1 Paths Crossed

Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo...

You are going over Arirang hill.

My love, you are leaving me.

Your feet will be sore before you go ten li.

Just as there are many stars in the clear sky,

There are also many dreams in our hearts.

There, over there, that mountain is Baekdu Mountain,

Where, even in the middle of winter days, flowers bloom.⠀

The Arirang song describes a lover saying goodbye to their beloved one. The song has many variations depending on location, but there are two common endings to this song:

The singer commits suicide.

The lover returns home.

This story will have one of these endings.

While deep in his suicidal meditation, he stared at the river in front of him and gasped when the waters turned red. He thought it was a sign and smiled. However, the next he saw was a corpse. He walked to the body to inspect it but stopped when he recognized the tattered armor with the sword cuts, the bloodied red clothes, and crooked head-dress. He watched as the river slowly took the body away from him. He contemplated if he should save him—if he were even alive. His feet followed the body.

"It can't be him, right?" He said to himself. He stopped as he realized what he was doing. He cleared his throat, "Even if it's him, I can't...save him. Even if I'm a doctor." He frowned and though every cell in his body told him to help him, walked away.

Next, he found himself fishing him out of the water before the body floats out to the oceans. He let him lay on him, drenching his clothes in the process. There was no mistaking it: this was the Northern Country's Crown Prince, their heir to the throne...and his country's enemy.

He remembered seeing him once when he was only a child. He saw him in one of the garden pavilions in the Main Shrine, which both countries* attend the annual offering ceremony for the gods. The young boy seemed to shine in the sunlight—a true definition of royalty whose family line descended from the gods. He only dressed in his student outfit. He had just returned from studying in the mountains. He pleaded with his parents, the Southern King and Queen, to let him become a doctor and not a prince. They let him, but he had to return for occasions like this, and after his studies, he has to return and do his princely duties.

He remembered regretting that decision when he saw him. He didn't felt equal to him...and wanted to be so he could feel worthy and dignified enough to approach him. He hid and watched the boy far away.

Now, he gulped and checked him for any vital signs. He thought to himself, "He surely can't die. The gods, if they truly exist, would punish my country. That or the worst case would be the priests at the Main Shrine will condemn my country to several hundred-year curses." He had to save him.

The man's face and skin were as pale and cold as snow. "He's unquestionably dead." He patted the man's cheeks, trying to see if the man would respond. He did; he twitched and opened his mouth. He wasted no time, laying him down on the grass, pumping his chest to get the water out of him. The man puked out water; he checked for the man's breathing. He was, but very slowly and was still unconscious.

"This should be enough help to him. He is my enemy, after all." He could've left him there. After all, the man was breathing already. He could've easily survived that as long as the water's out of his lungs.

But he couldn't leave. "There's still a chance this man will die. The cold—it's too cold."

It wasn't. And he knew how the Northern Kingdom had more snowstorms than the Southern did. The Northerners were used to the cold than the Southerners. Regardless, he carried him on his back and walked towards his camp. Only when he was halfway towards his base did he realize what he was doing. "Treason, treason," his mind recited. But he couldn't just leave him dying. Not with the oaths he took when he finished studying to become a doctor. He gritted his teeth, set the man down, took off his outer robe, and wrapped it over the man's body to hide him. He carried him on his back again.

He passed through the camp entrance without drawing suspicion from others. His subordinates, his soldiers, were used to seeing him carry someone on his back, trying to help the wounded as much as possible—his duties as a doctor. All of them curtsied to him. Some invited him to drink with them, to drown their losses away. Some offered to help him carry his "patient," but he dismissed them. He had to. This person was no ordinary patient. He was their enemy, the reason why all the wars—this war happened.

He bit his lips and rushed to his tent. He avoided everyone as much as possible. He didn't want them to see this man who laid expiring on his back.

"Brother!"

He heard that exclamation from across the camp. He glanced and saw his older brother, the Southern Crown Prince, running towards him with a huge smile. "Endearing." He thought but hurried his pace towards his tent.

"Brother, wait up! I have a letter from our sister!"

He pushed through the crowd surrounding him; more soldiers begged him to let them assist him. He reached his tent and rushed to lay his "patient" on his bed. He took off the man's armor and soaked clothes and hastily slipped him into another, then threw a blanket on him. He shoved the discarded armor and robes under his bed. He took off his own, but before he could even finish—

"Brother, what's the rush—oh."

He put his wet clothes back up and turned to him. "Nobu," he anxiously smiled. He hid his shaking fingers behind his back.

"Man, you found yourself another plaything, huh?" He folded his arms and walked towards them, glancing mainly at the "plaything" on his brother's bed.

"You're mistaken. This man...is my patient."

Nobu walked closer to the bed, and he immediately stopped him, blocking his older brother's way. He smiled, "He is still unconscious. Please, Nobu, I need you to leave."

Nobu chuckled, "Did you fuck him—I assume it's a 'him.' You always preferred men. Did you fuck him so hard he requires your medical attention?" His older brother elbowed him.

He blushed, "Hey, Nobu, don't be so crude."

"Well, why is this 'patient' in your room and not in the infirmary? The only reason I could think is that you're playing with him. That or you want to play with him when he's awake as payment for attending to him, huh?" Nobu snickered.

He knew his older brother enjoyed his reactions. Though inappropriate, he decided to go along and use that as an excuse. He nodded slowly, almost shyly.

His older brother laughed, "You don't have to be ashamed of being caught sleeping with someone else though you're married. You're a prince! No one can criticize you or me or anyone in our family for anything. Personally, if I were married, I'd never look at someone else. But you. You're in an arranged marriage. Oh, I meant you might have chosen and begged to marry your wife among the other candidates. Still, it's a loveless, arranged marriage. At least, she doesn't love you. I understand why you would want to sleep around."

'At least, she doesn't love you.' If only those words didn't jab at his chest like that. He forced himself to smile, "Thank you. Now, Nobu, would you mind?"

"Sure, no problem. Enjoy him." Nobu started towards the door. He wanted to sigh out loud, out of relief but stopped himself. "Not until Nobu's out." He thought and watched his brother walk out before attending to his "patient."

He pulled the blanket away from his patient and started mending his wounds.

"Oh, before I forget—" Nobu stopped as he saw the wounds on the back of his younger brother's plaything. 'Those look like...sword wounds.' Nobu thought.

He turned around, dropping some of the medicine he carried. "Yes, Nobu?" He feigned calmness but knew he failed.

"Who....is that?" Nobu eyed the man on his bed. He moved to hide him and watched as Nobu's face darkened. He collected himself.

"Nevermind. Our sister asks how we've been and to bring her a war souvenir." Nobu smiled, but he could still see a different expression in his eyes. The man peered over him and scrutinized the person on his bed again. "Those wounds seem deep, eh?"

He nodded, although adding nothing to the conversation. He knew how Nobu would recognize the wounds he'd give to his enemies. He held his brother's shoulders to prevent him from stepping any closer. He smiled, "It's why I must attend to him now. Please, brother?"

Nobu examined him. He quickly fixed his expression, shoving all doubts and anxiety deeper inside him. Nobu smiled, and he smiled as well.

"So you really are trying to win this person by saving him, huh? A ticket to bedding him, no?" Nobu didn't wait or want his reply. The man added, "Very well then. Enjoy your new conquest."

He steeled himself when his brother patted him a little too heavily on the shoulder. He watched as Nobu walked away. He let a little of himself go and turned to his "patient." The man was still breathing. He still had a chance to save him.

"Ah, Kazuki, you...would never betray me, right?"