The Terminally-Ill Side-Character Inside of a Martial Arts Novel

As Hyuk Dojin headed back to his room after warning Lee Seonghak and Do Seokhwi, he noticed Joo Hwarin lingering outside his door.

Upon seeing him, she bowed deeply in greeting, then spoke:

“The Miss is asleep.”

Without being asked about Moyong Sowol, Hyuk Dojin simply nodded lightly at Joo Hwarin, dismissing her with a wave before entering the room.

Hyuk Dojin’s room was much larger and felt more lived-in than the one Moyong Sowol had stayed in. He took off his clothes and hung them up, then approached the massive bed by the wall.

The moonlight filtering through the window scattered softly across the bed, like shards of glass strewn about. Hyuk Dojin’s gaze swept over the bright spots before settling on Moyong Sowol’s face.

Her still, pale features made her look almost like a corpse, her shallow breathing barely stirring her chest. An uninformed observer might have mistaken her for dead.

Hyuk Dojin brought a chair over and sat, silently watching Moyong Sowol. 

He recalled her rolling her eyes in surprise at the mention of sharing a room, then deeply pondering before quietly accepting. A faint smile crept across his lips in the moonlight.

Her pure white hair clung thinly to her cheek like strands of silk thread. Hyuk Dojin slowly raised his hand, as if to brush the strands aside, but paused mid-air.

“…”

After regarding his hand calmly, he continued the motion, gently sweeping Moyong Sowol’s hair back from her face. Seeing her asleep brought back memories from the past.

-…Young Cult Leader, did you come to see this mother?

His lips curled inward as a short, heavy breath escaped, as if expelling the air he had been holding.

-Don’t worry. Today I was well enough to walk this far along the stone path. So don’t worry too much. I’m simply tired from sudden exercise.

“…Why are you so good at lying?”

His low voice quietly filled the dark room. His black eyes reflecting the moonlight flickered.

Lowering his gaze from the sleeping Moyong Sowol, Hyuk Dojin buried his face in his palms, elbows resting on his knees as hot breaths spilled from his mouth.

-What did you learn today? If the training is too strenuous and tiring, be sure to say so and take a break. Overexerting yourself is never good.

Fragments of memory fell one by one onto his shallow exhalations – remnants he had buried in the depths of his consciousness long ago.

‘I thought I would never have to revisit them again…’

-I’m sorry for breaking my promise, Young Cult Leader. I said I would cook for you, but I was suddenly overcome with fatigue and couldn’t prepare anything. I had them make your favorite food instead, so please eat.

His eyes slowly rolled. He still saw Moyong Sowol’s slender wrist before him. 

Hyuk Dojin’s hand gently wrapped around Moyong Sowol’s forearm. Her wrist was so thin that it fit snugly in just half his hand.

He knew wrists like this. Wrists that seemed so fragile, he couldn’t carelessly grab them even as a child for fear of breaking them.

Traces of the past flickered in his eyes.

-Thanks to the Young Cult Leader, this mother seems to be getting healthier every day. So I hope the Young Cult Leader will also quickly grow into an excellent person to lead our cult. That is this mother’s wish.

“When you didn’t grant my wish, how did you deeply imprint yours upon me…”

Hyuk Dojin’s slender figure slowly collapsed as he muttered quietly. His body tilted towards the sleeping Moyong Sowol, his head sinking into the soft bed.

-Don’t worry and go. Where would this mother go? I won’t go anywhere and leave the Young Cult Leader behind, so don’t worry too much.

His eyes quietly closed.

Why did he so easily believe such words? Why did he think his mother would always be there?

Recalling those vivid memories from the past, Hyuk Dojin slowly opened his eyes.

Beyond his gaze, he saw Moyong Sowol.

‘What are you to me?’

The sight of Moyong Sowol collapsing and bleeding felt like an arrow piercing Hyuk Dojin. He was the target, and the past Hyuk Dojin was the arrow shot forth.

Gathering the scattered fragments of memories, his mouth quietly opened.

“You resemble her too much, Sowol.”

Hyuk Dojin quietly nuzzled Moyong Sowol’s slender hand. He didn’t want to let her go. He didn’t want to lose her. Even if she was just an illusion, it didn’t matter. Even if what he was seeing was false, it didn’t matter.

He wanted to have this midsummer’s dream, so…

“I absolutely can’t give up.”

He couldn’t give up this slender, warm hand, nor those sweet lies. Even if it was a false attachment, it was fine. Even if he was ensnared by an illusion, it was okay.

Just stay by his side… Then…

Hyuk Dojin’s eyes quietly closed. It was so warm and comforting, just having that hand cradling his cheek – his most precious treasure that he couldn’t exchange for anything else.

-Does this mother’s lap feel that good? I thought you had grown up, but you’re still just a child.

Lulled by her hand, he quietly fell asleep.

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes.

Yesterday, I had waited for Hyuk Dojin, who had said he had something to take care of before leaving after showing me to his room last night. But eventually I had grown tired and fallen asleep.

Contrary to my concerns about comfortably sleeping in someone else’s room without the owner present, I was surprisingly able to sleep very well.

The room seemed to resemble its owner, giving off the same calm and quiet feeling as Hyuk Dojin.

Not long after waking up, my mind still hazy, I gazed absentmindedly at the ceiling. Then, as I tried to tidy my disheveled hair, something happened.

My arm wouldn’t raise, stopped by something. Lowering my head to see what it was caught on, I could perceive it.

The fact that Hyuk Dojin was sleeping right next to me.

“…”

Upon seeing Hyuk Dojin’s sleeping face, my body stiffened.

Why was this man here…?

But I soon recalled that this had been Hyuk Dojin’s room all along. So there was nothing wrong with Hyuk Dojin sleeping next to me.

Relaxing my tensed body, I gazed intently at the man. Somehow it felt strange yet awkward to have Hyuk Dojin sleeping quietly beside me.

I had never once shared a bed with anyone before.

My older brother Moyong Do had thrown tantrums wanting to sleep with me, but our parents had scolded me, saying I shouldn’t bother my brother.

But in truth, I knew. That parents weren’t worried about it, but rather concerned my unexplained illness might spread.

At first I felt resentful, angry and disappointed, but later accepted it. My parents meant no ill will, and simply wouldn’t believe me even if I said it wasn’t contagious.

So having someone sleeping next to me felt novel more than scary or upsetting.

Hyuk Dojin slept as quietly as his usual demeanor. But he seemed to be frowning slightly.

Smiling faintly, I reached out my arm towards Hyuk Dojin. I wanted to smooth out the furrowed brow, as if the other man was having a bad dream.

Slowly extending my fingers, I firmly pressed against Hyuk Dojin’s frown lines. His brow gradually relaxed, and at the same time, his closed eyelids slowly lifted.

The black pupils emerging little by little studied the person before him, before slowly regaining their light as Hyuk Dojin regained awareness and recognized me.

I smiled lightly.

“Did you sleep well?”

At my question, Hyuk Dojin blinked at me with a dazed look. Then blinking a few more times as he rubbed his eyes, he slowly sat up and gazed quietly at me.

The frozen expression like he had seen something astonishing slowly softened on his face. A faint smile emerged on his lips.

“Good morning, Sowol.”

Rising from his seat, Hyuk Dojin leaned his body diagonally as he looked at me. As I propped myself up on my arm to get up as well, Hyuk Dojin reached out to grasp my shoulder, gently helping me into a seated position.

“Thank you.”

Instead of responding to my gratitude, Hyuk Dojin just smiled faintly. He looked impeccable for a person having just woken up, with his hair perfectly in place and nothing disheveled.

Was this man always so flawless? He seemed like a character straight out of a comic or movie.

Come to think of it, Hyuk Dojin was wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Didn’t he change? Was he too busy with work to even change clothes?

As I stared intently at him, Hyuk Dojin calmly met my gaze and opened his mouth with a mild tone.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Huh?”

I blinked at his question. Hyuk Dojin smiled softly.

“Are you surprised that I woke up after sleeping?”

I paused for a moment at the sound of Hyuk Dojin’s joking and slowly nodded. At my affirmation, Hyuk Dojin’s eyes widened as he simply gazed at me, then smiled softly and leaned in closer.

Since we were both on the bed, the distance wasn’t that far. So even though Hyuk Dojin just tilted his upper body slightly, his face soon drew quite near.

The rustling sound of his hands and legs brushing against the sheets was ticklish to the ears. The distance grew even closer.

With anyone else, I might have stiffened in surprise. But since it was Hyuk Dojin, perhaps that’s why even at an arm’s length away where I could touch his face, I didn’t feel the need to push him away or retreat.

I calmly met Hyuk Dojin’s approaching eyes. Hyuk Dojin’s hand reached out, brushing past my cheek, and his face took its place where his hand had been.

Hyuk Dojin’s breath touched my skin. It was warm, with a pleasant, cool scent.

Hyuk Dojin’s clothing tickled my skin. In the faint incoming sunlight, the swaying fabric revealed glimpses of his protruding collarbones and toned chest beneath.

Without even turning my head, these sights easily entered my vision. Hyuk Dojin was that defenseless.

How would I react if it was someone else? Will I be surprised or flustered? Or would I shut my eyes tightly?

As I wondered how I should respond, recalling scenes from movies I had watched, a rustling sound came from behind.

“The light-blocking cloth was a little short. The light was coming in.”

The light shining on Hyuk Dojin was fading, but he was glowing nonetheless.

He moved away from me. His faint scent slowly faded away as well. He smiled softly as he backend. He knew how to smile so beautifully.

As if he wanted to give that smile to someone.

“Are you surprised?”

So, I thought that the reason why my heart, which had always been calm, was beating faster was just because the sunlight hit my back.

“No.”

Obviously. I think so.