[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-childhood-friend-of-the-zenith":3,"chapter-childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-19":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Childhood Friend of the Zenith",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1239945,1667,"Chapter 18: Wi Seol-Ah’s Memory of that Day","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-19",19,"\u003Cp>༺ Wi Seol-Ah’s Memory of that Day ༻\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wi Seol-Ah’s memory of that day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wi Seol-Ah like today would sometimes have weird dreams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dream where she would wield and swing her sword underneath the moonlight at night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wi Seol-Ah would think that this dream was a nightmare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too many people died whenever she swung her sword. Even then, the Wi Seol-Ah that killed people didn’t seem to be affected at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was scary to see the people that were infuriated at her for some unknown reason, but the Wi Seol-Ah in her dream didn’t seem to care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a beautiful sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked similar to the sword her Grandpa showed her a while back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grandpa hated me for wielding a sword. I copied Grandpa’s movements to get praise, but instead he got angry at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And on that day Grandpa cried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the first time I saw him cry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that happened, I promised that I would never play with a sword again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That promise finally stopped Grandpa’s crying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped crying, yet he seemed to be wailing inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other people say stuff like, he is benevolent? He is generous? They always use words I don’t understand but I know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That he is always crying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grandpa would always apologize. What is he sorry for? Seol-Ah is happy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is it similar to how the maid sisters tell me ‘You don’t need to know yet as you are still young’? I don’t want to be young though…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The version of myself in my dream was tall. My hair was also way longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She also had white hair unlike the black one I currently have.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She also had a pretty face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone says that I’m pretty, but that version of myself in my dream was much prettier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Can I also become like that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I suddenly got reminded of the Young Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Young master never says that I’m pretty…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone told me I was pretty after my hair was tied, so I ran over to Young Master to brag about my appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the Young Master averted his gaze right away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do I not look pretty in his eyes…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Young Master is a kind person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the first friend I made after living with only Grandpa for so long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a friend at first, but Grandpa told me that I have to call him Young Master now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He told me I can’t call him a friend, and that I’d get in trouble if I did…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I began calling him Young Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Young master looked scary at first, but after I mustered up my courage and spoke to him, he turned out to be a good person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He told me the potato I gave him was delicious and even gave me a yakgwa. At first, I was so surprised after tasting the yakgwa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yakgwa was way tastier than a potato. After that I didn’t have to eat potatoes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Young Master would always give me yakgwa every single day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’d be nice if he also ate it along with me but he told me that he didn’t like sweets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when I asked the servant sisters, they told me that the Young Master always loved sweets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that he would eat them every day before I came here. Is he lying now so that he can give them to me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He seems to like dumplings though…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yesterday he also bought yakgwa and dumplings. I even saw him smile which he rarely does.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for some reason my heart would ache whenever I see him smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I told Grandpa about this, Grandpa looked at the Young Master with scary eyes. I never saw Grandpa make that face before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Young Master laughed at me yesterday saying that my face was becoming rounder and rounder because of how I would eat so much snacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…So mean, I’m not going to eat yakgwa anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>N-Not completely, but I’ll only eat tw-two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So that Young Master would sometimes make the same face as my Grandpa would when he looked at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The look he gave me when we first met in the streets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like he did when the big hour appeared during our return journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The way he looked at me was just like how my Grandpa looked at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why do I feel happy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does the Young Master also think that I’m not happy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I kept dreaming, but today’s nightmare was a little different. I was supposed to wake up by this point, but this was the first time I saw this part of the dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dream continued on and I went into some random house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the house there were more people who were also angry at me like before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I fought again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My body was drenched in blood. It seemed like I was wounded. Does that not hurt me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I seemed to be really strong. A lot of people would charge at me but I’d still persevere through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was similar to Grandpa’s story. In his story, Grandpa was the strongest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would tell me he would beat hundreds of evil people that charged at him… I thought it was a lie but was it real?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I walked forward for a while and ran into a scary looking man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked kind, but also looked scary at the same time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The me inside the dream spoke. I had a pretty voice just like my face. Can I really become like that when I grow up…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scary yet kind looking man responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Seol-Ah… You came here to save me…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Shut your mouth and don’t call my name with that filthy mouth of yours. Tell me, when did it all begin?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What do you mean-’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I came here after finding out everything so don’t play with me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I would love to cut you in half right now, but I’m restraining myself. Now answer.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>S-Scary…!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I uttered such scary words with such a pretty face… I’ll make sure I won’t do that when I grow up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it because of my words? The scary yet somewhat kind looking man’s face changed completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he turned into a really scary looking man…!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ah, did I get found out…? What a shame, I just needed a little more time.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘You…!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But it’s fine. It’s enough.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack Crack-\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scary man produced some horrifying noises. His body that was changing in real time looked terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘You are too late Seol-Ah. You should have noticed sooner.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man gradually became bigger. I charged towards the man looking like I was going to fight him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I used the same beautiful sword art as last time, but it didn’t work against the man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What…!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was surprised. Then something comes out of the man’s body…!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gasp!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stabbed my body…!! Something sharp stabbed through my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike last time where I was moving fast, I couldn’t dodge the man’s attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man just like that flung me towards a wall.Thud!And I was pinned to the wall just like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was so scary. I wanted to wake up already because of how terrifying it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wake up…! I don’t wanna see something like this… Please…!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why am I having such a dream? It was such a scary nightmare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The me in the nightmare, who was stabbed with a sharp object, was slowly dying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to call out to my Grandpa. Grandpa might be able to save me. Grandpa is strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the version of myself inside the dream began saying something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What am I saying?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…rry.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t able to hear it because it was too quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the scary man walked towards me from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What now? What do I do…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scary man spoke to me when he was right in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So stupid right? Both you, Seol-Ah and that guy. Especially that guy, he was such an idiot. To think that such an idiot can help someone.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tears came out of my eyes upon hearing the man’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who is that guy? Who was he talking about? I hated how I didn’t know anything even though this was my dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man started to do something to me again. It was the sharp thing he stabbed me with from before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Send this message if you see him there, that he lived a trash life.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m sorry… I’m sorry.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I began apologizing upon hearing the man’s words. But it didn’t seem like I was apologizing to the man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then who was I apologizing to…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man swung the sharp thing at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shut my eyes tightly as I didn’t want to see it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hiiiik!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully I woke up from the nightmare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My back was drenched with sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I looked next to me, Grandpa wasn’t there. It seems like he is already outside working.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nightmare was so scary. I didn’t want to be alone because of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe that’s why,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>..I wanted to see the Young Master for some reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A day passed after I went to Hao Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ate a lot of dumplings yesterday, so I woke up with the resolution to train.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My name is Gu Jeolyeob. I wish to have a duel with the direct descendant of Gu Clan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But who the hell is this…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as I opened the door, some weirdo began talking to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like he was around the same age as me, and his sharp chin and eyes bore the semblance of Gu Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was annoying was that he was an insanely handsome man. His appearance and his last name of Gu told me that he was from the Gu Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he wasn’t a direct descendant of the Lord of Gu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I for a second thought that it was a secret son that father was hiding, but I didn’t know anyone like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So who is that? It was a familiar face but I couldn’t remember it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I inquired about his identity, Gu Jeolyub or Gu Cheolyub or whatever his name was, his expression distorted a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did I make a mistake? But I seriously don’t remember…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Second Elder suddenly appears and solves the issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh Jeolyub, what brings you here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And what brings you here old man…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to ask the Second Elder why he was hanging around me more than usual lately, but I didn’t bother as I knew he wouldn’t give me an answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jeolyub showed respect to the Second Elder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Greetings, Lord Second Elder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, it’s been a while, a year, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you been well?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This old man is always well hahaha! What about you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Don’t suddenly come to my house and start chatting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So who was that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I continued to stand with a confused look, the Second Elder looked at me pathetically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yangcheon, you seriously don’t know who that is?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s why I’m asking for the third time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do I do with you, you have a memory span of a goldfish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why is this old man suddenly insulting me so early in the morning…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jeolyub is the grandson of the First Elder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at Jeolyub at the Second Elder’s words. The First Elder is…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That annoying old man.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blazing Rain Sword, Gu Changjun. my Father’s uncle, and the brother of my Grandfather.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t a man I particularly liked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I may always think of the Second Elder as a hassle, but I’m also always grateful to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was because of how he never gave up on me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the First Elder was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a lot I could say about him, but I didn’t want to really think about him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway, he is the grandson of the First Elder?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t know even though you guys saw each other a few times?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when he told me that, I couldn’t remember. He seemed to remember me, but I had no memories of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That seemed to piss off Gu Jeolyub a little, which made his lips quiver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I saw that and immediately apologized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, sorr-”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Makes sense. You’d want to forget me in embarrassment after getting destroyed by me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did you say you bastard?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But, it is disappointing to see that you haven’t changed one bit even after one year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord Second Elder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What’s up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This kid is the grandson of the First Elder all right, he’s just like him!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Second Elder didn’t respond, but his expressions told me that he agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kid was just like the First Elder I remembered. He continues to speak, not caring about what I said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haaa…. It’s not right to bully the weak, but it is mandatory… I once again challenge you into a duel-”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master…!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The person who cut off Gu Jeolyub and appeared was Wi Seol-Ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Idiot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason Wi Seol-Ah was in a half drenched state. Her wet clothing was slightly revealing her bare skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t even have shoes on as she seemed to be in a hurry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly grabbed a blanket and wrapped Wi Seol-Ah with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you doing! What if the others see you like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master! I… I had a nightmare…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jeolyub cut off Wi Seol-Ah. When I looked at Gu Jeolyub, his eyes were right on Wi Seol-Ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I noticed his eyes were shaking a little with his face slightly blushing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“W-Who is this lady?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…This bastard.\u003C\u002Fp>",2257,"2026-06-05T15:09:39.031Z",1,"novelbin.me","02bda59fbb90f14fc99a11ce0747f3d8313423e5dfd39f301500271a37acf710","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-20","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-18",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]