Childhood Friend of the Zenith
Chapter Summary
And so, she would often cling to me, Saying that since she was cold and I was warm, Holding me made her feel a little more at ease— Enough to live another day. ”Wasn’t that just what anyone would notice when they looked up? Even if she called it a mistake, it didn’t mean she was lacking in skill.
It was a night when the crescent moon blossomed.
The clouds hung low, sinking endlessly, making them feel closer than ever.
Beneath them, the field of grass reflected the moonlight, exuding an inexplicable clarity.
It was that kind of night.
A night where the moon shone brightly.
A night where the sky was beautiful.
A night where the wind felt exquisite.
And—“Isn’t it beautiful?
”A night where I liked you.
That was today.
“Yeah, it’s beautiful.
”The words weren’t directed at the moon.
If I had to specify, it was more about the night sky.
A sky where countless stars bloomed like flowers.
The fields below were alive with blossoms, And the sky above was adorned with stars.
Then, what was blooming on your face?
I often thought this when looking into her eyes.
“Oh?
”She laughed at my words.
“...
You’re as incorrigible as ever.
” “When have I ever said anything bad?
”I couldn’t recall ever saying anything offensive.
I looked at her, feigning injustice, but she smiled her characteristic smile and replied.
“You always say cruel things.
” “…Like what?
” “The things you say keep me alive.
They’re cruel and heartless words.
”I didn’t understand.
She often said incomprehensible things like this, Always with a sorrowful expression.
“Why are you crying?
”I asked, brushing her pale cheek with my fingers.
“I’m not crying.
”She grasped the back of my hand and responded.
Her touch was cold.
It always was.
And so, she would often cling to me, Saying that since she was cold and I was warm, Holding me made her feel a little more at ease— Enough to live another day.
That’s what she used to say.
“Hey.
” “Speak.
”The woman in my arms pointed toward the sky with her hand.
“What do you see?
”I lifted my head to look.
Was she asking me to describe everything I saw?
After a moment of silence, I spoke.
“I see the night.
” “And?
” “The stars filling the night, and the clouds wrapping around them.
” “And?
” “The moon rising above it all.
” “And then?
” “I don’t know.
”I’d said everything I could see.
If she wanted more, I honestly didn’t know what else to say.
Hearing my words, she rolled her eyes.
It was something she did when deep in thought.
I liked that about her, so I quietly watched.
“Then, it has to be the night.
”Her words were abrupt and cryptic.
I frowned, asking, “…What are you talking about?
” “The first thing you saw was the night, wasn’t it?
” “...
”Wasn’t that just what anyone would notice when they looked up?
I wanted to say that, but she interrupted.
“Then it’s decided.
I’ll be your night.
”“…What?
” “If I become your night, you’ll think of me every time you look at it.
” “...
” “Maybe you’ll even think of me whenever you see the sky itself.
”Night?
Sky?
She kept speaking in riddles.
“Don’t forget me, no matter what.
” “...
”Her words left me staring at her, speechless.
I didn’t argue with the absurdity of her statement because of the desperate expression she wore.
“…Alright.
”And so, I made a promise.
“You are my night.
”I promised to think of her whenever I saw the darkened sky.
That’s how I vowed.
“Really?
”She smiled at my words.
But as I looked at her smile, I felt a pang of unease.
Why—Why do you still look like you’re crying?
I wondered as I gazed into her trembling eyes, forcing a smile.
“I’ll believe you.
”She said, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Feeling pity, I pulled her into an embrace.
“As always.
”Yet somehow, it didn’t feel like I was holding her.
It felt as though I was embracing an empty mist, Something ephemeral that could dissipate at any moment.
If I held her tighter, she might break.
If I let go, she might disappear.
“…This time, too, I’ll believe you.
”Beneath the vast sky, she spoke.
“…Alright.
”To her words, I could only respond.
That was all I could do for the woman in my arms.
As I held her for a while—“…Hey.
”She spoke to me again.
“Call my name.
” “...
”Her request made me chuckle faintly.
Was that even something to ask for?
This much, I could do anytime she wanted.
Whether for a fleeting moment or eternity, I would do it for her.
With that thought, I opened my mouth to speak—“...
”But my lips froze.
I couldn’t remember.
What was her name?
Why couldn’t I recall it?
Panicked by the strange feeling, I looked down at my arms.
“…Huh?
”There was nothing there.
The woman I had just been holding had vanished.
“…What…?
”What was I holding just now?
I was certain I had been holding something.
Why couldn’t I remember anything?
With trembling eyes, I looked up at the sky.
“...
”And all I saw was an empty night.
************“What’s wrong with you?
”Gripping small shoulders tightly, I demanded.
“What happened?
”I looked down at her chest.
Her clothing was torn in several places, And blood was flowing from a wound.
A sword wound?
Judging by the state of it, it was a clean, precise cut.
What happened?
Where had she gone to get hurt like this?
Focused, I examined her body carefully.
“…It hurts…”Cheonma grimaced slightly and spoke.
I snapped in irritation.
“Of course it hurts, you idiot!
Look at her!!
How could it not hurt?
” “…No… my arm… hurts.
” “What?
”I glanced at her shoulder.
My hand was gripping her tightly.
Noticing this, I immediately let go.
“...
”Why was I even holding her like that?
I frowned.
“…Why are you hurt?
”What had she been doing to end up in this state?
I couldn’t understand and demanded an answer.
“...
”But Cheonma didn’t respond.
She simply stared at me in silence.
“What are you doing?
Hurry up and answer me!
”When I pressed Cheonma impatiently, she tilted her head and asked,"Why?
" "What?
"Her response only deepened my already furrowed brow.
"What do you mean, why?
" "Why are you asking?
" "What do you mean, why am I asking?
It’s obvious—"Was it?
Why was I asking this in the first place?
My question felt slightly off.
This wasn’t it.
Instead of asking why she was hurt, I should’ve asked what she had been through.
Trying to correct myself, I began to speak again.
"What did you—" "Are you worried?
" "What...?
"Her words stopped me mid-sentence like a mechanical error.
Cheonma stared at me intensely as she asked, her violet eyes locking onto mine.
The moment our eyes met, my entire expression twisted—my eyes, my brow, everything.
"Don’t talk nonsense.
" "...
" "I’m not worried about you.
What bothers me is that I told you not to cause trouble, and here you are, coming back like this.
"Exactly.
It wasn’t worry.
I had things to do here, and I needed to wrap them up quickly.
If this idiot stirred up any more chaos, it would be a real problem.
That was all it was.
"So just answer properly—" "You’re worried about me.
" "Stop twisting my words.
"Why did she keep misinterpreting what I said?
My irritation flared.
Meanwhile, Cheonma’s lips curved up ever so slightly, as if she found the situation amusing.
That annoyed me even more.
"Why are you smiling?
" "I’m not.
" "You’re smiling right now.
" "I’m not.
" "You little—"I reached to grab her by the collar but stopped myself when I noticed her battered, disheveled body.
"Shit.
"I retracted my hand, looking at her again.
"Cut the nonsense and tell me properly.
What happened?
" "...
"Cheonma hesitated for a moment, her lips moving slightly before she finally spoke.
"I went to see someone.
" "What?
"I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
"Who could you possibly need to see around here?
"Was there anyone in Mangye that Cheonma would know?
It didn’t make sense.
But if she came back injured, it could only mean one thing.
She fought someone.
Who in the world could she have fought to end up like this?
As I puzzled over this, Cheonma added, "It was that person we saw last time.
" "...
Last time?
"A memory surfaced— Cheonma had once gone after someone lingering around Mount Hua.
But—"They were here, too?
" "Yeah.
" "And you got into a fight and ended up like this?
" "I made a mistake.
"Cheonma spoke with a tone of regret, almost indignation.
Yeah, I thought so too.
The fact that Cheonma got hurt at all was unusual enough to baffle me.
"I won’t lose next time.
" "Next time?
What the hell are you talking about?
"I ran a hand through my hair, exasperated.
Frustration welled up inside me.
What the hell is going on?
Not just around Mount Hua, but even here, they kept showing up.
It was infuriating.
"And how did you even find them?
"How had she tracked down someone monitoring us?
"Oh.
"Cheonma tapped her fist lightly against her palm as if the answer were obvious.
"I followed you.
" "Followed me?
" "Yeah.
" "Why?
" "Because it’s fun.
" "...
"What should I do?
Should I actually hit her?
Could I even hit her?
I seriously debated it.
"Anyway...
So you fought the person spying on us?
" "No.
" "What?
You just said you did—what are you saying now?
"Cheonma pointed at me, cutting me off mid-sentence.
"What’s this about?
" "It’s you.
" "What about me?
" "They were watching you.
"I turned to look behind me.
It was Gubong, standing there awkwardly, unsure of what to do.
"So...
What you’re saying is...
"Even though Cheonma and I had been traveling together, the spy had been focused on me alone.
"And how do you know that for sure?
"Gubong and I had been together the whole time.
I hadn’t even noticed when the tailing or surveillance started.
Which meant one of two things:Either Cheonma was lying, or...
The spy was skilled enough to evade my detection.
Both scenarios were equally troubling.
If it was the former...
I already don’t trust Cheonma.
If she were going out of her way to lie to me, the situation would become even more complicated.
And if it was the latter...
It’s going to be a pain.
Either they were using powers I couldn’t perceive, or they were simply far more capable than me.
That alone made things convoluted.
On top of that...
I looked at Cheonma’s injuries.
They managed to hurt Cheonma.
Even if she called it a mistake, it didn’t mean she was lacking in skill.
Who could it have been?
Which faction were they from?
As I pondered, one figure came to mind....
Could it be Mother?
A mother I didn’t even know.
Could she be the one behind this?
I bit down on my thumb, lost in thought over the unpleasant possibilities.
"But," Cheonma said suddenly, breaking my train of thought.
"They were...
strange.
"Her words caught me off guard.
**************In a forest far from Yahwol Palace, a woman stumbled as she clung to a tree trunk.
Drip.
With each step, blood fell to the ground.
Oddly, her blood wasn’t red—it was a deep, purplish hue.
“Hahh…”The woman slid down the tree, sitting on the ground.
“Huff...
huff…”Her breathing was labored, her ears and tail drooping as if expressing her exhaustion.
She reached up to remove the black mask on her face, as though it had become stifling.
As the mask came off, a wave of heat dissipated into the air.
Her concealed face was now exposed to the world.
“Huff… urgh…”Her head fell forward, her brown hair cascading to cover her face entirely.
And within that moment, her golden eyes glimmered faintly in the dim light.