Chapter 54
Chapter 54
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: The Beginning of Waiting
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[Soyeon-ah, training on your own is good, but I wish you'd interact with others too.]
Those were Master's words back when I was at Mount Hua, solely focused on cultivating my martial arts without mingling with anyone else.
In truth, Master had tried connecting me with fellow disciples from other halls and elders, clearly hoping I'd open up to those around me. But I never felt much interest in other people.
It wasn't that I couldn't understand others' feelings or only cared about myself.
I was kind to people and graciously accepted their thanks.
But that kindness only lasted in the moment—it never went further.
I had no interest in taking it to the next level.
That's what I thought, anyway.
Until I met that one child.
"Wow..."
I stumbled upon this place by chance.
While wandering around spots where I could practice my lightness skill, I happened to find a vantage point overlooking the secular disciples' training grounds. Normally, I would've shrugged it off and kept practicing my lightness skill.
But not that day.
"So cute..."
It was quite a distance away, but even from afar, one child stood out.
At first glance, it was hard to tell if it was a boy or a girl—the child was that beautiful.
With obsidian-black eyes that gleamed, a slender and delicate frame, and a face that perfectly embodied the word "cute," it stirred a protective instinct in anyone who saw it.
Not just the face—the body was so thin that it added to the gender confusion.
But seeing the child among the male disciples made it clear: a boy.
That whole day, I watched him train from there.
He didn't seem to get along with the other disciples.
Most avoided him, their gazes laced with discomfort and annoyance.
The boy seemed lonely because of it.
He kept trying to approach the others, but constant rejection left him training alone in a corner.
His skills... honestly, even empty flattery couldn't call them good.
His innate physique looked too frail from the start, and his aptitude didn't seem exceptional either.
The basic technique he was practicing—not even Plum Blossom Swordsmanship—had way too many sloppy parts, no matter how recently he'd started.
Compared to the other disciples, he lagged far behind. Need I say more?
"...How did he even pass the entry exam?"
I genuinely wondered.
The exam couldn't have been that lenient for such a frail body.
Maybe he had some hidden trick up his sleeve?
"Ah. The time..."
I'd been so absorbed watching him that I lost track of time.
Glancing at the sun, it had sunk lower than I'd thought.
I needed to hurry back, or Master would worry.
"...Tomorrow's another day, right?"
Now that he'd entered the sect, he wouldn't vanish after just one day.
Hoping I'd see him again, I returned to Master's side that day.
.
.
.
After that, whenever Master was away, I'd sneak out to see him.
Thankfully, he was still holding on.
His training progress didn't seem to improve, though. What reason could he have to push himself like that alone?
"...Should I help him?"
The thought even crossed my mind.
But it wasn't that simple.
If Master caught me, I'd get an earful for sure.
"But if he gets seriously hurt like that and has to leave the mountain..."
I paced anxiously, torn between options.
"What are you staring at so intently?"
"Eek?!"
A familiar voice rang out.
"M-Master?! I'm not slacking on my training, I swear..."
"I haven't even scolded you yet, so why are you bowing your head already? I just asked what you were looking at."
Master placed a hand on my shoulder and scanned the area I'd been watching.
-Gulp
"D-Did she catch me?"
Had she noticed me fixated on that boy?
No, wait—how long had she been there?
If she'd seen me not just today, but before...
"Ahh..."
I shuddered, imagining the scolding ahead.
Anxiously, I waited for Master to speak.
"Those are the new secular disciples who just entered a few days ago. I was worried since you never showed interest in others, Soyeon, but now I can ease up a bit."
"N-No, it's not like that! I didn't come here on purpose..."
"Hm? Looks like you came for one specific person? I thought you were watching the group as a whole."
"Ah..."
I'd basically admitted it myself.
My face flushed red in an instant.
"Do you know someone there? Most of these kids haven't even passed the beginner stage yet."
"No! Absolutely not! I just came down to see the secular disciples learning the sword under the Mount Hua name, even if they're outer sect. I swear on my life, no ulterior motives!"
I panicked and blurted out my excuse.
But...
"...For someone with no ulterior motives, your gaze was awfully fixed on one boy earlier."
"Ah..."
Busted completely.
"D-Did you see?"
"I wasn't sure at first, but your reaction confirms it."
"?!"
To think she'd lure me into confessing like that.
I felt betrayed by Master.
Though I'd fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.
"So, which one is it?"
"D-Do I have to say?"
"Unless you plan to keep sneaking out behind my back from now on."
Master's eyes were resolute.
If I didn't tell her, no more outings—that was crystal clear.
"...Over there. That boy."
Heart pounding, I cautiously pointed him out.
Today, too, he was diligently training.
-Gulp
What would Master say?
I clutched my chest, anxious.
And her verdict was...
"...Mount Hua's 'hua' doesn't mean flower, you know."
About the boy's appearance.
His looks were extraordinary from the first impression.
Since I'd been drawn to him for the same reason, I couldn't argue.
"What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?"
I fretted over her next words.
What if she forbade me from seeing him again?
Then she continued...
"What are you waiting for? Go correct him."
"Y-Yes?!"
Surprisingly, she told me to help him.
"He's learning under the Mount Hua name, same as you. If something's wrong, you should teach him as a senior instead of just watching."
"...!"
She must've seen his training form.
The way he strained to lift that boulder.
For any other child, maybe, but for him, it was harmful.
"I'll go!"
The moment she permitted it, I dashed over with lightness skill.
.
.
.
-Glance
I'd only watched from afar before, but up close, his beauty shone even brighter.
"H-How do I talk to him?"
-Thump thump
Heart racing, I pondered how to approach naturally.
"Should've changed into something cuter..."
My clothes weren't bad, but far from pretty.
"Pretending to be a fellow disciple won't work."
My outfit was nothing like the outer disciples' uniforms.
"Just power through?"
Admit I came from the main peak right away?
But what then? Say I'd been secretly watching his training for ages?
"...He'd run away."
No way that'd go over well.
"Hoo..."
My lack of social practice was biting me now.
I had no clue how to start a conversation.
After agonizing internally, I decided.
"Just charge in."
Soften the "stalking" part, of course.
"H-Hi?"
Cautiously, I approached from behind and greeted him.
"?"
He turned with a puzzled look.
The boy, drenched in sweat from his ill-suited training, eyed me.
"I'm Han Soyeon. I train up at the main peak... I passed by and saw you practicing, so I wondered if you needed any help."
"Ah?! R-Really?!"
"Yeah... You looked like you were struggling alone, and your form isn't great..."
"Thank you!"
-Beam
If this world needed a face for "pure," it'd be this one.
Seeing his innocent smile, my heart went wild, like something inside me broke.
"First... let's set that boulder aside. Maybe after you've grown more, but right now, it's poison."
"B-But the book said to train like this..."
"That's all nonsense. Besides, Mount Hua's arts aren't about brute force."
-Thump thump
Hiding my fluster, I approached and pulled him away from the rock.
Up close, his glow seemed even brighter.
His sweat-amplified natural scent hit my nose, and for a split second, reason nearly fled.
I hurriedly circulated my inner energy to clear my mind and suppress the urge. Staring at his glistening neck, I wondered...
How sweet would it smell if I pressed my nose right there?
"...Come to think of it, I don't know your name yet. What is it?"
"Ah, it's Dan Yuseong!"
"I see... Yuseong, huh... How old are you, by the way?"
"...I lived as an orphan until Grandpa took me in, so I don't know exactly, but roughly..."
After hearing his age, I finally snapped back to reality.
For some reason, it felt like if I'd lost control just then, something huge would've happened.
And I resolved myself.
Just hold out for five years. Exactly.