Chapter 394 – Peace Amidst Cold War, Change (1)

The pre-dawn hours.

Perched on the veranda, I stare into the inky void, pondering when the world will be graced by the sun’s arrival. With such melancholy musings, I hold a toothpick between my lips.

“With Cornus, that’s how it unfolded. Well, there isn’t anything particularly out of place… but it’s not as if there aren’t any issues.”

Long time no see, Do-won. Not the Do-won of yore, traversing vast mountain ranges, but merely residing in a four-room apartment now. If I cast my mind back to my academy days, the absence of Sum Pi Na, Goroshi, and meals is stark. Those affiliated with Do-won also had their own clans to look after, given the tumultuous state of the world.

‘Did that woman Baobab happen to meet Bob?’

I can’t say for sure. I haven’t delved into that yet. All I can do is roughly infer that it must have gone smoothly.

I rest my arms on the veranda railing, chin propped on my hands. Beside me, White Peach observes the world in the same posture.

Her voice hasn’t changed and neither has her face. Her skin, like white jade, appears devoid of any imperfections even under the moonlight. With her lips sealed, she’s in a league of her own.

“Oh, where did I leave off?”
“You were speaking of Cornus, of her shedding tears.”
“Ah, right. She experienced emotions for the first time. Originally, a part of her brain had died due to an experiment. It’s like a miracle occurred.”

A few weeks after she fainted, I woke up to find her in a terrible state. Perhaps driven by the extreme circumstances, she became aware of her own emotions.

There weren’t any dramatic changes in her usual demeanor. Although she discovered her emotions late, her facial expressions remained predominantly emotionless due to her inability to manage them well.

“But now, she does smile a bit.”

As I speak, my voice tinged with a hint of a smile, White Peach, with her mystified expression, stares at me intently.

“…Is that so?”
“Yes. However, maybe due to the tardy realization of her feelings… These days, she isn’t too keen on me stepping out.”
“What? Does she intend to hold back a third-tier disciple with plenty to do?”
“Don’t stiffen up at a jest. It just seems, she has grown somewhat attached to me. She insists I return soon. That sort of thing.”

At my words, White Peach falls silent, appearing slightly disconcerted.

– Chalang.

The beer can in her hand trembles. It’s been a while since either of us has indulged in alcohol. Since I’ve visited after a long time, we decided to have a modest celebration. A plan proposed by White Peach, and it indeed came to pass.

“Attachment… of course.”

White Peach murmurs with a touch of bitterness.

“Hmm?”

At my words, she glances at me, her heated gaze lightly sweeping over my face.

“Isn’t it natural to fall in love with someone of the opposite sex who, despite risking their life, serious injury, or mental collapse, still stands by your side?”
“Ah…”
“Even when told not to, one would persist till the end for their sake.”

It’s a perspective I’ve never considered before.

“I seem to have made another woman weep.”
“I loathe your sight, so silence yourself.”

She furrows her brow abruptly, as if truly offended by my attempt to deflect with humor.
Humor is humor, and I genuinely didn’t think it would come to this.
Truth be told, I’ve been emotionally distant in my personal relationships for quite a while now.
Caught up in the bustle, my primary thought was to preserve my life, and I acted accordingly.

“But then again, Master…”

The priest-disciple relationship has unexpectedly resumed.
I bowed my head slightly, savoring the brief spell of tingling excitement.

“Interpreting it the other way around, doesn’t that imply that you and I, Master, are also included in that?”

Words spoken by White Peach.
It’s only natural for Cornus to hold affection for me.

Conversely, it wouldn’t be odd for me, who grew up gradually under the shelter of Master’s care, to harbor similar sentiments for White Peach.

White Peach, who had been silently listening, tilted her head as if she hadn’t quite grasped the situation.

“What… Ah.”

-Crash!

The beer can in her hand shatters instantly.
Drops of the golden liquid fall from her hand, and her face flushes a vivid red, even discernible under the moonlight.

“Wha, wha, what are you…!!!”

White Peach subtly values the priest-disciple relationship.
Yet, when I openly acknowledge it, she grows shy.

Her face is so flushed it’s endearing.

“Well, we’ve had our fights, but you know how it is, right? We look out for each other in our own ways.”
“Shu, shut up!”
“How could I not harbor affection for you, Master. I came here and even prepared a feast myself.”

I didn’t comment on its taste.
White Peach, fundamentally treated well at the Academy and by Do-won, couldn’t possibly be a good cook.

“…My cooking wasn’t that bad, was it?”

A downcast White Peach mumbles, avoiding my gaze.
I take a step closer and bump her shoulder.

“However, there’s something called the human heart, isn’t there?”
“……”

Her lips move clumsily, as if she’s randomly connecting ‘w’ and ‘m’.
It’s an amusing sight, fit for a comedy sketch.

White Peach holds the crumpled beer can in her hands, her fingers fidgeting. Perhaps the night wind is cold; she covers her thighs and stomach with her black dragon robe.
She subtly shields her body and lightly nudges her shoulder against mine.

She’s slim and delicate.
One would find it hard to believe that such a frail body could possess so much strength.

“…Is Master Cheondo still the same? And Sister Hwangdo?”

White Peach nods lightly.

There’s still a considerable amount of guilt lingering in Cheondo and Hwangdo.

That’s why I’m here with White Peach now. It’s not that I don’t see them at all, but they don’t often show their faces.
One doesn’t need to mumble about not having the courage to face me. At times like this, White Peach seems to be the bravest.

“Every time we meet, they ask if I’m doing well… If I’ve gotten hurt… Haha. They seem to be brimming with worry.”

Baekdo’s cheeks were still flushed.

“That… a twelfth-ranked apprentice.”

The apprentice’s ranking took a precipitous drop from third to twelfth. Had I done something wrong?

Turning my head, a mere twitch would bring our cheeks and lips into contact. Baekdo raises a hand, creating a barrier between our faces.

“Isn’t that a bit too close?”
“Do you dislike it?”

The light buzz of alcohol made the jest all the more enjoyable. There was no harm in a little closeness in a master-apprentice relationship.

“But, you… you’re Zodiac’s.”
“How long will you keep mentioning that? I’m merely suggesting we get a bit closer. Does a hug make us lovers? Come here, let me hold you.”
“What, what’s this about?”

As I outstretch my hands and move closer, Baekdo, her face a fiery red, attempts to step back. Her fists are up, ready to strike. If I continue to approach, I risk a solid punch. I halt, clutching my chest.

“Ah… hold on a moment. Is it the alcohol?”
“…”

Pain contorts my features, and Baekdo’s expression abruptly turns grave.

“…Are you in pain? Are you okay? Come here.”

Even the hardest peach has a sweet core when bitten. A little exterior roughness quickly gives way to naivety.

– Whack!

I embrace Baekdo who has approached, bewildered. Realising she’s been tricked, her body stiffens like a block of wood.

– Thump!

A sudden ringing fills my head. A punch, seemingly thrown by a sober hand, slices through the flesh and bone of my jaw.

“Ow!”
“Um.”

My senses reel. As I collapse to the ground, Baekdo, now even more flustered than me, kneels down and cradles my face.

I had a premonition, but the reality of being punched is exceptionally painful.

“Why… why would you suddenly embrace me?”
“Your face… it looked so grave, I merely intended a jest.”

I had blacked out for a moment. Upon conveying this, the atmosphere turns overly serious. I merely attempted to lighten the mood with some playful affection, not expecting to receive a perfectly thrown uppercut.

“Jest… it was a jest.”

Repeating the word, Baekdo lets out a profound sigh.

“The seventh-ranked apprentice.”
“Yes.”
“I still dislike you.”
“But… that’s okay, right? Oof! Bloody hell!”

A kick in the gut has me swallowing my tears. Baekdo’s temper is fierce.

As I roll about on the veranda, clutching my abdomen, the worry reflected on Baekdo’s face deepens.

“I was worried for no reason.”
“Huh?”
“I intended to inform you that your suppression could be enforced soon… but all day, you’ve been… just jesting.”

While her words are harsh, the sentiment is profoundly sorrowful. This information… I was aware of it already.

For reasons unknown, it seems the Korean Hunter Association, under Mugung’s leadership, is vehemently pushing for my suppression. Not Cornus, but me. My identity has been somewhat revealed.

I dust off my clothes, rise, and lean back on the veranda. It’s difficult to steady myself, likely due to the alcohol.

“Don’t fret. After all, you’re my master’s pupil.”
“Just that same line again.”
“If I were to die, might it not be because Master Baekdo refuses to embrace me….”

Embrace me!
As I chuckled, Baekdo once more clenched his fists.

“Halt… If I take any more blows here, I fear I’ll vomit.”
“You… seem to have a tendency to become clingy when you’re drinking.”
“Is that so?”

Admittedly, I am intoxicated, but not to the extent where I lose my senses. My body is weak, and my magic dispersed, leaving me utterly exposed to the alcohol, causing my voice to sound hoarse.

Half-lidded eyes filled with mirth, Baekdo subtly took my hand in lieu of an embrace. Baekdo’s hand, both chilling and subtly warm, held mine tightly.

A glimpse. That alone was enough for her flushed cheeks to brush against my gaze.

“Don’t just go off and die. I was worried when I didn’t hear from you for a while.”

Perhaps, truly this time, our relationship has evolved beyond our usual squabbles.

Such a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

* * * * * * * *

Despite Baekdo’s insistence that I should sleep, I declined and returned home. I was somewhat sober, but still under the spell of the entrancing expression I had witnessed on Baekdo’s face.

Upon entering the room, I found Cornus swaying on the doorstep.

“Th-“

A single word sprang from her lips.

“Siheon…!!”

My name. I had half given up on life, but hearing it spoken like this felt truly novel.

Entering the room, I found that she had eaten the dinner I had prepared and even washed the dishes. Looking at the state of the floor, it seemed she had also mopped.

“Did you drink?”
“Yes.”
“…And your body?”
“It’s holding up. And don’t clean up, it only takes one spell, why do so much with a body in pain?”

Still, I appreciate the intent to help. She probably had nothing else to do, being home all day. Considering it as part of her rehabilitation, it seemed rather beneficial.

“…Yes.”
“No, don’t look so down. You did well.”

After that day, Cornus suddenly began performing various activities for me to see.

In the midst of the night, she would suddenly draw me into an embrace. Or express her gratitude. She would speak, and show it through her actions.

When I gently stroked her hair, Cornus’ cheeks turned slightly red. The corners of her mouth twitched, akin to the wings of a fly.

“It’s quite late, should we sleep?”
“Yes, I’ve prepared.”

Upon seeing her preparations, I found she had even lit a scented candle. It wasn’t a complex gesture, but it was touching.

Immediately after taking a shower and lying down on the bed, Cornus, who had bounded over, lay right next to me, stretching out both her arms.

“…….”

She no longer asks for an embrace. Instead, she communicates her desire through various gestures and expressions.

When I don’t embrace him and shut my eyes, he quietly raises my arm, slipping into my hold.
Like a puppy.

A touch inebriated, I willingly open my arms, and Cornus, wearing a smile, nestles within them.

– Swiftly.

The aroma of flesh wafts from our embrace. Not enough to dizzy, but a gentle scent that lulls one to sleep.

That day, he had cried so much. I had worried whether he was unwell, but it was a false alarm.

“Si-heon…”
“Hmm?”
“Hold me… tighter.”
“Do you want a tighter embrace?”

When I hug him, almost to the point of suffocation, he rubs his face against my chest.

“…It’s good.”

Is it me he likes, or the safety of my arms? Even when he was in pain, Cornus would directly use me as an analgesic.

If there’s anything that’s changed from before… it’s his unabashed requests. Not that it’s bothersome. On the contrary, when I hold someone as considerable as him, the sensation against my chest is undeniably euphoric.

It’s not just holding him. He’s subtly rubbing against me. The feeling is indescribable.

“Tighter…”
“Even more from here?”

– Nodding, nodding.

I comply with his request. At the soft, full contact without a bra, I gently close my eyes.