SYM 98
by Emerlyn“Meeting someone you knew before, wasn’t that the first time since Cheong-un, wasn’t it?”
“…That’s right.”
Eun-hyeon watched Cheong-un nod quietly and poured himself some tea to wet his throat.
Eun-hyeon was thinking about Eldest Senior Brother, whom he had met a little while ago.
In the past, there wasn’t a big age difference between him and Eldest Senior Brother. But now, he was younger, and Eldest Senior Brother was old enough to be his father.
Clearly, traces of his old face remained, but Eldest Senior Brother’s aged face, which he didn’t know, was both familiar and strange.
“It’s the Eldest Senior Brother you’ve been longing for, so why didn’t you spend more time with him?”
Eun-hyeon blinked and looked at Cheong-un.
At first glance, it didn’t seem like there was any other intention behind the words, but listening to them made him feel strange. Moreover, even though Cheong-un said it with an indifferent expression, it sounded like he was being sarcastic.
“I came in because I was tired. You should go out and discuss future matters. You don’t need to skip it because of me.”
“Well, I think Master would want to participate more than I would.”
This time, Eun-hyeon definitely felt the barb in Cheong-un’s words.
“I don’t even know why we’re having this conversation. What did I even do?”
“You’re not even aware of it, so I have nothing more to say.”
“Are you saying I’m not even worth talking to? If I did something wrong, I should apologize!”
“There’s no need to apologize. It’s all my fault for being inadequate.”
First, embarrassment, then anger and shame, swept over Eun-hyeon in turn.
What did he do to deserve hearing these things from Cheong-un?
He didn’t really talk to Eldest Senior Brother, he just asked a few questions, wasn’t that it?
“You’ve been singing praises about Eldest Senior Brother, Eldest Senior Brother, so it seems like you fulfilled your wish today. You couldn’t take your eyes off Eldest Senior Brother. You had a smile on your face the whole time. It’s like it’s the first time I’ve seen you so happy since you met Master again.”
Eun-hyeon bit his lip and looked at Cheong-un.
His head throbbed, and his stomach felt stuffy. It felt like the things he had eaten earlier were stuck.
“…I don’t know why you’re doing this. Why are you suddenly talking nonsense?”
“You’re the only one who doesn’t know. Everyone who was there today must have felt it. The way Master looked at Jeong-hyeon, the Sect Leader, was different.”
“Stop it, it’s unpleasant.”
“The fact that you’re not aware of it is even more shocking to me. Master, do you like Jeong-hyeon, the Sect Leader? No, do you love him? Is that why you looked at him with such longing eyes?”
Eun-hyeon couldn’t stand it anymore and glared at Cheong-un.
“So, what you’re saying is that I love Eldest Senior Brother and looked at him with passionate eyes?”
“…Isn’t that right?”
Cheong-un was saying ridiculous things and making people angry, but there was no sign of excitement on his face.
That bothered Eun-hyeon even more.
“…Cheong-un. Are you trying to insult me by saying these things? Am I supposed to endure this insult until you feel better?”
Anger blazed blue in Eun-hyeon’s eyes.
He liked Eldest Senior Brother?
That’s right. He had human affection for Eldest Senior Brother. But was that something to be criticized for?
“So, was that just my imagination? You couldn’t take your eyes off Jeong-hyeon, the Sect Leader, and kept looking at him?”
Eun-hyeon couldn’t hold back and pushed Cheong-un away and walked to the back. He was so angry that the tips of his fingers were trembling.
“You already have your answer in your mind. Tell me. What do you want me to say? I’ll say whatever you want me to say.”
Cheong-un silently stared at Eun-hyeon. That made him feel angry again.
“Eldest Senior Brother is my first love, so I’m so excited to see him that I’m going to die. Would you be satisfied if I said that?”
He didn’t even realize how much force he was using when he spoke, and his teeth were grinding.
“…Is that so?”
“Hey, are you crazy?”
His vision spun for a moment.
He didn’t understand or accept what Cheong-un was thinking. He was so angry that he wanted to slap Cheong-un’s cheek.
But instead of getting angry, Eun-hyeon took a long breath. Cheong-un was his disciple. He couldn’t act the same way as Cheong-un just because he was his Master.
“…It’s late, let’s talk tomorrow. I want to rest now.”
“It’s not like you have nothing more to say, is it?”
“Hey! What’s wrong with you?”
Eun-hyeon couldn’t stand it anymore and shouted. He glared at Cheong-un with wide eyes.
But Cheong-un didn’t say anything.
“You’re acting strange right now, so I’m saying let’s talk after you cool your head, but you don’t like that either? Do you think I’m just saying this to get out of this situation?”
“…Then, Master.”
Cheong-un paused while speaking.
“Are you sure you don’t have any feelings for him anymore?”
Eun-hyeon was about to shout, but he closed his mouth when he saw Cheong-un’s eyes. He could see a slight tremor in Cheong-un’s heavy eyes.
In an instant, the boiling anger subsided surprisingly.
“Cheong-un. What are you so anxious about?”
“Eldest Senior Brother has always been a special existence to Master.”
“…Did it seem that way?”
Eun-hyeon stared at Cheong-un silently and let out a long sigh, he didn’t know how many times he had sighed.
“Yes, it’s true that Eldest Senior Brother was a special existence to me.”
He could see Cheong-un biting his lip tightly.
“He was a protector who protected and cared for me when I was young and didn’t know anything. The reason I took you in was probably because of the memories of being cared for by Eldest Senior Brother.”
“Does that mean my relationship with you is also because of Eldest Senior Brother?”
“Haa, why do you think of everything that way? No matter how special Eldest Senior Brother is, it’s already a past relationship.”
“If you say that, doesn’t that mean I’m also a past relationship?”
“Cheong-un!”
Eun-hyeon took a deep breath.
It was like he was determined to twist everything he said.
“Have I ever lied to you? Why do you think of everything so twistedly?”
Cheong-un approached Eun-hyeon. They were so close that they could feel each other’s breath.
“Master, you haven’t lied to me, but that doesn’t mean you’ve told me everything honestly, does it?”
Eun-hyeon was speechless for a moment.
The fact that he wasn’t actually from this world, that this place was the world in the book he had read.
In fact, Eun-hyeon had confessed to Eldest Senior Brother when he was young that he was a transmigrator from another world. Eldest Senior Brother didn’t make fun of him for it, but he didn’t believe it either. He thought it was a child’s fantasy to get attention.
He still couldn’t forget the shame he felt at that time.
Eun-hyeon had never told anyone about this since then. But now, Cheong-un was talking as if he knew all those facts.
“Cheong-un… You too, you haven’t told me everything honestly, have you?”
“Me?”
Cheong-un gave a light smile at Eun-hyeon’s words.
“Then, can you tell me what happened when you met Seo Eun-hyeon at the Seoan Night market? No, tell me how you felt when you faced Seo Eun-hyeon. It wasn’t me who met my first love, it was you, wasn’t it?”
In an instant, the words that Eun-hyeon had been suppressing burst out like a flood.
First love?
Who was whose first love?
Eldest Senior Brother wasn’t Eun-hyeon’s first love, and it wasn’t him who met his first love, it was Cheong-un.
“Seo Eun-hyeon is Master. Why do you talk as if they are different people?”
Eun-hyeon raised the corner of his mouth and shook his head. Maybe the expression he made looked a little mean.
“How funny, Cheong-un. Can one person be in two places? You clearly called it an Undead, a corpse, before. You didn’t see it as a living person. But now you’re saying they’re two people.”
Cheong-un’s face seemed to turn a little pale for a moment.
Eun-hyeon chuckled as he looked at Cheong-un.
“What you just said tells me exactly what’s in your heart. You think that Undead is Seo Eun-hyeon. So now, you tell me. Who is the one you say you love so much? Is it me in front of you, or is it that Seo Eun-hyeon you met in Seoan that day?”
Eun-hyeon thought he had a blade in his mouth.
Sharply honed words flew like daggers.