TSIT 04

Chapter 04

Blink. Vacant gazes tangled slowly in midair.

With a blank expression, Soram recalled the rhythm that had once skipped about in the marketplace.

“The vagabond who came last year hasn’t even died and has come again.”

Wasn’t there talk that a man named Heo Chamrye, who had disappeared ten years ago, was a troublemaker?

Yuran looked at her with pity and patted her shoulder.

“My goodness, Soram. You truly don’t know anything at all. Sister Gyeonghwa, I think I must keep Soram by my side. We can’t splash muddy water onto a child this pure.”

“That’s true enough. I may have weathered countless storms, but…”

“Unni, have you gone through the initiation rite?”

“Wherever you go, there’s always some ceremony they call ‘tradition.’ They say, ‘If the water is too clear, there are no big fish’ (水淸無大魚), and use that to tarnish your dignity. Then they prattle on with stale nonsense about teaching you the joys and sorrows of life.”

The joys and sorrows of life?

At Gyeonghwa’s lamenting criticism, Soram instead pricked up her ears. So they would teach her those things?

“It’s a vicious custom. A harmful practice.”

“Even if we know that, what can we do? We must endure here at least three years. We can’t have everyone refusing to attend. Even if it’s unpleasant, we endure and learn whatever might be useful.”

Soram opened her eyes wide and nodded. She understood the principle herself.

Gain and loss. If you gain something, you must lose something.

In other words, if she endured the trial, a sweet reward would surely follow.

Whether it was Heo Chamrye or the initiation rite—no matter what villains appeared, she would endure and learn from them!

“Soram, are you alright?”

“Yes!”

Answering Gyeonghwa, Soram stepped on the hem of her robe and staggered. The clothes prepared in the dormitory didn’t fit her.

“Be careful.”

When Gyeonghwa grabbed her arm, she grinned.

The seamstresses were scheduled to come tomorrow to alter each student’s clothing, but the impatient seniors would never wait. They had intended from the start to tease both the new clothes and the new students.

Because of that, Soram shuffled along in robes that completely covered her hands—clothes so ill-fitting they hardly felt like her own. One might say she had already achieved half of what the seniors wanted: “ghostly attire and mad behavior.”

As she hurried along awkwardly, she formed a plan.

At the very least, they would disperse before the third night watch when the dorm supervisor made rounds. Until her roommates fell asleep, she would hide like an otter.

“Dress properly and gather in the rear garden at the Hour of the Rooster (around 6 p.m.).”

Following the message delivered by another new student, Gyeonghwa and Soram arrived behind the dormitory.

There was a fairly large pond there, hidden by tall blue pines that ringed it. It felt like a secret world.

About twenty freshmen in academy robes stood lined up before it. Soon, seniors appeared with their arms folded.

“These kids nowadays…”

They walked with crooked posture, clicking their tongues.

“In our time, exemption was unimaginable.”

“If they don’t even show courtesy to their immediate seniors, how will they discuss affairs of state or practice loyalty?”

“They lack discipline.”

Hmm. They’d said it was a feast—why were the seniors so angry?

Soram couldn’t fathom their intentions. When would they teach her about joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure?

“The white lotus blooms from the mud, and clear water holds no great fish.”

One senior spoke loudly.

“To any freshman who does not fear falling into this mire and boldly catches a great fish to present to us—we shall give a reward.”

At the sight of the pond, clearly not shallow, the freshmen’s faces darkened all at once.

All except Soram.

“To the junior who shows admirable sincerity, we will grant the precious wine of ‘after bitterness comes sweetness.’”

Though it sounded fine, didn’t that really mean they’d mix together a chaotic brew of different liquors?

The students had all once seen fathers come home insensible after soaking in such drink. The next day, groaning that they’d never touch that accursed forgetfulness-well again, they couldn’t even go to work.

But again, that concern did not apply to Soram.

Joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure—and after bitterness, sweetness—were all connected. And liquor was a mysterious water only humans drank.

Some who swallowed it laughed. Some grew angry. Some wept and sang. Surely it was a miracle tonic for stirring emotions.

“Who will first show us the spirit of the white lotus?”

The stiffened freshmen hesitated. Spirit of the white lotus or not—this was weather fit for freezing to death.

Though it was early spring, just past the beginning of spring, the wind remained chilly. And the pond, frozen solid all winter, needed no explanation.

What good would it do to roll about in there and then drink alcohol?

It was like being given illness and then given more illness.

Just as everyone hesitated—

A small figure suddenly leapt forward, breaking the tense silence.

“I—I will catch a very, very big prey for you!”

With bright eyes, Soram swiftly jumped into the pond.

Perhaps moved by her delicate initiative, several others followed.

Splash by splash, they filled the pond, and muddy water soon clouded the surface.

Those raised in comfort trembled at the cold they had never experienced. Those raised harshly trembled at the seniors’ bullying. The pitiful freshmen shivered, steeling themselves for life at the academy.

No matter how they flailed their arms in the murky water, no fish could be caught.

It was like searching for a needle in a pine grove. Some were already sniffling, rubbing reddened noses.

Time passed fruitlessly—

“Senior!”

Soram, groping along the pond’s edge, suddenly hurled something.

It landed with a slap on the grass—a golden carp thrashing with tremendous vigor.

Riding her momentum, she hauled up arm-length fish one after another.

The onlookers were stunned. Carp of various colors flopped wildly at their feet.

Gradually, the smiles faded from the watchers’ faces.

“That tiny one… who is she?”

“They say she’s Soram of the Geum family.”

“…Isn’t there something strange about her eyes?”

Splash splash. Whip whip. Flop flop.

Unbothered by their stiffening faces, Soram continued catching prey. She was truly a fish in water.

Never had they seen a freshman like this.

The small woman seemed poised to sweep the pond clean, leaving only minnows!

“S-Stop! That’s enough.”

At the restraining voice, she tilted her head. She showed no sign of wanting to leave the water.

“There are still many big fish left!”

“No, no.”

The seniors waved their hands hurriedly.

“That’s quite enough. Your name is Soram?”

“Yes!”

“We’ve seen enough of your admirable heart… Everyone, come out now.”

At that, the freshmen scrambled ashore.

Their soaked clothes clung heavily, and the cold seeping into their bones made their legs shake.

“Huh?”

Still in the pond, Soram noticed fish dropping beside her with soft plops. Some seniors were discreetly pushing the carp back into the water with their toes.

“Why are you releasing the fish instead of eating what you caught?”

“Haha… Well, this is merely a ritual to foster goodwill. We’ve prepared plenty of food, so we refrain from unnecessary killing. You should come out too.”

“As expected, seniors are truly benevolent!”

“Ah… thank you.”

Only then did she climb out. Perhaps scraped against a rock, the back of her hand bled red.

Her hands were so frozen she seemed not to feel the pain. It was nothing to her, but Gyeonghwa hurried over.

“Soram, let’s go to the infirmary together. I’ll take you.”

“No, it’s nothing at all. I want to receive the reward!”

Though Gyeonghwa wrapped her hand with a handkerchief and urged her worriedly to see the physician, Soram would not yield.

Her soaked clothes slowly dried by the warm brazier.

In the dining hall, a beautiful feast table had been set with all manner of food and drink. Student-only drinking parties were originally forbidden within the academy.

Seeing the worried expressions of the newcomers, the seniors spoke in unison.

As long as they avoided just one person—Doctor Nak.

“The other teachers are fairly lenient. The newcomer rite is a long-standing tradition, after all. Only Doctor Nak is different.”

Doctor Nak—Nak Cheongyeon. Soram already knew of him. Had she not nearly been prevented from even taking the exam due to being wrongly entangled in trouble? Just recalling his cold face and imposing bearing made her shudder.

“For the poor souls who may end up in Doctor Nak’s class, let us raise a consolation drink in advance!”

Soon cups were neatly arranged on the table, with smaller cups placed atop them.

One senior lightly tapped the end cup with a folding fan, and the small cups dropped neatly into the larger ones.

The students lifted the jade cups in turn.

“Jihwaja!” (A celebratory cheer.)