Eternal life

Chapter 21

The next day, after talking with his father, Ji Woon was heading to the centre of the town. Right now, according to the announcements, the troupe should perform in the middle of market. The performing men where poor, so he had hopes he was going to succeed: he wanted to pay one of them to go out of the town and bring some kisaeng, which Woong Tae certainly never seen before. He choose to ask the performers, because they've might been here and there and certainly they'll be in ability to find one, that's going to act in front of general and won't break character.

He needed the general to be fooled completely. Knowing Woong Tae, he will really and quickly fling himself at her, so this part is not a problem. Witnesses are also paid. But the biggest difficulty is to persuade the landlord. Everything has to be tied up loose ends.

As he was walking he suddenly heard two female voices echoing in between the houses. He stopped at the corner of the building and listened what they were talking about. Something in their conversation enchained him.

'Really, Yoo Ji Woon?' One of the voices said. 'He's just a servant boy of the young master.'

'But he's much better! You've heard what kind of person Shim Woong Tae is! But you've never heard anything about Yoo Ji Woon. He's better.' Said second voice, clearly arguing about the boys. Ji Woon girded, leaning on the wall. That was fun.

'Yeah... So good. Then why we always hear that we have to be careful of master Shim and master Yoo?' Again, first voice answered, accenting the word 'and'.

'Is just a misunderstanding. He's ordered to follow him around, so does he.'

'You're sticking up for him just because he's handsome. In my opinion he's not that bonny. Just look at that smirk he's giving here and there.'

'The perfect smirk.'

The voices where getting louder, as they were approaching the intersection of alleys, where Ji Woon stood. He tried to disguise himself, not to be discovered, but the talking ladies where too immersed in the discussion, that they didn't notice him and turned to the opposite direction, from this, where he was hiding.

He finally could see them. They were of similar height, also having similar clothes. The attire was not expensive, the fabric was even worse than the one Ji Woon sometimes wore. The girls were clearly not of the nobility. Nevertheless they were walking and chit-chatting. The young man couldn't see their faces, but he could tell from their voices, that they were still young. Soon his profiteering turned out to be true.

'Kyong Seon, you're definitely too young to talk about boys. Your father will be mad!'

'Either you are!'

'But I know, that I shouldn't have my hopes to high! I think that someone like the blacksmith's son is nice... And my parents would definitely like him!'

'You should've seen, how he cried' said Ji Woon to himself. The girls were walking away when suddenly a villainous thought came up to his mind. What if he won't have to act? What if Woong Tae's act is going to be bad in reality?

'Well, dad said I still have to wait a little bit for marriage... I just hope Yoo Ji Woon won't get married until that time. I would be furious.' She said firmly, which made the second girl laugh. They both wandered off, still smiling.

Ji Woon meanwhile changed his route, and instead of walking behind the young women to the market, he sprinted into the alley perpendicular to the main one. He run, because after taking few turns and stealing someone's basket full of fruit, he sprung out right before the girl, bumping into them and spilling all of the basket content onto the ground.