Chapter 71

“If you win against a child, does it make you happy? Does it bring you joy? Does your life drastically change because of it?”

The old man felt the weight of judgmental eyes and responded with a throaty cough.

“Hmph. It seems there’s been some misunderstanding. It was simply a post-meal sparring match, nothing more.”

moments earlier, Yumina had been at a café. It was where she overheard the discussion about the cohabitation plan with Doyugeon. Frankly, her curiosity about his response led her to try eavesdropping. She was incredibly curious. But then, out of nowhere, the secretary’s voice was heard. If Yumina hadn’t needlessly intervened to calm the situation, she would have been there immediately. Nevertheless, her interference had at least helped to stabilize things.

“There’s been no misunderstanding. Secretary sent me a message saying you sparred seriously with the kid while using all your items.”

“Ho ho…”

The old man whispered under his breath, questioning the loyalty of an absent secretary. It seemed he was scolding her silently.

“It wasn’t serious; we barely touched on the basics. Your secretary may have misspoken.”

The old man said this with a boldness, meeting the silence with a piercing glare that made him avert his eyes.

“It was just sparring, and this old man never intended to even have it in the first place. I was merely engaging in conversation, but that child suggested it, leading us into an unnecessary confrontation.”

His face was twisted in indignation.

“That isn’t my problem. Factually, the child’s spirit was crushed. She’s not answering my calls.”

She held up her phone, showing countless missed calls. Dozens, yet no answer. This was unprecedented.

Attempting the call again, it went straight to voicemail. It seemed the other end had muted the phone. How could someone ignore such an important call?

“Maybe you’re calling too often?”

“Too often?…”

Realizing the truth in his words, she stopped mid-sentence. There had been 22 calls. Indeed, quite a few. This was her first experience with such a situation; panic led her to overdo it.

Still, the responsibility partially lies with him. She was worried and yet he ignores her calls without a word. A simple text would suffice. Basic courtesy in human relationships is essential.

Truthfully, it wasn’t overwhelmingly concerning. Though Doyugeun’s face couldn’t be seen due to crossed paths, the secretary had ensured his safe return home, ruling out any major issues. Her frustration stemmed from being unaware of his current thoughts. Objectively, there shouldn’t be much happening.

She put her phone back in her pocket.

“Regardless, I assume you didn’t insult his dignity, right?”

“Of course not. In fact, I gave some sound life advice to him.”

“Advice? Isn’t that just annoying old talk no one wants to hear?”

The old man chuckled lightly at her question while sipping his tea. His calm demeanor suggested his advice might indeed be outdated.

“Did you say anything strange?”

“Surely I wouldn’t do anything as foolish as interfere with my granddaughter’s romance.”

“It’s not romance; they’re friends. If you don’t meddle, they’ll remain friends.”

“Relationships require taking the lead. I helped gain the upper hand for you. If you consider it unnecessary, that’s disappointing.”

“Then, it’s quite useless.”

While losing the upper hand feels bad, her interactions with Doyugeun weren’t affected by it. He’s been leading their dynamic since the beginning, and it was fine. Perhaps in the future, as an adult, she might see this differently—though, considering his tendencies, that’s another issue.

“Emotions perceived clearly are easily manipulated, and that’s why it’s worrying. Maybe stepping back from that person for a while could be beneficial.”

“Stepping back, you mean?”

After agreeing today to cohabitate? The timing seemed unusually coincidental. It appears the old man disapproves of their living arrangement.

“Yes. To gain an objective view of emotions, some distance is necessary.”

“That’s unnecessary. I admit I’m a bit unusual, but there’s no significant issue.”

She might have crossed a line recently, but as long as it’s gone unnoticed, it’s fine. Though self-reflection is inevitable, discussing this with her grandfather wasn’t necessary. Such advice felt invasive.

“It’s also for the other’s well-being. Though I’m no expert in swordsmanship and can’t be certain if I observed correctly, the child possesses innate talent, which is apparent. Giving him space to grow independently is crucial, unless you wish to stunt his growth.”

“Naturally, I don’t intend to do that.”

She had no plan to hinder Doyugeun’s future. On the contrary, she was willing to help financially if needed.

But he refused. Though she wouldn’t impose help if he declined, support could still be offered if required. Still, forcing distance could be considered excessive interference. Why is distance necessary? Self-development, while correlated with personal space and time, may not be necessary just yet. Solitary time can help build one’s system, but that’s assuming the foundation exists. He needs help for now. Even if he argues, this is the reality.

Admittedly, this perspective isn’t entirely selfless. People rarely act on rational judgment alone but are driven by emotions. She, too, is human. So, is she merely following emotions? Not exactly. To think she’s self-serving toward him is unfair.

She desired some dependency. Helping the child attempt things alone seemed trivial before. Recently, however, it felt more frustrating. Realizing he might resolve everything and become independent, and perhaps even leave, was deeply concerning.

The relationship was tenuously balanced. Most of the initiative to meet or schedule was his, and she followed. Though accidents were often cleaned up by her, that wasn’t the reason. The relationship wasn’t one-sided. Honestly, she found herself clinging. It was a sort of passive dependency.

When was the last time she ventured out? Her parents occasionally suggested outings, but they have their own lives. As a child, she went out more, but now prefers staying indoors.

Her external activities mostly involved him. Internally, he influenced much of her life schedule and emotional spectrum. The thought of losing his presence made her contemplate a collapse in her routine. Though temporary, the uncertainty was daunting.

The problem was the ambiguous methods to bind him in their relationship. Money doesn’t attract him—how could he reject something so beneficial? Lack of realism, perhaps. Appealing to affection? Ending the relationship seems to be an endpoint there. If he had a more materialistic nature, matters would have been simpler. Would he have distanced long ago otherwise?

Ultimately, it was a relationship constructed solely by him, leaving her with no real choices.

Reflecting, had she overstepped boundaries recently? While the parties involved might be unaware, being caught would likely not bring positive reactions. Had she been noticed and overlooked? Unclear where he stands, she felt it best to exercise caution going forward.

“Upon reflection, perhaps some distance is mutually beneficial.”

She sipped her glass of milk. Instead of coffee, her mother had prepared milk. Mother’s unnecessary concern. Being short wasn’t extreme; still, growth would come during adolescence. Warm, sweet milk slid down her throat—delightful. Honey milk tasted surprisingly good.

“Though maintaining the agreed cohabitation won’t change, some separate activities might help.”

With safety assured, monitoring wouldn’t pose significant issues.

“What? Cohabitation?!”

The old man jumped in surprise, the table shaking slightly. His reaction wasn’t from shock of their plans continuing, but at hearing of them for the first time. Naturally, she assumed the parents knew.

“You didn’t?”

“That can’t be!”

The old man took out his phone, dialing while murmuring what sounded like insults toward the father. Uncertain how to respond to grandpa’s disapproval of daddy’s actions, she felt it better to leave.

Drinking her milk, she headed towards the door.

“Hold on, Sky! No cohabitation…!”

A desperate shout echoed behind her.

All the best.

It might be helpful to find a substitute to fill the potential void with less time spent together. Perhaps getting a pet?

A cat? A dog?

Avoid white cats.

Some contemplation is necessary.

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