...Who is she?
I wondered if I'd misheard, so I cautiously glanced at Cheongwol.
She was smiling brightly at Gayeong-i, as if she hadn't said a word to me.
It was like she was completely ignoring me.
...No, if you're going to ignore me, why come over here?
If you have no business, why follow me around...!
Is this just pure harassment?
At the same time, I mulled over what she'd said.
...Did she really ask who she is?
Who is who?
Gayeong-i?
Is she asking who Gayeong-i is?
Why are you curious about that?
And if you're curious, why not find out yourself?
Everything was confusing.
Gayeong-i hastily clasped her hands together in an awkward posture.
"Ch-Cheongwol junior sister. It's our first time meeting like this, right? I'm Ga Yeong."
Gayeong-i introduced herself first with her usual amiable personality.
Her face was full of excitement.
She must have been thrilled to meet the most popular person on Mount Emei.
Cheongwol replied, once again donning that mask.
"I rarely come down from the main temple, so it's a shame our paths crossed so late. I'm embarrassed. Our Emei Sect is always receiving help from the villagers..."
I'd been fooled by that smile and demeanor too.
That's why I thought her heart demon hadn't taken hold yet.
If I'd known, I would've been more careful even when entering the back mountain.
...But it turned out everything was just a facade.
Oblivious to that, Gayeong-i brightly responded.
"No, no!! You're training, so it's unavoidable! And, well, our dumplings do have meat in them..."
"Thank you for understanding."
"O-Of course!"
Right after, Gayeong-i turned to me and shouted.
"Han Seojin!"
Cheongwol's body stiffened slightly.
"Here, take twenty coins and go buy some snacks next door to give to Cheongwol junior sister as a gift."
"..."
"Hurry!"
She was treating me like her personal maid.
I reached out to take the coins Gayeong-i was fumbling out...
-Clack!
Cheongwol grabbed Gayeong-i's hand to stop her.
"I'll just accept the sentiment. I only stopped by briefly since our paths crossed, but I'm not hungry. I have to eat when I return to the sect, so having a snack now would be a bit burdensome."
"Ah, ah! R-Right, I see. I was being presumptuous... I just love eating, so I thought you'd like it too..."
"Next time we have the chance, let's have some sweets together. And you should take care of the young master here first..."
...Young master?
What a young master. When did she start using such polite speech?
Gayeong-i seemed to think the same and shouted.
"Y-Young master? This guy's just... just treat him casually! You're not someone who needs to humble yourself like that for Cheongwol junior sister!"
Only then did Cheongwol glance at me.
After fidgeting with her lips for a moment, she asked.
"...You two seem close."
Some instinct told me I needed to cut this conversation short.
"Gayeong, give me my dumplings quick. I'm busy."
"Oh, right!"
Gayeong-i excused herself to Cheongwol and turned back to the steamer.
"..."
"..."
Cheongwol and I were left alone again.
An awkward silence settled in.
With Cheongwol standing beside me, my stomach kept churning.
Part of me wanted to skip the dumplings and leave.
But that would tip off Gayeong-i first.
That something was up between us.
"...Shopkeeper."
Seizing the moment, Cheongwol whispered softly again.
"...Aren't you going to answer my question?"
I finally accepted that I couldn't avoid her and replied.
"...W-What question..."
"...Who is she?"
What kind of question is that?
"G-Gayeong-i? Di-Didn't you hear her yourself?"
"..."
But Cheongwol still looked dissatisfied, her body rigid.
She continued.
"...Why did you avoid me?"
I wanted to ask her the same thing.
"Re-Really? Did you forget our agreement? Not to seek me out for ten days...!"
"...I never sought you out. We just ran into each other at the market. Or are you saying I should avoid you? If you climb Mount Emei, should I flee from it?"
...Don't nitpick words, you bitch!
You know you're twisting logic too!
"...And why ignore people?"
She didn't hide her displeasure.
Unlike in the basement, where her wide, anxious eyes had brimmed with tears.
Now, her half-lidded eyes were sharp and icy cold.
It was the same gaze I'd seen in the back mountain last time.
At that human slaughter scene.
Was the location this important?
Like how meeting a teacher in the classroom feels different from meeting them at a restaurant.
Or how encountering a military senior inside the barracks differs from outside in civilian life.
Seeing Cheongwol in the basement felt worlds apart from seeing her outside it.
Here, Cheongwol was an untethered beast.
...Scary.
"...You're all sweet and gentle with the other villagers, but why keep this attitude with me? Didn't you think your blatant disregard would upset me?"
"...Did it upset you?"
Cheongwol let out a cold laugh.
"...Of course, being ignored by a beggar makes anyone upset."
...Wow.
Listen to this bitch talk?
Was she deliberately provoking me, or did she really feel that way?
"...Is it okay for an Emei Sect nun to say such things?"
"..."
Cheongwol turned her head away, as if refusing to answer.
I scratched my head.
Then sighed.
Yeah. I'm the idiot.
I avoided one problem and walked into a bigger one.
A greeting's nothing.
I looked straight at Cheongwol.
She flinched noticeably and pulled her body back.
"...What are you-"
I cupped my hands in a fist salute and said.
"-Greetings, Cheongwol junior sister. Thank you for always putting in the effort."
...Good enough?
****
"Greetings, Cheongwol junior sister. Thank you for always putting in the effort."
The greeting I'd so desperately wanted to avoid happened so absurdly.
But my mood didn't improve much.
Why was that?
...Maybe because the greeting was so stiff?
And as soon as it ended, Han Seojin started waiting for his dumplings again like nothing happened.
Gayeong-i cheerfully said.
"Han Seojin, just so you know, don't get any weird ideas about Cheongwol junior sister. Even that would be rude."
"Just bring my dumplings quick. No nonsense."
"Oh, right. But the leather gloves you made last time are all..."
Han Seojin and Gayeong-i were soon deep in their own conversation.
Cheongwol quietly watched from the side.
"..."
...What is this?
Cheongwol couldn't identify the strange frustration boiling inside her.
She'd gotten the greeting from Han Seojin as planned.
There shouldn't be any more awkwardness.
If negative feelings lingered, she could just cut ties like she always did with her senior brothers and go her own way.
Yet Cheongwol's feet wouldn't move.
There was no reason to stay here anymore, but she kept watching Han Seojin and Gayeong-i talk.
It felt like their world was separate from hers.
...That familiar, lonely feeling.
As her master had said, exceptional beings are destined to be lonely.
"..."
She might have accepted it normally.
But today, strangely, she didn't want to.
As she stood there quietly, Han Seojin belatedly asked.
"...Junior sister, do you need something?"
...Translation: Why are you still here?
Cheongwol tried to speak calmly, but even to herself, she sounded petulant.
"...It's none of your concern, shopkeeper."
...Translation: I don't know either. But I don't want to leave.
Standing there alone felt odd, so Cheongwol turned around as if to watch the crowd.
She gazed at passersby, looked up at the sky once, and nodded greetings to those whose eyes she met.
But her attention was entirely on Han Seojin.
Suddenly, she recalled her conversation with her master.
'...Wh-What kind of relationship is a friend?'
'Someone you enjoy being with, perhaps?'
"..."
She glanced at Han Seojin.
His presence wasn't pleasant. She was annoyed even now.
Probably not a friend...
'Cheongwol. It's not my place, but... the first step to making friends is doing things the other person likes. Think about what they enjoy and accommodate it.'
"Here. Eat up."
Gayeong-i brought out the dumplings.
Han Seojin glanced around before starting to munch on them.
Cheongwol twisted her hair, gathered her courage, and whispered to Han Seojin.
She didn't really want to, but the words came out.
"...Let me buy those for you."
"Cough!!"
Han Seojin choked on his dumpling.
"Eek!"
Gayeong-i jumped in surprise.
Bits of food splattered everywhere.
Han Seojin raised a hand apologetically while wiping up his mess.
Cheongwol frowned.
Was that such a shocking thing?
She'd watched him all day and thought he was stingy, so she just wanted to help.
Han Seojin spoke without looking up at her.
"Wh-Why would you buy this for me, junior sister? We're not that close."
"..."
"Pl-Plus, this has meat. It wouldn't be ethical for you to buy it..."
"..."
His words were all correct, but a spark of anger flared again.
Something felt unresolved.
She just waited for him to finish his dumplings.
Then he'd have to move... and she could pretend not to and follow behind.
"..."
Even Cheongwol couldn't understand it.
What did she want?
She didn't know either.
But like in the basement, being near him sometimes naturally eased this frustration.
Hoping for the same now, she simply stayed by his side.
Han Seojin soon finished chewing and swallowing.
Cheongwol glanced at him again.
So did Han Seojin.
Though unspoken, a bizarre game of gauging each other began.
Then, Han Seojin, who'd only been glancing, spoke up.
"Ah.... Uh, these dumplings are good. Give me one more."
"Sure."
As Gayeong-i turned to respond.
"Th-Then, junior sister, you're really not leaving?"
Han Seojin asked again.
Cheongwol replied once more.
"...I told you it's none of your concern."
****
To kill time, I stuffed three dumplings in my mouth and ordered a few more before realizing.
Ah, Cheongwol this bitch has no intention of leaving.
She was just sticking by my side with that awkward attitude.
I had no idea what she wanted.
She wouldn't tell me even if I asked.
The problem was, the longer I dragged this out, the worse her expression got.
She'd just been standing quietly by my side, but now she was making noises like ha, heh, hmph—clearly signaling 'I'm pissed.'
...So why exactly are you pissed?
What do I need to do...!
"...Junior sister, are you upset about something?"
Cheongwol used polite speech when Gayeong-i could hear, casual otherwise.
Gayeong-i was watching now.
"...Me? Why would I be?"
"..."
At this odd attitude, even Gayeong-i seemed to sense something and glanced at me.
Her look said: I don't know what you did, but grovel!
Staring at the two more dumplings placed before me, I finally decided.
Stuffing more dumplings to stall wouldn't change anything.
"...Gayeong, pack these up for me to take."
"For the uncles?"
"...Yeah."
"I'll throw in one for free then."
With three dumplings in total, I left Gayeong-i's shop.
-Step...
Only then did the stiff Cheongwol finally follow behind me.
She was already glued to my back.
I quickly circled the market.
I bundled up all the items I'd planned to buy and headed home afterward.
Throughout, Cheongwol kept following me.
Might as well parade it all over the neighborhood...
...I wanted to cry.
"...You speak casually to Ga Yeong junior sister?"
Maintaining a set distance as we walked, Cheongwol asked whenever no one was watching.
"...We've known each other a long time."
Hoping she'd leave, I kept responding indirectly.
"...I've known you a long time too, shopkeeper."
"We only knew of each other's existence—you didn't even know my name, junior sister...?"
"..."
Finally, at the edge of the market, I turned to face Cheongwol.
When I properly turned to confront her, she hesitated instead.
"Junior sister, what is it you want?"
"...Huh?"
"Speak clearly. You've been following me all day—what is this?"
It was scary, but if I didn't end it here, it'd drag on.
Cheongwol's face was a sight.
Her eyes flickered anxiously, lips twitched, she looked angry then puzzled...
No words, but it felt noisy.
Finally, she pointed at the dumplings in my hand.
"...Those. You said you're taking them to those beggars."
"...Yes."
They were just to kill time originally... but since that failed, I figured I'd give them to the uncles.
Cheongwol hesitated before asking.
"...Why didn't you offer me any?"
"...Pardon?"
"I was right beside you the whole time."
"How could you eat these, junior sister? They have meat."
She raised her voice incredulously.
"Emei Sect forbids killing, not eating meat."
Oh, really?
I didn't know that.
So she got mad because I was eating deliciously beside her without offering any?
...She could've bought her own, so why expect me instead of Gwak Du Uncle to—
-No.
Stay calm.
Lose emotional control and you're dead.
I keep forgetting—this is Cheongwol.
The one who became one of the Demonic Cult's Seven Heavens, killing tens of thousands at least.
A murderer with human kills already under her belt.
Think again.
Right, she even offered to buy me dumplings?
I was the only one eating.
Of course she'd be upset.
That's probably why she followed me all day—she wanted dumplings.
No reason not to give her some.
Cheongwol continued.
"No greeting. Ignoring people. Now you won't even offer to share with someone right next to you?"
"...Would you like to try some of these dump—"
"-I don't eat meat!"
Cheongwol yelled that, then suddenly turned and stormed off.
I watched her retreating back.
"..."
My fist clenched tight.
...For real.
A sudden thought hit me.
...Just come to the basement.