The Brothers Kim

"Oh, b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l!" Gyuri exclaimed in shock as she jumped out of her skin. Alarmed, she covered her mouth as she glanced at the door. When a few moments had pa.s.sed with no sign of movement, she sighed in relief, relieved that she had not been caught eavesdropping.

"Geez, Master Namjoon, you scared me!" she hissed with a hint of annoyance.

Namjoon chuckled apologetically. "So, how did it go? Have they reconciled?"

Gyuri gestured for the pair of them to move further away from the door. "I think they have" Gyuri answered. "I heard Chun Chun crying a little and the Young Master comforting her."

"That is good."

Gyuri smiled in agreement. "Thank you again, Master Namjoon, for letting me use your office. I would have used the soup kitchen but there wouldn"t have been any privacy." She curled her lip in thought. "And Chun Chun was so reluctant in meeting the Young Master. Thankfully, you were able to convince her to come."

"The orphans needed a check-up anyway" Namjoon replied. "And from what I have seen, Taehyung cares deeply about them."

Gyuri silently agreed. "But there is one thing I don"t understand."

"Oh? What is that?"

"I don"t understand why the orphans were so afraid of the Young Master when they found out he"s a n.o.ble."

Gyuri watched the light in Namjoon"s eyes dim. "They were afraid?"

"Yes," she responded, "but I don"t know why."

Namjoon"s voice was low. "Gyuri, do you know anything about Chun Chun and Gulnar"s past?"

For a moment, Gyuri was silent. She cast her memory back to when Taehyung had nearly drowned and how she had visited the orphans by herself while Taehyung stayed at home and recovered. During that time, the orphans had opened themselves up to her, telling her tales of their life right before they became vagabonds.

They were the children of farmhands.

"Chun Chun may have mentioned that their parents used to be farmers" she replied. "But she never mentioned much after that."

Namjoon nodded solemnly. "I see..." He looked away momentarily before asking further, "Did she mention what house she was from?"

"Huh?"

"Like, who owned the land that their parents served—their lord?"

"No, I don"t think so." Gyuri shook her head. "She never mentioned it." She gaped at Namjoon and tried to decipher the troubled look that ruined his princely features. "But Chun Chun and Gulnar served a lord? Like you, Master Namjoon?"

At this, Namjoon shifted his gaze back to her. "Yes" he eventually replied, but Gyuri couldn"t help noticing the hesitance in his voice. "Like me." He let out a long sigh as he averted his gaze, clearly showing signs of discomfort. "They have reason to fear us and... I do not blame them."

Gyuri gaped at him questioningly.

"Often, serfs that work as farmhands, butchers, servants," he glanced at her briefly, "are bound to the land. Along with the land, they..." he paused as he spoke warily, "are also property of the lord."

Gyuri blinked. "...Property?"

Namjoon nodded. "And like property, they can be sold, traded and even..." he paused as he gaped at her ashamedly, "disposed of."

Gyuri"s eyes rounded in shock.

"But you should not be alarmed" Namjoon quickly added. "That is a last resort." Namjoon watched Gyuri"s reaction closely and noticed how she was subtly backing away, fear evidently etched on her face.

"Oh... erm, I see" she murmured.

"It is just how society is" Namjoon uttered bitterly. "Our society is divided into cla.s.ses that govern how we live for the rest of our lives. Some are fortunate to be born part of the bourgeois while others are cursed with misfortunate to be born as part of the proletariat." He glanced around him warily as he dropped his voice even lower as he closed the gap between himself and Gyuri. "And just between you and me," he whispered, his breath tickling Gyuri"s ear, "I think that Saim is in dire need of much reform."

Namjoon pulled away soon afterwards and Gyuri hurriedly hid her rose-tinted cheeks. She stammered, "So-so I take it you are not- are not like the other n.o.bility, Master Namjoon."

Namjoon tossed her a lopsided smile. "I guess you can say that." He proudly grinned, "I never really was one for societal conventions."

"Really?" Gyuri was astonished. "I always pictured you to be a sensible law-abiding citizen."

At this, Namjoon tilted his head, puzzled.

"Like, I would expect you to continue living at the Kim household; continue working here, in the sanatorium and then eventually settle down with a n.o.ble lady."

"I guess I do give that sort of impression." He shrugged as he admitted, "And you are probably right. I will most likely end up staying at the household and it is very likely that I will continue my work as a physician." He paused as he thoughtfully spoke, "But as for my future wife, she does not necessarily need to be someone of n.o.ble birth."

Gyuri regarded him with a quizzical stare. "Oh?"

With a soft smile, he quietly muttered, "I guess I am like my father in that regard."

Gyuri peered at him curiously. What did he mean by that? But before she could ask him to elaborate further, Yujin, the young, grubby-looking lad, appeared from the sick bay.

"Physician Kim" he called. Namjoon glanced up and he proceeded, "It"s time for the patients" check-up."

"Thank you, Yujin." The boy nodded curtly before disappearing again. Namjoon turned back to Gyuri, "I guess I will speak to you again after." He turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Namjoon halted on his steps. He glanced over his shoulder.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"