Are We Leaving Ayoung Behind?
A familiar pressure.
When I opened my eyes, what met them was the gaze of a massive reptile.
"...Yeah."
Fear no longer stirred in me.
Instead there was peace. Calm, and steady.
All that rose in my chest was a sense of duty—that I would give even my life to kill that monster if I had to.
I think I finally get it.
The reason that creature kept appearing.
Sooner or later I would fight it. And in the course of that fight, I would almost certainly die.
I had sensed it, and that was why I had been terrified. Why I had wanted to run.
Of course I had. What human could face death head-on and stay composed?
But the me of now was different. I had become able to be different.
"Thank you, Hecate."
As I was now, I could keep walking forward.
Toward my death, if that was what it took to protect everyone.
So I...
"Mm... good morning?"
"..........."
When I opened my eyes, Hecate’s were the first thing I saw.
She stared at me in silence, then climbed down from my body without a word.
I followed, sitting up and checking the clock.
"Mm-hm!"
Exactly seven in the morning. A fine time to start the day.
I got straight out of bed and headed for the kitchen.
"Two slices of toast..."
I dropped two pieces of bread into the toaster and set it going. While they browned I stepped into the bathroom for a quick wash and brush of the teeth.
By the time I came out drying my face, the toast had popped up, edges perfectly crisp.
"Nice."
One slice of cheese, a little ketchup. I plated it and ate while watching the TV.
"Tastes good."
When I finished I washed the dishes at once. Around seven-thirty—perfect weather for a short walk.
"Lan... can’t summon him right now, can I?"
As long as I was relying on Hecate, the other spirits stayed out of reach. The mana hole was soaked in light; there was nothing left to feed them, or so she claimed.
I didn’t mind. If anything it was better. I took Hecate’s hand and we stepped outside together for a stroll.
"It’s spring, but mornings are still a little chilly. Should’ve worn something thicker."
"............."
"...Hmmm."
Something had clearly put her in a foul mood. Hecate’s expression refused to smooth out.
I glanced at her, then looked around.
Nothing open this early... oh.
Near the school a tiny stationery shop had its lights on. I went in, bought a piece of candy, and pressed it into her hand.
"Here. Spring candy’s supposed to be good."
"...Are you joking right now?"
Hecate pouted. I gave her head a light pat, but her lips stayed pursed and her brow stayed furrowed.
Had I done something wrong?
Nothing comes to mind.
All the way home I kept stealing looks at her. The scowl never eased.
"Did I do something?"
I asked just before opening the front door, just in case.
"...Sunwoo did nothing wrong."
Still pouting. Still looking like something was very much not to her liking.
I stepped into the shower and thought it over carefully. By the time I finished rinsing, the only conclusion I had reached was this:
"You on your period or something?"
"Cut the crap."
Apparently not.
...
..
.
"You planning to tell me anytime soon?"
"............."
"Guess not..."
Even on the drive to work her face stayed tight. Still that same frustrated look.
No matter how hard I think, I can’t figure it out.
In the end the mutual frustration got to me. I eased off the accelerator and pulled into a convenience store.
I came back with a plastic bag stuffed full of chocolate, sweet red-bean jelly, and triangle kimbap.
"...What is this?"
"...Good question."
Why had I even bought all this?
Even while wondering, my hands dutifully tore open the packages and started feeding the contents into my mouth.
One.
Then another.
I only managed to stop after five triangle kimbap.
"...I should exercise more."
"Shut up."
"Okay, yeah, binge-eating first thing in the morning was a bit much."
"Seriously, shut... shut the hell... uuugh...!"
Hecate covered her face with both hands and sank into a crouch, breathing hard and shaking her head.
"I get it now. It was weird. Really, truly weird... This body, me—I didn’t even realize..."
"Hecate. You okay?"
"...Not okay."
"Think there’s a hospital that takes spirits?"
"I told you to stop talking nonsense."
She let out a long, slow breath and stood again. Then she pulled another triangle kimbap from the bag and held it out to me.
"...Why?"
"Eat it."
"Hey, eating too much isn’t good for you—"
"Just eat. One. Two more."
"Mph. Mmmp. Mmmph...?"
What had gotten into her?
Hecate peeled the wrapper herself, shoved the kimbap into my mouth, and used both hands to pack it in. I had already eaten plenty, yet somehow the new ones went down without resistance.
Only after forcing three more into me did she take a step back.
"...Full?"
"I was full a long time ago."
"...Feel stronger at all?"
"I’ve always had energy to spare."
"..........."
With an expression that looked ready to burst, Hecate laid both hands on my cheeks.
"This body knows. Thanks to Nox, I found out. So I expected something like this, but..."
"...?"
"Nothing. Just... I think I understand now why this body never became Spirit King."
"Oh? What’s the reason?"
"Not telling Sunwoo."
"That actually hurts a little."
Hecate lowered her head completely and vanished—reverse-summoned.
Left alone, I still had to get to work. I started the car and drove straight to the training center.
"Bright and early! Morning, Ayoung!"
"Yes, good morning, Sunwoo-nim!"
Ayoung was the first face I saw. I offered a casual greeting; she hurried over at once.
"Did you eat a proper breakfast, Sunwoo-nim?"
"Just whatever was around. You?"
"Same. Whatever was at home."
"Yeah. Breakfast is a pain to make, honestly."
"It is, but I always make sure the baby eats."
"That’s impressive. Mothers really are different, huh?"
We traded pointless small talk while walking toward Nature’s private training room.
"By the way... what’s that in your left hand?"
"Ah—force of habit. Want one?"
"Yes! Thank you!"
I was sure I had left the convenience-store bag in the car, yet it was still dangling from my fingers. I pulled out a chocolate and handed it over; Ayoung beamed and tucked it into her pocket.
Is it really that good?
[Agreed. I never expected her to notice, but liking it this much...]
What was that, Hecate?
[...Nothing.]
She was still sulking. Whatever it was that bothered her so much, I couldn’t pin it down.
"A little early, aren’t we?"
The training room was empty. Nature hadn’t arrived yet. Fair enough—we were a full hour ahead of the official start time.
[You know it’s an hour early. Why come at this hour...]
"Getting things ready early makes the rest of the day easier."
That was what ownership looked like.
[You never had ownership before?]
"...When you put it that way, I’ve got no comeback."
Still, as an employee, as someone who had been hired, I believed in doing everything I could. Look at Ayoung right next to me—no one had to tell her to show up early and hold the fort.
[If she came early she should already be inside...
...Don’t tell me every time we ran into each other at the entrance she had been waiting there for a full hour beforehand?]
Creepy.
Way too creepy...!
Hecate’s voice trembled, then cut off entirely as she hid herself again.
I had no idea what she found so repulsive, but Ayoung and I each grabbed a mop and started wiping down the training-room floor.
"Instructor? Why are you here this early?"
"Ah, we’ll handle the cleaning!"
"We cleaned before we left yesterday..."
Right on schedule the door opened and Nature filed in. The room filled with chatter as they cleaned, straightened, and finished light warm-ups. Just as training was about to begin in earnest—
"Instructor. Do you have time on this day?"
"Huh? Out of nowhere?"
Harin stepped up and held out her phone, calendar open to a specific date.
Work-wise I had nothing but teaching these girls, so it didn’t really matter, but...
"Why? Something going on that day?"
"Well... yesterday we were talking about going cherry-blossom viewing together!"
"Doesn’t sound bad."
"Then—"
"—Ah, wait."
Are Hyewon and Ayoung coming too?
""".........."""
"...Huh?"
The atmosphere turned awkward in an instant. A sudden, flustered tension.
"Sunwoo-nim.....!"
"Uuuh?"
Only Ayoung looked delighted; she hurried over and laid a hand on my right arm.
Hey. Boys and girls past the age of seven don’t do that.
I lightly tapped the back of her hand and peeled it off. Ayoung just grinned wider, as if that itself made her happy.
"Um... Ayoung unnie can’t come that day. She has to stay home with the baby."
"Then I’m not going either. If we go, we all go."
"But if we miss that day the blossoms will all be gone."
"Do we have to do cherry-blossom viewing? We can just pick another date when everyone can make it."
"Still..."
"Harin. No matter how much you want to see the blossoms, you don’t throw away basic human decency."
"...Instructor?"
Harin looked startled. I kept my voice quiet and firm.
"I get wanting to go. But shutting someone out is bad for everyone. Little things like this pile up until feelings get hurt and no one can take it back."
"That’s... true, but..."
"We all go, or you go without me. Nothing in the world feels more unfair than being the one left behind."
"........"
"Sunwoo-nim.... I... I....!"
Harin fell silent. Ayoung, out of nowhere, looked ready to cry.
I still didn’t understand why a simple flower-viewing trip had turned into this, but I cleared my throat softly and gathered every eye.
"Nature is one team, Ayoung included. After everything she’s done for the rest of you, I’m against going out to play and leaving her behind."
"Well. You’re not wrong. You’re not wrong, but..."
Yeonhwa, who had been quiet in the back, scratched the nape of her neck and stepped forward.
I stayed where I was and met her gaze.
"How do I put it. Doesn’t really sound like the instructor I know?"
"What doesn’t?"
"Just... you know."
The same person who once insisted Ayoung unnie had to stay a manager and sent her off alone in an ambulance was now suddenly talking about everyone sticking together...
"You’re Nature’s instructor, right?"
"...What exactly are you trying to say?"
"Nothing."
Yeonhwa nodded and took a step back.
"What are you all standing around for? Finish getting ready."
"Ah, coming, Yeonhwa unnie!"
"Cherry-blossom viewing... the promised development... I wanted to take life-photo-booth pictures with Licht-nim...!"
They kept chattering all the way to the locker room. Youth, I supposed. For someone edging toward thirty, that kind of sentiment already felt far away.
I watched their retreating backs with a quiet nod.
"Thank you, Sunwoo-nim."
"Hm? For what?"
Ayoung had drawn close and spoken under her breath.
"For saying you’d stay by my side."
"I don’t think I ever said that..."
"Then I’ll just be grateful on my own."
"...I don’t get it."
Ayoung took one step closer. I took one step sideways, away from her.
The distance between us stayed exactly the same.
One last note.
"I asked if we could go cherry-blossom viewing on our day off... so would it be all right if I borrowed you as a bodyguard for a little while, oppa?"
"...What?"
The cherry-blossom operation was far from over.