episode_0006

“…Really?”

“Yeah. The doctor even said this is truly a miracle. Hyuna, can you believe it? A miracle…!”

On the hillside behind the village.

Lying next to me, Yeonie spoke with an unusually excited expression.

Yeonie regularly underwent thorough examinations by the attending physician, and each time, she would share the confidential test results with me as if it were nothing.

Just until last month, Yeonie’s body was in such a critical condition that it seemed she didn’t have a single healthy organ.

If her symptoms worsened even slightly, she would have to rely on a ventilator and lie in bed awaiting a death sentence.

I still vividly remembered the seriousness in Yeonie’s face when she told me that, which made a lasting impression on me.

While a wizard’s body is generally stronger in all aspects compared to an ordinary person, Yeonie was deteriorating rapidly due to her severe illness.

However, according to yesterday’s test results, Yeonie’s body showed a slight sign of natural recovery.

Although her body was still severely damaged, regaining even a little bit of recovery was something unprecedented among particle-sensitive patients.

“You should have seen the doctor’s surprised expression. It was so comical. And you know what…I think it’s all thanks to you.”

After ranting for a while, Yeonie suddenly turned her head to look at me.

Her eyes were filled with joy and confidence.

“What are you talking about?”

“I feel like my condition improves when you’re by my side. My mind clears up, and the pain decreases.”

“Hmm…”

“I think it’s fate that we’re together. No doubt about it. We’re overcoming the illness with the power of love…!”

“Yeonie…that’s just nonsense…”

“But it’s true…! It’s frustrating…why don’t you believe me?”

Seemingly unsatisfied with my response, Yeonie pounded her chest with her fist.

Then she pouted and turned her head away in a huff.

“If you don’t believe me, then don’t. I’ll just think that way on my own.”

“Ugh, here we go again.”

“Hmph.”

“I was just kidding. Sorry.”

“Fine, whatever.”

“Really. I think you might be right.”

“…”

Yeonie, who had been pretending to be upset, fell silent for a moment after hearing my apology.

Then she rolled back towards me and snuggled into my arms.

“I’ll let it slide this time. Hmph…”

“Ugh…”

It was quite surprising how quickly her expression changed.

I often thought that if Yeonie wasn’t a wizard, she would have made a great actress.

But the idea that being by my side made her healthier was truly baffling.

And the notion of overcoming illness with love was even more so.

While I was certainly pleased that Yeonie had regained some health, I believed it was because her body was naturally resilient.

After all, didn’t Yeonie herself say that wizards are generally stronger than ordinary people?

And with Yeonie possessing exceptional wizardly qualities, there was no need to elaborate on the strength of her physique.

I simply thought that Yeonie wanted to spend more time together, as she always did, so she was forcing a little bit.

“You know. I want to take back what I said last time.”

Yeonie, who had been quietly snuggling, suddenly sat up and spoke.

“What? What did you say?”

“I told you to meet someone else if I die. No matter how much I think about it, I can’t stand it. I’m definitely not going to die. So, you can’t meet anyone else either.”

“What are you talking about again? Weren’t you the one who told me to find someone prettier and live well?”

“No. No. No. Absolutely not!”

Yeonie vehemently protested after hearing my words. Then, she suddenly looked at me with fierce eyes.

“Do you actually want to meet someone else? Have you found someone you like?”

“Ugh…”

The dense appearance of the beehive seemed to sting my eyes. I looked at Yeoni, spreading my arms as a gesture for reconciliation.

“There’s no way. Come here.”

“You’re trying to brush it off so easily again…”

“Quickly.”

“Ugh…”

As I continued to urge her, Yeoni, as if unable to resist, approached and embraced me. After patting her head a few times, she spoke again.

“I won’t meet anyone else.”

“…”

“I like you the most.”

“…”

“And you’re the most beautiful.”

“…I know.”

Yeoni responded satisfactorily. We remained silent for a while, then she opened her mouth again.

“…I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“…Yeah…”

We lay close together on the grassy hillside, enjoying the pleasant mountain breeze for a while.

***

The miracle did not stop with just one instance; Yeoni slowly but steadily regained her health.

Despite predicting that she wouldn’t see the sunrise of the new year, Yeoni was still alive after six months had passed.

The distinct pallor on her face had also disappeared without a trace.

In its place, a vitality had taken over, visible even to my eyes.

Initially, I was afraid of harboring false hope and receiving a bigger blow, but by this point, I naturally began to accept the joy.

However, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Yeoni’s unbelievable belief that she had overcome her illness with love deepened even further. Her obsession towards me also intensified in proportion.

Now, except for sleeping, we hardly left each other’s sight. Yeoni sincerely lamented not being able to stay with me overnight.

Meanwhile, as if trying to compensate for the pain she had endured, Yeoni began to grow at an explosive rate.

She became more mature and beautiful with each passing day.

Although it’s said that girls mature faster than boys, I was quite shocked when Yeoni, who used to fit snugly in my arms, grew taller than me by at least a head.

On the other hand, I was on the smaller side not only compared to Yeoni but also among my peers like Jinho and Ina.

Sometime along the way, for some reason, a sense of fatigue and soreness crept into my body, and as the hospital couldn’t find any specific cause, I became increasingly frustrated.

“The doctor said that growth spurts might come a bit later.”

“But it’s too late.”

“Just wait a little. And what does height matter? You’re already cute enough.”

“I want to grow taller.”

“It’s okay. I actually think now is better.”

“What?”

“…Hehe, nothing!”

Yeoni hugged me tightly, saying she found me cute.

But in a corner of my heart, impatience akin to jealousy began to grow.

Unlike Yeoni, who was reclaiming her former self, I was still lagging behind without any accomplishments.

Because of that feeling, I found myself making even more effort than before to fulfill even the smallest wishes Yeoni had.

Of course, Yeoni’s demands mostly revolved around emotional stubbornness, and she never once asked for anything material.

However, there was a time when she showed a hint of envy when Jinho and Ina exchanged rings.

Trying not to show it, I secretly saved up money for a long time for Yeoni.

And after secretly measuring Yeoni’s finger while she napped, I went to a nearby jewelry store in the next village.

But with the money I had, I could only afford a very basic ring. After a long negotiation with the owner, I barely managed to stay within budget.

I handed the neatly wrapped package to Yeoni, full of regret.

Fortunately, when Yeoni saw the ring, she was delighted as if she were the happiest person in the world.

“Wow… This is just perfect… Wow…”

“I’m sorry. I wanted to give you something better…”

“What are you talking about? This ring is the best in the world. It’s so beautiful…”

Yeonhee murmured as she raised her finger, reflecting the sunlight on the ring.

After seeing her like that, I was able to relieve some of my anxiety.

“…I want to wear it all the time. It’s really annoying…”

Yeonhee, who had been admiring the ring for a while, suddenly looked disappointed.

We were on the brink of 17, and Yeonhee, who should have died a long time ago, was miraculously regaining her health.

And strange things began to happen around Yeonhee.

At some point, Yeonhee emitted a strong and sweet floral scent that made her head spin. We even found out that the scent was similar to the fragrance of water parsley growing by the village stream.

And although we didn’t see it ourselves, Maid Yejin had witnessed objects and clothes floating around Yeonhee while she slept, and a bright golden aura shimmering around her body.

These symptoms of Yeonhee were the prelude to her transformation.

Furthermore, emitting a unique scent or having colors on her body meant that Yeonhee was an incredibly powerful sorceress.

Whether this state of Yeonhee was known to her family, the only maid in the mansion, the visits of the elders of Yeonhee’s family, known as the gods, increased.

We didn’t know what they were thinking, but their greedy and arrogant expressions were unmistakable even from a distance.

Because of their presence, it became difficult for Yeonhee to move freely as she used to.

“…I’m sorry. If someone pushes you, our relationship could be exposed to the family. Then you’ll be in danger…”

“It’s okay. Don’t worry.”

To be honest, it would be a lie to say that I didn’t worry at all, but there was no other answer I could give.

Yeonhee tried to dispel her regret and turned the conversation with a bright voice.

“…But it might be okay if we put it on a chain and make it a necklace. Then it won’t be visible under your clothes. You can just wear it on your finger when we’re together. How about that…? Can we resolve this way…?”

“Okay. And I’m not angry.”

“Hmm…?”

She denied her embarrassed feelings. Yeonhee looked at me with a strange expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“…Nothing.”

“…But you have to wear it all the time.”

“What?”

“Isn’t that obvious? It’s good. You need to engrave the fact that you belong to someone. It’s time to properly imprint that on those cheap girls… Ugh.”

Suddenly, Yeonhee covered my mouth and looked at me carefully.

Yeonhee had become more sophisticated than before, but she still expressed extreme discomfort when female students approached me.

And now, I understood those feelings very well.

“…Is that okay?”

“…Yes.”

I immediately put the ring on my left ring finger and reached out to her.

Yeonhee smiled satisfactorily only then.

***

Contrary to Yeonhee, who was showing off her increasingly dazzling beauty, the news coming from all over the country was nothing but bad.

Traces suspected to be from demons continued to be found near the northern barrier,

Several high-ranking maus appeared in the east, but failed to intercept them, causing irreparable damage to many pioneer villages,

Various factions across the country were raising flags against the country, and the leaders of those factions were strongly suspected to be connected to demons and powerful dark sorcerers.

One day, even the truck merchants who brought us such news stopped coming, and we only received the news that he had lost his life in an attack by a horde of monsters on his way back.

Now, our village could no longer be seen as just a safe zone as before.

Among the members of the Gashindan, there was a suggestion to move Yeoni to a safer place, but since there was still uncertainty about her survival until the blossoming and she vehemently refused, it was ultimately postponed.

In the midst of such chaos, my 16th birthday came around, and since Yeoni wanted to celebrate with just the two of us, I asked for permission from my mom, Jinho, and Ina.

They graciously agreed as if it were obvious, and the three of them decided to prepare for the celebration at our house while Yeoni and I spent time together.

As I put on my shoes, my mom added a teasing remark.

“Son, are you really going to come inside the house today? When did you grow up so much…”

“…Where’s the mom who says those things to her own son?”

I ignored my mom’s words and left the house.

And then, I secretly joined Yeoni on the path and headed towards the gap in the village wall.

The place we were heading to was an empty cabin on the back hill.

Perhaps due to our frequent visits, this place had completely transformed into our sanctuary.

“What is this…”

“Why?”

“Why is he following us here?”

Yeoni pointed to a corner of the cabin, pouting. Following her finger, I saw Peanut sitting on a cushion, grooming himself meticulously.

-Meow!

Peanut, seeing Yeoni’s scolding, let out a small meow as if feeling unjust. Yeoni continued to express her frustration.

“I locked him in the room, how did he manage to escape…”

“…Maybe the window was open. Let’s cut him some slack. He’s not a person, he’s an animal…”

“…I don’t know. I don’t think he’s just an animal. He understands me too well these days.”

“That could be true. Cats are intelligent animals…”

“It’s more than that. Listen. Just the other day…”

After a while of gossiping about Peanut, Yeoni seemed satisfied and started preparing for the celebration.

Today was not the day Gashindan was coming, and the maid was sent to the upper city on an errand, so we could enjoy a leisurely time without any prying eyes.

I barely held back my laughter as I looked at the shoddily made cake by Yeoni, and after listening to the congratulatory song, I lit 16 candles.

We ate cake and food, chattering about trivial things.

The joyful time passed quickly. Small stars began to twinkle in the darkening sky.

We headed back to the village before it got too late.

After walking in silence for a while, Yeoni suddenly spoke up.

“Hyuna, we’ll be 17 next year.”

“That’s right. Already…”

We were at the end of our youth without realizing it.

As I listened to Yeoni’s words, memories of the past flooded back.

There was also a slight sense of pride in my heart.

Although our first meeting was not pleasant, we had overcome it all to reach this moment.

-Poof

“Yeoni?”

Suddenly, a warm sensation enveloped me, along with the rich and sweet scent of mugwort.

“…I’m sorry.”

“All of a sudden?”

“I know what you’ve been going through lately.”

“…”

I tried to pretend not to know English, but Yeoni seemed to see through my inner thoughts.

As I watched Yeoni regain her light, I couldn’t help but feel the emotions I had been feeling.

The anxiety of falling behind without any achievements seemed to be transmitted to Yeoni as well.

I desperately searched for excuses in my embarrassment, but no suitable words came to mind.

Seeing me like that, Yeoni calmly continued her words.

“The Gashindan mentioned last time that if your body condition remains the same, you might be able to blossom around the age of 17. There’s not much time left now.”

After hesitating for a moment, Yeoni continued.

“And… you know, in our country, you’re considered an adult at 17. When that time comes, my freedom will be much greater than it is now.”

“…But?”

“If I become a magician, if I become an adult, then…”

“…Then?”

“Then… at that time…!”

-Kwahng!

After hesitating for a long time, Yeon’s words that she was about to spit out finally couldn’t be continued.

A vibration that seemed to shake the sky and the ground at the same time suddenly spread from under the mountain.

At that shock, without anyone saying who was first, we all turned our heads at the same time.

And even though it was a dark night, we could clearly see all of that scenery.

The raging flames and rising black smoke fiercely above the walls surrounding our village.

“What is this…”

-Kwahng!

-Thud!

Before we could even grasp the situation, flames erupted in various parts of the village with a deafening roar.

The echoes of people shouting, and the sound of launching projectiles, began to fill the air from all directions.

Soon, we could all sense the smell of death carried along with the acrid smoke.