Page 66 of Gumiho Kiss
Still, he kept going.Dol Sam would be the one to decide whether their friendship could withstand the truth.Hyun Soo was almost panting by the time he reached the estate, his body not fully recovered from the strange ailment that struck him earlier.He banged his fist against the gate until a servant opened it and, with a surprised look, motioned for him to follow.
They arrived at Kang Dol Sam’s room just as a nobleman in a wide-brimmed hat exited.He didn’t stop to greet Hyun Soo, instead brushing past in what appeared to be a terrible hurry.
“My lord, you have a guest,” the servant announced.
“Send him in,” Dol Sam replied with an impatient huff.“I’ve already had several disappointments today, so what’s one more?”
Hyun Soo stepped inside, gawked at the papers strewn all over the desk, then bowed.
Dol Sam was seated at his desk with his bamboo screen hanging from the ceiling, but as soon as he glanced at the threshold, he leaped to his feet.“Hyun Soo!”He rounded the screen and grabbed Hyun Soo’s arm, gaze full of concern.“My friend, I’ve been meaning to find you.”
Hyun Soo clasped his arm in return.“Hyung ...”His eyes drifted back to the messy desk, mouth running dry.For all his courage on the battlefield, the thought of losing the only friend he had left had his gut clenching uncontrollably.
He opened his mouth to confess, but Kang Dol Sam spoke up first.
“I received a letter from a friend in the capital this morning.I’m so sorry about your father.”
“My father?Did something happen to him?”
“Wait, you didn’t—but then what were you ...“ Dol Sam’s eyes widened.“You better sit down.You’re whiter than a bowl of kongguksu.”He guided Hyun Soo to the seat across from him at the desk, then called for some tea.
Hyun Soo sat with perfect stillness, dread pooling in his middle.“What’s going on, Dol Sam?”
His friend grimaced.A servant appeared with refreshments, and Dol Sam gestured to the honey cookies.“Please help yourself, Hyun Soo.”
Hyun Soo ignored the offer.“Hyung, stop stalling and just tell me.”
His friend swallowed the tea in his mouth, then let out a resigned sigh.“He passed away three days ago.”
Chapter23
The Heir
The world went dead quiet, save for Hyun Soo’s pulse thudding in his ears.Father—gone?That couldn’t be right, couldn’t be real.He’d been in excellent health when Hyun Soo had left him.
Hyun Soo’s throat constricted, but he stammered, “Are—are you sure?”
Kang Dol Sam nodded gravely and shared what he’d learned from an associate in the capital.Minister Park Ha Kyun had taken ill with a cough, which worsened over the next several days despite the best efforts of the city’s doctors.He’d passed into the next life three mornings ago.
Hyun Soo tried to focus on breathing, blinking, swallowing, anything to keep from crumbling as this new reality sank its claws into the future he’d been fighting for.Reconciliation with his father had always been a lofty goal, but it had still been within reach.Now ...
“I saw him recently, actually,” Dol Sam said, drawing Hyun Soo back into the conversation.“It’s so hard to believe he’s not here anymore.Did you know?—”
“Wait, you saw him?Why?”he asked, clinging on to his friend’s words like they were the only thing keeping him from tumbling off a precipice.
Dol Sam steepled his fingers, expression thoughtful.“I had a proposition for him.About you.He seemed very open to it.”
“What was it?”It came out demanding, but Hyun Soo didn’t care.He needed something to hold on to, something to ease the weight bearing down on his chest.
Dol Sam flinched away from his intensity, but then his eyes flooded with understanding.“Hyun Soo, now isn’t the time to discuss such matters.You need to return home.”
“But—”
Dol Sam’s hand came down on his arm in a consoling squeeze.“I’ll let Lady Lee know what happened, don’t worry.And I’ll come to see you in Hanseong soon.I promise.”
Hyun Soo bit the inside of his cheek but didn’t press further.His friend cared too much about him to let him run away from his problems, even though that was what he desperately wanted to do.
And Dol Sam was right.He had to face this, whether he was ready to or not.He rose shakily to his feet and dipped his head in a brief motion.“In that case, I’ll await your visit.Until then.”
