Chapter 37: Didn’t you find it if you were hiding

“Hello?”

A voice, as if made of endless void, was heard.

“Who…?”

Luna looked around at the sound of someone calling her, but there was no one else present except Sihyun beside her.

‘Could Sihyun have made that voice?’

“No…”

His voice is gentle and warm.

It’s not eerie or unpleasant like the voice just now.

“Who is it…?”

“Shhh, over here.”

“Lulu…?”

“Is this child’s name Lulu? But I’m not Lulu. I’ve merely dwelled here for a short while.”

The rabbit doll held in her arms slightly raised its head and looked at Luna.

“Not Lulu…?”

“No. I’ve always been with Luna. I just couldn’t speak until now.”

The doll moved naturally, as if it were a person, and continued the conversation.

Under normal circumstances, she might have considered it a wondrous experience, like a child’s dream come true.

But in this world where urban legends had become reality, a doll moving was in itself an ominous sign.

“Can you… keep talking now…?”

“No, I have to go back. It was nice meeting you, Luna. Oh, and our meeting is a secret from Sihyun. He wouldn’t believe it anyway.”

The doll raised its plush hand and waved goodbye to Luna.

Plop.

Its arm fell limply downwards, and the rabbit doll stopped moving.

“Lulu…”

It was a wondrous experience.

For the doll Sihyun had won for her, saying it resembled her, to move and speak to her.

Luna wanted to tell Sihyun about this too.

“Sih…”

But the girl opened her lips, then quickly closed them again.

‘What if he doesn’t believe me…’

A doll moving. And speaking, no less. Would Sihyun believe it?

Normally, she wouldn’t have worried about such things and would have told Sihyun everything.

Because of the doll’s last words, Luna suddenly felt anxious.

–“It’s a secret from Sihyun. He wouldn’t believe it anyway.”

What if Sihyun really didn’t believe her words…?

If the only precious person in the world didn’t believe her…

“No…”

That can’t be.

Sihyun will believe her.

“Right…?”

Luna approached Sihyun, holding a tiny speck of anxiety in her heart.

“Sihyun… Lulu spoke.”

“Lulu spoke?”

“Yes… It said hello.”

‘Would he believe me?’

‘If he laughs at me, I’ll…’

The hand gripping Sihyun’s clothes trembled slightly.

But Sihyun dispelled Luna’s worries in an instant.

“Haha, really? Lulu must have been really happy to see Luna too.”

“Oh…?”

Sihyun smiled brightly and held the girl’s hand tightly.

Not even the slightest hint of doubt could be found in his eyes.

It was naturally the gaze of someone who believed the girl’s words.

“Sihyun… you believe me…?”

“Of course I do.”

“Why…?”

“Hmm… if I had to find a reason—”

Sihyun squatted down and met Luna’s eyes directly.

Then he reached out and gently stroked the girl’s face.

“Luna, golden eyes have been believed since ancient times to be able to see all the truths and principles of the world correctly. And Luna’s eyes are a beautifully shining golden.”

Sihyun gently tapped Luna’s nose.

“How could I not believe what Luna saw, with eyes like that? And I told you, I like Luna. Of course, I have to believe the words of a girl I like. Even if the girl herself can’t believe it, I will believe it.”

“…”

Luna couldn’t say anything.

Sihyun, who believed in her so naturally, as water falls from above to below.

To think there was someone in the world who believed in her so much.

She felt foolish for having hesitated even for a moment after hearing what the doll said.

“Sihyun… hug me… please… hug me tightly.”

She couldn’t hold back.

She wanted to be in his arms so badly.

“Like this?”

–*Squeeze.*

As she was embraced in his always comforting arms, the girl’s anxiety vanished in an instant.

“My arms are exclusively for Luna, so just say the word anytime.”

“Okay… Sihyun.”

The words of the cunning doll couldn’t drive even a speck of a wedge between him and her.

****

‘She wants a tight hug? Luna is really too cute!’

Sihyun felt as though his efforts had borne fruit.

‘She can even act spoiled now, Luna has really grown so much!’

Luna had suddenly seemed anxious, but now she appeared to be composed.

Just then, the small rabbit doll caught Sihyun’s eye.

‘A doll spoke, huh…’

A typical adult would have just thought the child had made up an imaginary friend, humored her for a bit, and then ignored it.

‘Luna wouldn’t lie. This must really be the Lulu doll speaking.’

Sihyun was different.

His absolute trust in Luna. And knowing the unique nature of urban legends better than anyone, he didn’t dismiss the girl’s words lightly.

“Luna, I want to talk to Lulu too. Can I borrow it for a moment?”

“Yes… here…”

“I just bought some bungeoppang, so wait for a bit while you eat this. Okay?”

Luna nodded as she took the bungeoppang.

‘An obedient beautiful girl little sister is the best.’

Sihyun gently stroked Luna’s head, then walked a little to the side.

“Alright. At this distance, Luna probably won’t hear my voice.”

Sihyun held the rabbit doll and stared at it intently.

“Notification Window. Do you sense anything from the doll I won?”

[Sihyun-nim, are you believing what Luna said?]

“Of course. Our Luna doesn’t lie. And more than anything, does it make sense for me not to believe Luna? Of course I believe her.”

Although he didn’t think so himself, Sihyun was that kind of man.

A person with deep affection and a kind heart. Once he decided someone was within his fence, he trusted them more than anyone.

[Sihyun-nim, you really are… consistent, both then and now.]

“Oh, come on. How long have you known me to say that? So, do you sense anything or not?”

The Notification Window began to flicker and glow.

[There really is something… But it feels very deeply hidden. How did you know this?]

“I just believed Luna, that’s all. Anyway, there is something there, right?”

[Yes. But only a very faint trace remains. It seems like the main body… or something similar, is somewhere else.]

“If it were a good guy, there would be no reason to hide, would there? How dare it secretly speak to our innocent princess?”

–*Whoosh!*

Sihyun grabbed the doll with both hands and began to shake it vigorously up and down.

“It’s only a part, but it’s still inside here, right? Come out while I’m being nice. If you don’t, I’ll keep shaking until you do.”

[Sihyun-nim, do you think anything will come out if you do that?]

“If it doesn’t plan to come out, tell it not to. I’ll shake it like this forever then.”

*Swish, swish.*

Had he shaken it for about 5 minutes like that?

–*Hiss.*

Something like faint gray smoke shot out from the rabbit doll and flew into the air.

Sihyun wasn’t about to let it get away.

*Grab!*

“Where do you think you’re going? Did you think I’d just let you go?”

[It actually came out? But it seems too weak to react at all.]

The gray smoke struggled to escape from Sihyun’s hand, then, as if losing strength, went limp.

“Can’t be helped then. You said the main body or whatever is separate. Let’s at least eliminate this one. Can you do it?”

[This much is a piece of cake!]

–*Flash!*

As the Notification Window flickered once and emitted light, the gray smoke scattered into pieces and completely disappeared.

“It’s a relief that it’s been expelled from the doll, but I still have a bad feeling about it. I should head inside now.”

Sihyun approached Luna, who was sitting quietly, holding the rabbit doll and waiting.

But in his haste to walk due to the bad feeling, he didn’t see a small stone stubble under his foot.

–*Thud!*

“Huh?”

Sihyun stumbled and fell straight to the ground.

Fortunately, he wasn’t seriously hurt, but his knee scraped against the ground, causing a slight abrasion and bleeding.

“Ugh, why is there a stone here?”

He examined the wound, but it didn’t seem as serious as he thought.

“Sihyun… does it hurt?”

“It does hurt a bit, but it’ll heal quickly. Don’t worry, Luna.”

“…”

It was then.

–*Thump.*

Suddenly, Luna threw herself forward.

The girl fell without Sihyun having a chance to stop her.

“Lu-Luna! Are you okay?!”

“Yes…”

Luna nonchalantly brushed off her clothes and stood up.

“What do you mean, okay! Are you hurt anywhere? You fell really hard.”

Sihyun meticulously checked Luna from her knees to her hands and feet, but there wasn’t even the slightest scratch, let alone an injury.

A catastrophe-level urban legend collector.

Luna was only a delicate girl in appearance; she could never be harmed by ordinary means.

“Luna, why did you suddenly do that? Why did you fall on purpose?”

“Sihyun… you were hurting…”

“What?”

“But… I don’t know what pain is…”

Luna reached out her small hand and placed it on Sihyun’s wound.

“I wanted to feel it with you…”

Her golden eyes were so pure.

The girl who simply said she was curious and wanted to know.

Sihyun couldn’t scold Luna any further.

“Luna, even though I know you don’t get hurt, I still worry.”

“Why…?”

“Because you’re precious. That’s why I wish Luna never knew the feeling of pain.”

Sihyun pulled the girl, whose eyes were wide, into his embrace.

“Pain is certainly an important emotion. But pain is also connected to sadness. I don’t want Luna to be sad.”

“I… shouldn’t feel it?”

“If possible. But someday, if Luna ever feels pain and becomes sad because of it, remember these words I’m telling you now.”

“What is it…?”

Sihyun taught Luna the words, ‘Help me.’

“Help… me…?”

“You must remember it, Luna. If you say those words, no matter how far away I am, I will definitely come to help you. Understood?”

The girl stared intently at Sihyun without a word.

That soft, fuzzy feeling welled up in her chest again.

But now, she felt she knew what it was.

‘Joy…’

The emotion Sihyun had taught her at the amusement park.

That feeling of joy was now overflowing in her heart.

“Okay…”

“Shall we go home now? It’s about time for Luna’s snack.”

Sihyun paid no mind to the wound on his knee and walked with Luna on his back.

‘Even if she doesn’t get hurt… Luna might still fall again.’

“…Sihyun.”

“Hmm?”

“If I ever get hurt… will you worry?”

“Of course. I’ll worry a lot, so don’t try anything like that again, Princess. Understood?”

“…Okay.”

At this moment, Luna thought it was fortunate that Sihyun couldn’t see her expression.

Because her face was slowly growing warm, along with a somewhat pounding feeling.

If he saw it, he would surely discover what this emotion was.

‘A warmer feeling… than joy…’

The name of this new emotion, which swelled in her chest as if to overflow whenever she thought of Sihyun.

Luna would soon know.