The summer god leads five lions.

01. From today, the spirit

Cinderella lost her parents when she was young.

I heard that she was persecuted by her stepmother and older sisters.

백유화

Sabasaba child, fuck.

Yes. Our protagonist, Baek Yu-hwa, is in a similar situation to Cinderella. Let's begin with her story.

I'm eighteen this year. I lost both of my parents ten years ago and moved around to relatives' homes before eventually being placed in an orphanage.

The orphanage had become a more painful existence to her than her relatives' home, and now, today, Yuhwa was kicked out of the orphanage, her last home.

백유화

under...

백유화

What do I do now?

Yuhwa sighed deeply and walked without stopping, dragging her carrier along.

Then, in the distance, she spotted an old woman struggling to drag a heavy load. Yuhwa approached her.

백유화

Grandma! I'll help you.

???

A student?

Grandma sighed and shook her head.

???

What power does this little girl have... ugh ugh

Then Yuhwa rolled up her sleeves and said, punching her shoulder with her fist.

백유화

I'm stronger than I look!

백유화

Are you trying to cross over there?

???

But...

백유화

Okay, give it to me!

The grandmother carefully took something out of her pocket and handed it to Yuhwa, saying:

???

This is all I have for you. It's strawberry flavored, so you might like it...

백유화

Oh! I absolutely love that strawberry flavor!!

Yuhwa immediately took the candy and ate it. It tasted nothing like strawberry, though.

백유화

'This is really hard...'

Yuhwa took the load from her grandmother while rolling the candy here and there.

Heavy

The enormous weight caused Yuhwa to sway and swallow the candy.

백유화

Wow... this is really heavy...

The grandmother looked at Yu Hwa with a surprised expression.

???

Can you... lift this?

백유화

I think it'll be fine up to there!

The signal changed, and Yuhwa, not wanting to worry her grandmother, quickly crossed the street and ran to the middle of the street.

백유화

Look! I'm so strong, right?

That moment

???

Huh? Fox beads...

She saw her grandmother's panicked face, and then realized she was staring at her with a bewildered expression. Yuhwa, thinking something must have gone wrong, walked over to her grandmother.

bang-

A truck, not slowing down, struck Yuhwa. Before reaching her grandmother, Yuhwa was blown away with a whoosh. Feeling her body crumble, she slowly closed her eyes.

백유화

It's such a futile death.

I surrendered myself to a dizzying mind, thinking that perhaps it would be better to die than to live.

???

baby

???

baby!

He opened his eyes to the sound of someone calling him.

백유화

uh?

백유화

That old lady from earlier...?

Seeing my grandmother, I looked around, thinking, "I guess I'm still alive." It was still a hot summer, but cherry blossoms were fluttering, one by one.

백유화

Is it spring?

백유화

How long have I been asleep?

???

It wasn't that great.

???

I guess you ate my fox bead.

백유화

yes?

???

I'll give you another chance to live.

백유화

Living again...

???

That means you're dead.

???

Well, how about it? Would you like to try living as a god?

???

It's a shame that you've been holding on to your life all this time.

???

Of course... it's my fault too...

Yuhwa said while looking at the falling cherry blossoms.

백유화

I have no home, no friends, no family.

???

I'll make it all for you. What do you think?

백유화

Yes? How do you make that?

???

If you become a god, it's possible. How about it? Want to try?

Yuhwa nodded hesitantly. She was going to die anyway, so she accepted the offer.

???

good.

???

I am a seasonal god

이지은

My name is Lee Ji-eun

백유화

Huh...? It was your grandmother earlier...

이지은

That's because I'm most comfortable when I'm a grandmother. Doesn't everyone look at me strangely when I speak informally?

Yuhwa nodded as if she agreed, but then thought she was foolish for agreeing to such a ridiculous fact.

이지은

I'll be your older sister. Now, shall we go and announce the birth of a new summer god?

Ji-eun, or rather, the seasonal god, gently kissed Yu-hwa's left wrist. Then, a blue butterfly tattoo was engraved on Yu-hwa's wrist.

백유화

and...

백유화

It's really pretty.

이지은

right?

이지은

Okay, it's time to wake up.

The seasonal god said that and then pushed Yuhwa away.

이지은

Now it's your home. Good luck, my child.

백유화

Aaak!!

백유화

Don't push!!!

Feeling like she was falling, Yuhwa jumped up.

백유화

What is this place...

Yuhwa, who woke up in a very old-fashioned room, slowly got up.

최연준

Season God!!!!!

Then someone came in with a bang.

최연준

What about the seasonal gods?

백유화

Oh, there isn't any?

최연준

What is this? Why do you feel my beads on you?

Yeonjun quickly approached Yuhwa, forced her onto the bed, and strangled her.

백유화

Ugh, ugh...

최연준

Don't blame me too much, human, for swallowing my fox bead is a great sin.

Yuhwa struggled and touched Yeonjun with her left hand, and Yeonjun was pushed away.

최연준

Ugh...

Yeonjun frowned, then walked back towards Yuhwa and checked her left wrist.

백유화

Ugh...!

최연준

what...?

최연준

Summer shoes...? This insignificant human?

It was my first meeting with the fox spirit Yeonjun, who would become the first lion.