There were many things Han Seoryu thought he'd do while trapped in a Joseon-era fever dream, but skipping like a child through a fish-scented village while wearing stolen maid robes was not one of them.
And yet—here he was.
"HEY! Come buy now!"
"Tanghulu~ Tanghulu!"
"Freshly grilled octopus tentacles!"
Everywhere he turned, there were vibrant stalls, clinking coins, and street cats fighting over dried anchovies. Seoryu's eyes sparkled as he bounced around like a Gen-Z tourist on a caffeine overdose.
"Damn! This is even more fun than Myeongdong night market!" Seoryu whispered while looking around the village
Unaware of it all, a man dressed in civilian robes with a sword hidden beneath his sash was watching him from the rooftops.
His name was Kwon Jinho.
The Crown Prince's most loyal sword. His shadow. His right hand.
And today—Seoryu's silent babysitter.
Seoryu skipped over to a stall.
"Miss! Spicy fishballs, please!"
"One nyang, Miss," said the vendor, handing over a stick.
Seoryu took a bite.
"OH MY GOD. This is so good. I feel reborn."
The vendor blinked. "…What did she say?"
He kept walking, tasting dumplings, poking live crabs, humming BLACKPINK under his breath.
For the first time since arriving in this historical hellscape, he felt normal.
'Maybe I can stay like this. Lay low. Blend in. Open a noodle shop? Start 'Yura's Ramen House?' said on his mind
But fate, as always, was waiting just around the corner—with drama.
A scream pierced the air.
"PLEASE! HELP! MY HUSBAND!"
Seoryu whipped his head around.
A woman was kneeling beside an older man sprawled in front of a spice stall, his face turning blue, his chest struggling.
People gathered, but no one moved.
"He collapsed! He can't breathe! PLEASE!"
Without thinking, Seoryu dropped his fishballs.
"MOVE! Move aside! I'm a doctor!"
The crowd blinked.
"A what?"
"I—I mean… healer! Folk healer! Plant-based specialist with certifications in vibes and prayers—GO!"
He knelt beside the man. Checked his pulse. Pale lips. Rapid breathing.
Seoryu's mind: 'It's cardiac distress… no defibrillator, no oxygen tank—fuck, this isn't Seoul General Hospital, Seoryu.'
Then his eyes landed on a nearby herbal stall.
Acupuncture needles.
'OH MY GOD. That might actually work.'
He turned to the woman. "Miss, I need these. May I?"
"Take whatever you need!"
Seoryu took a bundle of needles, bit one from its paper wrap, and rolled up the man's sleeves.
'Come on, brain. I watched Master Zhang do this a hundred times. Let's not kill anyone today.'
He closed his eyes. Neiguan point. Shanzhong. Zhongfu.
He inserted the needles precisely.
The crowd gasped.
"What is she doing?!"
"Is that witchcraft?!"
"No! Look! His breathing!"
The man groaned. His chest stopped jerking. Color returned to his face.
He opened his eyes.
"…Jagiya…?"
The woman sobbed and hugged him.
The crowd erupted into claps.
Seoryu sat back, sweating, shaking, and a bit dizzy.
Seoryu screamed happily in his mind ' I DID THAT. I JUST SAVED A MAN WITH ACUPUNCTURE. I AM JOSEON'S GREY'S ANATOMY'.
Someone handed him tea.
A kid gave him a rice cake.
And from the rooftops above, Kwon Jinho narrowed his eyes.
Jinho's mind: 'What kind of concubine knows acupuncture? he thought.'
He took out a scroll and scribbled a note: "Subject shows unusual medical knowledge. Possibly a spy or physician in disguise. Alert the Crown Prince."
Seoryu finally stepped away from the crowd and sat by the edge of a quiet alley.
His hands were still shaking as he kept thinking: 'I shouldn't have done that. What if I caused suspicion? What if they start asking questions?'
He clutched his knees. "But he was dying. And I'm a doctor. I had to. Right?" he whispered and start nodding like a crazy person
Then he sensed someone nearby.
He turned.
Kwon Jinho stepped out of the shadows.
"Lady Yura."
Seoryu froze. "H-how do you know my name?"
"His Highness sent me. He knew you'd run."
Seoryu opened his mouth to protest, but Jinho raised a hand.
"I saw what you did. That man could've died. You saved him."
"I just… I used to… I studied a little."
Jinho's eyes narrowed, but he didn't push.
"His Highness will want to hear about this. Come."
Seoryu stood slowly.
He looked back at the happy family. The crowd dispersing.
Then forward, toward the soldier who would lead him back.
'Back to the palace. Back to that man. That Prince. That danger.'
But something inside him whispered…
'Maybe… just maybe… I belong here more than I thought.'