1112 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The door swung open, revealing his father who stood abruptly in the entryway. It was clear he must have hurried here, given the slight roughness in his breath and the intense focus in his eyes. Especially. ZGVPdDc2cnQxMFU0bVlrbnZITXlVbzRwb0lwS1RKTTlBK3RXY1F6NGJ0eXRKVFdCK0I1UzJ2TUFzcjV1QXVrTw 'What is it?' His unwavering gaze on my spoon made me uncomfortable. What's with that look? He normally had a penetrating stare, but now it felt especially intense. "...Who is this?" Nam Goong-hyung spoke, eyeing the sudden visitor. The answer, however, came from elsewhere. "Cheol Woon!" His mother cheerfully exclaimed his father's name and promptly stood, running to him. "Cheol Woon! You're here!?" "..." At her response, his father's expression shifted. Oh, that look. 'He seems angry?' It certainly seemed like he was angry, and a bad premonition began to form. "I—uh." Just as his mother approached to speak with him— "What is the meaning of this?" A chilling voice filled the room. "Cough." Startled by the voice, Nam Goong-hyung, who was quietly eating, coughed in surprise. "Oh my goodness..." Hyun So Yeon's reaction was no different, sensing the tension. "What... what?" His mother seemed caught off guard by his father's unexpected reaction. However. "You." His father continued without pause. "I distinctly remember warning you to stay locked in your room. Did I not?" "Ah, no, it's not that..." "Even nonsense has its limits. What is this behavior?" "...Well..." "Come with me." "W-wait, I'm not done yet...!" With lingering reluctance, his mother looked at Hyun So Yeon's meals, but as she was being pulled away by his father's hand— "Hey...!" Smack—! "...!" His mother shook off his father's hand. His father's eyes widened with indignation at her defiance. "Just wait a moment...!" His mother hurried back towards him. Towards me, in fact. "Are you going to finish all this?" "...Yes?" And then she began to arrange food in front of me. "Make sure to eat it all, okay?" "Wait, what—" "I'm going now!" "...What?" After piling everything up in front of me, she turned back towards his father. "Cheol Woon! Let's go!" "..." As if she had resolved everything, she spoke with a bright expression, while his father now turned his gaze towards me. Since I was near the entrance, a shadow slightly obscured my view, making the red glow of his eyes even more pronounced. '...Scary.' His glare was terrifying, striking fear in me without me even realizing it. Not long after. "You." His father addressed me. "As soon as dawn breaks, you will come find me." "...Yes." After issuing that warning, he turned and led his mother out of the room. In the silence that ensued, I thought to myself. 'I'm toast.' It certainly seemed like I had gotten on his bad side. I was beginning to feel troubled, thinking it would be a headache, when— "Phew... I can finally breathe." Nam Goong-hyung exhaled the breath he had been holding, his face a shade lighter now, suggesting he had been truly frightened. "Who the heck is that? How can someone’s gaze be so heavy?" "Oh my, young master, don’t you know? That person is quite famous nowadays." "Famous? Who is he?" "He's the Shin Ryong." "...Hm?" At Hyun So Yeon’s words, Nam Goong-hyung furrowed his brows. Then he immediately looked in my direction. "Then who are you?" "..." His question was reminiscent of our daytime conversation. "That man is the Shin Ryong? That can’t be...? Oh! And if the young lady beside him is Cheol Woon... then, really Shin Ryong Goo Cheol Woon?" Recognition seemed to dawn on him. "No way, then you're telling me you're not actually the Shin Ryong?" "I told you, I am not." "That can't be... then what are you?" "..." "Huh, what's this? Do you two know each other? How so?" Even Hyun So Yeon joined the conversation, rubbing my forehead. 'Ah.' I felt a headache coming on. No, it seemed to have already arrived. * * * After somehow finishing the meal and tidying up, I came outside. Unlike when my father had come in, nothing happened afterward. Once my mother disappeared, I regained my senses and could feel everything again, ensuring there was no danger. 'As I suspected, it was because of Mother.' The reason my senses were disoriented was evidently due to her. The issue was. 'It seems others don’t perceive the difference.’ It appeared I was the only one whose senses were dulled next to her. Considering neither Hyun So Yeon nor Nam Goong-hyung seemed to notice much, it supported this. 'There seems to be something linked to this world.' As I pondered this while walking— "What are you thinking about?" Hyun So Yeon, walking alongside me, struck up a conversation. "Nothing significant." For reference, Nam Goong-hyung disappeared as soon as he finished eating. His shock at me not being the actual Shin Ryong seemed severe, but he recovered quickly, declaring he was full and leaving. It struck me again. 'He was odd even back then.' It seemed Rock Nam Goong-hyung was indeed peculiar from his youth. And speaking of peculiar people— "It doesn’t seem like nothing. Go ahead, tell me. It’s boring just walking." There was another peculiar individual here. A woman with a face identical to Nam Goong-bia but with a completely different personality was speaking to me. "I don't find it boring." "Oh, come on. It’s written all over your face that you’re bored." I was genuinely not bored. "No way. You’re the one who’s bored, aren’t you?" "Oh. Right, how did you know?" "..." "I’m bored. That’s why, tell me something." Her absolute confidence was a bit shocking. How could she be so bold? "What do you want me to say?" "That thing earlier. It’s bothering you, isn’t it?" "Pardon?" That thing earlier? What is she referring to? "The young lady and the Shin Ryong. It bothers you, doesn’t it?" "What on earth are you talking about?" "Isn't it? Baek Gongja. You like that young lady, don’t you?" "..." "But you were hurt when the Shin Ryong appeared and effortlessly took her away, weren’t you? Love triangles, passionate affairs. Isn’t that it?" I was momentarily speechless, unsure of how to respond. 'Wow.' Is this really what she's saying? Who cares about whom...? Love triangles? Passionate affairs? It was a series of expressions that could only be described as utterly absurd. "No, it's not like that." "Really? You couldn't take your eyes off her from the moment you saw her. She was certainly beautiful. I'm pretty too, but it's the first time I've seen someone who rivals me." "You have quite the self-esteem." "When you look like this, you can’t help but have it." How long have we been talking? It couldn’t have been that long, but I felt as though my energy was being drained. Hyun So Yeon had an immense sense of pride regarding her appearance. With her looks, she had every right to feel that way, but still... 'She's nothing like her future daughter.' It was astonishing how different she was from the daughter she would bear in the future. "So, am I right?" "...No, you're not." "Really?" "Yes, really." "So you don’t like her?" "I don't like..." I paused mid-sentence. It was because of the moment she asked if I didn’t like my mother. "Heehee." Hyun So Yeon apparently misunderstood my hesitation, her reaction turning somewhat smug. It felt like the misunderstanding was deepening endlessly. "I'm telling you, it's not like that." "Okay, let's just say it's not, then." "Damn it..." "Still, don't lose hope. From what I saw, that young lady isn't completely indifferent to you, Baek Gongja." "...What do you mean?" "Isn't it obvious? She didn't eat her own meal. She only seemed to care about you all day." "..." That part was indeed odd. She dragged me along claiming she was hungry, yet didn't eat a bite herself and only concerned herself with my meal. "That's usually something you only do for love. So maybe there’s hope?" "No need." I saw no reason to listen further. What's all this talk about love? "I’m not interested." "Doesn't seem that way to me." "I'm serious. I mean..." With a sigh, I added more. I wanted to prevent any further misunderstandings because it was getting annoying. "I also have a fiancée. I'm really not interested." "Hmm?" I said, looking at Hyun So Yeon. Imagining someone with her identical face, it felt somewhat more sincere. Having said this much, she shouldn’t entangle me further. At least, that’s what I thought. "Oh, really? So what?" "What do you mean?" Hyun So Yeon surprisingly seemed to see no issue with it. "...I said I have a fiancée?" "And why does that matter?" "What do you mean, why?" "Just because you have a fiancée, you can't love someone else?" "What kind of nonsense is that?" "Not everyone loves the person they’re engaged to. Engagements are often just obligations." "...What. Then what about you, Miss Hyun? Didn’t you like Nam Goong Jin?" I'd seen her trying to follow him around and take care of him. I asked, bewildered, as she seemed to contradict her own behavior. Then she answered. "No, I don’t like him." "...What?" I was taken aback by her calm admission. What did she just say? Despite my reaction, Hyun So Yeon went on nonchalantly. "I told you, it’s just something I have to do. It’s not about love." Then she pushed a faint laugh. From that laugh, I realized. 'What?' It was a dry, almost parched smile. "Just saying. So." She gave my shoulder a light pat. "Take it from someone experienced. Grab hold while you can. That's the lesson I’ve learned. I’ll head on first, okay? I enjoyed today.” And with that, she began to walk away. As Hyun So Yeon created some distance and disappeared from sight— "Huh?" I came back to my senses. I was caught off guard and didn’t even have a chance to ask her. 'What?' Hyun So Yeon claimed she didn’t love Nam Goong Jin. I was astonished by that part, and in the end, I didn’t even get to clarify things. '...What?' Then, why was she so determined to chase after Nam Goong Jin? Chasing him despite not loving him? 'Amazing.' I let out an incredulous laugh. Indeed. 'It seems there's more to her story.' It appeared Hyun So Yeon had circumstances of her own. Of course— '...In that case, I should keep my distance.' She was clearly someone who spelled trouble. Now that I knew, I intended not to get further involved. ...No matter what it took.