Chapter 135
Chapter 135
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: Faintly, Suddenly (5)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Late evening.
Cheon-do entered her room and dried her hair after taking a bath a bit late.
It was because the Heavenly Demon had taken on a new disciple, so training ran late into the night.
“Huu...”
She patted her hair with a towel.
Faint steam rose from her snow-white skin, still damp with moisture.
Her whole body felt warm and good.
The new soap she'd gotten from outside smelled amazing too.
And today's training with her master had been pretty rewarding.
If Cheon-do kept a picture diary, she would've stamped it twice with happy flower and sunflower seals, declaring it a joyful day.
“So, why'd you come?”
...If not for this guy, she would've stamped five.
“To see you.”
“Eek!”
The man grinned slyly and stated it so shamelessly.
He was nameless, and they hadn't known each other long.
Somehow they'd gotten tangled up, sharing things best left unsaid, but still.
“Brought something you'd love.”
“What're you talking about? How much do you even know about me?”
Cheon-do narrowed her eyes at the chuckling man.
At first, she'd thought he had some kind of backstory.
Lots of unspeakables, and sneaking in seemed justified.
But then he barged into the Peach Garden's entrance one day, kicked up a fuss, caught her master's eye, and now he was even called Little Heavenly Demon.
To Cheon-do, the original Little Heavenly Demon, he was a stone that had rolled in.
There couldn't be two Little Heavenly Demons.
The world couldn't have two suns.
That's why they ranked disciples and picked successors.
In the old days, they even called them first disciple, second disciple, and so on.
So was she the top disciple in her master's eyes now?
-That guy's got real potential. Take good care of him as his senior.
Probably not.
This man was strong. Stronger than her.
She didn't think of it as jealousy.
But watching her master sit there praising the guy, Cheon-do couldn't help feeling miffed.
‘...Am I not fit to succeed him?’
Once the doubt popped into her head, more followed in a chain.
In the end, she felt a bit deflated, but Cheon-do put on her usual bright act through sheer force of will.
Honestly, she wasn't thrilled about this guy barging into her chambers anymore.
No matter how much she played the adult, she was still just a young girl.
Even if she were a real adult, she couldn't look kindly on some intruder muscling in on her spot.
Suddenly.
The man held something out.
A big, thick sausage with a faint soy sauce scent.
Corn kernels poked through the thin batter.
“...What's this?”
“Teriyaki corn sausage. Picked it up outside. Took a while, but I had to mark the coordinates anyway.”
Teriyaki? Saus-what?
Cheon-do took hold of the sausage's paper-wrapped end like she was entranced.
“Try it.”
The man watched her expectantly with round, puppy-like eyes.
...What could it taste like anyway.
She took a huge bite of the massive sausage—too big even to fit in her mouth properly.
Freshly bought, it was shockingly hot.
“Hawp, heup...”
Juices exploded in her mouth. Corn kernels rolled around with the sweet teriyaki sauce.
Cheon-do, used to bland temple rice, heard a ding in her head.
“...Delithious.”
The words slipped out before she knew it.
Cheon-do's face melted into pure bliss.
Even though she'd never craved food before.
She crammed another mouthful of sausage and chewed.
Each bite etched the flavor into her memory.
Sau-thage. Light of my life. Fire in my veins.
Munch munch.
The man watched Cheon-do fondly.
Gulp.
Soy saltiness lingered on her tongue, followed by waves of sweetness.
The kid-pleasing flavor danced across it.
Cheon-do kept chomping away, oblivious, until she saw the bare skewer and pouted sadly.
First time scarfing food without manners.
“...Hic. Sorry. That was gross, huh?”
She finally noticed the man and apologized.
“Nah? Looked great. Worth the trip right after payday.”
He pulled a tissue from the bag and wiped the corner of her mouth.
Only then did she realize sauce was on her face, and she blushed faintly.
But why bring food in the dead of night like this?
Did he want something from her?
People were sly—she only got cautious after eating.
“...Why give it to me?”
“Helped out down below, grabbed it with my daily pay.”
“I'm asking why.”
“Thought of you. Would've gotten some for Baek-do and Hwang-do too, but don't know where they are, so yours first.”
Cheon-do clamped her mouth shut and thought.
He knew her name, knew she was sisters with Baek-do and Hwang-do.
He turned into a meek puppy around her, despite being a fireball in fights with other martial artists. Did that even make sense?
She hadn't done anything for him.
She'd wondered if her master was up to something, but even her all-knowing master seemed clueless about this guy.
He'd known their secret from the start—her and her master's alone.
Unless everyone in the Peach Garden was conspiring to mess with her, something was up.
-You'll find out someday?
He'd even said that outright... She'd figured he'd spill eventually and waited.
But her curiosity only grew.
He showed her bizarre favoritism.
She didn't hate it. But it weighed on her.
Especially lately, with her heart all aflutter.
“Sigh...”
Still, you don't spit in a smiling face.
What could she say to a guy who'd gone out and bought her food?
...That meal was the most unforgettable of her life.
Such sweetness was new to her.
Like two trees on a lofty plateau shyly brushing branches in a caress.
Her clumsy words couldn't capture it. Really.
Finished thinking, Cheon-do gulped.
“Want mine too?”
“N-no. I couldn't.”
He piped up like he'd had enough, and she shook her head vigorously.
“Fine? Guess I'll eat it then.”
“......Ah.”
He popped it in his mouth without hesitation, and Cheon-do's jaw dropped.
“...Just take it.”
“R-really okay?”
Like feeding an airplane, he whooshed the sausage into her mouth.
Her mouth, which seemed sealed shut, parted naturally at the nudge.
Blessed explosion again. Teriyaki sausage.
Munch munch gulp.
Once it hit her mouth, she grabbed the skewer and went to town.
Fondness spread across the man's face.
“......Full. Made a fool of myself.”
“Happy fool?”
“Hmph.”
“Think Baek-do or Hwang-do would like it?”
Baek-do and Hwang-do... Funny naming just those two.
Everyone in the Peach Garden would freak if they tasted corn sausage.
Cheon-do tamped down the exaggeration and answered calmly.
She traced a huge circle in the air with her hands while her feet floated up and sank repeatedly.
“They'd love it. Thoroughly.”
Calm answer, even by her standards.
But she couldn't rein in the gestures.
Unable to hold back, the man laughed, and Cheon-do clamped her flailing hands while trembling.
“Se-seriously. Unlike me, Baek-do and Hwang-do have outside experience, so they wouldn't be that shocked.”
“Thoroughly not shocked, huh?”
“Eeek... Cut it out while I'm being nice.”
He mimicked her flailing, teasing, and she raised both hands.
“What if I'm not nice?”
“...What if.”
Cheon-do's patience snapped.
Partly from overwhelming shame, wanting to switch topics fast.
“Like this!”
Arms skyward, she lunged at the man.
Lifted him in a flash and slammed him onto the bed piggyback-style!
No resistance—clean execution, and he yelped.
“Kwaaak!”
Ridiculous scream.
Comically pathetic, like a low-rent villain.
She hadn't noticed, but a subtle smile played on Cheon-do's face.
Bed wrestling with Chuseok cousins, a regular thing.
Cheon-do playfully thwacked his body with soft punches.
Just like reviewing that match between him and Hong-yeon back then.
Started as a topic switch, but his reactions oddly thrilled her.
Biting, punching, tickling.
How long did they roll around?
Her clothes stretched at the collar, hair a bird's nest mess.
Piled atop the bed, the man and Cheon-do stared and laughed.
“Kekeke. What're we even doing?”
“Fun's what matters.”
Who he was, his motives.
Prior anxieties vanished in a puff.
Reincarnated puppy maybe? Rolling chased away sunken worries.
“......Oh yeah, thought up a fake name.”
“Name?”
“Do-won. Nice, right?”
“The place is Peach Garden. Name it Peach Garden?”
Peach Garden, this Peach Garden?
Not bad, but it'd cause headaches referencing.
Cheon-do knew it well.
She snorted at his pondering face.
“Then tell me your real name.”
“Uh, Do-won works. Go with that.”
“Got it. Do-won...”
Hold up.
What to call him?
She pondered long, then floated her first idea.
“...Big brother?”
Head tilted, poking her cheek with a finger.
A sly smile bloomed on his face.
Clearly brewing something risky.
“No.... That's no good.”
“Why not.”
“Anyone'd see that creepy grin—how could I? Don't play innocent now. Too late to fix your face!”
His face fell.
“......”
“Pursed lips won't change it. Not pitiful at all.”
“No helping it.”
“Senior brother? Do-won senior brother.”
“Sounds off, but it fits.”
Probably never hear “big brother” from her here again.
No big bro, then maybe “hyung” to match?
Regrettable, but he kept a straight face.
Plenty more fun beyond sausage.
He pulled out his phone and one earphone from his pocket.
“...What's that?”
Intrigued by the unfamiliar gadget, Cheon-do perked up.
“Oh, this? A cellphone.”
Has cartoons in it.
Cheon-do's face sprouted question marks.
“C'mere. One earbud each.”
“It's not weird, right...?”
She flopped prone beside the prone man.
One earbud per ear.
Then the phone screen played a video.
-One two three four. Precure!
First time hearing such a peppy woman's voice—Cheon-do's eyes went wide.
“Swipe right for next episode. Watch when bored.”
He taught her the basics, handed over his earbud too, and stood.
“Where you going?”
“Back to work. Lots to do, lots to learn. I'll drop by often.”
With that, he vanished in a mysterious flash again.
Left behind: the playing phone and Cheon-do sprawled on the bed.
He always dropped something off or said something and split.
Cheon-do eyed the screen.
‘What's worth watching here.’
But curiosity won.
She focused on the over-the-top art and sounds.
-Gather the power of five branches! Hiyaap!
One minute passed, then ten.
Facing things she'd never dreamed of inside the phone, Cheon-do slowly got hooked on the stories.
“......Not that fun.”
She said, swiping to the next.
Finger right.
Addiction creeps in slow, like always.
Unaware of the night slipping away, Cheon-do stared at the screen.
Until she'd binged all 12 episodes.