9: Pole dancing.

So the time didn’t really drag in the Geumgangsan. There were so many new experiences to have, such as the cold spring pools and the meadow full of kittens that no one noticed, that he had no idea would fill his boredom

He caused grey hairs to both Minho and his uncle Jinyoung though, with his shenanigans. He accidentally almost touched the hairpin Minho wore, which apparently was sacred and holy and meant for family and lovers only.

After Minho was done glaring at him about it, he promised to keep his hands to himself when it came to the hairpin. Other than that, Minho would have to apply for a separate promise.

The difficulty towards understanding some things was something they all had in common. For the life of him, Jisung was unable to understand why this place regulated every small action taken by humans. When a kid in the juniors' sparring class did something really awesome, he would get excited only to see ten other disciplines showing up to correct the kid for ‘exulting in excess’.

He would be told to stop laughing without cause when he would find the snarky parts of their lives amusing, even though he would clearly explain why.

He was aware of the majority of the norms and procedures and how they were thought out. Of course, being extremely deliberate in how you turned the act of pouring tea into a ceremony was more polite and probably soothing. However, there were moments when all you wanted was a little fix of hot leaf water—not a thing.

There were numerous obstacles to overcome. And, as the foster child of a wealthy family, he had witnessed how most of those hoops were fictitious and, rather than providing structure, simply put people under pressure.

Then again, whenever he made accidental comparisons between the Geumgangsan and his home, the list of pros and cons was pretty uneven. The other place had flying swords. And Minho.

Other problems appeared whenever Jisung was in public spaces. Such as in the dining hall, where talking to people was frowned upon, or in the courtyard, where conversing with people was, in some way, even worse.

The ‘no talking while eating’ thing at least was clear to him, but why the Lee disciples would still look so nervous conversing with him after all these weeks, he had no idea.

He was adapting! He was only a little weird and too friendly and excitable! He thought some people liked him, but when he put an arm around their shoulders, they would look past Jisung, turn white, mumble something about duties, and flee.

Jisung would complain about this to Minho, who always seemed to be nearby, even after they had agreed that Jisung was free to roam the main courtyard alone as long as he stayed there.

Minho, the useless man, only hm’d and mn’d at his problem.

It was fine, though, because Minho's intense focus eventually met all of his attention needs perfectly. It was like a drug for Jisung who, in addition to being an attention whore, could not get enough of poking and prodding for a reaction. While Minho was excellent at concealing them, he was terrible at letting go.

Often later when they returned to the Geumgangsan for dinner, Minho would mention something he’d said earlier that day, something Jisung had already forgotten, and demanded an explanation. It was a bad habit of Jisung’s; saying stupid things he’d have to later explain, no matter how embarrassing the conversation.

“So.. what I meant by that is uh…” Jisung stuttered, avoiding Minho's gaze by casually thumbing through his notes about talismans. “You know... there’s uh… a profession in the modern world. Where you dance with a pole.”

Minho’s eyes were  piercing hole in his profile. “Dance...with a pole.”

“It’s…. It’s stuck on the floor. You dance around it. It’s actually very impressive, you need a lot of core strength for that. Like, muscles.”

“I see. And you were practising this profession.”

Jisung couldn’t help the heat rising on his cheeks, kind of wanting to burst into laughter. “Haha! No, no! What I said was ‘ the last time I had this many people looking at me was when I  considered pole dancing’.  See, it’s different. I said it loudly at our university lounge, so people turned to stare. It was like ninety percent a joke. Ten percent out of desperation for money.”

He risked a peek at Minho's face, which was incredibly angular. Sometimes the guy was really observant. Jisung was sure his blush had not gone unnoticed.

Quickly, he added, “Usually only women do it! So that’s why people stared!”

Instead of making it less suspicious, this worked the other way around. The eyes narrowed. “Last week you mentioned something called ‘a strip club’, and when asked for clarification, you said, ‘ it’s a place where people go to watch pole dancing and stuff’.  You refused to elaborate.”

What? How was Minho’s memory this insanely good?

Jisung laughed. Awkwardly. “Haha, did I say that?”

“Yes. Do the name of the establishment and the dancing have something to do with each other?”

It was truly impressive to see how Minho could detect every little frivolous thing Jisung did in the modern world simply by listening to him casually mention things. It was like Jisung was roommates with one of Jeongin’s spinster aunties.

“Not-- not always?”

“Often?”

Jisung considered staring Minho down, but that was one fight he was sure to lose. Giving up, he threw his hands in the air. “Fine! Pole dancing sometimes involves taking your clothes off! It’s a very suggestive dance!”

Bad move. Honesty never worked with Minho. "You saw this as an effective way to earn money."

“Of course not! I mean, I said it, but I never really thought about it seriously! I mean, I could have found a gay club and applied there, but if anyone finds out, I am screwed! Also, it takes skill; you can not just show up and demand a job."

Minho stared and Jisung was desperate for the conversation to end.

“So, tea?” he asked.

Minho, bless him, didn’t press on it, and instead let Jisung prepare them tea. Terribly overdone and bitter, but at least the conversation topic was vastly different from the earlier one. A small grace.

“Minho, do you often go out night-hunting?” Jisung inquired, settling down next to him at the table after pouring said bad tea and successfully landing the majority of it in the cups. He reached to wipe the spills with his sleeves, but Minho smacked his hand away.

“Mn.” The man replied while cleaning the mess with a handkerchief.

“Really? You haven’t been gone once since I showed up.” Jisung mused. “It’s because of me, right? I thought so. But you enjoy it, don’t you, Minho?”

“Mn.”

“Yeah! So I’ve been thinking, now that I’m a little better at doing golden core related stuff consciously…shouldn’t we take some junior disciples out for a hunt? I think it is so unfair that this world has terrifying monsters and I have not seen one!"

Minho took a sip of the tea, and even when the tea tasted awful, his face stayed placid.

“Now! Before you say no, think about it; we are two strapping young lads in the shape of our lives. You, the illustrious Lee Minho Hagwan, known for appearing in the midst of chaos - yes, I heard about that; are not you the folk hero? - and me, a decent amateur cultivator eager to teach the kids about the real world. Also me. Teach me about the real world, this world.”

Minho placed his cup down.

“And! Wait! Even if I’m still a novice with monster killing, I know a lot of adult wisdom that I can thrust upon the developing little minds of your youth! And, you know, you can be a good example while I can be a bad one. Really simple. We’d make a great team. Actually--”

“Jisung,” Minho cut it. “I think it is a good idea. I have been meaning to ask you if you’d be open to it.”

Jisung let out a relieved breath. “Yes, good, I am very open to it. I’ve been trying to be very impressive during our daily sparring to make you ask first, but I guess it worked out like this too. I am impressive, right, Minho?”

“Mn.” Minho said, but before Jisung could start beaming, he continued, “Jisung, there is a condition.”

“ Oh! What is it?”

“I will pay for everything.” Minho said with a serious look.

Jisung burst out laughing almost instantly. “Minho! What condition is that, huh? I’ve got no money anyway!”

“Mn. Jisung does not need to attempt to make money.”

“Haha, I guess you’re right.” Jisung smiled at him, eyes crinkling. “Well, I accept your condition. Minho will pay for everything.”

“Mn.”

“This is so exciting! I can’t wait for it! You know, my brother and I used to hunt pheasants near my foster parents' summer house. I suppose night-hunting is similar, but with more dangerous prey?”

Minho listened to him chatter into the evening, head tilted slightly, and Jisung took advantage of his tolerant nature by going on and on. Minho was really too good, offering to go night hunting with him and even paying for everything. Way too good.
_______

Does anyone here knows pole dancing? 👀