TOPWL 48

After Yudit crawled out of the hole, he stood up and brushed off his robe. It had dirt all over it from crawling, but since the clothes weren’t that clean to begin with, it didn’t matter. Yudit adjusted his robe, pressing it down, and blended into the crowd.

As Yudit looked around the market, he made his way to the candy shop at the corner of an alley. The shop had no customers, probably because of the almost completely faded sign or the cobwebbed display case. Even the shopkeeper was missing, so Yudit had to call out for the owner.

“Is anyone here?”

A thin man wearing round glasses appeared after a long while and stared at Yudit.

“Where’s Kishizo?”

“Kishizo will be here in the afternoon.”

The man replied gruffly. Yudit pointed to a red-striped candy inside a glass display case.

“I’ll take this one.”

The man silently went inside and brought out the candy. After paying, Yudit put the candy bag into his coat and stepped outside. The sky was dark, and it looked like rain could fall at any moment. A few raindrops fell onto Yudit’s head as he made his way to the meeting spot.

The place where they were supposed to meet was the same stall by the riverbank they had visited last time. Wadiram had said he wanted to eat the snacks they sold there. During their first meeting, since neither of them knew the area, Yudit had to disguise himself and go with them. But today, since they both knew the way, they could come separately.

“Three, please.”

“Sure.”

Yudit held up three fingers. The vendor packed the snacks into a paper bag. As he tucked the warm snacks into his coat, he felt as if he were cradling a small life.

“It’s really starting to pour.”

The rain that had begun as a few drops soon turned into a downpour. The vendor looked up with a worried expression. There was a parasol overhead, but at this rate, it seemed unlikely that any customers would come.

Will they be okay? Won’t they get wet? Yudit wondered, but from a distance, he spotted two figures approaching with umbrellas. They were tall, and their large builds made them recognizable from far away—it was Wadiram and Huyan. Realizing that Yudit was there, they quickened their pace.

“Sorry we’re late. Huyan had to change his clothes… Ugh.”

Huyan jabbed Wadiram in the ribs with his elbow. Wadiram, caught off guard, gasped in pain.

“Wadiram, are you alright?”

“I… I’m fine, don’t worry.”

He didn’t look fine at all. Yudit handed him the snacks with a concerned look. Wadiram, who had been rubbing his ribs, smiled brightly as if the sun had come out.

“Thank you, Prince, for the snack.”

Huyan began eating the snack, and although it had been bought a while ago, it was still warm, and steam was rising from it.

“Hmm, it’s really delicious. It’s a shame you can’t get this in Herut.”

Wadiram casually chatted with the vendor. Eventually, he bought the remaining snacks and held them close to his chest. Yudit was surprised by the pile of snack bags, while the vendor seemed pleased. Watching Wadiram pull out the second bag of snacks, Yudit spoke with concern.

“If you eat too much, you won’t be able to have your meal.”

“It’s fine. I’ve never had that problem in my life. I’m the kind of person who has a separate stomach for snacks, a separate one for meals, and a separate one for drinks.”

Well, if that’s the case… Since he’s an adult, Yudit decided not to stop him anymore. The three of them began walking down the rainy street. Wadiram’s large snack bag meant that Yudit naturally ended up sharing an umbrella with Huyan. Yudit looked up at the large umbrella, big enough for all three of them, and spoke.

“It’s a palace umbrella, isn’t it?”

“When I said I was going out, the guards told me to take it because they said it would rain.”

“Oh, by the way, Huyan, your shoulder is getting wet.”

“You mean the prince’s shoulder?”

“No, I meant your shoulder.”

Huyan had tilted the umbrella so much toward Yudit that the part of his shoulder that wasn’t covered by the umbrella was soaked through.

“Could you tilt it more toward your side?”

“I’m fine. In Herut, we don’t use umbrellas on rainy days.”

“Really? Then what do you do?”

“We all wear minimal clothing and go outside to dance. It doesn’t rain often in Herut, so we make the most of it.”

“That sounds like a small festival.”

Yudit imagined the rainy scene in Herut—heavy rain pouring down, people dancing on the sand while fully embracing the rain. Even just thinking about it felt freeing. Yudit glanced at Huyan. While he could imagine Wadiram doing it, somehow, it was hard to picture Huyan dancing in the rain. But then again, since he was so agile, he might be surprisingly good at it. As Yudit stared at him, Huyan quickly averted his gaze, and his ears turned a faint red. Yudit noticed that Huyan’s shoulder was getting even wetter and tilted the umbrella further in his direction.

“You should still use it now. The umbrella is large, it’s cold, and we still have a long way to go. What if you catch a cold?”

“…Alright.”

Huyan tilted the umbrella a little more toward himself. Wadiram, having finished his fourth snack, leaned against them and asked.

“Prince… I mean, Yud—, since we’re outside, I don’t think I can keep calling you ‘Prince.’ What should I call you?”

Yudit thought for a moment and smiled.

“Call me Yul.”

“Wow—can I speak casually like last time?”

“Sure, it’s fine.”

“No, no, Wadiram. Show some respect.”

“Alright, alright.”

Wadiram pouted but didn’t press further. After about five minutes of walking through the rainy street, they stopped in front of an old restaurant. Yudit, seeing the cracked walls, made an awkward expression.

“I was thinking of taking you somewhere nicer, but since it’s cold, I thought a place with good soups would be better. Is that okay?”

“I’m fine with it.”

“I’m good with it too.”

Yudit hoped that both of them would enjoy the food. He led them inside. Contrary to its shabby exterior, the inside was neat and tidy. A middle-aged waiter came out and showed them to their seats. As Wadiram looked around, he commented.

“I thought the rain kept everyone off the streets, but it seems like they’re all here.”

As Wadiram said, the restaurant was full of people. There were only a few empty tables left.

“What’s good here?”

“Most of the seafood dishes are great. Since you probably want something warm, I’d recommend the seafood stew and fried squid.”

“Fried squid? I like that.”

Yudit called over the waiter and ordered several dishes, along with drinks. The waiter skillfully wrote down the order before heading to the kitchen.

“I didn’t think Yul would know about a place like this.”

“Really? Why do you think that?”

“I don’t know, it just feels like you’ve always eaten only the best and rare things. Maybe because I originally thought of you as a prince?”

Wadiram whispered in a lowered voice.

“That could be true. But I actually grew up eating a lot of simple food. I told you, I had a rough upbringing.”

Yudit smiled bashfully as he said this. Not long after, the waiter brought over a huge pot filled with stew. Yudit served the stew into smaller bowls for each of them. Wadiram and Huyan stared at it in awe.

“Every time I scoop some, there’s so much seafood… Is this place expensive?”

“The prices are reasonable, and it’s something I can afford, so don’t worry. If you’re still hungry, we can order more.”

At Yudit’s words, Wadiram took a spoonful, blew on it, and tasted it. His expression turned curious.

“How is it?”

“Wow, it’s much delicious and cooler than I expected.”

“Right? The broth’s made with seafood like clams and shrimp, so it’s refreshing but still delicious.”

While Wadiram made comments between bites, Huyan was already finishing his first bowl and ladling another one. The fried squid was also perfect, with a crispy batter and chewy squid that paired wonderfully. He even ordered more.

“Ah, that was so good.”

“Wadiram, you really… eat a lot.”

After finishing the meal, Yudit, feeling a little stuffed after indulging for the first time in a while, let out a tired sigh. After adding alcohol, it felt like his stomach might burst. Wadiram smiled slyly, munching on a cold snack.

“Yeah, I tend to eat a lot. Yul barely ate.”

“Wadiram, you’re the one eating so much. I think we should walk for a bit, even though it’s still raining.”

“I’m fine with it.”

“I’m good too.”

Unanimously, the three of them started walking through the rainy streets. The rain-soaked street, with orange light reflections in the puddles, had a strangely poetic atmosphere.