Year 566 AD – Year of the Wooden Horse
Thunder came down like wrath from the heavens, while others trembled from fear of being struck; it was not a concern for the two men in bed. Sheets barely covered their nakedness, their chest heaving after an intense lovemaking, and although their bodies were spent, their minds remained in chaos.
Well, at least to one of them.
Taiga stared longingly at Hokuto, brushing away his long jet-black hair that covered his face. Men envied Hokuto not just for his intellect, but also for his face, which the heavens sculpted to look sharp but refined, hard yet gentle.
“Are you done staring?”
Taiga didn’t answer as Hokuto looked back at him. His eyes were the sharpest of all his features; they always pierced through Taiga’s soul, and he knew he could never hide secrets from Hokuto.
“Hokuto, would you wish we were born…differently?”
Hokuto sighed and lay on his back. “What could be more different than this? Are you referring to our station? Gender? Circumstance?”
“I guess all of it.”
“I don’t wish to be born different, I just wish for life to be a little bit easier.”
Taiga leaned for a kiss, tasting the saltiness of Hokuto’s tears, and wishing for time to stretch.
“I will never stop apologizing–”
“Don’t,” Hokuto stopped him, drying his own tears. “I also wanted this, and even for the last time, let me love you, your Royal Highness.”
Taiga welcomed Hokuto's desire, reciprocating it with the same hunger that could never be satisfied. Taiga knew he should put an end to it, but the more he thought of ending it, the more his cravings grew. And the more he hurts Hokuto.
Thunder continued to rumble, muffling their moans, and no storm could put out the fire inside. It would continue to burn until one of them dies.
One year later, Year 567 AD — Year of The Fire Goat
Hokuto increased his pace as he neared the King’s private study. He had been requesting a private audience for months and he was only granted just when he was busy preparing to leave.
“The Minister from The Ministry of Justice, Matsumura Hokuto,” Eunuch Wei announced and Hokuto entered with his head bowed.
“Long Live, Your Majesty,” he said, curtsying.
“You may rise.”
Hokuto rose, and it felt like a decade since he last looked directly at Taiga. The last time they met without anyone else in the room was the day before Taiga got married. An event Hokuto had to witness while his heart twisted in pain.
And six months later, Taiga ascended to the throne and became the King. It might be an overreaction to say that the nation has aged Taiga. While Taiga retained his ethereal looks, one couldn’t deny his features had hardened; lines were prominent, his brows and lips in perpetual doubt and worry.
“I apologize for just calling on you now when you’re preparing to leave for Zhou.”
Hokuto managed to smile bitterly. Their conversations seemed to always start with apologies. “There was no need for apologies, Your Majesty. I should be the one apologizing for demanding your time when you have been busy since your coronation.”
“Let’s get to the business then, why do you wish to see me?”
“It’s about the alliance with Zhou.”
Taiga lowered his eyes.
“I understand that Zhou personally requested me to lead the delegation, and I just want to confirm the swirling rumors that this alliance involved marriage. My marriage,” he emphasized.
Taiga turned to his eunuch, and in seconds, everyone in the room left. Just the two of them again, face-to-face and away from prying eyes. However, what didn’t change is the fact that Hokuto will always be Taiga’s subject.
“It would be for your own advantage, Matsumura,” said Taiga, his face suggesting that Hokuto should have figured that out instead of asking him. “You may be the minister, but people still looked down on you for not being of noble birth. You also have no powerful family as backing, but if you become a Prince Consort, the entire Zhou will be your ally.”
Hokuto clenched his hand into a fist. There was a time when he did want to be a prince consort, Taiga’s prince consort. But it was all a dream, a delusion at best.
“Gaining an ally also means gaining an enemy. Which enemy are we talking about?” Hokuto was aware that it was the Zhou who offered an alliance treaty. They needed Taiga’s power, and he had failed to deduce that yet.
“There’s no enemy yet, but there’s nothing wrong with preparing. As the Justice’s minister, you should know some people keep their blade sheath until it is time to attack.”
Hokuto nodded. Restlessness grew since Taiga took the throne, with factions shifting among Taiga’s and the late King, the Queen, and even the Consorts.
“I understand, Your Majesty, if this alliance would help to lessen your worries, then, I’m gratified to be of your service.”
“I wish you success, Matsumura.”
Hokuto always loved Taiga’s eyes and for a split-second, Hokuto thought he saw his eyes waver. But even if Taiga wavered, what could a subject like Hokuto do?
“Why don’t we just run away from all of it?”
Taiga’s eyes widened at his daring, and before Taiga could say anything, he quickly rectified his boldness. “Forgive me for jesting, Your Majesty. It was distasteful and I would reflect on it.”
“You may reflect on it on your way to Zhou. You may leave.”
“Long live, Your Majesty.” He bowed once more and left.
Six years later, Year 573 AD — Year of the Water Snake
Fire rages around Taiga, the heat seeping through his skin, cooking him from within. But the chaos around him didn’t faze him; he didn’t care about dying, he had issued a decree, and he would never know its outcome.
“Even dying won’t give me comfort.”
He opened his drawer and pulled out a letter. It was the last letter Hokuto wrote to him. Taiga thought Hokuto would be pleading for his innocence, begging for his mercy to at least save his family, but Hokuto remained unpredictable up to the end. Hokuto’s last letter only stated, “What happened to us?”
He hugged the letter, the fire was so hot his tears had dried. Thinking about what could have been was no longer an option. It was too late for regrets; hell is waiting for him.
***
“Coward,” Hokuto whispered as he glared at the teacup, a colorless poison waiting for him to be drunk.
He looked up at the smug face of the Queen. She had always looked at Hokuto with animosity, and if he could hazard a guess, the Queen’s faction played a huge role in his apparent demise. How could they be so blind?
“I’m honored that His Majesty personally sent Her Majesty to witness me drink this poison,” he said. He thought he was going to be angry, but he was unbelievably calm. Maybe the prospect of dying since leaving Taiga’s side had always been at the back of his mind. But he didn’t expect it to be this way; being accused of treason has been very insulting. Between Taiga and him, Taiga betrayed him first.
“You are very special to His Majesty, so I’m sent here as his representative.”
He looked at the Queen sharply; he didn’t miss the undertone when she mentioned, “special”. Whether or not she had any idea, it didn’t matter anymore, but he guessed he could rile the queen even at the end.
He took the cup and raised it toward her, “My sincerest thanks to Her Majesty for sending me back to His Majesty.”
Her eyes widened, while he remained smiling even as the poison ravaged him.
Year 562 AD – Year of the Water Tiger
“Matsumura Hokuto!”
Hokuto opened his eyes, startled by a familiar voice, before he lost his balance and found himself looking at the blue sky as he landed on a garden of pebbles.
“Were the first two parts that hard?”
“Master…Pei?” He asked in disbelief. His teacher helped him up, while he stared dumbfounded. He remembered his teacher with a head full of silver hair, and seeing him with black hair and a trimmed beard was disconcerting. After all, the last he heard, his master had been killed simply for siding with Hokuto.
“You seemed unsure of your teacher’s name.”
“Well, I’m just–is this heaven?” Hokuto looked around. The pebble garden where he fell was a famous fixture in front of the Hall of Prominence, an elevated pavilion in the middle of a man-made lotus pond where banquets were mostly held.
“In the end, heaven just looked like the palace grounds?” He was a bit disappointed; the monks clearly didn’t know what they were talking about.
“Did you bash your head while taking the Civil Service Practical Exam that you turned…crazy?” Master Pei asked while he whirled a finger on his temple.
“Civil Service Exam?” He clarified. In his life, he had only taken one Civil Service Exam, which he aced, and he became part of the Imperial Secretariat.
A gong rang that disrupted his thoughts. Master Pei and he turned to the bridge entrance that led to the Hall of Prominence. A man in blue robes with his two assistants appeared with a scroll. Hokuto knew the man; he worked with the said man at the Secretariat.
“In thirty minutes, we would begin the panel interview, and this evaluation would amount to 20% of your total score…”
He heard sighs of frustration behind him. He wasn’t paying attention earlier, but he recognized most faces. He had seen all of them when he took the Civil Service Exam after he had his coming-of-age ceremony at 20.
“Are they all dead too?”
“The panel will consist of the Head of the Ministry of Personnel, the top scorer of the previous Civil Service exam and current Chief Steward of the Secretariat, and His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince.”
The gong was rung once more, and Hokuto felt its waves reverberate in his heart. He didn’t know what was happening, but he should no longer be that 20 years old who had never met the Crown Prince. He should no longer be that greenhorn who fell in love at first sight. Yet here he was, rattled by the mere mention of Taiga’s official title.
“Interesting,” said Master Pei while he stroked his beard. “That’s probably the Crown Prince’s first official assignment since His Majesty announced him as his heir. You should take advantage of this. His Highness is known for sympathizing with the commoners.”
Hokuto turned to his master. It was summer, yet he could feel the chill deep in his bones. “Master Pei, what year are we?” He asked with dread.
Master Pei flicked his forehead. “Wake up, Hokuto, you need to pass this and bring glory to Matsumura clan. How could you not know it’s the Year 548, the reign of the Azure Dragon King?”
His eyes widened as he staggered to remain upright.
“Hokuto, are you okay?” Master Pei asked with worry as he caught him.
Cold sweat dotted his forehead as he asked his teacher another question, “Master, how old are you?”
“I just reached my golden age before the peach blossoms bloomed,” he replied, still frowning. “Ahh…you need some sweets. I’ll get you something sweet. Stay here.”
He watched his master walk away while his heart drummed like crazy. Did he die only to return to the past? Or did he see the future and go back to the past? What kind of sick and twisted fate did the heavens bestow upon him?
“Here, eat this.”
He looked at the red bonbon in his palm. It was a court favorite, cherry bonbon with a hint of citrus.
The gong sounded again and he turned toward the entrance.
“The following examiners shall make their way to the Hall of Prominence…Examiners 1 to 6.”
“That’s you,” Master Pei said, pointing at the wooden tablet engraved with the number six. “Good luck.”
“Uhm, master, may I implore you to give me some advice?”
“Can it not wait until after the interview?”
Hokuto shook his head. The moment he stepped on the bridge leading to the hall meant choosing a fate that would end in a tragic death.
“Very well, what is it?”
“If you get to live your life again, will you make the same choices?”
“Hmmm, that’s quite a lot to take in, but as we are pressed for time, yes, I would probably make the same choices.”
Hokuto was still doubtful. “Even if–even if it kills you?”
His master went silent for a bit before he turned toward the pond. “Have you heard of the Legend of the Veil of Sorrow?”
He nodded. The Veil of Sorrow is one of Great Ying's most famous natural attractions, with turquoise rivers that run between towering cliffs.
“Treat your life like its turquoise river, you can’t change its course by moving some stones, you have to cut through the mountains! Only then will the river flow the way you intended.”
“Master…”
His master patted his shoulder, “Go and change the trajectory of your water.”
He swallowed the lump in his throat before he popped in a bonbon. The Hall of Prominence looked more imposing as he walked along the bridge. He closed his eyes to calm his nerves. The heavens had given him another chance to live, an opportunity to try again.
“Hokuto, would you wish we were born…differently?”
He opened his eyes as he reached the end of the bridge. Taiga is still the Crown Prince, and he is an incoming civil servant. They were still in the same circumstances, and he’d seen how life had turned out.
He glanced at his hand and imagined a hammer. The mountain in front looked impenetrable. Can he really change the course for Taiga and himself?
He stepped inside and braced himself.
Year 562 AD – Year of the Water Tiger
“Hokuto, would you wish we were born…differently?”
Taiga watched as Hokuto stepped out of the Hall of Prominence. His teacher, the renowned Master Pei, met him with a tight hug. If the Matsumuras managed to convince a former Imperial Tutor to come out of retirement and teach Hokuto, it meant Hokuto was really gifted.
“Your Highness, we should get back to the Red Hill Palace, remember that you didn’t attend the panel interview because you’re supposed to be ‘too drunk to get up’,” said Kochi with air quotes. He looked at Kochi, and just like this morning, Taiga felt his heart swell. Kochi became his Chief of Household when Taiga became the heir apparent. However, Kochi still preferred to follow him around and act more like his attendant than his household chief. And later, when he became the king, he and Kochi would have a massive fall-out that Taiga regrets to this day.
“Kochi, it’s nice to be 21 again.”
Kochi frowned. “I’m 22 and so will you in a few months. And ‘again’? How many times did you become 21?”
Taiga sighed and whirled back to where Master Pei and Hokuto once stood. He had no idea what had happened; he was expecting hell, but he woke up at the Red Hill Palace, with Kochi panicking because of some personnel changes and Taiga having to oversee a panel interview. And that was when he learned that he was back at the reign of his father, the Reign of the Azure Dragon King. He was still the Crown Prince, and there would be 11 years to go before he would be crowned as king.
Today was supposed to be the first time he met the young Matsumura Hokuto. Taiga had gotten used to praises on his beauty, which sometimes became a source of envy from the princesses, but when he saw Hokuto, he thought he had finally met his rival.
The other panelist gave Hokuto a hard time, for he was not a graduate of the Imperial College, nor was he of noble birth. His father was the son of a concubine, and his mother came from a merchant family. Although they have wealth, they don't have prestige. It was the first time Taiga used his rank to pacify men who were older than him. He had to remind them that the Civil Service exam was administered to combat nepotism; thus, they should judge applicants based on their intellect and skills, not their family background.
Hokuto said he fell for Taiga at first sight, but maybe he did, too. Hokuto answered all questions with grace, and Taiga silently cheered for him.
“And I will continue to cheer for you, Hokuto. I don’t know if I went back to the past or if I’ve seen the future, but I know one thing for sure, another lifetime isn’t enough to atone for what I did to you. Stepping away is the biggest grace I could give you.”
He turned, and as he moved farther from the Hall of Prominence, he was also moving away from having his fate get entangled with Hokuto. Their first meeting cemented their tragic fate, and as heaven willed for him to live another life, he should know better than to make the same mistake.
“Loving you was a mistake; a beautiful mistake. A proof that something wrong can never be right.”
“Are you crying, Your Highness?”
He touched his face and felt his tears roll down. “I think I’m allergic to something,” he lied, drying his tears.
“If I may be so bold, Your Highness…”
“Go on.”
“Since you woke up this morning, you’ve been melancholy. Perhaps you had a bad dream?”
Taiga managed a smile. If there was a space between death and hell where one gets to re-live their life, then he is living in it.
“You’re right, I had a bad dream,” he said. “And I have to make sure it remains a dream.”
“You got full marks on the written and practical exam, but you failed the interview? How did you answer?”
Hokuto shrugged casually despite his master’s distress. It had been a week since the exams, and the results were finally announced. In the past, Hokuto’s exam results made him a Rank 1 official, and he became the youngest aide in the Secretariat. His Majesty assigned Hokuto to be directly under the Crown Prince. Now, he’s a Rank 13 official with no official posting, and he assumed he would definitely be assigned to some far-flung province.
“Did you offend any of the interviewers? Did you offend the Crown Prince?”
“About that, the Crown Prince wasn’t even there,” said Hokuto. “I guess the past has started changing,” he added in a whisper.
“The Crown Prince wasn’t there, but why?”
He did ask the same question. He was too surprised not to see Taiga, so he just blurted it out.
“The Princess Royal replaced him, she said her brother was indisposed.” Hokuto was aware of the animosity between Taiga and most of his six siblings.
“Are you happy with this result?” asked Master Pei.
Hokuto wasn’t happy. His teacher trusted him, his father pinned his hopes on him, and his mother used most of their savings to finance his studies and coax Master Pei to return from retirement. How could he be happy? Hokuto wasn’t satisfied with the result, but in the grand scheme of things, Master Pei and his parents would live to old age. A privilege denied to them when Hokuto was branded for treason.
“Well, I’m still an official,” he said lightly.
Master Pei sighed heavily as though Hokuto’s current ranking weighed him down.
“Uhm, master, if my mother promised you a bonus if I got in, I’ll be the one to give it once I start receiving a salary.”
Master Pei sighed once more as he fanned himself. “I never accepted a cent from your mother. And I’m so ashamed to face them.”
Hokuto went down to his knees and kowtowed to his master. “I’m sorry for disappointing you, Master.”
“Get up. You got full marks in written and practical exams, I’m sure there’s no one else more disappointed than you. What are your plans now?”
He straightened his back. “I’m planning to return to Jinnian while waiting for a post.”
“I see. You’re still registered as my guest. I’ll send a runner if we receive one. When will you leave?”
“To combat heat, I’m planning to travel at night, so by sunset.”
“Okay. Stay safe, Hokuto.”
He bowed again. “Thank you, Master.
***
“That sister of mine definitely told the others to fail him,” Taiga complained as his carriage rocked. He and Kochi were on their way to the Imperial Tombs, where Taiga was ordered to pray and reflect after neglecting his royal duty.
“Even if the princess didn’t, it was your fault to shirk your duty in the first place,” chided Kochi.
“Whose side are you on?”
Kochi ignored him and continued cracking and munching the sunflower seeds he brought as a snack.
He read the Civil Exam results and saw how Hokuto’s top score became one of the lowest. In the past. Hokuto answered marvelously, so Taiga thought his sister gave Hokuto a hard time. The Princess Royal was quite a snob, preferring pedigree over everything else, a pride she later swallowed when she told the King she fancied Hokuto as her Prince Consort. Hokuto was only 28 years old then, and Taiga moved heaven and hell to stop the marriage from happening.
He blamed himself for this miscalculation. He should have known that his sister and the other nobility would drag Hokuto’s scores to give their candidates leverage.
“We’re here!” Kochi announced.
“Time sure moves fast when I’m about to suffer.”
He could only sigh seeing the 66 steps he needed to climb to the tomb’s entrance. He and Kochi started climbing, and his thoughts returned to Hokuto. Although he promised to step back, he still wanted Hokuto to have a good life. A talent like Hokuto is needed in the palace and the people, but maybe being a low-ranking official is better for him. Hokuto will be out of the prying eyes of those on top. No one will think he’s a threat. And his sister would have never fancied him once Hokuto’s presence became bigger.
“Maybe my sister made the right call after all.”
“I heard that this year’s top scorer will be our own steward at the Secretariat,” said Kochi.
“I see.” He wasn’t surprised at that one; it was Hokuto’s old position before he rose through the ranks. “Do you know the top scorer?”
Kochi frowned at him. “Didn’t you check the results?”
He did. But he only looked for Hokuto’s name. “I’m bad with names.”
“Except for the harem, you can literally recite everyone’s names and their family tree in the palace.”
He couldn’t deny that. “Just tell me who it is.”
“Tanaka Juri.”
He scrunched his face with distaste. The youngest son of the Tanaka clan was a famous skirt-chaser, and a patron of the red light district.
“Do we really need a steward at the Secretariat–?” He paused, an eerie feeling enveloped him, and it wasn’t because he was near the tombs.
“Kochi…” He called, but Kochi kept climbing.
“Your Highness, the earlier you start, the earlier we will finish.”
“Kochi–!” Kochi finally turned and at the same time, armed men appeared at the top and at the bottom of the stairs, quickly subduing their carriage driver.
“Your Highness, if you come quietly, no one will get hurt.”
Taiga swallowed hard, while Kochi still managed to complain, “This is why I insisted we travel with a full escort!”
***
Hokuto knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep, but he was hoping for some peace and quiet. However, the man on his right was snoring, while the man on his left wasn’t only occupying 50% of the coach due to his size, his heaviness made the carriage lean to the right.
“I hope the horse can make it,” he thought, regretting his decision to decline his master’s offer to take his private carriage. He thought he was doing the common folk a favor, but here he was, suffering with his fellow commoners and not enjoying it.
He sighed and slightly opened the bamboo curtain; a half moon shone above them. His master is truly wise, because Hokuto wasn’t just disappointed in himself; he was devastated. But his disappointment didn’t stem much from being a low-ranking official; he is more upset by how the panelist showed him their difference in power. When he saw Taiga wasn’t one of the panelists, he prepared himself to be trampled, and even when he answered well, he knew the panel had made their decision before he even sat there. He felt the unfairness, the injustice, and he was naive to think fairness even exists. Taiga really gave him the edge back then, and even when Hokuto amassed power, a huge chunk of it still came from Taiga’s sphere of influence.
“He had me killed so we’re even, but I wonder why he didn’t arrive. Is he okay?” His thoughts were interrupted when the coach came to a sudden halt, all three of them inside were pushed to the back, and Hokuto had to bear the weight of his fellow passengers.
The curtain parted and before he could even stifle a groan, a masked man announced, “This carriage and everyone here are now under the Ink Black Heart.”
***
Crack.
“Lord Wen? People just casually call themselves lord nowadays,” said Taiga. His captors stated that a certain Lord Wen would be seeing him shortly after they locked Kochi and him in a room filled with straws.
Crack.
“Could he be a provincial lord?” asked Kochi.
Crack.
Taiga shrugged. “Could be. Or he’s just that small and unpopular.” The Queen had him memorize names and faces of all the noble families in the capital and outside, but he couldn’t recall a “Lord Wen”.
Crack.
“I’m impressed, Your Highness, you’re handling this pretty well.”
Crack.
Taiga just smiled. He already died in a fire; a kidnapping doesn’t even hold a candle.
Crack.
“I’m also impressed you can still eat your sunflower seeds.” The straw is now littered with salted shells that Kochi hasn’t stopped eating, even en route to wherever they were brought.
The cracking paused as Kochi rolled her eyes. “I was leaving a trail.”
His jaw dropped. “That’s astounding.”
“Don’t keep your hopes up, your personal guard is pretty thick.”
He bit his lower lip. His personal guard is even younger than him, but he was personally recommended by the Head of the Imperial Guard, not because he has skills, but simply because he is his son.
“Why did we leave him behind again?” asked Taiga.
“Because his daddy called him. Do you think he would arrive with, like, His Majesty’s army?”
Taiga almost laughed. “You overestimate His Majesty’s love for me.” Everyone knows he only became the Crown Prince to appease the Queen and her family.
The door opened before Kochi finished all his sunflower seeds, and a portly man entered. Unlike the gruff men who took Kochi and him, the man in a maroon robe appeared meek and, surprisingly, ashamed.
“Your Highness, I am Situ Wen, but everyone calls me Lord Wen. I apologized for having to meet you this way,” said the man as he kowtowed to him.
“You’d rather risk your and your men’s necks instead of officially requesting an audience with His Majesty or me?”
“We are desperate, Your Highness,” said Lord Wen, his face still looking at the floor. “It has been 3 months since the locusts swarmed our villages, yet we haven’t received any help from the palace. Our people are dying, Your Highness, and we’re prepared to sacrifice our lives if it means our family gets to eat.”
“Do you really think your family will be spared over this?” He asked, not because he wanted to scare the man, but because it was the truth. He sighed and reached for a sunflower seed. He just returned to his 21-year-old body, and he couldn’t allow lives to be wasted again for him.
“Get up. Which village are you talking about?”
The man rose, his face all red and sweaty. “Daban, Your Highness.”
“Daban?!” He repeated, shocked. He knew about the locusts' swarm, and His Majesty had sent help promptly. The King even ordered the Imperial Granaries to send a quarter of His Majesty’s reserves to the province.
“There must be some miscommunication,” he said, weighing his words carefully. He didn’t want to accuse anyone without evidence, especially since he would be pointing fingers at one of the most influential officials, the Grand Chancellor Wu.
“Where are we right now?”
Lord Wen stuttered. “I can’t really say–”
“I’m only asking since you and your men have gone this far and kidnapped the crown prince, why not add stealing to your crimes?”
Lord Wen looked toward Kochi, hoping he’d be the voice of reason to Taiga’s mad suggestion.
“Don’t look at me, I always follow him.”
“Really, always?” Taiga remarked sarcastically to Kochi before turning to Lord Wen, who had gone pale.
“You won’t really be stealing, Lord Wen, you’ll just be taking what is rightfully given for the people of Daban.”
Lord Wen’s eyes grew big and teary. “You want us to attack the Imperial Granaries?”
“Of course not,” said Taiga, rising from his seat. “That would really have you all killed. My suggestion is closer to Daban, a Summer Mansion in Shen Hu.”
***
Hokuto had just transported three crates of reddish rocks, and he was wheezing. He staggered to the commissary, grateful for a meal he earned, and pitying himself for such a fate.
“I came back from death for this?!” He thought as he ate a suspicious-looking gray-colored soup.
It had been three days since his coach was seized by a group called Ink Black Heart. They were all sent to a mine where they had to carry rocks for a meal. The group promised that he would be released after 7 days, and Hokuto badly wanted to believe that, after all, they didn’t seize any of his belongings. But again, what does he know?
“They’ll probably bury me with my stuff,” he murmured, and the man next to him sighed as though he shared his opinion.
“It’s my 7th day tomorrow, if you no longer see me, it's true,” the man whispered.
Hokuto nodded. “I’ll watch out for you then.”
“We can’t be that guy who seems to be enjoying this.”
“No one will enjoy this,” said Hokuto, scoffing.
“Yes, there is.” The man glanced back, Hokuto followed his line of vision, and he almost threw up the soup he had worked hard for.
“Why the fuck is he here?”
“Rumor has it he stayed longer than 7 days–willingly,” the man said, pointing at the only shirtless man among them, who was hauling 2 crates at the same time. While everyone looked dispirited and bleak, the man glowed from sweat as he shook his hair as though he was bathing in spring rather than murky waters.
“Also, he gets a whole chicken for his hard work.”
Hokuto was too stunned to say anything; his eyes remained peeled at Shintaro, the Second Prince.