Chapter 150
Chapter 150
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: Three Peaches (10)
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“Heavenly Demon... since when did you two get so close?”
The ribs fell from White-do's chopsticks and rolled across the side plate.
“Right, right! When did you seduce our oppa?”
“Seduce? Who seduced who!”
“Cheon-do seduced oppa?”
“!!!!!!!”
Golden-do chimed in excitedly. White-do's face went pale at the deepening misunderstanding.
“We're close, but it's not like that.”
Who could Cheon-do possibly seduce?
She had zero interest in romance and genuinely believed magical girls existed in this world. She was that pure.
Seducing a man with her body or using a coquettish voice on purpose?
Golden-do might pull that off, but Cheon-do? No way.
“R-right?”
White-do asked Cheon-do, relieved.
“...Huh?”
Cheon-do sat there with chopsticks still in her mouth, eyes wide open.
Her lower lip glistened as she bit down on them.
“One hundred percent.”
Golden-do freaked out at the sight of the chopsticks she'd held so long and pointed at Cheon-do.
“One hundred percent?”
“One hundred percent!!! You two are dating, right?”
Golden-do, armed with drama knowledge and modern slang, jabbed at the chopsticks like it was irrefutable proof.
But to me, it was just grasping at clouds.
Dating? Far from it.
Our relationship had nearly fallen apart once before.
Cheon-do looked back and forth between me and Golden-do, utterly confused.
“No?”
I denied it curtly.
Meanwhile, I sliced more meat onto the side plate. Golden-do stuffed her mouth full and chewed happily, mid-sentence.
What nonsense.
The sisters seemed puzzled by how close Cheon-do and I had grown lately, but this misunderstanding was fundamentally wrong.
Why?
“Cheon-do probably doesn't even know what dating means.”
“Ah, true.”
Golden-do accepted it immediately.
“Oppa, you're no fun...”
She even blamed me for it.
“Still.”
Golden-do trailed off, giving Cheon-do her signature sly look.
Their gazes clashed.
From my angle, Cheon-do's expression was hard to see.
“How did you two get close, anyway?”
White-do's question lingered.
Cheon-do finally removed the chopsticks from her mouth and cleared her throat.
“......He's my senior brother. Isn't it good to get along?”
Obvious.
Too obvious. White-do shut her mouth.
Her wide eyes looked a bit aggrieved.
“...Aren't you two rivals?”
At that, Cheon-do and I looked at each other.
Rivals for the Heavenly Demon's seat. That's how Cheon-do saw me.
But we'd cleared the air long ago.
A lot of time had passed since then. It was just gossip fodder now.
“Is there a law saying rivals can't get along?”
“Cheon-do might not become the Heavenly Demon.”
“Then she can hang out with Golden-do and White-do.”
Cheon-do casually parried White-do's warning words.
Imagining the future.
Of course, the future where I became Heavenly Demon wasn't on the table here.
'I told you I'm not aiming for Heavenly Demon. Still going on about it. White-do, you rascal.'
She must have voiced her anxiety just in case.
I got it. To White-do, Cheon-do was an object of admiration and envy.
No one wants to see their idol beaten by some outsider.
Childish, maybe.
But empathy worked both ways.
I wouldn't want to see my master lose to someone else either.
'Though I can't imagine Cheon-do losing to anyone.'
“.........”
White-do sat still, not even chewing her favorite meat.
Her sharply glaring eyes made Cheon-do freeze too.
“White-do. Don't. You're ruining the mood.”
“......Sorry.”
White-do apologized, head bowed, at Golden-do's mediation.
She liked Cheon-do too much. That was her problem.
“It's fine, White-do. I won't lose to senior brother.”
Did she read White-do's mind?
Cheon-do raised both arms confidently and smiled.
“Senior brother's super strong, but he said I can do it. Right?”
“Right.”
Brightly.
Her bold demeanor softened White-do's sullen expression.
“Of course. How could she lose to a guy like that?”
“Oppa, White-do seems off.”
Agreed.
“Shut up. You talk too much.”
“Eek! Why hit me... Hng.”
Worries and such emotions must have piled up into anxiety.
Sorry to Golden-do clutching her head with teary eyes, but the mood lightened thanks to her.
“What if I go bald! My future husband is waiting.”
“What're you on about.”
Golden-do fumed for her future husband's sake.
Cheon-do and White-do giggled.
The paused grill heated up again.
“Still, senior brother's helped a ton.”
“Him?”
“Yeah. He helps with my stance. Buys me food. Taught me almost everything about the work. Said I'd need this stuff if I become Heavenly Demon.”
White-do's eyes widened as she looked at me.
“Really?”
“Would Cheon-do lie?”
Lately, I'd been overseeing Cheon-do's training sometimes.
After she started work, I taught her business stuff the old man hadn't covered. She soaked it up like a sponge.
“I see.”
White-do finally gave me a steadier look.
We made eye contact, then shyly averted.
Progress.
“...Here.”
White-do slid some of her meat onto my plate.
“Eat.”
Sign of reconciliation?
Felt like a white cat offering paw jelly to its sulky owner.
“You've barely eaten any yourself.”
“Then eat mine too, oppa.”
Golden-do followed White-do's lead, and Cheon-do slyly added hers.
My plate, once just greens, piled high with meat.
“Enough. Worry about your own.”
Heartwarming, but the distributed meat reconverged.
Not pointless. Felt good.
I started dividing the grill's contents one by one.
White-do preferred the marinated pork loin extra.
Cheon-do liked fattier cuts.
Golden-do ate lots of wraps, so she took my veggies.
Handing out bites based on preferences made it easier for them.
Juices flowed along the cut surfaces.
“Senior brother.”
“Yeah?”
“This is so good. Never dreamed of it...”
She chewed away happily.
“Right? Lucky oppa came. Got outside food~ Met Cheon-do too. Right, White-do?”
“Uh, yeah.”
Golden-do's bright laugh got a reluctant nod from White-do.
“Would be great to live with oppa in Peach Garden forever!”
Golden-do said breezily, popping meat in her mouth.
“My, eating well, girls. Service~ Got some peaches recently~”
“Thanks.”
“Auntie rocks! Oppa, try quick.”
Maybe from ordering lots, the owner brought peaches generously.
Three well-peeled peaches.
Different varieties, nice variety.
“Good. What kind do you like, senior brother?”
Cheon-do skewered one with a toothpick, ate it, hummed happily, and asked me.
Then Golden-do clapped.
“Oh yeah, oppa. Know the biggest no-no in Peach Garden?”
“Huh?”
“Talking peach preferences. Hard vs soft—fights break out over it.”
Peaches everywhere in Peach Garden.
Ate them constantly. Snacks were always peaches.
Like Jeju tangerines—sometimes ate them routinely.
So preferences were hotly debated.
Like Busan folks on pork soup—strong opinions, restaurant recs fly.
Peach talk sparks 'mine's better' everywhere.
“I like soft ones, but White-do insists hard are best and hogs them.”
“Hey, you're the weird one, Golden-do.”
“See! So childish.”
Not childish.
I'd fought White-do over it plenty.
Somehow turned into a rivalry.
“Hard ones are good. Sweet crunch every bite.”
“Ah, oppa likes hard ones too?”
White-do's eyes widened at my words.
“Really?”
“Yep~”
Peach tastes matched.
Could preferences flip attitudes?
Yes.
White-do did.
I'd endured unfair training over mismatches before.
“Then eat this.”
I bit a hard peach. White-do offered another on toothpick.
“Twice. Three, no four times.”
“Pffft. Oppa like a squirrel.”
Crunch crunch. Mouth full of peach.
Cheon-do ignored preferences, finishing meat.
Golden-do savored the soft one.
And White-do...
“Good, right?”
Her eyes sparkled, once hating me.
I chewed the last hard peach. Swallowed. Her lips quivered.
Waiting for 'delicious'.
After deep thought, seriously:
“...But I prefer pufferfish.”
Crack. Young White-do's face froze.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “Stupid idiot sea cucumber sea squirt anemone pufferfish freak!”
On the way home.
Si-heon saw the sisters off at their house. White-do clung to Cheon-do, yelling.
“......Senior brother lied.”
Si-heon scratched his neck at Cheon-do's glance.
“I was honest.”
“Sigh. Hopeless... What now? She's furious.”
“Talk later when she calms.”
Hateful affection isn't always bad.
Cheon-do smiled wryly, knowing that.
Not everyone thought so.
“I trusted you. Trusted you!”
Sad White-do, mourning her hard-peach ally. Golden-do held her hem.
Golden-do looked happy.
“I trusted oppa. Thought we matched.”
“Yeah.”
No gossip better than peach prefs.
Debates build bonds.
Just one too immersed.
“...Guess I'll head out. Cheon-do, staying?”
“Yeah, lots to catch up on.”
“Okay.”
“Thanks for today, senior brother.”
Si-heon waved over his shoulder and vanished.
White-do huffed inside. Cheon-do gazed where he went.
“Cheon-do?”
Golden-do stepped closer. Cheon-do still stared.
Tender yet affectionate eyes. Excited bud-like face.
Hit me instantly.
Gut feeling.
Sounds weird, but rational certainty.
“Cheon-do.”
“...Yeah? What?”
“You like oppa after all.”
Cheon-do tilted her head. Blank face.
“I do like him? Why?”
Pure. Golden-do's eyes, tainted by worldly desires, turned sly.
Like vs love.
Golden-do knew the difference. Cheon-do? Clueless.
-Thump thump.
Precocious Golden-do's heart pointed.
Definitely that.
“Not that. How much do you like him?”
“How much? Hmm...”
Golden-do prided her insight here.
How to confirm?
White-do and Cheon-do ignored this stuff.
Golden-do probed Cheon-do's heart slowly.
“Enough to marry him?”
“Marry? Suddenly...?”
Cheon-do frowned at the abrupt question.
Golden-do raised her right index finger.
“Then, imagine it.”
“Even then... I dunno.”
“Sheesh. Close eyes, listen.”
Deep breath.
Golden-do whispered in Cheon-do's ear lowly.
All per a girl's pure heart loving romance tales.
Cheon-do half-dubious, closed eyes.
“Imagine married. Wake up morning... in same bed as oppa. Kiss right away, ask if slept well.”
“...Kiss?”
“Yeah. Morning, so light lip peck. Smile at each other. Slept well?”
Like hypnotized. Cheon-do's closed-eyed face grew serious.
Immersed.
“Then breakfast. You cook, oppa eats, praises it. Whoever marries, one's Heavenly Demon, other's aide. Work together?”
“......Yeah.”
Slow realization.
Golden-do's words unfolded in Cheon-do's mind.
Work together. Eat together. Sleep together.
Golden-do's tale from morning to night. Cheon-do listened eyes shut.
“Share one blanket.”
Story's end.
Golden-do wove it coherently, writer-worthy.
Her mind went further, but...
Cheon-do's stopped there.
'With senior brother.'
Kiss, eyes open. Kiss, eyes close.
“......Ugh.”
Cheon-do's face flushed crimson instantly.
Peach-red to her ears.
Embarrassed, she cupped cheeks, sat down head bowed.
“Hate marriage?”
Shake shake.
“Like it?”
Nod nod.
“That's liking him.”
Cheon-do couldn't stand for a while.
Heart pounded like bursting. Thoughts filled her head, un整理.
Fresh pink, immature emotion.
Ragged breaths escaped. Met cold air, steamed away.
Throat choked unjustly.
Deeper with thought.
Cheon-do pressed hand to heart, trembling breaths.
Immature chest throbbed.
Loudly.