GB 27

The official residence Yoon Moo-hwa used was certainly smaller compared to the one he shared with Yoon Sang-won. However, Haero preferred this place. The loneliness he felt when left alone at home was significantly reduced.

With Seon Ikhyeon joining them, making three, the house felt warmer. It was a bustle that couldn’t be felt no matter how much heating was used when alone.

After Yoon Moo-hwa finished bathing and came out, followed by Seon Ikhyeon entering the bathroom, Haero naturally went into Yoon Moo-hwa’s room. He had just taken off his robe and was about to put on his underwear.

“I told you to knock.”

Ignoring Yoon Moo-hwa’s light scolding, which didn’t seem particularly displeased, Haero strode right up to him. Then he circled around Yoon Moo-hwa’s body, examining it meticulously.

This was a habit he had developed after Yoon Moo-hwa’s serious eye injury. Seeming accustomed to it, Yoon Moo-hwa let Haero be, stretching his arms to arrange his robe so as not to interfere.

Although he had never mentioned it, Yoon Moo-hwa often had to suppress laughter at how serious Haero’s eyes were at times like this, finding it both amusing and endearing. It might be inappropriate to say, but having his body condition evaluated by Haero felt like having his meat grade determined.

Haero carefully examined every inch of Yoon Moo-hwa’s body, which had become firmer and more defined over the past 9 years. Having seen it every year, he knew the locations of the original scars by heart. He was confident he could find any new wounds, no matter how well Yoon Moo-hwa tried to hide them. Except for what was under the underwear that Yoon Moo-hwa never took off in front of him, everything was familiar territory to Haero.

“There are no injuries, Haero.”

Even when told this, Haero didn’t believe it. Because even when Yoon Moo-hwa had injured his eye badly enough to require surgery, he had said it was a minor injury. Yoon Moo-hwa was clearly either very insensitive to pain or not the type to admit when he was hurting.

Only after thoroughly inspecting his body and confirming it was as clean as when he left, Haero plop down on the bed. If it had been anyone else, they wouldn’t have even dreamed of sitting on his bed without permission, but because it was Haero, it was a privilege only he had.

“Pass?”

“Pass.” Haero nodded. 

Yoon Moo-hwa chuckled and put on his pajamas.

Despite the presence of a bed and being in a state of undress, there was no tension felt. If anything, it might be Haero’s sharp focus when examining him. Yoon Moo-hwa always enjoyed the freshness that Haero had consistently provided since they first met. Even routine returns to port had become more interesting since meeting Haero. It even changed slightly with each passing year, becoming more anticipatory.

“How was this voyage?”

“It was ordinary.” Haero pouted at Yoon Moo-hwa’s usual identical answer.

It was only after entering school that he realized. Haero took classes with Naval Academy aspirants. Thanks to that, he came to understand intellectually how dangerous the sea was.

There were countless types of sea creatures. Not only giant man-eating sharks, but also enormous squids and octopuses that seemed to belong in myths roamed the depths of the sea. Along with their threatening presence that vividly showed how powerless humans were despite technological advancements. Additionally, some transnational pirate groups even possessed submarines.

Maritime illegal armed criminal organizations. More commonly known as pirates.

Whenever Haero became conscious of this concept, he felt as if the tattoo that had already become part of his skin was rising up, gently scratching from his shoulder to his back. As his knowledge expanded and his perception of the world broadened, the increasingly concrete weight of that group bore down on Haero’s shoulders.

Yoon Moo-hwa had paid a hefty price for his life. Taking him in must have been a big risk for Yoon Moo-hwa. Both for his promotion and his honor.

As days passed and his world expanded, rather than becoming a nuisance, he felt more and more entangled. It wasn’t unpleasant. Sometimes, the tingling in his heart was even enjoyable.

Pushing aside thoughts of pirates, Haero asked, “Did you engage in combat?”

“In the second week, we participated in an operation when a merchant ship was reported captured.”

As expected. I knew it.

Yoon Moo-hwa was a strict teacher who wouldn’t answer unless asked properly, so Haero asked him again, “Was it a big battle?”

“They seemed inexperienced, possibly a new group.”

However, that answer wasn’t detailed.

Indeed, unless he was on the ship with him, there was no way to know all aspects of his daily life. Since leaving the island, Haero has only been meeting a part of Yoon Moo-hwa.

“I want to get on a ship soon too…”

“You want to board something so dangerous?”

“Wasn’t it a promise that I’d enter the Naval Academy anyway?”

Yoon Moo-hwa, standing with his back to Haero, furrowed his brow, but Haero couldn’t see it.

“That was a promise made by my father. You don’t need to take it to heart too much. You’ve done well and you’re doing well.”

“But… but wouldn’t it be much better for you too if I entered the Naval Academy?”

Yoon Moo-hwa didn’t answer. Instead, he opened the window. Despite being on the brink of the year’s end, the wind rushing into the room was merely chilly.

“The sea isn’t such a gentle and beautiful place, Haero.”

“Have you forgotten where I came from?” Haero retorted confidently.

However, Yoon Moo-hwa sighed and retorted, “That was an island.”

It was a swing and a miss. It felt like watching a ball fly off without continuing the rally.

Although Haero liked Yoon Moo-hwa very much, at times like this, he felt a bit resentful. It felt like he was being pushed away with a “You’re young, so you don’t understand.”

“Do you still think I’m a child who knows nothing? I’ve always been first in school. I always get top marks in medical exams too.”

“…”

“Don’t you trust me? Don’t give me that obvious ‘I’m worried’ answer. As a soldier, I want to know your assessment.”

The response was silence.

Yoon Moo-hwa was too much like a soldier. Tight-lipped and brusque. Haero knew well that this was also part of Yoon Moo-hwa’s nature, but he couldn’t help feeling frustrated.

“Is that it?”

“Haero, why are you being so impatient? You’re still young, and you have plenty of time.”

See? I knew you’d say something like that.

Haero stood up abruptly.

“I come from a place where fifteen-year-olds are treated as adults. You seem to have forgotten since you only see me once a month, but I’ll be twenty next year. Am I still too young even then?”

“Right. Speaking of next year, I just remembered. Let’s go buy clothes. There’s a year-end party.”

“Don’t change the subject.”

“Haero.” Yoon Moo-hwa called Haero’s name in a stern voice.

Haero bit his lip, seemingly upset.

“You want to become a naval officer? But you can join later too. It doesn’t have to be the naval academy.”

“…”

Yoon Moo-hwa fell silent for a moment. Then he continued in a lower voice, “It’s not too late to decide later. And if your only reason for wanting to go to the academy is because of me, that’s even more…”

Yoon Moo-hwa’s voice, which was about to rise, suddenly stopped.

Haero stared intently at Yoon Moo-hwa. After a tense silence, Yoon Moo-hwa turned his head.

“What if it’s only because of you? Is that not allowed?”

Yoon Moo-hwa didn’t respond to Haero’s retort.

“You’ve grown about 3.3 centimeters taller than last year, so last year’s clothes won’t fit. We’ll go out to get fitted for clothes in the morning, so go to bed early.”

He notices how much I’ve grown down to the decimal point, yet he’s so oblivious to my feelings. No, he’s ignoring them.

Haero found the adult Yoon Moo-hwa irritating.

Yoon Moo-hwa turned away. He rubbed his lips with his fingers as if drying a cigarette he rarely smoked.

“Right now, I’ve taken off my uniform and I’m off the ship. I don’t want to order anyone around. Especially not you. I’d like you to go to your room, Haero.”

Yoon Moo-hwa didn’t even blink as Haero stared at him intently.

After a moment of silent confrontation, Haero gave in first.

Sighing, Haero stood up and headed for the door, but suddenly turned back, went to Yoon Moo-hwa and hugged him.

“…I’m glad you returned safely.”

“Yes. I was just thinking you hadn’t given me your usual welcome back greeting today.”

Only then did Yoon Moo-hwa give a gentle smile and hug Haero back.

This too was their routine and an unspoken promise.

Yoon Moo-hwa felt a bit embarrassed at himself for only now truly feeling like he had returned. Even after leaving the dock, returning to the residence and changing clothes, he still felt like he was on the waves, and only now did he feel like he was on solid ground. It was quite troublesome.

* * *

After Haero returned to his room, Yoon Moo-hwa waited for Seon Ikhyeon to come out of the bathroom and then nodded at him.

Seon Ikhyeon sat across from Yoon Moo-hwa at the dining table. 

Before he could even pull out his chair, Yoon Moo-hwa spoke, “Don’t encourage Haero too much about the naval academy.”

Surprised by the unexpected words, Seon Ikhyeon’s eyes widened. “Encourage about the naval academy? Me?”

He wanted to retort that this was the promise their family made when Yoon Moo-hwa brought Haero in, but Yoon Moo-hwa’s expression was as solid as if there wasn’t even room for a needle to enter.

“Haero seemed to have a clear sense of purpose… I thought the talk with the Admiral was over too.”

“When did you retire? What Admiral?”

Those words felt like a dry declaration that his father’s era was over and his own era had come.

Just then, with a click, the kettle switched off. Seon Ikhyeon hadn’t even realized Yoon Moo-hwa had put water on. 

Yoon Moo-hwa, who brought tea instead of alcohol, emphasized to him again, “I’d like you to get him to give up on the Naval Academy. Or at least show him there are other paths. Yes, that would be better.”

This is nonsense. 

Seon Ikhyeon asked in disbelief, “He’s studied for this his whole life, how could that work?”

“You know how dangerous the sea is. I lost my eye too.”

Seon Ikhyeon was dumbfounded. “You weren’t worried about that at first. You acted like you’d let him do whatever he wanted, why the sudden change of heart?”

Was it Haero who changed, or Yoon Moo-hwa’s heart?

Nine years. Even saying a decade changes mountains is outdated now. These days, everything can change in just a year. Seon Ikhyeon doesn’t know about the 9 years they spent together, but it was enough time for something to change.

“That’s why I let him do it. What he wanted. I’ve pretended not to know he’s been thinking about the Naval Academy all this time. That’s enough. Now it’s time to do something else.”

Seon Ikhyeon gasped. Even though it wasn’t his business, he was disgusted by Yoon Moo-hwa’s arrogant attitude. Does Haero know this side of him? Probably not. That’s why he’s so bright-eyed and happy.

Seon Ikhyeon said, grinding his teeth, “Then why didn’t you stop him earlier?”

“I thought his mind would change.”

Seon Ikhyeon couldn’t believe his ears.

Did Yoon Moo-hwa just grumble? Was he even capable of grumbling?

“I thought 9 years was enough time to change. But the number of pirates isn’t decreasing, their scale is getting bigger. As the number of islands increases dramatically and becomes an archipelago, the black holes in the sea charts are increasing. Pirates and monsters come out of there every day…”

Seon Ikhyeon retorted, “And the casualties and grudges increase too.” 

Yoon Moo-hwa nodded. “The Naval Academy has a strong hostility towards pirates.”

“Do you think I don’t know that? Even so, there are pirate-born students admitted every year. Most of them graduate safely.” Seon Ikhyeon sighed deeply and approached more honestly, “Do you think Haero can’t handle even that much? Haero has a much stronger will than you know. Or is it just that you don’t trust Haero?”

“…”

Seon Ikhyeon flinched at Yoon Moo-hwa’s gaze directed at him.

The eyes warning him that he had just crossed a line were different colors. The artificial eye was a culmination of advanced technology, but inevitably had some alien aspects. To achieve component lightweighting depending on how many functions were installed, the coloring process was omitted as much as possible, so Yoon Moo-hwa’s high-grade artificial eye had a light gray color. Moreover, there were scars around that eye from the time of injury. 

Scars that rippled like flames. Seon Ikhyeon felt an eerie sense of dissonance but mustered up courage out of pity for Haero, “Aren’t you underestimating Haero too much?”