STVS 10

~Chapter 10~

It had been twenty days since I first went head-to-head with the young lady.

Now, sometimes she would speak to me.

“Miss, I’ve brought your medicine.”

“Go away.”

“Miss, it’s time to take your medicine. I even brought some sugar with it!”

“Go away.”

“Miss, would you like to try just one sip? Just, just one sip…!”

“Go away.”

“Miss! Knock, knock, knock! Would you like to take the medicine with me? Or you can take it later….”

“GO AWAY!”

Clang, clatter, crash—!

“Oh, okay, bye…!”

Even if all she ever said was “Go away,” it was still an incredible improvement compared to before. Before, she would have just tried to hit me without saying a word. Now at least she gave a warning before striking.

And as the young lady improved, so too did I.

“This time… to the right!”

I was even starting to dodge objects!

Maybe it was from getting hit so many times, or maybe it was desperate survival instinct, but at first I could only run when something flew at me. Yet gradually, I began to see the trajectory of the incoming objects.

By calmly observing the direction and moving accordingly, I could naturally dodge. The first time I successfully did it, the thrill was indescribable…

“Wait, am I actually talented?”

Of course, luck wouldn’t carry me far. My stamina wasn’t enough to keep dodging for long.

So I began endurance training.

“Huff, huff, huff…!”

At first, I just ran around the manor aimlessly.

After all, in fantasy novels, the first thing protagonists usually do is run in the training yard, right? I figured that if I just ran non-stop, my stamina would naturally increase.

Perhaps because my pathetic attempts looked so pitiful…

“What have you been doing all this time?”

One of the warriors guarding the entrance of Sonangwon suddenly asked.

I was surprised. Until now, he had only greeted me with a nod when passing by. Why was he talking to me now?

“Me? Well… um…”

I explained honestly, confused. The warrior, Brother Im, laughed heartily.

“You’ve been running all over since the day before yesterday, so I wondered what you were up to. And it was this? Then I’ll teach you something useful. This is perfect for basic training, especially for strengthening your lower body…”

What he taught me was the horse stance (mabu).

Straighten your back, bend your knees, and make your thighs parallel to the ground. Then, hold that stance for as long as possible.

Of course, I couldn’t last long at first.

“One, two… aaah!”

I collapsed just three seconds after assuming the stance. Brother Im laughed.

“I’ve always thought you were an interesting one. But if you keep at it, your endurance will improve naturally. Your leg strength will change dramatically, trust me.”

…He was right.

I didn’t want to admit it because I was annoyed, but following his instructions actually increased the time I could hold the stance.

Not only that, but my leg strength increased, allowing me to dodge faster.

Seeing the results, I was thrilled. I also added running, sit-ups, push-ups, and other exercises to my routine.

However, soon another challenge arose.

“I need to dodge faster and more accurately.”

I needed agility to dodge the objects the young lady threw. But I wasn’t an athlete, and I didn’t know how to train agility. This time, I decided to use money.

<Three Talents Footwork (Sancai Bu Fa)>

I bought a book from a street vendor!

Since I couldn’t read Chinese characters, I got help from Aso. But I was stunned by the first sentence:

[Sancai (Three Talents) refers to Heaven, Earth, and Man. The Sancai Footwork is a three-step movement embodying the principles of Heaven, Earth, and Man. By advancing with Sancai Footwork, one can defend against attacks from any direction…]

“What…?”

Luckily, the book had detailed illustrations.

I stood in the middle of the servant yard and slowly tried to follow the moves.

Step the left foot to the side, step the right foot forward… swoosh!

Then step the right foot to the side, left foot forward… swish!

“Is this right?”

The more I practiced, the stranger the movements looked—like dancing or a failed idol choreography.

After practicing for a long time, I realized:

“This is… a Tae Bo curse?”

A song suddenly echoed in my ears:

“Hello~! Tae Bo is taking the world by storm. Tae Bo combines Taekwondo and boxing in our country…”

My wrists moved automatically.

“Invest just 25 minutes a day, and enter the world of Tae Bo!”

Jab, jab, jab, punch, hook! Jab, jab, jab, punch, hook!

“Just follow along, just follow along!”

Circle right, side kick, cross jump!

Two, left, side kick, cross jump!

One-two jump! One-two jump!

Jab, jab! Jab, punch, hook!

“Ahhh…!”

I flailed my limbs like a possessed person, amazed at the realization that came to me.

All flows return to the source.

Countless streams and currents eventually merge into the sea. So too with the extremes of nothingness…

Aso watched in awe.

“You really look like an idiot.”

After countless days of struggling with the young lady, my body gradually strengthened, like late summer fruit ripening.

I had reached the level where I could anticipate her movements with my eyes closed.

“Today is the day.”

My stamina and reflexes were sufficient. My combat experience against her was enough.

It was time to make a decision.

“Today, I will finally get her to take the medicine!”

Like a hero entering a boss dungeon, I set off for Sonangwon with a determined expression.

Carrying a tray, I stood at the door and announced my arrival solemnly:

“Miss, I’ve brought your medicine.”

Squeak.

The door opened, and I stepped to the right.

Snap!

Glancing left, an inkstone lay rolling nearby. I felt a cold sweat trickle down my nose but smirked.

“Hmph, as expected.”

After all the battles I had fought with the young lady, I instinctively knew everything about her. For example…

“The young lady is right-handed.”

She usually aims for my left side when throwing objects—probably to use her dominant hand for maximum power.

Thanks to this, I easily dodged the first attack.

But I couldn’t be careless; the real fight had just begun.

Tap, tap!

As I dashed to the right, the objects followed behind me.

Thud, clang—!

Two fancy teacups met their demise, but there was no time to lament. The young lady had begun throwing objects seriously.

I stared at the trajectory, narrowly dodging each one. After avoiding the last bowl, I shouted triumphantly:

“Ha! Miss, can you keep up with my speed?!”

In response, she threw objects faster.

I moved even faster.

Right, left, left, right, right, left, right!

In a trance-like state, my body executed moves I had developed through experience.

I had dodged so many objects that I no longer needed to look; I predicted their trajectory instead. The speed was so fast that they hit only afterimages—

“Dodging Xiao-nang’s Attacks: Part One.”

Afterimage technique.

“Miss, what are you looking at? That’s my afterimage!”

Snap!

“Phew, almost got hit.”

I wiped cold sweat from a dish lodged near my side.

The flaw of the afterimage technique was that speaking to annoy the opponent left a gap.

“Finding the weakness of my first move on the first try… our young lady really is something! Shall we test the next move?”

I placed the tray with the medicine on the floor, then raised my right arm in a defensive stance.

The young lady hesitated, startled. I seized the opportunity, raising my left arm diagonally and muttering:

“Dodging Xiao-nang’s Attacks: Part Two.”

Shibaluoma.

I began swaying side to side.

“Shuush, shushush, shi, shibaluoma, shushush, shuush, shi, shibaluoma, shuush, shi, shushush, shuush, shi, shiba, shuush, rum, shushush, shibaluoma.”

My rapid, circular movements froze her completely. The shadow behind the curtain seemed mesmerized by my unfamiliar moves.

I smiled inwardly, confident. Heh, this isn’t even my final move yet.

“Now, young lady! I will show you my ultimate technique!”

The last secret I had been hiding. A culmination of everything I had learned, meant to strip my opponent of all fighting spirit!

Snap!

I stopped in front of her, making sure my stance was clearly visible.

Silence fell. I took a deep breath, raised my hands, and touched my index fingers together, opening my mouth with a slightly coquettish expression.

“Dodging Xiao-nang’s Attacks: Final Chapter.”

Mala Tanghulu.

“Now! I! Senior! In my heart!”

I moved toward her as if firing bullets with each step.

“Bang! Horohoro, bang! Hororororo.”

“D-Don’t come closer.”

“Bang! Horohoro, in my heart, sweet and spicy, hu! Ha!”

“Stay away!”

I sensually swayed my hips as I approached. With each imaginary shot, her silhouette trembled, and when I “bounced my chest,” her figure tilted back.

“Mala-dang-dang-dang! Hororororo!”

Finally, when I neared her bed—

“Get away!”

Smack!

“Huh?”

I felt the world tilt.

Falling to the floor, I realized something had hit my head.

Was it the inkstone, the teapot, or a vase? I didn’t know exactly, but the important thing was that she had ultimately won this fight.

“Oh no, the flaw of Mala Tanghulu was so exposed.”

I had been too absorbed in my “dance” to see the attack. Thinking to improve my moves later, I muttered toward her:

“Miss, congratulations on finally cracking my head…”

But no words came out. My vision slowly faded to black.

Just before losing consciousness, I thought I saw her pale, pure, lovely face up close.

“Ah… what a beautiful night.”

I passed out.