The gurgling stream threatened to lull him to sleep, but he stubbornly refused to go down without a fight. Byeol pinched his cheeks and wiggled it until they were as red as the poisonous berries peeking through the tall clumps of grass nearby. He knew for certain they were poisonous because his master taught him well in differentiating the wild fruits he could and could not consume. Ever since he could remember, his master fed him, clothed him, and taught him how to live. But as much as Byeol begged, his master refused to teach him what he desperately desired to learn the most—horseback riding, archery, and swordplay.

“This young rascal. You are still too unbalanced for the horse, too enthusiastic for the bow, and too reckless for the sword.” Byeol received that response every single time without fail. His master would then produce a small butterfly net the size of a large chicken egg. “Here. Take this and go catch me a butterfly.”

“Aish—” Byeol furiously scratched the side of his head. Just thinking about it made him want to turn the entire world upside down. Byeol lifted up the abominable butterfly net and glared at it before tossing the thing into the stream.

“You couldn’t even catch a rock even if you wanted to!” Byeol shouted after it. He rolled onto his belly and watched the butterfly net drift down stream, bobbing up and down, happy to get away. He was equally happy to get rid of it, but a dark cloud still hovered over him. His master surely had another dozen or so butterfly nets hidden away somewhere, waiting for their chance to weasel into his hand.

Byeol sat up and blinked. He had wasted more time than he should have. Did they not need more firewood? He definitely needed to collect some before the sun hid itself behind the mountains. Byeol grabbed the satchel laying in the grass beside him and slugged it over his shoulder. As he stood up, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a brightly colored object floating downstream. Like the butterfly net, it bobbed up and down—but not so happily. Something was terribly wrong. Byeol secured his satchel and followed the brightly colored object, observing it closely. It looked to him like a bundle of clothes—and black hair? Was it—could it be—a person? Byeol slid into the stream...

• • • • • • • •

“Byeol, you rascal. What did you drag back this time?”

With the sun out of sight, the moon shined bright. The master knew Byeol had returned by the soft rustling noises. Tonight, his footsteps were heavy and slow.

“Sabumnim—please help this child.” Byeol’s words slurred.

“A child? What nonsense.” The master stepped down from the lit porch and found Byeol hauling a bundle half his size.

“Put the child down, boy, before you faint.” The master seized the child from Byeol. A young girl.

“Where did you find her? Was she conscious?” The master felt her weak pulse.

“She ate the berries, the red ones near the butterflies and—she fell into the stream.”

“Did you see all this? Why didn’t you stop her?” He forced the girl’s eyes open with his two fingers and studied her pupils.

“I wasn’t there when she ate it. I saw her body in the stream.”

“How did you know she ate those berries? It could have been something else.”

“The color of her lips. The stiffness in her neck. The black stains left by the berries.”

The master nodded his head as he listened to Byeol's account. “Luckily, you pulled her out of the water in time. She could have drowned.”

“Can you save her? If anyone can, it’s you, sabumnim.”

“I can but to restore her fully—her body is too weak.”

“Sabumnim, I leave the child in your care.” Byeol had fought back the fatigue long enough. Now that he knew the child would be saved, he could finally close his eyes and rest.

footnotes: byeol - star // sabumnim - master, instructor of martial arts

The gurgling stream threatened to lull him to sleep, but he stubbornly refused to go down without a fight. Byeol pinched his cheeks and wiggled it until they were as red as the poisonous berries peeking through the tall clumps of grass nearby. He knew for certain they were poisonous because his master taught him well in differentiating the wild fruits he could and could not consume. Ever since he could remember, his master fed him, clothed him, and taught him how to live. But as much as Byeol begged, his master refused to teach him what he desperately desired to learn the most—horseback riding, archery, and swordplay.

“This young rascal. You are still too unbalanced for the horse, too enthusiastic for the bow, and too reckless for the sword.” Byeol received that response every single time without fail. His master would then produce a small butterfly net the size of a large chicken egg. “Here. Take this and go catch me a butterfly.”

“Aish—” Byeol furiously scratched the side of his head. Just thinking about it made him want to turn the entire world upside down. Byeol lifted up the abominable butterfly net and glared at it before tossing the thing into the stream.

“You couldn’t even catch a rock even if you wanted to!” Byeol shouted after it. He rolled onto his belly and watched the butterfly net drift down stream, bobbing up and down, happy to get away. He was equally happy to get rid of it, but a dark cloud still hovered over him. His master surely had another dozen or so butterfly nets hidden away somewhere, waiting for their chance to weasel into his hand.

Byeol sat up and blinked. He had wasted more time than he should have. Did they not need more firewood? He definitely needed to collect some before the sun hid itself behind the mountains. Byeol grabbed the satchel laying in the grass beside him and slugged it over his shoulder. As he stood up, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a brightly colored object floating downstream. Like the butterfly net, it bobbed up and down—but not so happily. Something was terribly wrong. Byeol secured his satchel and followed the brightly colored object, observing it closely. It looked to him like a bundle of clothes—and black hair? Was it—could it be—a person? Byeol slid into the stream...

• • • • • • • •

“Byeol, you rascal. What did you drag back this time?”

With the sun out of sight, the moon shined bright. The master knew Byeol had returned by the soft rustling noises. Tonight, his footsteps were heavy and slow.

“Sabumnim—please help this child.” Byeol’s words slurred.

“A child? What nonsense.” The master stepped down from the lit porch and found Byeol hauling a bundle half his size.

“Put the child down, boy, before you faint.” The master seized the child from Byeol. A young girl.

“Where did you find her? Was she conscious?” The master felt her weak pulse.

“She ate the berries, the red ones near the butterflies and—she fell into the stream.”

“Did you see all this? Why didn’t you stop her?” He forced the girl’s eyes open with his two fingers and studied her pupils.

“I wasn’t there when she ate it. I saw her body in the stream.”

“How did you know she ate those berries? It could have been something else.”

“The color of her lips. The stiffness in her neck. The black stains left by the berries.”

The master nodded his head as he listened to Byeol's account. “Luckily, you pulled her out of the water in time. She could have drowned.”

“Can you save her? If anyone can, it’s you, sabumnim.”

“I can but to restore her fully—her body is too weak.”

“Sabumnim, I leave the child in your care.” Byeol had fought back the fatigue long enough. Now that he knew the child would be saved, he could finally close his eyes and rest.

footnotes: byeol - star // sabumnim - master, instructor of martial arts