“Samajak.”
As I called her name, Samajak, who had been nervously pacing in a corner without a partner, looked up in surprise.
“Uh? Why are you calling me?”
Her face was filled with questions.
“Since you don’t have a partner anyway, why not team up with me?”
As I stepped closer, Samajak seemed to grasp the situation, her face turning red as she exclaimed.
“Why is it a given that I don’t have a partner?!”
“Well, with your personality, there’s no way you’d go up to someone and ask to pair up first. I know at least that much.”
As I shrugged my shoulders, Samajak seemed at a loss for words, letting out a frustrated “Ugh.”
“Well, if you don’t want to, I can’t help that.”
As I said this and pretended to walk back toward Dokgorin, Samajak hurriedly grabbed my sleeve.
“I didn’t say I didn’t want to yet?!”
When I waited for her to continue, Samajak hesitated and said, “If I refuse your offer now, it’s going to make you uncomfortable since you’ve gone through the trouble of asking, so I’m agreeing even though I don’t really have to.”
She could have just honestly asked to be paired, but she’s pretty stubborn herself.
Still, I figured that this was the best course for Samajak right now, so I decided to give it a pass.
“You thought it through well. It would be suffocating to team up with the teacher anyway.”
Thus, the pair of Samajak and me was formed.
Soon, the other students started finding partners one by one until only one remained, and that person was Hyecheong, the monk from the Shaolin Temple.
“I can’t believe I get to partner with the esteemed Gujeonghak-sunbae for martial arts class. It feels like a dream.”
“Haha, you’re making my insignificant name sound fancy.”
But he seemed to be quite satisfied, so maybe this was a silver lining in our misfortune.
*
In the martial arts lesson, Gujeonghak taught us the Six Harmonies Fist (육합권).
Just like the common martial arts manual for the marketplace, the Six Harmonies Sword (육합검) emphasizes the basics; there is no better martial art than the Six Harmonies Fist for teaching foundational techniques.
Although some dismiss the Six Harmonies Fist as a third-rate martial art focused on basics, its foundational techniques serve as a guideline for how to properly use one’s fists, and for any martial artist, it was definitely worth learning at least once.
“The river finds the flow and the flow finds the river. These two concepts are complementary, one encompassing the other, just like the yin and yang within the Taiji.”
There’s a saying: “Softness can subdue hardness (柔能制剛), and hardness can cut through softness (剛能斷柔).”
However, softness cannot always subdue hardness, and strength does not always cut through softness.
In other words, there is no definitive answer in martial arts, and one must possess the flexibility to use both strength and softness depending on the situation (剛柔一體).
Gujeonghak recited such martial truths while leisurely walking among the students engaged in free sparring.
After all, martial arts require practical experience to comprehend, unlike simply reading words, which is why classes focused on hands-on practice were common.
Even though it was sparring, since it involved physical movements, the risk of injury was naturally high; hence, it was no coincidence that he advised us to always keep medicinal ointments ready.
Among the participants, both Samajak and I were martial artists, leading to a significantly more intense tussle.
From a distance, it looked as if we were genuinely fighting, but in truth, we were confident enough in each other to spar more boldly.
With a strong assurance that we wouldn’t hurt one another, we threw our punches in a state of bliss.
About ten minutes after we began free sparring, someone unexpectedly intervened between us.
“Stop.”
“!”
So focused on Samajak in front of me, I couldn’t stop my punch aimed at Gujeonghak.
Samajak was in the same predicament.
However, Gujeonghak calmly blocked both our punches simultaneously.
“As much as it’s good to spar earnestly, be careful not to bring in techniques outside the Six Harmonies Fist.”
He released my and Samajak’s fists as he spoke.
“I’m sorry. It seems I unconsciously tried to use a martial art I’ve learned.”
Looking back, it seemed I was so into it that my ingrained techniques wanted to escape.
Gujeonghak had sharply noticed this and prevented it.
“You’re not alone in that, so it’s fine.”
Gujeonghak then looked at Samajak behind him.
She, too, seemed to have made the same mistake.
“If it’s a sincere spar, it’s not a problem, but there’s no need to hurt each other in a class, right?”
His words were beyond refute, so I nodded obediently.
“Well, aside from that, both of you showed great skill. As a fellow martial artist, I take pride in having such excellent juniors like you.”
Gujeonghak, patting our shoulders in encouragement, glanced around at the students watching us and said, “Well then, you all should stop spectating and get back to your own business.”
At that, the students who had been watching our spar started to disperse to various corners of the playground.
Having worked up quite a sweat in a short time, I wiped the beads of perspiration forming on my forehead with the towel I had brought, prompting Samajak to say,
“Can I have your towel too?”
“What?”
I asked in disbelief, unsure if I heard incorrectly, but Samajak’s outstretched hand was earnest.
“This is covered in my sweat, after all.”
Feeling a bit reluctant, I protested, but Samajak just placed her hands on her hips, looking exasperated.
“What’s wrong with two guys sharing?”
Then, with a swift motion, she snatched the towel to wipe the sweat off her forehead.
“…….”
It felt a bit odd, but since I was the only one aware that Samajak was a girl, I decided to let it slide.
Anyway, once the martial arts lesson ended, the students in our group started moving en masse for the next class when Dokgorin, who had been in the martial arts class with Tang Sosu, approached us.
“The next class is history, and we’re going right away, right?”
“Ah, yeah.”
As I nodded and hurried to move with the two of them, Samajak suddenly said.
“Wait a second.”
“?”
“This towel is yours. But since it’s covered in my sweat, I’ll wash it and return it to you.”
As she said this, Samajak waved the towel she had been using to wipe her face.
Perhaps because her hair was damp with sweat, her short hair stuck to her transparent skin in a strangely alluring way, or maybe that was just my imagination?
“We share a room, so what’s wrong with me doing laundry for you? Just give it to me.”
As I reached out, Samajak quickly hid the towel behind her back, teasingly saying, “Hehe, can’t do that.”
“Sigh, I’ll see you later.”
I prioritized moving to the next class over reclaiming the towel, so I said this and left the playground.
*
‘Strangely clingy, huh?’
In truth, Dokgorin had been observing Samajak and Chilbongi throughout the martial arts class.
Normally, such behavior could be perceived as disrespectful toward a paired partner, but Tang Sosu was the type to understand a little incongruity like this.
Thus, while aimlessly going through the motions with Tang Sosu, Dokgorin had watched the spar between Chilbongi and Samajak from start to finish.
Samajak, although quite delicate looking for a boy, wasn’t into same-sex attractions like Chilbongi was.
So, at first, I was relieved when I entrusted them, but for some reason, I couldn’t shake off a feeling of discomfort whenever I watched Samajak’s behavior.
Was the distance too close for two guys?
Chilbongi seemed oblivious, but it felt like they continued brushing against each other under the guise of martial art training.
‘Something’s off.’
Once doubts began to surface, they unraveled like yam tendrils in my mind.
Samajak seemed to be trying to hide it, but her eyes couldn’t lie.
He had feelings for Chilbongi.
In a mostly homoerotic context.
‘I knew Chilbongi was an attractive person, but I never thought he’d charm a guy too.’
In some sense, that was impressive.
What was it that Samajak found so appealing about Chilbongi?
Many things came to mind, but the first that struck me was “kindness.”
I, too, had been charmed by his thoughtfulness.
But while I expected a romantic rival to appear, I never anticipated it’d be a guy, leaving Dokgorin feeling quite bewildered.
‘Chilbongi would never accept his feelings.’
He wasn’t even a girl, but a guy.
There was no way he could pose a threat to me.
Thinking this way eased Dokgorin’s mind, and she shot a sidelong glance at Samajak, then boastfully linked arms with Chilbongi as they walked to the next classroom.
