Cheongmyeong wakes up early everyday. He’d feel rejuvenated, relaxed and energized. Well, that’s the case since he has the purest qi in all of Gangho.
But does he ever get sick?
Just like any normal human being, the answer is yes.
But is Cheongmyeong a normal human being?
This is where his pure qi backfires into giving him something he’s never experienced before.
The longest cold of his life.
So, here we are, one blissful morning, the sun has already risen, the disciples were busy training their hearts out, and it had already become their daily routine to take the initiative in doing the extreme practice. Also because their bodies were tamed to that point or they’ll be facing something worse than death.
Baek Cheon was the first to notice, breakfast was already over but Cheongmyeong wasn’t there with them. It wasn’t odd because there were quite a few times when he would come later for breakfast than usual. Heck, Cheongmyeong had been missing breakfast the past few weeks. He’d end up eating later and not together with them, so it didn’t occur to him that something was wrong.
In the training grounds, the other disciples continued on, Yoon Jong and Jogeol trained them in Cheongmyeong’s stead from time to time. But in a couple of minutes, Cheongmyeong would, to their misfortune, arrive with a monstrous grin on his face. That had always been their daily routine.
The kids who knew this was the norm had toughened up, holding their swords a little tighter, and their shoulders would stiffen. They would always hope to have at least a day to escape that mad dog. Baek Cheon heard footsteps behind him and just as he expected— Cheongmyeong came to the training grounds. But something felt weird… he looked the same yet not at the same time.
Right about now, Cheongmyeong would’ve complained about their stupid mistakes and grumbled so loud your ears would bleed. But I guess today’s just gonna be a load of staring and silence? It was iffy.
It was just then, Cheongmyeong greeted Baek Cheon and the other kids a good morning. He never does that unless something good happened to him, but instead of seeing a lousy scumbag expression plastered on his face, he looked so serene.
Cheongmyeong went past him and Baek Cheon just blinked. Baek Sang and Iseol surrounded him while their gazes are at Cheongmyeong’s back walking toward the other kids in training.
“He looks… tame?” Baek Sang questioned.
Iseol tilted her head to the side, also wondering the reason for his eerie calmness.
Baek Cheon could then see Cheongmyeong teach the other kids…
But he wasn’t grumbling… he wasn’t shouting… he really looked like a patient and wise teacher teaching his students. When somebody made a mistake, he didn’t yell at them to do push-ups and swing their sword 1000 times as punishment. Instead, he only told them what their mistake was and was so out of character.
'What the hell!?'
Yoon Jong quickly went to Baek Cheon and asked in a loud whisper full of worry, “Sasuk, did you see that!? Why isn’t he acting crazy like usual, he’s never been that way before.”
Baek Cheon agreed internally, “I don’t know if this is a good thing or not… let’s observe for now.”
Jo Geol stared at Cheongmyeong and asked him something in regards to techniques and the like, instead of beating the shit out of him to learn… he was taught.. properly.. the words coming out of Cheongmyeong’s mouth were that of when he’d sometimes speak like how a master should be, the difference is this was happening the whole morning
Even the Elders caught up to his weird change of personality. During lunch, Cheongmyeong was eating so little… he didn’t take any seconds. He also refused to drink alcohol.
Cheongmyeong refusing alcohol? That’s absurd.
Is the world coming to an end?
After lunch, the Elders and the Ogum were having a meeting in regards to the Cheon Woo Meng, and the Ten Great Sect's name was mentioned... (just gonna imply that they're doing something dirty to the alliance again, won’t elaborate) But this time, Cheongmyeong was in a daze and wasn't paying attention. By now he would've thrown a tantrum, cursed their asses, and made a huge fuss about burning their sect and slicing their heads off.
But not even a sound or a complaint. He was too calm, and frankly, it was unnerving.
The meeting finished peacefully for the first time in a long time.
It was just then as everybody stood up and Jangmunin wanted to ask if something was wrong, Cheongmyeong's breathing was a little heavy. The Ogum was beginning to go near him and asked if he was okay. At that moment Cheongmyeong collapsed before their very eyes and he fell forward.
Everybody in the room panicked, the person who caught him was Hyun Jong and Baek Cheon. All of them were alarmed at what was happening as Cheongmyeong just fainted in their arms. Hyun Jong shouted, "Somebody call the doctors! Now!"
Hyun Young was worried, approaching Cheongmyeong quickly. The Ogum had witnessed Cheongmyeong faint before, but it was only when he was heavily injured and was bleeding out a large amount of blood. However.. this was the first time the Elders had witnessed him faint.
Cheongmyeong's back looked a little smaller from their view. Because of his actions and personality in the past few years, they forgot how he's the youngest in the entire sect...
Cheongmyeong continued to breathe heavily and Baek Cheon carried him in his arms straight into the medical ward. Everyone was in a frenzy.
“Sago, what happened to him?!”
“I don’t know!”
“Soso- Where’s Soso!”
“Sahyung run faster!”
“Amitabha… Shizu.. why did he suddenly-”
They all rushed to where the medical room was located and was terribly anxious. Baek Cheon who was ahead of them went a little faster. As he did that, he kept calling his name.
“Cheongmyeong… Cheongmyeong you’re going to be alright. Just- Just hold on a little longer. Please.”
But there was no answer. Baek Cheon bit his lips as he took a glimpse at him and then forward.
He ran together with the elders and the Ogum. The other disciples realized the tension in the air. They witnessed a group of people running and thought something strange was taking place.
The group finally entered the room and Baek Cheon carefully placed him on the bed. The Ogum might hate Cheongmyeong's way of training them to a pulp, but he is still their sajil and saje... Hyun Young immediately asked the doctors what was wrong after a few minutes of checking up, frantically wanting to know what happened.
"C-Cheongmyeong! Ah, my baby! What's happening to him?? How is a doctor so slow?!"
"Calm down elder! The doctors are doing the best as you can see?" Yoon Jong said as the others tried to placate him.
"Calm down?? Calm down?! My Cheongmyeong just fainted and you want me to calm down ?!" Hyun Young's face was distorted and filled with worry.
"Hyun Sang, get him out of the room."
"Yes, Jangmunin."
Hyun Sang instantly took him out, it would only last 15 minutes until the doctors found out what was happening. To be honest, he was feeling the same way as Hyun Young right now.
Hyun Jong and the other people left in the room were silent and were just waiting for the doctors to finish examining him.
.
.
.
'It's cold...'
A little kid breathes heavily.
“Huuu Huuu”
Squirming even more into the pillows, his hands crumpling the sheets was a means of being uncomfortable. He opened his eyes to see the window that was slightly open. It was far too high up for him to see the outside, but he could catch a glimpse of the plum flowers that bloomed outside... He reaches out, raising his left arm with the little power he had left to the window.
'I want to go outside and play......'
The child pouted and was mad at the fact that he had to sit in bed for days. His eyes darted off to the other direction... The door was shut.
"I don’t want to be alone... when is the meeting going to be over..."
The kid, Cheongmyeong says in a low whisper. He wanted to struggle and jump on the bed like he always does, he felt it was unfair that none of his senior brothers came to visit him.
"Hmp... I know the others don’t like me. It's fine I’m used to this. It's not a big deal as long as I have food."
He closed his eyes and just wished the pain would go away. He mustn't cry or else the others will make fun of him. The other elders had an important meeting and different kinds of important people are visiting Hwasan since they always use the place as a venue.
"I want to be there too..."
He doesn't realize it but he's a bit teary-eyed. I mean, what can a young 6 year old even do in this situation? He's a troublemaker. Everybody must be happy that no one's interfering or causing a ruckus in such an important event. Cheongmyeong lay in his bed on the very far side of the whole building. Its location was quite a distance from where the main hall was at. But despite him being there, he could still hear the festive sound and cheer.
"I won't cry. It's not lonely. Once I get better I'm going to draw all of the Sahyung's faces! How dare they have fun without me??"
That's what he planned the moment he feels better. But really, he knows that's not true at all. Cheongmyeong knows what he wants. He's just being petty because everybody was too busy to probably notice he was still in this cramped room by himself.
'I know I'm not supposed to feel this way. I'm Cheongmyeong! I'm Cheongmyeong..."
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.
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"I'm lonely... Sahyung."
Everybody's eyes clouded. The doctors were now away and the only ones left in the room were the Elders and the Ogum. They couldn't believe what they just heard coming out of Cheongmyeong's mouth. He was inaudible mumbling something... but everybody clearly heard it.
'Cheongmyeong? You're lonely?'
All of their faces hardened. Hyung Jong's heart ached for some reason. He couldn't quite explain it.
—
It has now been 3 days since Cheongmyeong fainted and is now residing in a more comfortable bed. Hyun Young was the one who got them to prepare everything and transferred his baby to a better and more spacious room. What better place could that be than the Sect Leader's pavilion...?
Hyun Jong didn't mind though, he obliged and gave into Hyun Young's worries... The people who listened to Cheongmyeong's words that day couldn't forget what he said.
"I'm lonely... sahyung."
Hyun Jong's shoulders wavered, he didn't realize that child he had been unconsciously depending on felt that way... Perhaps feeling the burden of carrying the whole sect on his back, made its influence rise into the sky took a toll on his body...
"Have I been giving him too much work? I should've noticed he felt a little weird the past few weeks.." he mumbles to himself...
"Jangmun-in... it's not your fault." Hyun Sang came from behind him and continued, "Please don’t blame yourself... everybody only noticed his change of personality but we still assumed something was fine. Nobody could have thought something was wrong..."
Hyun Jong groaned. He knows that too.
"Sigh..."
"Everything will be fine... Cheongmyung is resting, and the medics from the Dang family are doing their best to figure out what's happening."
"I'm glad Soso took the initiative and called them over."
The doctors have been figuring out if he had some sort of illness or caught a disease, even with the Dangga's help all they could say was that he's not in any grave danger. However, it has still been 3 days and Cheongmyeong still hasn't woken up. Even the Lord had to come and visit earlier. They're doing whatever they can at this very moment.
Hyun Jong and Hyun Sang could only look at the view of the sky and the plum blossoms withering away...
"Sasuk..."
Baek Cheon had been standing on the wall, staring at the Dang family's greatest medics doing their jobs. Yoon Jong and Jogeol had come to him again.
"Sasuk, you have to at least eat something..."
"That's right, you haven't eaten that much for the past 3 days... the other disciples are worried."
Soso approached them by the door, "Look, I know you guys are worried, but we've already got a handful of things to do, another sick patient won’t lead us any good."
Baek Cheon looked at them for a bit and then sighed. It was true. He had been monitoring that brat even after the Dangga came to help. He wasn't getting any rest and he was anxious.
Although it was true that Cheongmyeong was not in any danger, there were times when he looked like he was in great pain for hours on end.
"Alright... I'll eat, I'm sorry."
"It's fine Sasuk, it's almost time for dinner, most of the kids are already in the dining hall." Yoon Jong said as they all went out through the door.
Soso looked back to Cheongmyeong's bed and then closed the door.
As they arrived through the dining hall, everybody was seated, they already started eating, and the mood.. was too sullen and dark.
Usually, this hall would've been loud and filled with people wanting seconds and thirds, however... how could they do that when their youngest has fallen ill.
It had been like this for the last three days, word of mouth immediately spread everywhere and all of Mount Hua knew that Cheongmyeong collapsed and was in great pain ... yet even now they don't know why that was the case. Everyone was gloomy, even when they started morning training, most of them would walk past where Cheongmyeong was staying and peeked at the window to see him...
I mean, how would they even begin to feel when Hwasan's Sinryong would look like that? He was the bastard that drove them insane and caused trouble. But that person was now bedridden? That Cheongmyeong?
It was a new sight that the kids were seeing. The sturdy back they always saw of Cheongmyeong was that of a master... he may be a little insane but he was their teacher despite being the youngest.
Now? Cheongmyeong matched his age... his back looked smaller... and it made them embarrassed that they can't even do anything for him, as their Sahyung... as their Sasuk.
It was a new sight, yes, but they never want to see him be like that, be hurt and in pain.
When the Ogum went out of the room so the doctors could do their work, they heard from Jogeol that Cheongmyeong said he was lonely. As their senior brothers, they felt distraught... they knew that all of them wanted Cheongmyeong to teach them so that they'll grow stronger, for the good of Hwasan... but did anybody ever begin to think how much work Cheongmyeong had been doing since the minute he came to this sect?
Because of him, their clothes, their buildings, the food they ate, the pills they intake... none of this would've come to fruition without Cheongmyeong coming into their lives.
Cheongmyeong, the rude bastard who gets into all kinds of trouble, always ever does those things if it’s for the benefit of the Sect. Somehow their faces hardened after not realizing it all and sometimes took his efforts for granted.
Cheongmyeong, their third class disciple, said he was lonely.
He said it while feeling pain... if he were healthy right now would he have blurted it out? No.
Cheongmyeong being vulnerable was something they had never imagined.
That evening, nobody could taste the food properly as they ate.
The next day Soso ran toward the elders and Hyun Jong. Thanks to the Dangga's help they somehow understood what was happening inside Cheongmyeong's body.
"Elders! You have to come quickly! They've discovered something!"
In an instant, they immediately ran outside and went to where Cheongmyeong was staying. The Ogum also followed suit. The Lord, Dang Gunak was also there with them, he had not left the sect since coming here. Hwasan was glad that Dangga came all this way and did the best they could. Now all that's left to do is to hear what they know.
Apparently, what Cheongmyeong is experiencing is something that they've never seen before. Dang Gunnak explained what happened to Cheongmyeong.
"Let me try to explain it in simpler terms. Cheongmyeong is experiencing a cold."
Everybody's eyes clouded. "A cold??"
All of them looked at each other.
Yoon Jong spoke. "Didn't he feel a cold coming when we were going to the North Ice Palace?"
Baek Cheon shook his head and said, "He was more likely just freezing like the rest of us, but he didn't really catch a fever."
"Wait, are you sure?"
"I-It's not like we're looking down on the Dangga, Lord Gunnak."
"No, it's alright, I understand. Let me just emphasize that it’s not just any ordinary cold. It's a cold that only a few Experts have experienced in their life. It's really rare but it does happen... It took some time to figure it out. I was wondering how that would be when it usually occurs to experts at the age of 80."
"?!!!"
'Then-' Everybody's eyes darted off to Cheongmyeong who was currently resting on the bed. How much of a monster is he to have an illness for old people??
Perhaps rare cases do happen, but that just means Cheongmyeong's strength cannot be looked down upon by older masters.
"When a normal person undergoes stress and fatigue, usually you would intake medicine to suppress the illness from spreading right? Pushing your body too far would give them a fever that would happen once or twice. However, for Cheongmyeong's case... he's using his qi to get rid of any foreign illness from even getting an inch closer to his body, just like how poison doesn’t work on him."
The Ogum understood, they had witnessed his fight with the elder of the Dang family before.
Dang Gunnak continued, "You see, after examining him, I think this has been the very first cold he has experienced. His qi has been working nonstop, however for an expert, that's just normal. There are even times when they get a cold once or twice to relieve the inner workings of the body. It happens at different times. But, Cheongmyeong's body right now is combining all of those supposed different times into one, making the recoil so drastic it made him faint. His body couldn't handle it, despite being an expert."
"How many days could this take?"
"Assuming his current state.. the longest would be two weeks."
Hyun Jong finally understood. And so did the others.
Right now, Cheongmyeong is experiencing the longest cold of his life.
Hyun Jong asked a question, "Do the symptoms vary from expert to expert? How come we've never noticed this was happening to him?"
"Right, apart from his personality change, there wasn't anything else."
"Hmm... from the ones we know, it's different on how their mental state would get used by the sudden change internally. Usually, they'd be even grumpier and easily irritated... because they were old.
All of them turned their heads to Cheongmyeong again. 'Haa...'
I guess the opposite happened to him since he's always grumpy and easily irritated. They already know Cheongmyeong was in a different league... but this... is kind of ironic. A change of personality was a part of the symptom. And an extreme one to boot.
Some of them breathed a sigh of relief only after Dang Gunnak stated that it was not something so dangerous. They just need to monitor him when he sometimes screams in pain. But other than that, he'll still continue his fever.
"Haaa..." Hyun Jong sighed and looked at Dang Gunnak with utmost sincerity. "Thank you for your help, Lord."
"It's not a problem, I think all of you should try to get some rest tonight."
"Alright, we'll do just that."
.
.
.
sniff.. sniff...
"It hurts...my tummy hurts..."
sniff....
"Ow...it hurts.. Sahyung.. where are you..."
Cheongmyeong was now crouching on his right side facing the wall. His stomach ached so much that it was unbelievably painful for a 6 year old boy. He was scared and felt alone. However...
"I won't cry... this isn't painful, I can handle this... it doesn't hurt at all..."
Cheongmyeong says this, trying his best not to shed any useless tears. What would crying even do to help? Nobody would probably know that he's in pain, he should just lay there quietly and wait for an adult to send him some medicine. He can't move, so all he can do is tolerate and endure the pain. That's all he can do.
Crying doesn't do any good at all. It's a sign of weakness.
And Cheongmyeong isn't weak.
He felt as if his stomach was ripped to shreds, his hands wrapped around his abdomen, squeezing and pushing it to make the pain lessen, that was the only thing he could do... He felt as if time was going so slow and just wished for the festivities to be over soon... Every second that passed was so agonizing he just wanted to faint and not feel anything at all.
He stares at the door.... but it’s still closed.
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.
.
"It hurts so much... hurts..."
Right now, as Cheongmyeong mumbled this, everyone in Hwasan was alarmed, Cheongmyeong was now having a seizure.
He was now dealing with an even greater pain and his body was shaking violently. He was still unconscious but he kept repeating that it hurts, the elders quickly called on the doctors and Dang Gunnak also got his people to stabilize Cheongmyeong immediately.
All Baek Cheon, Iseol, Jogeol, Yoon Jong, Hye Yeon and Soso could do was stand by and watch as the adults helped him with whatever they could. Their shoulders were stiff and as they saw Cheongmyeong yell and scream out his pain for a few minutes which felt like an hour... The elders clenched their fists...
"Just how much suffering is he having that he's screaming like that..."
"Cheongmyeong-ah.."
"Cheongmyeong... just hold on a little longer..."
All of their faces could only frown. Hyun Jong could only close his eyes in hope that his pain would go away.
—
A few days later, the Dangga family had to leave after they had made some medicine for Cheongmyeong whenever he would have a seizure again. The doctors of Hwasan and Soso can handle things now. Dang Gunnak bid goodbye to his daughter and the Elder, reassuring them that Cheongmyeong will definitely return to being fine, and that they had to wait for his body to go back to normal.
When they left, there was not a day that the Ogum weren’t beside Cheongmyeong. Some of them took turns in keeping watch, and having shifts for when it was the other's turn to eat. However, they were not getting any rest, this was nothing compared to the hard training they've experienced because of this brat. Still, this is all they can do. They want to do everything they can to help and get Cheongmyeong better.
Hye Yeon would pray internally to Buddha that Cheongmyeong would be alright. Soso would tend to him whenever his fever spiked up again, placing a wet towel on his forehead. Iseol on the side would wipe his sweat on the neck and shoulders since he was feeling different kinds of temperature. Yoon Jong would come in and out to update the Elders, and train the 2nd and 3rd class disciples with Jo Geol.
Baek Cheon; he held Cheongmyeong's hand.
Baek Cheon from when he was a kid would remember the warm touch of his mother's hand. He was silent the whole time, but he was always staring at Cheongmyeong, checking for anything to make sure he was fine.
When Cheongmyeong got a seizure from time to time, he'd hold Baek Cheon's hand so tight, Baek Cheon felt as if his hand was getting crushed, but he didn't care. It probably doesn't compare to what Cheongmyeong was feeling at this moment.
Cheongmyeong, in Baek Cheon's eyes, looks as if he was trying to find something; Yearning for some sort of touch. That's why he didn't let go of his hand.
That's all he could do.
The brat right now looked like he wanted someone to be beside him when he was sick. He could never forget his mother's hand... so he thought he should do the same for Cheongmyeong...
He'd rather see Cheongmyeong train them to the bone being all smug than this. Well, this really wasn't the first time he was bedridden, he faints after getting hurt and wakes up after a long time.
But it still hurts him inside, he doesn't understand this emotion, he was surprised how he has some affection for his sajil who drives him insane. Perhaps the years they have spent together with everyone made him feel this way.
Everybody was now staring at Cheongmyeong. Silence emanated from the whole room. Hye Yeon spoke first.
"Amitabha... it's almost 2 weeks, he still has not woken up..."
"Aish.. let's be patient. He'll wake up soon, the doctors said so."
"But the thing is.. would that be the case? My father did say this was supposed to be something for an elderly to catch,and he's still young."
"That's true.."
Iseol added, "Let's wait even if it takes a long time."
Everyone looked at her and nodded.
2 weeks? Even if it takes longer than that, the kids here are as troublesome and stubborn as this brat laying down on the sect leader's bed.
Baek Cheon was about to add something as well, however, it was at that moment, he could feel something twitch in his hand.
"Cheongmyeong?"
Everyone's eyes went to him together. They couldn't believe their eyes.
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.
.
Cheongmyeong waited... always had been. Sometimes he'd count in his head the seconds that passed by just to help ease the pain a little better. But because of that he fell asleep.
He felt a warm touch in his hand.
Slowly opening his eyes, his long eyelashes fluttered as they blinked and saw a figure in front of him.
"I'm sorry I'm late Cheongmyeong.."
His voice. The voice he had always wanted to hear was calling for his name.
"Were you lonely?"
His words... the words he didn't want to listen to because he didn't know what to respond.
"I.. I.." Cheongmyeong couldn't hold it in anymore. The moment he saw Cheongmun who looked at him with those earnest eyes, his heart felt a sense of relief and happiness.
He felt angry because it took so long and frustrated because he just came in now and did not visit again for a while. But he let all of that be... he was just so happy that finally someone was there. And it was the person he had always wanted to see the most.
The tears burst like a huge body of water breaking from a dam. He had kept his feelings bottled inside despite still being just a child.
"Shh.. Cheongmyeong-ah.. it's okay I'm here now.. I won't leave you alone, see? Sahyung's got your hand."
"Sahyung.. Sahyung.." Cheongmyeong's voice was mostly inaudible but Cheongmun could still figure out what he was saying.
"I was scared all by myself.. why were you so late... I wanted to have fun and play with you too.." Cheongmyeong cried, his tears and snot going down his face, his voice choking up his words, throat squeezing as if it was hard to let it all out. "Don’t go I don’t like to be alone..."
Cheongmun replied as he gave a reassuring smile, "It's okay to cry Cheongmyeong-ah.. the meeting finished so late... I'll be with you now, I'm not going anywhere.."
Cheongmyeong's blobs of tears fell and wet his blanket, he hesitated but reached his hands out, just like how he reached out for the window in the morning... but this time, someone went and embraced him, filling the void he felt.
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.
.
At the same time...
It was just a few seconds before they thought he was going to have a seizure again. Everybody stood and were beginning to go to their places. But then, the ogum saw something they thought they'd never see again, Hye Yeon and Soso however, it was their first time seeing this.
Cheongmyeong was crying.
Tears were rolling down his cheeks even as he was unconscious. However, he looked as if he was not in pain... in fact, he looked relaxed and felt relieved despite the tears.
Right now Cheongmyeong was mumbling about what was happening in his dream.
"Sahyung.. sahyung.."
His voice was quivering despite being low.. Everybody's eyes were shaking. Who was this Sahyung that he keeps mentioning... it couldn't be someone they know.. they had a hunch this was the case.
"I was scared all by myself.. Why were you so late... I wanted to have fun and play with you too.."
All of them were just looking at Cheongmyeong with pained expressions. What are you seeing right now that made you like this? They all found themselves questioning.
"Don’t go, I don’t like to be alone..."
Soso was teary eyed, Yoon Jong and Jogeol went closer to Cheongmyeong's side, Iseol and Hye Yeon on the other.
Baek Cheon spoke, "Cheongmyeong ah.. we're not going anywhere. We're here.. you're not alone anymore."
Tears were being wiped by Iseol on the side as it still kept gushing.
Everyone was feeling an indescribable emotion right now
Suddenly, Cheongmyeong's arms were raised a little... all of them wondering why... but immediately, with no hesitation did Baek Cheon lean close to hug him.
Baek Cheon hugged Cheongmyeong lightly so he could breathe, Cheongmyeong wrapped his arms around him and continued to cry, unaware of anything.
Yoon Jong patted his hair and slowly caressed it as if he was a little boy. Iseol continued to wipe his tears slowly...
It was then, Cheongmyeong was smiling...
"Sahyung..."
Cheongmyeong felt such warmth he had never felt before- no. Cheongmyeong was now experiencing the same warmth he had felt in the past... however this time, it doubled.
.
.
.
"Hehe... are you okay now?" Cheongmun asked as he was beside Cheongmyeong who didn't want to let him go. But he had to since it might get a little hot for him since he was still sick.
"Mmn." Cheongmyeong hummed… Eyes red and puffy, his cheeks looked like a cute chipmunk as he pouted.
"Do you want to eat anything?"
Cheongmyeong hesitated.. a little bit embarrassed that his Sahyung had to see him cry, but he didn't care. When the tears flow, sometimes it’s hard for them to stop..
"Uhhhhmm... Sahyung.."
"Yes?"
"I want to eat mooncakes, sahyung..."
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.
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“ —the ones sahyung always gives me..."
Cheongmyeong said, out loud. It was still in the middle of the night in real-time. His arm was now holding on to Baek Cheon's sleeves as he begged for something but they couldn’t quite catch the first time..
Baek Cheon and Yoon Jong immediately went a little closer to Cheongmyeong's mumblings.
"Cheongmyeong-ah.. what is it that you like? What does your sahyung give you?"
Baek Cheon then stared at everybody in the room. First to Yoon Jong and Jogeol, but all they did was shake their heads.
"..mo..ca.."
"Cheongmyeong, can you tell me again?"
"...mooncakes.. sahyung.."
“!!!”
Everybody instantly nodded their heads. Baek Cheon ordered everyone to call in the elders. Soso and him were left in the room to take care of him.
When Hyun Young got the message, he woke everybody up at this time of night!
"Everybody! This is no time to sleep!!"
"Hu- huh elder but it's night time of course it's-"
"Shhh shut up, can't you see his eyes."
(you dont wanna know what hyun young looks like right now)
"Order the best Mooncakes you can find! Cheongmyeong my baby was craving for it as if he was dying!! How can you just sleep there when he wants mooncakes??"
"BUY EVERYTHING!!!"
The disciples nodded and immediately went to get some as fast as lightning. They wanted to do something for Cheongmyeong, and perhaps this was the time they could.
In just one night, a number of mooncakes were sold.
—
It took 2 more days for Cheongmyeong to wake up. He felt as if he had a long dream.
It felt pleasant though... like a distant memory he treasures during his childhood resurfaced.
But now, he tried to move his body, he felt a little weakened but it wasn't any problem. However, something was odd....
His skin that touched the blankets was softer than the usual blanket he used...
He rubbed his eyes and they slowly opened. The ceiling... it was different. He was clearly not in his room. Then, he felt that his arm was warm..
His eyes slowly went to the direction of his left hand. He was shocked.
'Sasuk? Why is he holding my hand?'
He then begins to realize his surroundings. He saw the different people who were right beside his bed sleeping on either side or were on the floor squatting.
All of them were right beside Cheongmyeong.
"What's going on?"
On the side of the room, Hyun Jong was sitting on the sofa with Hyun Young with their eyes closed.
Cheongmyeong was confused. He blinked a few times and deduced that he was in the Sect Leader's room. He slowly got up, which made everyone else wake up.
Cheongmyeong flinched.
"Cheongmyeong!"
"Shizu!"
"Cheongmyeong-ah!"
The kid's voices woke the elders up.
Hyung young with no hesitation got up and ran to his bed. "Cheongmyeong-ah, my baby, how are you feeling??" There were tears in his eyes.
"Shizu, is your body okay now?"
"Cheongmyeong, we were so worried!"
"You should tell us if it hurts somewhere..."
Hyun Jong went nearer and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Cheongmyeong... I'm so glad you're okay."
Everybody was feeling emotional while Cheongmyeong's face was blank in bewilderment.
"You-"
At that moment, Cheongmyeong looked at everyone. He couldn't make out what was going on but he felt strangely full... and now, tears could not stop falling on the blankets.
Cheongmyeong was crying again. This time he had a smile on his face. A genuine one. "Gosh.. what's with these tears all of a sudden."
'Haha... for some reason I'm missing your presence right now Sahyung.'
‘I guess I’m not so alone anymore.’