Currently, I can think of three possibilities.
First, I might have seen something misleading.
Of course, the likelihood of this is very, very low, and I personally think it’s the least probable option.
Second, what if Samajak actually has a special constitution?
Perhaps they have a peculiar illness that transforms them into a man in warm water and into a woman in cold water, like in cartoons.
It wouldn’t be strange in a martial arts world if such a disease existed.
And the last possibility,
What if Samajak was a woman from the beginning?
“Honestly, this is the most likely scenario.”
Among martial arts, there’s a technique called Chukgol-gong that deceives one’s physique.
It’s mainly used by assassins because it allows one to easily mislead others about their height, body shape, and gender through disguise.
Given that such a huge chest wouldn’t be easily concealed by binding bandages, Samajak probably lived life using Chukgol-gong regularly.
Perhaps today, for some reason, it was released.
“Or maybe they carelessly let it slip while sleeping at night.”
In reality, either way, now that I’ve caught on, the secret is no longer a secret.
“But why dress as a man and deliberately live in the male dormitory?”
The Samasa family stands shoulder to shoulder with the JeGals.
As the noble lady of Samasa, one of the Grand Five Families, she would receive generous treatment wherever she goes, so I don’t understand why she does such a thing.
“Could there be some circumstances?”
Though I’d like to ask about those circumstances, I don’t think someone I’ve only known for a month would share such things.
After deliberating, I resolved to keep Samajak’s secret to myself for now.
If I were to mention it to others, Samajak might get expelled, and I haven’t heard her—no, her circumstances yet.
“When we get to know each other better later, I’ll ask her why.”
It would be best to make judgments afterward.
*
When I returned to the dorm room after exercising, Samajak welcomed me.
“Oh, you’re back?”
Unintentionally, my gaze dipped downward.
“She shrank again.”
I quickly raised my eyes, making sure she didn’t notice, and wiped my sweaty forehead with a towel, suggesting we grab something to eat.
“Sure! I was just getting hungry.”
As she said that, Samajak got up from her bed.
She looked just like usual, but now that I knew she was a woman, every one of her actions appeared feminine.
“Why didn’t I notice before?”
So this is how terrifying preconceived notions can be.
The femininity that I never recognized when I thought she was a man suddenly became clear.
“Come to think of it, there’s a nice smell coming from the room.”
I thought that but quickly shook my head.
There’s no way I could suddenly feel something I hadn’t sensed just a day ago.
I must have been under the illusion that I detected something just because I thought about it.
Having just decided not to let anyone know she was a woman, I felt I shouldn’t think this way about her, so I composed myself.
“By the way, what was first period today?”
“Oh, it’s the martial arts class with Master Gu Jeonghak. He said to bring some golden medicine just in case.”
“Really?”
A casual exchange like any other day.
Now that my pounding heart has calmed down a bit, I engaged in a conversation with Samajak, and we entered the dining hall located on the first floor of the dormitory.
“Ah, Chilbok, my friend.”
There, I met Hyecheong, one of the three martial powerhouses from our class.
He was likely coming back from having breakfast, carrying a tray filled with food.
“Good morning, Master Hyecheong.”
As I slightly nodded and greeted him, Hyecheong flashed a friendly smile, alternating glances between Samajak and me.
“Are you two here for breakfast as well?”
“Yes. You need a hearty breakfast to get through the day.”
As I rubbed my belly while saying that, Samajak added next to me.
“I’ve been dragging this guy to eat because he thinks he’ll grow if he eats.”
“Haha, it’s only natural to eat well during your growth period! Instead of standing and chatting, let’s sit down and eat together.”
“Then I won’t refuse.”
Samajak and I followed Hyecheong to a table in the corner of the dining hall.
“So, what’s for breakfast today?”
“Luxuriously, we have meat soup and rice. There are also three kinds of side dishes.”
As Hyecheong showed us his tray, a gleam of excitement lit my eyes when he said that.
“Ooh.”
Indeed, it seemed quite a lavish breakfast with plenty of meat, and Samajak and I also grabbed our meals.
Thus, Hyecheong, Samajak, and I sat around the table, sharing simple conversations while eating.
“By the way, today’s first period teacher, Master Gu Jeonghak, was a lay disciple of the Shaolin Temple, right?”
“Yes. Senior Gu Jeonghak was originally one of the Eighteen Arhats and a master of Na Hwan Gwon.”
“Na Hwan Gwon, isn’t that one of the legendary martial arts from Shaolin?”
“Haha, ultimately, it’s just martial arts formed through human hands; how can we call it a legendary martial art? It’s simply a martial art that’s improved over time through many people’s contributions.”
Seeing him smile in such a down-to-earth manner confirmed that he truly embodies the spirit of a monk.
“More importantly, the meal prepared by our gracious cook will soon get cold. Hurry and eat!”
As he urged us to eat, I certainly didn’t want to eat cold food, so we decided to put our conversations aside and focus solely on our meals.
*
“Ah…”
After finishing the meal, a warm sip of green tea feels like the last legally permitted drug.
During this half-habitual tea time, we decided to share the conversations we hadn’t finished earlier.
“By the way, I think the martial arts you’ve mastered is quite unique. Who did you learn it from?”
“Me? My martial arts?”
“Yeah. If it’s something you’re uncomfortable discussing, that’s fine. I’m just asking out of personal curiosity.”
I hesitated for a moment, but since Hyecheong didn’t seem like someone who would blab about it, I responded honestly.
“Oh, it’s nothing to hide! Actually, the martial arts I practice were taught to me by Dokwang Tang Hochang, senior.”
“Dokwang? One of the world’s top ten masters…!”
“Ah, well, that’s true. But I’m not a formal disciple.”
“Still, if it’s martial arts from the esteemed master of Huagyeong, it must be incredibly powerful!”
Hyecheong’s expression lit up with excitement, but I could only smile awkwardly.
In truth, what I was practicing was merely an imitation of the basic forms and wouldn’t be accurate to call it proper Tang Mun Gwon.
Having left Sichuan, I still had no proficiency with the footwork I had been practicing, so it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to describe it as a half-baked martial art.
“Speaking of which, what’s the name of the martial art you’ve mastered, Samajak? I felt quite a peculiar aura from it earlier.”
At that, Samajak, who had been diligently eating, responded with a puzzled, “Me?”.
Then, with a sheepish expression, she rubbed the back of her neck and answered.
“It’s called Myeongwang-kwon. It’s just one of the martial arts that was gathering dust in the library of the Samasa family. It’s not particularly a family martial art, but I thought it’d be decent for self-defense.”
“Considering it, it looked quite like a high-level martial technique.”
“Well, the Samasa family once had royal ties, after all, so that might be the martial arts manual they obtained during that time.”
Myeongwang-kwon.
Just hearing the name makes it sound incredibly powerful.
It seems far more impressive than the Tang Mun Gwon I have learned.
Anyway, as we chatted away, it seemed that quite a bit of time had passed, so we decided to start wrapping things up.
“Then, I’ll see you in the classroom.”
“Make sure you don’t come too late.”
“I intend to keep that in mind.”
I gave a wry smile at Hyecheong’s overly serious demeanor, even though he wasn’t class president, and then I returned with Samajak to our dorm to grab our bags.
*
On the same day, first period.
Martial arts class.
“Due to the circumstances, find a partner to practice in pairs of two.”
Today’s lesson was about easily overpowering opponents in close combat, so we immediately started forming pairs as instructed by Master Gu Jeonghak.
“Chilbok, you’ll partner with me, right?”
The first person to reach out to me was none other than Dokgorin, who was always looking for opportunities to cozy up.
Perhaps due to the separation of the male and female dormitories since entering the academy, she had been in a rather pitiful state lately.
Seeing her eyes almost devoid of light felt genuinely unsettling, but I knew I needed to handle the situation calmly, so I said I would.
“Yay! I’m so happy!”
Dokgorin beamed with a broad smile like a little child.
Her bright smile, which I hadn’t seen in a while, felt like a healing moment for me as well.
However, by picking Dokgorin as my partner, someone would inevitably be left without a partner, and that was none other than Samajak.
Initially, the total number of students in our class was 30 regular entrants and 1 special entrant, meaning one individual inevitably had to team up with the teacher.
The teacher surely wouldn’t be oblivious to this fact, and he probably intended to mentor that remaining person himself.
Yet, it weighed on my heart to see Samajak looking so glum, having not been chosen by anyone.
So, after contemplating, I turned to Dokgorin, who was holding my hand.
“Lin, I’m sorry, but could you team up with Tang Sosu for this lesson?”
Dokgorin looked at me with wide eyes, surprised.
“Why all of a sudden?”
“Samajak looks like she’s really struggling because she can’t find a partner.”
As I pointed towards the dejected Samajak, Dokgorin hesitated for a moment before she nodded.
“Alright, you can do as you wish.”
“Thanks for understanding.”
After saying that, I briefly embraced Dokgorin before letting go.
With a gentle push, she seemed to be saying ‘go on’ at my chest.
After thanking her once more, I rushed over to Samajak, who was sulking because she hadn’t been chosen by anyone.
