02
The guardian spirit of the forest appeared and gently picked up the newborn baby in his arms. When he touched the baby's cheek, it was as cold as ice. He knew immediately that the child was on the verge of death.
Even in that tense moment, the guardian angel made eye contact with the baby and spoke softly to him, even though he could not possibly understand.
"...Is your name Chosun?"
At that moment, a dull sound reverberated from behind.
Someone hit him on the back of the head.
The forest guardian turned around, annoyed.
"What are you doing, you idiot?"
He was the guardian of fire.
"Is this... a human baby?"
The Fire Guardian looked down at the still-crying baby. He knew it: the child was dying.
He saw the guardian of the forest.
"Are you going to kill me?"
"He's just a baby," muttered the forest guardian. "I'll raise him, and if I don't like him, I'll kill him."
With that, he handed the baby over to the Fire Guardian.
The warmth of the Fire Guardian gradually revived the baby, but it was too late. The baby could have died.
But that didn't happen.
Yes, he had already been saved. The guardian deity of the forest had saved him.
Eventually, the baby's body temperature returned to normal and his crying subsided.
The Fire Guardian followed the Forest Guardian until they reached the heart of the forest, where the Water Guardian was already waiting.
"What happened to the baby?"
"I don't know. The humans left it in Park Jimin's care," the forest guardian said listlessly, already transforming into a green dragon and disappearing into the depths of the forest.
Park Jimin - that was the name of the guardian deity of the forest.
"So you won't kill him?" asked the Water Guardian.
Instead of replying, Jimin simply lunged at him in frustration. The Water Guardian dodged with ease, sending a medium-sized ball of water crashing into Jimin's face.
"Jeon Jungkook and Kim Taehyung... you guys always say the same thing and it's annoying."
The guardian deity of water is named Jeon Jungkook.
The guardian deity of fire is Kim Taehyung.
Water and fire are supposed to be mutually exclusive, but he managed it better than Jimin.
Jimin glared at them both, then looked at the sleeping baby in Taehyung's arms, his face peaceful.
It was so different from when he was in Jimin's arms.
That also made me irritated.
He let out a tiger-like roar that echoed through the forest.
Naturally, the baby started crying again.
"Why are you threatening me?" Taehyung yelled.
Jimin muttered something and disappeared into the depths of the forest, which was neutral ground for the three guardians.
Taehyung picked up the baby.
"What should I do with this kid?"
Jimin didn't answer.
"You watch over me today," Jungkook said.
"Isn't he always in a bad mood?"
Apparently someone had been drinking and vomiting in Jimin's area this morning. The culprit was unknown, and Jimin was feeling quite on edge.
Taehyung sighed and nodded.
The next morning, the three guardians were up early as usual, around 6am.
Jungkook, the guardian deity of water, transformed from his imogi form back into a human and emerged from the water.
Taehyung was flying through the sky as a phoenix, but he transformed into his human form to check on the baby.
Jimin, still the green dragon, opened his eyes with a loud yawn. Curious, he flew into Taehyung's domain.
The guardian deity's domain is invisible to anyone but them.
So you can fly freely.
Jimin descended into Taehyung's volcanic domain, where he found Taehyung holding a baby at the entrance to a cave amidst the bubbling lava.
The baby had a calm expression.
"Did you come to pick up the baby?"
"Oh, give it to me."
Jimin reached out his hand and Taehyung easily handed him the baby.
The baby smiled brightly.
Jimin couldn't help but laugh when he saw that.
Taehyung's eyes widened.
"Park Jimin... laughed at the baby?"
Jimin noticed her gaze,
"What are you looking at?"
"N-nothing."
Taehyung quickly transformed into a phoenix and flew away.
"...Let's go."
-
Jimin returned to the forest and laid the baby down in the cool shade of a tree.
The baby fell asleep immediately.
"Chosen, huh..."
Jimin lay down next to the baby and stared at his sleeping face.
After a moment, he stood up and picked up the baby.
"Choseun is no longer your name."
"Kim Heeyoung. That's your name."
From that day on, the baby was named Kim Hee-young.
Jimin raised Heeyeon for the next few years, and by the time she was five, she was walking and had a cute voice.
Jimin taught her a few hours a day—well, she usually dropped out halfway through. But little by little, she learned.
"Kim Heeyoung! Where did you go?"
One day, Jimin wakes up to find that Heeyoung is gone.
He panicked, as normally she would have been asleep in his arms in his dragon form.
I went to Taehyung first, but he said he hadn't seen it.
Next, we head to Jungkook.
"Hey, John—"
"Kyahaha~!"
"You there?"
Jimin was relieved to find Heeyeon playing in the water with Jungkook.
When I called her name softly, Heeyoung stopped playing with the water beads and looked at me.
A slightly apologetic look on his face.
Heeyoung clasped her hands together in an apologetic gesture.
"...Let's go. Follow me."
Normally I would have picked him up and taken him home, but today he was angry so I made him walk.
Heeyoung followed along silently.
After walking for a while, Jimin sat down.
Heeyoung was nervous as she played with her fingers.
Jimin stared at it intently.
Then, with a wave of his hand, Heeyoung floated gently into the air and began to spin as if dancing in the wind.
Heeyoung smiled happily.
"I'll play with you from now on, so don't go anywhere on your own."
"...But Uncle Jungkook is better at playing."
"How did you play?"
Heeyoung used her hand movements to represent the round water she saw earlier. It was fluffy and fun.
Jimin then began making something out of grass. Heeyeon watched intently as the finished product wasn't transparent like the polka dots from before, but it was round, green, and bouncy.
Heeyoung let out a cheer of "Wow!" and began rolling it around and playing with it happily.
"If there's anything you want, just tell me. I'll make it for you."
"Yup!!"
"I told you not to go anywhere on your own, right?"
"But your grass is different from other grass, right?"
"You... did you go downstairs? I told you not to go downstairs, right?"
Heeyeon had gone downstairs to play without Jimin knowing. The grass there darkened when stepped on, but the grass near Jimin didn't. When he tried to ask about the difference, he was found out.
"...I just wanted to have a little fun..."
"Really... you keep doing the things I told you not to do."
Jimin repeatedly warned Heeyoung not to go down there again, and the young Heeyoung nodded obediently.
And finally, Jimin hugged Heeyeon.
Because Jimin is the guardian deity, the leaves, soil, and trees in the forest are all fresh and beautiful in color. There isn't a single bug in the soil, and the only insects you'll see are beautiful butterflies. Even the plants don't change color or wither when stepped on.
"Hey, uncle..."
"Did you pick me up, Uncle?"
Yeah……?
Jimin was surprised by the unexpected question. He wasn't asked who his mother was, but rather, "Were you adopted?"
Jimin flustered and blurted out his words, but quickly regained his composure and answered Heeyeon.
"I didn't pick it up."
"So... what?"
"I made it."
"I'm the guardian deity, so I can do it, right?"
Heeyeon looked like she was about to cry, but her expression quickly changed when she heard Jimin's words.
"Yes!! That's right! He's the guardian deity after all!!"
He said as he hugged Jimin tightly.
Jimin was relieved, saying, "I managed to fool him well..." and lightly patted Heeyeon on the back, saying, "Come on, go play."
Heeyoung was playing with the ball, occasionally rolling around himself.
"...That kid looks like he's having fun."
"When did you get here?"
"Me? I just got here."
Taehyung said he came because he was bored and watched Heeyoung having fun.
Then he looked at Jimin.
Jimin gazed at the butterfly that had landed on his palm.
"But are you going to leave her like this?"
"What?"
"No... I think it would be better to make at least one friend."
A friend...
I can certainly understand why Taehyung would say that.
Only the guardian angel and Heeyoung are allowed in here, so Heeyoung has no friends. She doesn't even consider the guardian angel a friend.
When I think about it that way, I can understand Taehyung's concern.
But Jimin didn't think that way. He was the one who taught him, and he never even considered taking him out as a friend.
"No need."
"But the kid will soon realize he needs friends."
With that, Taehyung left, leaving Jimin with a feeling of turmoil in his heart.
Jimin had something on his mind for a long time.
--Heeyoung's family.
Maybe we'll meet someday.
I'm afraid I'll get hurt if I meet him.
Jimin was worried about that.
He may have parents who abandoned him. When he grows up, he may resent Jimin.
So I didn't go outside.
and--
The "adolescence" that everyone was talking about has finally arrived for Heeyoung.
Jimin was in a terrible situation. Taehyung and Jungkook were also caught up in it.
He just does the things I tell him not to do.
Getting angry.
It was out of control.
One day, Jimin got angry.
Heeyoung had gone downstairs again without permission.
Jimin was genuinely angry.
"Hey, where have you been today?"
"...You know everything and are listening to me, right?"
Heeyeon ignored Jimin and walked past him.
Jimin was annoyed by this too, and made his way through the trees towards the square.
It was soft and comfortable, and we both used it to sleep.
Jimin followed Heeyeon.
"Kim Heeyoung, stop right there."
Heeyoung ignored him and continued walking.
Jimin grabbed her arm, finally bringing her to a halt.
"Tell me properly. What were you doing?"
"What good will it do to say that? You don't even pay attention to me normally anyway."
Heeyoung violently shook off the hand that was holding him.
He tried to go towards Jungkook.
Jimin gets angry and grabs Heeyeon again.
"Let go."
Heeyoung didn't yell, but she shook his hand away with a clearly unhappy look on her face.
"Hey"
--Listen while I'm being nice.