Childhood Friend of the Zenith – 409 (Part 2)



409 (Part 2)

I honestly don’t know what to say if I just admit that I was bored and decided to have a duel.

“Isn’t it a bit too late for you to be playing with kids?”

“…Ugh.”

Perhaps I hit a nerve as Baekryeon-gum flinched.

No matter how young she looked she was a woman of my father’s generation.

It wasn’t the age to be swinging swords with kids who were barely in their twenties just because she was bored.

What puzzled me was that despite my sarcasm Baekryeon-gum seemed more embarrassed than angry.

‘Well that’s only natural.’

In a way it was indeed natural.

Those who had surpassed that level at such a young age were left with nothing but pride so usually when I came at them like this they would get angry.

But Baekryeon-gum was genuinely filled with embarrassment.

‘Well I guess.’

She almost caused a scene during the duel so it was understandable that she felt embarrassed.

If I were Baekryeon-gum I would have buried my face in the ground for a few days.

Even so her reaction was somewhat unexpected but now was not the time to dwell on that.

I didn’t care what her intentions were or what kind of person she was.

The only important thing was that she almost hurt those three.

Thinking of that I suppressed my emotions and spoke to her.

“Even if the lady permitted it if you’re going to act on your own like this please consider the matter of the escort as null and void.”

“What…?”

Baekryeon-gum’s expression changed in an instant at my words.

Was my statement that difficult to understand?

To put it simply if she was going to do as she pleased she should just leave instead of being an escort.

I never needed it in the first place nor did I want it.

It was a hassle as it was and now it was a good opportunity.

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“I’ll explain it to the lady later so please just enjoy your journey.”

“Ah wait a minute…!”

After delivering my message I turned my back on Baekryeon-gum.

I didn’t want to have a long conversation with someone whose thoughts I couldn’t grasp.

Baekryeon-gum seemed flustered but I simply loosened the barrier I had set up around me and moved on.

With so many eyes on me I didn’t want to linger.

Ah amidst all this I also made sure to address the three who seemed to be sighing in relief.

“You guys see me later.”

“…”

I quickly left the place while checking the expressions of the ones who looked like they were about to cry.

I didn’t particularly plan to scold them.

I just wanted to hear why things had come to this.

Of course I couldn’t guarantee that I wouldn’t get angry though.

******************

A little time passed leaving the morning’s incident behind and it was nearing noon.

I was training by moving a heavy rock around.

Since I had to move in the afternoon I planned to repeat my training until then.

Of course I couldn’t focus too much so I was only doing simple physical training.

“Haah….”

I steadied my breath and lifted a rock that looked several times heavier than my body.

Since this training was purely physical without using qi.

As time passed I could feel myself getting a bit sweaty and lively.

‘Feeling lively just because I’m sweating… What is this?’

In the past I would have called myself crazy for thinking that.

Especially when I was training with Yeongpung I would have cursed them in my mind for being insane.

But now I was doing that without a care.

While I was moving the rock around for training.

Boom-! Woohyuk who was training beside me threw a rock and spoke to me.

“I heard there was a big incident this morning. What happened?”

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked.

Ah was he not there?

“…They said all the martial artists were there but why didn’t you see it?”

“I don’t really like noisy places.”

He said he disliked noisy places.

That feeling was definitely present in my previous life too.

I thought about giving him a brief explanation but since I didn’t want to recall it I decided to let it go.

“It was nothing much.”

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I answered vaguely and focused on my training.

Woohyuk seemed to want to ask more but realizing I had no intention of answering he pouted and lifted the rock again.

Why is he pouting like that?

Should I punch him back in?

Just as I was about to growl and curse at Woohyuk.

Paewoo-cheol spoke to me.

“For it to be nothing much it was quite impressive Hyung-nim.”

“Were you watching too…?”

“How could I not watch when you were on your way Hyung-nim?”

“…”

This guy was really something.

I couldn’t understand why all the men around me were so strange.

…No maybe it wasn’t just the men; everyone was odd.

I felt that and became more convinced.

‘Indeed I am the most normal one.’

Well of course.

As I nodded repeatedly and faced the situation.

“…I can’t… do it anymore…”

Shivering Cheol Ji-seon who was training suddenly collapsed.

Paewoo-cheol watching that snorted and said to Cheol Ji-seon.

“Ji-seon Hyung-nim… You can still do it two more times can’t you?”

“That’s impossible…! Two more times? That’s too much!”

At Paewoo-cheol’s words Cheol Ji-seon jumped in surprise and shouted causing Paewoo-cheol to smile slyly.

“I see. I must have misjudged.”

“Right? No matter how I look at it it’s impossible…”

“You still have the strength to shout that loudly. I think you can do it three more times. Hurry up and eat.”

“Ahhh!”

What on earth are they doing?

I didn’t know what it was but I didn’t want to get involved.

As I tried to turn my gaze away and continue training.

I sensed someone approaching from a distance.

I immediately turned my head in the direction of the presence I felt.

“This is…”

Not long after Woohyuk seemed to feel it too and shifted his gaze.

At that moment we saw a woman with black hair landing lightly.

I couldn’t help but squint at the sight.

“…Baekryeon-gum.”

The person who appeared out of nowhere was none other than Baekryeon-gum.

Seeing that I thought.

‘Does she have business with me?’

There was a high possibility that she had come to see me about the incident in the morning.

Furthermore she might be here to express her anger over the rudeness I had shown her.

‘That would be troublesome.’

It was indeed strange not to be angry at that time.

Whether I was right or wrong getting such sarcasm thrown at me in person would typically warrant anger according to the ridiculous laws of the Central Plains.

I sighed and organized my thoughts.

‘Maybe if I apologize it will pass.’

I could say that I was just angry at that time.

I could apologize for acting without courtesy. It couldn’t be helped back then.

I thought that if I bowed my head like this it might be overlooked.

Just as I was thinking that.

Baekryeon-gum’s expression as she approached was anything but normal.

She looked either angry or perhaps anxious.

Seeing that I recalled.

‘No way.’

Just like the incident in the morning was she intending to swing her sword at me too?

Ah that would be a bit troublesome.

Swallowing hard I looked at Baekryeon-gum.

As she got closer I felt a growing tension.

I hadn’t seen much of Baekryeon-gum but I could tell she had a strange personality that could do anything.

Worrying about that just as I was about to show her some courtesy as she approached.

Her body now close to me suddenly bent down quickly.

‘Oh no!’

Is this an ambush?

Seeing that I tried to gather my qi to counter the ambush but something unexpected happened.

Baekryeon-gum suddenly grabbed my pant leg.

“What…!”

In a panic I looked at her wondering what she was doing and Baekryeon-gum shouted at me with all her might.

“I’m sorry! Please forgive me…!!”

“…Wait…!”

Baekryeon-gum clung to my pant leg and began to wail.

In this bewildering situation Woohyuk Paewoo-cheol and even Cheol Ji-seon looked at me with strange expressions.

Amidst that Cheol Ji-seon quietly whispered.

“…Now even Baekryeon-gum… But isn’t the age difference a bit too much…?”

Damn it that comment came through particularly clearly.

What was infuriating was that the people around me slightly nodded at Cheol Ji-seon’s words.

It seemed that some ridiculous misunderstanding had arisen.

“Hey! It’s not like that…! Let go! Why is this lady doing this!”

“I’m sorry!”

I shouted in a hurry.

But no one believed me.