TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 189
There were many events.
-Mikhail, who had his entire Begging Tin stolen by a Thief, sat on the ground and cried his eyes out.
-Sniff… Ahem…
-Why are you crying?
-I collected so much today… I was going to boast about it… I was going to buy you a Cream Bun today…!
-Well, I’m fine. They stole yours instead of mine, so there’s no loss.
-That’s not fine at all!
-You earn more than me if you work for an hour.
-…
-When begging was over, we would lie under the Bridge and watch falling Meteors.
-Wow… So many are falling.
-Yeah, a lot are falling.
-Let’s make a wish! Mother said that if you wish on a Meteor, it will come true.
-It doesn’t come true. Do you know how many wishes I’ve made?
-…
-While watching falling Meteors, I also corrected Mikhail’s wrong knowledge. If you hold onto incorrect knowledge from a young age, it can lead to misguided beliefs.
-Did you know?
-What?
-Those are just rocks. Really big rocks.
-…
-Even if you make a wish on them, nothing will come true. It’s more meaningful to pray to a Statue Resembling a Grandfather like Father does…. Ow! Why’d you hit me!
-You’re no fun.
-There were many small but trivial events.
-Like the time Mikhail was almost sold off to Delinquents.
-Or the time I comforted Mikhail after he mistook a random woman for Mother and followed her.
-Hey! That person isn’t your Mother!
-…She’s not our Mom?
-Sigh… Damn it. What do I do with you?
-She seemed like Mother… She smelled like Mother.
-Are you a dog? Finding people by their scent.
-During that time, Mikhail ventured out from under the Bridge and even became acquainted with some friends in the Slum.
-Of course, cautious Mikhail didn’t make many friends, but his world gradually expanded.
-If I had to pick the most memorable event, it would probably be that one.
-The day it rained, when I was beaten so badly that dust flew. It was such a striking incident that it couldn’t be forgotten.
-It was a trivial matter.
-Something trivial enough to make others laugh.
-When thinking of ‘Mikhail’s Childhood,’ the incident of him having his Teddy Bear, which he always carried, taken by Delinquents comes to mind.
-Waaah! Give it back! I said give it back!
-Puhaha! Hey, he’s crying.
-Give it back! My Mother gave it to me!
-Mother? You don’t even have a Mother, you Orphan Bastard.
-Give it baaaack!
-For young Mikhail, it was a disaster he couldn’t handle alone. Most incidents in the Slum were like that.
-Disasters where no one helped, and everyone only looked out for their own interests.
-As I was returning from begging a Young Lady, I heard Mikhail’s Sorrowful Crying at the entrance of an Alleyway.
-It’s mine… I said it’s mine… Please give it back.
-Puhahaha. Hey, watch this. I’m going to cook your Teddy Bear.
-Don’t! Please don’t…!
-Riiiiip…!
-Aaaaah! I said don’t!
-“What the hell?”
-The moment I saw Mikhail’s ripped Teddy Bear, I think I revealed my Killing Intent for the first time.
-Mikhail was crouched on the ground, picking up the torn stuffing, while the ones laughing as if it were amusing stood nearby.
-None of them sat well with me.
-“Ah… Really pissing me off.”
-I swung my Wooden Sword like a person who had lost their screws.
-“If you don’t want to meet your ancestors in heaven, stop. Though you’ll probably meet them today anyway….”
-I think I was beaten to death that day.
-Even though I made a dramatic entrance, the Difference in Weight Class was too much, so I couldn’t stand a chance.
-It would be more accurate to say I fought like a dog with just a shabby Wooden Stick.
-Since I was already someone who stood out in the Slum, I got beaten even more.
-Hey! Beat this bastard!
-Die! Die!
-F*ck, this nobody bastard is acting up!
-Unable to do anything, I just held onto Mikhail’s Teddy Bear tightly. The incoming Kicking Sound hurt, but since I had tried to act cool, it was too embarrassing to back down.
-I figured crouching and taking the hits would be less humiliating, so I just endured it.
-After getting beaten for a long time, I pretended to be dead, and the Delinquents ran away. Resolving to gift their Frontal Lobes a Brick tonight, I stood up as if nothing had happened and said,
-“Let’s go.”
-“Huh…?”
-“Aren’t you hungry?”
-Mikhail, who had stopped crying, was staring at my injured body, and I took his hand, smiling brightly as we headed back Underneath the Bridge.
-Mikhail’s fingers kept fidgeting. It was kind of cute.
-Once we were Underneath the Bridge, I started Sewing Mikhail’s Teddy Bear with skillful hands.
-Since I had sewn a lot in my Previous Life, I was used to it. I could do this with my eyes closed.
-“Sniff… Are you okay?”
-“What?”
-“You got beaten up so much.”
-“I didn’t get hit once. Didn’t you see me dodging by just glancing at their shoulders? I was really fast.”
-“Liar. You got hit everywhere.”
-“I didn’t get hit.”
-“You got hit because of me.”
-“…It doesn’t hurt.”
-“You got hit here.”
-Poke.
-‘Is this an assassination?’
-“Agh!”
-“See, it hurts.”
-“It doesn’t hurt.”
-Mikhail told me he was sorry. That his existence felt like a nuisance.
-“I’m sorry. For being abandoned here…”
-“Don’t even joke about something like that. It’s not even your fault, so why say that?”
-Honestly, it wasn’t Mikhail’s fault, so blaming someone for it felt strange. I accepted Mikhail’s Apology with a nod.
-“That…”
-Mikhail glanced at me and fidgeted with his fingers.
-After taking a deep breath, Mikhail spoke in a trembling Voice.
-“Why did you do that?”
-“What?”
-“Why did you take the hits for me?”
-“Because you’re weak.”
-Mikhail shook his head as he answered.
“I’m not weak.”
“Is that so?”
I couldn’t see Mikhail’s expression at that moment because I was sewing the Teddy Bear, but I thought he might be making a touched expression.
After all, even I thought my words sounded cool.
If Mikhail were a woman, I bet she would’ve fallen for me already. Hiding my rising Smile, I spoke nonchalantly.
“You’re weak, so I protect you.”
“But why…?”
“Just because. I want to.”
“What if I become stronger?”
“That will never happen, even if you die.”
‘Or will it?’
“If someday you become stronger than me, then you can protect me. Right?”
“I’ll protect you?”
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
I said with a small Smile.
“Until then, I’ll protect you.”
My face was so swollen that it was hard to Smile, but I still smiled, hoping it would at least lift Mikhail’s gloomy mood a little.
“I Promise, really.”
Mikhail, who had been staring at me for a while, spoke with shining eyes.
“Hey…”
“Yeah.”
“When I think about it…”
“Yeah, when you think about it. You should be filial to me, right?”
“No. I want to be someone who protects weak people like you.”
“What are you saying?”
“Like! When I see Bad People like you do, I’ll swing my sword and say, ‘Go away.’ all cool-like!”
“Did I do that?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s heavily distorted.”
Mikhail saying he wanted to resemble someone who got beaten up was so funny to me, but I played along with a small Smile.
“Alright.”
I told Mikhail.
“You could probably do it.”
As someone who knew the Novel.
And as someone who had seen Mikhail during his Slum days, I spoke to him with confidence in his Success.
“I’ll cheer for you.”
“Cheer…?”
“Yeah, cheer.”
That day, Mikhail asked me this question for the first time.
“What’s your ideal type?”
“Not you, Lee Minhyuk.”
“EeeekMinhyuk?”
“…”
“EeeekMinHyuk?”
“Don’t turn a normal person into a weapon of mass destruction.”
Clenching my Fist, I chuckled lightly at Mikhail trying to mimic my name. It seemed this name was difficult for others to pronounce.
Patting Mikhail’s head as he tried hard, I said.
“Enough. I’d rather have you than live as an immigrant-turned-nuclear weapon.”
“Im…mi…”
“Stop it. It’s only getting worse.”
Mikhail muttered in disappointment, saying, “I feel like I was so close to getting it.”
I chuckled lightly and looked at Mikhail.
“Why do you want to know my ideal type? Planning to introduce someone to me?”
“No!”
“Then why?”
“Just… curious.”
Seeing Mikhail’s shy gesture of fidgeting his fingers, I clenched my Fist inwardly. If I played my cards right, I might get introduced to a stunning Beauty in the future.
Smiling, I answered Mikhail’s question.
“Listen carefully, I’ll only say this once.”
“Okay…!”
“Kind.”
“Okay.”
“Pretty.”
“Okay…”
Why was he even writing this down on Paper? He really was a good Friend.
Imagining my ideal type in my head, I said.
“If possible, I’d like her to have unique Hair color.”
“Hair color?”
“Yeah.”
Hunching over and burying his face in his Notebook, Mikhail couldn’t lift his head.
Maybe it was because my request was too specific, Mikhail seemed to be in deep thought.
It caught my attention, but there was nothing I could do. Choosing a life partner was serious business, so I couldn’t help being picky.
Since I had gone through a lot to brighten Mikhail’s childhood, I figured I could afford to be a little selfish. Smiling bitterly, I decided to let Mikhail know the risks of showing mercy.
“Lastly, she should have a great figure.”
“…”
Mikhail suddenly went silent.
Mikhail, who had been diligently jotting down my words in his Notebook, stopped his pen and his ears turned red.
“Why…?”
Did I ask for too much?
Just as I thought I should lower the bar, Mikhail mumbled softly in a voice I couldn’t hear.
‘Mother is big too… so I…’
I didn’t catch what he said, but soon, Mikhail regained his energy, lifted his head, and smiled brightly.
“Is that all you need?”
“Huh?”
“Is that enough to make me your bride?”
“Uh… maybe? But I dream big, so I’ll have many wives.”
I figured I should mention it early.
If Mikhail grew up and saw my shameless married life, he might pull out a sword, so I thought educating him early would help my life as a Possessor.
Sure enough, Mikhail puffed out his cheeks and called me Shameless.
“Shameless.”
“Can’t be helped. I’m just too amazing.”
“So annoying.”
“…”
Still, Mikhail smiled brightly and said.
“I’ll allow it anyway.”
“As long as you love the Main Wife the most.”
For some reason, it felt like things ended well, and I found myself smiling.
“Anyway, thanks.”
As expected, it was better to face hardships early.
*
And so, a long time passed.
When Mikhail had somewhat forgotten the pain related to Mother.
Rain fell.
Yes, rain.
A very Sad Rain fell.