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Childhood Friend of the Zenith (Web Novel) - Chapter 1149: The World of Ascension (79)
Chapter 1149: The World of Ascension (79)
This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl
For some reason, I felt embarrassed and quickened my pace slightly.Even so, Hyun Soyeon didn’t let up and kept following me. She was annoyingly persistent.
“Ugh...! Why are you walking so fast?”
“...Why do you keep following me?”
“Following? We agreed to chat while taking a walk, but you left first!”
Then don’t follow me. Why bother chasing after me? She was really disgustingly persistent.
Since she kept sticking close to me, I eventually stopped walking.
“...So what is it?”
What did she want to say so badly? I was starting to get annoyed, so I asked.
“Ah, I just had something to ask, just in case.”
“What is it?”
“Well... it’s about Young Master Namgung.”
“...”
I narrowed my eyes. So that’s what it was.
‘She means Namgung Hyung.’
It couldn’t be Namgung Jin. If it were about him, she wouldn’t have asked with that expression.
“...Young Master Namgung Hyung?”
“Yes.”
“You’re asking me about him?”
“Yes.”
“...?”
What was she trying to ask? As I looked at her in confusion—
“...Do you know where he went?”
That was the cautious question she finally posed.
I froze for a moment at her words.
Where he went? If he actually left, then...
‘Wudang, maybe.’
If he went somewhere because I told him to, then Wudang would be the most likely place. But whether he actually went there was uncertain.
However—
“...I don’t know? Why are you asking me that?”
The fact that she was asking me—that was the issue.
Did she already know something? I asked again, puzzled.
“I thought Young Master Baek might know. Was I wrong?”
“...”
Hyun Soyeon spoke with confidence. Well, not confidence in her emotions, just in her tone.
Which meant—
‘She’s grasping at straws.’
She was asking simply out of desperation, trying to latch onto anything.
Even so—
“I don’t know.”
I couldn’t tell her. It wasn’t even certain that he went to Wudang. And even if it was, I couldn’t tell her.
“...I see.”
At my words, Hyun Soyeon’s face darkened in an instant. I felt a tiny twinge of guilt, but... what could I do?
I didn’t have the luxury to worry about her right now.
The only thing I was curious about—
“Young Lady Hyun.”
“...Yes?”
“Why him?”
“...”
She flinched at my words.
Why Namgung Hyung? Why had she chosen him over Namgung Jin?
At my question—
“...Would you believe me if I said I don’t know either?”
Hyun Soyeon gave a bitter smile as she answered.
Hearing that, I felt a little awkward.
‘She knows I’m lying.’
She didn’t believe me when I said I didn’t know. She could tell.
I shrugged. Oh well.
“No need to answer if you don’t want to.”
“...”
It wasn’t something I was overly curious about, so I didn’t need to hear it.
But—
“It’s nothing special.”
Hyun Soyeon, ignoring my indifference, started speaking.
“He just saw me as I was.”
“...What do you mean?”
“I mean, I’m pretty. Really pretty.”
“...”
I made a strange expression. This was seriously baffling. What was she even talking about?
“Hahaha.”
Hyun Soyeon burst into laughter, finding my reaction amusing.
“That’s exactly the face he made. When I said ‘I’m pretty, aren’t I?’ he just told me to stop talking nonsense. That’s the kind of person he was.”
“...And you liked that?”
“Funny, isn’t it? But yeah.”
She liked the guy who didn’t acknowledge her beauty? That didn’t make any sense.
“He was the only one who didn’t care about appearances and just saw me for who I was.”
“What’s so great about that?”
I couldn’t understand.
“It’s not a big deal. But surprisingly, not many people do that. Actually, Young Master Baek, you kind of feel similar, but... it’s a little different.”
“What’s different?”
“You already have someone. And... it’s like you’re used to beauty. Most people don’t get used to that so easily. So your fiancee must be incredibly beautiful. Ah, I suppose...”
Hyun Soyeon nodded, as if realizing something.
“If she looks like me, that would make sense.”
“How irritating.”
“Young Master, your inner thoughts just slipped out.”
“Ah.”
I accidentally said that out loud.
“Well, that’s the reason. Just childish foolishness from when I was young.”
“Calling it childish seems odd when you’re still acting like this.”
“Love is a curse, you know? You’re still too young to understand.”
The way she chuckled was annoying.
“But then, wouldn’t Young Master Namgung Jin be just the same?”
Considering Hyun Soyeon still liked Mi Horan, Namgung Jin didn’t seem that different.
So couldn’t she just love Namgung Jin instead? When I asked—
“There’s something about him that just doesn’t sit right with me. I can’t grow attached to him.”
I could understand what she meant by ‘doesn’t sit right.’
And—
“Even so, you’ll go through with the marriage?”
“I don’t have a choice. I can’t do anything about family matters. And...”
The smile on her face faded.
“I don’t have the courage—or the recklessness—to break away and choose something else.”
“...”
That was a very realistic answer. One I couldn’t really comment on.
“I see.”
“You’re not going to ask more?”
“No. It’s not my place to interfere.”
“Haha... That’s true.”
She lightly wiped her nose. There wasn’t anything on it—it just seemed like a casual gesture.
“But, just hypothetically.”
“Yes?”
“If you were in my position, what would you have done?”
“What do you mean?”
“If it were you, would you have been brave enough?”
“...”
I considered the question. If I were in her situation...
Would I cast everything aside—family obligations and all—and choose the one I wanted?
‘Who...?’
A brief, shameless thought crossed my mind. Several women’s faces came to mind.
Among them—who?
I indulged in those cursed thoughts for a moment before reaching a simple conclusion.
‘Whoever it was.’
No matter who.
No matter who I pictured, my answer wouldn’t change.
‘No.’
It wouldn’t change. So I gave Hyun Soyeon my honest answer.
“There would be no weighing of options.”
“...What?”
“Family, obligations, whatever. I wouldn’t abandon the person I chose.”
“...”
Whether it was courage or recklessness—
There was no need to attach meaningless labels to it. I simply wouldn’t choose anything else.
‘Because that’s why I’m living this way.’
Blood Demons, Taechon, all of it—
Even as I crawled forward, enduring my damn fate, this was the reason.
Because I refused to choose anything else. That’s why I lived like this.
“...That’s a strong statement. I’m a little jealous.”
“It’s nothing special.”
“If I had been like that... would things have been different?”
“I don’t know. That’s not for me to answer.”
“Haha...”
Hyun Soyeon laughed softly. Then she started walking again.
“Your fiancee is lucky.”
As she walked, she murmured—
“Disregarding everything else to choose the one you want... There’s actually a man like that?”
“...”
Hearing those words, I tilted my head slightly. There was something I needed to correct.
“No, that’s not right.”
“What?”
“Young Lady Hyun, you’re not envious of my fiancee, are you?”
“...What do you mean?”
She seemed to be misunderstanding something. That wasn’t what she envied.
“You envy me.”
“...!”
Hyun Soyeon’s eyes widened in shock at my words.
“Not my fiancee. You envy me for being able to make that choice. Because you couldn’t.”
“...”
She looked dazed, as if she had just been struck by a hammer.
“...Ah.”
“I’ll be going now.”
Leaving her behind, I started walking again. There was nothing more to do here. She would figure it out on her own.
‘Though, even if she realizes it, would anything actually change?’
Even if she was afraid of what change might bring...
I didn’t want to leave things as they were. How contradictory. When it came to him, I was too afraid of change to interfere, yet here I was meddling.
‘And yet, here I am sticking my nose in this.’
There was no bigger fool than me.
‘This is all...’
As I walked, I lifted my head to the sky and looked at the moon.
‘Because of you.’
They looked so much alike.
Even if I didn’t want to care, I couldn’t help it.
“Haa...”
I let out a sigh.
‘I wonder if they’re doing well.’
Whether it was the child who resembled the moon—
Or the one who resembled the sun—
The children I had taken into my heart... Were they living well?
Tonight, the worries I had buried away quietly resurfaced.
**********
Inside a pitch-black, charred cave.
Squelch.
The space was filled with a thick pool of blood, its stench suffocating. The passageway was cloaked in darkness, with not a single sliver of light piercing through.
And within it—
Crackle—!!!
For a brief moment, a bright flash of lightning illuminated the surroundings.
“Guh... ugh...!”
A scream echoed as someone collapsed, the scent of burning flesh mixing with the thick stench of blood.
The body, charred black by the lightning, sank lifelessly into the crimson pool.
Squelch.
Ignoring the corpse, someone walked through the pool of blood, their steps slow and deliberate.
Grrrrr...!
As they moved, a massive figure nearby let out a low growl.
Not out of hostility—out of unease.
Sensing the emotion, the person came to a stop.
Then, slowly—
With pale, delicate fingers, they reached out and stroked the enormous creature. At the touch, the massive being swallowed its cry.
In response, lightning flickered faintly within a pair of blue eyes, glowing dimly in the darkness.
“...Ah.”
A powerless voice slipped out.
“...It’s not here either, huh...”
Grrr...
As if responding, the creature let out a soft whimper.
The pale fingers that had been stroking it moved up—trailing along their own face.
“...Where are you? Where...?”
The voice trembled, thick with emotion.
“...Where on earth...?”
The person glanced around, but there was nothing.
Huuuu...
“...”
The rising stench of decay. The sickening, unbearable odor made the woman close her eyes, her face twisting in disgust.
“...Where are you...”
And when she shut her eyes, the faint glow that had been illuminating the space disappeared.
The moon, with nowhere left to shine, quietly hid its light.
And so, only darkness remained.
