If Silk Flowers Bloom by the Water’s Edge Chapter 103

It did not take very long for a clumsy gesture of goodwill to turn into yearning affection. Jangsi aired herself out while touching up her shortened bangs. Though it was Yirok who had helped so her hideous eye wouldn’t be hidden, Jangsi’s shy unrequited crush had shriveled before its flower bud could even bloom.

Not only was the subject of her unrequited crush, Yirok, on the extremely resolute side, but her rival in love was also formidable. The young lady of Nanjubeol, who was her savior, had set her sights on Yirok. When an opponent she couldn’t even compete with was both pretty and capable, there was no choice but to wait for her own affection to run out and fade away.

“What’s this….”

It seemed her luck was not entirely bad, as there was someone expressing affection toward her as well. Held in her hand was a letter from Chaho, who crossed the line whenever he was bored under the guise of being a friend. It was a letter Chaho had left behind during those few days after returning from the hwanchō world, while she was out of her senses. She was in the middle of reading it while sitting on an outdoor chair, as she was embarrassed to let others see it.

𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰 𝘑𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘪.

𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘐 𝘴𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘴?

𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘣𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘭𝘺? 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘒𝘪𝘮 𝘠𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶? 𝘐𝘧 𝘴𝘰, 𝘐’𝘮 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘯.

𝘐𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘵, 𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸. 𝘞𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘮 𝘠𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦.

𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘶𝘱, 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘺𝘩𝘰𝘸, 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴.

𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘈 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘰. 𝘚𝘰 𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘐 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘬.

𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘮𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘻𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦? 𝘐’𝘮 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴, 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘩𝘰, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘬.

Reading the part that said ‘the girl I like’ multiple times was something far beyond her own will. It had been a long time since she had heard that he liked her, even from her parents. She didn’t completely hate Chaho, who was spraying weedkiller on her unrequited crush. Thanks to Chaho wandering around asking her to look at him, her strength to endure her unrequited crush was running dry.

After counting the number of letters, which exceeded ten, Jangsi smiled broadly. Her short-trimmed bangs fluttered in the wind blowing from the nut pine tree. Entering her nineteenth year, it seemed good things and bad things were going to happen together.

“You were here.”

The eyes of Jangsi, who was recalling the things she wanted to do when she turned twenty, dropped beneath the supple tree leaves. Shinwoo, who was gasping roughly as if he had run here, was looking at her. Jangsi gathered the embarrassing letter paper and hurriedly placed it on her lap.

“What… brings you here?”

“What brings me here?”

“Do you have business with me?”

Shinwoo, the object of admiration for the apprentice haenang and the young lady’s fiancé, was on distant terms with her. Though Shinwoo and Chaho were close, Jangsi, who was living through thick and thin with an evil spirit, was a loner. Furthermore, Shinwoo was devoted solely to the young lady, so he looked upon other female haenang as if they were stones.

“I have something to ask, so bring Janghui out, not you.”

“…Janghui? Why all of a sudden? And that… isn’t something that goes according to my will.”

Shinwoo, who pointed out Janghui without even a smile, exuded a very dangerous atmosphere. Even Jangsi, who was clueless about such things, tightened her collar for no reason. Shinwoo chuckled as if dealing with a worthless thing and said,

“I have something to ask.”

“Shinwoo, I’m scared. I told you. Me controlling it as I please is….”

“I know how to call him out. I read it in a book. They say it comes out when a moment of danger comes to the host.”

“…Host?”

“I’m not trying to do anything harsh to you. But I’m a little wronged right now. Because it wasn’t my fault, but your Janghui who did wrong to me. You just need to confess that in detail to the young lady.”

“I don’t… know what you’re talking about.”

“Stay unknowing. I’ll take care of the rest.”

A vivid blue box cutter, brought from who knows where, emerged from behind his back. At the shine of the box cutter glittering under the moonlight, Jangsi’s heart grew cold. Shinwoo, whose sanity had faded to the other side of the moonlight, said in a low voice,

“I’m just going to pretend to slice your arm slightly. That way your Janghui will feel threatened and come out.”

“Shinwoo, wait a second… I’m really scared.”

“Stay still. I’ll cut so it won’t leave a deep wound.”

“Shinwoo…!”

Her knees trembled before pupils that seemed not to view her as a person. Her two legs, flinching and screaming in a desire to run away, slipped to the side of the chair. However, as if anticipating her escape route, Shinwoo rushed in and forcefully grabbed and pinned her shoulder down.

“Shinwoo, wait a moment…!”

“Ha… I told you to stay still.”

Shinwoo was undoubtedly possessed by an evil spirit. As if unable to see her terror-stricken expression, he emphasized that he would only cut her arm so as not to leave a scar. Was that not a crude method that Janghui would snort at? Seeing the sharp blade touch her arm, Jangsi screamed.

“No! Shinwoo!”

Overwhelming her with his weight as he covered her back, Shinwoo used his thumb to extend the box cutter all the way out.

“You crazy bastard.”

Just then, a sneaker that soared up and flew through the air hit Shinwoo’s head. In front of Jangsi, who had her eyes tightly shut, Shinwoo fell flat and rolled on the dirt ground. The hand of Chaho, who appeared wearing only one sneaker, pulled Jangsi toward him in a swooping motion.

“Hey. Are you okay? You aren’t hurt anywhere?”

“I-I’m okay.”

Touching her cheek, touching her forehead, then pinching her cheek again—Jangsi, whose mind was completely dazed by his noisy concern, nodded her head blindly. The sound of a sigh from Shinwoo, who had fallen after being hit by the single sneaker that flew fiercely, was heard then. Shinwoo, expressionless to the point of making one faint, was brushing off his pants and standing up.

“Don’t interrupt and step aside.”

“What? Interrupt? Are you pointing a blade at a fellow haenang right now?”

“It’s a box cutter. Anyone listening would think it’s a kitchen knife.”

“Hey!”

However, even before the excited Chaho could step forward, a modest hanbok skirt appeared amidst the mess. Seeing the box cutter fallen on the dirt floor, a cold gaze shifted toward Shinwoo. Shinwoo, who hadn’t cared no matter what anyone said, turned pale in the face for the first time.

“What on earth are you doing right now? I tried to let it slide, but you’re really going all the way.”

“…Because I have to clear up the misunderstanding, Young Lady.”

“I haven’t misunderstood anything. I’m looking at exactly the things you did. The things you did, Shinwoo.”

“You’re too much.”

Jangsi, Chaho, Chaehwa, and even Yirok, who was standing like the young lady’s bodyguard, were rendered speechless by Shinwoo’s tears that spilled down like beads. Looking at Chaehwa, who stood like the moon beyond reach, Shinwoo bit his lip.

“When you don’t even have any intention of listening to what I have to say. Are you happy keeping only Yirok by your side? How can you be this heartless to me? How?”

“…Shinwoo.”

“Since you won’t listen, what should I do? I suppose I have to find the real culprit and bring out the truth for you to look at me, Young Lady.”

Chaho, who hid Jangsi behind his back, kicked the box cutter far away as if taking out his anger. Shinwoo, who was venting his wronged feelings, glared at Yirok, who was standing there half-listening. In those pupils was a creepy chill, distinct from the hazy light that had looked at Jangsi.

“Do you think any man other than me would understand keeping a gigolo?”

“What?”

“A gigolo. I’m talking about you, Yirok.”

Yirok, who had been fiddling with Chaehwa’s hair ribbon with a face disinterested in Shinwoo running wild with a box cutter, raised his head. The red ribbon held in his scar-covered hand was originally supposed to have been given to Shinwoo. Acting hastily, losing the position of son-in-law of Nanjubeol—it was all the fault of Yirok, who was trying to occupy the spot of a gigolo with his handsome looks. Shinwoo had lost all the treasures in his hands to a mountain bandit who had rolled in.

“Shinwoo, what are you saying right now? There are things you can say to Yirok, and things you shouldn’t!”

“Am I wrong, Young Lady? Then are you going to get engaged to Yirok? If it’s not even that, there’s ultimately only one reason you’re taking him around with you.”

He couldn’t even see the young lady’s enraged eyes. Instead, the moment he read Yirok’s mouth shaping the words you’re pathetic while smiling, Shinwoo was consumed by anger.

“Hey! Snap out of it!”

Chaho, possessing a shred of remaining friendship, stood blocking the front of the young lady. Shinwoo, unable to advance as he was blocked by the arm pulling him back in distress, shouted while targeting just one person. Shinwoo’s frenzy was grand enough that the family members coming out after eating dinner began gathering one by one. At his screaming voice, the murmuring grew continuously. Knowing that Shinwoo, who was normally famous for being a calm and intellectual haenang, was the protagonist of this mess, they seemed all the more shocked.

“Quiet.”

The mouths making messy rumors closed right when Chaehwa’s hand finally cut through the air. At the crisp slap sound, Shinwoo’s head turned, and the onlookers’ mouths gaped open in various shapes. The young lady, who had slapped Shinwoo’s cheek, threw out words with a cold face never seen before.

“Do you want to get hit once more? Or will you follow me quietly?”