SSH Episode 12

Eunsu Merchant Guild was always bustling with interesting events, but what truly caught Hongwoo’s attention was the person he had seen earlier. Naturally curious by nature, Hongwoo was drawn to anything new or exciting, like a moth to a flame.

“I hope I see them again tomorrow.”

Suppressing the thrill bubbling inside him, he forced himself to sleep.

However, despite his hopes, Juseon was nowhere to be found at the merchant guild in the days that followed. Hongwoo, unwilling to give up, wandered the grounds aimlessly each day. Seeing this, Wi Haengsu smirked and teased him.

“Are you pretending to patrol the guild now, Young Master?”

Hongwoo played along with the joke, but his eyes never stopped scanning the surroundings, always searching for Juseon.

One day, he carefully carried a basin full of water into the office. Inside, he dunked all the brushes Jang Seungwoo had given him to clean, watching as the ink-soaked water turned dark in an instant. As he kneaded the brushes one by one, he felt something wet drip under his nose and instinctively wiped it with his sleeve.

At that moment, a crisp knock sounded at the door.

“Come in.”

With Jang Seungwoo’s permission, the door opened, revealing Juseon, arms full of documents. Struggling with the overwhelming stack, Juseon walked to the table and set them down.

Meanwhile, Hongwoo, having unknowingly smeared ink across his clothes, approached him.

“I didn’t get a chance to properly greet you last time. I really wanted to introduce myself.”

“I’ve been looking forward to seeing you too, good sir.”

At Juseon’s words, Hongwoo’s face flushed as he replied in a hushed voice. But Juseon quickly corrected him.

“You don’t have to address me like that. Call me Juseon.”

Internally, Hongwoo repeated it to himself. ‘Juseon, Juseon, Juseon.’ Not only did he want to see his face, but he wanted to say his name over and over again.

As Juseon arranged the documents, Hongwoo sneakily pulled out a chair beside Jang Seungwoo and slowly tried to sit.

But Jang Seungwoo was one step ahead. Without hesitation, he yanked the chair back.

With nothing beneath him, Hongwoo landed straight on the floor with a thud.

“Ow.” he groaned.

“Go do your work somewhere else.”

When Jang Seungwoo ordered him out, Hongwoo made no effort to hide his reluctance. He dragged his feet, sulking, until he caught sight of Seungwoo’s face—right on the verge of saying something truly sharp. Panicked, he grabbed the basin and scurried out of the office.

Juseon couldn’t help but smirk at Seungwoo’s childish antics.

For weeks, Seungwoo had been in a terrible mood. Those who needed to report to him delayed it as long as possible, dreading the encounter. He had always been a strict boss, but lately, he was downright merciless—scrutinizing every report, nitpicking every mistake. Juseon had to check and recheck the ledgers multiple times before submitting them, ensuring there wasn’t a single error.

But ever since Hongwoo started hanging around, Seungwoo seemed to ease up.

Perhaps it was a coincidence, but Wi Haengsu had casually mentioned that even after making a mistake in the accounts, all he got from Seungwoo was a simple order to fix it. At first, everyone assumed Haengsu was exaggerating. But when others came forward with similar experiences, it became clear—Hongwoo’s presence had lifted some of the tension that had been suffocating the merchant guild.

“You’re keeping an eye on the leech, aren’t you?”

“Leeches are easiest to catch when they’ve gorged themselves and can’t move.”

Juseon smiled as he responded, though he knew the question was more of a command than a casual remark.

Jang Seungwoo’s uncle, Jang Jiyeong, had been steadily draining the company ever since Seungwoo’s father—the true head of the merchant guild—had fallen ill. Profits had shrunk to just over half of what they used to be. Someone was siphoning goods before they ever reached the market. The culprit was obvious, but Seungwoo was biding his time, waiting for the right moment to cut out not just the rot, but every last root it had spread.

***

Outside the office, Hongwoo set down the basin and rubbed his sore backside, still stinging from the fall.

His brother could be indifferent at times, but he also had a mischievous streak—just like their mother. Not just his playfulness, but his looks, his competitive drive, his boldness… anyone could see Seungwoo was unmistakably their mother’s son.

Hongwoo, on the other hand, was different. He didn’t resemble his family, nor did he share their drive or confidence. He knew what people whispered behind his back. No one dared to say anything outright while Seungwoo was around, but Hongwoo could feel it in the way they looked at him.

He had spent his whole life trying to read the room, always watching for signs of judgment. He was an outsider—an adopted child with no real talent, no achievements to his name. All he had done was accumulate debt. Even after leaving home, he couldn’t pay it back and had no choice but to rely on his older brother once again.

The weight of his shortcomings sat heavy on his shoulders.

With a sigh, he picked up the basin of ink-stained brushes and carried it to the well. Crouching beside it, he began rinsing them, squeezing out the blackened water.

No matter how much he scrubbed, the ink kept bleeding out.

Even something this simple felt exhausting.

As the inky water swirled away, Hongwoo felt himself sinking too—dragged down by the weight of everything he wasn’t.

Wi Haengsu spotted Hongwoo crouched by the well and crept up behind him, mischief glinting in his eyes.

“Boo!”

“Aah!”

Startled, Hongwoo flinched and tumbled forward—right into the basin of inky water. Black liquid splashed everywhere, drenching him from head to toe.

Haengsu burst into laughter, doubling over as he clutched his stomach.

“Don’t laugh!” Hongwoo shouted, his voice full of indignation.

But his protest only made things worse. His lips and teeth, stained black with ink, made him look utterly ridiculous. Any attempt at authority or anger was lost as he stood there, pouting and fuming, only fueling Haengsu’s amusement.

Still dripping ink, Hongwoo huffed and stormed off toward Jang Seungwoo’s office.

“It’s me, Hongwoo! I’m going home for a bit!”

His voice, tight with frustration, carried through the heavy door as he banged on it.

Inside, Seungwoo looked up from his desk. With a sigh, he stood and pulled the door open.

There stood Hongwoo—completely drenched in ink, seething.

Juseon, standing behind Seungwoo, blinked in surprise at the sight. Embarrassed by his own disheveled state, Hongwoo shrank back slightly.

Without a word, Seungwoo’s gaze dropped to the trail of spilled ink leading outside. He followed it in long, purposeful strides, stopping when he reached the well.

Haengsu was still there, gasping for breath between fits of laughter.

Hongwoo, trailing behind Seungwoo, shot him a glare, but before he could say anything—

Seungwoo grabbed the basin of inky water and threw it at Haengsu.

A loud splat echoed through the courtyard.

Stunned, Haengsu stood frozen, drenched in ink, his face blank with shock.

“Having fun, are we?” Seungwoo’s voice was dangerously calm.

Hongwoo’s eyes widened in disbelief.

But he had no excuse.

Each morning, instead of heading to work with a sense of responsibility, he arrived excited, wondering what new mischief the day would bring. Playing along with Haengsu’s antics was usually fun—though sometimes, like today, it went too far.

Still, this was just one of their usual pranks. It wasn’t serious enough for his brother to step in like this.

Seungwoo turned back to Hongwoo, his voice firm.

“Go home for the day.”

Seeing Hongwoo hesitate, Jang Seungwoo gave a firm order for him to go home before turning back toward his office.

Hongwoo shot Wi Haengsu a look, silently pleading that the ink slap had not been his fault. Haengsu, well aware of Seungwoo’s temperament, gave a small nod in understanding. Only after confirming that his stance had been received did Hongwoo finally turn and head home.

An unexpected gift—early dismissal.

***

Knock. Knock.

A knock echoed through the office.

With Seungwoo’s permission, Wi Haengsu stepped inside, still covered in ink. He hesitated just past the doorway, unable to meet Seungwoo’s gaze. His eyes fixed on the floor, where droplets of ink dripped from his clothes, forming a dark trail.

‘Damn… I’m screwed.’

Haengsu swallowed nervously.

“If I had married early, I’d have a kid that age by now.” he muttered.

Seungwoo, flipping through a ledger in front of the bookshelf, responded without looking up.

“Keep playing around like that.”

The unexpected reply made Haengsu’s head snap up.

Their eyes met—Seungwoo had lifted his gaze from the ledger, watching him intently. Startled, Haengsu quickly looked away, his stare dropping back to the floor.

‘Shit… I think I just pissed myself.’

Seungwoo closed the ledger with a decisive thud.

Haengsu gulped.

“Just don’t cross the line.”