Chapter 627: Yorang’s Sorrow
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 627: Yorang’s Sorrow
Click. Clack. Click.
Tang Seo-yoon began to walk briskly.
In her heart, she wanted to manifest her movement technique and sprint immediately, but she had no choice but to give up on that idea because of the eyes watching her. She felt that if she, the Acting Clan Head, showed such a flighty side of herself, the dignity of the entire Tang Clan would suffer.
She moved elegantly, yet swiftly.
After walking for a while, she finally reached the main gate.
There, she saw them—the peerless beauties standing guard at the entrance.
"Ah! Seo-yoon!"
As soon as she appeared, Yorang greeted her with a bright, innocent smile.
"Oh, you've arrived?"
Ok-ryeong added with a clear, refined laugh.
"Everyone is being quite unfair," Tang Seo-yoon said, looking at them. "To think you all gathered here and left me out."
Tang Seo-yoon continued, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"I am sorry... but it could not be helped... my heart was in such... a hurry."
Neung So-hwa apologized with a regretful expression. She had rushed to the gate, completely forgetting that she needed to inform Seo-yoon.
"I'm sorry... Lady Seo-yoon."
Madam Tang also apologized. It seemed she had completely forgotten about her as well, her mind occupied solely by thoughts of Sun-woo.
"..."
Kang Ha-yoon remained silent, realizing there was no excuse she could offer.
"I'm sorry, Seo-yoon... I'm embarrassed as well... I should have informed you immediately."
Ok-ryeong blushed sheepishly. She seemed genuinely sorry for having let Seo-yoon slip her mind.
"Seo-yoon! I didn't forget!" Yorang shouted with a vibrant expression. "I told Jeok-hwa to make sure she told you too!"
Yorang looked at Tang Seo-yoon with sparkling eyes. Her gaze was exactly like that of a puppy desperately seeking praise.
"Thank you, Yorang-nim," Tang Seo-yoon replied with a soft smile. Yorang’s cuteness had naturally lifted her spirits.
"Hehehehe..."
Hearing the praise, Yorang let out a delighted giggle.
"By the way, has Sun-woo not arrived yet?" Tang Seo-yoon asked, glancing around.
"Nope! Not yet!"
"When do you think he'll get here?" Tang Seo-yoon asked with a puzzled look.
"I don't know!" Yorang declared confidently. "I can smell him, but I can't quite tell the distance."
Yorang fiddled with her dainty nose and continued.
"But the scent is getting stronger, so don't worry! He's definitely coming!"
Yorang looked at Tang Seo-yoon with eyes full of certainty.
"...Then I suppose we have no choice but to wait."
Tang Seo-yoon spoke in a calm, settled voice. It seemed waiting was indeed their only option.
Step. Step.
Tang Seo-yoon walked slowly toward the gate where the women were gathered. She took a spot in the corner and stared straight ahead, anticipating the moment Sun-woo would appear.
Soon, the other women followed her lead, gazing forward in eager anticipation of their reunion with Sun-woo.
*
"I'm hungwy..."
Yorang spoke with a pouty, tearful face.
"Would you like to go grab a quick bite?" Geum Jeok-hwa asked, looking at her.
"No! Sun-woo's scent is getting even stronger!"
"But half a day has already passed."
Geum Jeok-hwa pointed toward the setting sun.
"Are you sure he's actually coming?" she asked, looking at Yorang skeptically. Since Sun-woo hadn't appeared despite half a day passing, she was starting to doubt Yorang.
"The scent has only gotten thicker... He's coming... He's definitely coming..."
"...Are you sure it's not someone else's scent?"
"Do you think I'm an idiot?! Sun-woo's scent is engraved in my brain! There's no way I'd mistake it!"
Yorang shouted, looking deeply wronged. Her temper flared because Geum Jeok-hwa kept doubting her nose.
"He's coming! I know he is!" Yorang insisted with conviction.
"But has it not been half a day already?" Neung So-hwa interjected, looking at Yorang. "Furthermore, my senses have yet to pick up even a trace of Sun-woo's presence."
"...It is the same for my senses," Kang Ha-yoon added, agreeing with her.
"......Yorang-nim... could you perhaps be mistaken?"
Even Madam Tang suggested that Yorang might be wrong. After waiting for half a day, everyone’s trust in Yorang seemed to have hit rock bottom.
Tingle.
Hearing those words, Yorang felt tears welling up. Even the compassionate Madam Tang didn't believe her, and a surge of sorrow washed over her.
"Seo-yoon, what do you think? You believe me, right?"
Yorang looked up at Tang Seo-yoon with watery eyes.
"..."
Tang Seo-yoon remained silent.
"Ok-ryeong?"
Yorang turned her head toward Ok-ryeong, who had been keeping quiet.
"Of course. I believe you, Yorang."
Ok-ryeong spoke with a serene smile. But Yorang saw it—the slight trembling in the corners of her eyes. Yorang could tell that her true feelings were different.
Glisten.
Tears began to pool in Yorang's eyes. The fact that even Ok-ryeong didn't believe her made her heart ache with sorrow.
"Even Ok-ryeong doesn't believe me!!!!! Waaaaaaaah!"
Finally, Yorang burst into tears. She couldn't bear their lack of faith any longer.
"Yo... Yorang-nim?!"
"Yorang, calm yourself."
"Please don't cry... Yorang-nim... I was wrong..."
"Yorang-nim, hush now... you have to stop crying."
Startled by Yorang's wailing, the women hurriedly began to comfort her. Their faces were filled with panic.
"Waaaaaaaah!!!!! Sun-woo is coming! He's almost here!"
Despite their attempts to soothe her, Yorang began to cry even louder, her heart already deeply wounded. Empty words of comfort were hardly enough to heal her bruised feelings.
"Yorang-nim... please don't be angry."
"Please don't be upset... Yorang-nim, we were wrong."
"It is my fault... I am sorry."
As Yorang's crying showed no sign of stopping, the women grew even more flustered. Yorang was someone who usually made everyone feel better with her bright smile, whether in happy times or sad. Seeing her wail like this was more than they could handle.
"Yorang-nim..."
Madam Tang reached out toward the sobbing Yorang, intending to pat her on the back.
"Waaaaaaaah!"
But Yorang pushed her hand away. She still felt resentful toward her for not taking her side.
"Waaaaaaaah!!"
She cried and cried, as if pouring out all the sorrow in the world. The women's expressions grew increasingly troubled, realizing that their efforts were insufficient to comfort her.
It was at that moment of collective distress.
"Oh?"
Neung So-hwa let out a surprised exclamation. She immediately closed her eyes.
Vroooooom.
She activated her internal energy and began to expand her spiritual sense to its absolute limit.
After a few moments...
Snap.
Neung So-hwa's eyes flew open.
"Yorang."
She called out to the wailing girl.
"Waaaaaaaah!"
But Yorang only continued to cry, offering no response.
"Stop crying, Yorang," Neung So-hwa said again. "If you keep crying, Sun-woo will tease you for being a crybaby."
"You said Sun-woo wasn't coming! You said I was mistaken! Why are you talking about Sun-woo now?!"
Yorang glared at Neung So-hwa with eyes full of resentment.
"I hate you, So-hwa! I hate Ok-ryeong too! And Madam Tang! And Seo-yoon! And the Phoenix Hall Master! I hate everyone!"
Yorang screamed, large teardrops falling like rain.
"Sun-woo is coming," Neung So-hwa said with absolute certainty. "He is right here."
"What are you talking about?!"
"Smell him, Yorang."
"Sun-woo's scent?"
Sniff. Sniff.
Yorang looked puzzled but began to flare her small, dainty nose to catch the scent.
"...Ah."
A gasp escaped her lips. She could smell him so clearly now that she could pinpoint his location.
Whish!
She whipped her head around and stared blankly at a single spot. There, within her transcendent vision, the figure of a man appeared.
A man wearing an ink-colored martial arts uniform.
"Sun-woo!"
Boom!
Yorang kicked off the ground and sprinted forward.
Whoosh!
Her body shot forward like an arrow, straight toward the man.
Whoosh!
In an instant, she reached him. Yorang threw her arms wide and dove straight into his chest.
Thud!
A heavy collision echoed as Yorang slammed into the man.
"Urgh!"
Slide.
The man let out a faint groan and was pushed back ruthlessly. The impact of Yorang's tackle was far too massive to simply withstand.
Slide.
After being pushed back quite a distance, the man finally managed to come to a halt, having absorbed the shock.
"You almost killed me! You little rascal!"
The man in the ink-colored uniform, Sun-woo, raised his voice as he looked down at Yorang, who was buried in his chest. He felt a genuine sense of alarm at her violent welcome. The force with which she had charged was staggering; if it had been anyone else, their entire body would have been shattered.
"Waaaaaaaah!!!!! Sun-woo-yaaaaa!"
Suddenly, a sorrowful wail erupted from Yorang. Hearing his voice and feeling his presence made the reality of his return hit her all over again.
"Wh-what? Why... why are you crying?"
Sun-woo looked bewildered as she broke down. She was always so bright and full of laughter; seeing her shed such sorrowful tears filled him with a sense of panic.
"Waaaaaaaah!"
Ignoring his question, Yorang simply clung to him and poured out her grief. She was so overwhelmed that she couldn't find the words.
'Good grief.'
Squeeze.
Despite his confusion, Sun-woo pulled her into a warm, tight embrace. He began to gently pat her slender back, thinking he needed to calm her down first.
"Don't cry, Yorang..."
He tried to soothe her.
"Sob... hic... Sun-woo-yaaa."
But Yorang only cried harder, seemingly inconsolable.
"Are you mad because I'm so late?" Sun-woo asked with a guilty expression.
"Hic... sob... that's... not it."
Yorang shook her head.
"Then who did it? Who made our pretty Yorang so upset? Just tell me, and I'll scold them all."
Sun-woo asked with a mock-stern expression.
"Hic... I was... so sure... you were coming... hic... but they... nobody... believed me... waaaaah... hic."
Yorang poured out her grievances to Sun-woo through her tears, like a youngest daughter tattling to her parents.
"Really? Really? They did that? What bad people."
Sun-woo empathized with her and continued to comfort her.
"Yeah... yeah... they really did... they're... they're... so mean... really mean..."
Yorang began to cry less as she responded to Sun-woo's reaction. It seemed his comfort was working.
"I'll go and give them a piece of my mind... Yorang. So, let's dry those eyes, okay?"
"Hic... I want to stop... but I can't... the tears just keep coming..."
Yorang continued to weep. The overwhelming emotion of finally meeting Sun-woo made it difficult for her to stop.
'This is tricky.'
Sun-woo looked troubled. It seemed he would have to hold her until she calmed down.
Stroke. Stroke.
Sun-woo began to stroke her hair, which was as soft as ebony silk.
"You can cry as much as you want. I'm not going anywhere... You can keep crying in my arms."
Sun-woo spoke in a gentle voice.
Nuzzle.
"Hic... sob... hic... hic..."
Hearing his words, Yorang buried her face even deeper into Sun-woo's chest and let her tears flow. Sun-woo held her even more warmly and comforted her for a long time, until all the sorrow and overwhelming emotion in her heart had been washed away.