episode_0016

Shihyuk and Eunha sat inside the cafe and talked for quite some time.

“I said earlier that I found Sihyuk with the ‘Hot Wind’, right? I looked around, and it seems that among people with extremely developed senses, there is a rare special constitution that allows them to read the other person’s energy, or mana. It’s an innate ability to sense mana that can’t be explained even with [Skill]! What do you think? Amazing, right? Ahem!”

“Is that so?”

“I got an accurate diagnosis at the hospital, but my constitution is so strong that I feel ‘wind’ as a hallucination or illusion. Rather than feeling mana with this ability… Well, it’s hard to explain, but I feel like I’m reading the other person’s thoughts or emotions. Mana follows the owner’s will, right? That’s the feeling. ”

“Ugh.”

From the trivial details about the constitution and abilities of the awakened person,

“Now that I’ve told you my story, let’s talk about Sihyuk! How did Sihyuk repair my rapier in such a short amount of time? Of all the ‘Meister’ level craftsmen I’ve met, I’ve never seen anyone fix a [rare grade weapon] so quickly!”

“The inside of the cafe is cozy and nice. It’s Gangwon-do, so the weather was quite chilly even in spring, but the interior is warm and comfortable.”

“Don’t change the subject so blatantly?!”

Even stories that are close to comic dialogue.

The conversation they had was mostly Eunha talking and Sihyuk adding some flair.

The content was also disorganized and the topic changed several times, so it was more like small talk, but Eun-ha was a pretty good talker and Si-hyuk was a pretty good listener.

As they talked, both of them were delighted to have this unique conversation partner.

How much time had passed? Eunha, who was lying comfortably with her chin resting on the table, stared at Sihyuk and opened her mouth.

“Mr. Sihyuk is a very interesting person.”

“Am I talking?”

Eunha nodded her head in that state. The tips of her dark green short hair tickled the table slightly.

“Just like I felt a warm breeze from Sihyuk, I feel different winds from other people.”

Eunha looked at Sihyuk, and Sihyuk looked at Eunha. They looked at each other. The moment their eyes met, Eunha smiled brightly, her eyes curling.

“I’ve met quite a few people with this ability. People who approach you kindly, but are sticky and unpleasantly windy. People who extend their hand with a smile, but are cold and self-centered and windy… . Sihyuk is different. His words and actions are just like the wind. I feel like he’s an honest person. And he’s also very hot and intense. ”

“… … .”

“When I first saw Sihyuk, I was honestly a little scared. It felt like a tornado made of flames that would burn down everything that blocked it. It was so hot and dry. However, the wind blew gently from its place and did not attack others. When I gathered my courage and approached him, I felt a surprisingly affectionate and warm wind inside the storm.”

Shihyuk wanted to correct her sense that she was wrong. The person he knew was infinitely immature and weak. He was not strong, and he was not a warm and affectionate person.

But Sihyuk remained silent as he watched Eunha smiling bashfully. He himself didn’t know why.

Did he think that the girl in front of him wouldn’t believe him if he told her? Or was he afraid that she would be disappointed if he confessed his true self? He couldn’t figure out the answer. He never opened his mouth.

“When I was wandering around in front of the kiosk and was embarrassed by the taste of espresso that I was tasting for the first time, it was a warm and pleasant feeling, as if they were considerate and caring for me, even though I pretended not to be embarrassed.”

Eunha reached out and touched the cup she had just finished drinking. The taste of tea she was tasting for the first time thanks to Shihyuk’s consideration was surprisingly sweet and fragrant, and she felt happy for some reason.

“You are a good person.”

“I think you’re evaluating me too highly. Rather than me-”

Galaxy is a really good person, the words I was about to say got caught in the back of my throat.

Shihyuk brought the teacup he had just finished drinking back to his lips. He felt awkward and uneasy as he finished his speech.

“Rather, what is it?”

“… Ms. Eunha is truly an amazing person.”

So he changed the words to something else. Eunha, who could only feel the ‘wind’ and could not even know the thoughts perfectly, opened her mouth and asked.

“Me? What’s wrong?”

“I won’t tell you that.”

“Ah, what is it! It’s a-killing!”

It was originally intended to be a vague way to pass the words, but it was somewhat sincere. To Shi-hyuk, Eun-ha was a truly amazing and mysterious person.

It was the first time he had ever had such a long conversation with someone he had never met before, and felt comfortable and happy rather than uncomfortable.

It was really surprising, refreshing and different.

The conversations he had with others up until then, except for a few cases, were just awkward and uncomfortable. He was shy to begin with, did not enjoy forming relationships with people, and complained of dizziness just from being among people.

That’s why I only had a handful of conversations with people, and even then, I only had a few people I could really have a proper conversation with. My teacher, Baek Hyun-man, my teacher’s close friend, Kim Woo-sik, and even the old man I met at Suraksan Mountain.

‘This person has the power to make other people feel good.’

The existence of Eunha was so shocking that Shihyuk thought that way without thinking. Not in a bad way, but in the sense that he was amazed that there were people like this in the world.

The existence of a rare kind person in modern society who is happy to form relationships with people based solely on affection and interest, without any selfish motives, was even breaking the narrow framework of Sihyuk’s human relationships.

Eunha had a childlike innocence. She was instinctively wary of those who approached her with uncomfortable ‘winds’, but she was usually the one who opened her heart and always approached others first.

Eunha liked to talk, but she wasn’t particularly good at talking. She wasn’t good at talking, so she could cleverly instigate and entice people.

There was simply no one who could not fall in love with her for her inner beauty that was as beautiful as her outer beauty.

With her heart between people, not just her tongue, she was a being that could be loved by anyone.

Shihyuk himself doesn’t realize it, but he is weak to people who approach him with no intention of getting anything done, just out of kindness. Like the case of his teacher and the elder of Suraksan before Eunha.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that his entire life in the guild was marked by finger-pointing, slander, insults, and defamation. Nearly 20 years of failure and hurt were enough to distort Sihyuk’s personality and self-esteem.

If he had been an ordinary person, he would have gone crazy by now. If it weren’t for his obsession with his craftsman, his obsession to the point of fanaticism, Shi-hyuk wouldn’t have been able to endure it. No, he was half-crazy even at that point.

It was only natural that Si-hyuk, who was worn out and wounded by the violence of language and emotions, felt discomfort and rejection in conversations with others and erected a wall around others who approached him.

but,

Since there were very few people who treated him with genuine interest and affection, Shihyuk had no tolerance for those who approached him with only pure kindness.

The gentle and soft spring breeze was enough to break down the barrier of rejection in Shihyuk’s heart.

He couldn’t fathom the complex emotions he felt. He just felt that there was something special about her.

‘He may look scary because he looks blunt and dull, but he’s a good person.’

And Eunha also had a positive opinion of Shihyuk.

Eun-ha didn’t know what Shi-hyuk had been through in the past, but she could guess.

A whirlwind of flames.

From the dry, arid, desolate wind that seemed ready to split at any moment, she could tell that he had been hurt in the past.

The terrifyingly intense flames were certainly terrifying, but Eunha soon realized that the heat was not harmful to others.

He burned himself hot, but he didn’t hurt anyone.

The flames would have been enough to reduce the man who had hurt him to ashes, but they didn’t.

So I approached.

And I could see.

In the eye of the storm, a fragile flame enveloped the surroundings warmly.

A person who builds walls around others, but hates to hurt others. A person who is warm and considerate on the inside. A person who is honest and pure, without any ulterior motives, whose words and actions are exactly like the ‘wind’.

At first, just a word of thanks.

And after that, I just wanted to become friends.

I want to get to know this person better later.

The galaxy had no ulterior motives or plans, and only showed pure kindness toward people.

There was something about Shihyuk that caught Eunha’s attention. Eunha somehow thought he was special.

-.-.-

“Oh, right! You came to thank me, right? Once again, thank you so much!”

“You don’t have to take it to heart. I just did it because I wanted to.”

“Hey, thank you for all your help, I don’t want to just thank you with words! Just… .”

Eunha’s words trailed off. The cheerful look she had been showing until just now had disappeared, and all that remained was an embarrassed, wrinkled girl fiddling with her bangs.

“I’m not in a good situation right now, so if you give me your contact information, I’ll definitely thank you later-”

“I repeat, you don’t have to give me anything. It wasn’t something I did because I wanted it, and it wasn’t worth paying for.”

It was true. It wasn’t like any magic stones or other goods were consumed, it was just Sihyuk’s own power. Exhausted mana? Sihyuk wouldn’t budge with just that amount of work.

Rather, he was worried that he had been bothering her for nothing, and repaying her was a problem he had never even thought about.

“That can’t be. I owe you a favor, so I have to repay it. So definitely-”

“Galaxy!!”

It was not Sihyuk but someone else’s shout that interrupted Eunha’s stubborn words. The peaceful cafe suddenly became noisy, and a surprised clerk came out to the desk in a panic, causing a brief commotion.

And a moment later, a cat-like woman with sharp features strode toward them. She wasn’t sweating, but her face was flushed and her breathing was quite heavy. Anyone could tell that she had been running around.

Although her appearance was a bit faded compared to Eunha’s, the woman was a dazzling beauty with long, slightly wavy brown hair that suited her well. In terms of style, her body actually overwhelmed Eunha’s.

Age: Early to mid twenties. He seemed a little younger than Shihyuk, but definitely older than Eunha.

The eyes of the woman approaching the table where Shihyuk and Eunha were sitting were fixed only on Eunha.

“Space Unnie? Eww!!”

The woman slammed her fist into the center of the galaxy. Boom! It was a blow so full of rage that the table she was sitting at shook slightly.

She mercilessly barraged Eunha with nagging questions as she clutched her head and whined.

“This kid! I told you to talk when you go somewhere! At least answer the phone, I’ve been looking for you for a while! Are you doing this on purpose to raise your sister’s [Tracking] skill? Huh?”

“Eww… .”

A gentle puppy and a pointy cat. Although they looked completely different in appearance and personality, they seemed to be sisters.

Like a mother who scolds a child who was distracted by a butterfly in a flower garden while running errands, the woman scolded Eunha sharply.

“Who touched your rapier in the exhibition hall?! Who is it? Is it their doing again? Is the weapon okay? Did they catch the culprit? Are you hurt? ”

And what followed was a nagging sense of worry.

Eun-ha, who was cleverly kneeling on the chair and getting scolded without even knowing that Shi-hyuk was watching, was flustered by the onslaught of questions that followed.

“You’re talking too fast…! Ugh, my head just got hurt, and this is the person who fixed my weapon… . Huh? Sister?!”

Before Eunha could finish speaking, the woman’s hand shot out like lightning and grabbed Shihyuk by the collar.

Si-hyuk, who was dragged by the hand that had been pulled with all its might, had to face the woman called Woo-joo so close that their noses were almost touching.

Her eyes, wide open, turned to Si-hyuk, and her growling breath touched his face.

“Where the hell are you, what are you doing? You’re speaking properly. Did those guys tell you to do that? You’re really caught. Do you really want to eat rice and beans?”

“Hey, Sister, stop! Sister-!”

“Let go! These guys need to get beaten up. Hey, you-”

Shihyuk was grabbed by the collar and just blinked. His mind couldn’t keep up with the sudden change in situation.

All he could do was barely manage to salvage one keyword in the midst of the storm.

Those guys.

‘There must be some circumstances related to weapons.’

But that was it. The woman lifted the hand holding his collar up into the air. The strength contained in her slender-looking arm was extraordinary. Shihyuk realized that she was also an Awakened One.

Shihyuk was intuitively certain that nothing he said to her would work. Her eyes were half-rolled.

He could release this hand at any time if he wanted to, but he decided not to resist.

If he provoked her any further in that state, it seemed like the problem would only get worse. In the end, his options were set.

Quick give up.

Feeling extremely tired, Sihyuk closed his eyes.

“Huh? Why are you closing your eyes? Are you exercising your right to remain silent? Do you really want to die?!”

“Sister, Jebaal-!!”

The situation was a mess.