Page 70 of Gumiho Kiss
“Just a week, hyung.Then I’ll go to the base and make my assessment.”
“Agreed, but not a day more.Sokju can’t afford to wait much longer.”
Hyun Soo grimaced.All he’d done was buy himself some time, and for what?To dishonor his father by drinking himself to oblivion rather than solving his predicament?Even now, he was tempted to wander into the next tavern he found, just like he had when his father had thrown him out.
Except this time, he wouldn’t have Dol Sam to drag him out of his despair.Not when his friend was the reason for it.
Hyun Soo kept walking, his heart more torn than ever.How was he to know what to do without any direction?He’d always had someone to lead him down the right path.First, he’d looked to his father, a great mountain of wisdom and strength.When that relationship had crumbled, he’d turned to his friend, clinging on like his life depended on it.
Now he had no one.He was a ship at sea with neither map nor compass, watching brewing storm clouds with no idea how to proceed.Should he face the tempest head-on?Should he avoid it at all costs?
And then there was the matter of his father supposedly approving of the scheme.Had his friend lied about that?Or had Father actually believed oppression was justified if it meant maintaining order?
Hyun Soo had seen enough to know the lowborn of Sokju struggled under a heavy yoke.It was no wonder some were resisting.But to add guns into the mix ...How many would die needlessly before Dol Sam felt like the people were properly subdued?
Then there was the worst question of all: what guarantee was there that Dol Sam would return that power to the police once he’d succeeded in his plan?Dol Sam had always been ambitious; Hyun Soo wanted to believe his friend wasn’t in this for his own gain, but lately it was difficult to tell.Like Gwishin, perhaps Dol Sam wasn’t the person Hyun Soo had thought he was.
“Sir?”called a male voice.
Hyun Soo spun toward it, throwing his arms out to steady himself when the world began to tilt.
A large man in worn-out hanbok stood at his side, hand outstretched as if to catch Hyun Soo should he slip.
Hyun Soo squinted, but the man was completely unfamiliar.“Who ...?”
The stranger bowed and extended his arm, a sword clasped in his hand.“You left this in the tavern.”
Hyun Soo peered at the weapon.Ah.Right.He thanked the man for returning it and started walking again, the blade heavier than he remembered.He unsheathed it, wondering if it would be better to just sell the sword and be done with it.How could he forget about Chin Sun with this serving as a constant reminder?
Sunlight reflected off the steel, blinding him for a moment.What was that engraved on the blade?
Hyun Soo moved it closer.A ginkgo tree.The symbol of resilience and strength in the face of adversity.How had he not noticed this before?Hyun Soo traced the image, then flipped the hwando over.On the back was an inscription that read, “Brave enough to stand alone.”
Hyun Soo’s mouth fell open, the past filling his mind’s eye.
“I know what it’s like to feel alone, to feel lost.It’s a pain that can eat you up if you let it.The fact that you haven’t says a lot about the kind of man you are.”
Curiosity stirred in Hyun Soo’s belly, taking hold of his tongue before he could stop it.“And what kind is that?”
“A brave one.One I’d be honored to call a friend.”
Hyun Soo’s grip tightened, a spark of clarity chasing away the haze of alcohol.What was he doing, ambling about like a fool when people were in danger?He didn’t need someone to tell him what was right; he just needed the courage to do it.
Even though it meant turning on his dearest friend.
Hyun Soo whirled around and marched back toward the Park estate with determined steps.If he was going to succeed, he needed to be prepared.Chin Sun already believed in him.It was time to prove her faith hadn’t been misplaced.
Chapter25
The Declaration
Once Chin Sun had sent out her letters, she tried to resume the old routines she’d lived by prior to Hyun Soo’s intrusion: taking care of the household and preparing for her wedding by day, and guarding Sokju’s downtrodden citizens by night.
But to her surprise, those rhythms, once energizing and fulfilling, now evoked a strange sense of futility.How could she protect others when she wasn’t strong enough to protect her own heart?
Anytime that feeling arose in her mind, she quickly silenced it, reminding herself that she was strong.Not only was she gumiho but she was also about to marry Kang Dol Sam, the most powerful nobleman in the province.That would give her more influence than any other woman in Sokju.That should be enough for her.It had to be.
And yet, the more time passed, the less she believed it.Bitterness and cynicism took root in her heart, making her increasingly difficult to be around.Uncle, for his part, stopped punishing her with his absence after a few days, but whenever he tried to engage with her, her responses were so terse he would soon give up and turn his attention elsewhere.Sang Ook was met with similar results, and more often than not, he left her quarters with tears in his eyes.Sang Mi didn’t even bother trying, and whenever Chin Sun approached her with household duties, Sang Mi would stiffen and make an excuse that kept them from spending any time alone together.The servants also began giving Chin Sun a wide berth, knowing she was liable to shout at them if they made even the tiniest mistake.
