Chapter 78
Terminally Ill, but It's Okay — Episode 78
A quiet country house on the outskirts of Seoul.
Joo A-rin visited the place with a heart full of both gladness and guilt.
It had been about a month, but because she always kept the place in her heart, it felt as familiar as if she had come just yesterday.
She entered the passcode from habit and went inside, then headed straight up to the second floor and toward the room at the very end.
She carefully took the doorknob, opened the door just a crack, and quietly peered into the room.
Then a girl who looked far smaller than her peers came into view.
Her face, white to the point of pallor, was like a thorn that especially pained Joo A-rin's heart, but even so, her doll-like, pretty features shone especially bright today.
Large eyes and a high-bridged nose.
Her hair, as black as burnt charcoal, closely resembled Joo A-rin's.
They looked so much alike that it was almost like seeing her own childhood.
Was that why?
Joo A-rin gazed for a long while with eyes full of affection.
The child was sitting on the edge of the bed, drawing something.
"Ugh."
But things didn't seem to be going the way she wanted.
One moment she puffed out her cheeks, the next she scratched away with the pencil, then scrubbed hard with an eraser.
The sight was so adorable that Joo A-rin couldn't hold back and let out a small "pfft" of laughter.
At that, the child's head whipped around.
Once she recognized who it was, the child broke into a beaming smile and came running.
"Sis."
"Careful. You'll hurt yourself like that."
Despite the scolding tone, Joo A-rin pulled the child into her arms and buried her nose in the child's hair.
The familiar scent, the small squirming in her arms, brought relief amid all the hardships she had endured.
The child's name was Joo Seol-hwa.
She was the sole light and purpose of Joo A-rin's bleak life—her precious younger sister, whom she had to protect.
"Seol-hwa, have you been well?"
"Yeah. I took my medicine every day, went to bed early, and did everything right."
Joo Seol-hwa answered confidently and burrowed into her sister's arms once more.
Joo A-rin, too, held her little sister even tighter.
The sisters stayed like that for a while, feeling each other's warmth.
How long did they stay huddled together?
Feeling that they wouldn't get anything done if they stayed like this, Joo A-rin spoke first.
"Were you drawing?"
"Oh, yeah. I have something to show you. Come here!"
As if something had just occurred to her, Joo Seol-hwa eagerly tugged at Joo A-rin's hand.
She led her to the bed and showed her a photo of the drawing she had been using as a model, then went on.
"It's really well drawn, right? They say it's getting really popular these days."
"Oh?"
Joo A-rin took the phone with a faint sense of anticipation.
She thought that if a child with such natural artistic talent was this excited, it couldn't be an ordinary drawing.
And sure enough.
"Hm."
The moment she saw it, it was good enough to send a jolt of emotion through her.
It was a black-and-white sketch of a girl sitting alone, tilting her head slightly to look straight ahead, but how to put it.
That made it all the more striking.
Unlike the shy posture, the eyes carried a strange excitement, and the ambiguous curve of the lips—neither quite raised nor lowered—made it look like a sketch for some masterpiece.
When Joo A-rin stayed silent for a while, Joo Seol-hwa, who had been smiling softly, spoke up.
"It is a piece from Ae-ri's gallery."
"Trinity?"
"Yeah. The artist is a newcomer called D.H, and it looks like they signed with Trinity right at their debut. Isn't that amazing?"
"Yeah. Though not as amazing as our Seol-hwa."
When Joo A-rin stroked her hair, Joo Seol-hwa ducked her head as if embarrassed.
Then, as if she had something to say, she fidgeted with her fingers and broached the subject.
"So, about that. Can't I go see that piece?"
"Huh?"
For an instant, Joo A-rin felt a sharp pain, as if a thorn had sprouted in her chest.
But she quickly composed herself and gently coaxed her.
"Seol-hwa. You know you can't leave this room. Without the magic circle's effect, your body is still......"
"It'd only be for a little while. I really want to see this piece with my own eyes."
Joo Seol-hwa shrugged her shoulders and pouted, but Joo A-rin shook her head firmly.
Joo Seol-hwa's incurable illness.
This intractable disease, which blocked the blood vessels throughout her entire body, was so severe that the fact it had been treated this much was practically a miracle, so they couldn't act rashly on their own.
Therefore, the only way for her to go outside was to borrow the family's power, and that was not easy.
Given the position of the two sisters, who had fallen out of favor because of their mother who had abandoned her children and run away before going missing, asking for anything was nearly impossible.
"Tch—"
But Joo Seol-hwa's eyes quickly reddened.
She was mature for her age, but a child was still a child.
She was too young to truly accept being different from others, so her true feelings sometimes slipped out.
"Seol-hwa."
Without letting it show, Joo A-rin slowly stroked her hair again.
"Instead, I'll definitely get you this artist's autograph."
"Really?"
"You said they're with Trinity. I can ask for that much. So let's hold on just a little longer. Okay?"
I will do better.
I'll work hard and definitely take you outside.......
The rest went unspoken, but Joo Seol-hwa smiled softly. Joo A-rin smiled back at her.
Even though she was trapped in this small room, and even the sorrow of only being able to see her a few times a year was beyond what an ordinary person could imagine, she was grateful that they could smile together.
"Shall we have spaghetti?"
"......Huh?"
"I'll make it real quick."
"Oh, no. You are tired, sis......."
Joo Seol-hwa couldn't hide her flustered look, but Joo A-rin headed to the kitchen, suppressing the happiness swelling in her chest.
Cooking was no big deal. You just cut things, put them in, and boil them.
It was just as Joo A-rin was confidently rolling up her sleeves.
The phone she had left on the table vibrated, and a text message arrived.
[Hey, I'm going sword shopping right now with the once-in-a-generation swordsman Park Ha-yul. I'll let you know how it goes, so look forward to it.]
* * *
At the same time, in Jongno, Seoul.
Cheon Seo-yoon, who had been racking her brain over why Park Ha-yul looked so confident, finally found the answer.
"But what makes you so confident that you know swords?"
"I mean.... Is there anything special to it? I just judge based on what I've read."
Tch. Of course.
He probably read some book or related material about what makes a good sword and was showing off like that.......
It was absurd, but not incomprehensible.
Even she acknowledged that Park Ha-yul was smart.
Wasn't he first in the formative assessment, and the brain of Class A, whom even Professor Cha Myeong-hwan showered with endless affection?
But Cheon Seo-yoon declared it outright.
Understanding a sword just by reading some book was impossible.
It was nothing but the arrogance of someone who had never properly swung a sword.
After swinging a sword hundreds of thousands of times—maybe even millions—she knew the king of all weapons could not be defined by mere printed words.
"Ugh, the more I think about it, the more pissed I get."
Combined with Cheon Seo-yoon's aversion to theory, that assumption provoked a strong rejection.
So Cheon Seo-yoon decided it was actually a good thing.
Maybe this time, she would finally get to see that relaxed face of his colored with embarrassment.
Stopping in front of the most famous armament shop in Jongno, Cheon Seo-yoon grinned at Park Ha-yul and spoke.
"Before we go in, want to make a bet? On who picks the better armament."
"A bet?"
"Yeah. You said you're confident, so let's just bet. Loser buys food, deal?"
"I mean, no need to go that far."
"Scared?"
Cheon Seo-yoon curled her lip into a taunting smirk and challenged Park Ha-yul.
Only then did Park Ha-yul let out a short laugh and reluctantly agree.
"Fine, whatever."
"I'm going to eat something crazy expensive. Don't be surprised."
Certain of victory, Cheon Seo-yoon entered the shop.
Past the luxurious lobby, the shop owner, who had a somewhat sharp impression, bowed and greeted them.
"Welcome. If you tell me the type and price range of the armament you're looking for, I'll guide you."
"Well......."
Cheon Seo-yoon scratched the bridge of her nose awkwardly and explained the specifications of the armament she wanted to buy.
About 150 cm in length, with a price around 20 million won.
It was a hefty sum—30% of her available funds—but her voice had still grown quieter because that price was cheap by Armament standards.
At best, she would only find something around Common (Low).
"Hm. At that price range, it's hard to recommend anything separately, so you'll have to choose yourself. Follow me."
The owner led the way with a noticeably more indifferent attitude than before.
They passed the main display stands and went deeper and deeper inside, until they were guided to a rather plain, spacious room.
It was a warehouse-like room with hundreds of swords racked everywhere.
"If you scan the barcode attached to an armament, the relevant information will come up. Once you've chosen......."
The owner continued his explanation in a flat tone.
He told them only the essentials as simply as possible, then turned and was about to hurry out—
"Excuse me."
Park Ha-yul, who had followed in silence, stopped the owner.
"Yes?"
"Everything in here is 20 million won, right?"
"Of course. They're all much the same anyway, so we charge a flat price."
"Really?"
"......Yes."
"Even if I find something good, the price stays the same, right?"
As the same questions continued, the owner finally raised his voice.
"Look, sir. You seem to be hoping for some great stroke of luck, but that won't happen. We've already checked them twice, three times. You'd be better off spending more money. Then......."
"Yes, yes, understood. Haha."
Cheon Seo-yoon, unable to watch any longer, stepped in with an awkward laugh.
Once the owner disappeared, grumbling, she went over to Park Ha-yul and poked him in the side.
"Hey, come on."
"What?"
"No, if you don't know anything, at least stay quiet. We have to seem polite to get even a little discount."
Cheon Seo-yoon suspected the bastard might be doing it on purpose.
"They said it's a flat price. What discount? Just hurry up and pick so we can leave."
Park Ha-yul began looking around with an indifferent expression.
Then, as if shaking hands, he gripped only each sword's handle before moving quickly to the next.
"Ugh, seriously."
Cheon Seo-yoon pressed a hand to her forehead with a deep sigh.
Then, realizing it was her own responsibility anyway, she slapped her cheeks.
Chanting "Focus—" to herself, she approached a nearby display stand.
She swept her hawk-like gaze over it, then first took out a sword with a look she liked and swung it lightly.
She listened to the sound of it cutting through the air, and since it wasn't bad, she tried holding it in a reverse grip too.
She took out the tissue she had brought and checked the condition of the blade.
"This one's not bad."
Having carefully inspected its condition, Cheon Seo-yoon set that one aside.
Her plan was to pick a few more and compare them later.......
"You're lucky. Buy this one. It's the best thing in here."
......but at that moment, Park Ha-yul's voice rang out.
Had about five minutes passed?
In his hand was an old, worn longsword.