The Brothers Kim

Chapter 30- The Fair-haired Stranger

"Are you cheating on Papa?"

Gyuri glanced up from the ground, where she was trying to coax the stray cat to come closer. "Huh? What?"

"Are you?" Gulnar persistently asked, his brows furrowed into a frown.

Gyuri stared at Gulnar, unsure of how to answer. Currently, they were outside the soup kitchen, trying to feed the stray cat when Gulnar suddenly asked her something unexpected.

"I—" Gyuri stopped midway her sentence when she noticed the cat scramble away. Internally, she cursed, Damn it. Why is this cat so hard to get close to? "N-no" she answered as she got up. "Why do you ask?"

Gulnar continued to pout at her. "Because you keep talking to that man." The little boy gestured to Namjoon, who was currently talking to the peasants inside the storage house. "I don't like him, Mama" Gulnar continued to say. "Please don't leave Papa."

Gyuri peered down at Gulnar, baffled by his statement. How does a five-year-old even know what cheating is?

"I agree" Chun Chun said from beside her. Gyuri turned to face her and saw her lips curled into a small frown. "Tae is the better man, Gyuri. You two are meant for each other."

"Hah!"

All three swerved around to look at the young, grubby lad who was busy slurping on his bowl of soup.

"Little Madam isn't even a good match for Physician Kim" he stated snootily. "He's a noble and she's a servant. I don't understand why you would even think Physician Kim would look her way." He slurped his soup noisily before adding, "Physician Kim is out of Little Madam's league."

"Who are you to say that?" Chun Chun sneered. "Gyuri is not out of that physician's league!"

"Yeah!" Gulnar passionately protested.

Yujin snorted as he pointed his nose up at the air proudly. "Hah! Well if it isn't Little Madam, then it is that Tae of yours. He is no match for Physician Kim."

With his eyebrows snapped together, Gulnar huffed. "Take that back!"

"Don't you dare insult Tae!" Chun Chun squeaked. "You don't even know who he is!"

Gyuri watched as Chun Chun and Gulnar engaged in a screaming match against Yujin, their voices rising in pitch as they continued to squabble.

"Guys, enough—"

"Mama and Papa belong together so, only Papa can marry Mama in the future!" Gyuri heard Gulnar argue. "No one else!"

Gyuri was stunned.

"I'm right, aren't I, Mama?" Gulnar queried as he gaped up at her. "You and Papa will stay together forever, right?" His big eyes bore into hers. "We'll always be a family?"

Taken aback, Gyuri fumbled, "Gulnar, I'm—" but before Gyuri could complete her utterance, she was suddenly distracted by a commotion of voices.

"Look over there!"

"What's going on?"

"Do you see that?"

Gyuri swivelled her head around to find a crowd of people flocking to the sides of the street. It must have been something extraordinary, for everyone had gathered in an excitable manner.

"Mama?"

Gyuri peered down at Gulnar, who had drawn closer to her. "What's happening? What's everyone looking at?"

"I'm not so sure" she replied distractedly as she got on her tip-toes to see over everyone's heads. "Let's go and see..." Hurriedly, Gyuri paced over to join the throng, where the hubbub was loudest. As she wormed to the front of the compactly pressed huddle, she suddenly heard throaty shouting above the buzzing of the crowd.