“Please be my Master!”

          A few strands of my hair run across my eyes due to the blowing air. Staring and gaping, I feel like a dumb watching the . I reregister and reconsider what thing that my ears are caught hearing just now. Please be your master? I’m not misheard right? No please if you want to ask away something ridiculous with me because I’m surely not pleased. “What kind of joke is this, Grandpa?” I my head back to Grandpa who is closing the wooden gate. He slowly turns around, still, with his smile and come across to me.

          “Inside joke?” He chuckles out his words with an old man hoarse voice of him. “Why it can be joke? They’re clearly asking you to teach them.” I lower my head, shutting my eyes for a while. How can I? What? Teaching them? I’m still a practitioner and not an expert. Yes, I do master a few of martial arts but not entirely. Some of them are on baby steps. It haunts me when I’m not able to give proper lesson to my students. “Grandpa-”

          “Get up, young men.” Grandpa holds onto their shoulder and brings them to their stands. I bit back my tongue along with the unspoken words. Why Grandpa doesn’t teach them by himself? Moreover, he is the real master. He is the one who teaches me and Dong Woon to defend ourselves since we know how to walk. Don’t make me expect that he is up to something. I glance at the bishounens judgingly, then to Grandpa. He sure has two lines on his eyes. That is what he got when he smiles too much. Changing the aim of my eyes, I let my mind spat judgements towards them. They are like the male-version of princess and I’m not mentioning prince. Their most interesting part is their hair—it’s blonde. It varies from messy wavy to neat straight style. This one has got his hair tied perfectly like I say—princess.

          While, there is one thing that attract my interest. They look vulnerable in this look. They make me think of the feetless mannequins that are waiting to be kicked. And, it seems like they are asking a few kicks from me. I don’t live to see this type of human creatures which are confusing people regarding to their ual gender and I should get rid of them from my sight. “Grandpa, I won’t.” Turning aside, I arrange my steps to where Grandma is located.

          “At least, you should help them like I help you to defend yourself, Nam Hi.” The solemnest in Grandpa’s voice hit the back of my head like he used to do when I spill out stupid jokes. It sends me to a halt. The bishounens is meant to be fought or else the true male gender will be extinct until the end of this world. So, I’m against them and I’m being asked to help them. It is beyond fight and help. Thus, why not I choose both of them?—help in a fight also mean help to fight. In either way, there is no problem then if choose to ignore them. I whirl around, keeping a straight face to them and give a little hesitant expression to Grandpa who soon nods in satisfy.

          “Training will be started tomorrow. Same time, same place. Don’t be late on your first day.” Setting both of his hands on the back, he decides an instruction, back to his warm smile. I resume on my track. From here, I can hear them sequel in gratitude, also Grandpa’s laughing.  Only their voices can prove them of what gender they are. It might sound evil, but I would like to say that they are going to be my practice time’s intruders who are soon to be kicked away. Let’s use fight rather than help. It is my will. I’m sorry.

          It is a long hours after dinner where we gather around the lounge room for supper. Grandma has got a teapot of hot milky tea and mantous; a few of sweetened steamed buns, to be served. The mantou is basically from China that is made from white flour. They look so soft with just a blink of eyes. I blink at my family who is keeping the silent—like for eternity. It doesn’t last long until Dong Woon ruins the moment with his lame question. “So, what have I miss this evening?” Momentarily, I shift in discomfort and throw a look at Grandma who is passing her eyes towards Grandpa. Without anyone awareness, we are coincidentally making a line of eyes connection.

          Grandpa starts to clear his throat where he softly breaths out. “There were two boys want to learn from our Nam Hi. Martial art, I mean.” He coughs out answer which is in my view, doesn’t detail enough. In a second of the minute, Dong Woon chokes on his tea. It is a fortunate that the cup doesn’t fly away from his grasp. I give a look of unpleasant; making him puts back the teacup on its saucer carefully while setting his eyes with mine in an incredulous face. “You’ve got friends?”

          “The bishounens aren’t my friend!” I snap, getting irritated from his reckons. Scoffing which is more like sighing, I give Grandpa a hard look. “Grandpa, how did you found them?” Being thrown with a question, he mutes for a while as his eyes are showing a great muse. For a millisecond, a scratching sound of boughs brushed against the balcony roof can be heard clearly, along with the crickets across the field, and so on night insects or creatures. At his leisure, Dong Woon drags his body closer to me. Finally, Grandpa gets his eyes clear.

          “I’ve got into a little incident with a bunch of ill-mannered students, that evening,” he sips his tea with hot steam cover his face.  Still getting the teacup in his grasp, he continues, “When the two boys lent their hands to help, it got a little bit harsh as those impudent children kept harassing us.” I take a peek at Dong Woon who is focusing on Grandpa’s words. Why he seems so serious?

          “It was so unreasonable. What a bad influence they have!” Grandpa puts down his cup with a clank! Almost, he freaks out our Grandma who has been so silent since earlier. He shifts his eyes towards us. “I tried to act smooth, at first, from causing havoc. But, it didn’t last long when one of them hit this blonde boy.” He clamps a fist with an enthusiastic expression before breaking into silent for a while.

          “Then?” Dong Woon and I blurt out in union while Grandma just makes a sound on her breathing. It is kind of confusing since both of the bishounens are totally blonde and I don’t have any idea who is he mentioning to. Coughing a little, he resumes, “I sweep them out of my way.” I turn to Dong Woon for a hint of clear explanation. He leans closer to my ear and whisper, “He beats all of the punks, probably.” My eyes become round almost bugging out from its sockets.

          “Hurmm...Their expression was like earlier,” he pauses for a chuckle. “That’s why I decide to help them. Defend them and be the man. Such nice boys they are who trying to save me on the first place.” He ends his story with an impression over them while reaching out his hand to take the white bun.

          I know it’s impolite to talk against Grandpa, but I should tell what have published in my heart. “I’m still a learner. I’m afraid if my lesson is lacking since I can’t interact well with outside people.” I express my heart out. “Don’t you think Dong Woon is better?” I flatter, scooting away from my brother.

          “Hey, don’t drag me into your problem!” He refuses while kicking my thigh for a few times. I jerk his foot away and bring back my attention to shaking-head Grandpa.

          “That’s my point. I want you to confront a new experience.” I lower my head, setting my eyes on the wooden floor. A new experience of kicking the true people instead of the motionless mannequins?