Chapter 124

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on January 2, 2025

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As I stared blankly at Ayu, she could no longer contain her embarrassment and buried her face in my chest.

A soft “keuk” sound escaped, but I could feel the strong heartbeat of Ayu against my body.

It was so intense that I worried her heart might burst.

But the problem was, my heart was pounding just as hard.

“…Domi Oppa, do you like me?”

She asked timidly, still not lifting her head.

I looked down at Ayu and gently wrapped my hand around her head.

Who wouldn’t love such an adorable girl?

I recalled the days I spent with Ayu.

The mischievous girl who always stayed by my side in the game made those five years the happiest of my life.

She helped me overcome my trauma, which had led me to distrust people.

Whenever something happened to me, she was the first to ask and come running.

She was the person I wanted to spend my entire life with.

Being by her side felt comfortable.

Talking with her was joyful.

Every moment spent together was happiness.

Just based on that, my answer had been decided long ago.

As proof, my heart, facing Ayu who was looking at me, was clearly asserting itself.

This tingling sensation in my fingertips and toes was something only she could evoke.

“I like you.”

So, I finally uttered those words that had been so hard to say.

Though I didn’t think such words could fully express my feelings.

After hesitating and pondering, I managed to say the words closest to my emotions.

And at that moment, tears began to well up in her eyes.

“Sniff, sniff, hiiing.”

Panicked, I quickly wiped her tears with my hand, and Ayu started sobbing.

Even as she cried, her face was filled with a smile so happy that I couldn’t help but smile too.

After crying for a while, Ayu buried her face in my chest and hugged me tightly.

As I patted her head, she seemed so overjoyed that she looked ready to jump for joy.

Damn, she’s really too cute.

“Have you ever said that to anyone before?”

When I asked, I had to force a bitter smile.

“No, you’re the first.”

“Ehehe, hehehe.”

This girl is laughing like such a fool.

It’s a little worrying.

“Then I’m your first wife!”

Hearing her shout that, my body froze.

First wife.

First?

As I stared blankly at Ayu, she, oblivious to the meaning of my gaze, started humming a cheerful tune.

“Ayu, wait. What do you mean by first wife?”

Unable to let it go, I asked Ayu, and she finally lifted her head.

“First is first. Why?”

“Well, first implies there’s a second, third, and so on.”

Numbers naturally follow in order.

So, when I asked in confusion, Ayu looked at me and then smiled brightly.

“I talked with the kid and Cheolhyeol before. We agreed not to make a big deal about becoming Domi Oppa’s wife.”

Wait, what did these guys talk about behind my back?

As I made a shocked face, Ayu, seemingly oblivious, just rubbed her face against my chest.

“So, since I was the first to hear you say you like me, I’m the first. Your first is me. Got it?”

“…”

Is this girl really okay with that?

Moreover, not just Ayu, but Siho and Seolhyang also agreed.

What was the point of all my worries then?

As I stared blankly ahead, Baeksan suddenly appeared from the wall.

He glanced at me and Ayu, shook his head, and left.

Only then did I understand what Baeksan meant when he said they’d handle things themselves at Seolhyang’s place.

So, that’s what he meant.

“Ha, haha.”

…Let’s just work hard to earn money.

Later, I left the lounge with Ayu.

Somehow, I ended up hearing her confession, but first, I needed to visit Dohwa in the hospital room.

Walking beside me, Ayu, still humming a tune, looked as cheerful as ever.

As I watched her, something suddenly came to mind.

“By the way, why did you hide your gender back then?”

Ayu had said she hid her gender when we first met in real life because of clingy guys.

But hearing this, it seemed like she didn’t care much back then.

So, I questioned that part.

“Domi Oppa, don’t you remember? You were really scared of women back then.”

“Ah.”

Ayu and I met shortly after I was betrayed by Gwak Sa-yeon.

At that time, I was very wary of women, and it was actually Juk-sim who brought all the female guild members.

“So, I just said I was a guy. Back then, I didn’t care much about being treated as a girl.”

“So that’s how it was.”

Only now did I realize why Ayu had been hiding her gender all this time.

Once she started hiding it, it must have been hard to reveal later.

“But now, I love being treated as a girl. Because I’m Domi Oppa’s girl.”

Her beaming smile was so cute that I had to avert my eyes.

Today’s Ayu was too strong.

“What are you going to tell Dohwa?”

At my question, Ayu leaned her head on my shoulder, seeming to ponder.

“Even if I tell her honestly, will she understand?”

“That world doesn’t have the concept of Returners.”

“Yeah, Returners are a problem because of the Tower of Apocalypse. Over there, there’s no concept of coming and going.”

As Ayu seemed to be deep in thought, I gently placed my hand on her head.

“Then let’s first talk about why Dohwa came here.”

That was the most important thing.

Hearing my words, Ayu nodded and reluctantly removed her arms from around me.

Then, with a tap of her foot, Ayu transformed back into Cheon Hong-ryun.

“Then let’s talk.”

Cheon Hong-ryun, with a confident smile, exuded the dignity of Cheonma.

Returning to the hospital room with her, Dohwa, leaning on the bed, looked our way.

“Have you finished talking?”

When Dohwa asked, Cheon Hong-ryun nodded lightly.

“Yes, this is my husband.”

Wait, that’s the first thing you say?

As I made a shocked face, Dohwa looked at me and Cheon Hong-ryun and laughed.

“That’s good. You always seemed lonely, sister.”

Saying that, Dohwa pushed aside the blanket and sat up gracefully.

Then, kneeling on the bed, she clasped her hands together.

“Then, may I now explain why I came to this world, sister?”

Her demeanor suggested she was about to discuss something very important, so I looked at Cheon Hong-ryun.

She nodded, signaling me to stay by her side, and stood in front of Dohwa.

“Speak.”

“Sister, after Cheonma left, Magyo lost its greatest pillar.”

That was to be expected.

For Magyo, suddenly losing their leader must have been extremely disorienting.

“That would be the case.”

Cheon Hong-ryun, knowing this, had returned, so she responded as if it were natural.

“Thus, Magyo fell into civil war over the position of the new Cheonma.”

“I expected as much. They were merely suppressed by my power.”

“Yes, exactly. After Cheonma disappeared, Magyo revealed its true colors. Unlike when Cheonma was present, Magyo showed what true malevolence is.”

Saying this, Dohwa bowed her head with a troubled expression.

“However, without Cheonma, Magyo’s power has greatly weakened. During their civil war, the Murim Alliance gathered strength and quickly recovered from the wounds inflicted by Cheonma.”

“Like cockroaches.”

“Though I am from the Murim Alliance.”

“To me, Magyo and the Murim Alliance are the same.”

I nudged Cheon Hong-ryun with my elbow.

She glanced at me and let out a brief, bitter sigh.

“Continue.”

“Yes, as I mentioned earlier, the Murim Alliance, having regained strength, began a full-scale war with Magyo. Magyo, weakened by Cheonma’s absence and the civil war, was no longer as powerful as in its prime.”

“They couldn’t dominate the Murim Alliance anymore.”

“Exactly. And the same went for the Murim Alliance. Originally, the Murim Alliance was nearly annihilated when you were present, so even after recovering, there were limits. Thus, Magyo and the Murim Alliance became evenly matched, and the war dragged on endlessly.”

The war dragged on.

And I knew exactly what that meant.

“The prolonged war devastated mountains and fields, and too much blood was shed. People who couldn’t endure became bandits, and a shadowy force called the Blood Sect emerged.”

“So, what are you trying to say?”

As Cheon Hong-ryun indicated she’d heard enough about the situation, Dohwa slowly began to bow her head.

“I came here to ask you to return to Magyo.”

And the following words made Cheon Hong-ryun frown.

“…Didn’t you say you were from the Murim Alliance? Why are you asking me, their greatest enemy, to return to Magyo?”

“The Central Plains are now deeply ill, a place where even bamboo groves to lie down in are gone. In this world, there is no justice. What does the Murim Alliance or Magyo matter now? In the end, we are all the same people.”

Dohwa bit her lip.

“One side winning would be fine. Even if the Murim Alliance calls me a traitor and curses me, it’s okay. But if things continue like this, the Central Plains will be beyond saving. Unless one side decisively wins, this war will never end.”

In war, there is no good or evil.

Only hell exists.

Dohwa’s world was now a meaningless war repeating itself without any cause.

“Plum blossoms originally bloom in fertile soil. The Volcano Sect bloomed plum blossoms in barren land. But now, the martial world has become even more desolate than Volcano. My plum blossoms can no longer even form buds in this martial world.”

Dohwa bowed her head to the ground.

“I believe only Cheonma can now make camellias bloom in this martial world where not a single flower bud can form.”

“…”

Cheon Hong-ryun remained silent to Dohwa’s plea.

Then, she turned to look at me.

For Cheon Hong-ryun, this matter was now meaningless.

To her, Murim was worthless.

But still, she hesitated.

Her hesitation wasn’t because of Murim.

It was because of Dohwa, who was speaking to her now.

Dohwa was the one painful connection Cheon Hong-ryun had to that world.

Though only a half-sibling, to Dohwa, Cheon Hong-ryun was both her sister and the one who killed her mother.