[TS] Became a Peach Saint – Chapter 105

I came out after getting a fortune from a grandmother who seemed like a fake fortune-teller, spouting nonsense I couldn’t understand.

As I retraced my steps, I spotted Lily’s mint-green hair in the distance.

“Lily.”

“Eonni!”

Lily noticed me and started running toward me at an unusual speed.

*Thud thud thud thud.*

I spread my arms, and she crashed into my embrace.

“Wow, Lily, you need to eat more. Why are you so light?”

“Hehe.”

I scooped her up, supporting her bottom, and she naturally wrapped her arms around my neck.

“What were you doing with your friends?”

“Sharing candy.”

*Clink.*

In the glass jar Lily held out, only one piece of candy remained.

She stared at the candy rolling around inside the jar, then pulled out the last piece.

“Eonni, ah—”

“You’re giving me the last one?”

“Yes!”

I popped the candy into my mouth, and a tangy lemon flavor spread.

*Ding!*

“Refill service, just for you.”

“Ahh!”

“The last piece is for someone special, so since you gave it to me, I’ll give you something too.”

“Yes! Thank you, Eonni.”

Lily carefully placed the newly refilled candy jar into her bag.

Now that the jar was full again, Lily seemed to be in high spirits, chattering away.

As I responded to her chatter and asked her questions, I learned there weren’t many snacks around here.

The most they had was dried fruit or fried bugs.

While talking with Lily, I felt someone’s gaze and looked up to see the kids Lily had shared candy with earlier staring at us.

“Lily, should we share with your friends?”

“Hmm.”

Lily clung to me, swinging her legs in the air as she thought.

“Eonni, they’ve been mean to me a lot.”

“Really?”

She whispered to me, worried the kids might hear.

“Should we not share and just eat it ourselves?”

“Hmm.”

Her tiny head seemed to be working overtime, thinking hard.

“Is Wutum their leader?”

“Yeah. They just follow Wutum around.”

Looking at the kids, they were all around the same age, but one stood out—a bigger kid.

That must be Wutum, the one Lily mentioned.

“Hmm. Lily, lend me your ear.”

“Okay.”

Lily tilted her small ear toward me.

“Whoosh.”

“Ahh! Eonni!”

“Pfft.”

I blew into her ear, and she turtled her neck in, giggling.

“Let’s go.”

I walked over to the kids with Lily, and Wutum stepped forward.

Guess he’s the leader.

“You’re the leader, huh?”

“Yeah.”

*CRASH!*

*Thud, thud.*

The tree I punched shattered and swayed before finally collapsing.

The kids’ eyes widened, frozen in place.

“Still wanna fight?”

“…No.”

“I like kids, but not brats. If you don’t wanna die, watch your tongue.”

“…Yes.”

“Hehe.”

Lily, still in my arms, laughed and swung her legs.

She seemed thrilled to see the kids who’d bullied her getting put in their place.

“Being casual is something only friends can do. Got it?”

“…Yes.”

“Good. Wutum.”

“Yes.”

“Why are you the leader?”

Wutum hesitated, glancing around before slowly speaking.

“The leader has to be the strongest and the fastest.”

“Me?”

Wutum’s gaze crumbles as it lands on the pitifully fallen tree on the ground, and his face turns pale.

“That, that’s not it.”

“Hmm.”

The cutoff for being the alley captain doesn’t seem that high.

“Does opportunity come around fairly?”

“Yes! We follow the strong!”

Wutum shouts loudly, puffing out his chest.

These kids are really fired up.

But life isn’t that fair, Wutum.

“Wait here for a moment.”

I took Lily into the quiet forest where there was no sign of anyone.

“Lily, can you take off your shoes?”

“Huh? Sure.”

Lily, without any suspicion, takes off her shoes and places them in front of me.

Ding! Ding!

[Sneakers Lv3 ▷ Lv5]

Ding!!

[Sneakers] have met the conditions.

〈Wings are starting to grow〉

───

[Gale’s Lia Lv.5]

●A faint divine aura resides within

○A pair of shoes prepared by Cheondo (Heavenly Peach) for Lily, who rides the high winds of the sky

○Divine aura is accumulating

○Wings are growing

◈High Wind

◈Gale (疾風)

Equipment level increases with each purchase

[Owner: Lily, who rides the high winds of the sky]

───

[Remaining Balance: 242,200,000 won]

“Oh.”

“Wow, so cute!”

Next to Lily’s sneakers, which were enveloped in light, adorable little wings had sprouted.

The sneakers, already shrunken to Lily’s size, now had even smaller wings.

“Lily, your shoes are named Lia.”

“Lia? Shoes have names?”

“Seems like it. Not sure what ‘Gale’ means though.”

She tilts her head and then nods.

Not sure what she agreed to, but at least she seems to like it.

“Try them on.”

“Okay!”

As Lily puts her feet into the shoes, they slightly expand and then shrink back.

“Wow! So soft!”

Watching Lily bounce around, it seemed like with each jump, she glided smoothly through the air, moving forward.

Over time, she seemed to adapt quickly, her speed increasing.

“Eonni! There are more clouds!!”

“You’ll get hurt.”

“I won’t!”

Seeing Lily excitedly causing a ruckus, I could see why her name was “Lily, who rides the high winds of the sky.”

She looks not just flexible but utterly free.

“Lily, let’s go now.”

“Okay!”

Bang!

A scene that makes my eyes doubt appears.

Lily, floating in mid-air, hears my voice and pushes off the air, falling towards me.

“Ouch. I told you you’d get hurt.”

“Hehe.”

She must think I’m Superman or something, believing I’d catch her.

She lands clumsily in my arms, giggling.

“Lily, what was that just now?”

“What was what?”

“You changed direction in mid-air and came to me.”

“I stepped on a cloud.”

I can’t take Lily’s shoes to try them on myself; I guess I’ll have to buy a pair later.

“Let’s go.”

“Okay!”

Since it was a short distance, as soon as we passed through the thicket, we saw the kids.

“It’s a showdown.”

“….Huh?”

“Let’s have a race.”

“With who?”

“With Lily.”

“Ha.”

The bratty kid snorts.

“Lily is flexible, good at finding forest paths, knows herbs, mushrooms, climbs trees well, cooks well, and is smart, but I’m faster at running.”

“….Do you like Lily?”

“Ah!! What are you saying,”

“Stranger!”

*Thud.*

“Hey.”

As the stone crushed underfoot turned to dust, Wutum immediately became docile.

Guess there are no bad kids in the world after all.

“Have you ever raced Lily?”

“No… but I think I’d be faster.”

“Then let’s do it. The first one to touch that big tree and come back here wins.”

After drawing a line on the dirt, they both stepped forward without a word.

“Ready!”

At my voice, Wutum and Lily crouched down, ready to sprint.

Living in the forest, they naturally knew how to use their bodies.

“Go!”

*Whoosh.*

*Boom!!!*

“Huh…?”

A loud sound followed the starting signal.

Wutum’s leg froze the moment he took his first step.

A sharp pain shot through my left eye, and I caught a glimpse of Lily.

By the time I realized it, she had already touched the tree and was on her way back.

“Ta-da.”

As the slow-flowing time snapped back, a gust of wind swept through, scattering weeds and dust.

“Hehe. I won, right?”

Lily, they probably didn’t even see you.

“……”

“Wutum!”

“Huh, what?”

“I won.”

The kids stood there, mouths agape, looking dazed.

“Stop fighting. You’re both captains. Wutum, you’re the Strength Captain. Lily, you’re the Speed Captain. Got it?”

“Hehe.”

After a while, Wutum finally came to his senses and approached Lily.

“Sorry.”

“What?”

“I said, I’m sorry.”

Lily, flustered by Wutum’s shy apology, nodded belatedly.

Still, the fact that he apologized right away showed they were pure-hearted kids.

“Alright, gather around. Let’s have a snack party.”

“Eonni, what’s a snack party?”

“It’s when we eat lots of delicious snacks.”

“Wow.”

The kids sat down, using the soft grass as chairs.

“Lily, help me out.”

“Okay!”

“I’ll help too.”

The voice came from Wutum, who had just caught up.

“Really? Then you help too, Eonni.”

“Eonni?”

“Normally, you’d share food to be friends, but let’s be friends from now on.”

“Okay!”

“Feel free to speak casually.”

“Okay!”

*Ding! Ding!*

To celebrate their new friendship, I poured out all kinds of snacks.

“Lily, pour drinks for everyone.”

“Okay.”

“Wutum, pass these around.”

“Yes! I mean, okay!”

Wutum eagerly carried the cake slices I had cut.

Finally, I filled a big plate with the salty, crispy goodness of potato chips.

The kids’ eyes sparkled as they realized the sweet smell was coming from the plates in front of them.

And now, a little early education.

“Brave warriors!”

*Ooh!*

The kids cheered loudly.

“Sweet chocolate cake will be our strength, salty potato chips our courage, and cool cola will solidify our unity!”

*It will!*

“With sweet, salty, and refreshing flavors, we’ll unite our hearts and march toward victory!”

*We will!*

“This very moment marks the beginning of our great story! Warriors, raise your glorious cups!”

*Wahhh!!!!*

“Drink!”

*Without hesitation!!*

“Without getting drunk!”

*Without returning!!*

“Pour it!!”

*Let’s die!!*

“Drink!!!”

*Chug it!!!*

“Drink!!”

─Waaaaah!!!!!

Gulp, gulp, gulp.

The cool cola slides down my throat, pulling out a hidden K-exclamation from deep within my soul.

“Kuuuh─ bbeok-yeah.”

─Bbeok-yeah!!

***

“Lily, did you have fun?”

“Yeah! It was so, so much fun.”

Maybe the hug earlier was the starting signal, because Lily kept trying to hug me at every opportunity.

Following Lily, who was clinging to me and bouncing her legs, we walked along the forest path.

“You ran so fast earlier, how did you do that?”

“I stepped on clouds and split the wind.”

“Ah, I totally get it now.”

I had no idea what Lily was talking about.

Is this some kind of wind-related nonsense after the brain nonsense?

“Over there.”

Following Lily’s pointing finger, I saw a very old cabin.

“Do you live there alone?”

“Yeah.”

The villages I’ve seen so far seemed to have houses spaced out to make use of the wide space.

Even so, it was just a distance where you could see if you stuck your head out, but Lily’s house was isolated in a remote spot.

─Creeeak.

As I opened the door, a sound that hurt my ears came through.

Carrying Lily inside, the house was surprisingly tidy, unlike its exterior.

It felt like someone had diligently cleaned the old place.

It reflected Lily’s neat and diligent personality.

“I need to tear it all down and fix it.”

How well could a child manage a house? It’s nice to say it’s tidy, but everything is old and worn out.

A conversation I had with the elder grandmother while smoking a cigarette before going to see the fortune flashed through my mind.

After her parents were killed by humans who invaded the village, I heard she wouldn’t let anyone come to take care of her or fix the house.

At my words about fixing it, Lily looked at me.

“Fix?”

“Yeah. Don’t you like it?”

All that was left for this child was this worn-out cabin.

It must have been the last memory connected to her parents, so she must have held onto it with all her might.

It was the last place where she could feel the warmth of her parents, so she must have held onto it with all her might.

Lily, blinking her big eyes, buried her face in my shoulder.

It felt damp.

“I’ll fix it.”

“Really? I’ll fix it up nicely for you.”

“Sniff. Yeah.”

I gently patted Lily’s back.

“Good girl.”

“Sniff.”

What could be so sad?

What could be so heartbreaking?

How much has she missed them?

How much has this little body poured out its sorrows?

I still don’t know.

Not yet.