Childhood Friend of the Zenith - Chapter 40

༺ Way Back (3) ༻

“...So what brings you guys here?”

I cringed at the sight that greeted me as I entered the building.

I had hoped that my senses had somehow picked up wrong presences, but of course, they hadn’t.

Tang Soyeol who was carefully eating her meal turned into a statue upon seeing me.

While Namgung Bi-ah simply continued to eat with a dumb face, pretending that she hadn’t noticed me.

Then there was Wi Seol-Ah who just naturally moved to sit next to them, and started eating as well.

‘...Okay okay, understandable.’

I could understand Wi Seol-Ah’s actions.

I could also—to an extent—understand Namgung Bi-ah’s actions, as I was used to her taking unexpected albeit irritating actions.

However, Tang Soyeol.

Why is she here?

She even seemed to be avoiding eye contact with me.

“Lady Tang.”

“Y-Yes!?”

All I did was call her name, so what is she so startled for?

“What brings you here?”

“...I- I just happened to coincidentally pass by.”

“...Coincidentally?”

What were the odds that the Lady of the Tang clan, who never traveled outside of her clan, would suddenly choose to step out of her clan and then end up here with everyone?

Plus, I had only just arrived.

I asked Tang Soyeol just in case.

“Were you waiting for me?”

“N-No! What reasons would I have for me to wait for you!?”

She was denying it even with her hands, and I agreed, feeling like there was no other possible answer.

“You’re right, but then I wonder why you are here.”Visitt novelbin(.)co/m for the latest updates

“...”

Tang Soyeol became silent at this point, as she didn’t have another excuse.

Why are they acting like this? I never was able to understand Tang Soyeol even in my previous life.

‘Maybe she has a crush on me?’

I quickly put that thought away as soon as it came up.

Unlike Gu Jeolyub and Namgung Cheonjun, I didn’t have a face that would set me up for life. Not to mention, I don’t think I was Tang Soyeol’s type.

And in the off chance, even if she did have a crush on me...

I suddenly recalled a memory of her torturing someone with a small poisonous nail, the size of a pinky nail.

I hadn’t been directly tortured by her, but I remembered Tang Soyeol’s expression during it.

It was too much for me to handle.

Yeah, she definitely came here for some sort of business...

I hoped that she would be done with it already and leave soon.

I turned my attention to the crazy bitch from the Namgung Clan after speaking to Tang Soyeol.

“Lady Namgung.”

“...?”

“What brings you here?”

“...Hmm?”

Hmm?

Why is she making that face?

Namgung Bi-ah’s face was telling me, ‘Why are you asking such an obvious question?’

I hoped that I had read it wrong.

“Farewell...”

“Pardon?”

As always, Namgung Bi-ah’s brief response irritated me.

It was the same right now. What does she mean by farewell? Does she want to say ‘bye’ or something?

Or was it code word for hunting humans just like in my previous life?

In my eyes, Namgung Bi-ah still fit the image of a woman who hunted humans.

Of course, I was trying my best to look at her differently.

Which was why I am asking her again.

“Farewell...?”

“I... never said bye.”

“Oh, uh, I’m also here because of that!”

Tang Soyeol quickly chipped in after Namgung Bi-ah’s response.

Oh, I see, so they are here because they never bid me farewell huh?

But... Why?

“I explained my situation to the Tang Clan’s Young Lord, you didn’t hear about it?”

“...I did.”

Tang Soyoel responded with a faint voice while Namgung Bi-ah continued to stare at me, the look on her face telling me that she thought there was nothing wrong with it.

‘...Yeah, I don’t see this as a big problem.’

I guess I didn’t have to look for any ill intents from them since everything had gone well.

In the end, they were just here because they couldn’t give me a farewell.

‘...Right, good things are good things.’

I was also admittedly being rude to the people that came here because they couldn’t give me a farewell.

But I didn’t want to involve myself with these crazy women.

I couldn’t emphasize that enough.

“Thank you for coming all the way here. It was good to see you all, and I hope you have a great rest of your lives.”

I answered back with the utmost respect, hoping that they would accept it and leave right away.

They didn’t.

Instead, both their faces showed strange expressions as they looked at me.

I guess that wasn’t the reply they wanted...

But then, what exactly did they want from me?

I put that thought aside and asked Namgung Bi-ah. Something had been bothering me since the moment I noticed her presence;

“Lady Namgung.”

“Hmm?”

“Why are you still here even after the Military Exhibition of Tang Clan has ended? What about the other people from your clan?”

“Cheonjun said he had something to do... he said he was waiting for someone.”

Namgung Cheonjun has something to do in Sichuan? I mean, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.

Even I had something to do here, so I guess he must have had his own objectives.

What I was surprised about was something else.

“But he allowed you to just come here? He didn’t even follow you?”

It was very surprising to see Namgung Bi-ah here all by herself without Namgung Cheonjun following her.

“Hmm...? He allowed it... he said that you wouldn’t be here anyways...”

‘Allowed her?’

I thought a maniac like him would never allow her to come here, so it was shocking for me to hear that he had personally granted her permission.

And he even said he wouldn’t come? What did he mean by that?

“But, Lady Namgung...”

“...?”

“Did you forget about the deal we made last time...?”

“Hmm...?”

We made a deal of her leaving me alone in exchange for telling her my real name.

“I didn’t.”

Namgung Bi-ah confidently replied, seemingly proud that she remembered the deal.

But... if you do remember, why are you still here...?

“Then why are you still here?”

“Why...?”

Tang Soyeol smiled when I asked about the bottle.

“It’s a poison that I like... It’s a gift, so please feel free to use it if you ever come across training with poison.”

I nodded my head to Tang Soyeol’s response.

...This girl also isn’t normal.

I was sure.

It was hard for me to reject her gift, so I first put it in my pocket.

I was sure that I would be able to come up with some excuse so that I wouldn’t go to next year’s exhibition.

I will make sure I don’t go...

“Anyways... I shall take my leave. I hope that you two have a good time together.”

“Let’s see each other again.”

Namgung Bi-ah slightly shakes her hand and gives me a farewell.

My visage shifted a bit at her words, reluctance flashing through it as I accepted her farewell.

“Uh, yes... We shall meet again.”

I started walking after accepting her farewell. I really didn’t like it.

Tang Soyeol also gave me a farewell which I accepted, although she was frozen like a stone.

Wi Seol-Ah followed me with a ton of food in her mouth.

How did all that fit into her mouth...?

‘Is it finally over?’

Can I finally return to my clan?

My body wasn’t feeling tired physically, thanks to the increase in my Qi, but I felt exhausted mentally.

I walked to the carriage, half limping.

* * * *

Namgung Bi-ah looked at Gu Yangcheon fading back.

Then she was reminded of what he had said to her.

– Why are you speaking informally to me?

Come to think of it... Why did I do that?

In the end, Gu Yangcheon was younger than her own brother, Namgung Cheonjun.

But that still didn’t mean that she could just speak to him without respect.

But even then, it felt comfortable speaking to him like that.

What was the reason behind that?

Namgung Bi-ah couldn’t even understand herself, which made her tilt her head in confusion.

“Uh...”

Tang Soyeol called out to her.

“Hmm?”

“...Do you perhaps like Young Master Gu?”

“...Huh?”

Namgung Bi-ah couldn’t understand Tang Soyeol’s question.

Like?

“Like?”

“Eh? Uh, what I mean is that, uh...”

Tang Soyeol looked startled upon hearing her question.

Her face turned red, and she gradually turned silent.

I guess even Tang Soyeol didn’t know the answer as she couldn’t answer easily.

‘Like’.

I wonder what that meant.

‘Does she mean from girl liking a boy?’

If I asked myself if I liked Gu Yangcheon as a man, I felt like I didn’t.

But I was interested in him as a martial artist.

‘He was completely different.’

The Gu Yangcheon I met at first.

And the Gu Yangcheon that broke my younger brother’s arm.

Were they even the same person?

I didn’t know the answer.

That was the sad truth.

So I wanted to spar with him, but I was rejected instantly...

If someone asked me right now if I could beat Gu Yangcheon in a duel, I felt like I could say yes.

That, however, would only be my answer for right now.

It was shocking, the fact that even someone at Namgung Bi-ah’s level wasn’t sure how to assess Gu Yangcheon.

Even putting aside that matter, the fact alone that Gu Yangcheon didn’t produce a horrible smell;

He’s a person that occupies a space in my mind...

“...Maybe I do like him?”

The words Namgung Bi-ah subconsciously said made Tang Soyeol look like she was going to cry.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing...”

Tang Soyeol quietly mumbled to herself, ‘There is nothing I can do if she is the one I’m against...’

What does she mean by ‘there’s nothing she can do’?

“What about Soyeol?”

“Huh...?”

“That thing, you were supposed to give it to me.”

“Oh...!”

The invitation letter that Tang Soyeol gave to Gu Yangcheon, was originally for me.

Ever since I met Tang Soyeol for the first time, it’d always been like that.

However, Tang Soyeol gave it to someone else this time around.

That made Namgung Bi-ah ask Tang Soyeol, as she had become curious.

“...I, uh...”

Tang Soyeol stuttered as she was startled by the question.

I felt like her stuttering had increased recently.

‘What’s the matter with her? Is she sick?’

The stench that Tang Soyeol gave out was quite slight.

I could almost ignore it if I didn’t actively try to smell it.

That made Tang Soyeol a person comfortable to be around.

Which was why I prayed that she wasn’t sick.

“I... wanted to become closer to him.”

“I see.”

“I’m sorry... You’re disappointed right?”

“Hmm? I’m fine.”

It was possible for her to attend it even without a direct invitation from a direct family member.

Namgung Bi-ah felt like there was no need to be disappointed for such a thing.

“Shall we go back...?”

Tang Soyeol asked, disappointment lacing her tone.

What is she so disappointed about?

I had many questions.

“Yeah.”

Namgung Bi-ah moved along with Tang Soyeol.

Without Gu Yangcheon being here, she would have to return to the place with the horrendous stench,

But she was used to such a life.

So Namgung Bi-ah didn’t become disappointed.

Thankfully though,

‘I feel like we’ll meet again soon.’

That was what she felt for some reason.

And Namgung Bi-ah’s predictions were something that came true most of the time.