The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

I was kicked out of the room I rented.

It didn’t feel unfair like the time I was chased away for offering to clean the pigsty for my mother. Since they didn’t seem to open the door, I eventually gave up and went back down to the first floor of the inn.

I hadn’t eaten much earlier; maybe I should order something light, like noodles.

“Ah? Were you here?”

As I descended to the first floor, a familiar face recognized me.

“Mr. Wang? What brings you here?”

It was Mr. Wang from the fabric store, a surprise encounter here.

“I’ve been so busy today, I didn’t get a chance to eat. Finally got some free time to order a meal.”

Mr. Wang’s fabric store was near this inn.

“I was about to eat too. Would you care to join me?”

“I was going to take it to go because I’m busy, but I might as well eat here.”

Mr. Wang and I sat down and ordered some simple dishes.

“How’s business these days?”

“Terrible. It’s been chaotic lately.”

“Why’s that?”

I inquired casually, curious about the problem.

“The head of Gapsu Trading Company was assassinated. They supply most of the silk to Chilgok County. They can’t deliver any silk for a while due to the mourning period.”

“It must be hard to make big sales without silk.”

Fabric stores mainly sold linens and cotton, but silk was the luxury item that brought in the most profit.

“Exactly! You catch on quick! Why aren’t they selling silk at the regular price? Why not supply as much as we want? Are they hiding it? Every customer is arguing about it.”

“Ah, it’s tough. People can be unreasonable when you don’t have silk.”

It reminded me of when I worked at a convenience store.

-Do you have that white soup ramen here? How about honey snacks?

-No.

-You must be hiding it, lying to me. I’ve been a regular here for 10 years, show me the storage.

-This store has only been open for a year. Ma’am! Why are you trying to open the storage without permission!

People always find a reason to cause trouble. So I ended up writing in big letters on a piece of paper: ‘If you’re looking for that item, it’s not here. Try the next convenience store.’

Troublemakers were a problem everywhere.

“It’s true, we are hiding some.”

Mr. Wang whispered cautiously to me.

“Oh, I see.”

So these kinds of people were the reason for such troublemakers.

“If we sell it right before the supply resumes after the funeral, we’ll make a huge profit. This is an opportunity.”

Mr. Wang seemed proud of his perfect plan.

“You’ll have to time it right.”

“Even if I miss the timing, I’ll just sell it at the original price, so it’s a risk-free business. By the way, aren’t you doing your street performances anymore?”

“I do. I was even called to perform at the head of Gapsu Trading Company’s 60th birthday party recently.”

The performance was well received, and I was well paid. However, the horrendous events that followed posed the real problem.

“I meant the ones you do on the streets. You performed for a few days when you first came, and then you never showed up again.”

“Things got busy, and I couldn’t perform on the streets anymore.”

I had done street performances for a few days, then met the Cheongsapa. The ending condition window popped up. I wrote ‘The Tale of Martial Heroes,’ and it was a flop. It felt like I had ruined my life! Then I got invited to the Gapsu Trading Company’s birthday party.

I hit the jackpot at the birthday party and was marveling at how life is full of ups and downs when I met the Heavenly Death Star. This wasn’t just an up and down; it was like a series of sports car-level incidents happening one after another.

“You know, part of the reason it’s busy these days is because of you.”

An unexpected comment came from Mr. Wang.

“What?”

What was he talking about?

“These days, the streets are abuzz with stories about you.”

“Me?”

“Your performance at the Gapsu Trading Company’s 60th birthday party has become incredibly popular. The VIPs there were very pleased with your portrayal of Prince Hamurin. They say it was quite a spectacle.”

I remembered the reaction was indeed positive. I had been in top form, having eaten and drunk well, so my performance was satisfying.

“That story spread to the streets?”

“It’s the talk of the town. The guests invited to the Gapsu Trading Company were no ordinary VIPs. Would such people take interest in just any street performer’s act? They were pleased, and the people who didn’t get into the banquet hall are even more intrigued because they haven’t heard your story.”

“Aha. That’s unexpected.”

“So, you should come out and tell the story of Prince Hamurin. We’ve been swamped lately. Where did you go? Did you leave for another place? Are you hidden like silk? The demand for you is incredible!”

“It’s nice to know there are people waiting for me, but I’m a bit worried.”

Suddenly, the memory of that day came back. The falling rain, the damp ground, the disgusting smell, and the pain.

“Is it because of the Cheongsapa?”

“That’s part of it.”

If I had to pay off the Cheongsapa with my hard-earned money, it would hardly be worth it.

“Let me tell you some good news. The Cheongsapa hasn’t been seen around lately.”

“Really? Did the authorities arrest them?”

“Not that. They just vanished. If you’re worried about the Cheongsapa, don’t be. You can perform without fear.”

Maybe they were killed by other underworld figures. Perhaps the Changgeom Sect took care of the Cheongsapa. Whatever the reason, their absence was indeed good news.

“Then I guess I can perform again.”

“If you come out, you’ll rake in money. Don’t worry and just show up.”

“The food is here!”

I had the food brought by the waitress and parted ways with Mr. Wang.

“Sohee?”

Please open the door now.

As day turned to dusk, I stood in front of the guest room door again, calling for the Heavenly Death Star. I really wanted to rest in bed.

I didn’t know exactly what had upset the Heavenly Death Star, but I waited until the night deepened.

I considered wandering outside, but I didn’t want to give the impression of fleeing, so I couldn’t leave the inn.

Fortunately, there weren’t many guests that day. If the inn had been busy, I would have been criticized for not leaving sooner.

“Come in.”

The guest room door opened, and a voice came from inside.

Yes. Thank you so much. Finally, you opened the door.

As I entered, the Heavenly Death Star was crouching in the corner of the room, just like yesterday.

‘That’s not Okbun’s face.’

The face of the Heavenly Death Star in the corner was her real one. Perhaps she didn’t need to disguise herself in this situation.

“Sohee, you’ve changed your clothes.”

It wasn’t the outfit she had worn when we first met. I didn’t know where she had gotten it, but she had changed into a ninja outfit.

“I changed into something more comfortable.”

That outfit was comfortable?

Her upper chest was exposed, and there were red strings hanging loosely around her neck and body.

The red string running from her neck to her chest was truly astonishing. Was it just for fashion? Or was it used to support a size that even internal energy couldn’t contain?

The side of her chest, slightly pressed by the red string, was enough to keep men awake at night just by looking at it.

It was amazing to think she found that ninja outfit comfortable.

Maybe it was like a military or work uniform. It was comfortable because she was used to it.

“Sohee, it’s getting dark. Shouldn’t we have dinner?”

I had some simple snacks in my hand.

“I’m not eating.”

“I don’t know why you’re upset, but being hungry only adds to the gloom. I’ll leave the food here, eat it when you feel like it.”

I wanted to foster some goodwill by offering her favorite food, but the warriors from the Gapsu Trading Company had ruined it.

I approached the Heavenly Death Star carefully.

A slight turn of my gaze would have revealed a magnificent view as I looked at the seated Cheon Sohee, but I must not look.

An older brother doesn’t think that way about his childhood friend who is like a sister. I just needed to bend down and leave the food.

But as I bent down, I realized something.

I had underestimated ‘that.’

Overwhelming mass generated overwhelming gravity. No matter how much you acted or maintained a poker face, there were things a man simply couldn’t resist.

The moment my gaze drifted towards the singularity’s gravity, I met the Heavenly Death Star’s eyes.

Oops. Sohee, it’s not that I was tempted. It’s an irresistible force of gravity!

Fortunately, the Heavenly Death Star just watched quietly as I placed the food beside her.

Cheon Sohee glanced at the menu of the food I had put down, her gaze unsatisfied.

Maybe she wasn’t happy with the menu choice.

She was crossing a line here.

Some survived eating just a loaf of bread, but demanding rosé tteokbokki twice a day was too much.

I placed the food beside Cheon Sohee and sat on the bed. She didn’t eat, just kept looking at me.

Not interested in food? Maybe I should start a conversation. Asking why she locked the door would be a low move. Perhaps I should reminisce about non-existent memories.

“Escape…….”

Cheon Sohee spoke in a soft voice.

“Huh?”

“You didn’t run away. I thought you would.”

“Haha, Sohee. Why would I run away from you?”

Escaping from Cheon Sohee, who had chosen the assassin path, was like raising a death flag in martial arts stories.

If I showed even a hint of fleeing, I’d either be a former brother or cut into three pieces as a con artist.

I still had traces of the Thousand Li Fragrance in my system, so fleeing wasn’t the right choice. If we were to part ways, Cheon Sohee should be the one to leave, not me.

“Right.”

Cheon Sohee nodded slightly and buried her face in her knees.

I didn’t have anything more to say, so I decided to organize my clothes.

I took my precious work-related Joseon clothes out of my luggage.

“Wow, they cleaned it well.”

Ragged clothes could be washed in a stream, but not a durumagi. I would have liked to dry clean it, but there was no laundry service here.

At the Gapsu Trading Company, I had asked a passing servant to wash it for me.

When it was returned to me, I thanked them and put it away, but I didn’t expect it to be this clean. It looked like new. I should have thanked them more, especially since I had to prepare for my meeting with Cheon Sohee.

“I have to work tomorrow.”

I subtly hinted at my schedule to Cheon Sohee. Tomorrow, I will be going out, whether she follows or not.

I needed to work to survive. If I continued to endure this tense atmosphere with Cheon Sohee in the room, I would develop neurosis.

It was better to go out and earn money as a storyteller.

“You. You speak well.”

While I was organizing the clothes for tomorrow, Cheon Sohee spoke up from behind. Her voice was low, but I could sense it was a compliment.

She must have been talking about the incident at the Gapsu Trading Company.

“I did all that to keep Sohee from getting hurt. I’m not usually good with words, but just then, I felt an unusual strength.”

I thought of my younger sister and how she gave me strength. I wrapped up my explanation by saying that I spoke well only because of my concern for her.

“You also tell stories well.”

What story was she referring to? It couldn’t be about the childhood friend’s lie. Has she seen me working as a storyteller?

“Did you hear the story I told at the Gapsu Trading Company?”

“I heard a bit of the Joseon story.”

Cheon Sohee nodded again. So, she had heard it.

“Knowing that you listened to my story makes me feel a bit embarrassed.”

I scratched my cheek and showed a bashful expression.

Cheon Sohee looked at me intently, then hesitated with her lips pressed together, as if pondering whether to say something. She continued to gaze at me and finally decided to speak up.

“Were you always this good at storytelling even when you were young?”

The question Cheon Sohee had hesitated to ask concerned my past.

This was an opportunity.

It was the first time since yesterday that Cheon Sohee had shown curiosity about me. It was evidence that she had developed an interest in me.

Yeah, I had always been good at talking since I was little. I could charm anyone with my words. Throwing out a self-praising comment like that would be the lowest of lows. This question deserved a sincere answer, not a casual one.

I smiled inwardly with relief.

Thankfully, I was prepared for such a situation.

A scenario in which Cheon Sohee interrogated me.

A tactic I could use when she still couldn’t trust me despite yesterday’s logic.

It was for the moment when Cheon Sohee became curious about my past. I had crafted it for just such an occasion.

Shall I use that strategy now?

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