Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1080
Chapter 1080
“I… I have feelings for you.”
“……”
A woman had just confessed to me out of nowhere.
I could only stare back at her, completely bewildered. I didn’t know who she was—I didn’t even know her name.
Like me?
Me?
‘…Why me?’
This was something I had never experienced in my entire life.
Especially from a woman who would approach me so directly.
Suspicion began to stir inside me.
“I don’t worship any deities.”
“…Pardon?”
“I’m not interested in hearing any strange proposals. I also don’t have any money to give.”
“…What?”
Was I mistaken?
The more I spoke, the more perplexed her expression became.
If this wasn’t some kind of setup, then none of it made sense.
This couldn’t be real.
It wasn’t that I thought I was… unattractive, but…
At the very least, I wasn’t the kind of person things like this happened to.
The only person who ever called me handsome was Tang So-yeol, and—
‘Wait…’
Tang So-yeol?
…Tang So-yeol?
I narrowed my eyes and studied her. Tang So-yeol… yes, Tang So-yeol.
Simultaneously, I took a quick, assessing look at the clothing she wore.
“Young Lady.”
“Y-Yes?”
I posed my question while watching her closely.
“…What is your name?”
“Ah…”
The woman hesitated at my question, then slowly began to remove the veil she was wearing.
I wondered why she was taking it off now, but—
Once it was off, her features became even more distinct.
I had noticed it earlier, and I saw it again now.
She looked far too much like Tang So-yeol. Her green hair, her attire—everything.
Which could only mean…
This woman was also from the family I knew.
“…My name is Tang Seon.”
“……”
Her introduction confirmed my suspicion.
“Tang Seon… Then, by any chance…”
“That’s correct… I am Tang Seon of the Sichuan Tang Clan.”
I was right.
No wonder something felt strange.
‘Tang Seon.’
Who was that?
Was there someone her age in the direct Tang family line?
As far as I knew, the only one was the Poison King.
I stared at the woman, my confusion plain on my face.
“That’s right. I am Dokbong.”
She spoke as if she assumed I would recognize the title.
Dokbong.
The familiar title resonated from her lips.
‘So she was the previous Dokbong.’
This woman must have held the title of Dokbong before Tang So-yeol.
Which meant—
“…What is your relation to the current Poison Dragon…?”
“Huh?”
Since the current Poison Dragon existed, I thought there might be a link, so I asked.
Tang Seon gave me a peculiar look and said,
“…She is my younger sister.”
“……”
I nodded.
‘So she had an older sister.’
In Tang So-yeol’s case, would that make her an aunt?
I never knew Tang So-yeol had an aunt. I’d never heard of her, so it made sense.
“Well… Ah, I see.”
I gave an awkward nod, trying to make sense of it all, and spoke with a dazed expression.
“You said your name was Tang Seon, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Well… I appreciate you saying that, but…”
I understood she was approaching me because of her feelings, but—
“I am already betrothed.”
“Ah…”
When I mentioned my fiancée, Tang Seon’s eyes widened briefly before quickly clouding with sadness.
“I… I see. That is… truly unfortunate.”
“Still, thank you for telling me.”
It isn’t every day I hear something like that.
The issue was that the person saying it was an eccentric woman from the Tang family.
“Thank you for your honesty. I wish you well.”
After offering me a polite bow, Tang Seon swiftly departed.
Even as she walked away, her retreating figure so strongly resembled Tang So-yeol’s that it struck a strangely nostalgic chord.
‘How is she doing?’
According to Shin Noya, it hadn’t been very long.
But from my perspective, a significant amount of time had passed, so she often crossed my mind.
Ah, right.
‘I miss them.’
I missed the others.
A great deal.
********
The Next Day
A new day had arrived.
Even with the sunrise, I was still trapped in this world.
Not that I had expected anything to change, so it wasn’t a surprise.
I simply shook off the drowsiness, pushed down my frustration, and left the inn.
‘Damn, the weather is disgustingly nice. What is this.’
As if to mock my inner turmoil, the world was relentlessly clear and bright, completely oblivious.
I sighed heavily as I looked at the flood of sunlight.
“…Damn it.”
Life is truly unpredictable.
I’ve experienced regression, traveled to another world—
And now, I’ve even ended up in my father’s youth.
“Life…”
Ah, come to think of it, I wasn’t even human anymore, was I?
“Fuck.”
Mulling over pointless thoughts, I continued walking. Before long, I passed through the main gate and saw the headquarters building in the distance.
As I approached the entrance, I called out.
“Excuse me.”
“Are you one of the successful applicants?”
“Ah, yes, I am.”
“Present your acceptance certificate.”
As if he had done this a thousand times, the gatekeeper robotically asked for my certificate.
I retrieved the acceptance certificate I had ready and handed it to him.
He inspected it meticulously before moving aside to grant me passage.
“You may proceed. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
His expression was completely detached from his words. It was a hollow, routine pleasantry.
But I understood his perspective, so it didn’t irritate me.
‘…Poor guy.’
A gatekeeper, huh… I’d done that job in my past life.
It was a grueling existence.
‘I used to get a lot of complaints about looking too intimidating as a gatekeeper.’
A distant, bitter memory.
Perhaps that’s why my own mood soured in turn.
I clenched my jaw and stepped into the main headquarters.
Inside, a number of people were gathered, though fewer than the day before.
It seemed all the examinees had departed, and only those who had passed remained.
When I arrived, I saw them standing in a neat, orderly line.
After observing them for a moment, I quietly joined the end of the queue.
As I stood there waiting patiently—
Tap, tap.
Someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind. Wondering what it was, I turned and saw a young man I didn’t recognize.
“…Can I help you?”
“When did you pass?”
“…I’m sorry?”
A sudden question.
“Yesterday, right?”
“Ah, so you tested at a different time than me. Haha. Wasn’t it hard? It was really tough for me.”
“……”
Ah, just a chatty type. I quickly sized up the situation.
“…It was somewhat challenging.”
“Somewhat challenging? Do you have any idea? They say this year’s exam was the hardest in the last decade.”
“Really? Was it?”
Was it, though?
“It absolutely was! There were three questions on red-rank beasts in the demonic beast studies section. Red-rank beasts don’t even appear in our era anymore, so nobody studies them. Why would they ask three questions about them…?”
“Oh…”
Now that he mentioned it, I had answered those questions without a second thought. But in this time period, red-rank beasts were an obscure topic.
“That’s why the pass rate was pitifully low.”
“Is that so?”
“It really was. Rumor has it only one person got a perfect score.”
“Ah.”
“Whoever that person is, they must have been preparing for this for years. They’re destined for greatness.”
The young man shook his head repeatedly as if in disbelief.
Just when I thought he was finished and things were finally quieting down—
“Oh, and another thing.”
“……”
There was more?
This was becoming tiresome.
“You saw it yesterday, didn’t you? The Grandmaster came.”
“Ah… Yes, I saw him.”
“Damn, I’m so jealous! I should’ve tested yesterday… Ha… To think you got to see one of the Three Masters in the flesh… I’m genuinely envious.”
“Ah, well…”
I only saw him up close.
If I told him I had once used the Three Masters as servants, teachers, and even gatekeepers, he’d probably collapse on the spot.
“And it’s not just that—he didn’t just appear, he personally selected a disciple to take with him. Did you see that?”
“……”
Since the topic was now about me, I instinctively stayed quiet.
“Well, I didn’t see it, but… Anyway, why?”
I didn’t see it—I was the one it happened to. That wasn’t a lie.
“You didn’t see it? Ah, what a shame. I was so curious about what kind of person got chosen…”
The young man clicked his tongue repeatedly.
“I heard he’s some gigantic brute, a martial prodigy unlike any other. They say he’s so ruggedly handsome that women would faint at the sight of him.”
“……”
What kind of absurd gossip was this?
Only a single day had passed, and already outlandish rumors were spreading.
What utter nonsense was this?
“Well, it makes sense. If he’s that exceptional, of course the Grandmaster would take notice. And get this.”
The young man held up his index finger, as if about to reveal a great secret.
“Don’t be shocked.”
“…Alright.”
“That person who got the offer? Rumor is he’s also the only one who aced the demonic beast studies exam.”
“……”
Hearing that, I couldn’t help but frown slightly.
Seeing my reaction, the young man patted me on the shoulder.
“Ah, don’t make that face. I know it seems unfair, but that’s just how life is, right?”
He had misunderstood my expression once again.
“Just look at the dragons and phoenixes of our generation. Life is simply on a different level for some. If you start feeling jealous, it’ll never end. There will always be people like that, people who live in a completely different world from ours, like that guy from yesterday.”
Ah, he thought I was envious of the person he was describing.
“Oh, I just realized—we haven’t even introduced ourselves properly.”
When had we been having a conversation? I felt like I’d just been listening to a monologue.
“I’m Do Yun from the Shanxi Dao Family. And you, young hero?”
“…Ah, I’m—”
I thought I should at least give my name and was about to answer when—
“Baek—”
“Baek Yangcheon! Where is Baek Yangcheon of the Baek family?!”
“…Huh?”
I turned my head. Far ahead, on the platform, someone was shouting my name at the top of their lungs.
At that moment—
“Baek Yangcheon? Ah, that person. The one who got the offer from the Grandmaster and a perfect score? His name is already everywhere.”
The young man looked at me with keen interest.
“I was really wondering what he was like. This is a perfect chance to see. Oh, right! What was your name again?”
“That’s me.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“That guy over there.”
I pointed toward the platform.
“Baek Yangcheon!!”
I pointed at the person who was yelling my name and made a slightly awkward face.
“…What?”
The young man’s expression completely fell apart.
Seeing that, I let out a short laugh and said,
“Let’s introduce ourselves properly later. I should go; they’re calling for me.”
I gave a pat on the shoulder to the young man who had called himself Do Yun and walked toward the platform.
Immediately, countless eyes focused on me.
“Mmmmmm!?”
Somewhere behind me, I heard Do Yun let out a strangled sound of shock.
I nearly laughed out loud because of it.
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