The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master

In a family home with a clear view of the sea in Busan.

Bubble, bubble.

The divine doctor Cynthia was devoted to preparing dinner.

“Since son-in-law Kang has such a refined palate…”

Cynthia hummed softly, focused in the kitchen.

“I wonder if the food this ajumma makes will taste good to him.”

She still looked incredibly youthful—to the point where, sometimes, when getting on a bus, the machine would beep and charge a “teen fare.” When she told the driver she was actually an adult, they always looked surprised. Over time, it stopped being unusual.

Later on, as Ryozo grew, the fact that her beauty blossomed more and more was also thanks to this genetic inheritance.

In those days, Abel von Nibelung was the undisputed number one in the “beauty” category. But already in her twenties, Saki Ryozo became a rival who split the world in two.

Even before, she had a face capable of eclipsing idols and making them temporarily retire, but as the years passed, Cynthia’s genes showed even more of their worth.

Cynthia tasted a spoonful of kimchi stew.

“All set.”

The spice wasn’t overpowering, balanced with a sweet touch. The meal was nearly ready.

Then she looked toward the balcony—the sun had already completely set.

“They said they’d be here before dinner…”

Cynthia tilted her head and then gave a mischievous smile, as naughty and dense thoughts crossed her mind. Right at that moment, the door opened.

It was her daughter and son-in-law Kang. Both looked terrible—clothes stained with salt.

Cynthia was startled.

“They told me they were going to the aquarium to see marine life, but what is this—two mermaids showing up at my house?”

“…Explaining would take a while.”

Ryozo took off her cap and tossed it aside.

Kang Geom-Ma scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Sorry… for showing up like this.”

“It’s fine, son-in-law Kang.”

A strange curve formed on Cynthia’s lips.

“When you’re young, it’s normal to sweat a lot.”

“…It wasn’t exactly sweat…”

“Haha, I know, I know. I’m not a clueless ajumma.”

“……?”

“Go shower first. I’ve adjusted the kimchi stew just right, and if you come near me smelling like that, it’ll get too salty.”

Kang Geom-Ma thought that Ryozo was a being created by selecting only the best genes from Kojima and Cynthia.

But every smart person inevitably had their eccentric side.

‘…Ryozo takes after her mother.’

Thud.

Maybe she had read his mind because Ryozo jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow.

Then, barefoot, she was the first to head into the bathroom.

***

After a quiet family dinner, Kang Geom-Ma asked to retire to the guest room.

The futon was neatly folded, and the room was modest, without luxury. It was clear this was a place made for proper rest.

So he lay down. Sleep came to him instantly.

A little while later, Ryozo opened the door. She wore a large T-shirt that fell to her knees.

“Geom-Ma…”

But he showed no signs of waking.

‘I can’t even tell him to eat some fruit.’

Ryozo closed the door quietly and returned to the living room, where her mother was cutting cucumbers.

Seeing her return alone, Cynthia asked,

“Where’s son-in-law Kang?”

“Sleeping.”

“Of course, after all that fuss, a good nap is just right.”

“Enough already, Mom!”

Ryozo shot back irritatedly, though she glanced furtively toward the room where Geom-Ma was sleeping deeply. She had to hold back her temper, at least for now.

Resigned, Ryozo changed the subject.

“Weren’t you going to give me some fruit?”

“Eating fruit at night isn’t good. The organs need rest too, and if sugar comes in, you force them to keep working.”

“Ugh, always with the lectures. Because of you, I can’t watch a single doctor channel on NouTube. ‘Don’t eat this, don’t do that’—just an endless list of restrictions.”

Ryozo grumbled, and Cynthia let out a soft laugh.

“Don’t you know having someone to lecture you is a blessing?”

“……”

Ryozo froze. She immediately understood the implication behind those words.

Deliberately, she avoided looking at the room where Geom-Ma slept. She was afraid that if she did, he might feel hurt.

Kang Geom-Ma had no parents. He had survived alone, enduring the world. That he managed to enter Joaquin Academy was already a miracle in itself.

‘He’s never had anyone to lecture him…’

It hurt. Like a fishbone stuck in her lungs.

Whether aware or not, Cynthia pointed to the sofa, motioning her to sit.

Ryozo sank down wordlessly.

Cynthia widened her eyes in surprise.

“Did you just sit on the sofa?”

“…Is asking obvious things your new medical technique?”

“No, it’s just that if you were Korean, out of habit you’d sit on the floor in front of the sofa, not on it. Ah, right. I forgot we have different nationalities.”

“…….”

Ryozo frowned slightly. Then, without a word, she slid off the sofa and onto the floor.

“I’m half Korean too.”

“Say it right. You’re only half Korean. And besides, you speak weird. So what if you’re Japanese?”

“…I have better memories in Korea than in Japan.”

“Ara, ara.”

“Ah, who knows.”

Ryozo lay down, using her mother’s legs as a pillow. Her hair spread out in a fan shape, like an inverted triangle. She looked briefly at the soft incandescent light and said,

“Mom.”

“Hmm?”

“Lately, I’ve been happy.”

“Oh my goodness!”

The knife stopped moving. Cynthia looked at her daughter in disbelief.

“My pessimistic daughter saying something like that… is it possible?”

“How can you call me pessimistic to my face?”

“It’s a fact.”

“Seriously… ah, that’s cold!”

A slice of cucumber landed on Ryozo’s forehead. Cynthia swatted her lightly on the stomach.

“Stay still.”

“Since when are cucumber masks a thing? Is it okay for a doctor to believe in home remedies?”

“Do you know more than me?”

“Using your profession as an excuse is dirty.”

Cynthia didn’t respond. She kept placing cucumber slices until all the gaps were filled.

Her face was so small, not many were needed. Then she suddenly spoke.

“Why do you think you’re happy? Because you’re in love?”

“That too, but… honestly, I don’t know.”

Ryozo answered while mumbling, careful not to dislodge the slices.

“Can’t think of any logical or theoretical basis for that feeling?”

“No.”

She nodded, her face slightly flushed.

“I just vaguely think maybe it’s the hormones affecting my brain… but I’m not even sure.”

“Love runs on hormones, yes.”

“Thanks for the dry response, doctor.”

“Now you’re mad—but in your case, it’s not just that. You didn’t say ‘I like being in love.’ You said, ‘I’m happy.’”

“Isn’t that the same?”

Cynthia shook her head.

“No, it’s different. Very different.”

“Now that I think about it, maybe so. Happiness is a more abstract feeling.”

“Ryozo, have you ever heard that man say something like this to you? ‘Compassion is the cheapest emotion.’”

Ryozo flinched. A slice of cucumber slipped down her cheek.

“Don’t tell me he even threw that line at his own mother like some cringey teenager.”

“I doubt I’m the only one. He probably said it to anyone he thought beneath him. With that serious statue face of his, no one even had a chance to laugh.”

“…That guy’s really something…”

Cynthia continued in a calm voice to a clearly exasperated Ryozo.

“Doesn’t matter what his personality is like. Do you know why he said that?”

Ryozo had already come to her own conclusions a long time ago.

“Because it can be summed up in one word.”

“Explain.”

“You can replace compassion with simple phrases like ‘poor thing,’ ‘what a shame.’ That makes it cheap.”

“That’s my daughter. So clever.”

Instead of caressing her, Cynthia took a slice of cucumber and ate it.

“You’re eating the mask?”

“When did I say it was a mask? I sliced them to eat.”

“So you used your daughter’s face as a plate…?”

“Washing more dishes is a pain. Besides, since you were soaked in seawater, the cucumbers came out nicely seasoned—salty.”

“Moooom!”

Ryozo tried to sit up angrily, but Cynthia pushed her back against the couch.

She huffed a little and then gave up. In this house, children never won against parents. It was the other way around.

Cynthia spoke.

“What that man said isn’t an absolute truth. It’s just his personal view. If it convinced you, you can take it as a reference, nothing more.”

“Are you saying happiness is a feeling that’s hard to explain, and that makes it more profound?”

“At least, that’s how I see it. Look, I hated Kojima, but even following him like a fool, those days made me happy.”

“Terrible taste. Did he ever tell you he loved you?”

“No.”

Cynthia shrugged.

“But he never said he didn’t, either.”

“…What kind of answer is that?”

“Even so, I felt it. I don’t know for how long—only he who left before me knows that—but I’m sure he was happy with me at some point.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because he never explained it.”

Ryozo blinked. The incandescent light made her moist skin glow.

Her mother, seeing her daughter renewed, returned the question.

“Has Kang ever told you why he loves you?”

“No…”

“And I’m sure you pressed him several times, didn’t you?”

It was true.

“It’s just that he expresses himself so little.”

“It’s not because he lacks words. It’s because it’s a feeling so complex he can’t explain it. He’s happy, and that’s why he doesn’t say it.”

Could it really be like that?

‘Maybe it is…’

Ryozo glanced toward the door where Geom-Ma was sleeping. After a few seconds, she accepted what Cynthia had said.

“We were supposed to go to the aquarium.”

“Yes, and you came back as a fish.”

“It was closed. I was stiff with frustration. Geom-Ma loves fish, and to come all the way to Busan and see nothing… Then he told me he’d take me to a better aquarium.”

“And it was the sea.”

“Exactly, the bottom of the sea.”

Cynthia didn’t ask how that was possible. She felt no curiosity about Kang Geom-Ma’s powers. Learning to give up quickly made life easier.

“That was just like him. Instead of explaining, he acts. And to think that until last year, his face always said ‘lazy.’”

“Sounds like you’re bragging about your boyfriend.”

“He changed, became active. That means he’s happy.”

“Well, he’d know that best. But…”

Cynthia paused before concluding:

“The fact that you’re telling this without bragging or embellishing—just recounting the facts—means you really were happy. And if you were, then he must have been too.”

“…Yeah…”

Ryozo pondered those final words in silence.

‘If I’m happy, then Geom-Ma is too.’

Difficult.

Could “sharing,” “tuning in,” “connecting” be the same as happiness?

Maybe not.

Or maybe yes.

‘Actually, I don’t want to know.’

The only thing she wished for was:

‘I want to keep being with Geom-Ma.’

That was enough.

“I thought with your blue hair and eyes, my daughter would be like water—but turns out it’s my son-in-law who is.”

Cynthia tapped her shoulder.

“Kang, like water? Not fire?”

“What covers 70% of the Earth?”

The sea, the water.

“And what makes up 70% of the human body?”

Water.

“And what occupies 70% of Ryozo’s brilliant brain?”

……

Ryozo bit her lower lip. Wow, her mother sure knew how to make comparisons. Even with cucumbers on her face, she was fuming.

But she was wrong about that.

“It’s 90%! Over 90%!”

Ryozo shot up.

“Not 70—more than 90!”

And she ran off toward the bedroom, shouting. Cynthia let out a chuckle.