“The Shadowless Thief has appeared? What’s that about?”
The members of the Tea and Book Club hurriedly settled the member who brought the sudden news into the seat of honor and asked.
As the newly arrived member quenched their throat with a drink on the table, even those who weren’t part of the club gathered around, eager to hear the intriguing news.
“I was enjoying a complimentary yogurt after my meal at the local inn when Dan-sooi shared something interesting.”
“Something interesting?”
“Do you know the Innkeeper Yeom who lives near the port?”
“Yeom? Isn’t he the notorious merchant famous for ripping off traveling merchants with outrageous commissions?”
“Exactly. It seems that Yeom’s inn was robbed recently.”
“Haha. Must have had heavy guards. That thief must have some guts. But what does that have to do with The Shadowless Thief?”
With faintly disappointed expressions, the members of the Tea and Book Club turned to the messenger for more clarification.
Why would rich families hire guards? Because the number of thieves targeting wealthy households is countless!
To make a fuss over a mere robbery at a rich family’s house and connect it to The Shadowless Thief seemed absurd.
But there was one detail that changed everything.
“I heard there was a symbol of The Shadowless Thief left behind. In a box full of valuables, the valuables were missing, and only a black paper crane was left!”
“A black paper crane?”
That sounded similar to the tales they knew. Some members’ eyes widened in surprise.
“Was the thief just messing with them? Yeom was reportedly furious. But the strange thing doesn’t stop there!”
“What else happened?”
The members eagerly leaned in, intrigued by the unfolding drama.
“Isn’t there an orphanage to the east of Wuhan? The one run by a monk?”
“Oh! I know it. A place that takes in homeless children even in poor conditions. But why is that relevant?”
“Don’t be shocked. A black paper crane appeared at that orphanage too!”
“What?! Isn’t the thief supposed to be robbing places that actually have valuables?!”
As the members gasped, a few guests who were slow to grasp the situation started fuming.
“No, it wasn’t a robbery! They actually left money behind! When the head monk woke up, he found a bag full of money along with a black paper crane!”
“Huh?”
“Wait a second. I’ve heard this somewhere before.”
Finally catching on, the slow guests muttered in realization.
“You all figured it out. Yes, it’s The Shadowless Thief. Look at the end of Volume 2 of Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes.”
The member who brought the news opened the book resting on the table.
[The Shadowless Thief leaves behind a folded black paper crane as proof of their visit.]
The black paper crane left by the recently appeared thief in Wuhan.
Stealing from wealthy families while leaving a black paper crane, and leaving money along with a paper crane at places that do good despite hardships?
It’s identical!
The Shadowless Thief in Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes and the thief now in Wuhan are shockingly similar.
“….”
In the crowded second floor of the tea bookstore, amidst surprised expressions, a moment of silence settled.
“…Really, is The Shadowless Thief real?”
As those words broke the strange silence that represented everyone’s thoughts, the second floor of the Tea Bookstore began to buzz.
“Ah! Sister, they say The Shadowless Thief has appeared!”
“Did Author Ho Pil make a prophecy or something?”
“What?! Are you saying Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes is a prophetic text?!”
“A thief who steals for the poor!?”
“Oh my! The Shadowless Thief exists in Wuhan! It can’t be true!”
“Un-hyeon? Then is Un-hyeon also real?!”
“Let’s read the parts where The Shadowless Thief shows up again!”
“I’ve got to tell everyone about this!”
People rushed out of the Tea Bookstore, literally bursting with the astonishing news.
To inform their friends that Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes had become reality.
To share that the infamous Shadowless Thief had appeared in Wuhan, indeed!
“The Shadowless Thief is real…? Author Ho Pil wasn’t just making things up?”
Meanwhile, amidst the commotion of the Tea Bookstore, the member who had previously criticized Author Ho Pil for creating chaos was struggling to calm her astonishment.
——————
“How’s the reaction these days?”
“Sales of Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes are climbing daily.”
I shared the recent news of the Tea Bookstore’s uproar with Im Ha-yeon while looking at the sales report recently organized by Zhuge Xiang from my office.
“A black paper crane? Where did that idea come from? Didn’t you originally plan to write The Shadowless Thief’s name on it?”
“A thief needs to have an air of mystery. For that, it’s best to leave behind a symbol that people can’t easily imitate.”
Writing that The Shadowless Thief appeared is just too childish and cheapens the image.
The Shadowless Thief is a heroic thief.
Stealing from villains while helping the weak.
It’s better to craft a symbol, like a joker card or a chess piece, that adds an element of mystery. So I pondered; how can I create a mysterious thief’s symbol?
After much thought, I concluded it to be a black paper crane.
“I never thought that the black paper crane I left as proof of my visit would be tied to The Shadowless Thief.”
“Had this been normal, it would have taken a while to connect the dots. Sure, the black paper has a connection, but linking the thieves from the novel and reality isn’t easy.”
“Well, we have the Hao-mun Do to help spread these rumors.”
I nodded at Im Ha-yeon’s words.
Usually, it would take time for rumors of Im Ha-yeon’s activities as a heroic thief to spread, and someone connecting the robber in Wuhan with Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes would take ages.
It would also take time for people to casually talk about the connection between the two thieves.
Eventually, they’d agree to name the thief who appeared in Wuhan as The Shadowless Thief, but the entire process would require a long time.
Of course, we compressed that timeline instantly through the mouths of the Hao-mun Do members.
“Thanks to the rumors spreading swiftly, we gained a huge advantage. Although The Shadowless Thief has just begun to act, could it really be true? Is there truly a villainous rich man being robbed and wealth being shared with the poor? People are dying to know.”
Expectations must be met with expectations.
As both a writer and a supporter of the heroic thief, my role was clear. I began folding the black paper crane that Im Ha-yeon would leave behind tonight.
Im Ha-yeon silently watched me fold the crane and finally spoke up.
“Looks like we’ll have to be on the move. By the way, where did you learn that kind of skill?”
I learned it back in elementary school art class.
After buying supplies post-school and planning to spend the leftover allowance on tteokbokki with fried food, I intentionally bought single-sided colored paper instead of double-sided paper, and much later paid homage to the 500-won glue stick that would become famous for other uses.
Of course, I can’t say that factually.
“What’s up with that?”
When I made a slightly awkward expression, Im Ha-yeon tilted her head and asked.
In modern times, paper folding is taught even in elementary school, but here, it’s different.
Folding paper with expensive paper to create unnecessary shapes is considered a high-end skill used in some ceremonies or funerals.
How should I explain this?
I had a sudden good idea.
‘Let’s score some points with Im Ha-yeon now.’
I intentionally stood up, leaned against the window with a nostalgic expression, and began speaking.
“I had originally sworn never to fold a paper crane again.”
Starting with a vow to myself.
Invoking a sense of curiosity and hinting that the paper crane had a significant past.
“Not to fold it again, really?”
When I didn’t respond directly to Im Ha-yeon’s question, I feigned pulling out painful memories and stalled before continuing.
“Yeah. It’s a skill I learned for my sick mother.”
“For your mother…?”
Was she surprised? Im Ha-yeon’s voice trembled slightly.
“One day, my mother contracted a disease. As a young child, unsure if I could meet my beloved mother, I was anxious and wandered about until I happened to meet a foreigner at the port.”
“A foreigner?”
“He was said to be a famous shaman. I think his name was Abe no Seimei or Asakura Yō. Anyway, he told me he was a famous shaman from Japan.”
“What did he say?”
“He said if I could fold a thousand cranes, one of the Ten Longevities, and gift them to my mother, a miracle might occur. As a child, when I asked to learn, he told me to put my heart into each fold.”
“So… you folded them?”
Im Ha-yeon knows the ending of this story.
After all, she heard about how my mother ended up through Gi-mun. Yet even the known tragedy can make for a more flavorful tale when embellished correctly.
“I did. With my small hands, it was hard at first to fold even one. But as I folded one by one, wishing for my mother to recover, I somehow felt she would actually be okay.”
I forced just one side of my mouth to curl up, adopting a tone that seemed both sad and self-deprecating, reflecting the foolishness of my helpless younger self.
That would get a reaction.
“When your mother was sick, there wasn’t much you could do as a child.”
Indeed. Im Ha-yeon may share a similar experience.
“Just how many did I fold? I don’t remember. Or rather, there was no need to remember since I no longer had any reason to fold.”
“……”
The death of my mother. The boy no longer has a reason to practice the skill.
“If my hands had been quick and I could have folded all a thousand, would my mother have lived? A miracle remains just a miracle; I’m still unsure.”
“It wasn’t your fault…”
Great. That’s the cue I needed.
As Im Ha-yeon stepped closer with a solemn expression, I smiled ruefully, as if shedding my sorrowful memory.
“Now I’m folding the paper crane I promised never to fold again. I’m doing it for Im Ha-yeon, even though I swore I wouldn’t do it again.”
A paper crane I had vowed never to fold again, folded only for the sake of my cherished Im Ha-yeon, just like I did for my beloved mother.
“Uhh…”
Did she understand what I meant? Im Ha-yeon shyly averted her gaze.
The black paper crane, now a symbol of The Shadowless Thief. My feelings for you are embedded within.
Having delivered my thoughts adequately, I calculated that the scores would definitely rise, but since the goal was achieving a perfect score, why not go all in?
“The miracle I initially wished for may have failed, but this time, I intend to succeed.”
I stepped closer to Im Ha-yeon, holding her hand with firm resolution.
I won’t let go. I’ll protect you for sure.
Expressing my genuine intentions towards her.
“You….”
Im Ha-yeon gazed at me with a blushed face.
How is that? Full marks, right?
Taking a step toward me, I could feel her warm breath so close.
Huh?
Wait a minute.
Did I hit the nail on the head too perfectly?
Is it okay to make a move? No, after all, Gi-mun Hyang-ju is still a runaway courtesan; I was sternly warned to maintain distance.
Hold on, Im Ha-yeon. You must have received stricter warnings as well, why are you now leaning in cautiously?
What should I do?
While I was flustered and panicking.
“Eep!”
A distressed voice came from behind us.
“Ah!”
“Huh?!”
“Both of you are too much!”
Behind us stood Zhuge Xiang, looking downcast with a pouting expression.
“Ha ha. Zhuge, miss…….”
Right! I forgot she was in the office with us.
I momentarily overlooked her since she was hidden behind the mountain of papers on her desk.
Zhuge Xiang lowered her head, her expression darkening as she spoke.
“Am I just invisible? Even with relatives at the dinner table, somehow there’s never anyone around me. But I’ve been working hard since earlier, you know. I was helping Sister Ha-yeon since she was busy. But you held her hand, and at that moment, am I just getting in the way? You seemed to be treating her like she was a priority, looking to go ahead. What am I supposed to do?”
Did I just trigger some sort of PTSD?
“Uh… Miss Zhuge?”
Im Ha-yeon moved closer with an unusually apologetic expression toward Zhuge Xiang.
“Miss Zhuge! It’s a misunderstanding. It’s not like that.”
“Huhuhuh…”
We struggled for a while to console the dejected Zhuge, who appeared utterly crestfallen.
Meanwhile, the start of the regular external meeting of the Tea and Book Club.
“Now, do you understand? The grand design of Author Ho Pil.”
One member said, grabbing the shoulder of another member who had stirred up chaos by criticizing Author Ho Pil’s reckless actions.
“What on earth is… What’s a handcart?”
The disruptor member asked with a puzzled expression, looking at the handcart that seemed to provide ample escape for one person.
“Get on.”
“What?”
“Everyone, now we need to prepare.”
“Sounds good.”
At that, the other members of the Tea and Book Club began their preparations in unison.
“There’s no need for this, is there?!”
“How dare you suspect Author Ho Pil?!”
“You really are a troublemaker, aren’t you?”
“Quickly, tie him up!”
“Remember, losing faith is as good as dying!”
“An cup of tea, please, Author Ho Pil, we’ve got one more for you!”
With a quick process to deal with the troublemaker and the news of The Shadowless Thief’s appearance spreading throughout Wuhan began.
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