Rena Moon

Namjoo was used to living as a male. Her father had always wanted male children to the point of being delusional. He refused to accept that his first child was a female. He forced her to dress up as a male since she was young. She was also an only child. Her mother had passed away giving birth to her. It was only natural for her father to hide her gender.

She didn’t have any desire to live the rest of her life as female because she enjoyed the privileges of being male. She lived in a male driven society that looked down on females. She also excelled at martial arts which prevented her from revealing her gender. She wouldn’t mind living the rest of her life without getting married.

She’d never expect that her secret would easily be revealed by a little boy. The boy looked suspicious. He had a cloak on that was too big for his size. The only reason why he would dress this way would be to hide himself. The only reason she could think of was that he wanted to peep at women while bathing.



She felt the urge to punish the little brat for being so perverted. He was so petite for a young boy, she kind of felt bad for the boy. She assumed that he was a beggar. His clothes were shabby, and he reeked like a beggar. The only thing that caught her eye was his unusually feminine features. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was also disguised like herself.

She highly doubted that this was the case. There was no way any normal female would dress up as male. She’d met countless noble ladies that enjoyed their lives. They were caught up in the arts; painting, singing, playing instruments, making tea, and embroidering. They were preoccupied with training to become a good wife.

Most women were weak, and they wouldn’t want to live as a male even if they were given power and privilege. Most would accept the life that they were supposed to live as female. Namjoo knew for sure that she wouldn’t want that sort of lifestyle. She was too stubborn to accept being a housewife forever.

She enjoyed martial arts and the way it made her feel exhilarated. Each accomplishment made her appreciate the proper steps it took to achieve her dream. No matter how much effort she put in, there was always something new to learn. She would never grow tired of training. She discovered that martial arts not only developed her strength, but it also strengthened her mentality and her spirit.

While lost in thought, the boy struggled and kicked towards her. The boy shouted, “LET ME GO!” Namjoo didn’t budge an inch from Yuna’s kicks. None of Yuna’s attempts to escape worked. Namjoo kept her at arm’s length without much effort. Yuna continued to struggle, “CAN’T YOU HEAR ME? LET ME GO! I didn’t do anything wrong, so why won’t you let me go?”

Namjoo glared at the kid, “I just caught you peeping and that’s all you have to say?” Yuna gulped, “I didn’t see anything.” Namjoo was shocked to hear the boy’s voice. It was not the voice of a young boy, but a girl. Her voice was smooth and light. It made her think of ariola birds. They were a type of birds that had beautiful sounding chirps.

Now she definitely thought that this boy was actually a girl in disguise. There was only one way of finding out. She would have to get the truth out of her somehow. She knew how to get the kid to talk. This would be fun.

Namjoo glared at Yuna fiercely, “Then why were you hiding in the bushes?” Yuna tried to explain herself, “I wasn’t peeking, I was just simply walking by to get to the marketplace. It’s all a misunderstanding.” Namjoo doubted Yuna, “Sure you were. You’re so bad at lying, I can tell by just one glance.”

Yuna sighed, “What can I do to make you believe me?” Namjoo scoffed, “There is nothing you can do to prove yourself. You were caught peeping. I’ll report you to the royal investigator and you’ll be charged as a peeping tom. Do you know how severe the punishment is? You won’t want to know.” Yuna gulped in fright, “And, what is that?” Namjoo grinned sinisterly and pointed downwards.

Yuna looked down and instantly knew what she was talking about. She would get her nonexistent thing chopped off. Yuna wasn’t worried at all. What would they do if they found out she was a girl? They’d probably get in trouble if her father found out anyway. When Namjoo saw Yuna’s indifference, she grew more curious. Why isn’t the kid scared? Most are frightened when they think of getting their ‘you know what’ chopped off.

Unless this kid wasn’t a boy. Yuna sighed, “Could you let me go? Even if I saw, why are you so scared? I’m a boy and you’re a boy. So what does it even matter?” Namjoo was disappointed by Yuna’s words. The kid

had a point. If she were to take her to the royal investigator, they would only laugh because her identity was as a male. No one would think a man looking at another man bathe a crime. They would just laugh it off and ignore it. Namjoo felt defeated by the kid that was unexpectedly smart and witty.

Namjoo placed Yuna down on the ground. When she tried to leave, Namjoo stopped her by grabbing onto her hood. Her body bounced back to where Namjoo was standing. She wasn’t going to let this kid go so easily when it was just getting interesting. She was curious about Yuna and what type of person she was. She also wanted to find out if this kid was actually a boy or in the same predicament as her.

Namjoo sneered, “You sneaky little brat. We both clearly know that I’m not actually male.” Yuna was shocked by Namjoo’s confession. She thought that everything would just roll over like nothing happened because she would want to hide her secret. It didn’t work out the way Yuna thought it would. Namjoo was too curious about Yuna to let her go so easily.

Namjoo continued, “Since I’ve revealed my disguise, you should do the same. If you don’t wish to, I can easily kill you for knowing my secret.” Yuna shook from fear. This person wasn’t lying. She could sense the deadly aura coming from the girl. She stammered, “F…Fine. I’ll tell you the truth, so don’t kill me.” Yuna caught her breath when the girl let go of her hood. She then explained, “I’m also disguised as a boy. I only did that so I can leave my house in secret.”

Namjoo asked, “And why would you need to sneak out?” Yuna explained, “Do I need to list out my personal life? Can’t you just let me go? You already know that I’m a girl and you’re a girl. What difference does it make? I wasn’t trying to find out your secrets. It was just an accident that I saw.”

Namjoo sighed, “There’s no point in continuing this farce. It’d be better if we just get to know each other better. Afterall, you know my deepest darkest secret. How do I know if you’ll go back home and instantly tell everyone that I’m not a male?” Yuna felt defeated by the situation. She was trapped with this stranger for who knows how long because she accidentally discovered her secret.