“Are you really…okay?”
“Yeah.”
Thud. Thud.
The Black Cat felt their heart pounding so hard it might burst.
“Really, really okay? What if the Poison Doctor’s diagnosis was wrong?”
“Even so, it’s fine. I just want to see your face right now.”
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The Black Cat hesitated. Could it really be okay? It wasn’t a long life, but it was a lifetime. No one had ever resisted the allure of this face and these eyes.
The Black Cat liked the current Ho Cheon-an. Yes, they liked it. It was only in this moment that the feelings toward Ho Cheon-an became clear.
Ho Cheon-an had gradually wormed his way into their heart from a mere thread of playful fun.
The person who taught the joy of companionship. They had already admitted that their heart was soaked in that joy.
And that’s why they became even more afraid. If they shed the veil and turned off the Black Shadow Qi Technique… wouldn’t the Ho Cheon-an they knew just vanish?
However, alongside that fear was a fierce impulse.
The Black Cat had never been particularly proud of this appearance. They had just found it burdensome. This appearance and its magical quality were very special, and to not be consumed by this uniqueness, the Black Cat had to struggle and strive at times.
They wanted to show this face to Ho Cheon-an. They wanted to see Ho Cheon-an’s face light up with admiration and surprise upon seeing them.
The urge to flaunt this appearance, this beauty, this charm.
Fear and impulse. Torn between those conflicting thoughts, Ho Cheon-an had already stepped closer to the Black Cat.
“It’s okay.”
Ho Cheon-an looked directly at the Black Cat and said.
“Trust me.”
The word “trust” was something men who approached her often said at least once. Today, the Black Cat felt the weight of that word like never before. Something that had once felt utterly empty and light now weighed heavily in their heart.
Slowly, the Black Cat untangled their Black Shadow Qi Technique. They pushed all the energy inward into the lower dantian to avoid flowing through the Qi Meridians.
The Black Cat’s entire form was now clearly visible. Unlike usual, the Black Cat’s slender neck was fully revealed as they had removed the hat with the veil.
Ho Cheon-an realized that the mysterious fragrance he often sensed from the Black Cat was the influence of the Taeyoon physique. It had become apparent as the Black Cat’s form became sharper, suddenly filling the space with that delightful scent.
For a moment, he was captivated by the elegant neck, like a deer. As he admired that beauty, he also noticed the prominent movement of the Black Cat’s throat. Evidence that they were still quite tense.
Ho Cheon-an silently waited.
Confirming that the clarity in Ho Cheon-an’s eyes hadn’t faded, the Black Cat felt their heart pounding fiercely and slowly placed a hand on the hat.
The fear that those eyes could suddenly dim. And at the same time, the hope that those eyes would widen with amazement. And simply, the anxiety of showing their bare face for the first time. Even imagining that Ho Cheon-an might be disappointed upon seeing their face.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
The Black Cat’s mind was a chaotic mix of heartbeats, thoughts, worries, and fantasies.
With a flick,
the Black Cat removed the hat and squeezed their eyes shut.
“Oh.”
Ho Cheon-an saw the Black Cat’s face for the first time. Without realizing it, he let out an exclamation. A clean jawline that flowed down from a beautiful neck, with the thought that if tears were to flow, the path they’d take down the chin would be incredibly beautiful.
Above it was a pair of lips full of vibrant color and texture. Their cheeks, flushed with excitement, captured his attention.
Ho Cheon-an’s gaze traveled past the straight nose to the closed eyes. Despite the long eyelashes and slight tension that crinkled the brow, the overall effect was captivating.
The Black Cat’s eyes slowly opened.
Ho Cheon-an felt as if that image was being etched into his mind, slowly but surely. The clear and pure eyes revealing themselves. It was truly the finishing touch. Each aspect of the face was beautiful on its own, but they harmonized perfectly to become a whole, shining like stars.
The grass. The wind. The sky seemed to hold its breath.
Ho Cheon-an simply gazed at the Black Cat. He had no thoughts of what to say, lost in the moment’s beauty.
And for the first time. Finally. The eyes of Ho Cheon-an and the Black Cat met. The Black Cat focused on Ho Cheon-an’s gaze, and Ho Cheon-an returned the gaze.
In that split second, they both looked away. It was a brief moment, but the Black Cat’s face had already turned a deep crimson.
“Ahem. W-Wow…”
“Th-thank you.”
“You really think so? I don’t know if I should call this ‘perfect’ or not, but it’s nothing like you imagined.”
“…Ah.”
The Black Cat felt the happiness seeping through the embarrassment of Ho Cheon-an’s compliment. Really, truly. There was now someone they could share their life with. The fact that they could like that person and that they weren’t affected by the powers of the Taeyoon physique.
Tears flowed down.
Seeing this, Ho Cheon-an thought. That scene of tears tracing down that elegant jawline would be breathtakingly beautiful, and what he saw now was undeniably beautiful, but it didn’t bring him much joy.
“I’m sorry. Sniff. Thank you… I’m sorry…”
The Black Cat simply cried and let out unrefined emotions. Watching, Ho Cheon-an bitterly smiled. The face was that of a stunningly beautiful woman… but the essence was just the Black Cat.
“Didn’t we have a promise?”
The Black Cat nodded as they wiped away their tears. They had indeed said they would do something together once they found a fortuitous opportunity.
“Now I think that’s no longer enough.”
The Black Cat felt their crying fading away. Had the crying stopped? It felt as if their breath and heart had stopped, too.
Is this… it?
Without even a moment to feel their face heat up, the Black Cat held their breath.
“I’m now at the very first level, and you’re almost at the Peak Stage, but…”
The Black Cat thought. Levels? Such things didn’t matter. Really, really? Just like that? Right after seeing each other’s faces, rushing ahead? The Black Cat swallowed hard.
So happy. So truly happy, but… wasn’t it too sudden? A person needs time to prepare emotionally…
“But we’ll still make it work together.”
Ho Cheon-an extended his hand. As soon as the Black Cat saw that hand, they felt their face heat up. That hand. If they held that hand, it meant they would…
“Let’s become experts together!”
…not just become lovers? The Black Cat unknowingly looked up at Ho Cheon-an.
Ho Cheon-an’s eyes were burning with firm resolve and passion.
“Just sharing a fortuitous moment isn’t enough! We’re going to become true companions. We’ll work harder and raise our levels together!”
The Black Cat frowned without realizing it. Wait, what is this? This wasn’t the atmosphere a moment ago.
Something was boiling up inside.
“Of course, I still have many problems to solve and don’t know how far we can go, but… I’m sure I can help. The Tang Clan’s theoretical aspects were quite recognized.”
“…Senior.”
Wasn’t the mood just right for holding hands and whispering eternity? You were supposed to trust my heart, hold my hand, pull me close, look into each other’s eyes, and come closer…
The Black Cat shook their head and cleared those thoughts away. No matter what, that was going too far.
“I’ll overcome my issues, and you’ll become an expert of Hwa-gyeong. Finding assassination techniques at the Hwa-gyeong level will be difficult, but not impossible. Plus, I heard from the Poison Doctor that I have resistance to enchantment. If we utilize that…”
The Black Cat glared at Ho Cheon-an, who was passionately continuing on while oblivious to the cold stare. Ho Cheon-an coughed awkwardly as he seemed to realize he was being watched.
“I want to work with people someday.”
The Black Cat’s eyes widened at Ho Cheon-an’s words. Working with people… was something the Black Cat had never imagined, having desperately sought just one person to solve their loneliness.
“Hm. Remember the story about Tang Rye-ah? Once I reach a level where I can neatly handle my Qi, let’s talk about that time with Tang Do-gyeong and go see Rye-ah together. She’s so bright and cute. I even assigned her sorcery homework. If she worked hard, she should be quite impressive by then.”
Ho Cheon-an chattered about various topics. Listening to Ho Cheon-an’s chatter, the Black Cat couldn’t help but envision themselves in the mix. They couldn’t picture the joy of being with many people, and in the Black Cat’s imagination, only Ho Cheon-an stood beside them, but still, things began to take shape.
Going out naturally, glancing into each other’s eyes. Ho Cheon-an flinching at the Black Cat’s glare.
Seeing Ho Cheon-an smile in response to their joy.
Whether there were people or not. Just being able to face each other openly and laugh together in joy. That vision of wandering the world without worrying about captivating others.
“So let’s try our best.”
Ho Cheon-an extended his hand. The Black Cat felt something different filling their heart compared to earlier. It wasn’t as heated and intense, but it was an emotion they had never felt before.
The Black Cat didn’t fully realize it, but that feeling was undoubtedly ‘trust.’
“I’m sorry for not trusting you, Senior.”
The Black Cat smiled bitterly at the memory of the Tang Do-gyeong incident. They had thought of Ho Cheon-an as just Iryu, something fleeting and easily washed away like foam when exposed to the world.
‘Much bigger than me.’
But Ho Cheon-an handled things in ways the Black Cat never expected. He could create images the Black Cat never even dreamed of.
“Now, I will trust you.”
The Black Cat felt that with Ho Cheon-an, they could really rise to the Hwa-gyeong level. They felt they could learn new martial arts and gain the ability to face others without being affected by the Taeyoon physique.
The Black Cat took Ho Cheon-an’s hand while thinking.
Right, even so, he really was annoying. To make someone’s heart race like that and then act like it was nothing.
The Black Cat stuck out their tongue and said,
“You clueless, foolish Senior. I’m counting on you.”
