Chapter 280: Winter Rain. (4)

And the pouring rain.

Amidst the countless crowd.

The woman moved with hurried steps.

‘…Why?’

Even as she walked, she asked herself.

Why she was avoiding the place.

Even after facing the one she so longed to see.

Why she was running away from him.

‘Seriously, why?’

She didn’t know.

She still didn’t know.

The moment she met his eyes.

She wanted to get away and escape immediately.

‘I’m scared.’

Yes, it’s because she’s scared.

The anxiety and fear rising up to her throat scattered the mind she was desperately trying to hold onto.

Why was she so scared?

The woman shut her eyes tightly.

-Calm down.

Then, as if waiting, a voice echoed in her mind.

It was the voice that had always guided her.

She called the owner of this voice ‘Unni’.

She had trusted and followed her.

And asked for directions when she was lost.

‘…I told you not to show up for a while.’

Right now, she wasn’t someone she could really trust.

-Are you afraid?

‘…’

-Are you afraid he won’t recognize how much you’ve changed? Is that it?

The woman couldn’t utter a word in response to the voice.

Because she couldn’t bring herself to say no.

-It seems you’re scared.

‘…Don’t talk like you know everything so easily.’

-How could I not know? I’m the only one in this world who knows you best.

‘That’s exactly why you’re talking so easily.’

Even as she denied it.

The woman bit her lip.

Because she couldn’t deny it.

Her own appearance, so different from when she was by his side.

How it would look in his eyes.

That’s what she was afraid of.

And also.

She was afraid of hearing resentful words from his mouth.

That’s what the woman feared.

Why did you leave without a word?

Why did you change so much?

The moment she saw his eyes from afar.

She became so afraid of that.

-He’s not that kind of person.

‘…I know.’

She knew.

That he wasn’t someone who would care about such things and utter resentful words.

And yet.

For some reason, she hid herself and avoided him.

Even though it was something she longed for.

Squelch.

As she walked through the rain-soaked street.

She found herself outside the city, deep in the woods.

The people who had filled the streets.

And their voices that had filled her ears disappeared.

Only then could she finally breathe.

“Haa…. Haa….”

Panting, the woman thought.

That she hadn’t exchanged a single word.

She had wanted to ask if he was doing well.

But her pathetic self couldn’t even manage that.

Just looking at him briefly from afar.

That was all she could do.

‘I tried so hard….’

The woman leaned against a tree, catching her breath, and looked at her hands.

Her palms, once described as fair and delicate, were now covered in calluses.

They were the fruits of her efforts.

Squeeze.

She looked at her palms and clenched them into fists.

-What are you planning to do now?

She didn’t answer the voice.

What should she do?

[Once you step outside, many people will notice you.]

This was a conversation she had with her grandfather before coming here.

Honestly, it couldn’t really be called a conversation.

She hadn’t said a word, only listened.

[Your grandfather is worried about that. He wishes you, Seol-ah, wouldn’t step out into the world, but that’s impossible, isn’t it?]

He meant he could no longer hold her back.

As her grandfather wished.

The woman silently complied.

Therefore, her grandfather had to acknowledge this much.

After a long time, around the time the seal her grandfather desired was completed.

Shin-ui had told the woman.

[It won’t be the same as before. The regained presence will feel unfamiliar, and because the vessel has been reduced, you will feel discomfort in your body.]

As Shin-ui had said.

The woman had to endure countless discomforts.

Unlike before, her body felt weaker.

And the unknown energy was overwhelming to control.

Shin-ui said.

Even her weakened body was incomparably strong compared to others.

And feeling the energy now.

Was because she was only now sensing what was originally too vast to contain.

He said she was only feeling it now because it had been slightly reduced.

So the woman asked again.

Why she had to go through this.

If her original state was better, why bother with this?

To this, Shin-ui replied.

-Your grandfather seems to want you to live as a human.

What did that mean?

The woman couldn’t quite understand even now.

She was human.

She meant she was human, just like him, whom she held in her heart, having been born and raised.

Unable to comprehend this, she asked the other woman within her body that night.

-….

At that time, she couldn’t give any answer.

To the question of whether she wasn’t human.

She couldn’t answer in the end.

Whatever the case.

After blocking the energy within her body, even if unstably.

Only then could the woman finally begin the training she desired.

During the day, she trained under her grandfather.

At night, she had someone else fill in the gaps in her swordsmanship.

Was wielding the sword she so longed for enjoyable?

Honestly, she wasn’t sure.

It would be more accurate to say she felt nothing.

Her purpose for deciding to learn the sword was different from the start.

She just swung it silently.

The martial arts her grandfather taught were beautiful.

They said moonlight permeated the sword.

Was it called Wolseonmgeom?

At first.

The moment she saw her grandfather swing his sword under the moonlight.

It was so beautiful that she was completely captivated then.

That alone was a decent driving force.

Half a year of wielding the sword, trying to make it shine.

Moonlight permeated the woman’s sword far too easily.

She remembered showing it off proudly, and her grandfather looking at her with sad eyes.

Why did he look like that? She didn’t know.

And she didn’t want to know.

The woman continued to wield her sword even after that day.

Just consistently.

Without rest.

If she could reduce it, she reduced her sleep too.

For some reason, the gluttony she used to indulge in disappeared.

Was it because he wasn’t there?

Or perhaps, as Shin-ui said, thanks to the justification of the seal.

She didn’t know if even her shameful gluttony had been blocked.

Then one day.

She felt something different in her body and asked her grandfather.

He told her that the woman had crossed the wall.

This was when she had just passed a year since picking up the sword.

Moonlight was imbued in the sword’s blade.

And after her grandfather said she had crossed the wall.

Soon after, changes occurred in the woman’s body.

Perhaps energy had seeped into her pupils, dyeing them golden.

Her deep brown hair was also gradually turning golden.

Her body grew rapidly.

She came to possess a body different from the past.

The chubby cheeks he used to touch fondly were long gone without a trace.

If those who remembered her saw her.

They wouldn’t recognize her for quite some time due to the change.

She truly hated that.

It would have been nice if she were the same as before.

So that he could recognize her easily.

-Child….

The tone felt full of pity.

Although the voice felt sincere.

The woman didn’t trust her.

From around the time she started training her sword, and from the point she began having certain dreams at night.

Furthermore.

From the moment she realized those dreams were her memories.

The woman could no longer trust her.

Drip-drop.

The rain that fell through the dense forest.

Soaked her clothes along her slender shoulders.

Even so, the woman didn’t move.

Because her steps felt as heavy as if weights had been attached.

-What are you planning to do now? You wanted to see him so badly.

‘…’

She had wanted to see him.

She wanted to see the gaze that looked upon her.

She missed the rough touch that used to stroke her hair.

But.

Courage didn’t come easily.

‘Will it be okay…?’

Even if she faced him looking like this.

Would it be okay?

The woman was afraid of that.

While getting drenched by the rain and biting her lips hard.

Whoosh.

“…!”

Startled by the heat felt behind her, the woman turned around.

Sizzle.

She heard the sound of moisture on the ground evaporating from the heat.

Turning around, she saw someone shaking themselves off, emitting hot steam all over their body.

“You came all this way to see me, and where are you running off to? Making me chase you around like an annoyance.”

“…Ah.”

Unlike the last time she saw him.

His voice was a little deeper.

She had seen him from afar, but.

He seemed a bit taller.

And his build seemed a bit larger.

His eyes were still fierce.

But meeting the gaze and emotions within them.

Made her feel like the tightness in her chest was warming up.

‘No.’

Even as the thought crossed her mind, the woman pulled the cloak covering her face tighter.

Because she didn’t want him to see.

How had he chased her?

She had deliberately disappeared into the crowd.

Had he generated heat?

Water was evaporating from his body, generating heat.

Did that mean he ran that fast?

As proof that he had raised his internal energy, his eyes were tinged red.

Splash.

“…!”

Seeing him take a step closer.

The woman flinched.

As if not noticing, he approached the woman.

---

‘Is she thin?’

That was her first impression upon meeting her after so long.

Unlike before, she could see the defined lines of her body.

Furthermore, seeing the sword at her waist.

It seemed she was truly learning the sword from the Sword Saint.

As she took a step closer.

The kid flinched and took a step back.

Seeing that, I spoke first.

“Even if you run again, I’ll chase you until I die, so just stay put.”

Seeing her flinch at my words.

As expected, she must have been trying to run away again.

Of course, even if she ran again, I had no intention of letting her go.

Whatever she was so afraid of.

The kid tried to hide her face even more with what she was wearing.

“Weren’t you here to see me earlier? Where are you going?”

“…”

There was no answer.

But I didn’t mind.

I just approached slowly.

“You’re not even answering when I say it’s been a while. Or do you not want to talk to me?”

“…N…no.”

She spat it out curtly.

Only then could I hear her voice.

Her voice sounded a bit more mature.

But it hadn’t changed much from the voice etched in my memory.

Before I knew it, we were close enough to touch.

I could see her shoulders trembling, perhaps from the cold.

Meanwhile, I had to catch my breath internally.

‘Why is she so fast?’

It felt like I’d used half my internal energy just chasing her.

It made sense, as I had to heighten my senses to find this kid.

And besides, she ran so fast that I even had to use my energy to keep up, leaving me with little left.

It felt tiring, for the first time in a while.

Still.

‘I caught her.’

I followed her so she wouldn’t get away.

That was enough.

Rustle.

I took another step closer.

Flinch.

The kid’s shoulders trembled.

‘What first.’

What should I ask first?

Should I ask why she left only a single letter behind?

Or perhaps, how she’d been?

Why she ran the moment she saw me.

Why she was here.

Why she was trembling so much. If she was hurt somewhere.

There were so many things I wanted to ask.

But putting aside countless thoughts.

The words that actually came out of my mouth were different.

“It’s been a while.”

“…!”

For some reason, the kid seemed surprised by my words.

Her trembling shoulders stopped.

I felt her head, which she had been trying to hide, slowly turning towards me.

“Have you been well?”

“Ah… uh….”

Her voice hesitated, as if she couldn’t answer properly.

I never imagined a reunion would feel like this.

“I’ve been doing alright, all things considered.”

Of course, various incidents happened, and I got engaged.

And I gained the ability to turn other humans into mind-controlled servants.

But my body was fine, so it’s technically true.

There were many things I wanted to say.

But I felt this was enough for now.

I reached out my hand.

The cold rain was quite bothersome.

But that’s just something to dry later.

I carefully showed my palm as I reached out.

Only then.

Swish-

A white hand came up over mine.

I had to wait for her to hesitate and waver for a while, but.

It turned out okay.

Seeing it come up, I slowly took hold of it.

I didn’t grip it tightly.

Just enough to gently cup it.

That should be enough.

“Now, I’d like to see your face, you know. After not seeing you for so long, surely you won’t hide it?”

I said it with a smirk.

The kid looked visibly hesitant.

The reason she was covering her face like that.

I wondered if it was because she hoped I wouldn’t recognize her.

But if she really thought that, it was a big mistake.

A truly big mistake.

No matter how much time passed.

There was no way I wouldn’t recognize you.

After hesitating for a long time.

Her other hand, the one not being held, went up.

Then she grabbed the thing covering her face and slowly pulled it down.

Swish.

It was pulled down little by little, sliding down.

Her hidden face came into view.

Her trembling pupils, looking anxious.

And the gaze she tried hard to meet.

I couldn’t help but smile.

“It’s been a while.”

And then I repeated the same words as before.

I felt like the meaning of my words would finally reach her properly.

“…”

Hearing this, she, Wi Seol-ah.

“It’s… been a while.”

Finally answered me.

Drip.

Drop….

The sensation of the downpour soaking her shoulders lessened.

It gradually decreased.

Until eventually, she couldn’t feel it anymore.

The winter rain that had been falling for days.

Had finally stopped.