"Brother?"
The unfamiliar title made my ears tingle slightly.
At that moment, the other person, seemingly just as shocked, widened their already large eyes and stared at me.
Even at a glance, their big, round eyes had grown even wider.
"Why are you here, Brother?"
At Gu Ryeonghwa's question, I couldn't help but frown in response.
"That's what I want to ask."
Why was she here?
"Why are you here?"
"I could say the same for you, Brother."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
We both stood there, staring at each other in disbelief.
Who would have thought Iâd run into family here of all places?
Whatâs more, it had been quite a while since Iâd last seen Gu Ryeonghwa.
Though we were related, she had left for the Do-mun sect. With the distance between us, there hadnât been any occasion to see her unless something special came up.
How many years has it been?
The last time I saw her was four or five years ago.
And yet, after all that time, Gu Ryeonghwa had changed quite a bit.
The little girl with chubby cheeks was gone.
Instead, before me stood a young woman with an air of maturity about her.
Hmm.
What should I call this transformation?
If Gu Heebi and Gu Yeonseo embodied the sharpness characteristic of the Gu family,
Gu Ryeonghwaâs features balanced that with a sense of softness.
It wasâ
She looks like Mother.
Her appearance brought to mind my memories of our mother.
As I studied Gu Ryeonghwaâs face, taking it in from various angles, she seemed to be doing the same to me.
Though her gaze wasnât fixed on my face but rather my body.
"...Brother."
"Yes?"
"Why⦠why are you so big?"
"...What?"
Her voice carried a tone of disbelief.
Big? What could she possibly mean by that? Her gaze clarified it.
Ah.
She was talking about my height.
Even though Iâd suppressed my physique somewhat, I still wasnât exactly small.
Maybe I didnât shrink enough.
Ever since shedding my former body, my physical form had grown significantly. While Iâd adjusted it to match my original appearance, it hadnât been an easy process.
The people around me are just unusually tall.
Compared to the abnormally tall individuals Iâd been surrounded by, estimating an average height by sight alone was nearly impossible.
That must have been why Gu Ryeonghwa was so taken aback.
"Iâve just been eating well and sleeping well, thatâs all," I said.
"This isnât a little growth⦠Youâve grown a lot," she said, her expression almost resentful.
Apparently, my growth wasnât sitting well with her.