“……Sorry?” “Yeah. I’ve Got Something for You Too.”
“……Sorry?”
“Yeah. I’ve got something to give you too.”
Jeong In-ah tilted her head, looking utterly baffled at my words. I led her toward the Paladin Order. At first, she refused to follow, but after my persistent coaxing, she finally gave in with a reluctant huff and trailed after me.
As we walked, I felt eyes on us and glanced up at the sky. A single crow perched on the sagging power lines, gazing down at us with its pale, milky eyes. It watched us for a moment before taking off into the night.
“What? Something up there?”
“Just checking out the stars.”
“Stars? There aren’t any.”
Jeong In-ah craned her neck to follow my gaze. I looked up at the night sky too and nodded.
“Yeah, you’re right. None.”
There were no stars. No crow either. The sky was pitch black, lit only by the dim glow of streetlights lining the alley.
We walked on in silence. Her steps were slow, and I matched her pace, walking side by side.
“By the way, why are you still in your paladin uniform?”
She stared at me for a moment before asking. Only then did I realize I hadn’t changed out of it. I was supposed to swap clothes right after my shift, but I’d rushed out without the chance. I fiddled awkwardly with the uniform still reeking of smoke.
“Had to leave in a hurry. Weird?”
“Yeah. Priest robes suit you better.”
“Come to think of it, I’ve been curious what you look like in priest robes too.”
“No way. They’re too pretty—I’d fall for you.”
“……”
Our silly banter carried us all the way to the Paladin Order. It had taken about twenty minutes to walk from there to her place earlier, but heading back took even longer.
A decent crowd had gathered in front of the Order. There were healing priests, and even Captain Han Dae-ho and O Hui-jin were out there. They stood clustered around Jeong Yun-ah, talking quietly. It looked like Jeong Yun-ah, whom they’d sent to the hospital, had woken up and returned.
I glanced at the group, then turned to Jeong In-ah. Her face was blank with shock as she stared at her sister.
“Found her. Your little sister.”
“……”
“Last time…… oh.”
Thud. Thud.
I’d meant to apologize right then, but there was no opening. Jeong In-ah, dazed, took slow steps toward Jeong Yun-ah, one foot after the other. I shut my mouth and just watched.
She approached so agonizingly slowly, then peered into Jeong Yun-ah’s face in a trance. A nearby healing priest moved to stop her, but Han Dae-ho quickly caught on and held them back.
Jeong In-ah reached out and stroked her sister’s cheek. She even pinched it lightly. Jeong Yun-ah winced and let out a small “Ow.”
“……Sis. What’re you─”
She lunged.
The moment Jeong In-ah heard her voice, she threw her arms around her. And sobbed like a child.
Jeong Yun-ah seemed startled at first, then closed her eyes and accepted the embrace. Jeong In-ah clung to her for minutes, weeping endlessly as if draining every tear she had.
No one spoke while she sobbed. Not the healing priest, not O Hui-jin, not Han Dae-ho, not me. We all stood silent, witnessing their reunion.
I didn’t want to interrupt, and I figured the others felt the same. The healing priest watched quietly, then discreetly wiped away their own tears.
Han Dae-ho, who’d been observing, approached me and spoke up.
“Good outcome.”
I nodded, and he continued.
“You worked hard, Do Seon-woo.”
He patted my shoulder. I neither nodded nor shook my head, just listened.
Memories of those grueling days treating Jeong Yun-ah flashed by. I’d wanted to quit from exhaustion, despaired at her lack of progress, raged at my own incompetence. I’d passed out countless times, vomited blood more than I could count.
I looked at Jeong In-ah. She cried and cried until exhaustion hit, collapsing to the ground. Then she laughed. Laughed, cried, laughed again in a loop.
All the frustration and fury from her unchanging condition, every effort to overcome it—it had led to this moment.
A laugh escaped me.
“That smile looks good on you. Do it more often.”
Han Dae-ho teased. I nodded with a smile.
The disciplinary results came back for assaulting the Northern Paladin Order Captain. Considering I was an apprentice on dispatch training, they settled for campus service. It wouldn’t even go on my record, so no impact on joining the Central Knight Order later.
For beating up a captain, this was lenient—thanks entirely to Captain Han Dae-ho. He’d negotiated with the Northern captain and lobbied hard on my behalf everywhere.
I was grateful. Though the weekend campus service sounded dreadful, it was bearable compared to worse.
After finishing service, I was resting in the dorm when my phone rang—Jeong In-ah.
“Hello?”
“Ah, um, ahem! Huh? Oh, hello! Yeah, hello?”
She cleared her throat, then realized I’d picked up.
Repeating “hello” twice, she sounded pretty flustered. I chuckled softly and switched the phone to my other ear.
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“Where…… where are you? Busy on the weekend?”
“Dorm. Not busy.”
“Oh? Then…… um……”
“Wanna meet up quick? Nothing going on.”
I beat her to it. Waiting for her to spit it out would’ve taken forever.
“Yeah! I mean, sure! Around…… 4 o’clock? Out front of school.”
“Sure.”
Click.
She fumbled her flustered reply, then hung up the second I answered.
4 p.m.—about an hour away. Sudden, but not unwelcome. I’d planned to check on Jeong Yun-ah’s condition anyway, and see how Jeong In-ah was holding up.
Even better that she called first. I got ready—showered, threw on casual clothes, headed out.
It was windy. Autumn scent carried on the breeze. Feeling the season shift by smell was a small mercy.
Summer gone, fall here—the air felt chillier just thinking it, even if it wasn’t really.
Thirty minutes early, I strolled the school grounds. Amid the autumn whiff, a sudden burning smell wrinkled my nose. Familiar cigarette stench.
[Did I interrupt?]
I turned. Baron Samedi was strolling beside me, purple smoke curling from the cigar in his mouth. The wind scattered it.
I shot him a glare but said nothing—someone might be nearby.
[Speak freely. No one to hear. If they do, just say you were on the phone.]
“……Then put out the cigar. Or can’t you just stub it?”
[This is my one joy. Take even that, what’s left to live for?]
“Die then.”
[Not a bad idea.]
Baron Samedi guffawed. I waved my hand to dispel the cigar smoke. I’d be meeting Jeong In-ah soon—couldn’t stink of it.
As I brushed off my clothes, I spotted someone waving from afar. Jeong In-ah.
I whipped around to Baron Samedi. “Go now. What if she sees……”
[It’s fine.]
Unlike my panic, he continued leisurely.
[She won’t see me anymore.]
As he spoke, Jeong In-ah drew near, beaming and waving.
I forced a stiff smile and waved back, still wary of him.
She trotted up.
“You’re out super early? It’s only 3:40.”
I snuck a glance at Baron Samedi. He smirked, puffing his cigar. The air was thick with his smoke, but Jeong In-ah didn’t react. Didn’t see him either.
[See? Told you. I’m off.]
He chuckled, dissolving into purple mist with his smoke, carried away by the wind.
I stared after him. Jeong In-ah tilted her head at me.
“What’re you looking at?”
“Nothing, just……”
No good excuse, so I mumbled past it.
We considered dinner but it was too awkward timing, so we hit a café instead. Ordered drinks, sat, chatted idly. Then silence fell.
I looked at her. She met my eyes, lips twitching hesitantly. Something to say, but holding back.
I knew what, so I went first.
“Sorry. About last time.”
“……I was gonna say it first!”
Her eyes went wide. She blushed, ducking her head, then looked up determinedly, meeting my gaze.
“……Sorry. I was too harsh back then.”
“It’s fine. I was harsh too……”
“Hmph, yeah, you were. ……But I started it.”
We apologized, left the café. It was a quick meet; she had family dinner plans and needed to head home. Her parents were back from an overseas trip a few days ago. First family meal with Jeong Yun-ah in ages—she bubbled with excitement.
I walked her home. Wind picked up en route, carrying autumn scent. She tugged her collar against it.
As it died down, she turned to me.
“I used to hate fall.”
“Didn’t you say you hated winter? Too cold.”
“Fall more than winter. Winter’s got Christmas; fall’s got nothing. Just cold.”
I listened without replying.
“But now fall feels nice. Thanks to you.”
She grinned brightly at me. I smiled back.
Hands behind her back, she eyed a precariously hanging leaf and continued.
“Things’ll get better now……”
She smiled, radiant and pure—like the smile I’d glimpsed beyond Jeong Yun-ah’s memories long ago.
She hadn’t seen Baron Samedi, hadn’t smelled his cigar. It wasn’t just Jeong Yun-ah improving. Jeong In-ah had healed a lot too.
Maybe I’d treated her as much as her sister. And in turn, she’d treated me.
“……Huh? Why, why’re you crying?”
Jeong In-ah stared. I wiped my eyes with my sleeve. Tears were flowing—unnoticed, unexplained.
They wouldn’t stop easily.
“Hey, why all of a sudden…… Did I do something wrong today?”
She panicked, reaching to wipe them. I blocked her hand gently, shaking my head.
“Just…… happy.”
“Really? That’s why? I didn’t mess up?”
“Yeah, really.”
I nodded, wiped them away. They finally stopped.
We walked on to her place. She kept asking if she’d done something. Each time, I insisted it was just happy tears.
Soon, her house. I waved.
“Get home safe.”
“Yeah, you too…… Oh, wait.”
She grabbed me as I turned to leave, hesitating before adding,
“Next time you’re free, come over. Parents wanna meet you.”
“Sure. Definitely.”
I nodded. Watched her go inside, then headed back to the dorm.
Changed, showered. Lay on bed to rest, but the flower popped into mind—I bolted up.
Grabbed water for the pot, headed to the terrace. The wilted stems and leaves had revived unnoticed, a tiny bloom at the tip.
“……”
I caressed the delicate petals with my fingertip, over and over. So soft.
(To be continued)