911 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

This must be Shin Noya's pressure. It felt like an unimaginable wall. "If you don't appear before I count to three, I'll turn this place upside down." With a sharp voice, Noya declared, threatening to unleash his full power at any moment. The cherry blossom petals that began to gently scatter seemed strangely wild and aggressive. "Three..." Gui Jeong moved. "One." Just as Noya was about to swing his sword. "I can't understand this." A new voice emerged close by. "How can one go from counting three straight to one...? Did you never learn numbers?" "So you've appeared." Noya grinned at the new entity, and with that, the overwhelming aura dissipated. 'Is this the turtle Noya mentioned?' I glanced at the figure that had appeared, curious as to why that title was given. 'A turtle indeed...' It became instantly clear. The figure was quite literally a turtle — more accurately, a turtle who had taken on human form. 'I swear...' With wolves, cats, dogs, and God knows what else making appearances, it's a wonder what else could surprise me at this point. "Why are you suddenly showing up and causing a commotion?" The elderly one, referred to as the turtle, spoke in a tired voice as he looked at Noya. "You wouldn't show up when I called you nicely." "This was the only way to make you show yourself." "I was about to come the moment the place opened. You mischievous devil. It’s exhausting with old aching knees amidst all these...ugh..." The turtle, clearly fatigued, grabbed a nearby chair to take a seat. '...What is this?' I questioned where that chair had suddenly appeared from. "Oh, my back..." Groaning, the turtle inquired of Noya, displaying only more signs of weariness. "Bothersome brat... So why did you suddenly come looking for me?" "I visited after so long, and you can't even offer a cup of tea? Is your hospitality that lacking?" "Tea is served only to guests. You get nothing, you rascal." "Oh..." I couldn't help but be impressed by the genuine remark. Especially the part where he called Shin Noya a rascal — it was almost moving enough to make my heart race. "..." "Ahem." Unintentionally, I might've been too loud with my admiration, earning a piercing stare from Noya. I chose to ignore it for now. "I don't need tea. I didn't come here to idly sip, anyway." "...Then why did you come?" His demeanor suggested he wished for us to leave, but it seemed that wasn't on Noya's agenda. "You must have a clue why I came?" "I'm not sure what you mean. Maybe I'm too old my hearing's not what it used to be..." "Three-." "Okay... I'm hearing clearly this time." Avoiding another round of destruction, the turtle hastily spoke to Noya. "Damnable brat." The curse was a little extra. With those words, Noya let out a small laugh. "It's time to work, turtle. You've had enough rest; it's time to move." The turtle's wrinkles deepened as he listened. "Master, as I informed you before... I mentioned it is supposed to be every three months. Only a month has passed now, which counts as a breach of agreement, doesn't it?" "That's true. Still, turtle, you are aware." The soft clink of Gui Jeong, Noya's sword, being planted firmly in the ground emphasized his words. "Something's gone wrong with the barrier. You're the only one who can repair it. If we neglect it, it won't end well for you either." 'Barrier?' What kind of barrier could Noya be referring to? The thought danced around in my head. "The Night Wolf has sniffed something out." Shin Noya spoke, catching my attention immediately. "Hmmm..." The turtle slowly and deliberately cocked its head. “Given the situation, it would be wise to move before it escalates.” “Hmmm.” The turtle seemed to be mulling over the issue, its ponderous pace making me feel stifled. "Turtle." "Still, it's a breach of agreement. I have a condition." The turtle's words caused Noya's brows to furrow. “A condition…?” “As you've indicated, if a problem arises here, it’ll certainly cause me issues; however, not quite as dramatically as you suggest, Master..." "..." Noya didn’t argue, essentially admitting the turtle's point. "Hence, I have a condition I'd like to propose." “…Go on.” "The ginkgo tea in your shop... allow me to sell it for a year." 'Huh?' I hesitated momentarily at the proposal. Ginkgo tea?... Out of nowhere? 'Oh, right, this is a teahouse.' Considering it's a teahouse, it isn't strange, but that being a condition? I squinted in thought over the odd request. "Heh! So that was your angle all along?" Noya reacted as if he had just realized something. But why was he so shocked? What kind of secret does it hold? "If that’s all I get, I can’t accept it." The turtle stood firm. Shin Noya deliberated intensely. And then. "…A year is too much. Three months." “It seems comical given the breach in agreement. Nine months.” “There’s the quantity to consider, and the bother as well. The most I can grant is half a year.” “Hmm.” The turtle wavered, inclining its head back and forth gently as if in a trance. “Half a year... Half a year...” After a long while, it composed itself. “Alright. Let’s go with that.” “Ugh...” “Master. It was a good trade.” The turtle rose, visibly satisfied. To Noya, it seemed a defeat as his hands clenched tightly into fists. “Damn it…” “...” What in the world was that all about? I genuinely couldn’t fathom it as I simply stood there, stunned. Then, all of a sudden. “Oh, by the way.” The turtle, about to move, paused momentarily to look my way. “I had forgotten.” He pointed at me with the cane he held. Following that instance. “What is that monster?” The turtle audaciously blurted out in a voice lacking any courtesy. This must be Shin Noya's pressure. It felt like an unimaginable wall. "If you don't appear by the time I count to three, I'll turn this place upside down." Noya's sharp voice echoed as he began to exert more power, as if ready to prove his point. The cherry blossom petals drifting subtly in the air somehow felt rough and aggressive. "Three..." Gui Jeong moved. "One." Just as Noya was about to swing his sword. "I can't understand this." A new voice emerged close by. "How do you count from three instantly to one...? Did you never learn numbers?" "So you've appeared." Noya grinned at the newcomer, and just like that, the overwhelming aura vanished. ‘Is this the turtle that Noya mentioned?’ I glanced over at the reason for such a peculiar title. ‘A turtle indeed...’ I understood right away. It wasn’t a full turtle, but rather a turtle-like humanoid. ‘Now there’s even...’ With wolves, cats, dogs, all sorts appearing, it was hard to know what would surprise me next. "Why are you suddenly showing up and causing a ruckus?" The elderly figure referred to as the turtle spoke in a dry voice, addressing Noya. "You wouldn't appear when called calmly, now would you?" "This was the only way to make you show yourself." "I was about to come the moment the place opened, you knave. It's tiresome with these old aching knees... ugh..." The turtle dragged over a nearby chair and sat down. '...What the... was that chair there before? It didn't seem like it.' "Oh, my back..." The turtle continued to look endlessly weary, and addressed Noya. "You troublesome brat... So why did you suddenly come looking for me?" "I visit after so long, and you can't even offer a cup of tea? Isn't your hospitality too lacking?" "Tea is served only to guests. I give none to ruffians like you." "Oh..." I couldn't help but be impressed. It was a sentiment I couldn't help but agree with. Especially when he called Shin Noya a ruffian — it was genuinely moving. "..." "Ahem." Unintentionally, I might've been too loud with my admiration, earning a piercing stare from Noya. I chose to ignore it for now. "I don't need tea. I came here not to idle and sip, anyway." "...Then why are you here?" His demeanor suggested he wished for us to leave, but it seemed that wasn't on Noya's agenda. "You must have a clue why I came?" "I'm not sure what you mean. Maybe my hearing's gone bad with age; I can't hear well these days..." "Three-." "Wait... I'm hearing fine this time." Quickly avoiding more chaos, the turtle spoke in a hurry to Noya. "Darn brat." The curse was somewhat of a bonus. With those words, Noya let out a small laugh. "It's working time, turtle. Move as you've rested enough." The turtle's wrinkles deepened even further with those words. "Master, as I said before... The term should be every three months according to our agreement. Only one month has passed now, this counts as a breach." "True, in words. But turtle, you also know, don’t you?" With a soft clang, Noya planted Gui Jeong, his cane-sword, firmly in the ground. "Damage to the barrier’s happened, only you can repair it. Left unchecked, it'd neither be good for you." ‘Barrier?’ What barrier is he referring to? The thought crossed my mind. "The Night Wolf has caught wind of it." Shin Noya spoke, catching my attention immediately. "Hmmm..." The turtle slowly cocked its head. “Given the circumstances, relocating before it escalates is wise.” “Hmmm.” The turtle appeared deep in thought, moving so slowly it was infuriating to watch. "Turtle." "It's still a breach of contract. I have a condition." The turtle's words caused Shin Noya to furrow his brows. “A condition…?” “Like the Master said, if there’s an issue here, I'll suffer losses; although it’s not precisely as dramatic as you suggest, Master.” "..." Noya didn’t argue, essentially admitting the turtle's point. "Hence, I'd like a condition." “…Let me hear it.” "Let me sell ginkgo tea in the shop for a year." ‘Huh?’ I momentarily paused at the so-called condition. Ginkgo tea...? All of a sudden? ‘Oh, it’s a teahouse.’ Given it's a teahouse, it isn’t odd, but was that really a condition? I squinted, finding it strange. "Heh! So that was your angle all along?" Noya reacted as if realizing something significant. But why was he so shocked? What was the secret behind it? "If that’s all I get, no deal." The turtle stood firm, and Shin Noya pondered intensely. And then. "…A year is too much. Three months." He began negotiating terms. "Given the breach, the condition seems comical. Nine months." “Due to the quantity and inconvenience, half a year at most.” “Hmmm.” The turtle wavered, inclining its head back and forth gently. “Half a year... so it is...” Thinking deeply for a long while, it finally reached a decision. “Alright, let’s go with that.” “Argh...” “Master, it was a good trade.” The turtle, seemingly satisfied, got up. Watching the scene unfold, Shin Noya clenched his fists as if in defeat. “Damn it…” “...” What on earth was that all about? I genuinely couldn’t fathom it as I simply stood there, stunned. Then, suddenly. “Oh, by the way.” The turtle, about to move, paused momentarily to look my way. “I had forgotten.” With its cane, it pointed at me. Right then. “What is that monster?” The turtle audaciously blurted out, completely lacking in courtesy. hwawol72 2024.10.22 08:38 Report Even among monsters, Gu Yangcheon is considered a monster. 0 Yeonwoo 2024.10.29 04:40 Report I guess ginkgo tea must be something extraordinary. 0 Only logged-in members can post comments.