Chapter 5: Under the Full Moon

“Huh.

What about my face?”

“Aren’t you happy?”

“No!

Of course I am.

This is really good news.

Truly…”

I tried to pull the corners of my mouth up, but a stiff face could never look natural.

As Gyesa’s expression hardened while watching me, I lowered my head and hid my face behind my long bangs.

But immediately, Gyesa cupped my cheek and lifted my face so I had to look at him.

“What’s the problem?

Do you like this shabby circus that much?”

“That’s not it…”

“Then what?

Say it properly.”

Right now, Gyesa was like a cat cornering a mouse.

With nowhere left to run, I squeezed my eyes shut and blurted out what I had been holding in.

“If you become someone’s adopted son, it’ll be hard for me to follow you…!”

“What?

What kind of nonsense are you spouting?”

His grip on my cheek tightened.

My cheek squished, my lips probably jutting out like a duck’s, but all I could think about was persuading him.

“I want to follow you once you pay off your debts and leave the circus.

I may be slow, but I won’t slack off, and I’ll work hard.

I’m good at mending clothes, and my hands are sturdy—you know that.”

“So what exactly are you trying to say?”

“Well… maybe I could come with you, as a servant or something…?”

I desperately listed my strengths, but they were all so trivial that my face crumpled as I spoke.

Seeing Gyesa let out a deep sigh made me worry he was about to refuse.

“You idiot.

What servant?”

“No, really!

I can work very hard!”

“No, that’s not what I mean.

Ha… of course you’re coming with me.

A servant—what kind of ridiculous thing is that.

You idiot.”

I stared at him blankly.

Maybe I had misheard.

Maybe I’d wished so hard to stay with him that I’d only heard what I wanted to hear.

In the end, I asked again in a trembling voice, just to be sure.

“Me too?

I’m going too?”

“Yes!

Did you think I’d just leave by myself?”

“Really?

I’m really going with you?”

“No, why would you even think something like that in the first place?”

“Gyesa!”

He frowned in irritation at my repeated questions, but all I could hear was that we were going together.

So happy I could burst, I threw myself at him and hugged him tightly.

Clinging to someone a head and a half taller than me made me look like a cicada stuck to a tree.

“Gyesa, I’m so happy!

Then even if we leave this place, we’ll still be together, right?”

“Yes.”

Gyesa knew that no matter how much he teased me now, it wouldn’t faze me.

So he sighed in resignation and simply patted my back.

With just that touch, with that one assurance, I felt like I had the whole world.

“We’ll live in the same big house?”

“Yes.”

“Then—then can we share the same room too?”

“Idiot.

How many rooms do you think a rich house has?

Why would we share one?”

“But I want to share a room with you, Gyesa…”

“Our circus is poor, so we share.

Normally, grown men and women don’t sleep in the same room.

We’re not married or anything…”

“I know that much!

Still… I like sleeping next to you.”

I muttered shyly, and somehow he heard it.

Gyesa’s ears flushed red.

“Stop saying embarrassing things.

Once you get to a big house, you’ll be thrilled just to have your own room.”

Even at his curt scolding, I shook my head stubbornly.

“No.

I hate even being apart from you for a few days.

And Gyesa, you used to go bathing in the stream with me, but you don’t anymore.

It feels like you’re slowly drifting away from me, and that makes me sad…”

Once we finished packing today, we’d have to sleep separately until we reached Jeonsang.

Feeling disappointed about that, I pouted clumsily.

Gyesa glanced at me again and again, then cleared his throat awkwardly after looking at my messy hair.

He muttered softly.

“…Then we’ll go tomorrow.”

It was such a small, uncertain voice—unlike him—but I heard it clearly.

Beaming, I grabbed his hand tightly and kept asking.

“Really?

It’s a promise!”

Like we were children again, we chatted endlessly.

I felt a brief flicker of embarrassment at how excited I was, but seeing Gyesa’s cheeks flushed despite his aloof act, I knew I wasn’t the only one thrilled.

With hope blooming, even the tedious work of packing the tent felt enjoyable.

Limping on my bad leg, I bustled around energetically, and though Gyesa nagged at me, he never lost his smile.

‘I’ll be with Gyesa from now on too.’

As if rewarding all the quiet suffering I’d endured alone, a flood of heart-fluttering joy came crashing down at once, making my lips twitch into a ridiculous grin.

Whenever Gyesa passed by and saw me like that, he poked at me and teased me, calling me filthy.

I whined but laughed all the same, sticking close to his side.

Seeing me grin like I’d lost a screw when I was usually expressionless or gloomy, the circus members stared at me oddly.

The ringmaster in particular narrowed his eyes, his wrinkled mouth twitching in displeasure.

“Must’ve gotten air in her head.

Grinning like that—damn bad luck.

That b*tch, don’t tell me she’s been pocketing money behind my back?”

But I was far too happy to notice his sharp gaze.

“Hey.

Gyesa’s looking for you.”

After spending the whole day helping pack up the circus, I was heading back to the barracks when a troupe member stopped me.

The woman known as the Spider Lady eyed me up and down with clear displeasure, taking in my shabby appearance and foolish grin.

“What kind of look is that for a girl?”

‘Ah—.’

Only then did I clamp my smiling lips shut and bow my head politely.

Like most of the troupe, the Spider Lady didn’t like us much.

She hadn’t always been that way, but still.

“Got it.”

Before she could hurl more barbed words, I quickly turned and left.

I heard her click her tongue behind me, but I hurried off to find Gyesa, who would be waiting.

The sun had fully set, and night had fallen, but the round full moon shone brightly, so it wasn’t all that dark.

And with Gyesa waiting, lantern in hand, what was there to fear.

“Let’s go.”

Following him, I headed toward the stream on the outskirts of the village, not far from the circus grounds.

The water looked shallow and calm, thanks to the lack of drought.

Naturally, at night, no one was by the stream except the chirping insects.

“Wow, Gyesa.

Look at that water.

It’s so clear.”

“Be careful not to get hurt.”

Seeing the cold, clean water, I quickly stripped off my outer clothes and jumped in wearing only my undershirt and undergarments.

Dunking myself completely, cold water wrapped around my body.

With my bad leg, being in the water was actually easier.

I still had to use strength, but the water gave me more freedom.

Letting my body float with the gentle current, I called out to Gyesa.

“Gyesa, hurry and come in!

The water feels amazing.”

I laughed out loud without realizing it.

‘How long has it been since I last bathed properly….’

Was it because I hadn’t washed well in so long, or because it had been ages since I bathed with Gyesa.

Either way, I was clearly more excited than usual.

In the quiet stream, only my laughter echoed.

“Gyesa?”

After splashing around for a while, washing away grime, I realized he hadn’t answered and moved closer to the bank.

Looking up at him from the water, I saw Gyesa biting his lower lip, his ears burning red as he stared down at me.

He had only taken off his top, and even his shoulders were flushed, as if he might burst.

Puzzled, I asked.

“Aren’t you coming in?”

“…You…”

Scratching at his throat, he called to me as if in pain.

“Hm?”

“What kind of person are you…

Do you seriously have no shame?”

Confused by his question, I moved closer, but Gyesa wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

As I stepped even closer, he shut his eyes tightly—then splash, he threw himself into the stream.

“Ah!”

I squeezed my eyes shut as water sprayed over me.

When the splashing settled and I opened them again, I saw Gyesa’s solid, pale chest gleaming with water, just as soaked as mine.

His chest heaved violently up and down, as if he were angry.

Startled, I lifted my head, and he reached out, brushing my wet hair away from my face.

He stared at my exposed face for a long moment.

“You’re pretty for no damn reason…”

“What?”

He muttered so quietly that I missed it, drowned out by the cry of a mountain bird.

When I asked again, he pressed his lips shut.