Though he was an unexpected customer, Cheongyeon wasn't in a position to be picky about whom he sold to.
“Hah, honestly! My good man, you came to find me, yet you’re suddenly buying goods?”
Cheongyeon transferred the lotus tea, which was bundled in a soft cloth, into a small wooden box. Despite Hwangran’s scolding, To-seong remained unperturbed, even though the First Continent merchant was clearly an important guest.
“If you steep one at a time in warm water, the dried lotus flower will unfurl.” It would be a disaster if one thought the flowers were small and brewed a whole handful. The plants that passed through Cheongyeon’s hands always exhibited greater potency than their original state.
“The dosage is one flower a day.” Cheongyeon emphasized the instruction again. He took the 300 Hwan first and gently placed the box in To-seong’s outstretched hands. Now, not just his face but To-seong’s thick neck was also bright red. Hwangran, who was watching this, let out a scoffing sigh.
“So, there was a reason for the extortionate price, wasn’t there?” Hwangran muttered, suggesting that Cheongyeon was using his good looks to fleece innocent people. At that, To-seong grabbed Hwangran by the scruff of his neck.
“You, you, you lunatic!”
“The herbalist is not that kind of person.”
Hwangran’s servant grabbed To-seong’s wrist, but it was so thick he couldn’t properly grip it with one hand. Hwangran, wearing his smooth, polished shoes, struggled, standing on his tiptoes.
Cheongyeon seriously debated whether he should close up shop for the day since a fight had broken out in front of his stall. Sure enough, customers who recognized To-seong of Peira scattered and moved far away.
“The ship! The ship is coming in!”
Just then, a rough man's voice echoed across the market.
“The whaling ship is coming in now!”
Cheongyeon, still crouching, simply lifted his head. To-seong, who was gripping the neck, and Hwangran, whose neck was gripped, also turned their gaze toward the sea. The servant took the chance to separate the two. Hwangran glared at To-seong with furious eyes but then simply brushed off his crumpled coat.
The ship approaching the wharf was still as small as a dot.
“Our ship is carrying a sperm whale!” The owner of the voice was a whaler who had sped back in a motorboat to deliver the news first. Even the people selling goods all rushed toward the vicinity of the pier.
Everyone was visibly excited. The people of Cheonghwajin puffed out their chests as if they had caught the sperm whale themselves. They felt a sense of pride that those great First Continent merchants had flocked to them like a pack of dogs.
Cheongyeon, worried that someone might steal his medicinal herbs, remained in the same spot, looking out at the sea. Sure enough, theft was rampant in the absence of the owners. Some dared to loot the goods from stalls belonging to the Merchant Union. A commotion broke out again between the thieves and the owners who belatedly returned after noticing.
Some thieves were caught and beaten, while others swiftly slipped into the alleyways to hide. Once the whaling ship came in, the attention of the market people would again focus on the sperm whale.
As the ship in his view grew larger, Cheongyeon gathered the medicinal herbs he had spread out. Since he had managed to sell the expensive lotus tea, which had been a burden, his work for the day was done.
Hwangran and his subordinate had already headed for the pier, but To-seong was still in place. Since he didn't seem to have anything else to buy, Cheongyeon casually asked,
“Aren’t you going to watch?”
“I… well, I don’t like whales, so I don’t have to see it.”
“...I see.”
“If you’re closing up shop and going back, could I buy everything?”
Cheongyeon had already gathered and tied all the herbs into one bundle. Cheongyeon stood up straight to face the embarrassed To-seong.
“Is there something you need?”
The reason he couldn't just sell everything, taking advantage of the situation, was because of Hwangran’s words.
A high-ranking member of Peira was not only treating a mere herbalist like him respectfully, but his face turned bright red every time he spoke. As before, To-seong seemed to have a certain degree of affection for him. It wouldn't sit well with Cheongyeon to take advantage of such a person and rip him off.
“If you don't need anything, you don't have to force yourself to buy it.”
“W-well, I saw that you had something good for a hangover...”
He didn’t seem to remember which herb was good for a hangover. Hangover relief was the benefit listed on the Ogapinum branches sign.
“Then just buy a little bit of Ogapinum branches.”
Cheongyeon untied the bundle again and transferred the Ogapinum branches into a paper bag.
“Boil this vigorously in water and drink it. It’s only 5 Hwan.”
To-seong rummaged through his pockets to find a 1-Hwan banknote. But even after turning his pockets inside out, only 100-Hwan banknotes came out.
“I’ll just give this to you as a bonus. Since you bought something expensive.” Cheongyeon said, intending to leave before the arrival of the ship made things too chaotic.
To-seong shook his head until he looked seasick, insisting he couldn't accept it, and offered the 100-Hwan banknote.
“I don’t have change either.”
Cheongyeon offered the paper bag to To-seong, telling him to just take it. When To-seong stubbornly refused to take the banknote, he quickly slipped his hand into the still-open bundle. When his hand came out, it wasn't holding a banknote.
“I don’t need the change, then.”
As To-seong darted away, Cheongyeon hastily retrieved the banknote that had been shoved deep into the bundle. He had to stick his entire elbow in before he could finally find it. Holding the banknote, Cheongyeon followed To-seong, who was retracing his steps.
“Hey...!”
It was the moment Cheongyeon raised his voice. Standing in front of To-seong, who was bowing, was a man a head taller than anyone else. He usually enjoyed wearing a jacket with a red flower embroidered on it, but today, it was embroidered with a dark blue hydrangea.
‘Tae Mu-won...’ Cheongyeon muttered the man’s name to himself. It was the owner of the Peira, whom he hadn't seen in nearly two months.
He tried to turn around quickly, but his eyes met Mu-won's sharp, yellow gaze.
“Did you come out to see the whale?” Tae Mu-won smiled, as if he had met a welcome acquaintance. His manner was surprisingly amiable. He didn't know why he was acting this way, but Mu-won was such a capricious person that Cheongyeon just accepted it.
“...Hello.” Cheongyeon bowed and, seeing To-seong turn around, handed him the 100 Hwan.
“I said I’d give it to you as a bonus, so please take this money.”
To-seong reluctantly took the 100 Hwan and looked between Cheongyeon and Mu-won with a troubled expression. Mu-won also glanced down at the paper bag in To-seong’s hand. Inside the paper bag was the wooden box containing the lotus tea.
“I wonder what To-seong bought.” To-seong quickly opened the paper bag at Mu-won’s smiling inquiry. Mu-won didn’t even look inside the bag, as if he’d only said it as a joke.
Mu-won walked past To-seong and approached Cheongyeon further. Cheongyeon felt his head lift higher and higher. Just as the distant whaling ship, once a dot, had grown larger, the man who approached him seemed even more massive.
“The Boss gave me a massive scolding, you know.”
“Pardon?”
“So? I haven’t even dared to step foot near the medicine shop.”
“...” Cheongyeon didn’t know how to respond and couldn't choose his words.
“Since I haven’t been around, you must be pretty happy—your face is practically blooming. Fucking hell, are you a flower?”
His expression was still smiling, so it was ambiguous whether he was happy or angry. Cheongyeon looked at him with wary eyes and replied,
“The money you gave me was a lot, so I’ve been able to eat well.”
He was secretly relieved that Peira hadn't come looking for him, nor had he seen Mu-won. But since they were in the same area, they were bound to run into each other eventually, just like today.
“Wanna see the whale?” Mu-won asked abruptly. Cheongyeon had to look up at him again to confirm he was talking to him. He was the only one in front of Mu-won; To-seong was still behind him.
“I wonder if the whale is over there.” Feeling Cheongyeon’s gaze behind him, Mu-won muttered and looked back at To-seong. To-seong, who had suddenly become a whale, just stared blankly.
“The whale I was talking about is over there.” Mu-won pointed to the pier in the direction of the sea. It was a clear confirmation that Cheongyeon was the person he wanted to see the whale with.
“I...” Cheongyeon tried to say that he had to go back to the medicine shop, but Mu-won had already turned his steps toward the pier. The man walking ahead sent a look that asked why Cheongyeon wasn't following. Rejection was not an option when dealing with Tae Mu-won.
“I need to gather my bicycle and the bag of herbs. There are many thieves.”
Mu-won grabbed To-seong firmly by the back of his neck.
“Yes, Hyung-nim. I will take care of the herbs and bring them back.”
“I’ll just...”
Mu-won’s eyes, which resembled the sunlight but lacked any warmth, coldly met Cheongyeon's skin. He immediately regretted not following him quietly and waiting for him to lose interest before going home.
However, he wasn't grabbed by the hair for talking back. Mu-won just stood still in the same place. The only thing that passed by was the sea breeze, shaking his fine hair.
“Ten seconds is enough, right?”
It was an impossible distance to travel and return in that time. Well, maybe if he ran, somehow.
When Cheongyeon anxiously calculated the distance, Mu-won chuckled.
“I’m kidding.”