Side Story 14
Translator: RaidenTL
Side Story 14
A baby tiger was hopping around the backyard of the White Tiger Palace.
It was Ga-yul. Today, as always, he was scouring the palace grounds, searching for something that would make So-ya happy so he could be a good older brother to her.
Lost in thought, the baby tiger failed to look where he was going and slammed his forehead right into a tree trunk.
“Whimper, whine… (Ow, ow…)”
Ga-yul rubbed his aching head with a forepaw and looked up.
‘Huh? This tree is…’
Red berries hung from the tips of the high branches.
In that moment, a memory flashed through Ga-yul’s mind: not long ago, So-ya had been flying around in her baby bird form, pecking at berries just like these.
“...!”
Ga-yul’s face lit up.
“Grrr, purr! (Today, it’s this!)”
Ga-yul nimbly scrambled up the tree and plucked a berry.
‘Cotton Ball will love this, right? Hehe.’
Just imagining So-ya pecking at the berry with her tiny beak made him feel warm and fuzzy inside.
‘Cotton Ball’s beak is seriously the cutest. Her body is tiny, but her beak is even tinier…’
However, when Ga-yul arrived at So-ya’s room, his second older brother, Ga-hyeon, was already there.
“Cotton Ba—! Huh? What’s that?”
“Ah, Brother Yul, you’re here?”
So-ya gave him a bright smile, showing him the colorful, neatly arranged sweets on a tray.
“These are the treats Brother Hyeon brought. They’re the fig candies sent by the Black Tiger Clan.”
Those candies were among the gifts that had arrived at the White Tiger Palace after the Mountain Lord Festival ended.
Ga-hyeon, Ga-yul, and So-ya had each received a box. Ga-yul, however, had devoured his entire box the moment he got it.
“Brother Hyeon says he doesn’t like figs. So, Brother Yul and I are going to share them.”
“Hyeon doesn’t like figs?”
Ga-yul tilted his head, looking at Ga-hyeon in confusion. It was the first he’d heard of it.
Ga-hyeon, who was sitting right next to So-ya, was looking back at him with a pointedly displeased expression.
‘There’s no way that’s true…’
As he sensed something was off, a realization struck Ga-yul.
‘Wait, did he lie just so he could give the candy to Cotton Ball?!’
Ga-yul looked at Ga-hyeon with a face full of shock.
It was because the idea of giving away delicious snacks to his younger sister had never even crossed Ga-yul’s mind.
‘I should have shared my candy with Cotton Ball instead of eating it all alone… Why didn’t I think of that?’
Ga-yul’s eyes shook violently as he looked back and forth between So-ya and the candy.
“So-ya, Yul has already eaten plenty, so don’t worry about him and eat them yourself.”
At that moment, Ga-hyeon diverted So-ya’s attention back to himself and picked up a piece of candy from the plate.
“Huh? But it’s more fun to eat together…”
“Here, say ‘ah—’”
As Ga-hyeon held the candy to her lips, So-ya reflexively opened her mouth. The sweet treat slipped right into her mouth, which was as small as a bird’s beak.
Her words were cut short.
Ga-yul watched So-ya as her cheek puffed out, her little mouth busy munching on the candy.
Figs were a fruit that didn’t grow in the Western Lands, making them incredibly hard to come by. These fig candies in particular were a special treat that even Ga-yul only got to eat once a year around this time.
Suddenly, the wild berry Ga-yul had brought felt terribly shabby.
“Brother Yul. Come and eat with us.”
Having swallowed the candy, So-ya noticed Ga-yul standing there blankly and invited him over.
Normally, Ga-yul would have lunged for it with excitement, but he shook his head.
“N-no, Cotton Ball. I don’t really like figs…”
His mouth watered at the sweet scent of the candy, but he couldn’t bring himself to take his sister’s snack.
No, absolutely not. It wasn’t like he was some greedy pig of a tiger.
“Oh? Brother, that…!”
So-ya’s eyes went wide as she pointed to the berry in Ga-yul’s hand.
“Huh? Oh? Ah, this?”
Oops. He’d been caught holding his meager gift.
“This is just… something I picked up on the way…”
Ga-yul hesitantly handed the berry to So-ya.
“Here, Cotton Ball. You have it.”
“I’ve never seen such a smooth and beautiful berry without a single scratch! You climbed up and picked this for me on purpose, didn’t you, Brother?”
However, Ga-yul’s lie was immediately seen through by the perceptive So-ya.
‘Eek.’
Ga-yul’s face turned red, embarrassed that his lie had been caught.
“Thank you so, so much.”
“Huh?”
But So-ya’s reaction was unexpected.
If it had been his older brothers, they would have teased him for lying, but she was smiling brightly and thanking him.
“I-it’s not that big of a deal…”
“Brother Yul, you always bring me things I like.”
“O-oh, well, I guess so…”
It was strange.
So-ya’s voice wasn’t loud like his, but listening to her soft, gentle tone made him nod in agreement, feeling instantly persuaded.
“This grows on really high trees; how did you get it? You don’t even have wings, Brother. You’re so cool and amazing!”
“I-it wasn’t hard at all. I’m the best tiger at climbing trees in the entire White Tiger Palace.”
Instantly puffed up by So-ya’s praise, Ga-yul grinned, completely ignoring the stinging glare his older brother was sending his way.
* * *
Sitting at his desk, Ga-yul reflected on that day.
‘Whenever I’m with Cotton Ball, I feel like I’ve become a truly magnificent tiger.’
It was the same when he brought her the berries, and just yesterday when they played ball…
[Oh, Young Master. The Young Lady doesn’t have as much stamina as you, so you must play gently.]
[N-no, Lady San-ho!]
When Yeon-jeong and San-ho had chided him, So-ya had immediately stepped in to stop them.
[I love playing ball with Brother Yul so, so much…! So it’s okay.]
She had even gripped his sleeve tightly as if she never wanted to stop playing.
[See! Cotton Ball says she likes playing with me!]
Ga-yul had beamed, his heart swelling with pride at So-ya’s words.
[Brother Yul always plays with me so I won’t be bored.]
[That’s right. Our eldest brother doesn’t even play ball with you. I’m the only one who plays with you like this.]
[You’re right. I’m so glad Brother Yul is my brother. I feel so safe and happy.]
‘I felt so good when Cotton Ball said that.’
He felt like the greatest older brother in the world.
‘Cotton Ball always makes me feel like someone special.’
But in truth, Ga-yul knew. It wasn’t him who was amazing, but So-ya!
“Cotton Ball is truly incredible…”
Ga-yul muttered, glancing out the window.
“She’s so tiny, yet how can she fly so high and far? She’s truly amazing…”
“Isn’t it just because she’s a bird?”
Su-ri, who was beside him, tilted his head and answered, but Ga-yul didn’t even hear him.
“And you know, Cotton Ball is really, really good at hide-and-seek. When she’s the one running away, she flies so high that no one can catch her, and when she’s ‘it,’ she’s as fast as a tiger. …Is Cotton Ball actually a genius?”
“Oh, Young Master!”
The tutor helping Ga-yul with his studies suddenly raised his voice.
“The ink is smudging! This is what happens when you keep daydreaming.”
“A-ah…!”
In the meantime, the ink had bled, turning the paper black.
In the end, Ga-yul was scolded for daydreaming during the lesson, but he was still in a good mood. Now that the lesson was over, he could go see So-ya.
‘I have to get to Cotton Ball quickly.’
Ga-yul headed outside, wondering what they should play today, when he spotted So-ya in the front yard of the palace, surrounded by people.
“There are always so many people around Lady Cotton Ball.”
“Of course. Cotton Ball is so small and cute; it’s only natural that everyone wants to play with her.”
“Ah, is it that natural?”
Su-ri scratched his head and asked back.
“Huh?”
“To be honest, whenever I see Lady Cotton Ball, I find myself wanting to play with her too.”
Su-ri laughed as he spoke.
Ga-yul felt a sudden surge of grumpiness and snapped at him.
“Why do you want to play with my sister? No. Go play with your own sister.”
“I don’t have a sister. Believe it or not, I’m the cute youngest wolf of the Indigo Wolf Clan. Hehehe.”
“...”
Ga-yul’s mood soured even further.
How could a guy like that call himself cute?
No, absolutely not!
The word ‘cute’ can only be used for our Cotton Ball!