Side Story 23
Translator: RaidenTL
Side Story 23
When So-ya collapsed into Sa-eon’s arms and began to wail like a small child, Ah-rang, Ga-yul, and even Su-ri—who had all been on the verge of tears—finally broke down as well.
The White Tiger Palace was instantly thrown into an uproar.
Everyone scrambled to search for Seol-yo.
Among them was Ga-ya, his lips pressed into a thin line and his expression grim as he scoured every corner of Mt. Horim.
‘Som-som cried again.’
It wasn't the first time So-ya had cried. She had wept bitterly when she reunited with Jeok San-yu at the Imperial Palace.
However, by the time Ga-ya had found her then, she had already composed herself. This was the first time he had seen her sobbing so sorrowfully right before his eyes.
Every time he pictured her eyes, red and swollen from weeping, his heart throbbed with pain.
‘Is a friend really that important? Enough to make her cry like this?’
He didn't have friends, so he didn't understand. But if this "friend" was that precious to Som-som...
Then he had to find him and bring him back to her, no matter what.
[I’m the warrior who protects So-ya!]
The boy had followed her all the way to the Northern Land, claiming he was her protector. He had insisted on staying by her side at all times, trailing after her without a moment's separation.
‘That wicked beast. How dare he break his own word and make Som-som so sad?’
The more Ga-ya thought about it, the more indignant he became. He wouldn't let the fellow off easy once he found him.
Ga-ya gritted his teeth and continued his search for Seol-yo.
But as time passed, his heart began to change. He told himself that if the boy would just show up quietly, he would go easy on him. He pleaded internally for him to appear quickly and stop Som-som’s tears...
However, he could not find Seol-yo.
Seol-yo had vanished without leaving so much as a single strand of fur behind.
“The trail ends here.”
They were on the path leading north, past Mt. Horim. The faint scent of Seol-yo that they had been following abruptly cut off at a certain point. It was as if the tracks had been deliberately erased.
“Fortunately, there are no signs of a struggle...”
At San-ho’s murmur, everyone’s expression hardened. They were all thinking the same thing.
Perhaps Seol-yo had...
“Father. You said the place you brought Seol-yo from was the Northern Land, correct?”
“...Yes.”
At Ga-hyeon’s question, Sa-eon nodded with a stiff face.
Seol-yo’s disappearance in the middle of the night without a word, combined with the artificially severed trail, pointed to one conclusion.
“It seems Seol-yo—”
Sa-eon glanced toward the north before continuing.
“—left the White Tiger Palace of his own accord. We should tentatively suspend the search...”
“That can’t be true!”
So-ya shouted, cutting Sa-eon off.
“So-ya.”
“You’re mistaken, Father! There’s no way Seol-yo would leave the White Tiger Palace without saying anything!”
So-ya had never raised her voice to Sa-eon like that before. Everyone looked at her with pitying eyes.
“This isn't the time for this. We have to go find Seol-yo, quickly.”
So-ya rubbed her eyes and dashed off to continue the search.
“Cotton Ball! Wait for me!”
Ga-yul quickly chased after her.
“Maybe Seol-yo just got lost on Mt. Horim. It’s a very big mountain,” So-ya said, rummaging through the thickets. “Or maybe he took a wrong step and got stranded at the bottom of a cliff. That would be terrible. It’s going to be night soon...”
“But, Cotton Ball...”
Ga-yul hesitated, glancing at So-ya’s face.
“...”
So-ya remained silent, her lips pressed tight as she focused entirely on finding Seol-yo.
Of course, So-ya knew. She knew that Seol-yo, who had run around Mt. Horim with her as if it were their playground, couldn't possibly get lost here.
Even if he had taken a wrong step and ended up stranded, Seol-yo—who could transform into anything—would have been able to escape. Moreover, there was no way the White Tiger beastkin, who could catch a scent from miles away, would fail to find him.
So-ya knew she was being unreasonable, but she consciously ignored the facts.
She searched every corner of Mt. Horim until late into the evening. Only when the sun went down and further searching became impossible was she finally led back home by the others.
Everyone explained that Seol-yo had left on his own, but So-ya could not give up. She continued to search for over a week.
But Seol-yo was nowhere to be found.
Not in the deep parts of Mt. Horim where So-ya had first met him. Not on the mountainside where they had often gathered to look at flowers and play hide-and-seek. Not in the cave hideout they had built together as children, nor by the stream where they had played in the water last summer.
No trace of Seol-yo remained anywhere.
And on the eighth day after his disappearance, So-ya finally accepted that he was gone.
“Father was right. Seol-yo has left.”
“Cotton Ball.”
Sa-eon looked at So-ya with a worried expression. Noticing his concern, So-ya spoke in a calm voice.
“I’ve made everyone worry, haven't I? I’m sorry.”
“...”
Seeing So-ya apologize with such a composed face made a lump form in Sa-eon’s throat. He slowly lowered himself to match her eye level, took her arms in his hands, and asked, “Is your heart... alright?”
“Yes. Seol-yo wasn't hurt, and nothing dangerous happened to him; he just chose to leave. So I’m fine. He must have had a reason why he had to leave without saying anything. So, I’m really okay.”
So-ya emphasized it twice, insisting she was fine.
“I won't make you worry anymore.”
She then smiled brightly and addressed everyone.
“I’m so glad you’re feeling better, my baby.”
Cheong-ha stepped forward and pulled So-ya’s small body into a tight embrace.
“But don't ever say you're sorry for making me worry. A mother is allowed to worry about her child as much as she wants.”
“Mother...?”
“Actually, no! I’m going to worry about you even more! So, when you’re sad, show me you’re sad. When you’re upset, show me you’re upset. Understood?”
“...!”
So-ya’s eyes widened at Cheong-ha’s unexpected words. Cheong-ha smiled warmly as she playfully pinched So-ya’s soft cheeks.
“M-me too, Cotton Ball! Me too!”
Ga-yul, who had been fidgeting, unsure of how to comfort her, quickly chimed in.
“It’s not hard at all for me to worry about you. So if you’re sad or upset, run to me first. Got it?”
Ga-yul spoke with an uncharacteristically serious and mature tone. So-ya stared at him blankly for a moment before her eyes crinkled into a soft smile.
“Thank you, everyone.”
Unlike the forced, clean smile from moments ago, this was a smile that came from the heart.
“See? Our little Cotton Ball looks much better when she smiles.”
Sa-eon smiled back, tapping the bridge of So-ya’s nose with his fingertip.
“So-ya isn't a baby anymore, Father. Look how brave she is.”
Ga-hyeon also relaxed his worried face and spoke tenderly.
Ga-ya watched the scene in silence. So-ya’s eyes, now free of tears, were etched into his vision.
‘But why does it feel like she’s still crying?’
She was smiling, surrounded by her family, but her pink eyes seemed heavy, as if she were suppressing a deep sorrow. It bothered him.
However, Ga-ya did not let his thoughts show. Like the rest of the family, he approached So-ya to offer his comfort.
And so, So-ya accepted Seol-yo’s departure.
From that day on, So-ya became a little more mature. Ga-ya felt a twinge of regret seeing her grow up so fast, but he was simply relieved that she wasn't crying anymore.
* * *
People intentionally avoided mentioning Seol-yo in front of So-ya, diverting her attention to other things. So-ya also smiled brightly and never brought up the subject again.
Time passed steadily.
Everyone looked at So-ya and said she had overcome her heartache and grown as a person.
However, So-ya’s melancholy had not entirely vanished.
So-ya glanced at the wooden box sitting on her desk. Inside were the secret letters from the hideout that she hadn't been able to retrieve on the day Seol-yo disappeared. Ah-rang had brought them to her before leaving the White Tiger Palace.
But So-ya had not yet been able to open them.
She felt that once she read them, she would truly have to admit that Seol-yo was gone forever...