episode_0310

***

CSAT D-25.

Kim Seong-ah’s increasingly emaciated appearance made Kang In-ho worried.

“There is definitely something there.”

A few days ago, I noticed the strangely calm appearance of my housemate.

Judging by the fact that the child, who had been going to school fine, had low tension from the time he left school, it was clear that something had happened at school.

“Everything else is the same as usual, but the expression is just dead…”

We eat together and talk often. That made Kang In-ho’s head complicated.

While steaming rib stew, he sat at the table and thought.

“I wonder if there’s a water vein flowing in my house, I haven’t been able to sleep well lately either.”

He may have been influenced by the evil forces that appeared day and night, but he had been unable to sleep well recently.

He dreamed every day, and if he traced back his vague memories, it was always the same.

“Master keeps appearing.”

The content of the dream was that his teacher, Namgung Soyu, came to him every night.

He couldn’t remember exactly what they did, but mostly he remembered talking or making out.

“I understand why you have dirty dreams because you are frustrated with your desires, but… did you miss the conversation? It seems like you talk a lot with your teacher.”

[Have you been secretly planning anything lately?]

[What is your true purpose?]

I vaguely remember my teacher’s face persistently asking me something.

“Something about his personality was strange, but.”

His teacher in the dream seemed distant from the young Namgung So-yu and Cheonma, the supreme figure of the Black Heavenly Religion.

In some ways, his appearance was exactly the same as Namgung Soyu in my memory, but when I looked at his speech and behavior, he was similar to Seongah.

“If the teacher’s face has Seongah’s personality… Wow…”

A chill ran down his back, and he woke up shivering.

He might have been suspicious of the strange gap, but he thought it was a result of his own unconsciousness.

Perhaps it would be even stranger to think of a child crawling into one’s bed every night.

“It’s special braised ribs… I hope you eat it and gain strength.”

He muttered, thinking of Kim Seong-ah, who would be arriving shortly.

CSAT D-20.

“Why are you so nice to me?”

This is what Seong-ah, who was studying late into the night, was so proud of and brought him some fruit.

“What can I do for you?”

“Something like this. Bringing fruit and things like that.”

She pointed to a plate placed within easy reach.

“I guess you forgot, but you bought all of this with your own money?”

When Kang In-ho spoke with a serious face, Kim Seong-ah showed a polite, weak smile.

“The sincerity of buying fruit with that money and bringing it to you like this is your kindness.”

“You speak well. I guess I studied the language a bit.”

“Language? Oh, are you talking about Korean?”

“Korean? Isn’t it the language area?”

Kang In-ho blinked a few times.

“Frame.”

Seongah Kim smiled and put the apple in her mouth.

The apple was sweet and she smiled, but there was still a burden on one side of her face.

“Anyway, study hard. sleep early Because condition management is also important.”

“Yes. When do you sleep?”

“Me? I think I’ll sleep in an hour. I haven’t been able to sleep well lately.”

“……You’re not going to wake up or anything, right?”

“I don’t wake up, but I seem to dream often.”

“Hmm….”

“Why?”

“No. I’ll eat the apple well.”

She put one of the apples back into her mouth.

The door to the room closed with a crunching sound.

Kim Seong-ah, who was listening to his footsteps moving away, leaned against the backrest and let out a long sigh like cigarette smoke.

“In the end, you don’t tell me, why are you so nice to me.”

***

CSAT D-13.

“Sorry, are you hungry? I’ll make it soon.”

Kang In-ho, who had just returned home, said to Kim Seong-ah as he entered the kitchen where ingredients were strewn about.

She had just come home and was dressed neatly in her school uniform.

“It looks like there was an attack.”

She asked, looking at his sweaty forehead and the chopped vegetables.

The shadows on her face grew darker day by day. Kang In-ho tried to talk about it, but immediately closed his mouth.

It was clear that if I asked anyway, I wouldn’t get an answer.

Instead, I decided to answer the question.

“Uh, I was making dinner when suddenly…”

Hearing his words that she was sick of it, Kim Seong-ah sat down at the table without even changing her clothes.

“But the attack on the fortress seems a bit strange.”

“Is it strange?”

“They tend to appear in places where there are a lot of people. So, until the memory is manipulated with the power of stars, videos are circulated in the news and on the Internet.”

Kim Seong-ah spoke with a face that said she did not understand.

“Yeah, but?”

Kang In-ho picked up the knife and started chopping vegetables again, roughly replying to her words.

“But, there is no such news these days. There is no such thing as an emergency alert.”

“There are some things I took care of quickly, but I think it’s because all the recent attacks took place in high places?”

As he spoke, recalling the battle so far, Kim Seong-ah’s expression became even darker.

“That’s right. I’m really bothered by the sudden change in location. It feels like they don’t want you to know about the attack.”

“Isn’t it just a whim? They have no reason to do that.”

“I don’t know, maybe they want to have a secret meeting.”

Secretly, Kim Seong-ah looked at Kang In-ho’s face. Kang In-ho’s face, absorbed in cooking, did not change one bit.

Seongah Kim gritted her teeth slightly.

“Uncle, isn’t it hard? Attacks are taking place day and night…”

“It was difficult at first, but I got used to it as I did it. Hey, but how did you do this over the years? Amazing, amazing.”

He shook his head as he lit the gas stove.

This is because I realized once again that the position he was representing was a big burden for a 20-year-old child to take on.

“If it’s hard, I can do it again.”

“Let’s finish the CSAT first.”

“…Okay. Then I’ll change my clothes and come back.”

“Uh, I’ll call you when dinner is done. It takes some time.”

“Yes.”

Kim Seong-ah, who returned to the room, slowly unpacked her clothes.

The white school uniform top falls on the bed, and the checkered skirt falls on the floor.

After unhooking the tight bra and putting it in the laundry basket, I put on a boxy t-shirt.

“…If there is no response even after doing this, isn’t it okay?”

I express the conclusion I want to affirm in my mouth.

Even then, the scene of the day he met the Four Heavenly Kings comes to mind again.

“Then, why did you say that?”

The worst conclusion suddenly appears.

She threw herself on the bed and buried her face in the pillow.

And I screamed as loud as I could. The frustration, frustration, and anger that had been building up inside came out little by little through my shouting.

Take a few minutes to vent your emotions. She lifted her flushed face from the pillow and laid her back on the bed.

“…Is that the only way?”

***

That night.

Kang In-ho, who went to bed early to make up for the lack of sleep, suddenly woke up with a stabbing sensation in his neck.

“…What…?”

Even though his eyes had not yet adapted to the darkness, he could clearly see the sharp metal object aimed at his neck.

“What, what is it?”

While my consciousness was being pulled from the deep sea of dreams to reality, I heard a voice.

“[Purity of starlight, distinguish between truth and lies. Libra.]”

As soon as the words were spoken, a green scale sparkling like starlight appeared in the dark room.

“Swear while looking at the scales. I swear to Libra that I will tell only the truth.”

“…What?”

“I want you to swear.”

As soon as her words fell, a metal ball began to press lightly on her throat.

If you apply just a little more force, it will come right through your throat.

He swallowed.

“Swear.”

“Seong-ah, why suddenly…”

“Swear it!”

Mysterious purple eyes, suddenly shining in the darkness, were trembling.