Chapter 280: Winter Rain (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 280: Winter Rain (4)
The woman hurried through the crowd beneath the pouring rain.
…Why?
She asked herself why she was leaving as she moved. Even though she had longed to see him, she was running away instead.
Just why?
She didn’t know. She still couldn’t understand. The moment their eyes met, she had felt an overwhelming urge to flee.
I’m scared.
Yes, that was it. She was afraid. Fear and nervousness had flooded her, clouding her judgment. Why was she so terrified?
The woman squeezed her eyes shut.
-Calm down.
As if waiting for that moment, a voice surfaced in her mind. It was the voice that had guided her since childhood—the one she called ‘Sis’. She had always trusted this voice, seeking its counsel whenever she felt lost…
…I told you not to appear for a while.
But now, that trust had frayed.
-Are you afraid?
…
-Are you afraid he might not recognize the person you’ve become?
The woman had no reply. She couldn’t deny it.
-So you are afraid.
…Don’t talk as if you know everything.
-Of course I do. After all, I’m the one who knows you best in this world.
You’re just blabbering.
Even as she rejected the voice’s words, the woman bit her lip. She couldn’t truly refute them. She was terrified of what he would think when he saw the ‘changed her’. More than that, she feared he might voice some resentment.
Why did you leave without a word?
Why have you changed so much?
She was afraid he would ask those questions the moment he looked into her eyes from across the square.
-He isn’t the type to say such things.
…I know.
She was well aware. She knew he wasn’t the sort to hold a grudge or speak resentfully. Yet despite that, she had hidden herself and run away, even though she had yearned for this day for so long.
Squelch.
Her footsteps splashed through puddles as she walked, eventually carrying her into a forest on the outskirts of town. Only after escaping the noisy crowd could she finally breathe again.
“Huff… Huff…”
Panting, the woman leaned against a tree and let her thoughts wander. In the end, she hadn’t managed to say a single word to him. She had wanted to ask how he had been, but she couldn’t even muster that much courage. All she could do was watch him from a distance.
And after all my effort…
She looked down at her hand—the hand he had always said was pale and soft. Now it was rough and calloused. A testament to her training.
Clench.
She made a fist.
-So, what will you do now?
She didn’t answer. What could she do?
[Once you leave, many eyes will be upon you.]
That was what her grandfather had told her before her departure. It could hardly be called a conversation; she had simply listened without reply.
[Grandpa is worried. I wanted my Seol-Ah to never have to step into the outside world, but I suppose that’s no longer possible.]*
He could no longer keep her hidden. And so, as her grandfather wished, she had heeded his advice. In turn, he had respected her decision.
When her grandfather could no longer maintain the seal he had placed, the Immortal Healer had explained:
[Things will not be as they were before. It will take time to adjust to the power you’ve regained, and your body will feel uncomfortable—your vessel has been reduced.]*
Just as predicted, she felt deeply unwell. Her body seemed far weaker than before, and the unfamiliar power within her was difficult to control. The Immortal Healer assured her that, despite feeling weaker, she was still far stronger than most. Her power had been so immense before that she couldn’t even sense it; only now, diminished, could she finally perceive it.
She had asked then: Why go through all this, when things were better before?
The Immortal Healer’s reply was simple:
-Your grandfather wants you to live as a human.
What did that mean? She didn’t understand. She was human. She had been born and raised as one, and she felt human emotions. Sometimes, late at night, she asked the voice inside her—
-…
But it never answered. It could not tell Wi Seol-Ah whether she was human or not.
Whatever the truth, once the unstable power within her was suppressed, she finally began to train as she wished. Her grandfather taught her by day, and another presence helped refine her sword skills by night.
Was she enjoying the swordsmanship she had always wanted to learn? Honestly, she didn’t know. It felt more like a lack of inspiration. Her reason for learning the sword was different from others, so she simply swung her blade in silence.
The martial art her grandfather taught her was beautiful. He called it the Moonlight Dance, for the way the sword gleamed under the moon. The first time she saw him demonstrate it, she was captivated by its elegance. That alone motivated her—and within half a year, her sword was already harnessing the moonlight.
When she proudly showed him, she remembered the sorrow in his eyes. She didn’t understand why he looked that way, and she didn’t try to find out. From that day on, she continued to practice relentlessly, cutting back on sleep and, unlike before, losing her appetite.
Was it because he wasn’t there with her? Or was it, as the Immortal Healer said, because her appetite had been sealed away along with her power?
Then one day, she told her grandfather her body felt different. He informed her she had broken through a barrier. It had been a year since she started training.
After that, her body began to change. Her pupils turned gold, and her dark brown hair began to take on a golden hue as well. She grew quickly, her figure becoming unfamiliar even to herself. The plump cheeks he had loved to touch were gone. She had changed so much that old acquaintances might not recognize her.
She hated that. She wanted to remain exactly as she was, so he would know her instantly.
-Child…
The voice now held a note of pity. She sensed its sincerity, but that didn’t mean she trusted it. Ever since she began sword training, she had started dreaming. And when she realized those dreams were the memories of the voice in her head, her trust evaporated entirely.
Pitter.
Rain broke through the dense forest canopy, soaking her clothes. Still, she didn’t move. Her feet felt heavy, as if weighed down.
-What will you do now? You wanted to see him for so long.
…
She did long to see him. She missed his observant eyes, the rough hands that used to pat her head. But she couldn’t summon the courage.
Will it be okay…?
Could she really face him, when she had changed so completely? The thought filled her with dread.
As she stood there in the rain, biting her lip…
Swoosh.
“…!”
A wave of heat brushed her back. She spun around, startled.
Sizzle.
The sound of water vaporizing from the ground reached her ears. There stood a figure, drying himself with sheer heat.
“You came all this way to see me, and then you run off? What a hassle.”
“…Ah.”
His voice was deeper than she remembered. Though still at a distance, he seemed taller, broader. His eyes were as fierce as ever, but the emotion in them warmed her heart.
No.
Despite that warmth, she tugged her face cover lower. She didn’t want him to see her. How had he found her? She had deliberately vanished into the crowd. The rainwater around them steamed under his radiating heat. Had he run so fast just to reach her? His eyes were tinged with red—evidence of qi overuse.
Step.
“…!”
She flinched as he stepped closer, but he continued walking toward her.
* * *
Did she get thinner?
That was my first thought upon seeing her after so long. Her figure was more defined than before. A sword hung at her waist—she must have been trained by the Sword Emperor.
When I stepped forward, she flinched and retreated. Seeing that, I spoke first.
“Even if you run, I’ll follow you to hell and back. So stay put.”
Given how she reacted, it seemed she really was planning to bolt again. But I had no intention of letting her escape. I didn’t know what she was afraid of, but she tried to pull her face cover even lower.
“You were the one who came to see me earlier, weren’t you? Where do you think you’re going?”
“…”
No answer. Not that I cared. I just kept walking toward her.
“After all this time, you won’t even speak? Or is it that you don’t want to talk to me?”
“…That’s… not it.”
My blunt tone finally drew a response. Her voice was more mature, but still familiar. I was now close enough to touch her. Her shoulders trembled, as if from cold. Meanwhile, I struggled to steady my own breath.
Why is she so fast?
Chasing her had drained half my qi. I’d sharpened my senses to track her, and she was so quick I had to push myself hard. Not much energy left. I felt truly exhausted for the first time in ages.
But still…
I caught her.
I hadn’t let her get away. That was enough.
Step.
I took another step.
Flinch.
She shuddered again.
What—?
What should I ask first? Why she left with only a letter? How she had been? Why she ran when she saw me? Why she came? Why she was trembling—was she sick?
So many questions swirled in my mind, but I pushed them aside. What came out was something else entirely.
“It’s been a while.”
“…!”
She seemed startled by my words. Her shoulders stilled, and her evasive gaze shifted slightly toward me.
“How have you been?”
“Ah… Ough…”
She hesitated, as if struggling to reply. I hadn’t imagined our reunion would be like this.
“I’ve been fairly well.”
Sure, I’d run into plenty of trouble, gotten engaged, and gained the ability to turn people into Demonic Humans—but overall, I was fine. There was a lot I wanted to say, but for now, this felt sufficient.
I reached out my hand. She was drenched in the cold rain, but I could dry her off later. I waited patiently as she hesitated, my hand held out.
Reach—
Finally, her pale hand settled on mine. I closed my fingers gently around hers, careful not to squeeze too hard. That was enough for now.
“Let me see your face. You’re not going to keep hiding from me after all this time, are you?”
I smiled faintly as I spoke. She hesitated again. If she was hiding because she thought I wouldn’t recognize her, she was making a huge mistake. A seriously huge one. No matter how much time passed, I would always know her.
After a moment, she slowly raised her other hand and began to pull down the cloth covering her face.
Slip.
As the hood fell away, her hidden features were revealed. Her nervous, shimmering pupils met mine, and I found myself smiling without realizing it.
“It’s been a while.”
I repeated the words, believing they would truly reach her this time.
“…”
Hearing me, Wi Seol-Ah…
“It’s… been a while.”
Whispered back.
Pitter.
Patt…
The downpour soaking my shoulders began to lighten. Gradually, the rain faded away completely. The winter rain that had fallen for days had finally ceased.