Part twenty-three - Do I look like a woman to you?

"Damn it...!" Ji-sang growled, pouring every ounce of energy into his final strike. His nine spectral tails lashed out simultaneously, converging on Kyung-min from every direction.

The crowd held their breath as Wooyun thought there was no possible way he could dodge this!

But Kyung-min didn't even have to try.

Just as the tails were about to land, his body vanished. Ji-sang's eyes widened—what?!

Before he could react, a knee slammed into his stomach, sending a shockwave through his entire body. The sheer force lifted him off the ground, causing his breath to get caught in his throat.

Time seemed to slow. Ji-sang's vision blurred. He could barely process the pain before Kyung-min's fist came crashing down next.

BOOM!

The entire arena shook as Ji-sang was slammed into the ground with devastating force. A cloud of dust and debris erupted, obscuring the aftermath. All that was left was silence.

When the dust finally settled, Ji-sang lay sprawled in the crater his body had created, coughing weakly. He tried to move, but—his body wouldn't respond. It felt like every single bone in his body had broken—and if he had been a normal human, they most likely would've been. 

Kyung-min exhaled and straightened, brushing off the dust from his robes as he briefly glanced at his fallen foe. "It's over." He said in a tone devoid of any feeling. 

The prim and proper young master persona left his body in that split second before returning to his face once he turned to the crowd. The referee hesitated before stepping forward. After briefly checking that Ji-sang was down and wouldn't get back up, he raised his hand.

"Winner—Yang Kyung-min!"

The audience erupted into cheers and applause. The Celestial Jade had lived up to his name, and Elder Yang, who had been watching from the side, smiled briefly at his precious disciple. 

Ji-sang lay still, staring up at the sky. He clenched his fists, frustration boiling in his chest. He wanted to curse out and hurl insults and words of degradation to Yang Kyung-min but knew they wouldn't serve anything. For too long, the neutral sects were overlooked. He wanted to prove to everyone that they could be just as good as the righteous sects, but alas, the young master proved to be too strong for even a talented man such as himself. 

Even now... I still can't reach him.

Kyung-min glanced down at him, expression unreadable. Then, to Ji-sang's surprise, he extended a hand.

"You got stronger," Kyung-min said simply. "But you're still not at my level."

Ji-sang scowled but begrudgingly accepted the hand. As Kyung-min pulled him up, Ji-sang muttered, "Next time... I'll win."

Kyung-min smirked. "We'll see."

As Ji-sang limped off the stage, Wooyun exhaled, still stunned by what he had just witnessed.

"That... was on a whole different level."

Eun-woo nodded, though his face didn't indicate he was impressed by the fight. Wooyun couldn't help but wonder if there was anything that could ever impress him. 

Meanwhile, further away from the stands, a figure tilted his head as he tapped his fingers against his chin. His piercing gaze broke through the crowd and landed on a bright-eyed young man. 

~*~

The first round had ended, and the fights were scheduled to resume in thirty minutes. Since Wooyun was hungry and hadn't had anything to eat that morning, he decided to make his way towards the food stalls installed near the arena. 

Wooyun's eyes gleamed as he eyed the delicious food before him. The stalls really reminded him of those food markets that would open up during the holiday season, filled with tasty street foods—the ultimate destination for foodies. One particular treat caught his attention—rice cakes drenched in a bright red sauce. Two skewers were being sold for 5 star coins, which surprised him considering how simple street snacks were usually sold for 1-2 star coins. 

"I guess capitalism still exists even in a fictional world." He muttered to himself. 

But despite his frustrations, he lined up and asked the vendor for two skewers. Just as he was about to reach for his bag, he was shoved from behind. "Hey! Can't you see a person is standing here?" He yelled. He swerved around and met a tall man with long, flowing black hair tied back into a high ponytail with some strands framing his face. 

The first thing that caught Wooyun's attention was his striking eyes. Black in colour, they carried a hint of purple in the irises. He had an ethereal, almost otherworldly appearance, with a face that would make you double back and blink several times if you were to pass him on the street. 

His skin was pale and created a contrast with his dark attire. The man wore a black robe with intricate gold embroidery featuring swirling patterns and ornate designs. His outfit's high collar and structured shoulders gave him a regal and commanding presence, practically screaming I'm a rich young master with a net worth of 5 billion dollars. He looked down at Wooyun, his perfectly shaped eyebrows lifted as he wondered what the commotion was about. 

"I'm sorry?" he said, his voice light and airy but with a hint of self-importance. 

Great, Wooyun thought. Another pretty boy. What's with this world and its saturation of pretty men? What exactly is this author? 

"You heard me. You shoved me and didn't even have the decency to apologize." 

The young man's eyes carried a hint of surprise but widened once he saw Wooyun's face. "Oh, I apologize, young miss. I didn't see you there." 

Wooyun heard a snorting sound not too far away from him and saw Eun-woo was not too far away from him, so he could hear the young man mistake him for a woman.

His eyes narrowed before turning to look at him. "Do I look like a woman to you?" 

"My apologies. I didn't realize you were a man…" he said as he scanned Wooyun with his eyes. 

"You are gorgeous; it is hard for me to distinguish." 

Wooyun furrowed his brow, not at all happy to hear that he was confused for a woman. Perhaps he had gone a little too crazy with the powder. On the other hand, the young man looked in a daze as he stared at Wooyun. Jin Hae-ryun had never believed in love at first sight. Infatuation, certainly. He had seen countless beauties—men and women alike—who batted their lashes and sighed at his every word, vying for even a shred of his attention. He was used to admiration, to having the world bend slightly when he entered a room. But this—this was different.

A vision stood across the bustling crowd gathered near the food stalls. A slender figure cloaked in a white and blue robe, long raven hair cascading over delicate yet strong shoulders, lips parted in apparent awe, gazing at endless options before them. Their face was partially obscured by a straw hat, but with his sharp eyes, he caught a glimpse of a beautiful face that left him awestruck. 

Jin Hae-ryun felt his breath catch. Exquisite. That was what he thought.

He stepped forward, weaving through the crowd with the grace befitting a young master of the Jin Clan. His confidence never wavered, nor did his easy smile as he purposely bumped into the figure as they reached for something in their pocket. Just as he was about to speak up, the figure beat him to it, uttering words he had never thought could be used against him.

"Hey! Can't you see a person standing here?" They yelled. 

Hae-ryun's brows furrowed when he heard the voice. It sounded deeper than he had anticipated, but he brushed it off. Women could have deeper voices as well. In fact, he liked the way it sounded in his ears. The person then turned. Hae-ryun found himself gazing into eyes like cold steel. They regarded him with annoyance, even after taking in his appearance. 

This surprised him, and so he apologized, telling the young woman he hadn't seen her when, in fact, he had. 

The young woman's eyes narrowed, and her next words would send Hae-Ryun in a state of shock. "Hey, are your eyes just for decoration or something? What about me resembles a woman?" 

That's when he saw the sharpness of the jaw, the slight tension in the throat, and the subtle but unmistakable features that told him the truth.

This was no delicate maiden. It was a man.

And in that instant, Hae-ryun had two choices: retract his words and pretend it had never happened… or double down. He chose the latter.

"My apologies," he said smoothly, not missing a beat. "I didn't realize you were a man…" he said as he scanned him with his eyes. "You are gorgeous; it is hard for me to distinguish."

The young man, who Hae-ryun now saw had an air of quiet intensity beneath his aloof demeanor, merely raised a brow. "Is that so?"

"Indeed," Hae-ryun said, folding his arms as he tilted his head, appraising. "Tell me, have we met before? Surely I would have remembered if we had."

"No," came the flat reply.

His sharpness nearly made Hae-ryun laugh. Oh, this is fun.

"I see," he mused, a playful lilt to his voice. "Then fate must be working quite hard to introduce us now."

The young man breathed—not quite a sigh, but close. He looked Hae-ryun up and down, his gaze assessing, unreadable.

And then, in the most unmistakable, most succinct voice imaginable, he said: "I'm not interested."

For the first time in his life, Jin Hae-ryun was stunned into silence.

A beat passed. Then another. A merchant was shouting about fresh peach juice somewhere in the distance, but Hae-ryun barely heard him.

"…I beg your pardon?" he asked, blinking.

"You heard me," the young man—who was, upon closer inspection, actually relatively small compared to him—said evenly. "I'm not interested."

Hae-ryun narrowed his eyes slightly, considering. "Ah," he said, lips curving into a knowing smirk. "It's because I'm a man, isn't it?"

The young man—Hae-ryun decided he would learn his name later—snorted. "Hardly."

"Then—"

"I don't care if a man loves a man or a woman loves a woman. Love whoever you want." Wooyun's voice was calm and unbothered as if they were discussing the weather. But you're not the one I want."

There was no cruelty in his words. No malice. Just a fact.

And Jin Hae-ryun felt something dangerously close to offense for the first time in years.

He had been rejected before—of course, he had. Some played hard to get and pretended to resist, only to fall just the same. But this?

This wasn't hesitation. This wasn't pretense.

Wooyun simply didn't want him.

How fascinating.

Before he could reply, movement at the edge of his vision caught his attention.

A man stood not far off, watching.

Tall, lean, dressed in dark robes, with a presence that felt almost too still—like a predator just before striking. Hae-ryun recognized him. Eun-woo. His gaze was piercing as he watched him, and Hae-ryun's gaze flickered between the two. 

So he's taken.

"I see. Then, I apologize for my brash advances. The last thing I want to do is make you feel uncomfortable." He said. 

Too bad you already did, Wooyun thought. 

"May I at least know your name?" He asked. 

Wooyun narrowed his eyes. A big part of him wanted to say no and leave, but because he was no longer acting like some entitled guy, he let his annoyance go. "It's rude to ask another person for their name if you haven't given yours first." He said simply. 

A light smile tugged at Hae-ruin's lips. The more Wooyun spoke, the more he liked him. "You are right; where are my manners?" He chuckled. "My name is Yang Kyung-min, second master of the Jin Clan." 

Wooyun narrowed his eyes. For some reason, that name sounded familiar. That's when he remembered the Jin Clan, a prestigious family that was the first to conduct business with the Blood Moon Sect after their first success in the trade of rare goods. 

So he really is a rich young master. A little smile Wooyun didn't realize he had on his lips appeared, shocking Hae-ryun greatly. "Well, it's nice to meet you, young master Jin. My name is Han Seo-yoon." 

"Han Seo-yoon… a beautiful name for a beautiful person." 

Wooyun had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. What a corny dude, he thought. 

"Well, I better get going." He said as he stepped back. Just as he was about to leave, he called back to him. "It was nice seeing you as well, young master Seo-yoon. I hope to see you again." 

Wooyun didn't answer back as he made his way back to the stands. "It's not easy being a woman, or a man as a matter of fact. It's hard being a human. Period." He mumbled to himself. 

A pensive look appeared on Eun-woo's face as he said this.