Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: Mod7
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: Chapter 11 - The Beach
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Succubus and Lilith said nothing. Their gazes were fixed on the swirling cloud of dust.
“…”
Lilith thought,
Is there any meaning in surviving like that? Why does that unknown boy struggle so hard?
He was a fool, willingly walking a path of hardship and pain. If he simply surrendered to them, he could live in a state of blissful ignorance until the very end.
Many of the mummies that served the succubi had come to them willingly, seeking refuge from the desert's heat and Aaptukemen’s cruelty.
And they had found solace in the succubi’s embrace, their sweet voices and gentle touch.
An eternal, happy dream,
A simple life, free from worries.
Who could blame them? Even if they had abandoned their own will, their own lives, it was difficult to judge them, considering the tragedies they had endured.
“Impossible.”
But as the dust settled,
A figure emerged, a human who defied their very existence.
Juho, covered in blood from head to toe, climbed onto the sandworm’s corpse. Lilith trembled, a shiver running down her spine, a strange, unfamiliar feeling.
Why does he do it?
Lilith couldn't understand humans,
Couldn't understand Juho’s unwavering determination.
What drove him? What was his purpose? What grand ambition could possibly drive such a delicate, fragile male to such extremes?
“Thank goodness…”
Succubus whispered, a sigh of relief. She, who had delved into Juho’s mind, understood.
“Why?”
Lilith asked Succubus. She couldn't shake the heavy feeling in her chest, the gnawing curiosity.
“Is he special? What’s different about him?”
She released her sister’s tail, and Succubus, rubbing the sore spot, stood up, her gaze distant.
“…He’s not special.”
Succubus’s voice was soft, gentle. Her face flushed as she spoke of Juho, her memories of him vivid.
Juho’s sad story, his tragic past, wasn't unique in the grand scheme of the universe. His difficult childhood wasn't enough to sway Succubus.
But Juho… shone.
His actions,
His thoughts, his feelings, radiated a warmth that touched others.
Succubus closed her eyes, and she was there, on a beautiful beach from Juho’s memories.
“Daddy!”
Despite their meager means, Juho’s family enjoyed a trip to Earth. A beautiful, quiet beach, its natural environment preserved…
“Daddy, look! This one has so many legs!”
A young Juho, running across the sand, carefully picked up a small creature, a wide grin on his face.
And his father, approaching him, gently stroked his hair, and told him the creature’s name.
His mother, watching them, smiled.
But it wasn't a completely happy smile. They had stretched their finances for this trip, and she would have to work odd jobs for months to make up for it.
“Mommy, this is a hermit crab. It’s so small. But look, it has two claws…”
But seeing her son so happy, so excited, filled her with a sense of joy. It felt like they were in paradise.
In this moment, she didn't want to worry about anything. Her beloved husband, her precious son…
“I see.”
His mother also stroked his head.
Succubus couldn't forget the warmth, the sadness of that touch.
Juho, at that age, hadn't been particularly interested in biology. His curiosity was normal for a child his age.
But,
He would never forget that day.
The dim light, the small desk,
His parents’ coughs, their gaunt faces,
A ten-year-old boy, who considered sleep a luxury.
His only rainbow.
The setting sun.
His parents’ smiles.
The sound of the waves.
A young Juho ran across the sand, his feet bare.
The usually mature and responsible boy was a carefree child again, singing happily in the sunset.
“…”
He hummed the same song now. His voice was hoarse, a mixture of blood and phlegm, and the cheerful melody sounded sad.
But he didn't care. He walked, his steps heavy, climbing down from the sandworm’s corpse.
Perhaps he had reached his limit. His eyes, no longer seeing the barren desert, were fixed on the blue beach of his memories.
Back then, after a long day of playing, his parents’ voices would call out to him. Time for dinner.
They couldn't afford a fancy meal. In a resort town filled with high-end restaurants, they sat on the beach, sharing a single, cheap sandwich.
It was a huge, dry sandwich, but it had been the most delicious thing he had ever tasted. Just thin slices of ham and dry cheese.
His footsteps, now leaving a trail of blood, were heavy.
His parents, the beach, were gone.
Instead of the cool waves, the sandworm’s sticky fluids clung to his feet.
Instead of the cool sea breeze, the dry desert wind blew.
But,
A new sun was rising, replacing the setting sun of his memories.
Juho had returned to Earth when his circumstances had improved. He was alone now, but the beach was still as beautiful as he remembered.
The young man, his heart filled with a quiet sadness, sat on the sand, watching a hermit crab scuttle by, and he remembered.
He could now recite the creature’s scientific classification, from kingdom to species.
He seemed strangely at peace.
Isn't it strange?
If anyone had seen him then, they would have seen a young man, lost in thought, and they would have left him to his quiet contemplation.
But Juho was carrying the weight of his past, his grief and his guilt. That hadn't changed.
The beach, once filled with happy memories, was now a place of sorrow and loneliness, the memories fading with the setting sun.
Juho brushed the sand from his thighs and stood up, tears shimmering in his eyes.
But he didn't hesitate.
He walked towards the water, feeling the cool waves against his toes, and he wondered if his name, which he had carved into the sand as a child, was still there, somewhere.
“Juho is different. A boy like him could never be our enemy. There’s no other male who shines as brightly as he does.”
Succubus spoke, her voice firm, almost admonishing.
No matter how much he suffered, Juho would overcome it.
It might take time. But he would never give up.
Juho knew how to be grateful.
How to be sorry,
How to appreciate the kindness he had received,
And how to live with the tragedies he had endured.
He wasn't alone.
His life was a constellation of stories, of connections, of people who had touched his heart.
No matter where he went,
No matter what disasters he faced,
He would always remember those who had sacrificed themselves for him, and he would honor their memory.
“Sister, no matter what you say, I’ll trust Juho. I trust him more than Father in the sky.”
Succubus walked with the Juho of her memories.
He wiped away his tears and walked along the beach, then, strangely, began tearing up a piece of expensive food and throwing it to the fish and the gulls. They flocked around him, their movements eager, and Juho smiled.
Then, he pulled out a large sandwich and began to eat. A dry, tasteless meal, but he ate it with gusto.
The sandwich, which had seemed so large when he was a child,
Was now barely enough for him alone.
“…Sob.”
He cried as he ate.
The dry bread, soaked in his tears, was easier to swallow.
“Ah, this is so tasteless. Is that why you gave it to me? Right?”
Juho muttered a joke to himself,
Then finished the sandwich, his expression a mixture of laughter and tears, and left.
Only a few crumbs remained on the sand,
And a family of hermit crabs, scuttling out from their hiding place, enjoyed a feast.
The comfort that came after a great sacrifice was often tinged with sadness, but Juho had learned to accept it, to move forward.
Endlessly tested,
But his inherent goodness remained,
And he would forever cherish the memories of those he had lost.