.
Her chest tightened slightly.
With a quiet sigh, she gently pulled her finger away.
Chung Myung reached after it with both tiny hands before bursting into tears again.
She hurried back into the kitchen and grabbed a green onion.
After washing it thoroughly and making sure it was perfectly clean, she finally handed it to the crying child.
Chung Myung stuffed one end of it into his mouth and began chewing.
Slowly, the crying faded again, leaving behind only soft, intermittent sniffles.
At last, she sat down on the step outside the kitchen door and let out a deep sigh as she gazed at the moon shining overhead.
Then she looked down at the child in her arms.
Instead of complaining that she'd been forced to wake up because someone else's baby that she's stupid enough to take care of instead of passing the responsibility on to someone else, happened to be teething, she carefully reached out and wiped the tear stains from his round cheeks.
"I think I'm doing a pretty good job... for someone who doesn't even like children."
She lifted her head and sighed for what had to be the hundredth time that night. Gently rocking him in her arms, she began humming a soft lullaby. She kept humming until he finally drifted into a deep sleep.
Even then, Chung Myung kept the green onion in his mouth, lazily chewing on it every now and then in his sleep.
Without realizing it, a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
—
"Chung Myung-ah~ Come to Sago~"
She waved both hands to catch the child's attention.
Chung Myung turned toward her with bright, sparkling eyes, struggling to control his tiny limbs just enough to crawl in her direction.
Slowly...
Closer.
Closer still...
"Waaah!"
Like a runner crossing the finish line, Chung Myung slapped his tiny hand against the knee she had resting on the ground.
Tap!
"Yay! Chung Myung-ah!!"
"Yayayayaya!!"
"You've finished today's crawling practice. Good job!"
Chung Myung squealed happily, waving both arms as she lifted him high into the air and spun him around.
His tiny feet kicked wildly while he laughed so hard he could barely breathe.
"My little hero Chung Myung! Aren't you just so strong!"
He laughed even harder when she pulled him close and tickled his tummy with the tip of her nose.
"Waaah! Ahahaha! Nooo!!"
She froze.
Pulling him back just enough to look at him, she stared as he continued giggling, still caught in the lingering aftereffects of the tickling.
"Wow... did you just say 'no'?"
Wouldn't that count as his first word?
Assuming "Yaaay!" and "Weee!" didn't qualify as actual words and were merely sound effects. Tilting her head, she examined him thoughtfully.
"Hmm... what kind of little rascal are you going to grow up into if that's your first word?"
She chuckled to herself.
If anyone could predict this child's future, surely it would be the person who had raised him.
A thought crossed her mind.
She frowned, glanced around to make sure the training grounds were empty except for the two of them, then looked back at the babbling child.
A faint blush crept onto her cheekbones.
"Can you say 'Sago'?"
She emphasized the word.
The child blinked as though hearing it for the very first time even though it's definitely not.
"Sago~?"
"Woghh?"
"Wee...?"
"Weeeeeeeeee!!"
Chung Myung repeated the same sound effect, somehow adding even more enthusiasm each time. She let out an exasperated sigh.
"Sago?"
"Sasoo."
Did he just, almost say "sasuk"?
"You ungrateful little brat."
"Hahahaha!!"
The child clapped happily as though she'd praised him instead of scolding him.
Shaking her head, she held him more securely before walking toward the edge of the training grounds.
She set him back down, not to crawl this time. Instead, she sat him on his bottom.
"Alright. Stay here. Sago's going to train."
"Yayayayyyy!!"
The child waved both fists before clapping excitedly. It almost seemed as though he understood exactly what was happening.
Which, in a way, he did.
Watching her train had become part of their daily routine. At first, she'd worried that caring for him would interfere with her own training.
Instead, she discovered that the child was fascinated by the graceful movements of the sword. Whenever he saw someone swing a sword, his pink eyes would lock on them instantly.
She wasn't sure whether all children were naturally drawn to bright and strong displays of movements... or whether this was something unique about Chung Myung.
Every time her sword formed blooming plum blossoms, he laughed with delight, even though her technique was still incomplete.
She still had a long way to go before reaching the level of her Sasuks, whose plum blossoms looked almost alive.
Petals that were normally as sharp and deadly as blades drifted gracefully through the air with each swing of her wooden sword.
When Chung Myung stretched out his tiny hands toward one drifting petal, he stared curiously as it settled softly into his palm before slowly fading away.
It seemed Chung Myung really liked plum blossoms.
—
"Here comes the little birdie!"
"Waaah!"
The child eagerly opened his food-smeared mouth wide for the next spoonful.
"Nom nom~"
"Nomnomnom..."
She smiled so broadly that her white teeth showed when she heard him imitate the new sound effect he'd recently learned.
Wasn't their Chung Myung-ah just the cutest?
Unfortunately, that adorable little menace refused the next spoonful.
Her eyebrow twitched. She shifted slightly and tried again.
He refused.
Again.
And again.
The spoon only ended up smearing food across his stubbornly shut lips while he responded with muffled little hums and tiny indignant "Hmph!" sounds.
Only after she pulled the spoon away did he finally open his chatterbox mouth.
"Ka!"
Her eyes twitched, once again.
She immediately realized what he was trying to say. Which explained why shifted a little bit earlier, she'd been trying to block the table behind her with her body.
Unfortunately...
She'd been too late.
"No, Chung Myung-ah. No mooncake until you finish your food."
"Ka! Kaka!!"
"Finish your meal first or you'll be shortie forever."
He turned his head away to avoid the spoon. She clicked her tongue.
"Tsk. What a stubborn little brat."
Sighing in defeat, she set the bowl aside and reached for the tiny mooncakes that looked as though they'd been made specifically for a child to hold in his little hands.
His eyes lit up.
Drool practically pooled in his mouth as he stared at the cakes being brought toward him.
"Hahahahaha!!"
Chung Myung clapped happily before grabbing the cake and stuffing it straight into his face. She sighed as she watched his puffed-up cheeks working busily.
Who could possibly know the hardships she'd gone through just to get those mooncakes onto the table?
The greedy little rascal had insisted on eating the whole mooncake in a single bite before. He'd nearly choked once because of that.
So she'd decided to make miniature ones herself. The problem was that nowhere in Huayin sold a mold small enough.
In the end, she'd painstakingly carved one herself from a block of wood after countless failed attempts.
"Nomnomnomnomnom!"
And now...
The little brat devoured all her hard work in mere minutes.
Without noticing, she smiled as she rested her chin against her palm.
"I really don't think you need all that extra energy from sweets..."
The little rascal was already overflowing with energy even on an empty stomach.
—
"Say hello to your first brother, Chung Myung-ah~"
She lowered the child just enough so he was at eye level with the twelve-year-old boy.
With obvious curiosity shining in his large eyes, Chung Myung stared at Chung Mun, who had only recently joined Mount Hua.
"Say hello to Sahyung!"
"Sahyung, hello!!"
The two-year-old beamed, showing off his tiny white teeth as he waved enthusiastically at Chung Mun.
Chung Mun stared at him for quite a while.
It was surprising enough to see a child this young already living in a sect like Mount Hua, especially after hearing from some that he's not some elder's child or anything like that.
Especially when he'd joined Mount Hua immediately after the sect begun accepting disciples—the word hadn't even spread wide and he was already at the front gate. He wouldn't have been so surprised if he found out someone came before him, but it was a different case when finding out it's a two-year old.
She seemed to read his thoughts and smiled knowingly.
"We found Chung Myung-ah on our doorstep when he was just a little baby."
"O-Oh... I..."
"Please take good care of your little brother."
Chung Mun looked at his Sago for a moment after she interrupted his apology for staring in confusion for so long, something quite unlike him, considering he had always been praised for his composure and keen judgment.
He looked back at the adorable child and smiled.
"I certainly will."
"Good. It seems he already likes you... Chung Mun-ah."
"Yes!"
When Chung Mun had replied with "Yes!" and "I certainly will," this was definitely not what the poor boy had imagined.
"Chung Myung-ah... my hair..."
"Hehehehehe."
The child paid no attention whatsoever to his new Sahyung's suffering.
Somehow, he had managed to climb onto Chung Mun's shoulders and was enthusiastically rocking back and forth while gripping handfuls of his hair.
If he grabbed anything else instead... it'd be Chung Mun's ears.
Their Sago smiled in satisfaction as she rubbed her sore scalp. She looked as though she were saying, "At last, I have a junior disciple I can enslave... I mean, who can help me."
"Don't worry, Mun-ah. You might think you're going to end up with bald spots, but this is actually excellent training for strengthening your hair follicle muscles."
'Hair follicles don't have muscles, Sago...'
She's either gone mad or is mocking him... or is impossibly stupid. In that single moment, Chung Mun caught a glimpse of both his immediate future and his distant future.
One with this crazy Sago...
...and the little gremlin who had learned to climb before he had even learned to walk.
—
"Sago!"
Her room's door slammed open.
She glanced sideways at the child storming in with long strides that weren't actually long because that's how short his legs were.
There was only one person who would barge into her residence like this, shouting at the top of his lungs at such a late hour while wearing loose sleepwear with his hair sticking out in every direction.
He glared at her so furiously that the veins at the corners of his eyes bulged.
For one sincere moment, she wondered how her adorable little child had grown into this furious little goblin.
Was this karma for shamelessly exploiting poor Chung Mun?
"What?"
She frowned at the little brat, whose head barely rose above the height of her bed.
"Sahyung said that old man is going to teach me! Why!? WHY!!?"
The sheer ferocity behind that "WHY!?" was remarkable coming from a child. Was he talking about Baek Oh Sasuk?
"What exactly is your problem with Baek Oh Sasuk?"
She sat up against the bedframe, folded her arms after setting aside the booklet she'd been reading.
The more they talked about the man, the sourer Chung Myung's face became.
"I don't like him! He's so annoying! Annoying, annoying! I want to punch him in the face!"
Well... That was understandable, to some extent.
A free-spirited little rascal like Chung Myung, blessed with what seemed like endless energy, had always been surrounded by easygoing people.
The previous Sect Leader.
Poor current Sect Leader. Yes, thankfully he was also easy on Chung Myung.
And obviously, herself.
Even Chung Mun, who outwardly appeared strict, secretly adored Chung Myung and treated him differently from everyone else.
Baek Oh, however, was the very first truly strict person in his life, or maybe he's just trying to act strict with him.
He never spoiled Chung Myung.
Moving into Baek Oh's residence had been an enormous turning point for him.
To a child whose entire world had been Mount Hua it was almost like moving to another home. Or perhaps even another city.
She drew a deep breath before suddenly shouting,
"Get over here!!"
"AAAAAHHHHH!!"
The little boy let out a terrified scream when she caught him completely off guard.
The instant his back hit the soft mattress, he attempted an astonishingly swift escape. An impressive talent.
Unfortunately, a child was still a child.
His panicked shrieks transformed into uncontrollable hysterical laughter the moment her evil fingers reached his vulnerable sides.
"Help! Hel-ahahahahaha!!"
"What kind of brat frowns at his Sago like that, hm!? I'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget!"
Every now and then she exaggerated little cries of pain whenever he kicked her or punched her with his tiny fists in futile attempts to escape.
His loud laughter eventually infected her as well. No matter how hard she tried to keep frowning, the corners of her mouth betrayed her first.
At last, she released him once she decided he had suffered enough. His exhausted little limbs immediately flopped in every direction.
He looked like a giant starfish.
His tiny chest rose and fell rapidly as he panted.
His cheeks, full of baby fat, had turned bright red from all the blood rushing through them.
Most importantly... That awful scowl, which had never suited his adorable face in the first place, had finally disappeared.
She threw herself down beside him.
He looked back at her with those wide, innocent eyes that quietly followed her every movement.
Now that he'd calmed down, the childish exhaustion lingering within them finally became visible. It was rare to see him this tired. Had Baek Oh really pushed him to his limits today?
She smiled, setting those thoughts aside for the moment.
Then she pulled the blanket over him.
He looked at her in surprise.
"You can sleep with Sago tonight, Myung-ah."
The corners of his eyes crinkled with excitement the instant he processed her words.
That sudden rush of happiness made him kick both feet wildly while throwing his arms into the air with all the enthusiasm only a child could possess.
Wow.
Children really were incredible sometimes. He could still do that even when tired.
"Yayyyy!!"
"Yes. Yay."
She laughed softly and wrapped both arms around his tiny body.
The child, longing for the familiar warmth of affection, nestled against her without hesitation. His small body buried itself in her embrace. His eyelids fluttered shut in record time.
Within only a few minutes, his quiet breathing filled the room despite his determined attempts to stay awake by starting one pointless conversation after another.
Finally, she blew out the candle beside the bed.
Then she placed a gentle kiss on the crown of his head.
Chung Myung spat out the alcohol he'd nearly choked on and coughed so violently that most of the people seated around him in the restaurant turned to stare.
He had snuck out without Chung Mun noticing so he could eat and drink.
Naturally, once he was caught, he'd receive the scolding of a lifetime. Not only because he'd gone out wearing ordinary clothes, but because he was still only a third-class disciple.
Third-class disciples weren't allowed to leave the sect alone, even if all they intended was a quick trip into Huayin, just as he'd done. Yet sometimes like now he managed to sneak out.
But what had shocked him so badly?
Quickly wiping the alcohol from his mouth, Chung Myung glanced discreetly over his shoulder.
Fortunately, the curious looks had already disappeared. Everyone had returned to their own conversations.
His eyes landed on a nearby table occupied by four men wearing the distinctive robes of one of the Five Great Families.
What was it again...?
P... something...
'Oh right. Hebei Peng.'
Chung Myung nodded to himself, absurdly proud that he'd remembered the name.
Then his expression froze again.
Why?
Because these people hadn't come to Huayin by coincidence. Thanks to his exceptional hearing, he'd caught several key words.
Alliance. Marriage proposal. And his Sago's name.
They came to take a look at the woman because they're intending to.. to.....
'Absolutely not.'
Chung Myung shot to his feet so abruptly that he drew everyone's attention again. Perhaps the alcohol, or whatever it was, had sent some strange surge racing through his veins.
Either way, his entire being rejected the mere idea.
Turning around with a flawless smile, Chung Myung casually carried his wine jar in one hand like an experienced drunkard while dragging a chair behind him with the other.
He walked straight over to the men's table.
"Greetings! Greetings, honored sirs!"
The men from the Peng Family stared blankly at the strange young man who had seated himself among them without invitation.
"I simply couldn't resist inviting myself into your conversation! I happened to overhear something about... hmm? A marriage alliance proposal with Mount Hua?"
The four men exchanged silent glances.
Eventually, the man seated directly across from Chung Myung, who appeared to be their leader, spoke.
"That's correct."
A polite smile spread across his annoyingly handsome face.
At that very moment, Chung Myung dearly wished to smash it with his fist while grinning from ear to ear. Let whoever wanted call him insane.
"And who is the fortunate lady?"
"What business is it of yours?"
The man arched an eyebrow suspiciously.
Wow.
It was honestly impressive how well Chung Myung could control his temper when he genuinely tried. You'd better praise him later, Sago.
"Well..."
He paused dramatically before looking away for a moment.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the men's expressions gradually shift from suspicion to mild curiosity.
Only then did he let out an equally dramatic sigh.
"If you're truly... truly... truly planning to propose to my Sago......then my conscience compels me to beg you to reconsider!"
The men blinked several times in confusion.
They exchanged another round of puzzled glances. Before anyone could respond, Chung Myung pulled aside the edge of his outer robe.
Everyone's eyes immediately fell upon the unmistakable Plum Blossom Sword.
Any martial artist would have recognized it at a glance. They looked back at his face. The entire situation only became more bewildering.
"You're from Mount Hua?"
"And by 'my Sago'... do you mean..."
The man opposite him hesitated briefly before finally speaking her name.
'I'll make sure that's the last time you ever say it, you damned bastard.'
Chung Myung fought with all his might to keep his smile from twitching.
Then he nodded with feigned helplessness.
"That's right!"
"But..."
One of the others hesitated, glanced at his leader who spoke.
"You..."
The man looked closely at him as if examining him.
"Mount Hua's Chung Myung."
"Hebei Peng's Peng Seojin."
Introduced himself, the group leader. His eyes watched Chung Myung intently, even though the person sitting before him was just a child to him. Meanwhile, the person who had paused earlier continued asking his question.
"Why would you try to change our minds? What's wrong with your Sago?"
The question was asked out of genuine confusion. Everyone focused intently on Chung Myung's answer.
After all, in their eyes, the words of a fourteen-year-old who had grown up beside her would be far more honest than anything the adults might say.
Unfortunately for them...
That fourteen-year-old happened to be Chung Myung.
"The truth is..."
Chung Myung declared with overwhelming dramatic flair,
"My Sago has raised me ever since I was a child. There's probably no one in the world who knows her better than I do!"
His theatrical proclamation only left the men across from him even more confused than before.
"If she raised you..."
"I wasn't finished!"
Chung Myung raised a finger, demanding silence. The man obediently shut his mouth like a fool.
"That Sago is absolutely evil!"
Chung Myung clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white.
"I still remember how she made me scrub the corridor floors with a toothbrush! And if I ate her mooncakes, she'd hang me over the edge of a cliff!"
A pang of instinctive guilt twisted in Chung Myung's stomach. No matter what he did, he was still a man with a conscience. But hey, this was for Sago's own good. She'd definitely thank him if she ever found out.
His fist tightened once more, fresh determination blazing in his eyes.
"Can you imagine it? She even made me drink alcohol by accident when I was a child! And to this very day, I'm addicted to that horrible poison!"
Placing a hand dramatically against his forehead, Chung Myung wiped away an imaginary tear like a poor maiden in distress. He shoved the wine bottle away... yet somehow continued clutching it tightly like he couldn't let go.
People seated at the table gasped, covering their mouths as they began whispering among themselves. One person even started refilling the men's cups with wine as though it were tea.
"Impossible. How could anyone do something like that?"
"How terrible."
"I feel so sorry for you, young man."
"Please, don't say that. After all, people grow through pain!"
Chung Myung displayed the purest smile he could squeeze out of his very being. It seemed to illuminate the entire area around the table so brightly that the men had to squint against the blinding radiance.
One of them rubbed his eyes before another hesitantly asked,
"But I also heard she's beautiful...?"
"Rumors!"
Chung Myung suddenly shot to his feet, shouting so loudly that his expression twitched uncontrollably, as though he were desperately restraining himself from attacking someone. A moment later, he cleared his throat, calmed himself, picked up the chair he had knocked over when stood so suddenly, sat back down gracefully, and took a polite sip of wine.
"My apologies. My overwhelming emotions got the better of me."
"Hmm... I see."
The men exchanged uneasy glances before one of them asked,
"So... she's not actually that beautiful?"
"Wha...!?"
Chung Myung nearly exploded again. He slammed his hand onto the table, causing several cups to spill. Somehow, he forced himself to calm down once more, and the men who had instinctively leaned back slowly relaxed.
"Ahem... I mean, yes! In fact, she's incredibly ugly! Like some wicked witch!"
"R-Really?"
The men stared at him in bewilderment while Chung Myung nodded so vigorously that his neck would probably be sore for days afterward.
At that moment, the men's attention shifted toward the restaurant entrance, which had suddenly opened.
Chung Myung, however, was far too busy to notice.
"Honestly, she's terrifying! You don't even want to look at her! Every time I do, I get headaches, diarrhea, blindness, and poisoning all at once, and I have to run straight to the medical hall! Frankly, I don't even know how I've survived all these yeaaaarsAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
His scream was filled with indescribable terror.
The instant two firm hands landed on his shoulders, it felt as though his soul had immediately jumped out of his body.
He looked at the Peng family members, whose faces had gone pale as they stared silently at the person standing behind him.
Chung Myung smiled.
This time, however, there was a very real tear in his eye.
'She's behind me... isn't she?'
"Chung Myung-ah... why are you making me wonder whether I should've just gone to sleep and left you in the cave where Sasuk locked you up?"
Oh, damn it.
She heard everything.
"U-Um... S-Sago, I can explain... Agh! My ear!"
Chung Myung stumbled to his feet as his ear was mercilessly yanked.
To be fair, he completely deserved it. Actually, no, this was definitely excessive.
"Wait, Sago! Believe me, I can explain!"
"What exactly are you going to explain, you little brat? Did you pin all the things that bastard Sasuk did onto me?! Me, of all people? You ungrateful wretch!! My hands still have the scars from when I carved that mooncake mold for you when you were a one year old!!"
But he'd had perfectly reasonable reasons!
"And I'm an ugly evil witch who causes headaches, diarrhea, blindness, and poisoning just by being looked at?"
...Perhaps he'd gone a little too far.
"But the point is...!"
"The point is, I'm making you scrub every corridor with a toothbrush today so your lies become the truth!"
"Sago!!"
Chung Myung complained as though he were the victim before jabbing a finger toward the Peng family members, who were watching in utter shock.
"Those bastards were spouting nonsense about taking you away! Marriage or whatever that insane idea was! They've completely lost their minds!"
At last, having the chance to voice his true feelings, Chung Myung snarled like a beast whose tail, or territory, had just been stepped on.
He looked ready to pounce on the men and bite them. Fortunately, she caught him under both arms at the last second.
"Hey! Stop acting like a dog! You know perfectly well the Sect Leader would never let me leave Mount Hua because of you, you idiot! Chung Mun and the elders would go gray ten times faster if I abandoned them!"
"But still... Gah!"
Chung Myung grabbed his aching head after taking such a powerful punch that steam practically rose from her fist.
Once he had finally settled down, she turned toward the Peng family with a sharp gaze. Contrary to what would be expected, her simple smile only made them even more confused.
"I apologize for the trouble Sajil caused you, Peng masters. The blame rests entirely on me for not being stricter with him."
"Please, don't say such a thing."
Pen Seojin stood so abruptly that even his companions looked at him with narrowed eyes.
Chung Myung shot him a glare sharp enough to kill, one no child his age should've been capable of making.
"What the hell do you think you're looking at!? I'll rip your eyes o... Hmphhhh! Hmmmphhhhh!!"
Laughing softly, she stepped backward toward the door while holding Chung Myung in place and covering his mouth at the same time.
"Haha... I hope you enjoy your stay in Huayin. The Hebei Peng will always be welcome at Mount Hua."
"Ah... yes."
Bing Seojin simply nodded.
Unfortunately, Chung Myung managed to free himself again.
"Just try setting your filthy foot in... Mmff!!"
"Shut up, you little brat! Ouch!"
She jerked her hand back after he suddenly bit her.
Seizing the opportunity, Chung Myung shouted,
"The only person who's going to marry Sago is Chung Mun Sahyung!"
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting, have you lost your mind?!"
"It's only natural for Mom and Dad to get marri–"
"I'm seriously going to hit you."
Chung Myung groaned as she dragged him away by his ear once again.
Seriously...
If Chung Mun ever heard this conversation, he'd probably pass out from high blood pressure.
An overwhelming silence fell over the restaurant.
...Wow.
The Peng family members turned toward the innkeeper, who had apparently come out at some point to watch the drama unfold. He chuckled warmly, as though he had just witnessed something adorable.
"What a cute kid."
"????"
...Excuse me?
Were they all looking at the world through the same pair of human eyes?
The truly astonishing part was that, despite Chung Myung's relentless interference, the Peng family's marriage proposals continued arriving with unbelievable persistence for a very long time. Even after Chung Myung beat Peng Seojin up.
—
"Hmmm."
A pair of sharp, probing eyes, as keen as blades, examined the man standing stiffly before her while she slowly circled around him.
Cold sweat rolled down his forehead. Yet he didn't even dare raise a hand to wipe it away.
At last, she stopped. Leaning in, she studied him so closely that he instinctively shifted backward in place while staring upward, not at anything in particular, but simply to avoid meeting those eyes that seemed capable of seeing through every layer of his being.
After enduring an ordeal only he could truly appreciate, she finally turned away with a neutral smile and folded her arms.
"Hmm. I like your friend, Myung-ah."
The man frowned and looked away like a child, despite being old enough to have children, perhaps even grandchildren on the way.
"He's not my friend. And don't call me that in front of strangers."
The older woman stared at him silently for a moment. Then a broad smile spread across her face. It never reached her eyes.
"Wonderful. Are you trying to order me around now?"
"Ow, ow! My ear! It's actually going to come off!"
Tang Bo watched the horrifying spectacle of the Sword Saint being completely subdued by nothing more than a slight tug on his ear.
There was no way that actually hurt...
...Right?
Tang Bo flinched when she turned toward him. She hadn't even let go of the other man's ear yet. Still, she smiled as though nothing was happening.
"Elder Tang Bo, right?"
"Huh? Ah... yes."
Tang Bo nodded so vigorously it looked as though he might shake his own head off.
She chuckled softly, a faint trace of harmless teasing coloring her voice.
"Please take care of our Chung Myung. He's a little difficult, but he's actually kind-hearted."
"Ah..."
Tang Bo stared at her for a long moment. Then at the hand holding his friend's ear. Then at the ear being held by the hand of his friend's Sago, the friend who still refused to acknowledge their friendship. Then back at his friend's face, who still refused to acknowl... well, whatever.
She tilted her head slightly, puzzled, though she understood the shock of seeing Chung Myung disciplined after he had just mercilessly beaten someone up.
Tang Bo finally recovered a little and slowly nodded, almost entranced.
There was no denying it.
Watching Chung Myung get scolded was immensely satisfying.
'Poor man...'
Just how many beatings had he suffered already?
At last, Tang Bo opened his mouth.
"Ma'am... may I call you Sago?"
"What!?"
Chung Myung's eyes flew wide open.
He drew his sword before even thinking.
Unfortunately, he couldn't get close because his ear was still firmly restrained.
"What is wrong with this lunatic!? Are you trying to steal someone else's Sago!?! You're not even a disciple of Mount Hua!"
"What does that matter!? I need to train under Sago so I can learn this technique!"
Tang Bo pointed at something. Her eyes widened as she looked at the hand gripping Chung Myung's ear.
Chung Myung froze for a heartbeat.
Then he began wildly swinging his sword like a madman. Tang Bo simply stepped back far enough to avoid being cut.
"You lunatic!! You really have a death wish!!
Die...!!
I'm seriously going to kill you!
Let me go, Sago!!"
"Sago..."
The dim light from the torches scattered throughout the area flickered gently.
It wasn't especially bright, but the warm glow was more than enough for someone to see their surroundings. For a martial artist, it was more than sufficient.
Empty wine jars lay scattered everywhere.
Among them, numerous disciples in white robes embroidered with plum blossoms across the chest sat or sprawled across the ground.
They snored loudly, drooling even...
Just like children.
At some point, Chung Myung had rested his head on the ground after finding himself unable to keep himself upright.
The alcohol flooding his system had overwhelmed his mind and senses far more than usual today.
He slowly shifted his gaze away from the very close ground, to the right.
The sound of his own heavy breathing rang clearly in his ears.
Several wine jars lay beside him.
Either he was seeing double, or he had really drunk several times more than usual.
Chung Myung flinched.
A fresh wave of pain struck his head like a hammer, making him clutch it with a trembling hand.
"Ugh..."
It seemed the latter was the correct answer after all.
Perhaps he should've paid more attention to how much he'd been drinking.
"I really have become addicted after all..."
Chung Myung let out a quiet laugh despite the headache, the dizziness, the pain...
Despite everything.
Slowly, he raised his hand and reached for the wine bottle that still held a little liquor.
Even though he no longer wanted to drink, he raised it anyway and poured the remaining alcohol down his throat. Some of the drink trailed down his chin from the corner of his mouth and dripped on the ground.
Only one thought lingered in the back of his mind.
If he drank enough, maybe Sago would come and scold him.
Can I ask for a continuation? To be precise Chung Myung hallucinating about his elder sister in a funny way or tragic? you choose ahaha And some more flashbacks about him growing up by her side (as a infant, as a kid, teenager, adult ecc.)with she being also kinda crushing over Chung mun? Hope I didn’t over request! Feel free to write as much as you like! Thanks!
Come Back, Tell Me To Stop
[Chung Myung & Reader]
Summary: No amount of alcohol would bring that time back to him, yet he still pushed that drink down his throat anyway.
[A sequel to "A Bad Example"]
WC: 7.3K
Trigger Warning(s): Childcare themes, teething discomfort, underage drinking, mentions of arranged marriage, excessive drinking, emotional longing and grief.
Note: no spoilers included. Also, I'm sorry to say I couldn't imagine Chung Myung's Sago having a crush on Chung Mun, i don't even know why's that.. but instead Chung Myung ships his Sahyung and Sago lol.
And because I just found out there's a limit to words.. I'm gonna reblog this post with the rest of the story.
A/N: I LOVED WRITING THIS ONE I ADORE BABY CHUNG MYUNG HAJSBSKSSNKSNSISBDSK.
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
Tak! Tak! Tak!
Whoosh!
The edge of the wooden sword sliced through the air with swift, razor-sharp precision.
Droplets of sweat scattered with every fierce swing and rapid turn. Faint, yet warm sunlight bathed the ancient, meticulously kept training grounds, while the crisp breeze of late autumn felt pleasantly cool against skin damp and sticky from relentless practice.
"Samae!"
After one final swing of her wooden sword, she finally stopped. Heavy breaths escaped her lungs in quick succession, yet her expression remained calm and resolute.
"Sahyung? Is something wrong?"
A man who appeared a few years older than her approached with a strange expression. She narrowed her eyes slightly as she wiped the sweat dripping from her chin.
"Actually... it's a little weird, um.. you'll understand later but for now, the Sect Leader wishes to see you."
"Huh?"
She froze at those words. Her sahyung noticed the look on her face, yet somehow he seemed even more confused than she was.
That alone made her wonder what could have happened to leave him looking like that.
She could count on one hand the number of times she'd been summoned by the Sect Leader since joining the sect, and she'd still have fingers left over. Most of those occasions had either been to assign her a little mission inside the sect or to receive a lecture from the elders over something idiotic she'd done.
Taking a deep breath, she returned her wooden sword to its proper place.
"I'll go."
"Good luck."
The older disciple watched as the girl ran toward the females bathhouse. She couldn't exactly meet the Sect Leader looking like this.
—
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Come in."
The wooden door let out a faint creak as it slowly opened.
A young girl dressed in the neat, pristine robes of a third grade disciple stepped inside, looking nothing like she had only a short while earlier.
"My greetings to the Sect Leader and the honored elders."
She bowed with one fist pressed into her other palm in a greeting.
The elderly Sect Leader smiled warmly, while the elders seated on either side of him carried themselves with quiet dignity.
"Good morning. How are you today?"
As always, the Sect Leader greeted her kindly. The wrinkles around his eyes deepened into a cheerful smile.
He had always treated her especially well. Still, today he seemed unusually happy.
She hadn't expected this, because the sahyung who had come to fetch her had looked far more bewildered than happy.
"I'm well, as long as the Sect Leader is in good health."
The Sect Leader nodded in satisfaction before gesturing for her to come closer.
She hesitated for a brief moment, catching sight of the vague expressions on the elders' faces.
Her brows furrowed in confusion, but she eventually stepped forward before her hesitation became something disrespectful.
As she approached, she noticed the senior first-generation disciple who had avoided her gaze the entire time. A bead of sweat hung from his cheek.
But what caught her attention most was the infant in his arms.
The child kept reaching enthusiastically toward the man's short beard with tiny, energetic fists.
She immediately looked away.
'I didn't see anything.'
Looking too closely at things only attracted them to you, and usually in a bad way. She had no intention of staring at a baby any longer than necessary.
Still...
It was the only unusual thing in the room. Which meant it was probably the reason she'd been summoned.
...No. She resisted the urge to violently shake her head. Naturally, she only slapped herself mentally. She wasn't about to bring bad luck upon herself.
"I heard you come from a family with somewhat many children."
The Sect Leader asked with a benevolent expression.
The corner of her mouth twitched. It felt as though her stomach had slipped from it's accurate place an inch.
"That's true."
The elders immediately looked away upon hearing how she practically squeezed those words out till her voice was almost unrecognizable.
As though telling the truth were akin to confessing to a crime. Yet lying had never been an option. The Sect Leader nodded with a satisfied smile.
She smiled back, desperately hoping the elderly man wouldn't notice the panic raging inside her.
'Don't say it... Please, please, please...'
Unfortunately, there was no way for the old man to hear the desperate pleas echoing inside her mind.
"Would you be willing to take care of this child?"
'I knew it.'
At that point, she couldn't hide her shock anymore.
Her gaze darted between the Sect Leader and the baby before shifting toward the elders, who suddenly found the farthest wall astonishingly fascinating.
"Um... me?"
"Yes, you!"
She waved both hands helplessly through the air as though trying to organize the chaos that had suddenly erupted inside her head.
"W-wait a moment! I mean... that's far too great a responsibility! I don't know if I'm suitable for something like this!"
She smiled awkwardly while her eyes darted everywhere. Her mind worked frantically to find an escape.
"I'm the youngest here in both age and rank! There are plenty of senior sajos older than me. Surely they'd be far more qualified!"
"Hmm. Actually... I asked them first."
"Huh?"
She stared at the Sect Leader as he stroked his white beard, trying to recall everyone's answers.
"Baek Rin said she's been far too busy with her cultivation lately and she can't stop to take care for the child because it will ruin her progress."
"..."
"Han So has never taken care of a child before... Ah, and little Baek Yoon plans to start working in the Finance Hall, so she won't have any free time either."
The Sect Leader continued listing the other disciples' excuses while trying to remember all their names. What a kind old man...
But that wasn't the point.
Her tightly clenched fist trembled as she remembered those women's faces.
Not a single one of those flimsy excuses would have fooled her. That stupid Baek Yoon hated math to the core! But now she's planning to work at the Finance Hall?!
They had absolutely done it on purpose, fully aware the responsibility would eventually land on her shoulders. And the ignorant male disciples obviously couldn't be trusted with something this important.
Her trembling gaze slowly shifted toward the infant, who stared at everything around him as though the entire world were endlessly fascinating.
She quickly looked away again as dread crept into her heart. If any of the elders had asked, she could have invented an excuse just like everyone else and escaped.
But because it was the Sect Leader himself...
That was much harder. No matter how shameless someone was, surely they couldn't be that shameless.
"W-Well... I suppose I can try."
"Wonderful!"
Her shoulders slumped in defeat as the Sect Leader laughed happily.
The first-generation disciple approached with an apologetic expression, as though he truly sympathized with her.
Even so, he eagerly placed the child into her arms.
"His name is Chung Myung."
"Chung...?"
She looked at her sasuk in confusion before turning toward the Sect Leader.
If they'd already given him a taoist name, that explained why sending him somewhere else had never even been considered.
Still...
That wasn't what concerned her most.
"Does this mean we're already accepting disciples of the Chung line?"
"Hm? No, not yet."
The Sect Leader shook his head, making her relax slightly.
This elderly man had helped her escape some troublesome situations over the few years she's been here. She wasn't sure whether the next Sect Leader would tolerate her the way he had.
She cautiously glanced toward the senior disciple of the Hyun generation, who looked strangely wounded by her reaction. Without hesitation, she looked away again.
Eventually, her eyes settled on the infant.
He laughed energetically while waving his tiny fists around with absolutely no control over them. Which was, admittedly, perfectly normal.
A pair of bright pink eyes, reminiscent of plum blossoms, sparkled as they looked up at her.
She was briefly taken aback by how beautiful and vivid the color was.
"Chung Myung-ah."
She tilted her head slightly and frowned when the baby burst into delighted "wahh"s and "oogh"s as though he'd understood she'd called his name.
Impossible.
Still, it wasn't particularly important whether he was an unusually clever baby or not. She only needed to endure this for a little while.
Later, she'd simply tell the Sect Leader she'd honestly tried but couldn't handle the responsibility. Then the work would be passed on to someone else.
Whether they liked it or not.
—
"Hello there, you little brat~"
"Waaagh!"
Baby Chung Myung squealed happily the moment the familiar smiling face appeared before him.
He blinked curiously when it disappeared behind her hands again.
"Boo!"
"Waaah!"
The baby enthusiastically flailed both tiny fists like a fledgling trying to take flight.
"Just look at yourself, Samae."
The amusement vanished from her face as she shot the older disciples a sharp glare. The damned sajos she's holding grudges against.
They weren't fazed by the glare in the slightest. Instead, they simply laughed.
"Looks like you really adore little Chung Myung."
"Shut up, Sajo! What kind of nonsense is that!?"
Her fists clenched tightly. One of the disciples behind the others leaned over with a stupid grin.
"Who would've thought our little sister had such a soft side for kids~"
The female disciples burst into laughter.
She trembled with rage. Then, unexpectedly, she took a deep breath and calmed down. The laughter gradually died.
The girls looked at her suspiciously.
"What's wrong with you all of a sudden...?"
"Hm. I knew I'd eventually need this."
The disciples stiffened as she reached toward something nearby. She carefully picked it up...
It was a dirty diaper.
Their faces instantly turned pale.
They instinctively stumbled several steps backward while she rose to her feet, smiling like a mischievous devil.
"Come here, you bastards..."
"Stay back! Samae! We're your sajos!!"
One of them desperately tried pulling rank. Unfortunately, that wasn't a particularly wise move.
Since when had Mount Hua ever cared that much about hierarchy? At least not among disciples of the same generation, who were practically siblings.
Still smiling, she drew her arm back.
"Careful. I don't think all of these are fastened properly."
"H-helppp!!"
The traitor disciples of the Baek generation fled in terror from their youngest sister, who chased after them laughing like a demon with several dirty diapers clutched in one hand like a weapon.
That day, the disciples of Mount Hua discovered something far worse than climbing Mount Hua for the very first time.
—
"Waaah! Waaah! WAAAAAH!!"
"Ugh... what's wrong now?"
She sluggishly climbed out of bed after her mistress called for her.
Everything around her was cloaked in darkness.
She opened the residence's door she shared with her mistress just enough for the pale moonlight illuminating the corridors outside to spill into the room.
She headed toward the bed that had been set aside for the child in her care, brushing her messy, tousled hair out of the way. With a sleepy sigh, she scooped up the crying Chung Myung, yawned, stepped out of her room, and then out of the residence.
She didn't really know what was happening.
Her drowsy mind was far too sluggish to think properly. All she knew was that his unbelievably loud cries would wake everyone in and near the residence if they continued, so she had to get him outside before the inevitable chorus of complaints began.
"What on earth is wrong?"
She frowned, gently patting his back as she paced back and forth, trying to soothe him.
But the child only cried louder into her shoulder until it felt as though her eardrum would burst at any moment.
She lifted him slightly to look at his face.
Chung Myung's chubby little face was scrunched up tightly. Seeing tears rolling down his cheeks was indescribably upsetting.
"If only I knew what was bothering you."
She tilted her head as she murmured to herself, not expecting an answer. The baby before her knew only how to cry and laugh to express what he wanted.
She checked his diaper first. It was clean.
So she headed to the kitchen, wondering if he was simply hungry.
With considerable difficulty, she managed to prepare a bottle of milk using only one hand.
Finally, she placed it in his tiny hands and watched as he calmed down slightly while trying to grip it before bringing the tip to his mouth.
She sighed in relief as his crying gradually subsided.
So it was just late-night hunger after all?
Little Chung Myung chewed on the soft tip for a moment before...
"Ow!"
She flinched with a yelp when he threw the wooden bottle straight into her face.
Opening her eyes in annoyance, she looked at the bottle that had rolled across the floor, possibly cracked, then back at the child, who had resumed crying with renewed determination.
She sighed.
Then paused. Something caught her attention.
Adjusting her hold so she could support him with one arm, she reached a hand toward his face.
The instant Chung Myung sensed it, he grabbed her hand and immediately shoved one of her fingers into his mouth.
Crunch!
Her eyes widened.
It was as though she had just uncovered one of the universe's greatest secrets.
She could feel something hard pressing against her finger. Something that definitely hadn't been there before.
"Are you teething?"
She stared at the child in astonishment.
Naturally, he didn't answer.
But at least he'd stopped crying now that he'd found something to chew on and soothe his aching gums with, aside from the occasional hiccup and the tears that still clung to his lashes.
Her chest tightened slightly.
With a quiet sigh, she gently pulled her finger away.
Chung Myung reached after it with both tiny hands before bursting into tears again.
She hurried back into the kitchen and grabbed a green onion.
After washing it thoroughly and making sure it was perfectly clean, she finally handed it to the crying child.
Chung Myung stuffed one end of it into his mouth and began chewing.
Slowly, the crying faded again, leaving behind only soft, intermittent sniffles.
At last, she sat down on the step outside the kitchen door and let out a deep sigh as she gazed at the moon shining overhead.
Then she looked down at the child in her arms.
Instead of complaining that she'd been forced to wake up because someone else's baby that she's stupid enough to take care of instead of passing the responsibility on to someone else, happened to be teething, she carefully reached out and wiped the tear stains from his round cheeks.
"I think I'm doing a pretty good job... for someone who doesn't even like children."
She lifted her head and sighed for what had to be the hundredth time that night. Gently rocking him in her arms, she began humming a soft lullaby. She kept humming until he finally drifted into a deep sleep.
Even then, Chung Myung kept the green onion in his mouth, lazily chewing on it every now and then in his sleep.
Without realizing it, a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
—
"Chung Myung-ah~ Come to Sago~"
She waved both hands to catch the child's attention.
Chung Myung turned toward her with bright, sparkling eyes, struggling to control his tiny limbs just enough to crawl in her direction.
Slowly...
Closer.
Closer still...
"Waaah!"
Like a runner crossing the finish line, Chung Myung slapped his tiny hand against the knee she had resting on the ground.
Tap!
"Yay! Chung Myung-ah!!"
"Yayayayaya!!"
"You've finished today's crawling practice. Good job!"
Chung Myung squealed happily, waving both arms as she lifted him high into the air and spun him around.
His tiny feet kicked wildly while he laughed so hard he could barely breathe.
"My little hero Chung Myung! Aren't you just so strong!"
He laughed even harder when she pulled him close and tickled his tummy with the tip of her nose.
"Waaah! Ahahaha! Nooo!!"
She froze.
Pulling him back just enough to look at him, she stared as he continued giggling, still caught in the lingering aftereffects of the tickling.
"Wow... did you just say 'no'?"
Wouldn't that count as his first word?
Assuming "Yaaay!" and "Weee!" didn't qualify as actual words and were merely sound effects. Tilting her head, she examined him thoughtfully.
"Hmm... what kind of little rascal are you going to grow up into if that's your first word?"
She chuckled to herself.
If anyone could predict this child's future, surely it would be the person who had raised him.
A thought crossed her mind.
She frowned, glanced around to make sure the training grounds were empty except for the two of them, then looked back at the babbling child.
A faint blush crept onto her cheekbones.
"Can you say 'Sago'?"
She emphasized the word.
The child blinked as though hearing it for the very first time even though it's definitely not.
"Sago~?"
"Woghh?"
"Wee...?"
"Weeeeeeeeee!!"
Chung Myung repeated the same sound effect, somehow adding even more enthusiasm each time. She let out an exasperated sigh.
"Sago?"
"Sasoo."
Did he just, almost say "sasuk"?
"You ungrateful little brat."
"Hahahaha!!"
The child clapped happily as though she'd praised him instead of scolding him.
Shaking her head, she held him more securely before walking toward the edge of the training grounds.
She set him back down, not to crawl this time. Instead, she sat him on his bottom.
"Alright. Stay here. Sago's going to train."
"Yayayayyyy!!"
The child waved both fists before clapping excitedly. It almost seemed as though he understood exactly what was happening.
Which, in a way, he did.
Watching her train had become part of their daily routine. At first, she'd worried that caring for him would interfere with her own training.
Instead, she discovered that the child was fascinated by the graceful movements of the sword. Whenever he saw someone swing a sword, his pink eyes would lock on them instantly.
She wasn't sure whether all children were naturally drawn to bright and strong displays of movements... or whether this was something unique about Chung Myung.
Every time her sword formed blooming plum blossoms, he laughed with delight, even though her technique was still incomplete.
She still had a long way to go before reaching the level of her Sasuks, whose plum blossoms looked almost alive.
Petals that were normally as sharp and deadly as blades drifted gracefully through the air with each swing of her wooden sword.
When Chung Myung stretched out his tiny hands toward one drifting petal, he stared curiously as it settled softly into his palm before slowly fading away.
It seemed Chung Myung really liked plum blossoms.
—
"Here comes the little birdie!"
"Waaah!"
The child eagerly opened his food-smeared mouth wide for the next spoonful.
"Nom nom~"
"Nomnomnom..."
She smiled so broadly that her white teeth showed when she heard him imitate the new sound effect he'd recently learned.
Wasn't their Chung Myung-ah just the cutest?
Unfortunately, that adorable little menace refused the next spoonful.
Her eyebrow twitched. She shifted slightly and tried again.
He refused.
Again.
And again.
The spoon only ended up smearing food across his stubbornly shut lips while he responded with muffled little hums and tiny indignant "Hmph!" sounds.
Only after she pulled the spoon away did he finally open his chatterbox mouth.
"Ka!"
Her eyes twitched, once again.
She immediately realized what he was trying to say. Which explained why shifted a little bit earlier, she'd been trying to block the table behind her with her body.
Unfortunately...
She'd been too late.
"No, Chung Myung-ah. No mooncake until you finish your food."
"Ka! Kaka!!"
"Finish your meal first or you'll be shortie forever."
He turned his head away to avoid the spoon. She clicked her tongue.
"Tsk. What a stubborn little brat."
Sighing in defeat, she set the bowl aside and reached for the tiny mooncakes that looked as though they'd been made specifically for a child to hold in his little hands.
His eyes lit up.
Drool practically pooled in his mouth as he stared at the cakes being brought toward him.
"Hahahahaha!!"
Chung Myung clapped happily before grabbing the cake and stuffing it straight into his face. She sighed as she watched his puffed-up cheeks working busily.
Who could possibly know the hardships she'd gone through just to get those mooncakes onto the table?
The greedy little rascal had insisted on eating the whole mooncake in a single bite before. He'd nearly choked once because of that.
So she'd decided to make miniature ones herself. The problem was that nowhere in Huayin sold a mold small enough.
In the end, she'd painstakingly carved one herself from a block of wood after countless failed attempts.
"Nomnomnomnomnom!"
And now...
The little brat devoured all her hard work in mere minutes.
Without noticing, she smiled as she rested her chin against her palm.
"I really don't think you need all that extra energy from sweets..."
The little rascal was already overflowing with energy even on an empty stomach.
—
"Say hello to your first brother, Chung Myung-ah~"
She lowered the child just enough so he was at eye level with the twelve-year-old boy.
With obvious curiosity shining in his large eyes, Chung Myung stared at Chung Mun, who had only recently joined Mount Hua.
"Say hello to Sahyung!"
"Sahyung, hello!!"
The two-year-old beamed, showing off his tiny white teeth as he waved enthusiastically at Chung Mun.
Chung Mun stared at him for quite a while.
It was surprising enough to see a child this young already living in a sect like Mount Hua, especially after hearing from some that he's not some elder's child or anything like that.
Especially when he'd joined Mount Hua immediately after the sect begun accepting disciples—the word hadn't even spread wide and he was already at the front gate. He wouldn't have been so surprised if he found out someone came before him, but it was a different case when finding out it's a two-year old.
She seemed to read his thoughts and smiled knowingly.
"We found Chung Myung-ah on our doorstep when he was just a little baby."
"O-Oh... I..."
"Please take good care of your little brother."
Chung Mun looked at his Sago for a moment after she interrupted his apology for staring in confusion for so long, something quite unlike him, considering he had always been praised for his composure and keen judgment.
He looked back at the adorable child and smiled.
"I certainly will."
"Good. It seems he already likes you... Chung Mun-ah."
"Yes!"
When Chung Mun had replied with "Yes!" and "I certainly will," this was definitely not what the poor boy had imagined.
"Chung Myung-ah... my hair..."
"Hehehehehe."
The child paid no attention whatsoever to his new Sahyung's suffering.
Somehow, he had managed to climb onto Chung Mun's shoulders and was enthusiastically rocking back and forth while gripping handfuls of his hair.
If he grabbed anything else instead... it'd be Chung Mun's ears.
Their Sago smiled in satisfaction as she rubbed her sore scalp. She looked as though she were saying, "At last, I have a junior disciple I can enslave... I mean, who can help me."
"Don't worry, Mun-ah. You might think you're going to end up with bald spots, but this is actually excellent training for strengthening your hair follicle muscles."
'Hair follicles don't have muscles, Sago...'
She's either gone mad or is mocking him... or is impossibly stupid. In that single moment, Chung Mun caught a glimpse of both his immediate future and his distant future.
One with this crazy Sago...
...and the little gremlin who had learned to climb before he had even learned to walk.
—
"Sago!"
Her room's door slammed open.
She glanced sideways at the child storming in with long strides that weren't actually long because that's how short his legs were.
There was only one person who would barge into her residence like this, shouting at the top of his lungs at such a late hour while wearing loose sleepwear with his hair sticking out in every direction.
He glared at her so furiously that the veins at the corners of his eyes bulged.
For one sincere moment, she wondered how her adorable little child had grown into this furious little goblin.
Was this karma for shamelessly exploiting poor Chung Mun?
"What?"
She frowned at the little brat, whose head barely rose above the height of her bed.
"Sahyung said that old man is going to teach me! Why!? WHY!!?"
The sheer ferocity behind that "WHY!?" was remarkable coming from a child. Was he talking about Baek Oh Sasuk?
"What exactly is your problem with Baek Oh Sasuk?"
She sat up against the bedframe, folded her arms after setting aside the booklet she'd been reading.
The more they talked about the man, the sourer Chung Myung's face became.
"I don't like him! He's so annoying! Annoying, annoying! I want to punch him in the face!"
Well... That was understandable, to some extent.
A free-spirited little rascal like Chung Myung, blessed with what seemed like endless energy, had always been surrounded by easygoing people.
The previous Sect Leader.
Poor current Sect Leader. Yes, thankfully he was also easy on Chung Myung.
And obviously, herself.
Even Chung Mun, who outwardly appeared strict, secretly adored Chung Myung and treated him differently from everyone else.
Baek Oh, however, was the very first truly strict person in his life, or maybe he's just trying to act strict with him.
He never spoiled Chung Myung.
Moving into Baek Oh's residence had been an enormous turning point for him.
To a child whose entire world had been Mount Hua it was almost like moving to another home. Or perhaps even another city.
She drew a deep breath before suddenly shouting,
"Get over here!!"
"AAAAAHHHHH!!"
The little boy let out a terrified scream when she caught him completely off guard.
The instant his back hit the soft mattress, he attempted an astonishingly swift escape. An impressive talent.
Unfortunately, a child was still a child.
His panicked shrieks transformed into uncontrollable hysterical laughter the moment her evil fingers reached his vulnerable sides.
"Help! Hel-ahahahahaha!!"
"What kind of brat frowns at his Sago like that, hm!? I'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget!"
Every now and then she exaggerated little cries of pain whenever he kicked her or punched her with his tiny fists in futile attempts to escape.
His loud laughter eventually infected her as well. No matter how hard she tried to keep frowning, the corners of her mouth betrayed her first.
At last, she released him once she decided he had suffered enough. His exhausted little limbs immediately flopped in every direction.
He looked like a giant starfish.
His tiny chest rose and fell rapidly as he panted.
His cheeks, full of baby fat, had turned bright red from all the blood rushing through them.
Most importantly... That awful scowl, which had never suited his adorable face in the first place, had finally disappeared.
She threw herself down beside him.
He looked back at her with those wide, innocent eyes that quietly followed her every movement.
Now that he'd calmed down, the childish exhaustion lingering within them finally became visible. It was rare to see him this tired. Had Baek Oh really pushed him to his limits today?
She smiled, setting those thoughts aside for the moment.
Then she pulled the blanket over him.
He looked at her in surprise.
"You can sleep with Sago tonight, Myung-ah."
The corners of his eyes crinkled with excitement the instant he processed her words.
That sudden rush of happiness made him kick both feet wildly while throwing his arms into the air with all the enthusiasm only a child could possess.
Wow.
Children really were incredible sometimes. He could still do that even when tired.
"Yayyyy!!"
"Yes. Yay."
She laughed softly and wrapped both arms around his tiny body.
The child, longing for the familiar warmth of affection, nestled against her without hesitation. His small body buried itself in her embrace. His eyelids fluttered shut in record time.
Within only a few minutes, his quiet breathing filled the room despite his determined attempts to stay awake by starting one pointless conversation after another.
Finally, she blew out the candle beside the bed.
Then she placed a gentle kiss on the crown of his head.
I'm sure that Cheong Myeong is one hell of a spiteful bastard in some aspects. He doesn't care how much time has passed– if you haven't apologized or realized your mistake, he'll bring it up every time he sees you. His memory might be bad in general, but he remembers serious offenses perfectly.
"The Sect Leader of Mount Hua looks kind of off, have you noticed? I heard he's weaker than the second generation," said some guy from the Namgung to his neighbor.
They were staying in their seats before the tournament hosted by the Tang Clan.
After his friend's nod, the guy continued.
"Well, he's quite young, isn't he? He only recently became the sect leader. Rumor has it, he pushed his way into the sect leader position through..."
A strong blow to the head with something knocked all the air out of the guy's lungs. Turning sharply, he realized it had been a bottle.
A guy from Mount Hua was staring at him without blinking and made a hand gesture as if slitting his own throat.
"What a bastard! Who is that?!"
"...The young talent of Mount Hua."
"That very one? I thought he was more cultured! Look, he's drilling holes into me with his stare now!"
"Forget it, what can he do to you? You're the best disciple of the second generation of the Namgung. You'll win."
...
After kicking and simultaneously spitting on the beaten and buried bastard, Cheong Myeong twisted his face.
"Apology. Quickly."
But nothing followed.
"Are you deaf? You want more..! Ah."
The guy was unconscious.
"Cheong Myeong! You've won, come here."
"Tsk. You got lucky."
* * *
"Hyung, according to the directions from the base, the battle should be... here."
Tang Bo fell silent when they finally reached the place.
"Well, those guys from the Namgung got tossed around pretty good." said the Dark Lord, looking around.
Cheong Myeong hummed.
"Oh, look! Someone survived here."
"Survived such a carnage?"
Cheong Myeong approached the man lying face-down on the ground. When Tang Bo carefully turned him over, Cheong Myeong narrowed his eyes, and then exclaimed loudly.
"That scumbag again! Too bad he didn't croak and go to his damn mother! Bastard, he hasn't changed at all. Tang Bo, drop him and let's go!"
"...I don't know what he did to you, but I'm scared. How about you forget your grudges for now, and we quickly hand him over to the base and that's it."
Rolling his eyes, Cheong Myeong reluctantly nodded.
"Pass it on to him later that he needs to send a written apology. Or better yet, come begging on his knees."
Tang Bo rolled his eyes, threw the man onto his back, soaking his green robes in blood.
Cheong Myeong continued to drill holes into him with his gaze.
* * *
"...And this ancestor was a great man and..." Namgung Dowi spoke proudly, until he was interrupted by a serious voice.
"He was a bitch."
All the nearby sect leaders, not understanding such a sudden shift in mood, also opened their eyes in shock.
"Dojang?! But... why?"
"That victim of his parents' close-relative union dared to insult the Great Cheong Mun, the Sect Leader of Mount Hua who lived a hundred years ago. It happened at a tournament between the sects a hundred and fifty years ago. And he never apologized."
"...I don't want to know how you know that. But thank you that, despite this, you still helped the Namgung family."
"Ah. When I was helping, I just forgot about it."
"..."
"Haha! Old age is no joy, at my age after all! It slipped my mind."
There are multiple ways Cheongmyeong thought this little walk would go.
"Okay, which kid from 2022 owns this harry potter core, dream-shifting I am in rn!?"
Meeting a stranger speaking in a foreign language is not one of them.
IN WHICH the protagonist of Return of the Mount Hua Sect finds a foreigner in the middle of the woods. Despite the strange encounter, Chung Myung finds himself in the middle of a great dilemma. His sahyungs tell him to ignore it, yet it only leads him to question the foreign woman. At first glance, she seems normal, the picture of the perfect victim everyone is doting over. But after one thing she said, Chung Myung realizes there is more to her than what meets the eye, and it is up to him to unravel the mystery of her existence.
Perhaps this isn't so simple at all. For how can he even begin; when they are already LOST IN TRANSLATION?
TAGS: attempt at humor, attempt at historical accuracy, Chinese culture, crack, fluff, angst, horror, modern references, historical era, PBSS era, saxophones slowly getting louder as the story goes, love-hate relationship, foreign reader, female reader, reader retains her original age, Chung Myung's POV, Chung Myung is a Little Shit, reader needs a hug.
WARNINGS: injuries, attempted suicide, death, mentions of human trafficking, kidnapping, harassment, graphic depictions of murder, profanity, period-typical racism, period-typical sexism.
DISCLAIMER: this is a work of fiction! This is also a side story of an existing fanfic, How to Kill a Plum Blossom. All characters (aside from yourself) belong to the rightful owner.
English is not my first language so there may be grammatical errors that I overlooked while editing. This fanfic may also have an ooc Chung Myung, please forgive me for any mistakes to his character— but I'll do my best!
♡ྀི NOW PLAYING // "About You" by The 1975
"Why does she look at me like that? It is as if she has me all figured out; like she knows something that I should have realized long ago. I want to know too! I want to be let in on her thoughts and secrets. If only her eyes were not so... mesmerizing" - Chung Myung in "Lost in Translation"
CHAPTERS!(*ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈) ꕤ*.ﾟ
01. My name is Pink and I'm really glad to meet you
02. You're recommended to me by some people
03. Hey, ooh... is this illegal?
04. Hey, ooh... it feels illegal
A/N: I'm taking college entrance exams in a few weeks kill me neow!! Anyways, are any of you proud of me and this format? I spent too much time on this so I want some applause 🙏🙏. Go comment "PEAK COMEDY" if you ever laughed while reading any of these chapters.
This fanfic is inspired from an anon that requested to see the reader and Chung Myung from the PBSS era interact. Now, I don't know what made you think they'll get along because *checks drafts* they highkey hate each other 🤡. It's okay tho, I'll still write whatever you want dear.
If y'all couldn't tell from the first sentence, I haven't given y'all an update cause I was busy studying for college entrance exams (yes, I'm an unfortunate slave to the education system). Genuinely pls pray for me and my exams— the results will determine whether these fics will be discontinued due to my untimely death or a 100 chapter(s) update /srs.
Ay I just remembered the 'ocean' fic u wrote, where reader is a mermaid and blah blah, but I gotta know, what if Chung Myung sees us with our tail out in the ocean? Like both got kidnapped and were on a ship, said ship collapses bc of storm or whatever, and we fall into the sea, and our tail is out, poof! And the clothes would be gone too (the robes, so it'll be replaced by those fancy ass pearl bras or whatever, but the sect uniform would reappear when she dries up)
Now, how would he act when he sees a nearly bare woman like that? And it's READER? His crush?!?!
Pretty Like Pearls
[Chung Myung x Reader]
[A sequel to "Plum Blossoms And Ocean"]
Summary: The thought that he's never once seen her tail never once crossed his mind, untill now.
WC: 2.7K
Trigger Warning(s): attempted kidnapping, slave trading, physical violence (combat scene), Chung Myung accidentally stabbing someone's crotch lmfao, drowning peril, brief nudity (non-sexual, contextual).
Note: there's no magical bra cuz it gave me barbie movie vibe (and also I'm not a big fan of magic for some reason even I donno) tho dw I don't think a mermaid has nips so reader in mermaid form doesn't have them... source is trust me bro.
A/N: I still can't believe I actually wrote a mermaid story without including a single mermaid scene and so thanks to Roye for this request, and sorry it took so long haha..
—
The rapid, urgent sound of footsteps struck against the sharp stone edge of the pier, thick with the refreshing scent of salt from the sea.
"Tsk!"
Chung Myung clicked his tongue in irritation before he even realized it. His fist tightened as he watched the ship sailing farther away.
Even from this distance, it was obvious that chaos had erupted aboard the vessel, meaning she was still resisting at least. But judging by the number of people on board, it wouldn't be long before they restrained her completely.
Chung Myung grabbed his hair as if he were about to tear it out.
"Sahyung is going to kill me!"
Everyone knew that countless eyes were on that woman, especially people connected to the underworld. Word that Mount Hua possessed a mermaid had long spread through those circles, even if very few knew what she actually looked like.
That was why Chung Mun had forbidden her from leaving the sect, even after she was no longer a third-class disciple. If she wished to go outside, she first had to become strong enough, and she always had to travel with companions.
The problem was that although that brat had already become a second grade disciple, her martial ability had not yet been officially approved by the elders. And Chung Myung happened to be one of the companions Chung Mun refused to count as supervision.
He was a man who needed someone to supervise him. How was anyone supposed to trust him with keeping an eye on somebody else?
Aaand he's just proved that was right.
"Damn all of this."
Chung Myung kicked off his shoes in panic as the figures aboard the ship became too distant to make out. Then, he dove into the water.
Nobody knew it yet, but it was said that the violent waves he blasted behind him that day would one day inspire someone to invent jet engines.
Chung Myung drove himself through the sea with savage strokes, propelling himself forward at a speed he hadn't imagined he could reach.
Fear of punishment truly worked wonders.
The moment he got close enough, he drew his sword and drove it horizontally into the ship's hull, using it as a foothold.
He launched upward like an arrow.
He clicked his tongue at the thought of abandoning his sword, but this wasn't a situation where he could hesitate.
His Sajil was up there alone.
And those greedy bastards had surrounded her.
The commotion fell silent the instant Chung Myung landed on the ship's railing. Water dripped steadily from his soaked clothes, spreading across the dark wooden deck beneath his feet.
His eyes immediately found the center of a crowd of at least thirty men.
She looked back at him.
His foolish Sajil was still struggling like a cornered beast despite already having her hands tied.
"Sasuk!"
She smiled at him with tear-filled eyes as though she hadn't been spitting venom moments earlier.
But the pitiful act vanished the instant one of them tried to secretly take away her sword that hung from her waist.
She kicked him square in the chin while rolling her eyes.
"No, you bastard! Want to die!?"
'Maybe I should go back.'
The thought lasted all of two seconds before Chung Myung sighed, remembering Chung Mun.
He stepped down from the railing and glanced over the mix of ordinary sailors and slave traders who looked more like street thugs than merchants or anything related to trading.
Then he punched the first man who dared approach him.
The unfortunate man flew backward into his companions, purely by coincidence, of course.
Several of the men surrounding her were knocked away, giving her more room to fight back.
Chung Myung looked down at the cheap sword he'd stolen from one of the slave traders and clicked his tongue.
It was a terrible sword.
But it would do.
"You bastard!!"
The armed slave traders charged, eyes blazing with rage. Chung Myung greeted them with an even angrier expression.
"Bastardddd!? Who are you calling a bastard, you sons of a bitch!? You ruin someone's outing and then get angry about it!?"
He swung the sword like a madman while shouting.
"Die! Die!!"
"Aaagh!"
She jumped aside as another man came flying toward her.
She stared at him for a moment before spitting.
Then she hurried toward Chung Myung.
"Sahyung! Sahyung! Over here!"
She turned around, raising her bound hands.
With one swift, fluid slash, Chung Myung cut through the ropes.
Her hands were free.
A tiny tear glistened in her eye as she smiled. Then she drew her sword, wearing a grin worthy of a devil.
"I'll show you bastards who's selling whom!"
Chung Myung sighed after smashing another man's skull while watching that vengeful spirit leap straight into the terrified slave traders, who instinctively backed away at the sight of her expression.
He almost said, "You shouldn't say you're going to sell people" but honestly... Who was Chung Myung to force strange human morals onto a non-human?
Sometimes he forgot the little brat wasn't actually human.
'Still... if she's living among humans, shouldn't she at least follow their standards?'
Chung Myung rubbed his chin while absentmindedly stabbing his sword into the wrong place.
He covered his mouth and looked at the man who staggered backward while clutching his thighs.
"Oh... damn. That wasn't intentional."
He cleared his throat and charged back into the chaos of sailors and slave traders. Then he froze.
The deck lurched violently beneath his feet.
In other words...
The ship had shaken.
As though it had struck something.
"..."
"C-Check below!"
someone shouted in panic.
Several sailors sprinted toward the stairs leading below deck, only to stumble and tumble as the ship tilted even farther. One of them barely managed to make it downstairs.
Moments later, his terrified voice echoed back up.
"We... we've hit a rocky outcrop! Water's pouring in like crazy!"
"What!? How did that happen!?"
Someone roared in fury and turned toward the helmsman.
The helmsman...
Who wasn't even at the wheel, having joined the chaos himself.
"What is this madness!?"
"Get the lifeboats! Prepare the life—"
Everyone froze.
The sound of splintering wood echoed across the deck. Slowly... They turned toward the source, dreading what they were about to see. Unfortunately...
"Y-You lunatic!?"
Chung Myung was the first to shout in shock.
The men were charging toward his Sajil... who had already smashed every single oar. And was now busy punching holes through the lifeboats.
"You dogs can drown! Did you really think you could try selling someone and walk away alive!?"
The hatred burning in her eyes was impossible to hide. Not that she made any attempt to.
She drew her sword again and rushed the men, who had failed to save even a single boat.
'She really needs to learn some human values.'
Like considering other people, such as themselves. It would've been nice if they could've returned to shore in a boat instead of swimming again. He could still taste the salty water in his mouth.
"Sasuk, let's go!"
she called after finally escaping the men chasing her with murder in their eyes.
She grabbed Chung Myung's wrist and pulled him along.
"Tsk. This brat."
Chung Myung frowned as she dragged him into a leap off the side of the ship.
Still, he didn't resist. There was no point staying aboard any longer.
During the brief moment they were suspended in the air, Chung Myung saw it, a little far away in the water. His eyes widened for a split second.
Then they crashed into the sea, sending water spraying in every direction. Less than a minute later, Chung Myung climbed aboard a small boat.
He looked around and frowned. The water wasn't completely calm, but there wasn't the slightest sign of movement.
She couldn't have drowned...
Right?
'History would record the first case of a fish drowning.'
And Chung Myung would become the witness to such a miracle.
Cold sweat spread across his forehead. His hands reached for the edge of the boat, ready to throw himself back into the sea.
At the last moment, however, he noticed an unnatural disturbance on the water's surface.
Slowly...
Something approached the boat.
Chung Myung leaned over the edge and narrowed his eyes at the wavering figure right under the surface.
The tip of a head covered in hair emerged first. Then an entire head broke the surface.
"Sasuk."
"I thought you'd drowned."
She let out a mocking snort at his ridiculous joke.
"Were you going to come save me?"
"Again? I wouldn't have had much choice."
Chung Myung tilted his head helplessly with a faint smile, earning a small laugh from her.
"I almost felt sorry for you."
She pushed the wet hair away from her face with one hand.
Then she held out what she was carrying.
Without thinking, Chung Myung accepted it.
Her sheathed sword, his own sword, which he'd left embedded in the ship, and a pair of oars.
Chung Myung hummed.
"I thought you didn't use the thing in your head."
"Hey!"
She frowned but at the same time stuck both hands out of the water and on the edge of the boat.
Chung Myung immediately set everything down and quickly pulled her aboard, causing the little boat to rock.
The smile slowly disappeared from Chung Myung's face.
The tip of a mermaid's tail flicked through the water before rising into view.
Sunlight shimmered across smooth white scales that lookes so much like pearls.
The fin at the end was a little translucent at its edges, and it delicately frilled like a piece of silk.
For the first time, Chung Myung realized he had never actually seen her tail before.
Strangely enough, the thought had never crossed his mind. Honestly, he thought that the "half fish half human" was an exaggeration and the mermaids still looked just like humans even in water.
His jaw slowly dropped.
The long tail draped over the edge of the boat, its tip occasionally dipping back into the water.
"Sasuk? Are you really just going to leave me hanging?"
Chung Myung looked down with eyes still wide. Only then did he realize he'd been gripping her far too tightly.
He immediately let go, yet not a second passed before his face turned pale again.
"H-Hey!?"
He hurriedly stripped off his outer robe and threw it over her face.
Turning away with a flushed expression, he shouted,
"What happened to your clothes!?"
"Tch. Humans..."
She rolled her eyes in annoyance as he retreated to the opposite side of the boat.
Leaning against the edge, she flicked her chin toward the water.
Startled, Chung Myung looked where she indicated.
Several torn, tattered pieces of cloth floated across the surface.
Had he not known better, he never would've guessed they had once been her clothes.
"I didn't know because I'd never gone into the sea wearing clothes before. They tore apart and got in my way, so I got rid of them."
"...I see."
Chung Myung narrowed his eyes at the girl now covered with his outer robe he'd never be able to touch again knowing it one day touched her skin like that. The thought just sounds wrong.
She simply frowned at him.
"Hmph."
"..."
Why was she angry now?
Chung Myung stared at her in confusion for a moment, unable to come up with a logical explanation.
The problem wasn't exactly him.
No man could ever fully understand the way a woman thought, especially in situations like this. And it seems that not only human females are hard for men to understand..
Her frown deepened as she gazed out across the endless shades of blue.
Truthfully, she did feel a little nostalgic.
But she didn't feel an overwhelming urge to return.
She had jumped into the sea so quickly earlier because she knew that if she hesitated, she might lose her nerve.
From the short time she'd spent among humans, she'd learned that they struggled to accept anything unusual. She hadn't wanted anyone to see her like this if it could be avoided.
Then he'd reacted like that.
Just as he couldn't completely understand her, her half fish brain had struggled to understand exactly why he'd panicked.
In the end, her subconscious reached a single conclusion.
He had been horrified by her appearance.
'I should kill him.'
Yes.
Even if her Sasuk was unmatched, she was sure she'd be able to catch him off guard if she found the right opportunity.
A moment later, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
Her frown disappeared before she even realized it.
She turned her head to look at him directly and narrowed her eyes as she noticed the way he kept staring at her tail, still dripping with seawater.
"What?"
Chung Myung looked up.
She instinctively leaned back when he met her with that strange gaze, one he didn't even bother trying to hide, as though it were perfectly normal.
"Is that really your tail?"
"...What kind of question is that?"
"Well... I always thought people were being silly when they said 'fish tail.' But it's literally a fish tail."
She opened and closed her mouth several times, unable to think of any response.
I mean...
How was anyone supposed to answer that?
A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead as she watched him casually reach out and grab the fin.
It really looked like silk. It was smooth and slippery beneath his fingers.
"Wow... it really smells like a fish."
'Maybe because I'm half fish?'
She looked utterly bewildered while he smiled, running his fingers over the gleaming white scales that sparkled beneath the sunlight.
"Do all mermaids have tails this long?"
"Huh... no..."
She stared at him for a moment, a little surprised he's noticed, before looking away, feeling slightly embarrassed by his sudden fascination.
"My sisters say... a long tail like this is considered beautiful... like, in standards."
"Your sisters? You have sisters?"
"Not by blood. Mermaids usually call each other sisters... Or maybe I just can't find a human word that's closer to what we actually call one another."
"Hmm."
She looked back at him.
His fingers occasionally slipped beneath the translucent fin, where he silently admired the distorted outline of his fingers through it.
Other times he simply traced the smooth white scales, as though the gentle texture of their tiny ridges soothed him.
"When will you turn back into your normal form?"
'You mean my human form... since this should technically be my normal form...'
She'd been born this way, but whatever. She swallowed the comment along with her pride and answered instead.
"Once I dry off..."
She stopped speaking.
Without a word, he had scooped up seawater and splashed it over her white tail.
The scales regained the brilliant luster they had gradually been losing as they dried.
Chung Myung laughed like a child who had just discovered a new toy, lifting her tail and examining it from different angles as though it were some priceless treasure.
Her lips trembled.
She looked away, gripping his outer robe tightly for no particular reason.
His touch wasn't painful, or unpleasant. Sometimes it tickled.. that was all.
Even so... She bit her lower lip as warmth slowly crept across her face.
"...Aren't we going back?"
The tip of the tail in Chung Myung's hands swayed gently.
The soft fin lightly pushed his face away.
He frowned and clicked his tongue, muttering something about brats who didn't respect their elders.
Even so, he did let go of her tail.
Picking up the oars, he began rowing toward the shore.
She stole one last glance at him before turning her eyes back to the distant horizon.
Well...
Curiosity was much better than disgust. Maybe she won't kill him.
—
A little extra~
Sometime after this incident, Chung Myung splashed her with water as a prank, only to be shocked when he discovered that she specifically needed seawater to transform into her mermaid form.
