Chapter 6
Moa, walking in the inner garden with Sehee, still hadn’t recovered from the shock of the previous illusions.
“Ah, Miss… shall we go over there?”
At that moment, Sehee, noticing a boy standing by the pond on the far side of the garden, hastily tried to divert Moa’s attention.
It was Jin Yeon-gang.
‘Of all times… why now!’
The two children had just collided earlier, and now they were about to meet face to face.
“Ah—the pond!”
But before Sehee could stop her, Moa had already spotted the pond and leaped toward it. Naturally, she noticed Jin Yeon-gang as well.
Moa’s eyes widened as she saw Jin Yeon-gang’s grim expression and Geum-oh draped limply over his shoulder.
“Oppa!”
Before Sehee could intervene, Moa ran straight toward him.
At the sound of her voice, Jin Yeon-gang slowly turned his head.
His still-empty eyes reflected the sight of Moa running toward him.
“You’re…”
“Yeah, it’s me, Moa!”
As if to mirror Jin Yeon-gang’s shock at this sudden reunion, Geum-oh on his shoulder opened its eyes and twitched.
“Miss…!”
Sehee covered her mouth, flustered. She seemed unsure how to mediate.
Jin Yeon-gang, however, gave her a look that clearly said not to interfere.
“Oppa, you have to say sorry to me!”
“What?”
Moa’s bold words slightly furrowed Jin Yeon-gang’s brows.
“You almost got hurt earlier because of you and Geum-oh! You have to say sorry before we can play together!”
Moa placed her hands on her waist and pouted, refusing to apologize first.
“You…”
Jin Yeon-gang bit his lip.
It had been three years since he developed insomnia, and this was the first time someone had scolded him.
Being treated like a fragile glass doll only reminded him constantly of his illness, which had always been tormenting.
Yet, seeing Moa stomp her feet and insist on an apology as if she didn’t care about that, a small smile unconsciously tugged at his lips.
Sehee, watching anxiously from behind, felt slightly relieved seeing their interaction.
“…That’s my fault.”
“What’s ‘fault’? Don’t use big words!”
Moa tilted her head and reached out toward Jin Yeon-gang.
“Geum-oh looks hurt.”
Jin Yeon-gang flinched but didn’t stop her. He even bent slightly to adjust his height for her. He remembered how Geum-oh’s eyes had cleared the first time Moa had touched him.
The moment Moa’s small hand touched Geum-oh, a tiny spark of energy, like static electricity, flickered from her fingertips.
It was a power no one had truly witnessed.
Though not completely, Geum-oh’s expression softened slightly.
“Huh? Geum-oh…”
Moa’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Haah…”
Suddenly, Jin Yeon-gang yawned. Strangely, his body felt as if it were sinking with the waves, relaxed and heavy.
“Eung? Oppa, are you sleepy?”
Moa asked in surprise.
“It’s strange. Somehow… I feel like I could sleep.”
Since the onset of his insomnia, he had never felt this way. It was a strange, almost certain sensation.
“Then let’s sleep right there!”
Moa grabbed Jin Yeon-gang’s hand and led him to the garden pavilion.
“But—”
“It’s okay! I’ll watch so no one wakes you!”
Jin Yeon-gang seemed momentarily surprised but couldn’t resist the drowsiness and leaned against the pavilion.
Slowly, his eyes closed.
One minute… five minutes… ten minutes…
“He’s really sleeping…”
Sehee whispered, hardly believing it.
Jin Yeon-gang, who could never sleep without strong medication, now rested peacefully. At most, he could only sleep for half an hour with medication once every three days.
“I did good, right?”
Moa said proudly. She continued stroking Geum-oh, who curled up on Jin Yeon-gang’s lap as if guarding him.
Even after half an hour, Jin Yeon-gang remained in deep sleep.
‘Thank goodness.’
Moa giggled.
Then—
“What are you doing?”
A voice cold as a blade.
A boy stood beneath the pavilion, his eyes like empty mirrors reflecting nothing. His face resembled Jin Sa-heon’s but felt lifeless.
No smile, no tears—almost as if he didn’t breathe.
Without knowing why, Moa held her breath.
“…Who are you?”
Moa asked cautiously, sensing a strange unease.
“The young master…”
Sehee stood and bowed.
“This is Miss Moa. The master brought her back from an outing. Miss, this is Young Master Jin Do-yoon, the first son of the master.”
“Oh, you’re the one…”
Jin Do-yoon nodded lightly, showing no intention of denying that he already knew Moa.
Moa stopped stroking Geum-oh, her hands tensing without realizing it.
Even in the orphanage, some children envied Moa, who was well-regarded by the teachers.
Moa sometimes envied those children for the attention they received, even when scolded.
But none of them had ever looked at her like Jin Do-yoon now did—coldly, like she was a stone on the roadside.
‘Uncomfortable…’
It was different from what she had seen in her dream.
Moa remembered how gently Do-yoon had looked at her future self in the dream.
So why did he look like an icy block now?
‘Does he… hate me again?’
Moa felt her stomach tighten. She frowned in fear that Do-yoon might reject her, and his gaze shifted sharply toward the sleeping Yeon-gang.
“What have you done to Kang-ah?”
For a moment, his cold, emotionless eyes flashed sharply.
Moa held her breath and puffed out her cheeks.
“Oppa Yeon-gang is just sleeping… that’s all!”
Momentarily unsure whether to use polite speech out of fear, Moa summoned every bit of five-year-old courage and turned her head defiantly.
“That child hasn’t been able to sleep properly for three years. And now he’s sleeping soundly next to you?”
Do-yoon’s words weren’t a question but a blade of certainty.
Moa reflexively placed her hands on her waist and clenched her lips in a pout.
Geum-oh squinted and growled lowly, as if annoyed by Do-yoon’s suspicion of Moa.
But Do-yoon’s gaze didn’t waver.
“You’re being stubborn, oppa. Moa didn’t do anything wrong.”
Moa’s cheeks turned bright red with anger. She bared her teeth like a tiny chihuahua, letting out any frustration that came to mind.
Sehee glanced at Moa with concern, sensing the tension, but also admired that she wasn’t intimidated by Do-yoon’s mask-like face.
“…Moa.”
A small voice resonated through the pavilion.
The sleeping Yeon-gang slowly opened his eyes.
“Ay, that oppa woke him up!”
In a tone reminiscent of a teacher scolding a misbehaving child, Moa stomped her right foot.
Though the sound was light and hardly commanding…
“He really… slept.”
Yeon-gang’s face was pale but serene, like someone waking after a long rest.
His hand reached for Geum-oh, whose eyes cleared slightly as well.
A faint smile appeared on Yeon-gang’s face.
“I… dreamt too. Don’t remember well though…”
Moa felt her nose tingle with relief.
Jin Do-yoon’s face remained unchanged, even as he saw the relief on his younger sibling’s face.
“Good, then nothing serious.”
He turned away as if there were no reason to linger.
At that moment—
-
Side Quest: Become friendly with Jin Do-yoon
-
Before Guardian Spirit Contract
(Incomplete contact detected. Contract recommended) -
Reward: Level 1 Emergency Rescue Kit
A glowing text appeared before Moa’s eyes again.
Reading the large letters that almost covered Do-yoon’s face, Moa’s eyes shook in bewilderment.
‘No way… becoming friendly with Jin Do-yoon?’
“Ah, no way.”
It had to be a mistake. How could she get along with such a stern oppa?
Rubbing her eyes and looking again, the letters gleamed brightly, almost mockingly confirming it.
