Uh.
Cheondo, pressing her forehead, let out a gloomy sound. I approached her from behind and placed the ion beverage I had prepared earlier on top of her head.
Ah, its cold!
Startled, Cheondos head popped up. She recognized and sighed in relief. A hiccup-like sound of air escaping ca from her mouth.
Whats the matter, Young Demon?
Youre the Young Demon.
Hearing my words, Cheondo was startled and jumped up from her spot. She hastily looked around, then, realizing there was no one else around, sighed in relief.
Dont call that outside. But what is this?
Cheondo took the can I offered. A blue ion beverage. Nothing beats pulling one from a vending machine on a hot sumr day when you are thirsty.
Its like a sample before officially importing it, try drinking it.
Sample? What do you an by that?
Holding the can, Cheondo looked at , unsure of what to do. She resembled a hamster clutching sunflower seeds.
I tapped the top of the can and flicked the tab with my fingernail.
-Click.
The sound of opening a can. Surprise filled Cheondos face.
Its fascinating. So, I just drink it?
I nodded.
Cheondo cautiously brought the drink to her lips. The sound of the beverage going down her throat was audible.
-Gulp, gulp.
As she drank the ion beverage, her eyes blinked repeatedly with each sip. A perfect compound created at the pinnacle of scientific advancent enveloped her tongue.
About 5 seconds later, Cheondo put the can down with a satisfied look on her face.
The water is cool and sweet
It was slightly frozen from the freezer, and being an ion beverage, it was quite sugary. Drinking it when tired and overheated provided a mont of bliss.
Do you want so?
No, I had so earlier.
I pulled a chair next to and sat down. Cheondo, looking back and forth between the can and , then pushed the cans opening to my lips.
We should share sothing like this.
Reluctantly, I took a sip.
My teeth felt cold.
Huhuhu. Its cool, isnt it?
Cheondos smile was bright, childlike.
Keke. So, why are you suddenly working?
I returned her smile, casually voicing my curiosity. A flicker of hesitation crossed Cheondos face. Swiftly, she adopted a cheerful expression, placed the can on the desk, and scratched her cheek with her index finger.
Well, its nothing. Ive just been watching too much ani lately, and I started wondering if it was okay to keep doing that.
With Cheonma increasingly absent, the disciples naturally found themselves with more free ti. However, Cheondo was not one to waste her days idly. She devoted most of her ti to personal training. If she were truly anxious about her current lifestyle, she would have increased her training ti, so her excuse didnt quite add up.
Is that so?
So, its a lie.
I gazed intently into Cheondos eyes. Sotis, silence could coax a more genuine response.
Cheondos gaze shifted, evasive. Seemingly thirsty, she reached for the can again.
-Gulp, gulp.
She quenched her thirst.
Eventually, Cheondo spoke.
How do you manage to handle these things so smoothly, Brother Dowon?
A single question. Cheondos lips ford a pout.
Why?
Because its fascinating. You suddenly appeared, beca the Young Demon, and now everyone trusts you.
Youve reorganized everything, eradicated corruption, and advanced our lifestyle by almost a century. All this, in just one month. It was undoubtedly a good thing for Dowon.
Public safety has improved, and the number of starving people has drastically decreased. At the inn where I work, they really like Brother, calling him a savior.
Its sothing the people of Dowon should be grateful for.
But.
As if mocking herself, Cheondo gripped the can tighter.
I just havent been feeling great lately. I guess its jealousy. I cant do it like Brother.
The sa Young Demon, always comparing abilities.
This comparison gave rise to an inferiority complex. Even if you tried not to be conscious of it, the sprout of emotion grew.
I want to be like Brother Dowon too.
Yet, the emotion in her voice was closer to admiration than jealousy.
-Cheondo.
-Yes, Master.
-That guy. Hes quite useful.
The master always talked about Brother.
What he did today. What he taught this ti. We always talked in my room in the evening, but he seldom spoke about the training.
-Thats good.
The phrase I always repeated to the master whenever that person was ntioned.
Its a good thing. Its not sothing to be envious of when soone around achieved sothing. Its sothing to be happy about.
Jealousy? I thought not.
Even if Im falling behind, lets try hard in my own way.
Always working hard. Taking everything seriously. And through effort and perseverance.
But the master always put in the background, always trying to compare and Brother. Sotis, there were really blunt questions.
Why couldnt I do as much as him?
It really shouldnt be like this. It even made feel unpleasant.
The tail of questions was full of sorrow. I tried to inherit the na Cheonma. Could it be that I would never beco Cheonma? But I thought I couldnt stop now.
Until just before I heard that word from my masters mouth.
-So, how long will you stay in that position?
Just a week ago. Despite the lack of hostility in the masters words, my heart sank.
Ah, perhaps, after all. Maybe I didnt have the talent to satisfy my father.
How should I face Baekdo and Hwangdo? Yet, no tears ca, probably because of the years of preparation to beco Cheonma.
Its ironic. Becoming the Young Demon and not being able to cry. Cheonma must always uphold integrity and stand tall with pride.
Standing above everyone, tears were not allowed for such a great person.
In the past, the sight of even a single tear would result in a severe beating from the master. Now, that training pains my heart.
I want to be like Brother Dowon too.
How ridiculous I must look.
Instead of assisting Brother with his work, I only ended up causing more trouble. Now, the emotions I had been holding back were on the verge of bursting.
But truly, I aspired to be like Brother. It was a feeling I had never experienced before, except with my master. It seed like too lofty a goal, likely unattainable in my lifeti.
Why do you want to be like ?
Because you do everything so well.
I deny its jealousy, yet my words betrayed a sentint no different from jealousy. Shafully, I was denying my own feelings.
Why did the emotions I had kept so tightly concealed around this man erge so effortlessly? A considerable amount of ti had passed since I began to ponder this.
I caressed the crumpled wrinkles of the can beverage given by Brother. At so point, sharing unfamiliar food and looking forward to watching cartoons beca part of our reality.
I was jealous, but being together was also enjoyable.
Its easier to say anything, aningful or not, to soone you just t on the road and had no relation to. The closer you were, the more you tended to hold back.
Was it because we had no relation that I could express my feelings so openly? No, I realized that being with Brother had beco a constant part of my daily life, a segnt of my day. Our relationship had long surpassed being unrelated.
Yet, he never revealed his real na, stubbornly using the na I gave him.
He drew a line in our relationship, yet annoyingly always showed consideration, made concessions, and brought fun things. This man was remarkably considerate.
This ti was no exception.
Youll probably beco stronger than soon enough. To the point where you could easily look down on .
He said things that didnt quite resonate with . I appreciated the consideration, but I was all too aware of my limitations.
Brother was smarter, more competent, stronger, and carried the expectations of our master. He treated even , potentially a rival, with such warmth.
The fault did not lie with him, but with .
No, that probably wont happen.
It will.
With a natural expression, as if he knew everything, his gaze, though weve only spent a month together, felt like looking at soone who has shared nurous hardships with .
His look reminded of the gaze between a married couple at the inn where I worked, almost burdenso.
What does he know about ?
The thought montarily nestled inside . Frustrated and complicated feelings led to irritation.
What do you know about to say that?
Perhaps thats why I ended up saying sothing that should not have been said.
Huh!
I was startled and covered my mouth. The annoyance was so unlike that I hadnt expected it to co from my own lips.
Swallowed by a belated feeling of remorse, my heart pounded with guilt, and the beverage I had earlier seed to rise back up my throat.
Sitting silently, I was overwheld by a sense of wrongdoing.
Brothers eyes were wide open, as if he couldnt believe I would say such a thing. My heart kept fluttering at his look.
I had no intention of saying such things. I tightly closed my eyes, wishing I could also shut my ears.
Wishing to disappear into a mouse hole, I stood up and grabbed my things.
Im sorry. I should go. You dont have to co at night anymore.
Run away.
I didnt deserve to face Brother right now. As I tried to leave the building as quickly as possible, I hadnt even taken a step when my shoulders were grabbed.
Brother ca a step closer. The surprised expression was gone, replaced by a calm, gentle gaze.
Im sorry.
What I heard was an apology.
I didnt consider your feelings.
Brothers actions were never a nuisance. He perford miracles for everyone in Dowon. There were tis I felt proud when people spoke highly of him.
In the midst of dizziness, I hurriedly continued speaking.
Why are you apologizing Its not sothing you should apologize for. No. Its just. Its because Im lacking. The problem is with a person who beca the Young Demon being jealous.
Stumbling over my words, from a certain point, I wasnt sure if what I was saying was right, or even if the words I chose carried the correct aning.
Its all my fault, from start to finish
Brother let all those words pass and offered just one sentence.
The mistake is, youve been doing well until now. Youll do well in the future too.
Praise. How long has it been since I heard such words from my master?
A lump ford in my throat, blocking it. I shook my head.
I cant do well.
Thats because youre still young.
Are you old, Brother?
I cant say Im old either.
Tears didnt co, but my shoulders shook. I hadnt felt such a strong surge of emotions in a long ti. Brothers deanor was always consistent. Even when he was as cold as ice at one point, he perfectly hid that emotion in front of .
He was truly an inscrutable person. But I felt affection for him. Why?
Was it because of his puppy-like appearance that I wanted to embrace? Because he carelessly put his hand on my head without considering my feelings? Because he possessed talents that I didnt have?
I thought I could do everything. But Im losing confidence.
The deeper my doubts, the more my pride plumted, and I couldnt help but let out a bitter laugh.
-Sniffles.
The fact that I couldnt cry even in this situation felt very like .
Suddenly, my body was pulled forward. A warm comfort touched my cheek, and the person in front of supported my body, preventing from falling.
Well do well. Both you and I.
It was a vague statent. I hadnt been seeking comfort, nor did the words seem particularly comforting. If they were ant to be comforting, I found them quite clumsy.
Yet, the emotion conveyed through his voice, echoing in my ears, sent an unexpected shiver down my spine. It felt as though my frustration was dissolving.
It was like magic.
Brother is really amazing. How can you do so many things so effortlessly?
The man spoke in a still gentle voice. The consistency of his emotions, unwaveringly reaching out, truly felt like trust and consideration.
If I dont do well, it wont work.
Brothers hand tapped my back.
Because Im a disciple of my master.
Those words made my breath hitch.
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