SSH Episode 13

Hongwoo burst out of the office, the door swinging open behind him. As he arrived at work, a sudden realization struck him—he had left the brushes by the well after yesterday’s commotion. Without hesitation, he hurried out, making his way straight there.

At the well, brushes lay scattered everywhere. Hongwoo picked them up one by one, then drew fresh water to wash them thoroughly. ‘I have to make them look brand new.’ His older brother had been particularly—no, excessively—fastidious yesterday, so today, Hongwoo needed to avoid drawing any complaints.

His goal wasn’t ambitious. He just wanted to get through the day without being scolded.

Hongwoo could already picture the disaster. If he halfheartedly washed the brushes, he’d end up getting smacked with an ink-soaked one. The thought jolted him into action, and he scrubbed the brushes with renewed determination.

Once clean, the brushes were laid out in a sunny spot to dry. Passing by, Juseon clicked his tongue at the sight. The once-exquisite brushes, meticulously crafted from the finest sable hair, had dried out and split apart, effectively ruined. Each one was worth more than a servant’s monthly wages. And there was only one person in the entire Eunsu Merchant Guild who would use such expensive brushes in bulk.

Tsk tsk. Whoever did this was as good as dead. Bringing those ruined brushes to Jang Seungwoo would be like signing their own death warrant. Juseon silently offered his condolences to the poor soul.

That ‘poor soul’ was currently enjoying himself. Hongwoo, having run into Juseon by chance, was now sipping tea with him in the Eunsu Merchant Guild’s pavilion. Juseon carried himself with effortless grace—his every movement refined, his tea-drinking posture flawless. Even the smallest gestures were so elegant they naturally drew attention.

In contrast, Hongwoo suddenly recalled his own disgraceful state from the previous day—stained with ink, looking utterly unsightly. The memory made him uneasy, and he quickly spoke up.

“Oh, right. Please forget about yesterday’s embarrassment.”

“Yesterday? Did something happen yesterday?”

Juseon smiled as he spoke, looking directly at Hongwoo. Amused, Hongwoo smiled back. ‘Not only is his face beautiful, but his heart is too.’ Feeling encouraged, he suddenly felt the need to justify himself.

“My brother may have been a little excessive yesterday, but he’s actually a very dignified person.”

That was a lie. Within the Eunsu Merchant Guild, Jang Seungwoo was secretly known as ‘Sibjangsaeng’—a nickname implying that working under him shaved ten years off a person’s lifespan. The Jang Seungwoo Juseon knew was far worse than someone who merely smacked people with ink-covered brushes. If anything, he had toned things down for Hongwoo’s sake.

Meanwhile, Hongwoo was having similar thoughts. Even as he spoke, he knew he didn’t truly mean it. There was no sincerity in his words. If anything, his brother had acted like an overbearing mother, aggressively meddling in a child’s fight.

But Hongwoo didn’t want his brother to be seen that way, especially by his subordinates. If no one else would protect his older brother’s dignity, he would. Fortunately, Juseon seemed to understand his intentions. With a knowing smile, he took a sip of tea and smoothly changed the subject.

As they continued their conversation, Hongwoo eventually voiced the worries that had been weighing on him.

“If it weren’t for my older brother, I wouldn’t have been able to pay my debt.  I’m already twenty-one, yet I keep relying on him. I feel like I should be standing on my own by now. I don’t have any skills, and I’m nothing but a burden to my brother. He won’t be able to take care of me forever.  Once I finish paying off the debt I owe him and leave the Eunsu Merchant Guild, I’ll need a way to support myself. I should start figuring that out soon.”

No, that wasn’t true. With the wealth Jang Seungwoo had, Hongwoo could live a life of leisure forever without ever worrying about money. Even if he squandered it all on gambling, Seungwoo’s business acumen would ensure he earned it all back—and then some. Not that Hongwoo would ever gamble. He would swear up and down, groveling if necessary, that he had no interest in such things.

Juseon had only known the two brothers for a few days, but their relationship was already crystal clear.

No one—aside from Hongwoo himself—saw him as a burden. If anything, Jang Seungwoo treasured his younger brother. Barring urgent matters, he always made time to have lunch with Hongwoo. He acted strict whenever Hongwoo made mistakes, but those who truly knew him could see how much he indulged him. Seungwoo had a tendency to soften in Hongwoo’s presence, and when Seungwoo softened, the entire Eunsu Merchant Guild could breathe easier.

“It could be a good career path to stay by your brother’s side, assist him, and learn the trade,” Juseon suggested smoothly, his smile warm but calculated.

Persuading people without revealing his true intentions was one of Juseon’s greatest skills, and now he was using it to gently guide Hongwoo’s thoughts.

“But I don’t think I’m any help to my brother.” Hongwoo muttered.

“Well, at least you’re self-aware,” a familiar voice remarked dryly from behind him. “But if you have time to sit around drinking tea, maybe you just lack discipline.”

A shiver ran down Hongwoo’s spine. ‘How does he always catch me when I’m slacking off?!’ He could never fool his brother—no matter what he did, Seungwoo was always a step ahead, reading him like an open book.

“If you’re so eager to leave, I can send you home permanently,” Seungwoo added with a smirk.

Hongwoo’s eyes widened in alarm. He latched onto his brother’s arm, pleading desperately.

“No, no! I was wrong, Hyung! I’ll work hard—I have been working hard! You know that! I was just having tea with Sir Juseon because I was happy to see him! I swear I wasn’t slacking off!”

Seungwoo remained unmoved. “Back to the office. Now.”

When Hongwoo hesitated, reluctant to part with Juseon, Seungwoo delivered a swift kick to his rear.

“Ahhh!”

Hongwoo yelped, rubbing his sore backside as he trudged toward the office, dragging his feet. On his way, he ran into Head Manager Wi and greeted him brightly. Wi, caught off guard, hesitated for a moment before awkwardly returning the greeting.

“Young Master, I may have taken my joke too far yesterday.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m sorry for snapping at you, too.”

Hongwoo wasn’t the type to hold grudges. When his mother was alive, she often teased him. With his round, chubby cheeks puffing up in frustration, no one could resist provoking him just to see that expression again. He’d huff and sulk, only to forget all about it after a good night’s sleep. His mother used to laugh at him for it, teasing that he had no pride.

Seeing how easily Hongwoo accepted his apology, Head Manager Wi let out a relieved sigh. With his worries lifted, he brightened up and mentioned that something interesting had arrived at the merchant guild—something he wanted to show Hongwoo. Eager to escape work, Hongwoo immediately agreed and followed him.

At the warehouse, Wi presented an unusual item from Qing: spectacles. He demonstrated how to wear them, hooking the frames over his ears and settling them onto his nose. The sight of Wi in glasses was so comical that Hongwoo burst into laughter. Wi then placed the glasses on Hongwoo, and the two ended up laughing at each other’s ridiculous appearances, taking turns putting them on and playing around like children.

Still chuckling, they stepped out of the warehouse—only to notice the uneasy stares of the other workers. Sensing something was off, Wi grabbed a passing errand boy and asked what was going on.

“The Master has appointed Juseon as the new Deputy Head Merchant.”

The boy hesitated, stealing a glance at Wi’s face before quickly scurrying away.

For Wi, the news hit like a thunderclap. He had never doubted that he would be the one promoted. When alone with Hongwoo, he used to joke that since his name was Wi Daehan, he had to become Wi ‘Daehangsu’ (Deputy Head Merchant Wi). He had even made Hongwoo call him that for fun, grinning like he had already claimed the title.

He was so excited. Hongwoo was happy for Juseon, but he didn’t want to see Wi so downcast. The appointment itself didn’t matter much to him, but Wi’s slumped shoulders did. Gently, he placed a hand on Wi’s back.

“I’d like to be alone for a bit,” Wi murmured before trudging away, his steps heavy.

Meanwhile, Jang Seungwoo and Juseon had paused their conversation to watch Hongwoo enter the office.

Seungwoo’s eyes narrowed. He had sent Hongwoo here to keep him from slacking off, yet here he was, clearly having avoided work again. His patience was wearing thin.

Before his brother could scold him, Hongwoo blurted out, “Head Manager Wi asked me to come with him to the warehouse for a bit!”