Chapter 151 – A Single Promise

Heaven has been acting peculiar lately.

“Would you like some of this?”

She shyly hands me a ripe nectarine. As I accept it, Heaven suddenly grasps my hand holding the fruit and tenderly strokes the back of my hand.

‘The physical closeness has increased significantly.’

She clings to me more often than before, and her voice has taken on a more childlike tone. Heaven turns her flushed face away so that I cannot see it, and rests her head on my shoulder.

“……”

Her body presses against me, avoiding my gaze. It’s a display of affection so intense that it becomes burdensome.

“Heaven.”
“Yes?”
“What’s going on?”

Heaven shakes her head and moves even closer. With no more distance left to close, her shoulder presses firmly against mine.

“…Do you have any concerns or worries?”
“No, not at all.”

He halted his speech midway as if struck by something, and soon chuckled composedly.
Cheondo’s eyes, gazing at me, emitted a light that didn’t match her age.

‘What brought this on? Could it be that night when Cheondo spent time with her siblings?’

I wasn’t certain, but it would pose a significant problem.
Seeing how closely they clung together, I worried that they would be deeply disappointed if I were to vanish. My heart filled with unease.
Someone as pure as Cheondo would undoubtedly plunge into immense heartache.

‘The World Tree of Time.’

[Yes?]

I directed my thoughts to a corner of my mind and gradually began seeking a solution.

* * * * * *

‘Cheondo, are you listening? You need to hold onto your sister.’

Cheondo reminisced about the precious stories they shared in the bedroom that night.

‘…Your hands are warm.’

– It slightly bounces and subtly clings. This is important, right?

“Hand.”

101 Ways for Women to Ensnare Men.
The techniques Zodiac imparted from the first to the hundredth were solidly imprinted in Heaven’s mind.

“The hand of doom…”

– Are you listening, Heaven?

Heaven’s inner Zodiac chides her.
Unaware of this, Heaven consumes all her focus on etching each sensation she felt on her fingertips into her memory.

If she continued like this, she felt as if she might think of a new technique in martial arts.

“It’s so coarse.”

The touch of another person flowing along the surface of her fingers.
Even the familiar sensation in her hand began to feel different as she became aware of her emotions.
To the point where she initially refused to follow Zodiac’s advice, she now found it absurd.

– …I’m too embarrassed to do that.
– You shouldn’t be embarrassed, okay? Good grief. It’s not like I’m telling you to bring tofu!

Prepare a place where the two can be alone.
The executioner always seemed to arrive at night, making it the perfect time.

Approach closer than usual, feigning shyness and being accommodating.
Cheondo didn’t quite understand the concept of “shyness.”

As things progressed to this point, Cheondo was losing her rationality as well.
Ignoring what the executioner had previously told her, that he already had a master.

“…Are you serious?”

Baekdo, the one who had created the tense atmosphere, covered her forehead with her hand. After lying down for a while, she offered encouragement to Cheondo.

“I’m going insane, for real. Cheondo likes it, so what am I supposed to do?”
“Do you want to find someone like Baekdo?”
“…If there’s someone who likes hard peaches, I’ll consider it.”
“No one like that exists~”
“Do you truly want to be scolded?”
“Kyaaak~”

United in sisterly camaraderie, Cheondo awaited the executioner while receiving words of encouragement.

*Thump, thump, thump, thump.*

Her heart was pounding in real time.
Beside the person she yearned for, it beat with a steady rhythm.

“Surely it can’t be heard?”

With a fan in her hand, Heaven fanned her flushed face as she thought.

“I wish it could be heard. Even the words in my heart.”

Only one shoulder was touched. Logically, it wouldn’t be audible from such a distance. Realizing her heart was making such a loud sound, Heaven brought her shoulder even closer.

Startled, the man’s shoulders trembled.

The sultry air flowed through the room, her cheeks blushing red, a peach held in her hand. Heaven secretly spread the sound of her heartbeat.

“Sir…”

She longed to know his real name. If they were to truly become close, would he be willing to tell her without hesitation?

“…Sir.”

The room, no more than three pyeong in size, had a door covered tightly with paper. There was a pure white bed with a red cotton blanket draped over it, a lacquered wardrobe, and a nightstand beside the bed.

Atop the nightstand lay a hand mirror and an earpick they had used together.

As the reflection of Heaven and Zodiac sitting together on the bed appeared in the mirror, Heaven’s heart strangely fluttered.

Even a single strand of black hair fallen on the floor becomes a cherished memory in this moment. They chuckle at the seemingly insignificant moment.

Peach blossoms bloom in layers.
Their exquisite charm isn’t fully expressed when they’re alone.

Two peach blossoms precariously dangle from the tips of twigs. A seemingly mismatched duo of black and vermilion.

‘Ah.’

The thought was a bit cringe-worthy.
Those cloying words she once despised and occasionally found repulsive now surfaced in her mind.

Let’s cease these thoughts.
She simply wanted to relish this moment. It was unfortunate she couldn’t employ the techniques Zodiac had shared, but she had been uncertain of how to proceed from the beginning.
Enjoying the stillness shouldn’t be difficult.

Despite her tense shoulders, her smile did not fade.

“……”

Sometimes, he would wear such a serious expression.

Even now, as he awkwardly scratched his cheek, his face was suddenly clouded with somber thoughts. Observing him, he seemed like a person with a screw missing. He appeared to have many scars, just like the Master, and his face held a look that suggested he might leave at any moment. Such a pitiful man.

‘Not revealing his name must have a reason behind it.’

Why wouldn’t he tell me? Is it because I’m not helpful?

Without realizing it, Cheondo reached out and wrapped her arm around his. Her upper body pressed against his arm.

“Executioner.”
“Hmm?”

At her words, his serious expression softened, transforming into a face he only showed her. His countenance would ease whenever he saw her, even when he was lost in tormenting thoughts. She knew that.

Cheondo’s eyes filled with a hint of distress.

“Lately… haven’t you been hugging me?”

Hearing her words, he looked at her, slightly surprised.

Cheondo lowered her gaze. Had she spoken too oddly?
Her heart tightened within her, and soon enough, Siheon’s thick arms encircled her body.

“Is this okay? You didn’t mind hugging, did you?”
“…I don’t know.”

It was warm.

Her forehead grew so hot that Cheondo covered her face with both hands.
Unseen by her, Siheon’s expression grew troubled.

‘What do I do now… I don’t think I can face her after this.’

– Sizzle!

They collapsed onto the bed together, lying side by side.

“Should we sleep? Is it time to go?”
“Don’t leave.”

Unaware of her own boldness, Cheondo grabbed Siheon’s arms as he tried to get up. She held his hands firmly around her waist as if they were ropes, and slapped the backs of his hands to keep them in place.

She pulled up the blanket just like that.
Embracing one another, they shared the same blanket.

Heaven, who had quickly hidden her head under the blanket, now turned and buried her face in the man’s abdomen.

“Can’t we just sleep here?”
“Is that okay?”

Instead of answering, Heaven tightened her grip on the man, holding him still. An indescribable sense of satisfaction flooded through her as she felt the warmth of his body in her hand.

Though their faces were not facing each other, it felt good just to be together.

“Ah, never mind then.”

Pat, pat.

Heaven vigorously rubbed her forehead on the man’s hand, which tapped her half-heartedly. The scent of the man filled her nostrils.

The thumping sound from Heaven’s compressed heart reached the man.

– Thump, roll.

A peach fell from the bedside table, rolling on the floor.

“…Ah, the peach fell.”
“Just leave it.”

Her excited heart felt as if it might take flight, donned in winged attire. Her trembling fingers firmly gripped the hem of the man’s clothing on his back.

A body shuddering like a drenched rat. Yet, the face was at ease.

“Do-won, my dear friend.”
“Hmm?”
“…Even if I become the Heavenly Demon later, will you still stay with me?”

It seemed the answer was already known. From Do-won’s lips came the words Heaven had been hoping for.

“Hehe.”

For the first time since her training, Heaven smiled like a child with a mischievous face.

It was the night a week before the Lesser Heavenly Demon’s death.

* * * * * *

Time had passed. Heaven’s changed attitude had drastically increased the time we spent together.

‘What should I do now?’

[What do you mean… Isn’t this the path you’ve chosen for yourself?]

‘That’s true.’

Heaven, holding my hand as we strolled through a garden of peach trees.

He smiles shyly upon seeing me. Truly, a beautiful face.

‘But, there was no way from the beginning.’

I never expected that Cheondo would harbor such feelings for me, perhaps if it were Hwangdo or even Baekdo, but not Cheondo. And now, it won’t be long before I die and return to the present. It’s only natural that I’d be concerned about Heaven’s capital.

‘She likes me far too much.’

[Is it not a good thing? To become a memory for someone, that is.]

‘It will also bestow a dreadful memory. What will you do if it causes trauma?’

Slyly wearing a petal, she smirks while attaching a fallen peach blossom to her hair.

“Sahyung, there are so many flowers!”

Her expressions become increasingly diverse. The tone of her voice is also constantly changing. I had always believed that Cheondo’s rough voice was natural.

“Execution?”

Her voice is so emotionless that one might wonder if she’s angry upon hearing it.

“Death penalty~♪”

But now, no matter who listens, an involuntary remark about its cuteness escapes their lips.

As if gathering up the pieces she had cast aside when she became a tiny heavenly horse, even her smiles have grown more diverse than before. It felt as though Heaven’s emotions were gradually coming back to life.

‘…I can’t believe I’m having a pseudo-romantic relationship with a child.’

Although it brings a sense of self-reproach, seeing her smiling face causes such words to easily slip away.

[Doesn’t the age gap not matter?]

‘Even I have my limits.’

[I see.]

Nevertheless, she makes an effort to keep things as enjoyable as possible. Apart from the times spent planning with the elderly, she is always in the company of Heaven. It’s quite enjoyable to walk alongside her young mentor.

“Execution!”

Execution, execution, execution. Hearing it constantly makes her feel as if she’s truly going to die.

“Hmm?”
“Why do you keep spacing out?”

Perhaps she was too lost in different thoughts. She relaxed her expression and gently stroked Heaven’s head.

Cheondo moved her hand from the top of her head to her armpit and forced her arms to cross.

“Let’s go quickly.”
“Why are you in such a hurry? Do you have something hidden?”
“I have something hidden.”

What could be so well-hidden that it would take a two-hour walk from Do-won? The place they reached, driven by equal parts curiosity and obligation, was a vast, open garden.

“Here, this is where I used to play all the time when I was young.”

Cascading waterfalls and long, winding streams. A rock jutting out in the middle of the river. This breathtaking scene was enveloped by sprawling peach trees.

-Shuaaaa!

Petals swept along the flowing river. From a distance, it felt as if they were gazing upon a pink-hued river.

“It’s incredibly beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Right? Come take a closer look.”
“What else?”

Cheondo took his arm and led him to a particular rock. With a beaming smile, they discovered a flower-shaped ring upon the rock, its creator unknown.

“I’ll give you this.”

A deep pink hue. A ring crafted from flowers with pointed tips, resembling peach blossoms. The band was fashioned with green stems, appearing as though it would easily snap with the slightest pressure.

“This?”
“When I was young, I often made these and gave them to my teacher… I’ve always wanted to give one to you as well.”

With a smile, Heaven held out the delicate ring she had been clutching in her hand.

“Is it a bit childish?”

If the children of Do-won’s age consider such things, then it’s age-appropriate. I don’t find it childish.

“…Huh?”

‘Why.’

“No, it’s nothing. I’m just happy.”

What happiness? I took Heaven’s ring and tried it on my finger as if to display it.

Heaven beamed with joy, her eyes fixed on my hand adorned with the fragile ring.

“It’s lovely.”

A ring, handcrafted by Heaven herself, using peach blossom-like flowers.

As I raised my hand toward the heavens, it appeared to shimmer ever more brilliantly, reflecting the radiant light of the sun.