Strange and Beautiful_Part 1
© 2023 BTS My Love All rights reservedChildren's Day is a joyful and happy day for all the children, as they go out to play. Each child holds their parents' hands, smiles, and heads off on their own paths to enjoy the joy of Children's Day. At that moment, in the seemingly quiet playground, a girl sits alone, squeaking on a swing. The only sounds are the squeak of the swing and the gentle breeze, inexplicable to the child's loneliness.
Watching people walking down the street, laughing and laughing, the child thinks of his family. His older brother, five years his junior, who monopolizes his parents' love because he can do anything; his father, who is always busy with work and rarely comes home; and his mother, who truly cares for his older brother. He was born as a stumbling block between them.
The child's parents, who had brought him into this world through their own "mistake," not only didn't buy him balloons like that, but they didn't even hold his hand and walk with him. They also showed no interest in what he did alone on a day like this. As this continued, everything revolved around the older brother, and they paid no attention to the child's opinions.
For such a child, the only space he had was a small room. Even that was merely a formality, containing only a bed, a desk, and a closet. Yet, it was the only place in the house where he could breathe.
If my child had even the slightest irritability towards my parents or older brother, I was fortunate that they would only give me a slap or a cane. This was far better than being abandoned. For this child, though she had a "family," it was more painful than not having one. While the physical wounds healed with time, the emotional wounds dug deeper and festered. She never once felt the warmth and love of a family.
Each child walking along brightly tried to project their own image, but their own voice held them back.
"Do you think you deserve that kind of happiness?"
"No one can give you that kind of happiness."
Happiness... To a child, this word, happiness, felt like a dream. If someone had asked her what her dream was, she would have answered, "I want to be happy." To that extent, happiness, which is a daily occurrence for ordinary children, was a desperate need for her.
To hide the sadness that was washing over me, I spent my time building sand castles, playing on swings, and going down slides, all by myself. I looked at my watch, wondering how much time had passed, and sure enough, less than an hour had passed. No matter how much I struggled against the sadness and loneliness, I remained in the same place.
Still, the child didn't give up. Looking for something else to do, perhaps picking grass and playing, he headed toward the bushes when something whined and groaned within. The child swallowed dryly, then, on tiptoe, cautiously walked into the bushes where the noise had come from. There, he found a red bird crouched down, staring intently at him. Even for a bird-loving child who knew every species, this was the first time he'd ever seen one.
What on earth could this creature be? I couldn't tell what it was, but it was a cute bird. Just as I was about to reach out and touch it, the bird suddenly spewed blazing fire, incinerating the surrounding bushes. Startled by the sight, the child fell backward. Frightened by the fire-breathing bird, the child began to weep and slowly back away, but someone grabbed the child's shoulder and stopped him, shushing him.
"I'm surprised you suddenly approached me. I'll help you. Do you want to try again?"
The boy, whose eyes met the man's, nodded at his words. The man then recited a spell-like phrase and spoke to the boy.
"If you approach her with the intention of not hurting her, Rossi will understand your feelings."
"Is your name Rossi?"
"Yeah. My name is Dorothy, but I like being called Rosie."
"Rossi, I won't hurt you."
The child, who had so carefully touched Rossi, smiled with happiness, a smile he hadn't even shared with his family, who had accepted his touch. Rossi let out a delighted sound at the pure, sincere touch of the child.
"I've never seen this picky guy like this before. Good job, kid."
The child, hearing the man's voice praising her, burst into tears at the first compliment she'd heard in years. Having been scolded and beaten all her life, the man who treated her with affection and even praised her with a smile brought back memories of all the pain she'd felt, and she wept openly. The man was taken aback by the child's sudden outburst, but he soothed her with a gentle voice. Rossi also came closer, clinging to the child's leg to offer comfort.
"Don't cry, Rossi doesn't want you to be sad. Can you tell me what's making you cry?"
After hearing the story about the female protagonist's family, the man asks her to play with him, and the two have a great time together for the first time in a long time.
Children's daily lives were filled with laughter, but for Yeoju, laughter was rare, like a bean in a drought. He could clearly see how much Yeoju had been careful with those who called themselves family. When Yeoju played with him and smiled brightly, the man felt as if the chains that had been shackling him were loosening and he was freed.
In the Astin Empire, the land of wizards, the high-ranking wizard rumored to be the most skilled was none other than a man. The man, who had been the object of every wizard's envy, was oblivious to such jealous gazes. However, there was an incident where this man destroyed a wizard's family and came to the human world.
Mages, jealous of the man's impressive appearance, exceptional physique, and even his unassuming personality, spread a preposterous and malicious rumor about him throughout the empire. The rumor was that he was conspiring with warlocks to leak the magic secrets passed down through generations of wizards. However, believing baseless rumors was commonplace, whether heard by humans or by magicians alike. The man was framed for this, despite his innocence, and though he insisted on his innocence, no one believed him.
The man sought out the magician who had started the rumor. The person who had spread the malicious rumors about him was a dear friend, someone he had grown up with, sharing joys and sorrows with. Filled with betrayal and rage, the man asked his friend why he had done such a thing. But the answer his friend gave was,
"But I hoped that you, who are so talented, would fall apart because you were unlucky."
I wasn't expecting an apology. I just wanted her to say she'd misspoke and that she hadn't realized such a rumor would spread. But then I realized that the person I'd always considered my best friend had an inferiority complex.
That day, the man wiped out the family lineage of his friend and traitor. Having come to the human world, he witnessed countless humans trample on others for his own future, and now he could not trust anyone, be they wizards or humans. It was the bright smile of a small human boy that saved him.
To be continued... Author Lin Seo