Childhood Friend of the Zenith – 535 (Part 2)



535 (Part 2)

I smiled at Wi Seol-ah’s reaction and reached out to stroke her hair.

But then I realized my father was next to me and had to stop my hand.

At that Wi Seol-ah looked at my hand with a disappointed expression.

I chose to ignore that and asked my father.

“Are you leaving?”

At my question my father’s eyebrows moved slightly.

“How did you know?”

“What do you mean?”

“That I intend to leave.”

“…Well I just had a feeling.”

It felt that way.

Maybe it was because I had been paying more attention to my father lately but I could sense a subtle difference.

“I just thought you might.”

“…Hmm.”

“But what were you talking about with her?”

“It wasn’t anything special.”

That meant he wasn’t going to tell me.

I immediately looked at Wi Seol-ah but she seemed to avoid my gaze as if to ignore my question.

What’s going on…? It’s making me anxious.

I wanted to ask more but I decided to hold back for now.

“…Let’s put that aside. Are you really leaving now?”

“Since the request is complete there’s no reason to stay any longer.”

That meant he had finished the request from the Poison King.

This implied that he had dealt with the Elder overnight.

“Then why not just go together? I’ll be leaving tomorrow at the latest.”

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After I said that I was surprised internally.

Normally I would have cheered when he said he was leaving.

But here I was suggesting to my father that we go together.

I was just flabbergasted.

My father seemed surprised too as his eyes widened unusually.

“No… I just thought I’d ask. I have to go anyway.”

I made an excuse feeling like I had to say it that way.

Hearing this my father said to me

“It’s impossible.”

That was a rejection.

“Of course I figured as much.”

Feeling a bit awkward I scratched the back of my head.

“If it were under normal circumstances it would have been fine.”

My father began to add an explanation that felt out of place.

“If I delay any longer I will get very angry.”

“Who will?”

“…”

He didn’t answer but looking into his eyes he seemed to be in quite a difficult situation.

Amidst that I heard a faint voice.

– It’s been three days…

What could that mean?

In any case it meant he couldn’t go with me.

“…Then I guess there’s nothing I can do. I’ll see you at the Se-ga…?”

Just as I was about to lightly give up and say goodbye my father held something out in front of me.

It was his hand.

My father’s large hand.

“…?”

I looked at my father wondering what he was doing but he just stared at me quietly.

As we were locked in this silent stare my father finally spoke.

“Take it.”

“Ah.”

Only then did I realize my father’s intention.

I immediately took his hand.

Because of the size difference my hand was completely enveloped by his.

Now that I think about it.

‘Is this the first time?’

Holding hands with my father like this it probably was the first time.

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I had no memory of ever doing this before.

At most it lasted a few seconds. After that brief moment my hand was quickly released.

“I’ll go first. Be careful on your way back.”

“…Yes?”

I had to pause at my father’s words.

What? Wasn’t he trying to confirm something?

I thought for sure he would.

“Father…?”

Pop-!

Just as I was about to call out to him he vanished like a spark right in front of me.

“…Are you really leaving like this?”

Just a handshake and then he disappears?

This is ridiculous. He shows up out of nowhere and then vanishes without a care.

My father was still a difficult person to understand.

“Haha.”

I said that while examining my hand.

My father’s hand was warmer than I expected.

Must be the influence of the fire master.

A wry smile escaped me.

What remained after that was warmth and an indescribable emotion.

Tap tap.

I shook my hand off and looked at Wi Seol-ah.

She was looking at me with her characteristic big eyes.

Somehow it felt like the corners of her eyes were smiling.

It was pretty but somehow…

‘Annoying.’

So I messed up her hair.

“Eek!”

It was the first time in a while I heard Wi Seol-ah’s cute scream.

“Y-Young Master wait a moment…!”

“Who told you to look at me like that?”

After fussing with her beautiful hair a few times Wi Seol-ah scrunched her nose.

Seeing that I finally withdrew my hand. I knew she would sulk if I did more.

I stepped back a little and said to Wi Seol-ah.

“Let’s go eat. I’m hungry.”

“Yes.”

It felt like it had been a long time since we said we would eat together.

Fortunately Wi Seol-ah looked happy about it too.

Then.

“Since we’re at it we should call the others too. It would be nice to eat together.”

“…Yes.”

…Does she not want to?

Her expression darkened a bit.

‘It must be a misunderstanding.’

There’s no way Wi Seol-ah would dislike food.

I nodded and moved on.

The meal we had after a long time wasn’t very long.

Given the situation with the Tang Clan it wasn’t a time to spend lavishly or cheerfully.

Especially throughout the meal I could see that Dang So-yeol’s face was particularly dark.

‘He looked like he was mourning….’

The Poison King must have been trying to hide what happened with the Tang Clan.

But he couldn’t hide everything and it seemed Dang So-yeol had found out.

Honestly I thought Dang So-yeol would have figured it out by now.

But I couldn’t just leave him alone so I had to force him to sit with us.

Namgung Bia and Wi Seol-ah were sticking close to Dang So-yeol taking care of him.

But that wouldn’t solve everything.

It was just a brief reunion.

It was a moment that held just that much value.

“So what did you decide to do?”

“What do you mean?”

I asked Mo Yong-hui as we walked along a quiet path after eating moderately.

We were headed in the same direction and I had something to ask her.

“You knew that the Poison King made that decision right?”

“I did.”

Mo Yong-hui’s response was calm.

So I was even more curious.

“How did you know?”

“Hmm? Didn’t you know Young Master?”

“I didn’t. That’s why I’m asking now.”

How could I have possibly predicted that the Clan Head would act to destroy his own clan?

In response to my question Mo Yong-hui brushed her hair back with delicate fingers and said

“I wasn’t entirely sure either. It was just a guess.”

“But you rushed over like that?”

Mo Yong-hui moved quickly as if she had realized something.

But she wasn’t sure.

Feeling a bit embarrassed about her own actions her face turned slightly red.

“…Even if I wasn’t sure there was a probability.”

“What probability?”

“The probability that the Clan Head would choose righteousness.”

“…”

I felt a slight jolt at Mo Yong-hui’s words.

“I had considered many possibilities. Given the situation at that time there were certainly better methods but in the end the only outcome I could see for the Clan Head’s actions was that.”

A better method.

That was from Mo Yong-hui’s perspective.

Even if they couldn’t hide all the Tang Clan’s secrets they had to manage the information to some extent.

Before dealing with the Elders who caused the trouble they needed to buy time to absorb and control their power.

That was what Mo Yong-hui thought was….

No what both Mo Yong-hui and I thought was the best method.

But the Poison King didn’t do that.

What was the reason he gave?

‘Because it was embarrassing.’

As a martial artist as a Clan Head.

Also as a member of the orthodox sect he felt ashamed.

So he said he couldn’t do it.

It was incomprehensible.

‘It’s a difficult situation.’

Some might call it an incompetent choice.

And others might say it was a foolish decision.

But I couldn’t say anything.

The reason was simple.

‘Belief.’

I judged that it was the Poison King’s belief.

An action I wouldn’t take… no couldn’t take.

I couldn’t refute the Poison King who spoke with conviction that it was the right thing to do because ultimately

I didn’t have a belief that I could trust and act upon as much as the Poison King did.