By Zephyria After that, it was chaos.
Children crying and clinging to him, and adults rushing to ‘beat up’ Shin Yoon…… well, to put it crudely. Ki Jae-eon had to suffer from extreme fatigue amidst the endless noise and heat. Dealing with Gu Poison was easier than this. Moreover, all kinds of curses flying from all directions – of which Kim Ju-won’s share seemed to be 90% – and the flailing hands trying to hit him even once more were intertwined, making his already exhausted body several times more limp.
In the midst of all this, Shin Yoon was laughing heartily, as if he was enjoying being beaten all over. Thanks to that, people’s resentment became even stronger. The only fortunate part was that Ki Jae-eon’s knees buckled and he collapsed due to the Evil Aura’s wave, so his body blocked Shin Yoon like a shield, so he didn’t have to get hit anymore.
‘Jae-eon-ah!’
Ki Jae-eon hugged his father’s thick chest tightly and mumbled, ‘I’m back.’
Of course, it would be great if everything ended here.
‘Hey, Ki Jae-eon.’
Just before being dragged away for a formal trial, Shin Yoon trudged over in a mess.
‘I don’t know when I’ll see you again.’
Even with his hair torn and his eyes swollen blue, he didn’t lose his unique bland smile. Seeing him looking somehow carefree, Ki Jae-eon answered as if relieved.
‘……If you walk this path righteously, I’ll definitely see you again.’
‘That’s bland.’
‘Personally.’
He glanced around slightly and hesitated before opening his mouth.
‘I’ll…… cheer you on.’
‘…….’
‘Endure well until the sun shines.’
‘Let me ask you just one thing.’
The hand tightly bound with rope moved slightly.
‘Do I look like I have the right to have the name Shin Yoon?’
It was a tone that didn’t expect much, but he couldn’t hide the slight tension.
Ki Jae-eon looked at him and smiled slightly.
‘Even at this moment when you’re asking, you’re already Shin Yoon.’
At Ki Jae-eon’s short answer, he seemed slightly surprised and widened his eyes, then made a weak smile. It was a face that was somehow strangely languid and light. Clear like the air after the rain, warm like spring after winter……. An expression that said his heart was all cool.
‘Is that so.’
‘That’s right.’
‘Wow, my heart is all clear.’
Shin Yoon, who glanced at the Teachers urging him to leave, called Ki Jae-eon once more, ‘Eon-i.’ Did he have more to say? As Ki Jae-eon, who was wondering, approached, he lowered his head without hesitation.
‘Hey, a gift.’
A distance of less than a hand span.
His lips touched at the end of a voice whispering softly as if only you should hear it.
Splat-.
Lips with a rough but warm warmth pressed down like a stamp.
Before he could be embarrassed, a smooth and moist piece of flesh crossed over the slightly opened lips. Euung, euup! The stiffened hand stopped in mid-air. He knew he had to push him away, but it was so sudden that his mind went blank.
Chuuup, his lips fell away after saliva intertwined thickly. A transparent thread connected thinly as much as the distance between the two.
‘It’ll be helpful later.’
‘……?!’
‘I didn’t want to give it to you nicely.’
Shin Yoon muttered words that were difficult to understand and smiled mischievously.
‘Your expression, serves you right.’
After that, it was chaos once again.
Because of Shin Yoon laughing, ‘Wahahaha!’ and his father chasing after him with an ax he didn’t know where he found, Ki Jae-eon had to stop them again without even having time to argue about the lips he had just been robbed of.
*
A wide heated room in a traditional Korean house.
The sunlight fell long, and a cool breeze blew from the direction of the wooden floor. The breeze containing the scent of grass swirled through the room, lightly shaking the end of the blanket.
“That being said, you were really reckless this time.”
A sharp voice cutting through the warm air.
Ki Jae-eon flinched and lowered his eyes.
“……Yes.”
A subdued answer followed quickly.
“Sigh.”
Kim Yeong sighed and put his hand in the water bowl. Lukewarm water was shallowly pooled in the bowl, and a white towel swayed lightly in the water.
“Even if you make that expression, I’m going to get angry. Jae-eon, you need to be scolded.”
Kim Yeong grabbed the towel with a stern expression and squeezed it out.
The towel twisted like a pretzel and forcefully spat out the water it had soaked up.
“How can you be so reckless!”
However, unlike the scolding mouth, his touch was very gentle.
He was still a kind person, gently sweeping up his sweat-soaked bangs or carefully placing a towel on his forehead.
“I’m, I’m sorry.”
Even while flinching at the coldness, Ki Jae-eon didn’t forget to apologize.
“You should be sorry, then.”
His words were scolding, but his voice was low and warm.
His expression had already softened to a gentle one.
“Do you know how difficult it is to release Evil Aura? You should know that it ended like this because Seo-myeong put Gu Poison in the Cursed Womb Cave.”
“I’m, I’m sorry…….”
“Even so.”
Kim Yeong’s fingertips slowly patted the blanket.
The wind swept through the room once more, and after a brief silence, his lips opened.
“I’ve been indebted to you again. Thank you for protecting the main office.”
At Kim Yeong’s kind smile, Ki Jae-eon’s eyes widened.
The sunlight was embedded in his black eyes, twinkling slightly.
“But!”
As if reading Ki Jae-eon’s expression, Kim Yeong made a stern sound again.
“It doesn’t mean you did well at all. I’d be troubled if you misunderstood.”
“……!”
“You know how worried Commander was, right? And the other kids too.”
Of course, he knew.
Ki Jae-eon knew that his father had been guarding his side until he regained consciousness after being hit by the Evil Aura. Calling his name and stroking his cheeks whenever he was delirious from the heat and drugs and couldn’t come to his senses.
‘Please, my son-.’
He remembered the earnest prayer he had heard every dawn.
‘And he cursed Shin Yoon whenever he had the chance.’
A guy to be caught and killed, a guy to be exterminated for three generations, etc…….
Ki Jae-eon raised the corners of his lips very slightly and quickly hid it.
‘I saw that side of him for the first time.’
He didn’t know if he did it thinking he wouldn’t hear it, but it was funny anyway.
“But, Jae-eon.”
Just as he was chuckling to himself, Kim Yeong asked carefully.
“Have your memories completely returned?”
In fact, he had been curious from the beginning, but it seemed that he was only asking now because of his condition. Ki Jae-eon stretched his lips out in a straight line and nodded slowly.
‘Could it be that you don’t like it?’
He instinctively read the room.
The self-deprecation that he still hadn’t completely emptied raised its head through the gap.
He was worried that the fact that his memories had returned might be a burden or an unwanted situation for someone.
But as if his worries were unfounded, Kim Yeong’s expression loosened.
“Ugh! That’s a relief…….”
“…….”
“It may seem strange to bring this up now…… but I was waiting. I was secretly hoping that Jae-eon would find his memories on his own.”
Kim Yeong soaked the towel in cold water once more and carefully placed it on his forehead. The heat subsided in every place his touch brushed, and a pleasant tickle sprouted.
“Actually, I was thinking that if Ki Jae-eon couldn’t do it himself, it would be better not to look for him at all… and I decided that. I’m sorry. I know it’s an excuse, but it was the best I could do at the time. Because Jae-eon has memories that are too much for him to handle. But I guess I’m only human, so I was hoping for it in my heart. That you would find the time you spent with us again. I knew it was bad in my head, but I couldn’t give up. Seeing how… how happy I am like this.”
Kim Yeong smiled quietly, but more brightly than ever before.
“Thank you for coming back.”
Ki Jae-eon bit his lip at that last word.
Even though it was with painful memories, he thought he had done well to find them again.
“Yes, I’m back.”
He was finally able to smile brightly.