After that day, Ayoung came to see Ryu every day. Some days she brought warm rice cakes. Other days, she held out wildflowers whose names he didn't know. On days when she brought nothing, she would prattle on endlessly by herself, even when Ryu didn't answer.
"A goblin broke a really huge pot in the village today." "I don't care." "But then he kept insisting he hadn't done it." "Go back." "I'll come again tomorrow." "Don't."
That kind of conversation repeated itself every day. Whenever Ayoung appeared, Ryu coldly pushed her away. But he no longer drew his sword. After a while, he stopped leaving the forest before she arrived. On days when Ayoung was late, he found himself staring down the path she usually took. Whenever he realized what he was doing, Ryu's expression grew even colder.
"Why do you keep coming?" When Ryu asked, Ayoung answered while sitting on a tree root and swinging her feet. "Because I worry about someone who's always alone." "I'm more comfortable alone." "Really?" Ayoung tilted her head. "For someone like that, you sure keep looking down the path whenever I'm late." Ryu's gaze hardened. "You're imagining things." "Then I'll think of it that way."
Ayoung smiled. A warm golden flame bloomed faintly at her fingertips. The cold mist of the forest melted softly around it.
When the sun set over the Forbidden Forest, reaper mist settled over it. The goblins feared that forest, while the reapers called it sacred ground. But Ayoung entered the forest once again.
"Ryu!" Her clear voice shattered the silence. Ryu was sitting against an old tree with his eyes closed. Without even opening them, he said, "Why are you here again?" "Because I'm bored."
Ryu slowly opened his eyes. Ayoung was empty-handed today. She had come without rice cakes or flowers. As if seeing Ryu himself were reason enough.
"Do you want to die following me around?" Ayoung gave him a playful smile. "I already know Ryu won't kill me."
Ryu's eyes wavered faintly. Because she wasn't wrong. Ryu himself knew best how many days it had been since he last drew his sword.
"How insolent." "It's true."
Ayoung took one step closer. Ryu didn't retreat. Even knowing he should, his feet refused to move.
The mist in the forest fell still, as if the silence had briefly frozen it in place. Ayoung's golden flame and Ryu's blue aura flowed through the narrow space between them without pushing each other away.
Ryu looked down at her with an expressionless face, then turned his back. "Go back." It was a short, cold command. But today, he left out the words, Don't come back.
Ayoung's smile faltered for the briefest moment. Then she smiled again. It was a slightly deeper smile than before.
"Okay."
Ayoung turned around without protest. After walking a few steps, she stopped and looked back. Ryu stood with his back to her. But he hadn't walked away.
That alone was enough for Ayoung.
A warm golden flame bloomed at her fingertips. Its light receded between the trees until it finally disappeared.
Only after a long while did Ryu turn his head. He stared down the forest path where the flame had vanished. Even today, only the mist where she had passed was thinner.
Ryu leaned his back against the tree and closed his eyes. Sleep wouldn't come.