The Beginning After the End - 2
1448 Words
Jung Kook and Jin rode slowly through the vast expanse of rice fields, their feelings felt very light as if a heavy burden had just slipped off their shoulders. Somehow the air today feels fresher than the previous days.
"Mr. Jung Kook, who will organize the kitchen's tasks in the Golden Flame if you go?" Jin is still worried about work and workers at the Food Warehouse.
"You are still worried about Golden Flame? Even though they just treated you very badly?" Jung Kook is surprised at Jin, he thinks this kid is too kind.
"No sir, I'm just sorry if the workers are in trouble there, they can get punishment from the party officials if their work is not finished on time." Jin conveyed the reason for his concern, he felt that the workers at the Food Warehouse were like family themselves even though he had not been with them for a long time.
"First, don't call me Sir anymore, I'm no longer the head of the Food Warehouse, just call me grandpa, it feels more comfortable in my ears. Secondly, I have submitted to Taeman about work, he is smart and tenacious, I'm sure he can replace me slowly, and I have told the other workers about my decision before the Headmaster speech in the field, and they can all understand. Anyway, someday we can visit them if we stop at the Golden Flame right?" Jung Kook had everything prepared before he left because he also didn't want to leave a bad impression on the place where he had served for most of his life.
"Fine, Sir, uh, Grandfather," Jung Kook smiles seeing Jin awkward at the new call, but he's sure Jin will get used to it too. "By the way, Grandfather, Miss Youra gave this to me, she said it was a gift from her mother," Jin said while handing Youra a cloth bag that contained several gold coins in it.
“They are indeed a good family, back then when for the first time the sect's people knew that you carried a demonic curse, many of the sect's administrators objected if you remained in the sect, but Ja Som Fa, Youra's father, still wanted to allow you to live in the sect. He even invited me to explain your position within the sect.” Jung Kook tells the goodness of Youra's family that makes Jin more determined to repay their kindness someday. But he knows that Youra has set up a clear border, before he can repay, he must remove the curse of the black demon from his body at any cost.
"I think it is better if grandfather who brought this." Jin hands the package to Jung Kook but Jung Kook refuses.
"You keep it, Jin, it is yours, I already have a lot of savings from my work." Jung Kook spoke while showing a purse that contained gold, silver, and bronze coins that were bigger than Jin's.
Jin understands what Jung Kook means and keeps the money with him.
"So, where are we going now, Grandfather?" Jin asked because he didn't know where to go after this.
"What is clear now is we go to Sinmu town first to eat my favorite roasted duck," Jung Kook smiled. "After that, we can think while we eat. But before we must stop at that little spring over there, you have to clean yourself up, I brought clothes for you, if you don't like it in we can buy other clothes in the city."
"All right..." Jin answered briefly.
They race their horses at ease and slow, nothing makes them rush, they feel life is lighter and more comfortable at this time. While they enjoying their moments, the hands of fate continue to work behind the scenes to determine their future, the good or the bad fate that they will face, time will tell.
SINMU CITY
After a long journey for several days, Hyung Jae finally arrived in Sinmu City. His journey was hampered because he had to help a family caravan from the attack of forest robbers on the road in the middle of the Baika Forest. The good thing was the family that he helped was one of the richest families and they gave him quite a lot of gold coins for his help, even the head of their family had offered him to work as their private bodyguard but Hyung Jae refused even though he still did modest talk by saying that someday he might consider accepting their's offer. The family also has a daughter who is quite beautiful, and she seems to fall for Hyung Jae after seeing his action. In the end, after those rich family went away, Hyung Jae grumbled and condemned his own decision to reject their offer and miss the golden opportunity, had he accepted their offer, there was a possibility that he could marry that beautiful girl and he will enter into a rich aristocratic family line, surely his life would be easier and happier.
Hyung Jae tried to erase his regret and is walking in the center of Sinmu city. He thinks if the city quite decent although it is not as grand as the Imperial City, he feels if Sinmu city was well organized and clean. He intends to go to the Golden Flame sect to seek the information of any child who got lost in the past few months, as suggested by his friend, Deok Cul, but right now he wants to buy something to eat before heading to the golden flame sect.
Hyung Jae saw various types of food at Sinmu Market, but nothing catches his eye, yet. Now after the standard of his tongue is quite high after getting used to eating delicious foods from the Full Moon Long's food house, it's not easy to get him interested in any other foods again. Several times along the way to this city, he stopped at the food houses which were quite large but all of their food's taste was ordinary and costly, this time he was more careful to choose the foods to buy, he wants to eat tasteful foods but doesn't want to drain his pocket.
He almost picks up a random food stall when the smell of food's fragrance started to tease his nose, this smell was really good, equivalent to the smell of foods in Full Moon Long. He traced where this delicious smell had come from, and he found its source, a small food stall that sells roasted duck. The mouthwatering smells make his saliva started to dripping and his stomach also struggling to fill, he goes straight to the seller who seemed busy preparing food.
"I order one roasted duck complete with rice, and please hurry up, I'm starved." Hyung Jae can't hold his appetite, but the shopkeeper's answer disappoints him.
"I'm sorry, Sir, but no more stock for today, everything has run out, only 4 left and all have been booked by someone." The shop owner explained that there were no more roasted ducks left today.
Hyung Jae is very disappointed, he still standing in front of the seller who still moves his hands to cook the roasted duck, the seller moves his hands expertly to flip the golden and juicy roasted duck who can make everyone who sees it feel hungry.
"How about you give one to me and I increase the price?" Hyung Jae tries to negotiate, he still not giving up.
"You can't, Sir, the person who booked this is a regular customer of our shop, we don't want to disappoint him because we have agreed to prepare all 4 of it for them." The seller remains adamant about his stance.
“Who booked a food that much? Are they going to have a party at his house?" Hyung Jae just asked the seller casually without expecting an answer, but the seller keeps answering.
"No, all of these orders are only for an old man and a child." Hyung Jae a little surprised because there are an old guy and a child who were so greedy that they order this much food.
"Where is the person who ordered it?" Hyung Ja asked back.
"Just wait here, I'm sure they'll be back soon, they talked about finding new clothes, maybe they are now in one of the clothes sellers in this market."
"Okay, I'll wait here, I want to buy it from them." Hyung Jae sits inside the small shop who only has two tables and several chairs.
His mouth and stomach were unable to wait any longer, but he keeps patiently waiting because he is very tempted to eat the roasted duck.
- Writer
