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sarotati · 21 days ago

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There's No Actual Reason² [Chung Myung x Reader]

Summary: You are so annoying, in a good way tho.

Trigger Warning(s): tension, explicit(?) kiss scene, did I miss anything?

WC: 3.1K

A/N: here's the extending on notes some of y'all asked for (⁠~⁠￣⁠³⁠￣⁠)⁠~

✦

“…After all, she’s the only disciple who can push Chung Myung down.”

“Kwahk!”

Chung Myung smacked his chest as his food nearly went down the wrong pipe.

It wasn’t exactly a healthy thought to have, but he sincerely hoped his ears were broken or malfunctioning somehow.

Because… what was that?

“…What did you just say?”

The disciples nearly flinched when Chung Myung turned to them with a blank expression. They exchanged confused glances, not quite sure what he meant, until one of them finally spoke.

“Wouldn’t it be more appropriate for Samae to talk to Elder Hyun Young about the broken floor tiles from today’s training session…?”

“You broke the tiles— No, not that… What you said before that…”

“Ohhh, do you mean that Samae is the only disciple who can push—”

The disciple smiled as he realized what Chung Myung was referring to, only for the color to drain from his face the moment the full weight of it hit him.

Chung Myung’s hands trembled, and the chopsticks in his grasp snapped in half.

From the moment steam began to rise from Chung Myung’s head, the disciples had all disappeared without a trace. They suddenly became incredibly wise—far too wise, in fact—for people who’d just spouted such nonsense in the same room as Chung Myung, even if the room was noisy with chatter to muffle their conversation.

He turned his head to the side, his face darkened by the threatening aura radiating from him.

“You…”

“Hmm?”

The culprit… you looked at him with maddeningly indifferent eyes as you chewed your food. That alone told him you knew. You knew everything.

He jabbed your forehead with his index finger, but you didn’t even flinch.

“You knew about this bullshit! You totally knew!”

“Knew? Hm? Knew what?”

You raised an eyebrow, smiled at him challengingly, and swatted his hand away. Chung Myung knew what you wanted. You wanted him to say it—that stupid, ridiculous new title of yours.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about!”

“But I don’t like relying on vague assumptions when there’s nothing stopping you from just telling me~”

You propped your chin on your hand and waited. But Chung Myung twitched like he was seizing. Which was, honestly, quite fun to watch.

“Are you gonna eat that—?”

“OF COURSE I AM! Get your hands off my precious food!”

Chung Myung snapped back to life, wrapping his arms around his huge portion protectively.

“Don’t you think I could steal it anyway, even with you guarding it?”

“You couldn’t even if I weren’t in the same room!”

“Oh? But I’m the only disciple who can push Chung Myung—”

“SHUT UP! SHUT YOUR MOUTH!”

You should eat your food before it gets cold… but teasing Chung Myung was just too tempting and far more enjoyable.

The rest of lunch was spent trying to steal bites of Chung Myung’s meat, which of course ended with you gaining a few bruises here and there.

“Hey, what’s with that face? You’ll get wrinkles early if you keep frowning like that.”

“…”

“Earth to Chung Myung. Earth to Chung Myung~”

“…”

“Hey, are you sick again?”

Chung Myung felt his eyelid twitch as unwanted memories flooded his mind—far too fresh for something that happened weeks ago.

It should’ve been easy to forget all that as if it never happened, right? Right?

But noooo. You just had to show up every time he managed to distract himself, irritating him with your annoying words and your equally annoying pretty face.

At first, your sudden appearances here and there, with those curious eyes of yours that seemed to fish for something through your words and bait-like gestures, threw him off in an almost aggravating way.

Somehow, though, your constant and increasingly frequent appearances stopped catching him off guard. And once that happened, he began to wonder why he was always in the same place as you.

But it hadn’t been like that before. It wasn’t just your annoying behavior that was new—your time spent around him had noticeably increased. Maybe the other disciples had something to do with it? He wasn’t sure.

Thinking about it, those were his usual training spots. His usual drinking spots. His usual wandering spots. Chung Myung hadn’t even realized he had such predictable habits—but somehow you knew.

Do people become more observant when it involves someone they love?

Chung Myung decided he didn’t want to think too deeply about that. But that was also a problem. Because if he didn’t, he’d have to pay attention to the nonsense you kept spewing with that irritatingly lovely mouth of yours.

He scowled at the sight of your mouth moving nonstop. Didn’t you ever get tired? Strange how he of all people was thinking that, when he was arguably the biggest loudmouth in the entire sect—if not all of Kangho.

He should be able to shut you up easily, right? So what were you even doing here—oh right, you bribed him with a damn bottle of booze. What kind of Taoist bribes people? Why wasn’t Mount Hua stricter about teaching basic manners and virtue or whatever?

But he wasn’t exactly better than you, was he? The infamous Chung Myung had fallen for such an obvious trap… or maybe your company had slowly returned to what it was before he overheard your little confession.

Was that it? Had he become capable of ignoring the fact that you looked at him with something he couldn’t quite see, and that every joke you made carried a hint of truth?

It wasn’t that he accepted it—absolutely not. Impossible. He was just capable of ignoring it.

…Right?

“Chung Myung-ah.”

His pink eyes shifted toward you.

You had that sly, wicked smile on your face again. But why? Did he miss something?

He knew he didn’t want to know what it was, and yet—he couldn’t help but feel a little curious.

Your cheeks and the tips of your ears had flushed with a noticeable red hue some time ago, and your skin radiated a warmth that was almost visible. It wasn’t anything special to note—he saw it every time. Nothing had changed from before… not a single thing.

It's supposed to be a familiar sight.

“Stop that.”

Chung Myung slapped your hand away as he noticed you poking his cheek with your finger. His scowl returned. When did you get that close?

“Why should I stop if you’re too out of it to stop me yourself?”

A vein popped on Chung Myung’s forehead. He wasn’t that drunk!

“I can stop you in my sleep, just so you know!”

“Haha! It took you a whole minute to realize I touched your pretty face—and you weren’t even asleep!”

“Y-You—!!”

Chung Myung struggled to find the right words. Not because he didn’t have any, but because so many insults and names flooded his brain all at once, it was hard to pick just one.

“Aww, look at you. You’re so cute when you’re frustrated~”

“I’m not cute! There’s something wrong with your eyes!!”

You looked thoroughly amused as you shielded your head, anticipating the incoming strike from his trembling fist. But in the end, he lowered it.

Chung Myung had a thing for smacking heads—but the only part of you he could reasonably hit right now was your cheek. And… he didn’t.

You noticed it before he did.

You lowered your arms, tilted your head, and raised a brow.

“What? Don’t want to ruin my pretty face? You like my face that much?”

“I’d rather like the Southern Edge!”

Chung Myung’s voice cracked at the end, as if trying to prop up his pitiful lie made it worse. He even felt like he should look away to hide his twitching, sweat-soaked expression.

And yet… you loved a bit of drama.

You clutched your chest with one hand and covered your mouth with the other, your expression stricken as you let out a loud gasp.

“No, but isn’t that a bit much? How dare you?!”

“…”

“Take it back!! Take it back, you bastard! Say you love me!!”

You grabbed his shoulders and shook him violently.

“Weren’t we talking about your stupid face!?”

Yeah—how did this even spiral into your entire being?

Chung Myung wiped his brow, only to immediately break into a new sweat. He couldn’t look at you—but of course, you wouldn’t give up that easily.

“It doesn’t matter!!”

You pouted, tilted your head again trying to catch a glimpse of his expression, but he turned away even more, making your growing frustration all the more obvious.

“Seriously, don’t you care if that hurts me? Me! Your precious Sajo! How could you say you prefer the Southern Edge? Should I go tell the others?”

“You won’t—!!”

Chung Myung flinched—and for just a split second, he almost turned toward you. But he averted his eyes again.

Your face was idiotic and annoying and infuriating—but when you were this close, it was on a whole other level. Like you had double the effect.

He could feel you smiling as you noticed that. He forced himself not to flinch as your breath grazed his ear for a moment when you let out a soft and mocking snort.

“Why wouldn’t I? I’ve never felt so heartbroken in my life… Ahh, what can a shattered heart do? I thought my sweet Chung Myung-ah cherished me more than this—but what? You prefer the Southern Edge? I never imagined…”

Chung Myung opened his mouth to say something—anything—but nothing came out. He knew you were aware he was lying, but he still couldn’t bring himself to say the truth.

What would he even say? That your face was so pretty it haunted his dreams?

‘I’d rather not hit Baek Cheon Sasuk for a whole day.’

His lips parted slightly without him noticing—but your incessant chatter dragged him back into the whirlpool of thoughts.

“…Your face isn’t that bad... maybe.”

Chung Myung definitely knew what he just said. He turned the words over in his head before speaking them.

But when you went silent… he felt unbearably uncomfortable.

Maybe it wasn’t the words. Maybe it was the sudden silence after being drowned in noise. The noise seemed better now, compared to this silence.

Was it because he couldn’t see your reaction? What if his words only felt normal to his drunk brain?

What if this was really bad?

Slowly, and with a hint of hesitation, Chung Myung turned toward you—as if possessed by another being. He clearly didn’t want to look.

Your scrutinizing gaze met his, as if you were still mulling over his answer. And unless his eyes were deceiving him, the color that flushed your cheeks was deeper than before.

You tilted your head slightly to the side, and he could feel your arms tighten subtly around his shoulders—barely noticeable. Your lips, glistening faintly with a thin layer of alcohol, parted.

“Heh… Do I even have the right to be sad now? I knew my precious sajae loves me like I do~”

He noticed, too, that his eyes were flicking up and down, as though trying to resist the urge to look.

Despite telling yourself to stick to the boundaries of just being “friends,” you couldn’t resist the greedy pull of this closeness—of this fleeting touch.

This brief moment where you could look at him like this… even if it was selfish of you.

“Eh… You finally stopped looking away. I’m not going to eat you just for looking at me, you know.”

You teased him in a playful tone, your finger unconsciously brushing a strand of his tied back hair.

“You know, it kinda hurt. But since this Sajo is mature and loves you, I’ll forgive you… I think. So, I can sleep peacefully now.”

He never explicitly took back what he said, but you decided on your own that he had meant it. And why were you this comfortable around him, anyway?

It was… frustrating, almost.

You had always been so open and direct—while he was completely blind.

Well, not anymore. Sadly.

You didn’t even register what was happening when he grabbed the collar of your uniform and yanked you downward. Chung Myung had no problem throwing off your balance.

“Sajo shouldn’t drink so much ever again.”

Your back didn’t even hurt when it hit the ground. That was expected—being one of the disciples trained under his harsh methods. Still, it surprised you.

And then, you felt the sudden, forceful pressure of his lips against yours.

Your senses returned for a moment. You wanted to move, to grab something—anything. Then you realized your hands weren't available for usage.

Chung Myung could feel your uneven breaths against his cheek, but they only dulled his senses further, clouding his already hazy mind.

His lips trembled when he felt yours moving chaotically against them, messy and desperate—but somehow, now it felt better than anything he’d ever dared wish for.

He could still taste the alcohol on your lips and tongue—his favorite drink. And finally, finally, he was able to wipe off that damn glossy layer that had made your lips so alluring.

When you let out a quiet groan against his lips, a shiver raced down his spine. Along with the overwhelming urge to keep going… and maybe hear something more from you.

Weirdly, this sound—it was acceptable. It sounded nice.

He only broke the kiss when there was no air left in his lungs.

You were already done a while ago.

It took a few seconds for you to become aware of your surroundings again.

Quick breaths rushed into your lungs, and his, but they weren’t nearly fast enough to make up for the lost air.

The real problem was.. he hadn’t backed off the moment their lips broke. Why was he still so close? The sight of your sweat-slicked skin and the feel of your breath brushing his lips—it scrambled his thoughts and tried to pull him in again.

He tried. He really tried not to look. But weren’t your lips worse now? They looked even more moist than before, when only the alcohol coated them—and now, slightly swollen in a way that… was definitely messing with his heart rate.

He needed to back off.

Stop.

Stop, stop, stop—

'Again.'

It happened again.

It felt like a release of all his built-up frustration—weeks of it, maybe more. And you felt every drop of it… which you had caused.

—

“Chung Myung-aaah~”

Despite your sweet tone, it was obvious from your expression, your body language, your aura, that you weren’t nearly as cheerful as you were trying to appear.

You barely remembered half of what happened last night—but you did remember clearly that this bastard ran away right in the middle of... all that!

How dare he?

No, you even spent your whole morning turning the sect upside down trying to find him—and what? He went into seclusion?

Into seclusionnnnnn!?

“Come out and face me, you bastard who can’t keep his limbs still for more than 5.24 seconds!”

You stood before the only sealed cave among the Plum Blossom Caves, and you were already planning not to move until he came out—even if it meant rooting your feet into the ground.

“Come out! Chung Myung! Or we won’t be able to settle this like rational adults!”

It sounded more like a threat.

The disciples watching from a distance had no idea what on earth Chung Myung had done to bring things to this point.

But the infuriating part was that he had told Jo Gul to request permission on his behalf to enter seclusion. And that’s not even the worst part! By the time Jo Gul went to the sect leader… this bastard had already gone into seclusion.

Why ask permission for something you’ve already done? Was he insane?

Did he do all this just to avoid you?

“You know what?!”

You yelled at the top of your lungs.

“If you don’t come out right now, I’m telling everyone why you went into seclusion!!!”

You heard something fall inside—but you couldn’t be sure; it was too muffled.

You could imagine him shouting that “you wouldn’t dare,” but unfortunately for him, you lacked the shame required not to do it. And that was something Chung Myung really should’ve known by now.

You turned to the disciples.

“LISTEN UP!!!!!”

“…”

“Guys!!!!”

“…”

“Actually, the reason Chung Myung suddenly went into seclusion is—”

BOOM!

The cave’s entrance exploded, the boulder reduced to pieces flying through the air. Not even gunpowder could’ve done it that effectively.

But before he could charge at you and slap your loud mouth shut, you screamed.

“CHUNG MYUNG IS SICK AGAIN!!!”

He froze.

He felt like a clown. That… was not what he expected to hear.

You tricked him.

“Sajo, you—”

“...Sick?”

Chung Myung flinched at the sound of that familiar voice.

Of course you knew. How could you not? The only person Chung Myung truly feared—perhaps even more than the Sect Leader…

“S–Soso… Wait, it’s not what you think—!”

“Come here.”

It was as if he heard her words in reverse—Chung Myung ran the other way. And who wouldn’t, after seeing the acupuncture needles glowing ominously between her fingers?

“Stop right there, you bastard Sahyung!”

“No! Stay away—! Sajo, you wretch, just wait until I get my hands on you!”

Chung Myung shot a murderous glare your way—but you tapped your lips with your finger and flashed him a fake shy smile.

“What? You gonna do it again?”

His face turned beet red as he stared at you like you were a three-headed snake. But you weren’t about to stop now. Unfortunately, your spite ran deeper than his.

“Oh, your face is so red! It must be a fever again!”

“You evil sajo! Ackkk!”

Chung Myung cried out in pain as needles struck his back—he hadn’t managed to dodge them, something he could normally do with ease. Sadly, that just confirmed he was, in fact, actually sick like you claimed.

“Sahyung! Come!”

“Stay away!”

“Get him, Soso!”

The disciples watching from afar opened their mouths—then closed them again as they silently observed the wild chase.

“Isn’t Samae unusually concerned about Chung Myung’s health lately?”

“Uh… well…”

Baek Cheon rubbed his nose bridge, unwilling to recall the mess you looked like when you returned at dawn, obsessively searching for Chung Myung. No… he definitely didn’t notice your bluish lips.

“I’d rather not know.”

“I can understand that.”

Later, Chung Myung was scolded for neglecting his health and instead going into secluded training. You, meanwhile, laughed like a devil while watching.

✦

A/N: this was soooo unedited but ig it's ok (: oh and I wasn't sure if the kissing scene was explicit? Should I keep the trigger warning about it?

#chung myung #cheong myeong #cheongmyeong #chung myung x reader #chung myung x female reader #cheong myeong x reader #cheongmyeong x reader #chung myung rotbb #rotbb #return of the mount hua sect #rotmhs #return of the blossoming blade #fanfic #return to mount hua sect #return of the blossoming sect #return of the mount hua sect x reader #canon x reader #manhwa #sarotati's writes

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sarotati · 23 days ago

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Cr: duck_ado on X

He was probably a military veteran, lost tang bo there too 👅 this photo is before deported to war... Look how happy he is!

#gorgeous as always #return of the blossoming blade #return of the mount hua sect #chung myung #cheong myeong

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sarotati · 25 days ago

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istg they do it like it's their fulltime job 🤣

was about to cook up something but my sister decided today she will steal my elderly laptop

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sarotati · 27 days ago

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CANON

❙❘ Mount Hua's Angels gc

Entry #19

; i have so many questions too...

#the way i cackled #i think its jis's blood #return of the blossoming blade #return to mount hua sect #cheong myeong #chung myung #manhwa #murim #rotbb #rotmhs #meme #cheongmyeong

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sarotati · 28 days ago

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Hi Sonna welcome to the fandom. It always nice to see more people get into rotbb especially when it’s mean more Cheong Myeong and reader fic 😂

I have this idea where the disciple gang ask the reader what does she love about Cheong Myeong? And she answers hard by going on a long rambling passionate rant over what she loves about Cheong Myeong😂 and she sincerely mean all of it and their reaction is pretty funny 🤣 like they are so shocked and caught off guard by her and her answers. Like she said she loves his personality and his training methods etc and she looks so proud when she done after they ask to stop. Oh and Cheong Myeong hear everything and is all flustered by it.

I kind got this idea from a chapter of For my derelict favorite. If you want to see the chapter. The series on webtoon and it chapter 34

Incase you’re wondering who are disciples gang are? I mean Yoo Iseol, Baek Cheon, Yun Jong , Jo Gul and maybe Tang Soso if you want to include her in as well.

Also ps are you a webtoon reader? or a novel reader?

There's No Actual Reason [Chung Myung x Reader]

Summary: "...So, what do you love so much about him?"

WC: 3.2K

A/N: this time I tried the second person's perspective, it's fun to do but it kinda needs more focus on it andddd I hope you don't mind. I really enjoyed writing this chapter and so I hope you like it the same way I did! Also I'm both a webtoon and novel reader, I'm on ch.1385 if you're wondering!

This chapter contains: fluff, unresolved tension(I guess that's what it's called?) lemme know if I missed anything!

✦

“Eh…?”

You opened your eyes and lifted your head from where it had been resting on your hand, looking toward the person you thought had spoken to you—Jo Gul.

Yes, who was better at jumping between random topics than Jo Gul?

You glanced around. The other disciples were all looking at you with a mix of curiosity and expectation, which confirmed that the question had indeed been directed at you.

You scratched your head and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“What’s this all of a sudden…?”

Jo Gul simply shrugged.

“Just curious.”

You exhaled softly through your nose as you leaned back against the rock behind you. This was supposed to be a drinking session to unwind, after all. They’d managed to sneak a few bottles of alcohol and climb up the mountain in secret—though Hyun Young probably wouldn’t have minded anyway since he knows Chung Myung will come too.

You scratched your head again and looked up at the sky as if trying to organize your thoughts.

“What I like about that man? What kind of question is that?”

Luckily, Chung Myung hadn’t shown up yet—which was strange since he usually came running whenever alcohol was involved. But it seemed the Sect Leader hadn’t let him leave yet.

“Honestly, I think I would’ve asked that if Gul-ah hadn’t.”

“Is it really that strange?”

“It’d be stranger if it were't strange.”

You looked in surprise at Baek Cheon, who spoke his thoughts, and at the other disciples who nodded in agreement. But honestly, you should have expected that. Looking at it from another angle—who would really love that violent bastard in that way you do?

You brought the cup to your lips and threw your head back, downing the strong liquor all at once. The burning sensation in your throat had become a familiar thing over the past few years.

You let out a dramatic sigh and slammed the cup down onto the ground.

“Argh! Obviously, that’s not a question I can answer! If there’s some specific reason why you love someone, how can you call that real love!?”

You clenched your fists with intense passion, and the disciples leaned back in their spots with slightly twisted expressions. It seemed like they found what you said completely unrealistic—which, honestly, wasn’t wrong.

Seeing their faces, you fought to hold back your laughter. They sighed in resignation at your amused expression, but you weren’t about to let it go that easily.

“Still… well, he’s got beautiful eyes, you know. Undeniable.”

Yoon Jong spat out his drink and choked. Jo Gul smacked his back, but he just looked even more shocked by what you’d said. And that wasn’t even the end of it.

“Ah~ have you seen that lovely pink shade like plum blossoms? Pink wasn’t really special to me before, but for some reason, it’s incredibly charming when in his eyes!”

You laughed as if you were daydreaming about his eyes at that very moment. For some reason, Baek Cheon felt a churn in his stomach. He looked at the other disciples, and they wore similar expressions, confirming it wasn’t just him.

He looked at you, as if he was about to say something, but you didn’t notice and kept going.

“And the way he trains—”

Yoo Iseol covered her mouth in rare shock, and Tang Soso looked like she was about to pull her hair out by now.

“Sajo, no—!”

“It’s so hard, and every time I think I’m going to die, but I don’t, which is kind of unfortunate because I'll have to do it again... But think about it! He could just focus on himself, but he wants you to get stronger! Because he doesn’t want you to die! Because he wants you to live long and for him to spend nore time with you! Isn’t that so incredibly sweet? Oh, my poor little heart!”

“Samae, I don’t think it’s quite like that—”

Yoon Jong shut his mouth immediately and without hesitation when you shot him a glare. Yoon Jong shouldn’t have been scared of something like that since he was used to facing the devil named Chung Myung, but the sharp shift in your tone and presence from deep admiration to threatening intent was overwhelming.

“Say that again, Sahyung, I dare you.”

“Sorry—”

“So as I was saying…”

You went back to praising him as if nothing had happened, at an impressive speed. Whether or not you were even breathing between words was up for debate. It seemed like you’d just been waiting for someone to ask you that question.

“His personality is so complicated. Just when I think I really know him, I realize what I knew was just a drop in the ocean! I always have to stay on my toes because I don’t know what he’ll pull next—”

“Isn’t that the opposite of stability?”

“Yes! It’s like heaven for a woman like me since I get bored most of the time. And he’s so honest, he always says what you really need to hear! Isn’t that right, Sasuk?”

You looked at the man with a meaningful smile. Baek Cheon coughed awkwardly and looked away. That wasn’t a memory he was eager to revisit.

“He’s loud, but I love people with strong passion, even if he acts angry most of the time. So what? It’s not like there’s anyone perfect in the world. Honestly, I hate people who pretend to be perfect! It’s lying and hypocrisy! And they’re boring!”

The disciples exchanged nervous glances, while Hye Yeon, who had been listening silently, turned his gaze up to the dark sky as if he was having a moment of enlightenment. Or frankly... it was more like an existential crisis.

“Everyone knows he loves money, but has he ever been stingy about spending for the sect’s sake? It’s much harder to give something up when it’s something you truly want. A man who always puts others before himself and shields them when there’s danger. It’s hard to get close to him, but every moment of that process and everything after is worth it. He doesn’t care about women, but he never looks down on them either.”

You looked at Yu Iseol and Tang Soso for a moment. There was a flicker of realization in Tang Soso’s jade-green eyes. Yu Iseol gave a small nod of agreement, her expression as calm as ever.

You smiled.

“And he’s so beautiful!”

Your excitement returned with full force after having softened for a brief moment, and the disciples’ eyes twitched as if they were about to enter a meditative trance if not for your interruption.

“His black hair, those random little knots in it—every time I notice them, I get the urge to run my fingers through and untangle them myself while admiring the pearly shine on each strand!”

“Samae, stop—”

“Don’t interrupt me, Sahyung! You can’t ask someone a question and then not let them answer it when it doesn't suit you!”

You clenched your fist threateningly, making Jo Gul shrink his neck in fear. He couldn’t even finish his sentence.

“Speaking of the question! What kind of clever question was that, huh?! Sahyung should already know how amazing Chung Myung is! How could anyone not want to love and protect someone that precious?!”

How many people could actually listen to someone gush about Chung Myung without getting indigestion? Even after hearing all those good things about him, loving that man still seemed like an impossible task. Somehow, you were probably the only woman on earth who could manage it.

The disciples listened tensely, sweat beading on their faces as you rambled on about everything you loved about Chung Myung.

Yu Iseol averted her gaze for once, and Tang Soso looked around like she wasn’t sure what to say. Jo Gul fiddled awkwardly with the hem of his uniform, Yoon Jong looked up at the stars, and Hye Yeon quietly chanted a Buddhist prayer.

Baek Cheon massaged his temples like he was trying to get rid of a headache because... what had he just seen?

It was dark, but as a martial artist, there was no way he wouldn’t notice. Between the densely grown trees behind the rock you were leaning against...

Thanks to a light breeze just a moment ago, Baek Cheon saw something flutter quietly behind a nearby tree trunk.

There was no way Baek Cheon wouldn’t recognize that green hair tie and ponytail. It looked like the other disciples had seen it too. How long had he been there? How much had he heard?

Only you hadn’t noticed it, since you were sitting with your back to the forest and were too busy talking.

“So…”

You paused for a moment when Tang Soso caught your attention. She’d succeeded in stopping you at that point.

“Sajo, why don’t you tell Chung Myung Sahyung that?”

The disciples all nodded in unison, even though they knew it was pointless since the man already knew by now. But at least they could hear the reason from you directly and maybe get you to quiet down for a bit.

“…”

You looked at them in silence, pressing your lips together for the first time in several minutes, your gaze dropping down as you poured yourself another cup of alcohol.

Well, no one had hoped to silence you like that. Tang Soso waved her hands quickly, her tone apologetic.

“Sajo, you don’t have to say anything you don’t want to! Okay—?”

“…He doesn’t want that.”

Tang Soso fell silent when you answered calmly. It wasn’t a quiet filled with heartbreak or sadness or anything like that. It was simply serious.

“I don’t think he wants to hear any of this. And I cherish what we already have. I don’t have the strength to ruin everything over some trivial feelings.”

“…”

“He doesn’t need me in that way. He needs a friend to support him. Forcing something onto someone under the excuse of love is a despicable thing to do. How could I do this to him knowing that?”

You let out a sigh at the end, and a small smile found its way to your lips. Strangely, you didn’t seem bothered by it at all, your friendship with him was enough to you even when you in fact wanted more.

Unlike you, the other disciples had slightly wrinkled faces, as if they’d taken it upon themselves to feel frustrated on your behalf.

That was kind of funny, so you decided to tease them.

“What do you think, Sasuk~? Isn’t this sajil just so mature? Why not praise me instead of acting like a drama queen?”

“I’m not acting like a drama queen!”

Baek Cheon exhaled in frustration, his eyes watching your amused expression before glancing off toward the trees behind you.

He caught sight of a shadow slipping away. If he hadn’t known he was there, he wouldn’t have noticed his ghostly movement.

He pinched the bridge of his nose in exhaustion. But honestly, he was far too curious about what would happen tomorrow. He even thought he wouldn’t be able to sleep from all the overthinking.

—

Baek Cheon almost rubbed his eyes.

That was just how unbelievably absurd the scene in front of him was. But he held himself back; his dignity as the dae Sahyung of Baek line wouldn’t allow him to rub his eyes like that.

Except… there wasn’t much dignity left to protect when his jaw practically hit the floor. Luckily, no one commented on it—the younger disciples didn’t dare, the Five Swords and Hye Yeon, who were usually the type to make fun of him, weren’t in any better shape.

You weren’t doing anything unusual.

When everyone woke up in the morning, they started training as usual, and you were no exception. None of the six missed the fact that Chung Myung hadn’t glanced your way even once, but it wasn’t especially noteworthy.

But now, when the disciples had gathered in the dining hall for lunch. When you went to sit in your usual spot at the table with Tang Soso, Yoon Jong, Jo Gul, Hye Yeon and of course… Chung Myung.

While it wasn’t the first time, today felt a little different. The only empty seat was the one next to Chung Myung. Had Tang Soso and the other three conspired for that? What evil people.

No… that wasn’t the real problem.

Chung Myung still hadn’t looked at you, and yet, Baek Cheon almost spat out his food when he saw that faint red tint creeping up the back of Chung Myung’s neck like ink spreading across a surface.

And had he been chewing that bite for a whole minute now? Why wasn’t he eating with the usual ferocity like just a moment ago?

‘What am I even seeing right now?’

Baek Cheon really didn’t want to believe this…

„…His eyes are so beautiful…!“

Chung Myung accidentally swallowed his bite wrong when he’d just been trying to swallow his saliva absentmindedly.

He used to look at you without thinking, completely natural—and hadn’t noticed anything. But was that what you’d been thinking every time?

Of course. Damn these unnecessary emotions. It wasn’t like he had time for things like that… And yet, why couldn’t he calm down even knowing you weren’t planning to bring it up and talk about it, that you just wanted to keep things the way they were between you two?

Wasn’t that exactly what he’d wanted to hear at that moment? It was supposed to reassure him, knowing he could go about his days as usual without worrying about messy complications.

Anyway… what was wrong with you? Was there something off in your head to fall for someone like him? Every woman in the world ran from him as soon as they realized what kind of dirty personality he had, so how could you do something like this?

“Chung Myung-ah?”

God… Somehow, he managed not to flinch or jump up and run away. He didn’t want to turn toward you. He didn’t want to look at you.

“You’ve been acting weird for a while. Why aren’t you eating?”

Your tone was so casually curious. Damn it. Why did you have to make him suffer like this while you were all calm?

The four sitting with them went silent as soon as they heard that, and he could feel their eyes drilling into his head. These bastards…

“I-I’m fine.”

He forced himself to answer. And somehow, it would’ve been better if he hadn’t. His voice was drowned out by the chatter of the other disciples in the hall, and it became obvious just how uncharacteristically low his tone was.

Your eyes twitched when you noticed it.

“Heh, let me see your face.”

Chung Myung flinched when he felt your hand grab his forearm. What a solid grip you’d trained up! …He'd be proud of his hard work in any other occasion but could you please take it off him now?

“…Stop it, what are you doing?!”

“Let me see your pretty face, you bastard! Why are you depriving me of that view?!”

Normally, yeah… it sounded like you were just joking around to mess with him… But this time, it felt different. Those words weren’t just meaningless teasing to him anymore like before.

Of course, if Chung Myung weren’t in the worst mental state right now, you wouldn’t have been able to get away with it.

Miraculously—and this was unprecedented—you managed to push Chung Myung to the ground. He couldn’t miss the fact that you’d placed your hand on the back of his head to keep it from hitting the floor. That moment only lasted a second before you pinned his arms beside his head.

Chung Myung was completely caught off guard.

It was hard to breathe. He was afraid to move even a little and accidentally get his sides to come on contact with your legs that were settled firmly on either side of his waist. You narrowed your eyes in suspicion, scrutinizing his face carefully.

“Chung Myung…”

Chung Myung felt his heart pounding like drums when you looked at him with that mischievous smile.

“If this were like usual, my head would’ve hit the ceiling by now. You didn’t even come to drink with us last night, you bastard who can’t act.”

You laughed. Chung Myung thought he was hallucinating when you leaned in closer. Your face was only inches away, and the distance kept shrinking until he felt dizzy.

You pressed your forehead against his. It was just a few brief moments, but in his mind, it stretched on endlessly.

Your eyes were fixed on his, and for some reason, he felt like they were consuming him. It felt like he was trapped in a narrow space where there wasn’t enough air.

His jaw trembled when he felt your faint breath hitting his lips, and the tip of your nose brushed his skin, sending a shiver down his spine.

“Just as I thought.”

Chung Myung felt like he's going to panic, what the fuck did you find out—

You lifted your head and grabbed it dramatically as you shouted.

“Oh my God! Chung Myung is sick!! Soso-ya!”

The hall, which had been completely silent for the past 35.21 seconds, exploded into noise the moment your words echoed.

“Chung Myung is sick?!!!”

“What?! Do imoogis even get sick?!??”

“I lived to see this day! Mom!!”

Tang Soso rushed over with a confused expression, but her face went blank when she saw Chung Myung.

‘Did his skin really change color? Why is he so red?’

Chung Myung stared up at the ceiling like a dead fish. His life was flashing before his eyes.

“Ah… What is this? What a beautiful river…”

“Ahhh!!! Chung Myung-ah!! Don’t die, we still need you!!!”

You grabbed Chung Myung by the collar and shook him, but your actions only made the chaos worse.

You watched the door to the medical hall in silence. Chung Myung had been taken there, and Tang Soso had chased the disciples away, saying patients needed space to recover first and foremost.

Your foot tapped against the floor repeatedly, arms crossed over your chest, your mind somewhere else entirely…

“Samae…”

“Shh.”

You silenced Yoon Jong the moment he called for you. Your mind was too busy thinking about things that were… very important.

Yes, important things… The image of Chung Myung pinned under you, his confused and red face for reasons you didn’t quite understand, a thin layer of sweat sliding down his trembling skin… It was engraved on the walls of your mind, and you’d make sure to remember it forever.

Chung Myung, the strongest man in the world, for some reason had looked weak beneath you. Yes, that was an extremely important that might not ever happen again.

“No, Samae…”

“Ugh, what?”

You turned toward him with irritation, one eyebrow raised, but found Yoon Jong handing you a handkerchief with a grimacing face.

“Your nose is bleeding.”

“Uh… Oh.”

After a moment of staring, you took the handkerchief with a slightly awkward nod. You wiped your nose and chin and glanced back toward the medical hall.

‘But how did he fall in the first place?’

You thought silently, you knew very well that Chung Myung was able to beat hundred men even when having a light fever, but he fell when you pushed him? Your eyes narrowing slightly in annoyance like there was something you couldn’t quite put your finger on.

But a faint smile formed quietly under the handkerchief covering your mouth. There was something interesting here—and you were determined to find out exactly what it was.

✦

A lil addition~

• after that incident, they called you "the only disciple that can push CM down". CM snapped when he found out.

• BC always thought that CM had something weird for you but he wasn't sure what it was. CM himself didn't even notice it.

• you teased CM for a week after that, sometimes to the point where he ended up beating you but it was worth it.

• CM became so frustrated once and ended up kissing you to shut you tf up. Of course he was drunk. (Cringe ik)

• after that CM went into seclusion.

56 notes · View notes

sarotati · 28 days ago

Text

I couldn't stop imagining them and I ended up doodling a bit TT

#rotbb #return of the mount hua sect #rotmhs #return of the blossoming blade #fanfic #mitsuri kanroji #yu iseol #giyuu tomioka #crossover #doodle #sarotati's scribbles

22 notes · View notes

sarotati · 29 days ago

Note

Hi! How are you? I hope everything is great🤗 I love your writing style and look forward for more stories with cheong myeong and reader 🥹🙌 and if it's not too much to ask, can you please write a little crossover with Mount Hua sect and demon slayer? Like... what if characters from demon slayer somehow got into the world of mount hua sect with their unique swords and breathing techniques 😆 I like to imagine their interactions with cheong myeong and others. (Oh and can you please add Mitsuri kanroji too? She's my favorite girl and I like her unique sword and fighting style, it will be interesting see her sweet and cheerful personality with cheong myeong 😆 thank you🫶

A Day With Foreigners [ROTBBxKNY]

Summary: The Mount Hua disciples meeting people who came from foreign, distant land.

WC: 6.5K

A/N: I'm so bad at writing works that has many characters in it, but I tried my best to include every character equally. i have read kny a while ago and I hope I didn't make any of its characters ooc.

✦

“There! Finish him, Tanjiro!”

The boy with the black-bladed sword swung it through the air. Fragments of branches and grass flew in its wake, but he hadn’t cut what he aimed for.

“That damn demon!”

“It’s getting away!”

The group of six ran after the small figure ahead of them. It was surprising how fast that demon was despite its small size.

Just moments ago, they’d encountered this demon by chance. It wasn’t particularly strong, but it seemed to have some kind of ability related to teleportation.

Because as soon as they closed in within a certain range, they found themselves in a completely different place.

“Wha—?! I can’t hear it anymore!”

At Zenitsu’s frustrated cry, Tanjiro frowned, but there was no time to think. The woman with pink and green hair dashed forward, her whip-like sword slicing through the air.

“I’ll catch it!!”

Tanjiro gathered himself and followed after Mitsuri, as did the others.

But they all soon stopped when they noticed she had halted first. The reason became clear the moment they saw the houses and paved streets lit up in the dark evening.

“Ah... A village? Is that why you lost the sound of his footsteps?”

Tanjiro glanced at Zenitsu, who shook his head.

“I can tell the difference between human steps and demons...”

That made everyone deeply confused. Their first thought was that the demon had used his Blood Art to escape back to where it came from.

But that assumption didn’t last long. Everyone turned toward the sound that caught their attention.

“There!”

They immediately looked where Nezuko was pointing. Up in the air, it seemed like some bird had caught the demon and was flying off with it. Inosuke wanted to throw one of his swords, but the hand on his shoulder stopped him.

“Don’t. There are people.”

Inosuke’s face twitched in frustration under his mask, but he couldn’t ignore Tomioka’s command. After all, if his sword fell into one of those crowded streets, it might hit someone.

“Let’s go.”

The older man said as he stepped forward, and without hesitation, the others followed his lead.

The swordsmen made their way through the village streets they’d found themselves in by chance. It was clear how curious the townspeople were, stealing glances at them, but no one dared to approach or speak first.

That just meant they’d have to do it themselves.

Tomioka approached a vendor by the roadside. The people around him stepped aside, catching the attention of the vendor, who was arranging goods.

“Yes? Please, sir, there are others who were waiting first...”

“We’re not here to buy anything.”

The vendor raised an eyebrow in confusion, looking at the man before him and then at those with him. He quickly noticed the swords at their sides.

“Oh! Are you from Kangho?”

Tomioka opened his mouth but closed it again. He glanced back at the others, who shrugged just as cluelessly. Tomioka turned back to the vendor.

“Kangho...?”

“Ah, I guess you’re not familiar with this area! Never mind, never mind! All you have to do is head up that mountain.”

The group followed the direction the man pointed to. At the end of the path was a steep, towering mountain.

“You’ll find the great Mount Hua Sect up there! Isn’t that what you were looking for?”

“Uh... That—”

“Unfortunately, ordinary people can’t go up there. The path is dangerous for those who aren’t martial artists. But! No need to worry, even for first-timers, the path is clear and easy to follow!”

And so, under the weight of his persistent chatter, the group decided to head up the mountain as directed. It seemed the Mount Hua Sect was something like the guardian of this small town.

There was just one problem...

“This... This...”

“Zenitsu-kun, hang in there. We must be close.”

Tanjiro tried to encourage his friend, who was panting on his knees, looking as if his limbs had shrunk in half just from climbing this mountain.

Tanjiro reached out a hand to him, but Zenitsu suddenly snapped in a shout.

“No! Who in their right mind builds their resident on top of a ridiculously steep mountain?! I’ve nearly died at least ten times in the past three hours! These damn stairs are endless!! I really will die before I get there!!”

Tanjiro’s eyebrows twitched as he wiped his ears, which felt like they were bleeding from Zenitsu’s screaming.

That’s when they heard Mitsuri’s voice from up ahead.

“Oh! Is that the gate?”

Upon hearing that, Tanjiro felt a sinister aura. He turned slowly toward Zenitsu. His eyes were practically sparking with pure malice.

“Just wait until I catch one of those damn taoists—”

“Zenitsu-kun!”

“I’ll kill the first one I see!!”

Zenitsu charged forward using the last bit of strength he had, running toward the door Nezuko and Mitsuri had knocked on. Tanjiro smacked his forehead at the sight.

It wasn’t long before the door opened. Zenitsu placed his hand on his sword immediately, but Tanjiro grabbed him by the armpits before he could ruin everything before they even had a chance.

“Huh? What’s all the noise?”

Zenitsu froze at the sound—not the words, but the voice itself.

Feminine.

His eyes widened like plates as he looked at the person peering at them from behind the door with observant eyes, dark jade green in color, and neatly styled hair tied into two elegant buns.

“A... A... A girl—”

What was that? He’d kill the first person he saw? Let’s forget that part.

“A beautiful woman!!!!!”

Tanjiro panicked as he saw the woman look at them with skeptical eyes. He quickly grabbed his friend by the collar and smacked his mouth repeatedly. He smiled at her as politely as he could muster.

“I’m terribly sorry, haha! My friend here has lost his mind from exhaustion.”

“Tanjiro, you bastard—ack, ack!”

“Please don’t mind us!”

“Ah...”

The woman nodded in confusion at the stark contrast between Tanjiro’s gentle tone and the deadly look in his eyes directed at his friend.

Then her attention shifted to the man who looked like the eldest in the group, though her gaze lingered on the odd scene for a moment longer.

“We apologize if coming at this time is inconvenient.”

Tomioka spoke first, since they’d arrived quite early. It had taken them all night to climb the mountain carefully, and the sun had barely risen when they got there.

But the woman just shook her head.

“Oh, no... The sect is already active at this hour. Please, come in. You’re here to see the sect leader?”

“Yes.”

—

“I see...”

Hyun Jong stroked his beard with his fingers, his gaze sweeping over the guests sitting across from him. All of them had respectful expressions...

That is, if you excluded the boy with weird hair looking around for something, the one wearing a boar mask looking impatient, and the small girl he was sure had been older before stepping into his residence.

For his own mental health, Hyun Jong chose to ignore those details. He focused again on the calm-looking young man sitting across from him.

“We apologize for the trouble once again, but we humbly request your permission to stay and search in this village temporarily.”

Hyun Jong nodded, seeing no harm in it. Their visitors didn’t seem to harbor any malicious intent.

“No problem, but you’re misunderstanding something.”

Tomioka blinked but didn’t reply, so Hyun Jong continued smoothly.

“We don’t own this piece of land, so there’s no real need to ask Mount Hua’s permission.”

Tomioka nodded in response, sensing there was more Hyun Jong wanted to say.

“And also, young men, you can stay here in the sect.”

The guests blinked in confusion at Hyun Jong’s generous offer, but Tomioka didn’t object because he’d just realized something.

“Wouldn’t that burden you? It might be better to stay at an inn—”

Mitsuri stopped mid-sentence when Hyun Jong smiled kindly and answered.

“You said you’re from a distant land.”

“Yes...? Oh.”

“The currency you carry probably won’t work here.”

In other words, they were broke.

“We’re not sure how we can repay this favor, Sect Leader-sama.”

Hyun Jong chuckled softly at the unfamiliar honorific and nodded politely at the guests—

“What’s this, who told these people there’s anything in this world for free??”

Hyun Jong’s face twitched, as did the elders sitting on either side of him, upon hearing that ominous voice.

‘Who told this man about this situation?’

Most likely, Chung Myung’s sharp ears had picked up the rumors from the disciples too easily. Otherwise, Hyun Jong would throw the disciple who informed him off the mountain.

Somewhere else, Jo Gul sneezed while minding his own business...

In any case, thankfully, Baek Chun was there to smack that brat’s mouth before he could say anything worse.

“Hahaha... Apologies, it seems our disciple is sleepwalking.”

“You bastard, Dong Ryong, how dare—ack, ack!”

“Shut up!”

Seeing that scene, Tanjiro silently looked over at Zenitsu, who rubbed his mouth like he’d just experienced déjà vu. Despite their clearly different personalities, the situation was undeniably similar.

Then, without warning, the same girl who’d greeted them at the gate barged into the room. None of the elders could protest upon seeing the fire in Tang Soso’s eyes.

“Please, come with me!”

“Eh?!”

Mitsuri was dragged outside, more like abducted, really. No one asked why—not when they saw Tang Soso holding an extra third-class disciple uniform.

Nezuko cheerfully followed after the two girls, full of curiosity.

—

Tanjiro was deeply and sincerely grateful to the people who had taken them in and given them shelter when they needed it the most.

They even offered to help them search for the demon they had been chasing. The disciple with the ponytail hairstyle had erupted upon hearing the word "demon," and it had taken an army of disciples to calm him down.

Of course, he didn't calm down until he learned that the demon they were after was different from the ones he hated so much. Although Tanjiro was certain that Chung Myung would hate this other type of demon just as much, he kept that thought to himself.

He was confident he could find a way to repay these kind people. But before repaying their debt, they first had to find a way to lessen the burden on their hosts.

“This is bad…”

Tanjiro looked down at the paper in his hand with a gloomy expression.

He was good at various tasks—cooking, cleaning, and so on. After all, he was the eldest child in his family and had always enjoyed helping his mother in any way he could.

But drawing was not one of his strengths.

He and the others had wanted to draw a rough sketch of the demon they were chasing, but worse than being bad at drawing was having to draw the demon from memory.

He set aside his third failed sheet and looked at the others. Tomioka was the first whose eyes landed on the paper in his hands.

“Tomioka-san, did you come up with anything?”

His blue eyes met the younger boy’s. Tomioka was silent for a moment, as if he wasn’t sure what to say—as usual. So he simply handed over his paper without a word. Tanjiro took it with trembling hands.

‘This is basically a stick man! It’s a stick man!’

Tanjiro smiled brightly and handed the paper back to the older man without saying a word. Tomioka didn’t frown, but an aura of disappointment surrounded him immediately.

With a bit of hope, Tanjiro turned to Inosuke. But the latter was still furiously moving his brush across the sheet laid on the table. Still, Tanjiro managed to catch a glimpse.

“Is that... a dog?”

“It’s obviously a dragon!”

Inosuke glared angrily at Tanjiro, but Tanjiro gave him a similar look to the one he’d had when he first saw Inosuke’s real face.

He quickly turned to Mitsuri, who was sitting beside Nezuko, resting between the two of them. When their eyes met, Mitsuri quickly pulled her sheet away.

But Tanjiro, in an uncharacteristic move, managed to snatch it at the last moment.

Mitsuri banged her head against the table in embarrassment, while Tanjiro stared blankly at an extremely bad drawing of... someone. And… were those two differently colored eyes?

Steam seemed to rise from her pink head. Tanjiro sighed.

Finally, there was Zenitsu.

He remembered clearly that Zenitsu had said he was good at drawing. His sharp ears had helped his hands learn to play musical instruments easily, so his hands were light and skillful. He was supposed to be good at drawing.

Tanjiro turned somewhat expectantly toward Zenitsu, whose back was facing him. It was clear he was completely absorbed in his work, so Tanjiro approached from behind cautiously and glanced over his shoulder.

Tanjiro froze.

What was on the canvas was... a woman. A vein popped on Tanjiro’s forehead.

“You bastard! Is this really the time for that!?”

But Tanjiro flinched for a moment when Zenitsu turned to him slowly, unnervingly steady. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he hadn’t blinked in minutes.

“We’ll find a way back home…”

“...”

“So I won’t be able to see her again. I have to immortalize this beauty.”

Several imaginary question marks floated above Tanjiro’s confused head, but his questions were answered as soon as he looked in the direction Zenitsu had been facing.

For a moment, Tanjiro couldn’t open his eyes properly, blinded by the light. But as his eyes adjusted to the overwhelming glow, he finally saw the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on.

Silky ebony hair, shining more brilliantly than sunlight, and perfectly toned skin in an unfair balance. Full, pink lips and dark, calm eyes observing him with an icy gaze.

He didn’t even remember when she had arrived.

Tanjiro let go of Zenitsu’s collar. Honestly… just this once, he couldn’t blame him.

In the end, he turned, gathering all the shame he could muster at that moment, toward the handsome man sitting beside the stunning woman. He was seated on one of the chairs nearby.

“I deeply apologize, Baek-san.”

“Please, there’s no need to worry about such a thing.”

Baek Chun shook his head with a small, comforting smile, as if confirming his words, and Tanjiro felt relieved for a moment.

Yes… for a moment.

“How humble of you, Sasuk.”

Tanjiro slowly looked at the person standing on the other side of Baek Chun. For some reason Tanjiro couldn’t understand, Chung Myung was remarkably skilled at manipulating the atmosphere in the room as if it were a toy in his hand.

A vein appeared on Baek Chun’s forehead, but Chung Myung pushed further, flashing a sly grin after glancing at Tanjiro, who somehow managed not to flinch.

“Don’t believe him. These people are actually all obsessed with training and hate wasting their time.”

Tanjiro swallowed hard without realizing and shifted his gaze toward Baek Chun and the woman whose name he still didn’t know. Both of them were looking at Chung Myung with expressions that said: “You talk as if none of this is your fault!”

Baek Chun exhaled and tried to ignore the younger man.

"Please don’t listen to him."

"Ugh..."

"Sasuk, you’re a terrible hypocrite."

This time, Baek Chun couldn’t take it any further. Chung Myung’s smile grew wider and more wicked as he saw the beautiful gleam of Sasuk’s sword slowly being drawn. The cold steel scraping against the sheath made a sound so menacing it could send chills down the spine.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A HYPOCRITE?!"

Chung Myung dodged the horizontal swing that tore through the air where his head had just been, wearing an amused smirk as if he were playing with a child wielding a wooden stick.

Unless Tanjiro was blind, there was no way not to see that swing wasn’t a joke.

But Chung Myung’s face said something else entirely, and the other disciples sighed as if this was something they saw every day.

Was this their usual kind of joke?

In some way, that was scarier than if they had actually been fighting seriously.

“Ah… alright, that’s enough.”

Chung Myung seemed to have had his fill of playing around. At that moment, the other disciples grabbed Baek Chun before he could lunge at Chung Myung again, clearly for Baek Chun’s own good.

Chung Myung averted his eyes toward their group of guests, who flinched at the sight of his smile. It was obvious something was turning in his head.

“It seems the idea of honored guests didn’t quite work out.”

“Uhh...”

“So we have no choice but to do things the hard way.”

Even though there wasn’t a hint of threat in Chung Myung’s tone or expression, panic filled their hearts. It was clearest on the faces of Tanjiro and Mitsuri, while a few beads of sweat appeared on the stiff face of Tomioka. Inosuke’s expression was hard to read.

Pat pat!

Chung Myung stopped before saying anything else, and Tanjiro and the others froze.

Chung Myung’s eyes moved downward and met another pair of eyes similar to his own in their color, just lighter in shade.

Chung Myung blinked in confusion as the little girl stared at him with a small frown, but his attention shifted to the paper she was holding out toward him.

He took it and looked at it for a moment before turning it toward Tanjiro and the others.

“Is this your demon?”

The group gathered for a closer look at the drawing, eyes wide as they glanced between the paper and Nezuko standing proudly below, her small hands resting at her sides.

“That’s it.”

“Yeah.”

Chung Myung scratched his head as he looked at the drawing again. This time, the five swords and Hye Yun came up from behind to peek over his shoulders, all of them staring at the little girl in surprise.

“Well then, I guess the problem is solved.”

Chung Myung laughed, still sounding a little surprised, ruffled Nezuko’s black hair for a moment, then handed the paper to Baek Chun.

“Sasuk, here you go.”

“Ah…”

Baek Chun nodded, his eyes still lingering on their guests—especially the little girl with the pink eyes. But he quickly cleared his throat and straightened his posture.

“We’ll deliver the drawing to the Beggars’ Union as soon as possible.”

“Good. Tell them to be careful since they haven’t dealt with something like this before.”

“Of course.”

Baek Chun hurried out of the room, and once he closed the door behind him, Chung Myung turned back toward their guests, that unsettling aura returning.

“So, since things have been resolved this way…”

Chung Myung clasped his hands together and cracked his knuckles.

“As we said before, dear guests… nothing is free.”

Tanjiro, Inosuke, Mitsuri, and even Zenitsu, who barely managed to stop staring at his freshly finished drawing, all swallowed nervously.

Tomioka looked quietly at the other disciples, who were praying with great sympathy for the souls of their poor guests.

—

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!”

A savage scream shook almost all of Mount Hua.

That scream belonged to Inosuke.

With great difficulty, he managed to lift a massive boulder that easily weighed more than a hundred times his own weight. Of course, that was because his pride wouldn’t let him fail.

The other demon slayers stared at him with empty, exhausted eyes.

Chung Myung had told them that if they wanted to help Mount Hua, they would have to assist with training to make up for the time spent helping them.

It seemed Chung Myung wanted to first test their strength and endurance before moving on to any other type of training. Just thinking that something worse might be waiting for them after this made Tanjiro feel dizzy. Zenitsu was already foaming at the mouth, yet somehow he was still standing on trembling legs.

Of course, the rock Inosuke had been asked to carry was about the same size as those given to the other demon slayers. But when he saw Chung Myung’s rock, which was three times larger than the others, he decided he wanted that one.

Naturally, Chung Myung didn’t refuse. In fact, he handed him the rock while holding back a delighted laugh.

Of course, it didn’t take long before Inosuke collapsed from exhaustion and passed out.

“I-Inosuke-kun!”

“Heh, he lasted longer than I expected.”

Tanjiro froze in place, staring in horror at the Mount Hua disciples casually discussing Inosuke as if he weren’t unconscious under a giant rock.

He glanced back toward Chung Myung, who was standing there leaning slightly to get a better look.

“Tsk tsk, kids these days…”

Tanjiro stared blankly and looked to Tomioka beside him, who had the same empty look on his face.

‘Isn’t he the youngest here??’

Tanjiro’s eyes widened in disbelief when he saw Chung Myung casually lift the rock off Inosuke’s back as if it were hollow. Unfortunately, he knew it couldn’t possibly be.

This time, it was Chung Myung’s turn to be surprised. When he turned to look at the others, he saw something he really wasn’t expecting.

“No, Nezuko-chan, that’s way too heavy for you!”

Mitsuri was struggling, but not with the massive boulder she was lifting—rather with the small girl who wanted to join in. The weight she was carrying seemed like a secondary problem she might get to later if she had time.

Chung Myung looked at Tomioka and Tanjiro. Tanjiro was having a little trouble, while Tomioka was doing just fine, as expected of him.

Still, it was strange seeing that slender arm holding up a rock so easily. Yu Iseol would definitely feel jealous if she saw this.

“Wow.”

Chung Myung jumped when Yu Iseol suddenly appeared behind him out of nowhere, clutching his chest in shock.

“Sago! Say something next time, please!”

“Me too.”

With her usual blank face, Yu Iseol walked straight toward Mitsuri, leaving Chung Myung behind. Did he just hear that right? Did Yu Iseol really say "Wow"?

Nearby, Baek Chun and Jo Gul approached Tomioka and Tanjiro, probably to share some tips. Yoon Jong nudged Zenitsu, who was still foaming.

Tang Soso ran toward Inosuke, from whom the rock had just been removed, shaking him to check if he was alive before pulling off his mask to slap him awake.

But she stopped. A sudden, almost random-looking glow appeared. Curious, Chung Myung leaned over her shoulder for a look.

He squinted slightly as the light glowed from Inosuke lying there like a salted fish.

Seeing the face that had been hidden under that ugly mask, he and Tang Soso glanced at Yu Iseol and Baek Chun before looking back at each other with blank faces.

Tang Soso shrugged, threw the mask aside, and started slapping Inosuke.

“Wake up! Wake up, you idiot! You’ll die if you stay like this!!”

Chung Myung quietly stepped back. Tang Soso’s violence wasn’t something he wanted to watch up close, even if it wasn’t aimed at him.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Chung Myung looked over the training grounds that were chaotic, but in a way, lively and full of energy.

Chung Myung smiled.

“Good, that’s enough. You guys aren’t bad at all... kekeke— ahem, not bad. Hehehehehe.”

Chung Myung tilted slightly as he tried to hold back his evil laugh.

Some disciples nearby got a bad feeling from that.

Baek Chun swung his sword at the last moment, blocking the strike aimed at him before leaping forward to take the initiative.

There was a strange sensation in his body and at his fingertips as he exchanged sword strikes with the man in front of him.

‘It feels like sparring with Samae.’

Tomioka’s cold eyes, as deep and unreadable as the ocean, sent an unpleasant chill down his skin—or maybe he just wasn’t used to it yet.

Despite the fundamental difference between water and plum blossoms, Tomioka’s sword felt familiar even though it was completely foreign.

Even though no actual water formed at the tip of his sword, Baek Chun could see it, and faintly feel its flow with each swing of Tomioka’s shining blue blade.

—

Strong.

That was one of the words to describe the sword twisting through the air. It was much harder to avoid being cut by it than with a regular sword.

And while this type of sword had both advantages and weaknesses, Mitsuri’s physical skill seemed to cover most of those flaws.

The disciples had to step back several paces because the attack range was wider than expected.

Sweat dripped from their foreheads as they watched the terrifying swords clashing in the blink of an eye.

Anyone else wouldn’t have dared to stand where she did. Even knowing this was just a friendly match, it was impossible to ignore the feeling that your limbs might be severed with a single misstep.

If it wasn’t Yu Iseol, no one could have faced this duel.

Her sword, steady and smooth in its movement, trembled gently at the tip, releasing delicate red plum blossoms.

—

The others watched with sweaty faces, utterly mesmerized and filled with excessive excitement.

The matches had stopped here. Why?

Tanjiro and Tang Soso were both bragging about Yu Iseol and Tomioka with proud looks, turning it into a sort of rivalry at this point. It wasn’t that no one could call Tanjiro back, but Tang Soso wouldn’t let it go without claiming victory for Yu Iseol.

It was a matter of life and death for her. And Tanjiro wouldn’t back down.

Zenitsu was bleeding after watching the duel between Yu Iseol and Mitsuri... and no one wanted to step in and help him.

Inosuke?

“Fight me!!!!”

He shouted angrily, kicking his legs in the air as Jo Gul and Hye Yun held his arms to keep him from charging at Chung Myung. The latter stood leaning on one leg, scratching his ear.

“Not interested.”

“I’ll kill that bastard!!!!”

—

“Wahh!! I’m so hungry after all that training!”

“Meat!!”

The demon slayers blended in with the disciples easily. Food really was the best thing to bring people together, no matter their personalities.

Yes, no matter their personalities.

“Wow! This is my first time tasting foreign food!”

Mitsuri was enjoying the food served by Mount Hua. Though it was mild in spices, Mitsuri preferred gentle flavors over strong ones anyway.

It felt like the food disappeared with every blink.

“Amazing, when did she finish all that?”

“But she doesn’t even eat that fast?”

“Does that mean she’s better than Chung Myung at eating?”

The person in question twitched his ear at that last comment. Eating, of all things! Setting aside alcohol... who could beat Chung Myung when it came to love for food?

“I challenge you!”

“Woahh!”

Mitsuri shouted in excitement as if the idea of a challenge was right up her alley. It even got to the point where the disciples left their meals and gathered around the table to watch the contest.

“I bet my lunch for a week on Chung Myung!”

“And I’m betting on Kanroji-nim!”

“That guy really wants to see Chung Myung lose!”

The disciples laughed. Of course, when someone mentioned a competition, Inosuke suddenly jumped out of nowhere and shouted that he was joining too.

The disciples cheered as they watched the three of them devour food as if there were no tomorrow.

Of course, the first one to drop was Inosuke. He had already eaten a lot before they even started this game, so that was to be expected.

It came down to just Chung Myung and Mitsuri at the table.

“You think I’ll let you win?!”

Chung Myung muttered while chewing on a roasted duck meat. Mitsuri stared back at him with determination as she swallowed meat broth ramen.

“I won’t lose either, Chung-san!”

“Ha! We’ll see about that!”

And neither of them was lying.

It didn’t take long since both of them ate quickly, but eventually, they hit their limits.

“Sasuk, is this really okay?”

Yoon Jong whispered to Baek Chun, but the latter simply shrugged without taking his eyes off the two of them as they banged their heads against the table, struggling to push one last piece of meat into their mouths.

“Ugh… I think I’m going to throw up…”

“I never want to see noodles again in my life.”

The disciples laughed in amusement and mockery at the sight of the two of them. It had been a while since any of them had such an enjoyable and lively dinner—even the demon slayers themselves.

The only two people who remained calm were Yu Iseol and Tomioka, enjoying a cup of tea. Neither of them said a word, but it seemed to create a quiet friendly harmony between them.

—

“Cute!”

Tang Soso looked at her work with overwhelming joy. With her skillful, delicate hands, she had managed to braid Mitsuri’s signature hairstyle perfectly on her first try.

Yu Iseol blinked and touched her freshly styled, soft hair. Mitsuri laughed playfully; her hair was now tied in buns similar to Tang Soso’s.

It felt like a hair-style exchange. It was silly, but still fun.

“But where’s Nezuko-ya?”

“Oh, maybe she's with Tanjiro? She’d love it if you styled her hair too!”

Mitsuri looked at Tang Soso with sparkling eyes full of excitement, and Tang Soso showed a similar warmth. No one seemed to notice the faint, rare smile tugging at the corners of Yu Iseol’s lips.

Suddenly, the girls turned at the sound of a knock on Tang Soso’s room door—the room they’d decided to gather in for the night instead of the guests' resident. When Tang Soso slid the door open, she saw Chung Myung.

“Sahyung, what are you—”

Tang Soso stopped mid-sentence as her gaze slowly lifted, past his usual blank face. Nezuko was sitting on his shoulders, smiling at her sweetly.

“Why...?”

“She climbed up on her own.”

“I didn’t know Sahyung had such a good sense of humor.”

“Would you, kindly, take her off me?”

Chung Myung spoke with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. It was clearly an annoying situation, but he was secretly a softie for kids—though most people already knew that so it's not a secret—and so he couldn’t bring himself to forcibly pull Nezuko down.

“Pfft—”

“You…”

A vein popped on Chung Myung’s forehead seeing Tang Soso try to stifle her laugh, watching Nezuko holding onto his head to keep her balance. But she knew she didn’t want to see this man snap.

“All right, all right.”

She waved her hand like she was swatting away a pesky mosquito.

“Come down here, Nezuko-ya! I’ll do your hair too! Come on~”

Nezuko’s smile widened as expected, her excitement plain to see. Tang Soso flinched for a moment when the little girl jumped down on her own and entered the room.

She looked back at Chung Myung, who raised his eyebrows as if to say, “Told you.” Tang Soso nodded and gave an apologetic laugh.

Thud.

The whole situation was momentarily forgotten when they heard something—or someone—fall outside the room. Which was odd, because Tang Soso was the only one who usually used this section of the third floor reserved for women.

They turned and saw the fallen figures.

It was the three guys: Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke.

They hadn’t spent that much time together, but by now they had a decent understanding of each other’s personalities. It was obvious that Tanjiro, who was grabbing Zenitsu by the collar, had been trying to stop him from doing whatever was in his head—likely sneaking a peek into the girls’ room. Inosuke, meanwhile, probably came along just because he was bored and didn’t really know what was happening.

But did any of that matter?

Of course not.

The moment Tang Soso realized that yellow-haired delinquent’s intentions, everyone was guilty in her eyes.

“What? Did these bastards train so hard they lost all common sense?! Want me to throw you off the mountain?!”

Chung Myung and Yu Iseol silently prayed for the souls of the three as they watched Tang Soso roll up her sleeves and march toward them.

Tak! Tak! Tak!

“Kyaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!”

That last one was Zenitsu’s infamous scream.

The three of them sat on their knees, arms raised in the air, each with a swollen bump on their heads—Tanjiro and Inosuke both sporting one, but Zenitsu had gotten the worst of it, his face puffy and swollen.

“Ah… Soso-chan, you’re so harsh.”

“Hah?? What was that?!”

Tang Soso waved her fist threateningly, making Zenitsu shrink back in fear.

Chung Myung then turned to Tanjiro.

“She’s your sister, right?”

Tanjiro blinked and followed his gaze. When Chung Myung pointed with his chin toward Nezuko, he nodded.

“Yes, she is…”

“Then how can she… do that...”

Chung Myung wasn’t sure how to put it—jumping so high, running so fast, things a child shouldn’t be able to do. But it seemed Tanjiro understood immediately without needing the details.

“Oh, actually…”

Chung Myung scratched his cheek, laughing awkwardly while thinking how to explain it.

“Well, Nezuko’s a demon.”

Not exactly the smoothest way to phrase it, but what could he do? Tanjiro wasn’t good at lying or sugar-coating things.

The reactions he got were predictable.

The Mount Hua disciples blinked with blank expressions, staring at him, then at Nezuko sitting in Mitsuri’s lap, swinging her legs. Then they looked back at Tanjiro.

“A demon?”

“Yes.”

“Then… are those evil sect bastards fairies?”

“Huh?”

Tanjiro tilted his head in confusion, as expected.

Chung Myung remembered a certain fairy from the evil sect, with a clown-like face and too many accessories. His face scrunched in disgust. So goblins must be a kind of fairy?

…He shook his head.

“No, no… that doesn’t make sense.”

Far away, in his incense-filled room, Jang Ilso sneezed before he could take a sip of his drink.

—

“What’s this?”

Tanjiro blinked, trying to open his sleep-heavy eyes.

Looking around, Inosuke had fallen flat on his face, unconscious. Zenitsu seemed to be sleepwalking, Mitsuri was rambling nonsense, and Tomioka was staring tiredly into empty space like it had personally offended him.

The Mount Hua disciples had already gathered. They looked sleepy too, but in better shape. Were they used to waking up before sunrise?

And who had gathered them here? It was Nezuko who’d knocked on their door, excitedly signaling for them to come out before running off.

When they finally managed to gather in the training yard, they all widened their eyes in shock at the sight waiting for them.

Chung Myung.

Actually, it wasn’t just Chung Myung that surprised them.

It was the small demon he held in one hand, shaking it like a rag toy.

“Is this what you lost?”

He asked dully, scratching his ear with his other hand. The demon wasn’t just beaten—it was trembling and crying.

“P-Please… help me…”

“Haaaa???”

Chung Myung’s face twisted as he heard the creature’s desperate plea.

“I don’t know how demons are where you’re from, but demons are demons wherever they go. Since when did a lowly demon have the right to beg for mercy?! Haa!??”

The demon slayers swallowed hard at the sight of a demon being bullied… by a human. Or so they assumed he is one.

But… why did it look so pitiful now? Shouldn’t they feel no pity for a demon?

Chung Myung pulled out his sword, ready to cut off the small creature’s head.

But the sun rose...

Suddenly, the demon let out a death cry as its body disintegrated where the golden sunrays touched it.

Chung Myung blinked and shouted in alarm.

“Huh?! What’s this? What’s happening to him?!”

“Demons burn in sunlight, Chung-san.”

Upon hearing that, Chung Myung glanced at Nezuko, but she stood there without the slightest problem.

Seeing that, Tanjiro laughed and explained.

“Not Nezuko. She’s immune to it.”

Chung Myung exhaled through his nose, and immediately noticed something.

Starting from their fingertips, their bodies were becoming transparent—slowly, steadily. They grew more and more see-through with each moment.

Finally, they were going home...

“Mitsuri-ya!!”

“Soso-chan! Iseol-chan!”

Tang Soso and Mitsuri looked at each other with teary eyes, while Yu Iseol’s expression remained calm.

“It would’ve been nice to have another match.”

“It really would.”

Baek Chun pressed his fists together and bowed. Tomioka gave a small bow as well, trying to copy Baek Chun’s hands gesture.

“Soso-chan! Iseol-chan~~!”

Zenitsu wept as if saying goodbye to life itself, but Tang Soso scowled and grabbed his head to stop him from coming any closer.

“You brat! Knock it off!”

“Soso-chan, don’t be so mean!”

Chung Myung snorted and turned slightly downward. Nezuko was tugging on his uniform, and when she caught his attention, she waved her small hand with a very sweet smile.

“Goodbye… Chung Myung.”

Her words were heavy, as if she wasn’t used to speaking much, which was strange for such a lively child, but not unpleasant at all. Chung Myung sighed and patted her head before looking at her brother standing behind her.

“Thanks for the help, Chung-san.”

“Ah… don’t forget it wasn’t for free.”

Tanjiro chuckled helplessly, remembering the training session they’d gone through. Though honestly, it wasn’t really payment for what Mount Hua had done for them.

Maybe if they’d had more time, Chung Myung would’ve wrung everything he could out of them.

“Damn it, I didn’t get to beat you even once!”

Inosuke raged, fists clenched and trembling in frustration. Chung Myung scoffed.

“It’ll take you a hundred years to beat me, kid.”

“What?!!!!”

"I know, I'm being to generous now."

"You bastard say that again—!!!!!"

Inosuke snapped, just as Chung Myung expected, smiling slyly as he watched Tanjiro try to hold him back, scold him, and finally knock him on the head to calm him down.

For some reason, despite not sharing many personality traits, the bond between Tanjiro and the others reminded him a lot of Chung Mun.

Tanjiro looked at Chung Myung again, smiling gently as if confirming those thoughts.

“Actually, I hope we meet again, Chung-san.”

“Aren’t you worried?”

Tanjiro scratched his head in embarrassment, realizing what that ominous tone meant.

“Well… maybe, but still...”

Chung Myung smiled faintly at the boy’s next words.

“See you later, Chung-san. Please give our regards to the Sect Leader-sama.”

Chung Myung simply nodded without saying anything, watching as the figures before him faded like illusions all along.

The disciples looked a little too moved for people who’d only known them for a day. But what could he say?

“Alright! We’re late for training!”

Ah, right. He could say that.

The disciples grumbled but hurried off to the training grounds along with the remaining students.

And life in Mount Hua returned to normal.

✦

A/N: this was my first crossover, so I hope it's good enough and that y'all enjoyed it!

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