Just Hold Me for a Moment - Episode 33 [Reward - Sense of the Sword Saint]

I hadn't seen it wrong. The Chinese characters written helpfully next to the words Sense of the Sword Saint were exactly the same ones I'd often encountered in fantasy novels. If it was the Sword Saint, then it had to be that, right? The Sword Master. The specific details varied by story, but they were usually masters of the blade who could swing around sword energy and slice through plate armor like it was nothing.

Reading the description, it didn't seem to grant performance that completely transcended the laws of physics. Still, it didn't feel lacking in the slightest. The modifier "greatest in human history" created exactly that level of expectation. I was incredibly curious what kind of senses such a superhuman would possess.

I was seriously contemplating whether I should just close my eyes and punch Gaeul's father in the face when Gaeul spoke up.

It was a firm declaration. Her father, who had been glaring at Gahyeon with barely contained anger, looked flustered.

"Gaeul, I think you've misunderstood something. I'm not trying to stop Gahyeon from pursuing art."

His attitude was incredibly submissive. So much so that it looked downright servile for a parent to show his own child.

"...Don't you think there are some unnecessary parts in the support section? It seems like too much money is allocated to education, daily necessities, and food expenses. If Dad receives the money, I can use it much more efficiently."

Gaeul ignored her father's words and looked at me.

Her eyes were filled with sadness and desperation. From that gaze, I could tell exactly what she was hoping for.

"If that's how Miss Gaeul feels, then I suppose we have no choice. We'll proceed with the contract after looking into it a bit more."

I played along with her expectation. Her father, flustered by the sudden change in the situation, bowed his head.

"If this is what Gaeul wants, then there's nothing I can do... Please, let's proceed with the contract under these conditions right now."

He opened the contract as if afraid I might leave and began signing it. I was the one who became flustered and stopped him.

"Are you sure you don't want to review the contract more carefully?"

"Yes, it's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fine."

"You can have a lawyer look at it. There's no need to rush like this."

"Haha, I've lived a life where I've had to look at many contracts. I can judge something like this myself."

Gaeul's father took a stamp from the living room shelf, scratched the back of his head, glanced at Gaeul, and spoke in a servile tone.

"Ah... and please transfer the contract payment to this account."

The old smartphone he handed me had an account number written on it. I took a photo of the number and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠asked him to send it to me via message. Only then did her father brighten up and finish stamping and signing every necessary part of the contract.

The sight left a rather unpleasant feeling in my gut.

Seeing the quest completion window pop up, it seemed that regardless of how it happened, Gaeul would be joining Two Bear.

"Then, I'll be taking my leave now. Thank you for your hospitality."

"Thank you, Team Leader Sun!"

Gaeul's father stood up and gave me a ninety-degree bow as I prepared to leave. For someone who looked about twenty years old by appearance, it was quite an overwhelming level of treatment. Wanting to escape this uncomfortable atmosphere, I quickly gathered my things and left the house.

"Team Leader Sun, I'll walk you out!"

Gaeul hurriedly slipped on her white sneakers and followed me out. After coming out with such momentum, she carefully trailed one step behind me. Looking at her, I thought that no matter what I said right now, it would probably just sound like cheap pity. So I couldn't bring myself to speak.

Gaeul, despite having followed me out, also seemed uncomfortable talking to me and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠remained silent. We walked down the hill like that, without exchanging a single word.

Only after we reached the place where my car was parked did Gaeul finally speak to me.

"Team Leader Sun."

"Yeah?"

"This morning at the agency, you told me that the part-time jobs I was doing were also the work of an adult."

"I did say that."

"Then why is it that while I'm doing the work of an adult, I don't have any of an adult's rights?"

The Gaeul who said those words looked incredibly exhausted. She had become an adult for her younger sibling. She dropped out of school and devoted her entire life to working part-time jobs every single day. Yet the moment she actually needed her own rights, she had to be manipulated by those very adults.

Just like my older sister, who had raised me in our parents' place.

"Why is it that while I take on the responsibilities so diligently, I have no authority?"

"..."

If I simply gave her some comforting, optimistic answer to that question, she would accept it. She would believe that things would get better with time. And nothing would change. But if I said what was truly on my mind, our relationship would transform. And that would cost me a lot of time and money.

The scales in my head swung wildly. After a fierce cost-benefit analysis, I made my decision. I would treat this moment as an opportunity to earn the favor of a future top star with S-rank talent. I wanted to think of it that way. Even if it meant pushing myself a little.

"Miss Gaeul. Would it be alright if I spoke more casually from now on?"

"...Yes, of course."

I immediately dropped the formal speech and asked,

"You asked why you have to bear the responsibilities of an adult but have none of the rights, right?"

Gaeul simply nodded silently.

"That's because you're still a child."

It was quite a boomer-like statement. Gaeul looked at me with a dazed expression, as if she hadn't heard correctly. Then, reading my face, she seemed to realize she hadn't misheard. Finally confronting the meaning of my words, the emotions she'd been suppressing burst out as she raised her voice.

"...But Team Leader Sun, you said I was doing the work of an adult! So does that mean I just have to keep being manipulated?"

"Yeah. You do have to be manipulated."

Clear anger began to settle on Gaeul's face. Looking at her, I spoke in a more serious tone than ever before.

"You need to be actively supported and protected so you can spread your wings and chase your dreams. You need to be forced to study even if you act childish, and you need to listen to life advice from time to time."

Because I hope she won't have any regrets in the future.

"You need to eat a variety of foods so you can get balanced nutrition, and if you head down the wrong path, you need to hear some old-fashioned lectures."

Because I hope she'll be healthy in the future.

"So that you can become a better person. So that you can become a happier person, Gaeul, you need to let yourself be guided by adults."

That was a child's right, and an adult's duty.

"Because you're still a child, after all."

Gaeul, who had been listening silently, made a strange expression—as if she didn't know whether to cry or laugh. Gradually, all those emotions gathered into one. And she expressed them to me without holding anything back.

"...That's way too idealistic."

She shouted as if releasing all the resentment she'd suppressed until now.

"The adults in my life were never like that! They were just people who made me give up on things one by one! They were selfish people who only cared about themselves!"

"Just because someone is old doesn't mean they're an adult."

"Then where are these adults you're talking about!"

I lowered my head to meet her eyes directly and said,

"So I'll become the adult for a child named you."

"...What?"

"So that you won't be sacrificed to duty. So that you won't be crushed by responsibility. So that you can look only at your dreams like a child should."

Just like how my older sister had done for me.

"I'll make sure of it."

"..."

Clear tears flowed from Gaeul's eyes as she looked at me. A long silence passed. At the end of that silence, Gaeul barely managed to open her mouth.

"...How?"

Asking me that put me in a tight spot. Especially since I hadn't shown her anything yet. I spoke awkwardly.

"Can't I prove it to you little by little from now on?"

I took out the tissues I'd prepared for Han Gyeowool and gently wiped away her tears. Even as she cried, Gaeul looked straight into my eyes and said,

"Then, first, can you do one thing for me?"

"If it's something I can do, anything."

She hesitated, chewing on her lip for a moment, then carefully watched my expression as she spoke softly.

"...Just for a moment... Just hold me for a moment."

Instead of answering, I pulled Gaeul into a tight embrace. She buried her face in my chest and carefully hugged me back. With all her strength, as if she never wanted to let go.

In the most secluded corner of the most secluded training room, Han Gyeowool was practicing alone in front of the mirror with the lights turned down as low as possible. She tensed up at the sudden appearance of a new face.

Gyeowool peered at the mysterious figure through the small window of the practice room. The impression of this stranger—with slightly brownish, flowing hair and a puppy-like face—could be summarized in one word.

Pretty...

She was only wearing loose jeans and a plain t-shirt, yet she seemed to sparkle. Gyeowool thought, So that's the kind of kid who becomes an idol, and felt a sense of defeat deep inside.

Of course Teacher Taeyang would like someone that pretty...

Her thoughts spiraled further into negativity. In her mind, the gap between herself—who had only managed to come this far by relying on Taeyang's warmth—and that pretty girl was overwhelmingly vast.

Gyeowool turned her gaze away from the window and crouched down in the practice room. She imagined herself becoming a burden, pushed aside by the trainees Teacher Taeyang had personally selected one by one. If Taeyang, who had drawn out talent even from someone as insignificant, dark, and pathetic as her, then he would surely help that kind of girl unleash even greater talent more easily. Naturally, she would be the one left behind in that situation.

She believed that even if such a situation arose, Taeyang wouldn't abandon her. But she wondered if she could bear the guilt of placing that kind of burden on him. Even so, she also wanted to stay by his side, relying on his kindness. To Gyeowool, that part of herself felt incredibly ugly.

She buried her head between her knees and fell into her own darkroom made of self-blame and self-loathing. That was when someone spoke to her.

"...Are you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠perhaps a trainee at Two Bear?"

It was the pretty girl she'd just seen.

"...Yes. I'm terribly sorry, but my name is Han Gyeowool, and I'm a trainee at Two Bear."

Gyeowool couldn't even meet the eyes of the girl who radiated such bright light. She trembled as she answered. Seeing her like that, the pretty girl—Gaeul—beamed and said,

"Wow! It's so nice to meet you! My name is Yoo Gaeul, and I'll be training here from now on!"

Overwhelmed by the bright energy Gaeul was emitting, Gyeowool answered in the most awkward way possible, like a machine reading from a Korean textbook.

"...H-hello. Nice to meet you."

"I'm really happy to meet you too! Oh, I already said that. How old are you? Are you my unnie? Or my dongsaeng? Or the same age? I'm seventeen years old. If I'd stayed in school, I'd be a second-year in high school, but since I dropped out, I guess you can't really call me a high school sophomore! How old are you, sunbae?"

Like a Golden Retriever wagging its tail at a dog cafe, Gaeul approached with aggressive friendliness. Gyeowool couldn't hide her panic.

"Ah... I'm sixteen..."

"Oh, sixteen! Then you're my dongsaeng! You're so cute! Ah, don't worry—I won't act like some weird boomer just because I'm older! Actually, I'm overflowing with the desire to treat you like my sunbae and serve you properly! I know I'm lacking, but I'd really appreciate it if you could teach me a lot of things from now on! Of course, I won't just ask questions and be a nuisance. I'll stay up all night if I have to and learn with everything I've got so I can become a proud member who can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you, sunbae!"

Faced with Gaeul's extreme extroversion and intimacy rush, the ultimate introvert and natural-born outcast Gyeowool could only nod her head like a doll powered by solar energy.

Still, she seems like a good person.

Gyeowool felt that was truly fortunate.

"By the way, that black Adidas tracksuit looks super cute! The oversized fit makes it look a bit like you're wearing your dad's clothes? I don't mean it doesn't suit you! It's just that you look like a flying squirrel and it's so cute and perfect on you! Do you usually like oversized clothes?"

Gyeowool steeled herself.

Approaching someone like me couldn't have been easy for her either. I need to be brave too so she doesn't feel awkward! I have to change. So I won't be embarrassed in front of Teacher Taeyang.

Gathering her courage, she explained about the clothes she was wearing.

"I don't particularly like oversized clothes. This is just... because it's something Teacher Taeyang—no, Team Leader Sun used to wear..."

"...Excuse me?"

Gyeowool, who had been rambling, was startled by the sudden change in tone and looked up. When she did, the warmth Gaeul had shown until just a moment ago had vanished like it was a lie.

"...What did you just say?"

Though a smile still lingered on Gaeul's lips as she spoke, for some reason, that smile felt threatening. Gyeowool screamed internally.

Teacher Taeyang, save me!