The Eternal Flower Beggar King Chapter 24 — You're Smart

 The Eternal Flower Beggar King

Chapter 24 — You're Smart

Byeongoh Year, winter.

As winter deepened, the snow kept falling — piling on the roads, layer upon layer — and every step required care against the ice.

Jinhwa still worked at the inn, hauling water, cleaning, washing dishes. The cold water cracked and split the skin of his hands. He was used to it by now. He could bear it.

One more week… and I can see Hagun.

He lived for the days he met Hagun, and those days alone felt different from the rest. He was not alone.

Jang Ikho spoke.

"Jinhwa, heading to the market today?"

"…Yes."

"You look cheerful."

"…"

Yu Gapyeong chimed in with a grin.

"Off to see your friend?"

"…Yes."

"Good for you. At your age, friends are everything."

Jinhwa nodded, shouldered his carrying frame, and stepped out of the inn. The wind cut cold against the tip of his nose, but his steps were light.

Strange. Every day used to feel so heavy… now the weeks fly by.

The Eighth Meeting

The market was bustling when he arrived, though thinner than usual — the cold had kept people home.

The grandmother who sold rice cakes was still at her post. Steam rose from the steamer, spreading the warm, toasted scent of rice in every direction.

"Hello, grandmother."

"Oh, Jinhwa. Here again today."

The grandmother smiled, her face creased with wrinkles, but her eyes were warm.

"Here to see your friend again?"

"…Yes."

"You've found yourself a good one. I see you two every week."

Thanks to Hagun, Jinhwa had grown familiar enough with the market regulars to exchange greetings.

Jinhwa lowered his head.

A good friend…

It was true.

At Mount Hua I had companions… but Hagun might be my first real friend.

A hand waved in the distance, and a voice carried over the crowd.

"Hyungnim!"

It was Hagun.

Jinhwa walked over. Hagun was catching his breath — his face flushed red, not from the cold but from running.

"Hyungnim! Sorry — am I a little late?"

"…No. It's fine."

But Hagun's face was different from usual. The brightness was missing. Something troubled sat behind his expression, and his brows were drawn together slightly.

Something's wrong. He doesn't look right.

Troubles

They went to the gukbap shop and took their usual seats. The cold made the steam rise thick from the bowls, and heat shimmered off the surface.

Hagun picked up his spoon but didn't eat. He just stirred the broth in slow circles, and the green onion slices drifted and tangled in the little current — swirling the way his thoughts seemed to.

Jinhwa asked.

"…Is something wrong?"

"Hm?"

"You don't look well."

Hagun forced a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"…You always know, hyungnim."

"…What is it?"

Hagun let out a deep sigh, and his shoulders sank.

"Hyungnim… trade is really hard."

"…How so?"

Hagun went on.

"Buying goods is easy. But selling them — that's the problem."

"…They're not selling?"

"No, they sell, but… there's almost no margin left."

Hagun set his spoon down.

"My father told me to watch the prices carefully when I buy."

"…"

"But I can't get the hang of it. Figuring out what's actually good…"

Jinhwa scooped a spoonful of gukbap and brought it slowly to his mouth. The hot broth scalded his tongue, but he chewed slowly, sinking into thought.

How to choose goods…

A book from the Mount Hua library surfaced in his memory — The Way of the Merchant. He had read it on a whim back then, out of boredom more than anything. Reading nothing but martial arts texts had felt suffocating.

I read it just to kill time… never thought it would actually be useful.

There had been a passage:

"When choosing goods, look at three things. First, look at who made it. Second, look at the materials. Third, look at the use."

Jinhwa spoke.

"…Hagun."

"Yes, hyungnim?"

"When you're choosing goods… just look at three things."

Hagun's eyes went wide.

"Three things?"

"…Yes. First — look at who made it."

"Who?"

Jinhwa nodded and explained.

"…If a known craftsman made it, it sells even at a high price."

"Ah…"

"…Second is materials. Good materials last."

"That makes sense!"

"…Third is usefulness. Things people use often sell well."

The darkness lifted from Hagun's face. His eyes changed — bright again, alive.

"Hyungnim… you're really smart!"

"…No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are! I spent a whole month worrying about this…"

Hagun slurped his gukbap and spoke through the steam.

"I'll try it your way, hyungnim!"

"…It'll work out."

"Really?"

"…Yes."

Whether it was because Hagun put him at ease or because he trusted his own knowledge, Jinhwa answered with a degree of confidence.

That's strange. No one used to believe what I said… but Hagun is different. He actually trusts my words.

Jinhwa kept eating. The broth burned his mouth and his tongue went numb, but his mood was anything but bad.

Did I help?… Being able to help someone — so this is what it feels like.

The Ninth Meeting

Seven days passed, and market day came again. Jinhwa headed out, and the snow had begun to melt, the weather softening.

I wonder how it went. Did Hagun try what I said?

Hagun was already there, and his face was radiant. Nothing like the week before — his eyes were bright with life.

"Hyungnim!"

Jinhwa walked up, and Hagun spoke with a grin.

"…You look happy."

"Of course! It's all thanks to you, hyungnim!"

"…Me?"

Hagun beamed — his eyes curving into crescent moons.

"I did exactly what you told me!"

"…And?"

Hagun nodded eagerly, the words tumbling out.

"When I bought goods, I asked for the craftsman's name."

"…What happened?"

"I could tell right away which ones were quality!"

Hagun waved his hands as his voice rose — loud enough to turn heads nearby.

"And I checked the materials! The wood grain, the color of the iron!"

"…"

"And then I could spot the cheap stuff instantly!"

Jinhwa watched Hagun's bright face, brimming over with excitement, and felt warmth settle into his chest.

Good. That's really good.

Hagun went on.

"And I only bought things with real use."

"…How did it go?"

"Sold everything! Not a single piece left!"

Hagun grabbed Jinhwa's hand. It was warm, and there was strength in the grip.

"Hyungnim… thank you so much."

"…It was nothing."

"No, it wasn't! Without you, I'd still be floundering!"

Jinhwa tried to pull his hand back, but Hagun wouldn't let go.

"Hyungnim, you're really smart."

"…No, I'm not."

"You are! How do you know all of this?"

Jinhwa didn't answer. He didn't want to talk about the Mount Hua library.

I just… read it in a book. I thought it was useless at the time… I never imagined it could help someone.

The Tenth Meeting

Another week passed. This time Hagun had brought rice cakes — chalttteok from the grandmother's stall, still breathing steam.

"Hyungnim, here!"

"…Thank you."

They sat on the wooden bench at the edge of the market. Old but solid, and sitting there felt familiar now. The chalttteok was chewy and sweet.

Hagun spoke.

"Hyungnim, I had another success last week."

"…Really?"

"Yes! This time I bought ceramics."

Hagun pressed on, excited.

"I asked for the craftsman's name, just like you said."

"…"

"And the owner was proud to tell me — said it was made by the potter from such-and-such village."

"…I see."

Hagun grinned.

"So I bought it. A bit pricey, but still."

"…Did it sell?"

"Of course! Every piece — gone in a single day!"

Hagun popped another chalttteok into his mouth and spoke while chewing.

"Hyungnim… you're amazing."

"…I was just lucky."

"No, you weren't!"

Hagun's face turned serious — the laughter fading, his gaze deepening.

"You're sharp, hyungnim."

"…"

"I mean it. Something I couldn't figure out for months — you told me in a single conversation."

Jinhwa swallowed a piece of rice cake and his throat tightened. He didn't know what to say.

Sharp… I heard that at Mount Hua too, now and then. But what good did it do? If you couldn't fight, you were useless in the end.

He had heard it before at Mount Hua — the occasional remark. But he could not do martial arts. His meridians were blocked. He was ordinary. Beyond remedy.

But this time was different.

"You're smart, hyungnim. You need to know that."

"…"

"I'm really lucky to have a friend like you."

Hearing Hagun echo back the very words of gratitude he himself had once offered, Jinhwa thought:

Even without martial arts… I can be of use to someone. Even if I can't hold a sword… I can still have worth.

Jinhwa looked at Hagun and felt the sincerity in his eyes. No pretense. No embellishment.

He really… thinks that. About me.

Praise

Another seven days to wait until the next meeting. This time Hagun brought buchimgae — glistening with oil, crisp at the edges.

They sat on the bench and ate, and Hagun spoke.

"Hyungnim, my father heard about you."

"…About me?"

"Yeah! I told him what I learned from you."

Hagun continued with a smile.

"My father said, 'That friend of yours is sharp.'"

"…"

"And he wants to meet you sometime."

Jinhwa shook his head.

"…No, that's all right."

"Why? My father's a good man!"

"…Even so."

Meeting his father… that's too much. Hagun's father is a merchant. I'm just an inn worker.

Hagun studied Jinhwa's face.

"Hyungnim… is it making you uncomfortable?"

"…A little."

"Ah — I see. Then it's fine."

Hagun bit into a piece of buchimgae with a sharp crunch, oil catching on his lips.

"But hyungnim."

"…Yes."

Hagun spoke.

"You're wasted just working at an inn, hyungnim."

"…What?"

"I think you'd be great at trade."

Jinhwa blinked.

"…Me?"

"Yeah! You're smart, hyungnim."

"…I just read it in a book."

"Still!"

Hagun went on, his tone earnest.

"If you went into trade, hyungnim — you'd be better at it than me."

"…No, I wouldn't."

"You would!"

Hagun clapped Jinhwa on the shoulder.

"You can do anything, hyungnim."

"…"

"It's a real waste for you to only be working at an inn. Truly."

Jinhwa couldn't speak. A lump rose in his throat and his chest swelled tight.

Anything… can I really? Could I really?

At Mount Hua, he had been able to do nothing. He could not fight, could not wield a sword properly, fell behind in training, was useless. He had worked in the infirmary, but in the end even that had slipped away from him.

But now… it's different. Hagun believes I can. He really believes it.

And Hagun did believe it. That Jinhwa could — that he could do anything.

Jinhwa bit into a piece of buchimgae. Crisp and salty, but the taste barely registered. His eyes stung.

This feeling… I've never had it before. Someone believing in me… it's this warm.

Belief

The weather had eased considerably as spring drew near. Almost all the snow had melted, and green shoots were beginning to push through the ground.

Spring already. It's been a while since I met Hagun.

Hagun spoke.

"Hyungnim, business has been going really well lately."

"…Has it?"

"Yes! All thanks to you."

Hagun smiled and went on.

"My father praised me."

"…That's good."

Hagun looked at Jinhwa.

"Hyungnim."

"…Yes."

"You're like a strategist to me, hyungnim."

Jinhwa smiled.

"…A strategist?"

"Yeah! Like the ones in the old books."

"…"

"Someone clever who plans everything out and knows it all."

Jinhwa shook his head.

"…That's a stretch."

"No, it's not! It's true!"

A strategist… so that's how he sees me. Strange. At Mount Hua I was ordinary… and here, a strategist.

Something about that word — strategist — began to fill Jinhwa with a quiet, growing confidence.

Hagun went on.

"I don't know what I'd have done without you, hyungnim."

"…That's not true. You did the work yourself."

"No — you taught me."

Hagun smiled.

"You really are an extraordinary person, hyungnim."

"…"

"No matter how I think about it — it's a waste for someone like you to only be working at an inn."

Jinhwa looked at Hagun — the bright face, the eyes full of sincerity, not a trace of falsehood. Hagun's words, repeated meeting after meeting, were slowly restoring something Jinhwa had long since lost: his sense of self-worth, and the quiet belief that he might be capable of something after all.

I used to think I was useless. But now… I'm starting to believe. That I can.

Warmth spread through Jinhwa's chest.

He sees me… like this.

At Mount Hua, no one had spoken to him that way. Some had dismissed him for his inability to fight. Others had offered comfort. But the atmosphere had branded him — ordinary, beyond remedy, useless. Many people at Mount Hua had been kind to him, but what had ultimately driven him down the mountain was the anguish of failure, the feeling of being set apart, and Jang Muhyeok's mockery and the whispers of the other disciples.

Grand Elder Cheongheo and the Medicine King Elder cared about me. But that might have been… pity. Sorrow for a boy who couldn't do martial arts.

But Hagun was different. He said smart. He said extraordinary. He said you can.

Hagun is different. He doesn't feel sorry for me. He just… sees me as I am. Me, without martial arts.

Jinhwa closed his eyes and thought.

Can I… do something? Something other than martial arts.

Can I? No — should I try? If there's someone who believes in me the way Hagun does… maybe I can give it a try.

Realization

On the road back to the inn, the sun was sinking behind the western hills, and the sky burned red with the evening glow.

Another day ends. But it's a different kind of day than before.

Jang Ikho asked.

"Jinhwa, saw your friend again today?"

"…Yes."

"You look happy."

"…"

Jinhwa didn't answer. He smiled, gave Boss Jang a deep bow, and went to his room. He spread his blanket and lay down, staring at the ceiling. Hagun's words came back to him.

"You're smart, hyungnim."

"You can do anything."

"You're an extraordinary person."

He said it with such certainty. Not a shred of doubt.

Jinhwa closed his eyes.

I can too…

Martial arts had failed. He could not hold a sword. Training had yielded nothing.

But that's not all there is. Grand Elder Cheongheo said it — martial arts is not everything.

But there were other things he could do. He could think. He could advise. He could help.

I was able to help Hagun. With my knowledge. With my experience. Without martial arts.

There are things I can do too.

It was a small realization, but it was vast.

Jinhwa pulled the blanket over himself and felt the warmth spreading through his chest — a feeling he had not known in a very long time.

So this is… confidence. It's been a while.

Confidence. Something Mount Hua had never taught him — the world was teaching him now.

I can live without martial arts. I can have worth without holding a sword. Hagun showed me that.

Jinhwa fell asleep, and for the first time, he closed his eyes believing in himself.

Let's try. Whatever it is. Let's find what I can do.

Outside the window, the wind blew. A spring wind — warm — and winter was passing.

The inn's lamplight glowed quietly in the dark, and a small flame kindled.

It was hope.

[End of Chapter 24]