‘When did I fall asleep?’
Splash!
I’m floating in the sea of slumber. A pleasant drowsiness spreads throughout my body, just enough that if I opened my eyes, I could get up right away.
I don’t want to wake up.
It feels like a nice summer day, lying on a tube in calm waters.
I hear the chirping of little birds. Is it morning? The cool autumn air brushes against my cheeks. It feels like it’s time to get up and prepare for the day, but I don’t care.
I’m the boss, after all. I’ve had a tough few days, so today I’m sleeping in. I don’t want to work seven days a week like a fool.
My body feels cold. Why is it so chilly? I want to sleep more.
‘Oh no, there’s no blanket.’
I feel around with my eyes still closed. Where did the blanket go? Got it! I snuggle back under the blanket.
“Ugh?”
It’s still cold. The heat from the blanket isn’t enough. My chilled body squirms in search of warmth.
“Ah?!”
I found the warmth! It’s nice. Something soft and squishy feels good. The pleasant drowsiness and that softness combined? I could sleep like this again.
No, wait. Something feels a bit empty.
My hands are cold. Like a baby bird searching for its mother’s warmth, my cold hands seek the warmest nest.
“Hee!”
Is that a bird sound? My ears tingle, but I don’t mind. My hands have found the perfect nest, after all.
But what is this feeling? It feels familiar, yet strange.
‘Was it Hwarin?’
Sometimes, people lose their words when faced with nature’s stunning beauty.
Yes, it felt like becoming a tiny part of nature’s grandeur. Even though I’m experiencing it, it’s akin to a time my brain went numb.
Wait.
‘Is it Im Ha-yeon?’
It may not be a natural wonder, but an achievement born of human potential. My entire body felt as elastic as a gazelle’s. The kind of elasticity that makes it hard to think straight when one hand can’t grasp it all.
No, wait.
“Hmm……”
It’s soft. It’s neither nature nor human potential, but it has undeniable springiness. Is this what it feels like to touch a sticky rice cake that you cannot grasp with one hand?
I want to keep touching it.
“Ugh, haha……”
A dreamy voice resonates. Right. It’s a natural reaction. I feel like a musician playing an instrument. Yes, I am a novice performing with a feminine form…….
‘Wait, a feminine form……?’
Me.
Right now.
What am I touching?
“K-Kang Master! Pl-please be a little gentler!”
“What!!!”
I shot up like a flying fish above the water, springing to the side of the bed in shock.
What a nonsensical mistake!
As I crashed to the floor, I saw the bright red face of Miss Zhuge with tears welling in her eyes.
I’m doomed.
What did I touch?
“Sorry, sorry!!!”
On this blissful autumn morning, the first thing I did after waking up was perform a huge jumping bow of apology.
——
“There are various ways to create unexpected situations. When the opponent sees you, they’ll probably run away. Rushing in with your Bobo Technique and memory could also be one method. But it all comes down to exploiting the loopholes in their consciousness… My little brother, Kang!”
The morning where I achieved the best sleep of my life and made a mistake simultaneously. Even though I have a master in martial arts, I still couldn’t gather my senses.
“I’m sorry. I got lost in thought for a moment.”
“Is something bothering you? Are you worried about the assassin?”
I felt like I committed a mistake that couldn’t end with just one apology.
“Something’s been haunting my eyes since this morning.”
And it was so haunting that I couldn’t shake it off in just a few morning hours.
“Haunting you?”
“Well, women’s underwear is usually cute and a bit revealing, right?”
I unconsciously let my gaze drift through the gap in my slightly sagging clothes.
Every day I wore such shabby clothes, so I thought the inside wouldn’t be much different. It felt like discovering there was a gorgeous butterfly within a cocoon. Is Miss Zhuge’s family always like that?
“What…?”
“Nothing! I misspoke.”
No! I have to shake off these tormenting thoughts. I should apologize again and pretend it never happened. Wipe it from my memory.
“Hmm.”
“Make them think that you’re retreating and then strike. The Shadowless Body Technique has no preparation moves, so it can definitely be an effective method. I’ll give it a shot!”
I frantically created a frequently accessed folder in my mind to erase that memory, then quickly got into a preparation stance.
If I focus on my training again, the distracting thoughts should fade away.
“Kang, wait a moment.”
“Yes?”
Why is he suddenly asking me to stop?
“Cough, cough. There’s actually something I’m curious about. May I ask?”
Older Brother Cheol cleared his throat awkwardly before cautiously inquiring about my personal martial arts.
“Older Brother Cheol, what’s there to hold back between us? Ask me anything.”
His cautious reaction was understandable. In this world, if you pry too deep into someone else’s martial arts, it can lead to sword fights.
He was combing through my martial arts from start to finish; with that be it. I nodded in agreement.
“You’ve mastered the Bobo Technique, right?”
“Yes, I’ve learned the Jade Face Protective Technique as well.”
“When applying the medicine while learning the Bobo Technique, did you apply it thoroughly to all areas? The ingredients for the Bobo Technique are quite rare and expensive, and since the preparation can be complicated, most people only apply it to critical spots even if they’ve learned the technique.”
Oh! Like Achilles, thought to be invincible in Greek mythology, but actually having a weak point, he’s asking if there’s a vulnerability that could be my Achilles’ heel.
“I covered every inch, from my scalp to my toes.”
“Did you not miss even one spot?”
“No. In the end, I took baths in the medicine pot morning, noon, and night.”
Although it was a shocking scene that would make the members of the Salmak group gasp, So-hee was fine with the spending, saying we wouldn’t need to use our collected money.
“Goodness…”
Older Brother Cheol’s eyes widened.
“Is something wrong?”
Is he surprised by the amount of money I spent on it? Or is there another reason?
“The idea of a Joseon person mastering the Bobo Technique… I never imagined someone would bring what was only passed down as a tale to life. Ah. Truly an extraordinary physique that’s difficult to find in this world.”
He couldn’t hide his astonishment as he kept nodding while looking at me.
“Wait, are you saying that I have been artificially modified to be suited for martial arts?”
An extraordinary physique? Have I developed some innate martial arts talent I wasn’t aware of?
Older Brother Cheol shook his head at my question.
“No. Something far greater has been created.”
“Far greater? What do you mean?”
“Depending on how you operate the Bobo Technique, you can adjust your skin’s firmness, can’t you?”
“Yes, that’s right. With concentration, I can make it as hard as steel.”
Thanks to diligent training in the Bobo Technique, even if a third-rate martial artist tried their hardest to stab me, I had reached a level where I wouldn’t get even a scratch.
Usually, as one trains external martial arts, their skin tends to become rough or damaged, turning into something like sandpaper.
In contrast, the Jade Face Protective Technique maintains a glossy skin state while allowing it to be as tough as steel depending on the approach, making it an advanced martial art.
Since I know this fact, why is he asking?
As I looked at him with a puzzled expression, Older Brother Cheol unexpectedly asked a question.
“Have you ever applied it to your middle leg?”
“……!”
“Wow. The fiancées must be very lucky.”
————————
After receiving the most helpful martial arts advice from Older Brother Cheol that could change my life in the afternoon, when I sat down in my office, I faced a massive obstacle.
“K-Kang Master! H-here’s the paperwork!”
“Oh, uh…! Th-thank you!”
This is driving me crazy. We can’t even look at each other.
Miss Zhuge keeps stealing glances at me, and when we make eye contact, why do you look down? Of course, I too can’t meet her gaze when she approaches.
What was I thinking to mess up that morning? Even after apologizing, the embarrassment won’t fade.
“What’s up with this atmosphere since earlier?”
After a while of glancing awkwardly at each other, Gil-san looked at us with a dumbfounded expression.
“……”
No words can describe it. Both of us avoided Gil-san’s gaze.
“You two… did you really?!”
“No, we didn’t.”
“Ah, th-that’s…”
“Why are your reactions different? Did you do it halfway?”
Gil-san squinted suspiciously while asking us both.
“Absolutely not. What are you talking about?”
Halfway? Come on, it’s only just begun. In the context of a pornographic comic, we’ve just flipped to the first page.
“W-well… how far along is ‘halfway’?”
“Miss Zhuge?!”
I looked at Miss Zhuge in shock.
“Ah?! N-no, it was nothing!”
“Something did happen, didn’t it?”
“……”
I couldn’t say nothing happened.
“Wow, Kang Yoon-ho. You’re such a brave man. So you’re saying you have the confidence to receive the Zhuge family’s notable mentions. Yeah, so someone like you has done well. Getting started is tough. You’ve come a long way in just a day.”
Is he teasing me or encouraging? I want to smack that grinning Gil-san.
“It was just a small mistake.”
“Mistake? A misstep? Hehehe. I think coming here will be more entertaining than waiting for tomorrow. I’ll take my leave! See you later, Hyang!”
That brat is leaving as if it was nothing!
“Hey! Jeon Gil-san!”
You dare to leave after ruining the atmosphere?
“Brother-in-law! Good luck!”
At times like this, you suddenly become a brother-in-law? And with the secret of the Bobo Technique weighing on my mind from Older Brother Cheol, what am I supposed to do?
“K-Kang Master.”
You startled me!
Miss Zhuge called unexpectedly at an inconvenient moment.
“Yes? Yes! I’m really sorry for what happened this morning. I promise I won’t make that mistake again.”
I kept bowing until her mood brightened. I lowered my head.
“…I-I didn’t dislike it.”
A bashful confession floated up from behind my bowed head.
“Excuse me?”
I jerked my head up in surprise.
“N-no, actually, that… ahahaha.”
Miss Zhuge, blushing hard, lowered her head but peeked at me from beneath her eyelashes.
This is driving me mad.
Miss Zhuge, if you act as if you’re ready to accept anything while wiggling your fingers like that, I really won’t be able to hold back.
No way. At this rate, there’s going to be an accident.
“I think I’ll send a servant to ask for another bed from now on.”
“A-ah, okay…”
Why are you drooping your shoulders like that?
—–
“Kang Master!!!”
The next day.
After desperately reminding myself to gather my wits, thankfully, I didn’t make the same mistake again.
Plus, maybe the third attempt was too difficult. Perhaps the assassin has given up, as it’s been over ten days since they last showed up.
And finally.
“What’s going on?”
“There’s a person here from the Hao Moon!”
