[Hmm? What do you mean by that?]
“It means requests that can’t offer good conditions get filtered out before they even come to me.”
[That is true, but… Isn’t that natural? You are not a volunteer. It is only right that they pay a price equal to their desperation.]
That was not wrong.
Rowoon knew that Cheonghwa worked hard to choose requests that would benefit him, and them as well.
He knew that Cheonghwa even went all the way above the heavens, mediated between the observers, and moved around busily.
He also knew very well that he had been able to live because Cheonghwa was there, and that Cheonghwa was working hard to save him.
But…
‘If that happens, then the people who don’t catch Cheonghwa’s eye are deprived of even a chance.’
Why else would Iho have searched for him while coughing up blood?
It was probably because he knew that no matter what he offered, Cheonghwa would stop him at the line.
Because he would have been unconditionally excluded for being a peculiar existence that was basically no different from an exception.
But just because Iho was an exceptional being did not mean even his desperation was an exception.
To the point of coughing up blood.
To the point of squeezing out his own life force.
Hadn’t he come clinging to him in a frantic rush?
‘It probably isn’t just Iho.’
Even now, in places Rowoon did not know, there might be countless desperate wishes being ignored without ever getting the chance to reach him.
[I do not know why you suddenly bring up such a thing.]
“But Cheonghwa. Then couldn’t beings who truly need help end up in trouble?”
Qualifications they had, qualifications they did not have.
Desperation existed in everyone.
‘The difference is that people who have things have all kinds of ways and means to fill that desperation, while people who don’t have anything don’t even get a chance.’
Just like Rowoon himself in his previous life, when he had lived a deprived life and received no help from anyone.
[Your expression was serious, and that was what was bothering you?]
“A little.”
Cheonghwa, who seemed to fall into thought for a moment while bubbling up little water droplets, spoke.
[Your words are not wrong. However, think about it. The world is not fair. A world where everyone is equal is a beautiful utopia. But because it does not exist, it remains a utopia.]
It was a serious statement, unlike someone who had been bickering noisily with a fox just a moment earlier.
And that statement was also correct.
After all, history had already proven that a social system where everyone was equal was impossible.
[Moreover, you are not doing charity work, are you? Do not forget. The requests you fulfill become your life.]
That too was the right answer.
When he thought about it, hadn’t Rowoon also received special treatment?
The chance to come back to life after death and settle his past mistakes was not something given to just anyone.
It was something very special.
But…
Even so…
“I… want at least the chance to be given fairly. Having some kind of chance open to you and not even being able to try are completely different things.”
Even before he accepted this request from Cheon Iho.
More precisely, ever since the auction system was updated.
He had been vaguely thinking about it.
It was certainly beneficial for him.
‘But is it really a benefit?’
Was he not becoming just like the people who had driven him into despair in his previous life?
It had not been long since he realized that merely breathing and being alive did not mean truly living.
A life with no regrets, even if it was only lived one day at a time.
A life where he could stand proud before himself, with nothing to feel ashamed or disappointed about.
Hadn’t he realized only recently that this was what life was?
[Haa… Is there a need to go that far? Your very existence alone is already no different from a golden rope lowered down to those old geezers. Even if you pretended not to know and closed your eyes to it, there would be no one to blame you.]
“But I know. I, no one else, know all of it. So how could I pretend not to know?”
[Haa. Truly…]
As if there was no helping it, Cheonghwa shook his head.
[You are so kind as a human that it is almost a problem. You are the sort of human who would see even a single blade of grass by the roadside not receiving sunlight and transplant it to a sunny place.]
Pardon?
No… To that extent?
“Isn’t that… you seeing me a little too favorably, Cheonghwa?”
[It is not. I am living proof of your kindness.]
Cheonghwa stated it firmly.
Then he let out a deep breath.
[Well. Perhaps it was because you are that kind of human that I received grace from you back then. In any case, since you seem worried, I will tell you this. Those without a benevolent heart cannot ascend the heavenly path.]
Rowoon listened closely to Cheonghwa’s explanation.
[Having governed chaotic, disorderly thoughts and emotions and ultimately chosen to hold goodness in one’s heart, everyone therefore possesses the Four Beginnings and Seven Emotions.]
The problem was that Rowoon only understood about half of it.
Four Beginnings, what?
[It means that those who know compassion, know right and wrong, and possess the heart of yielding will find the path open when they have desperation that reaches the heavens.]
It was still something he could not understand.
When Rowoon showed signs of not understanding, Iho, who had been beside them, cut in.
“To put it simply, what you’re worried about won’t happen. Greedy people who try to steal even someone else’s opportunity can’t build up enough merit to enter the immortal register in the first place.”
[Haa… Fox, why are you butting in?]
“Why are you using idioms on kids these days? For kids these days, English is the trend. Update yourself. You’re so sloppy, that’s why I slipped through.”
[…The back of my neck. My poor neck.]
“Looking at you, you don’t even have a neck, so where is the back of it?”
[Do we truly have to listen to this one’s request?]
Things had been going well, only for them to suddenly stumble.
Before Rowoon could even say anything, the two beings started bickering again.
After hearing the explanation, Rowoon felt relieved, but also a little embarrassed.
“I’m sorry. Now that I think about it, you must have had your reasons. I think I spoke out of turn when I didn’t know anything…”
The answer came from somewhere else.
Ding!
[Starlight 83 says that is not true!]
[Starlight 394 is deeply moved by your kind heart!]
[Starlight 955 admires you as a rare young person these days…]
As the observers said, Cheonghwa also did not seem particularly bothered.
[No. I should have expected from the start that you would react this way. With your personality, there was no way you would not care.]
“The old geezers may be old-fashioned, but they have an accurate eye for people.”
Iho’s voice slipped in.
“I was in a rush and searched all over, but I did wonder if the old geezers had gone senile.”
[Starlight 95 trembles its beard at the other party’s words and expresses anger!]
[Starlight 742 is dumbfounded and searches for its lost words!]
“No, it’s true, isn’t it? The earthly world is full of all the wickedness those old geezers talk about. Do you think every human here is fine?”
Because souls were not yet complete, they were easy to stain and easy to influence.
“But he’s fine. You’d think he’d be tempted by rewards sent down from the heavens, right? I mean, how many humans have been ruined by greed? The old geezers know that too. Nolbu was like that, and so was the woodcutter.”
Surely that was not the Nolbu from Heungbu and Nolbu, and the woodcutter from The Fairy and the Woodcutter, right?
“But he refuses that and instead tries to choose a reward that might be worthless. That must be why the strict laws of heaven allowed it, right? It seems he wasn’t chosen for nothing as heaven’s living wish box and the passage connecting heaven and earth.”
Iho’s gaze as he said that was deep.
It was a gaze where one could feel the age and wisdom unique to someone who had lived a long time.
But only for a moment.
[Hm… hmm. You do have some eye for people, I see?]
Before Rowoon could say anything, Cheonghwa proudly cleared his throat.
“Yes. He is a good human.”
[Indeed. Hm-hmm. That must be why he came to bestow grace upon this body.]
“Now I’ll be receiving grace from him too, so he must be a good human.”
As if they had never been growling at each other.
Once again, the two of them seemed to be on good terms.
[There is no helping it. Since you have your concerns as well, this time we have no choice but to help with that fox’s matter.]
“A wise decision.”
[Hm-hmm. I am rather like that.]
From the look of it, it did not seem like the two of them would fight again.
For Rowoon, that was a fortunate thing.
Now that all his questions had been resolved and his mind had become at ease.
There was only one thing left.
“So then, Iho. What exactly is the request?”
Usually, when he saw the request name and the request details, he could get some kind of sense for it.
But there was none of that in this request.
‘The request name is a famous song lyric, and the request details are way too vague.’
The first request had been vague too, but at least there had been hints there.
But this request did not even have that.
‘What are the remaining regrets, and how does he want me to settle them?’
He had grown curious about what kind of regret could be so desperate that Iho would cough up blood over it.
And that question was soon answered.
“Do you see that child over there?”
“A child?”
Rowoon checked the place Iho was pointing to.
“I don’t see one. What child?”
“No, why are your eyes so bad when you’re young? I’m talking about that child sitting on the chair over there.”
A bench placed in a wide-open park with a clear view in every direction.
There was only one person sitting there.
A single elegant old woman.
‘No way.’
With a doubtful feeling, Rowoon asked Iho.
“Are you talking about that person? The one sitting there with a cane?”
“That’s right. She stands out at a glance, doesn’t she? You couldn’t miss her.”
Of course she did.
There was only one person there.
But…
“You said a child…?”
“Yes. Isn’t she lovely?”
“…?”
He had forgotten, but this fox was also a being who had lived for over a thousand years.
‘Cheonghwa keeps calling me a child at every turn too.’
Was this a trait of beings like this?
“There’s only one thing you have to do. Just watch over that child.”
It was a request that seemed sloppy at first glance.
But Rowoon’s expression changed at the words that followed.
“For twenty-four hours…?”
“Mm. Now that I think about it, humans have to sleep, so twenty-four hours would be difficult, wouldn’t it?”
“No, wait a second. Forget sleep for now. Isn’t this… stalking?”
Iho nearly jumped.
“Hey! Why would you say something so terrifying? I’m the kind of person who can live without laws!”
That was true. To be precise, Iho was a divine being who was not bound by human laws.
“You look so gentle, but you say scary things. I’m not telling you to commit a crime like that. I’m saying you just need to watch over her.”
“…Isn’t that the same thing?”
“No, it isn’t. It’s completely different. Completely different, okay?”
Perhaps sensing Rowoon’s gaze on him, Iho was startled and desperately insisted on his innocence.
Notes:
Nolbu: the greedy, cruel brother in the Korean folktale Heungbu and Nolbu.
The woodcutter: the man in The Fairy and the Woodcutter who hides a fairy’s wing robe so she cannot return to heaven.
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