Aomi suddenly realizes something as the sunlight strikes his face.
He turns toward Níng, who is wiping the dust and blood from her clothes.
His glowing veins go off and he keeps winter white fox and axe back into his pouch.
“We still have to go to the Jīn region.”
Níng finishes cleaning her clothes and nods.
“Then let’s hurry! I don’t care if we have to travel all night!”
Aomi blinks.
For once, Níng isn’t being loud or playful.
He nods and turns toward the road, climbing out of the river.
“Hey! Wait for meee!”
Níng rushes after him, splashing water everywhere as she tries to catch up.
However, she trips and falls face-first into the river.
Aomi stops and sighs.
He turns his head toward her.
Níng slowly rises from the water, completely soaked.
Her lips tremble, and her eyes grow watery.
“A-Aomi…”
He walks back toward her.
“Careful. I won’t leave you behind.”
Níng drags herself out of the river and wipes her face with his clothes.
Aomi lets out another sigh.
“You said you wouldn’t leave me…” she mutters, looking up at him with watery eyes.
“But you were already walking away.”
Aomi pauses before gently patting her hair dry with his sleeve.
“I was just looking for the road. I’ll wait for you next time, alright? So stop crying over something like this.”
He glances at her soaked clothes and picks her up.
“Go into the tent and change. My clothes should fit you.”
Níng sniffles and nods before heading inside.
As he watches her disappear into the tent, Aomi’s thoughts drift toward Seo.
How did she feel the same way when she took care of me?
He lowers his gaze, trying to imagine what his older sister might have felt whenever he cried or clung to her.
Well, she always adored me.
I can only hope she enjoyed those days.
He pauses.
Though, I’m only doing this because I need the Appearance-Changing Spirit and because of my plans with Huo Xīng.
I don’t know how Seo truly felt.
I can barely remember those days…
and I don’t even know if she’s still alive.
Aomi turns away from the tent and stands guard.
Then, a memory resurfaces.
“Seoooo!”
Little Aomi has fallen flat on his face, blood gushing from his nose.
Seo immediately turns around and rushes toward him.
“Goodness! What happened? I only looked away for a second!”
She kneels beside him and wipes his nose with her sleeve.
“Come here, let me see.”
She pulls him into her arms and presses a gentle kiss to his cheek.
“Aw, don’t cry, Aomi. It’s alright. Big sister’s here.”
Little Aomi grips her clothes, his teary eyes looking up at her.
Seo smiles and wipes away his tears.
“Come on, let’s go home and patch you up. You’ll feel better in no time, okay?”
Little Aomi nods.
“…Okay.”
Seo chuckles and hugs him a little tighter.
“That’s my good boy!”
…
“Aomi!”
Níng bursts out of the tent wearing his clothes.
Aomi turns around and freezes for a moment.
The clothes hang loosely around her small frame, and cotton plugs her nose.
She looks up at him with a wide grin.
“See? They fit!”
Aomi stares at her for a moment.
“Are you alright? What’s with the cotton in your nose?”
Níng touches her nose and nods enthusiastically.
“I’m fine! It’s just a little nosebleed. Nothing to worry about!”
She flaps her oversized sleeves.
“Now, let’s get going! We’ll never reach the Jīn region if we keep standing around!”
Aomi nods and begins gathering their belongings.
…
After storing everything inside his pouch, Aomi starts walking beside Níng.
Aomi notices but says nothing.
Instead, another memory comes to mind.
“Aomi~”
Seo’s gentle voice reaches him.
Little Aomi is curled up beside her after rolling down a hill.
His knees are scraped, and he presses his tearful face against her sleeve.
Seo strokes his hair.
“Oh, my poor little Aomi. Where does it hurt?”
She gently lifts his face and examines his knees.
“Ah, your knees! That must have hurt, huh?”
Aomi nods.
Seo smiles reassuringly.
“Don’t worry. Big sister will make it better.”
She channels her spiritual energy into his wounds, healing his scraped knees.
Then she tilts her head and smiles.
“There! How does it feel now?”
“…Better.”
Seo leans closer.
“Hmm? I didn’t hear you!”
“Better!”
Little Aomi raises his voice.
Seo laughs.
“That’s more like it! See? You don’t have to be afraid when I’m here.”
She pulls him into her arms.
“Whenever you get hurt, just come to big sister, alright? I’ll take care of you.”
Little Aomi nods and buries his face against her sleeve.
…
Aomi slowly returns to reality.
He glances at Níng, who is still walking quietly beside him.
After a moment, he asks,
“Are you alright?”
Níng immediately turns toward him and smiles.
“Of course! I’m perfectly fine!”
Aomi studies her expression.
“Are you sure?”
“Mm-hmm!”
She nods several times, her smile growing wider.
“See? Nothing to worry about!”
Aomi looks ahead before asking another question.
“Are you hurt anywhere else?”
Níng hesitates, then pulls up her sleeve to reveal a scraped elbow.
“Just a little here, but it’s nothing serious—”
Before she can finish, Aomi channels his spiritual energy into the wound and heals it.
Níng’s eyes widen.
“Whoa! It’s gone!”
She turns her elbow over, inspecting it from every angle.
Then she nudges his shoulder with a grin.
“Hey, you know you don’t have to do all that for a tiny scrape, right? I’m tougher than I look!”
Aomi looks at her healed elbow.
“Hey, Níng.”
“Hmm?”
“Are you afraid I’ll leave you?”
Her grin slowly fades.
For a moment, she says nothing.
Then she lowers her head and looks at her feet.
“…A little.”
Aomi waits.
Níng fidgets with the sleeve of his clothes.
“I’ve never really had a friend before. Not someone I could travel with, talk to, or just be myself around.”
She forces a small laugh.
“Most people can’t keep up with me anyway. They either get annoyed, scared or leave me behind.”
Her fingers tighten around the oversized sleeve.
“But you can keep up with me, Aomi. You don’t get scared of me, and you don’t tell me to go away just because I’m being annoying.”
She pauses, her voice growing quieter.
“So… I guess I’m afraid that one day you’ll get tired of me too.”
Aomi looks at her.
Níng quickly shakes her head.
“Forget it! I’m making a big deal out of nothing. You don’t have to answer that!”
She tries to smile again, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.
Aomi remains silent.
He could tell her that fear is pointless.
But when he sees her standing there, trying so hard to hide her loneliness, another memory surfaces.
Seo’s smile.
Her warm embrace.
Her gentle voice telling him that everything would be alright.
He doesn’t remember anything clearly but, he shockingly does some thing.
Aomi slowly raises his hand not out of care or kindness or any other feelings but, because he thinks it’s right and pats Níng’s head.
She freezes.
“…Huh?”
He continues patting her head, his expression as cold and unreadable as ever.
“Don’t worry so much.”
Níng stares at him.
“B-But—”
“If I have somewhere to go, I’ll tell you. If I need to leave, I’ll tell you that too.”
He pauses before adding,
“I won’t just disappear without saying anything.”
Níng’s eyes widen.
For some reason, those simple words mean more to her than any grand promise could.
She catches his wrist and smiles.
“Okay! Then I’ll believe you!”
She giggles, wiping the corner of her eye.
“But I still want you to stay with me for a long, long time. So… be my friend forever, alright?”
Aomi pauses.
He looks down at her hand wrapped around his wrist.
Forever…What a troublesome word.
He has lived long enough to know that the world rarely cares about the promises people make.
Yet, when he looks at Níng, he finds himself unable to dismiss her wish.
“…Alright.”
His voice is quiet.
“I’ll stay with you for as long as I can.”
Níng’s face lights up.
“Really?”
Aomi nods.
“Really.”
She chuckles and finally lets go of his wrist.
“Then it’s settled! No taking it back, Aomi!”
Aomi lowers his hand but, his eyes widen slightly.
He remembers his younger self clinging to her clothes, believing that as long as she was beside him, nothing could go wrong.
He remembers the warmth of her hand resting on his head and her reassuring smile.
Was this how she felt back then?
Did she make those promises because she wanted me to feel safe?
Well she is different than how am I.
Aomi lowers his gaze.
He cannot remember every smile Seo gave him, every time she held him, or every promise she made.
And now, he doesn’t even know whether she is still alive.
He wishes just to see her face and smile one more time to remember it always.
“…Seo.”
His whisper is so quiet that Níng doesn’t hear it.
She has already started walking toward the road.
“Aomi! Come on! We still have a long way to go!”
He looks up.
Níng turns around and waves at him impatiently.
“Don’t tell me you’re getting tired already! You’re supposed to be the strong one!”
Aomi stares at her for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.
“You’re noisy.”
“Hey! What was that?!”
“Nothing.”
“I’m sure you said something!”
Níng rushes back toward him, demanding an answer.
Aomi turns and continues down the road.
“Keep up, then.”
“Wait for meee!”
He hears her footsteps hurrying after him.
And this time, Aomi slows down just enough for her to catch up.
He glances at her once to check and catches her grinning not holding a bit of fear.
He also understands a little about how her past might had been.
An extreme physique, Loud, and love for fighting and blood.
That’s makes her a hard type to fit it but, I’m Aomi the snow demon who territorized Jung Yang the centre of the east world that now stands struggling maybe.
He scoffs internally and smirks while looking at the setting sun.
If I fail so what?
It doesn’t mean an end, does it?
I will try again untill I reach it and in this I got myself this girl.
Níng reaches him jogging as Aomi gaze remains on the path.