The World's Greatest is Dead

—Is it that good?

For a while, the child kept eating frantically, trying to fill a starving stomach.

Then the voice that reached those ears made the small hand stop.

What if he was telling the child not to eat anymore? At the quiet anxiety rising inside, the girl disguised as a boy turned to the side.

There, a pretty boy with utterly exhausted eyes was looking at her.

—Why’d you stop? Eat more.

The moment permission was given, she immediately started swallowing food again as if she had been waiting for it.

And even then, the boy kept talking to her.

—It’s nice seeing you enjoy it, but I didn’t even put anything special in it. You were eating it so well I just had to ask. Is it good?

Even while swallowing the broth, she nodded.

It was good. Compared to what she had eaten in the past, it was incomparably better.

—Heh heh heh.

She could not even answer, only barely nod, and the boy laughed at the sight.

—One more bowl, please.

At the boy’s words, a voice from the kitchen answered that it understood.

—Eat slowly. Nobody’s gonna take it from you.

She ate earnestly. Really earnestly.

And in the middle of that, she glanced at her mother sitting across from her.

That woman, too, was eating the thin noodles with trembling hands.

Then—

—This is ridiculous.

The beautiful girl in front of them spoke to the boy as if something displeased her.

—When I come around, you act like I should hurry up and leave, so why are you being so nice?

—What are you talking about?

—The food too! You hardly ever feed me!

A vivid sense of hurt hung over her flushed face.

At that, the boy clicked his tongue.

—You eat just fine on your own. A rich girl getting jealous over something this stupid?

—I’m not jealous!

—Alright, alright. I’ll give you more too. Eat up. You eat all sorts of other things besides noodles and now you’re gonna be stingy over this?

—That’s not what I meant...!!

She reacted as if wronged, but the boy did not seem to care.

—One more bowl here too, please. This time load it up a little. Apparently our family’s patron is hungry.

Yessir—! came the reply, and the girl shot to her feet.

—I told you that’s not it!! Do you think I’m some kind of pig!?

—If you’re not, then you’re not, so why are you yelling? Just eat.

—You...!!

It was funny, the way they bickered.

That was why the girl let out a small laugh.

Pfft.

That short sound rang out.

And at once, the surroundings went still.

The girl looked around nervously.

She should not have laughed.

—Ah... no... I...

Right as she was about to offer some clumsy excuse that was not really an excuse—

—See? Even the kid’s laughing. I told you, you’re the weird one.

—What’s that supposed to mean? What’s weird about me? Hey, am I weird?

—Ah... no... no...

—Why are you putting the kid on the spot too? I’m telling you, that’s why it happened.

—Then what exactly is “that”? Say it clearly.

—There’s stuff like that. Don’t go trying to understand it. You’ll get hurt.

—If you don’t explain it, you’re the one getting hurt right now.

—Ah.

The boy, who had been eating, shot to his feet at those words.

—Where do you think you’re going?

The girl asked with sparks in her eyes, and the boy snatched up the bowl he had been eating from and moved fast.

—My father’s calling me.

—Don’t lie. Why would the head of the house be calling you?

—Because I’m his son?

—The head of the house doesn’t care about his son.

—...Why are you casually insulting my father?

—Enough. Get over here. If you come now, I’ll let you live.

—Your nose moves when you lie.

—Oh, really?

The girl smiled brightly and covered her nose.

—Guess you caught me.

And with that, she rushed at the boy.

—Goddamn it.

The boy saw it and took off like mad.

—....

Watching that, she let out a laugh without even realizing it.

“Ahaha.”

At that, the mother sitting across from her widened her eyes.

The child who had not smiled for years had laughed.

Without knowing the burden laid over her.

Without even knowing what kind of existence she herself was, the child who had gone through every kind of hardship—

Had laughed over something as small as this.

She did not know what kind of life awaited her in the future.

But she knew one thing herself.

That the year she would spend here—

Would hold immense meaning for her.

It did not even take many days before she realized it.

Could I be happy?

Just as that feeling began to rise in her mind—

[Happy?]

—...!

Startled, the girl turned around.

Something was there.

A black thing that looked exactly like her.

That thing looked at her and spoke.

[Don’t expect it.]

Something invaded the girl’s mind.

[This too. That too. You’ll kill all of it with your own hands.]

A chill ran over her skin.

She needed to say no, but no words came out.

It felt like a lock had been fastened around her throat.

Just as that thought passed through her—

[So give it up. This kind of thing doesn’t suit you.]

The black thing came closer and suddenly seized her by the throat.

“Ghk...!”

It was strong.

At any moment, it felt like her neck might snap.

That thought crossed her mind.

“Le... ghk...!”

[Don’t get attached.]

The black thing’s red eyes stared at the girl.

[You need to know what you’re meant to do. This doesn’t suit you. So give it up.]

Don’t be happy.

That was what the black thing was saying.

[Look. This is because of you too, isn’t it?]

Hearing that, the girl turned her eyes downward.

She looked at the ground.

“Ghk... ugh!!!”

The scenery changed.

Pure white snow.

And the blood staining it.

Her dead mother and the mutilated corpses.

And—

[Look at your hand.]

—...!!!

Even the blood smeared across her own hand.

The sight she never wanted to see filled her eyes.

[You.]

The red eyes kept whispering into her ear, coaxing her.

[This is what «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» suits you.]

Choose your clothes well.

How could happiness ever suit you?

After burning everything down with your own hands, what exactly do you think you’re dreaming of?

[Enough. Now take my hand.]

Give up and come here.

If you do not, more of the people precious to you will die.

It was persuasion.

And at the same time, a threat.

[Can’t you see? Even the master who stayed by your side ended up like that.]

Her gaze followed the end of the pointing finger.

Far away, she saw Seongheon lying there as if dead.

[It’s because of you.]

It felt like her breathing was being squeezed shut, as if she were struggling underwater.

[It’s because you exist. So leave. Then everything can return to where it belongs.]

She turned her trembling head and looked at the black thing again.

The hand that had been gripping her throat was already gone.

Now it was holding a hand out toward her.

Telling her to take it.

[Take it.]

Then—

[I’ll make sure you never hurt again.]

—....

No longer hurting.

Not herself, but the people around her.

At those words, the girl—

Yuyeon’s hand slowly reached out.

To grasp that offered hand.

[Heehee.]

Seeing the movement, the black thing laughed.

A reaction as if everything had gone exactly as it wanted.

And just as their fingertips were about to touch—

“What a joke.”

GRAB!

[Khk!?]

“...!!”

A white hand that had appeared out of nowhere suddenly caught the black thing’s arm.

“Where the hell do you think you’re spouting this bullshit?”

And then—

GRAB—!!

[KYAAAAAGH!!]

It grabbed the black thing by the head and tore it off.

The neck of that thing that looked like her was ripped right out.

Seeing that, Yuyeon’s eyes went wide as lanterns.

“Hey.”

In the middle of a situation too incomprehensible to process, Yuyeon flinched at the familiar voice.

“Why the hell are you even listening to something like this?”

In a tone full of disbelief, the young man—Bang Seongheon with blue eyes—spoke to her.

“Get a grip, will you?”

“........”

“You can be spaced out, but not this bad. When something says stupid shit, ignore it and move on.”

He let out a heavy sigh after another.

That sigh stabbed straight into Yuyeon’s chest.

“Seriously. You’re suffocating.”

Tap.

Bang Seongheon lightly poked Yuyeon’s forehead with the tip of his finger.

And then—

“It’s not because of you.”

—....

He said the very words she had wanted to hear most.

“Not some cheap comfort either. It really isn’t because of you. So get it together. Alright?”

—....

He had always been like that.

Bang Seongheon had always said exactly what she wanted to hear.

As though he already knew everything.

—If it’s hard, you can come again.

—You hungry? Want some noodles?

—I’ll pretend I didn’t see it, so if you’re going to cry, then just cry your eyes out.

—You’re leaving? Take care. Ah, but—

—If you want to come back, you can come back anytime.

The words surfaced in her mind.

Whenever she felt like she was suffocating, she repeated the words her master had told her.

—You must endure. Only if you endure can you protect those precious to you.

Whenever she was in pain, she endured.

Because she had thought that was the right thing to do.

But—

“Don’t endure things for no reason. Just do what you want.”

Bang Seongheon said something different to her.

“If you want to get angry, then get angry. If you keep bottling everything up, it’ll wreck your body. And if you’re still shaking and think you can’t do it—”

Tap, tap.

The finger resting against her forehead tapped her two more times.

“Then just trust me and let it out. I’ll handle the rest.”

He would take care of it himself.

For some reason, that incomprehensible sentence put her at ease.

“Now that you understand—”

Seeing her reaction, Bang Seongheon gave a crooked grin.

“Get up already, idiot.”

At his words, Yuyeon finally opened her eyes.

*****

“...!!”

Yuyeon’s eyes flew open, and she bolted upright.

Someone reacted to the upper body she had raised so suddenly.

“Whoa, shit, you scared me...!”

It was Bang Seongheon.

Bang Seongheon, with white hair and blue eyes, was looking at her.

“Hey. At least give some warning before you sit up like that! You scared the hell out of me.”

“....”

Looking at him, she tried to gather her dazed thoughts.

What was that just now?

A dream?

Still blank, she looked around.

It was a room.

Beside her, her master was lying down.

“They said your body’s not seriously wrong. Just anemia, apparently. You should eat properly. Your sect master being sick is one thing, but you getting sick too is a little much.”

“....”

Yuyeon nodded.

She certainly had not eaten for several days.

“And.”

Bang Seongheon pointed at something.

The sword lying next to her.

It was the thing Yuyeon had received earlier.

An old, shabby sword.

She had grabbed that and fought him...

And then—

“...!”

Yuyeon flinched.

Because she remembered.

They had fought like that, and in the end she had put strength into something she never should have.

What happened after that?

Anxiety surged up in her.

Had something gone wrong again?

She hurriedly looked over Bang Seongheon.

He was alive right in front of her, and yet she was still uneasy.

Then—

“What are you staring at? I’m not hurt.”

“....”

Bang Seongheon spoke with a sigh mixed into his voice.

Not hurt?

Really?

“What’s with those eyes? You don’t believe me?”

“....”

Bang Seongheon snorted.

“What? Were you hoping I got hurt?”

Yuyeon sharply turned her head away.

An absolute denial.

“Don’t worry. You think I’d get hurt by something like that? It was nothing.”

She had definitely been swallowed by that black thing.

Had nothing really happened?

I lost?

To him?

How could that be possible?

“What? You don’t like that I won?”

“....”

Yuyeon did not answer.

Bang Seongheon’s words were barely entering her ears.

“I’m just good like that. I’m more impressive than I look.”

Even if someone was covered by that black thing, he could still pull them out.

What surfaced in her mind was what had happened in the dream.

—Then just trust me and let it out. I’ll handle the rest.

Not don’t do it.

If you want to, then do it.

No matter what happened, he would take care of it.

Those words kept echoing in her ears.

If it was him...

Would it really be alright?

“....”

While Yuyeon remained silent—

Grrrrowl.

A sound came from her stomach.

“Hah.”

“....”

Yuyeon’s face turned red in an instant.

She clenched the blanket tightly in her hand.

Then—

“Hey.”

Bang Seongheon called out to her.

She flinched and trembled.

“Want me to make noodles?”

“....”

At those words, Yuyeon looked at Bang Seongheon.

“I’ll make them. Wait here.”

Bang Seongheon moved before he even heard an answer.

As if there was no need to hear one.

Watching him, Yuyeon thought—

Just as always,

He gave her the answer she wanted.

When she could speak.

And when she could not.

Yuyeon looked at Seongheon lying there.

—Find your spring.

I found my spring,

So you should find yours as well.

At the end of a long winter, look forward to spring.

After hearing those words, Yuyeon looked toward where Bang Seongheon had gone out.

Spring.

Perhaps her spring was not sunlight that would end winter.

Perhaps—

It was simply the moon, quietly shining beside her.

For some reason, that thought crossed her mind.