Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Slap!

Slap!

“Hey.

Hey, snap out of it.

”I grabbed Gubong’s limp body and slapped his cheeks.

It felt like I had hit him at least ten times already, but he still wasn’t moving.

“Damn it, this is so annoying.

”Maybe I went a little overboard?

His condition wasn’t great, to say the least.

Luckily, his breathing was shallow but steady, and his heart was still beating.

At least he wasn’t dead.

Moreover, his body was regenerating.

Even though his face was a mess, at this rate, it wouldn’t take long for him to recover.

The real problem was…“Hey, get up already.

”The guy wasn’t regaining consciousness.

“You were acting all high and mighty earlier, so why can’t you wake up now?

”Slap!

I slapped his cheek again, but he stayed as still as ever.

“Damn it… Normally, this would wake someone up.

”What should I do?

Should I try infusing energy into him to wake him up?

‘That’s a bit risky.

’Ordinarily, that would be the simplest method, but not now.

In his current battered state, it could mess up his energy flow and cause more harm than good.

Which meant I had no choice but to wait for him to wake up naturally.

“And if someone sees this, it’s gonna be a real pain to explain…”“What are you doing?

”“…”I turned my head, still holding Gubong by the collar.

Shin Noya was standing beside me, staring down at me with a cold gaze.

“…Sigh.

”The heavy sigh he let out made me gulp awkwardly.

*******We moved to a room.

Sitting calmly at the desk, I caught the faint, sweet scent from earlier—the same fragrance as the plum tea I had tasted just a while ago.

Sure enough, a cup of tea was placed in front of me.

Shin Noya had brought it.

As I stared at the tea, Shin Noya, seated across from me, spoke directly.

“What kind of trouble did you cause in the short time I was away?

”Hearing that, I frowned slightly.

“He started it.

”“Of course he did.

As vile as your temper is, you’re not one to strike first without reason.

Gubong must have done something to provoke you.

”“That’s right…”“But why did you have to go that far?

”“…”Scratching my cheek awkwardly, I couldn’t exactly deny his words.

“You weren’t trying to kill him, so what were you doing?

”“Well… At first, I was planning to go easy on him.

”That’s probably where things started to go wrong.

“But then, as I hit him…”“As you hit him…”“I realized he was tougher than I thought.

He even regenerated quickly.

”“And so?

”“And so…”Clearing my throat, I avoided his gaze as I continued.

“…I was already irritated, so I thought I might as well take it out on him.

”“So you used him to vent your frustration?

”“Let’s just say I put a little more effort into the fight.

”“You vented, didn’t you?

”“…”“Are you out of your mind?

”Shin Noya snapped, his tone dripping with exasperation.

Hearing that, I couldn’t help but glare back.

“Well, maybe if you didn’t disappear without a word, this wouldn’t have happened.

If you were here, none of this would’ve escalated.

”“Listen to this brat.

How is that my fault?

You’re the one who acted like a maniac.

”“I’m just saying, we both bear some responsibility.

”“…You’re insane and shameless on top of it.

”Shin Noya looked at me with sheer disgust.

His expression was practically dripping with contempt.

Of course, I wasn’t too fond of him, either.

“…Anyway.

”I adjusted my expression and asked him, “Is he okay?

”At my question about Gubong, Noya clicked his tongue briefly.

“Why?

Are you feeling guilty after beating him to a pulp?

”“Not really.

But he’s one of your people, after all.

”“Don’t worry.

You’ve felt it yourself—he’s ridiculously sturdy.

He’ll probably wake up by tomorrow at the latest.

Thanks to your strange sense of restraint, you didn’t hit any vital points, so he should be fine.

”“That’s a relief.

”Noya stared at me quietly.

His crimson gaze was uncomfortable, and I knew exactly what it signified.

“Kid, as I told you before.

”“Yes.

Don’t worry.

Now that I’ve beaten him up once, I don’t hold a grudge anymore.

”“…”Don’t hate Gubong too much.

That was undoubtedly what Shin Noya wanted to say.

It was clear that he cared deeply for Gubong, given how evident his concern was.

“Also, please let him know I said sorry later.

”There was no need to ask why.

It was obvious.

‘A hundred and fifty years, huh.

’That’s how long Noya had spent in this twisted time.

Compared to the five or so years he’d spent with me, it was natural that his relationships with others here were much deeper.

The fact that this place bore the name of the Mount Hua Sect…‘It symbolizes Noya’s affection.

’The depth of meaning and value he attached to it was something I respected.

Jealousy?

That was laughable.

I didn’t feel anything like that.

Now wasn’t the time for petty emotions.

It was time to focus on the tasks ahead.

“So, what exactly is he?

”I asked about Gubong—not about whether his body was fine, but what kind of being he was.

“That calf we met before also seemed tied to something at night.

Is that true?

”I recalled how Gubong had transformed as soon as night fell.

His human form, which had shown only slight traces of bestial traits, had turned into something else entirely.

‘Almost fully beast-like.

’His strength and speed had increased dramatically, too.

I was so caught off guard that I ended up smashing him before I could get a better look.

“Hmm.

”Noya took a deep breath before answering.

“Do you remember what I said earlier today?

”“Yes.

”The words were too striking to forget.

“Then, do you also recall what I said about the Moonlit Night?

”“I do.

”One of the conditions for coming to this realm was to belong to the Moonlit Night, who were its original inhabitants and rulers.

“That Gubong is a Moonlit Night.

”I showed no particular reaction to Noya’s words.

It made sense.

If one had to be part of the Moonlit Night to enter this realm, it wasn’t surprising.

“And not just any Moonlit Night.

He’s a pureblood.

”The word "pureblood" naturally caught my attention.

“What’s the difference?

”There must be a distinction between those who became Moonlit Night after entering this realm and those born into it.

“Not much, but there is one key difference.

”“And that is?

”“Purebloods gain extraordinary regenerative abilities and strength at night.

Their natural abilities are already high, but at night, they become unparalleled.

”“I see.

”That was a reasonable explanation.

‘His regeneration really was remarkable.

’Even after breaking his arm, he healed quickly.

If his abilities were even stronger at night, it made sense.

I wanted to confirm it firsthand, but unfortunately, I ended things too quickly.

“Ah, so that calf…?

”I wondered if the leader from before had survived for the same reason.

“No.

”Noya shook his head firmly.

“He wasn’t a pureblood, so he didn’t have such powers.

His resilience likely came from the authority granted by this realm.

”“Authority?

”“Yes.

That’s the biggest difference between purebloods and others.

Those who aren’t purebloods don’t gain such traits at night.

However…”Pour.

Noya refilled his empty teacup with plum tea, the rich aroma spreading through the room.

“They are granted an authority.

A power they can use until sunrise.

”“So that guy’s power was…?

”“Immortality, I suppose.

That’s what kept him alive.

”“…”Immortality—a simple yet clear explanation.

“Moonlit Night…”Those who grow stronger under the moonlit night—a name as literal as it gets.

I sipped my tea, recalling Gubong’s ears and tail.

His appearance bore a resemblance to the form my mother once had.

"...

"My mother.

As soon as the thought crossed my mind, my head became a whirlwind of tangled emotions.

‘Amnesia, they said…’Could it truly be that she remembered nothing?

If so, how did traces of her remain within me?

The questions still gnawed at me.

And as for what lay ahead, I had no clue where to even begin.

“Kid.

”Noya’s voice broke through my thoughts.

“…Yes?

”“Enough of that.

Let’s have a proper talk now.

”“A talk?

”What kind of talk?

Was it about what I should do from now on?

Or maybe the explanations I hadn’t fully received yet?

Well, it was true that I hadn’t heard everything.

As I perked up my ears in anticipation, Noya’s words took an unexpected turn.

“How have you been?

”“…What?

”How have I been?

Out of nowhere?

Caught off guard, I stared at him, but Noya continued as if nothing were unusual.

“Even in that state, Gubong was a mess when you were done with him.

That means you’ve gotten stronger.

I could tell at a glance.

”His words made me wear an awkward expression.

He wasn’t wrong—there was a world of difference between me now and the me from before Noya disappeared.

“It’s not much.

I just…”“You’ve worked hard.

You’ve been through a lot.

”“...

”Worked hard.

Been through a lot.

Those words made me unconsciously clench my hands under the table.

A strange uneasiness washed over me.

“It’s a shame I couldn’t be there to watch over you.

Ha!

I used to enjoy teasing you so much.

”“…Is that really what matters right now?

That you couldn’t tease me?

”“Of course it matters.

So, to make up for lost time, tell me how you’ve been.

”"...

"The situation was already complicated and unpleasant enough.

I knew better than anyone that this wasn’t the time for idle conversation.

And yet…“…It’s nothing special.

After you disappeared…”Strangely, the words flowed out of me effortlessly.

It would be a long story if I were to recount everything, yet I found myself speaking without hesitation.

It felt comfortable—an emotion I hadn’t experienced in a long time.

Bit by bit, I unraveled the story, words pouring out unfiltered.

For hours, I spoke about things I had never told anyone before.

All the while, Noya silently listened, periodically refilling my cup with plum tea as it emptied.

The conversation carried on through the night until the sun began to rise.

***********Outside the building.

A woman with jet-black hair stood in the open field, gazing at the sky.

The twin moons that had risen were a curious sight, no matter how many times she looked at them.

Were they beautiful?

Perhaps.

Were they simply fascinating?

That, too, seemed true.

“Mmm…”But those weren’t the only feelings she had as she stared at the heavens.

There was an inexplicable familiarity—a sense of déjà vu, as if she’d seen this sky before.

It was an odd sensation, especially considering she had never been here before.

“I’ve never been here.

”She murmured to herself, puzzled by the feeling.

It was strange but not particularly concerning.

After all, such experiences weren’t uncommon for her.

She’d often felt things she shouldn’t have been able to feel.

Seen things she shouldn’t have been able to recognize.

This was no different, just another instance among countless others.

“Hmm…”Still, today, it felt unusually strong.

That was why she had come out alone to survey her surroundings.

Even though this place wasn’t familiar, she felt compelled to do so.

As she continued to look around, her expression grew increasingly sour.

“This is annoying.

”The whole situation was bothersome—wandering around like this all day, being away from him.

It all irritated her.

“Should I head back?

”That seemed like enough.

She nodded to herself, as if making a compromise, and prepared to return.

Then—Whoosh!

A gust of wind swept through, and she turned her head.

The dense trees obscured the view, but something about the forest caught her attention.

Her amethyst eyes, which faintly glowed, lit up as she peered into the shadows.

“Who’s there?

”The moment she spoke to the empty forest—Rustle.

—someone emerged from between the trees.

"...

"Her brows furrowed.

What appeared first were drooping dog-like ears and a bushy tail, followed by a figure with long brown hair and an eerie black mask.

"...

"A few seconds passed as they stared at each other.

Just as the woman took a step forward—Flash!

—the masked figure vanished in an instant.

She didn’t bother to give chase.

Could she have followed if she tried?

That, too, was uncertain.

“Annoying.

”Her mood, already foul, reached its peak, and she had no desire to pursue.

Even if she could…‘I don’t want to.

’She felt an inexplicable sense that she shouldn’t.

Turning her back, she began walking again, her destination clear: where he was.

“…Hmm.

”Even as she walked, she couldn’t help but glance back occasionally.

The figure she had encountered lingered in her mind.

It bothered her—more than she cared to admit.