Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Childhood Friend (8)
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Three years had passed since I started sparring with the little one.
For us, who were just ten-year-old kids back then, generating massive returns at all. During that period, I pushed myself relentlessly and finally reached my goal.
"No way, Young Master Woo-bin?! You're only thirteen, and you've been turning a profit in the national market all year?! How on earth did you do it!?"
The realm of financial prowess,
"No way, Young Master Woo-bin?! You're only thirteen, and you walked across that creaky floorboard without making a single sound?! Even in my eyes, there wasn't a single flaw to point out!!"
The realm of etiquette mastery,
"No way, Young Master Woo-bin?! You're only thirteen, and you're already solving academy third-year practice problems perfectly and acing mock exams?!?!"
And the realms of literature and general knowledge mastery.
By flawlessly completing the Yang Family's secret curriculum, "How to Become the Perfect Supportive Husband," at just thirteen years old, I had become an unprecedented gem in the entire history of the family—the ultimate husband material, a man among men.
If I stepped into the marriage market like this, every eligible noble lady would be vying for my hand in marriage me to be their husband. It felt like I was already reaping the rewards of all my hard work...
"Forget that! I'm exhausted—I'm seriously dying here!"
For the past eight years since awakening, surviving on just two hours of sleep a day while grinding through this hellish schedule was incredibly tough, even with my superhuman body.
My body could endure it, but my mind couldn't.
On top of that, out of my twenty-two waking hours, eighteen were relentless academic drilling sessions. No matter that my body was unbreakable and my mind was that of an adult, it was pure torture.
"Phew, I'm here, Woo-bin! Let's work hard again today!"
If it weren't for this little one, I might not have made it.
"...Thanks to you, I'm still alive. Seriously."
"Wha?!"
At first, I'd only seen her as a training hall pass, but now she was indispensable to my daily life.
Having a friend who understood your struggles was a huge comfort in life.
Who would've thought this background character—not even an extra in the game—would become such a big part of my life as a veteran of Reversal Hero Saga.
The world works in mysterious ways.
"Y-You say you're alive thanks to me? D-Don't just say stuff like that so casually, you idiot! It's because you're my only friend. I'm your one and only friend, so you don't get it. If you go around saying shameless things like that, you'll get caught by some weird girl and be in big trouble!"
I handed the wooden sword to the little one, who was cheeks burning with a fierce flush furiously and ranting just like always.
"H-Here, take this."
"Woo-bin, you're ignoring me again! Everything I say as your big sis turns into blood and flesh if you just listen! You You’re so narrow-minded!"
"What're you saying, kiddo?"
"I'm not a kid! We're the same age!"
"Yeah, a kid who can't beat me is a kid."
"Urghhh...!"
True to her thirteen-year-old self, the little one bristled at my words, clenching her fists and trembling with rage.
We'd sparred every single day for three years without fail, but she'd never once beaten me.
That was only because I was a Reversal Hero Saga veteran who knew the Azure Dragon Twelve Swords inside and out, from principles to counters. The little one wasn't weak at all.
"Today's gonna be different! I'm gonna win and make you stop calling me a kid!"
She snatched the wooden sword I'd offered like it was hers by right, immediately dropping into stance and glaring at me fiercely.
Most kids would lose their temper at taunts like that, getting reckless and full of openings. But our little one just got mad while properly channeling her anger and spirit.
Geniuses really are something else.
I chuckled bitterly to myself and faced her with my fists lightly clenched, just like always.
"Ten rounds today, as usual. Let's have a good one, kiddo."
"Yeah, let's! You shameless Woo-bin!"
Thud—!
The moment greetings ended, we both kicked off the ground toward each other like we'd rehearsed it.
The result of the spar was my victory, as always.
※
"Ughhh..."
Morning arrived after two hours of sleep.
After years of this routine, you'd think I'd be used to it, but my mind still wouldn't wake up properly every morning.
That said, I couldn't just sleep in, and until I escaped this insane madhouse family, I'd have to stick to this schedule. So I slapped both my cheeks hard with both hands.
Smack!
"Hoo!"
I hit them so hard that scarlet welts marked my skin on my cheeks, jolting me awake like a lightning strike.
After washing my face to rinse away the lingering fatigue, I wasn't perfectly refreshed... but at least my mind was clear enough. I opened the door and stepped out.
"Wonder what boring lesson awaits today... Huh?"
Muttering like some old uncle on my way to the study room for morning classes, I ran into the little one around the corner.
She'd been humoring my nighttime training whims, so like me, she only got two hours of sleep a day.
But for some reason, unlike me dragging my feet, she was always full of energy, grinning ear-to-ear whenever she saw me. Seeing that always lifted my spirits too.
Her guest room was on the opposite side, and with my packed schedule, we barely crossed paths except maybe at meals. Lucky to meet her this early.
"Hey, kiddo. Sleep well? Good morning."
Seizing the chance to feed off her vibrant energy, I raised my hand in greeting.
"...Woo-bin."
But instead of her usual peppy morning cheer, her voice was heavy with despair—so dark that just hearing it soured the mood.
"Huh? What's with the face?"
Her expression was shadowed deeper than even that first day we met, when she'd been at her darkest. Startled, I hurried over.
If the wet nurse or servants caught a Yang Family man approaching an outsider girl like this, I'd get an earful—"How dare a Yang man approach a woman from another house!!"—and be confined to solitary for a week as punishment.
But she was my one and only friend.
I couldn't ignore a friend in this state just because of some penalty.
"Hey, what's wrong? Is it 'cause I won again yesterday? Or 'cause I keep calling you kiddo? If I messed up, I'll apologize and fix it right away, so just tell me..."
Whoosh!
"Whoa."
A warm embrace, a comforting embrace, and the scent of shampoo hit me.
The little one had wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her face in my shoulder.
What the heck is this? Super embarrassing.
Caught off guard by the unexpected hug, I snapped out of it and was about to tease, "Always calling me shameless, but look at you jumping straight to hugs. They say you see what you are," and pull away.
"Hic... Woo-biiin..."
"..."
But her sudden tears clogged my words.
It was the first time I'd seen her cry since that day I told her about my past life.
I was dying to know what could make her break down like this first thing in the morning, but right now, comforting her came first.
Pat pat.
I gently rubbed her back with my palm, deciding to let her cry it out until she'd vented everything bottled up inside.
"I don't know what happened, but cry as much as you want for now. We can talk after."
"Hweeeeng..."
Whether it was my patting or words that got to her, she burst into full sobs like she'd been holding back until now.
"...Sh-Should we go to my room to cry it out?"
Apart from fearing punishment, it was best not to get caught in the first place.
"Hweeeeng... Y-Yeah, Woo-bin's roommm..."
Thankfully, she agreed.
※
For three years straight, she'd lectured me nonstop about how shameless I was, how men shouldn't act like that, how I'd be in deep trouble if I said stuff like that to other girls. Yet here she was, clinging to me tightly as we entered my room, sobbing for a full ten more minutes.
Wasn't this hug more shameless than everything I'd ever said or done combined? The thought crossed my mind, but I kept it to myself.
No need to drop a harsh reality like that on a kid who already seemed unstable—it might trigger extra crying time.
"Hic! Hnng. Sniff!"
"Feeling better now? Can you talk?"
I cautiously asked the teary-eyed, very much little-one-like little one.
"U, uuu..."
At my question, fresh tears welled up in her azure, crystalline eyes.
If she kept crying and we ran out of time, it wouldn't help either of us. I opened my mouth to soothe her quickly.
"Huuu. I-I can t-talk now."
"...Phew, good."
But before I could, she bravely held back her tears.
Her pluckiness made me want to pat her head, but that was one of the "shameless" acts she'd called out multiple times, so I resisted.
As I suppressed the urge, she steadied her breathing, calmed her sniffles, and slumped her shoulders before answering.
"W-Woo-bin... See..."
"Yeah."
"Th-they said I h-have to go home tomorrow."
"...What?"
It hit like a sudden, devastating shock.