Innate Genius
"Yeah. I'm trash... food waste..."
"Si-hyeon... are you okay...?"
Having been utterly crushed by Luna in their morning game, Si-hyeon was losing all motivation to head to work.
"Haha, I'm fine, Luna. I just got a taste of what it feels like for an ordinary mortal to witness overwhelming talent."
"......"
—Squeeze.
The girl wrapped her arms tightly around Si-hyeon's slumped back.
"Luna?"
"Si-hyeon... did I winning... make you hate me...?"
Luna lifted her head from his chest, staring up at him intently. Her golden eyes somehow looked anxious.
Making such a cute Luna worry? I can't actually turn into food waste for real!
Si-hyeon gently patted the girl in his arms.
"Me hating you? As if."
"R-Really...?"
"Totally real! The reason I bust my ass commuting every morning is all for you, Luna."
"......"
Only then did the girl seem to relax, burying her face back in his chest. His warm embrace. His pleasant scent. When had it started? This feeling of finding peace just by nestling into him.
So warm...
Before meeting Si-hyeon, Luna had been a ghost story that collected anything and everything just to fill the void in her heart. But now, the girl wanted nothing else. Except for one thing.
As long as I have Si-hyeon... that's enough...
If she just had him. As long as he stayed by her side, she needed nothing more.
"Luna, feeling better now?"
"Yeah..."
The one human who never feared her. The only one who held her without hesitation and soothed her.
"Si-hyeon... is Luna's..."
"Haha, that again?"
"Forever... always..."
In the tiniest whisper, so faint no one but her could hear, the girl voiced her desire.
"Luna, I'm off to work then. I'll grab some salted bread on the way home, so be good and wait, okay?"
"Come back... soon... Si-hyeon."
—Click.
"......"
After Si-hyeon left, Luna always stood motionless for hours, staring at the front door. At first, it had been out of anxiety that he might not return. But not anymore.
"This way... I can see him... the soonest."
No matter where she was in the room, turning her head would let her spot Si-hyeon entering through the door. But that wasn't enough for the girl—she always waited right here now.
"Si-hyeon said... he'd be back soon..."
Luna sat in front of the door, hugging her knees, quietly gazing at it.
"I'll wait... here..."
So that when he returned, he'd stroke her head like always. Hug her warmly and share his little bit of heat. The tiny girl harboring apocalypse closed her eyes today too, believing Si-hyeon would come back.
"Si-hyeon, long time no see?"
"Yeah, Elissa. But what's up with you here again?"
Elissa had shown up again at lunchtime to find Si-hyeon.
She said she went back to the UK—why's she here again?
Si-hyeon felt increasingly uncomfortable with Elissa constantly seeking him out.
"Not for me to say, but you're the first guy to pull such a sulky face while meeting me."
"That obvious?"
"Yeah. Enough to hurt a little?"
Elissa pouted, poking her lip with her finger. Any normal guy would've fallen for her a hundred times over, but Si-hyeon showed no sign of it.
How could a total otaku like Si-hyeon resist? Simple: he lived with a supreme beauty at home, eating and sleeping together.
I'm done for. Luna's raised my standards to the stars—no, the cosmos. Marriage is off the table for life.
"I know you're pretty, Elissa, but I know the world's most beautiful princess, so you don't quite hit the mark for me."
"Hmm... Si-hyeon, they say too many novels and comics are bad for you."
—Flustered.
I do read a ton of anime and novels, but does it show?
And Luna wasn't just some fictional princess anymore. She was here in reality!!
"Ahem... Elissa, do I really look that much like a weeb?"
"Hehe, no, not at all. But if there's a princess prettier than me, she must be from the 2D world, that's all."
Elissa casually dropped a line that would spell disaster from any other woman's mouth. But Si-hyeon didn't argue. His standards were just sky-high thanks to Luna—Elissa wasn't ugly by any means.
Anyway, gotta get her off me quick. Can't get stuck talking like last time.
Perfect timing—Do-jin had called him to meet separately, so he needed to head to the training grounds.
"Elissa, I've gotta go to the guild's training grounds, so I'll get up now."
"Huh? But you're a civilian, Si-hyeon. No reason for you to go there."
"Even civilian staff can train freely. And my boss summoned me, so no choice."
"Perfect timing then. I had business at the training grounds too but wasn't sure of the way. Escort me?"
Was trying to ditch her—fail.
Fine, whatever happens, happens.
In the end, Si-hyeon had no choice but to escort Elissa to the training grounds.
"So, what brings you to the training grounds, Elissa?"
"Oh, someone I know is practicing here."
Then, a sharp whoosh cutting through the air echoed from one corner of the grounds.
—Whoosh.
—Slash!
That sounds brutal. Who's swinging a sword that fast?
Flowing long golden blonde hair, blue eyes. A petite girl was practicing sword moves fluidly.
"There she is. The person I know."
"How'd a kid like that get into the guild? Your little sister?"
"More like... my big sister. And my boss I have to look after."
"Uh... big sister? That kid? She looks super young."
—Perk.
The blonde girl swinging her sword heard Elissa and charged toward them like a bullet.
No way she's really the big sis? She's way smaller and younger-looking than Elissa.
Her name was Victoria Crawford. Master of Eden Guild and the only woman knighted in the UK. She took immense pride in her swordsmanship and strength.
"Elissa! Who's this rude guy next to you?!"
"Sister, I've told you a million times: explain everything in detail when you go out. And don't point fingers yelling at strangers."
"...Nag as soon as you arrive. B-But you heard him call me a kid!"
"You always say looking young as a woman is a good thing. More importantly, why'd you break our promise again? Honestly, without me, you've always been—"
Elissa unloaded a solid 10 minutes of scolding on Victoria.
Boss and big sis? Feels totally reversed. And Elissa has this side too?
Seeing the always poised and elegant Elissa like this was a fresh shock.
"—So in short, obey me from now on. Got it, Vic.To.Ri.A. Sis.Ter?"
"Ugh, fine... I'll really listen from now on."
"Good."
"Ughhh... I'm the master, so why always..."
Victoria clenched her fists, looking teary and frustrated.
"Anyway. Why'd you rush to practice swordsmanship right after arriving in Korea?"
"Oh, I saw something amazing earlier! Check this out!"
Victoria beamed and moved to an open spot away from them.
"Hoo..."
She took a deep breath, raised her right arm skyward, then brought it down cleanly to the ground. Not perfectly straight, but a neat downward slash.
"How's that?"
"Hmm... Sis, I'm no fighter and don't know swords, so asking me—"
Si-hyeon muttered absentmindedly without thinking.
"Muwol?"
Victoria's motion was the final strike that ended Eclipse in one blow: Muwol, Phantom's last move. She'd rushed to the training grounds after seeing Phantom's swordplay upon arriving in Korea.
"Si-hyeon, Muwol—you mean Phantom's sword technique?"
"Yeah. He said it in the video."
Of course, the name was just ripped off, but whatever.
"I saw it too, but it feels different from what you did, Sis..."
"A bit, yeah. Hard to explain in words... You'll get it seeing it once."
Si-hyeon grabbed a practice wooden sword from the corner.
"Up to raising it overhead is the same, but when slashing down, don't tense your arm—keep it simple and—"
Whoosh—Boom!
Si-hyeon perfectly replicated Phantom's Muwol.
"Y-You... how'd you do that just now?"
"Just a simple downward slash. Anyone can do it quick."
"What?!"
Victoria couldn't believe a civilian nailed a move even she, a knight, couldn't replicate easily.
"I'll forgive calling me a kid—teach me that."
"Sorry for calling you a kid without knowing. But I'm not skilled enough to teach, so no. Later."
"Si-hyeon, for my sake, teach her once? I'll forgive what you said about me being ugly."
"No, I didn't say you were ugly—just that I know an even prettier princess—"
Victoria suddenly leaped up at his words.
"What?! You blind? Our Elissa is ugly?!"
"No, didn't say ugly—just know someone prettier."
"That's being blind. Whoever you saw must've been ugly."
—Crack.
Si-hyeon could tolerate insults to himself, but not to Luna.
Touch my little Luna, and you're fucked no matter who.
"Hey, Victoria kid. Spar with swords. No powers since I'm not an awakener."
"Y-You... calling me kid again!!"
"Scared?"
"Not scared! Dare challenge a knight? You're dead."
"My line. Follow me!"
—Boom!
—Whoosh!
"Hope Si-hyeon's okay."
"No, Elissa. What the hell are Si-hyeon and Master Victoria doing?"
Do-jin, arriving at the training grounds for his meeting with Si-hyeon, couldn't make sense of it.
"Oh, Master Do-jin. Well, actually—"
Elissa explained the whole incident to him.
"Sigh... both acting like kids. It'll end quick anyway."
"Yeah. Hope Sis goes easy..."
"Huh? Victoria?"
"Of course she'll win... why're you smiling?"
Do-jin looked at Elissa with a suppressed grin.
"Haha...! Sorry. You wouldn't know what Si-hyeon's like."
"...What kind of guy is he?"
"Looks chill and slippery, but with swords? Different story. Makes you think he mastered it in a past life or something. Haha."
As a kid, Si-hyeon had grown up play-fighting with sticks like other boys. The unique part? He'd never lost once holding a stick-like weapon.
Innate talent for swords.
"Even thought of making him national team, but he refused—just likes messing with swords. Oh, match over."
Victoria dropped her sword from Si-hyeon's final blow.
"I-Impossible... me, a knight... losing to this pathetic-looking guy...!"
Smack—
Si-hyeon lightly tapped her head with the wooden sword.
"Ow...! Why hit me...!"
"First, fix that rude casual speech habit."
"Tch... if I could use powers, you'd be—"
"We agreed no powers from the start. Whining now is petty."
Smack!
"Eek... why hit... sir."
"Loser uses polite speech to winner from now on. And—"
"A-And... sir?"
"Luna is the prettiest in the world. Repeat after me, 10 times."