Chapter 171
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 171
In the end, Seol-yo, unable to answer, had to climb to the top of Mt. Horim to pick a flower as a penalty.
‘Why couldn’t I just tell the truth?’
It was strange. He should have been able to just say it honestly.
That two summers ago, when he saw So-ya playing in the stream, he thought she was beautiful.
That ever since that day, she sparkled so brightly every time he saw her that he couldn't take his eyes off her for even a moment—that he thought she was beautiful every single day.
For some reason, he couldn't bring those simple words to his lips.
‘Everyone else says it so easily...’
Ah-rang, Cheong-ha, Yeon-jeong, and San-ho all told So-ya she was pretty without any trouble. He wondered why he was the only fool who couldn't say a word.
When Seol-yo trudged back, the children waiting for him burst into giggles at the sight of the large black wolf returning with a flower in his mouth.
“This time, it’s Su-ri’s turn! Have I ever thought Brother Yul was childish? Yes or no?”
At So-ya’s question, Su-ri gulped and opened his mouth.
“Uh, no... Gaaah!”
As soon as Su-ri answered, the branch began to rap him repeatedly on the head.
“Wh-what is with this branch?!”
“I told you, it punishes you if you lie.”
“Ahaha! Nam Su-ri, you look so ridiculous right now!”
Ah-rang and Ga-yul doubled over in laughter at the sight of Su-ri clutching his head with both hands, trying to block the branch’s attacks.
“Hieee, you didn't say it would do this...! Argh! The branch is attacking a person!”
“Then who told you to lie? Oh, wait. So you did think I was childish?”
Realizing the truth a moment later, Ga-yul glared at Su-ri with narrowed eyes.
“Hieee! I-I’ll be right back from the top of Mt. Horim! Aaaaagh!”
With a poof, Su-ri transformed into a wolf and bolted toward the mountain peak.
The Truth Branch didn't stop, chasing after Su-ri and rapping him on the head the whole way.
So-ya also clutched her stomach and burst into giggles at the sight of the large wolf running as fast as his legs could carry him.
Seol-yo, who was sitting quietly beside So-ya, felt a strange tickling sensation at the sound of her clear, refreshing laughter.
His heart throbbed, just as it had earlier when the branch Ah-rang spun had pointed at him.
While they waited for Su-ri to finish his penalty, San-ho called out to the children.
“I think the sweet potatoes are done. Everyone, take a break and have a snack.”
At those words, everyone flocked toward the campfire.
San-ho pulled the roasted sweet potatoes out of the fire one by one and handed them to the children.
Smelling the roasted sweet potatoes, Jjaek-jjaek flew over and pecked at So-ya’s snack.
“Chirp!”
“Oh, Jjaek-jjaek. What if you choke eating so fast?”
Worried that Jjaek-jjaek’s greed might lead to him blocking his airway, So-ya broke her portion of the sweet potato into small pieces and scattered them on the grass.
Then, other birds that had been lurking nearby, watching for a chance, fluttered down to peck at the sweet potatoes on the ground.
As a result, So-ya was left with nothing to eat, but she simply watched the birds with a bright smile.
Seol-yo glanced at the scene, then neatly peeled the sweet potato in front of him and handed it to So-ya.
“Eat this, So-ya. I’m... full.”
At his hesitant offer, So-ya’s eyes widened before she gave him a beaming smile.
“Thank you, Seol-yo. But this is too big, so let’s split it in half and share. How about that?”
“U-uh, okay. I’d like that...”
When Seol-yo nodded, So-ya snapped the sweet potato in half and handed him one of the pieces.
So-ya took a bite and laughed, saying how delicious it was.
“This is really honey-sweet, Seol-yo. You try some too.”
At the sound of her clear laughter, which made him feel good just by listening, Seol-yo stared blankly at the sweet potato in his hand before opening his mouth and taking a large bite.
The sugary flesh of the roasted sweet potato melted in his mouth.
“Right? It’s good, isn't it?”
“Yeah...”
Seol-yo wanted to use better words to describe how delicious the sweet potato was, but unable to find the right ones, he simply nodded.
A short while later, Su-ri returned from the top of Mt. Horim and rejoined them, drawing So-ya’s attention away.
In front of the crackling campfire, Seol-yo stole a glance at So-ya’s profile.
So-ya was laughing with a happy face.
When he first met So-ya on Mt. Horim, she used to smile silently, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
But at some point, she had started laughing out loud like this.
If there was one thing that remained unchanged from then until now, it was that both the So-ya who smiled quietly and the So-ya who laughed out loud were equally beautiful.
‘...’
As his thoughts reached that point, Seol-yo’s face turned red again.
He intentionally lowered his head toward the heat of the campfire to hide his blushing face.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
At the sound of his rhythmic heartbeat, Seol-yo pulled his knees to his chest and buried his face in them.
‘I’m so... happy.’
He was happy.
He liked the people of the White Tiger Palace, he liked So-ya, and he just loved this moment so, so much.
It was cozy and warm.
Before meeting Sa-eon, back when he was running away while people pointed fingers at him for being a demonic beast, he could never have imagined such a peaceful and warm daily life.
The clear sound of So-ya’s laughter in his ears.
The voices of Ga-yul and Ah-rang, bickering without end.
The taste of the sweet roasted potato melting in his mouth, and the light beads brightly illuminating the dark night.
And the warmth of the campfire.
He had a strong premonition that he wouldn't be able to forget this moment for a long, long time.
After the brief snack break, the game continued.
Seol-yo kept getting caught.
While returning from performing yet another penalty, Seol-yo ran into Cheong-ha walking from the opposite direction.
“Oh my. Who is this handsome wolf?”
“Uh, I’m Seol-yo...”
As Seol-yo opened his mouth to answer, the flower he was holding fell to the ground.
At Seol-yo’s startled reaction, Cheong-ha burst into laughter, picked up the flower, and tucked it behind his ear.
“Haha, of course I know who you are, our kind Seol-yo. So-ya has told me a lot about you. She said she has a kind and dependable friend with black fur.”
“...”
“She said you’re a very cool friend who finds light beads for her and protects her whenever she’s in danger.”
“...”
A very cool friend.
So-ya introduced me as a very cool friend.
Seol-yo felt his face grow hot again, but he thought it was a great relief that he could hide his blushing face since he was in his wolf form.
“Thank you for staying by So-ya’s side.”
“...I only did what was natural. I’m So-ya’s friend, and the warrior who protects her.”
“You tried to give your sweet potato to So-ya earlier, too. That’s not something everyone considers natural. You think that way because you have a kind heart, Seol-yo.”
Cheong-ha praised him while stroking his fur.
“Please continue to be a good friend to our So-ya for a long time, kind Seol-yo.”
“...”
Cheong-ha’s request to be a good friend for a long time lingered strangely in his heart, so Seol-yo simply nodded instead of answering.
*
So-ya was in a wonderful mood.
She was happy to have a birthday party with all the people she liked, and she enjoyed eating delicious food and looking at her presents.
When they played the game with the Truth Branch that Ah-rang had specially prepared, her heart had throbbed with the fear that she might get caught.
But when she actually did get caught and had to go to the top of Mt. Horim for her penalty, Jjaek-jjaek and the other birds flew with her, so it wasn't scary at all; it was just fun to fly through the cool night air.
She was so happy that she found herself wishing the day would never end.
She felt such a lingering regret when the party ended and it was time to return to her room for bed.
After washing up to get ready for sleep, So-ya tilted her head when she noticed the window was open.
“Was the window always open?”
As she approached the window, she saw a flower resting on the sill.
“Oh, it’s a flower. Did Brother Ga-ya leave it?”
So-ya chuckled as she recalled Ga-ya, who had recently come to see her by tapping on the windowsill instead of using the door.
“It’s a flower I really like. How did he know?”
As So-ya buried her face in the petals to take in the scent, she discovered a single black scale fallen in the corner of the windowsill.
“Huh...?”
The moment she reached out to touch it, the black scale instantly crumbled into dust and scattered.
Nothing remained, as if she had hallucinated it.
So-ya blinked her eyes in surprise.