There was a time when her refined and elegant demeanor wasnât as apparent.
"âHey."
Back when she was called Seolbong (Snow Phoenix) instead of her given name.
A time long forgotten, a distant memory.
Back then, we tried to avoid each other as much as possible, our interactions brimming with sharp tension.
If we happened to meet, it never ended with kind words. Yet, there was a peculiar period when she would often come looking for me.
When I saw Seolbong approach, I frowned deeply. She mirrored my expression but still spoke curtly.
"Eat."
"Iâm not hungry."
She came out of nowhere, demanding I eat. It was ridiculous, though it wasnât entirely unexpected.
The only times Seolbong came looking for me were to talk about meals or to hurl insults.
"Eat. Everyone else has started eating already."
"Do you call that food?"
It wasnât proper sustenance.
We were barely surviving, cooking monster meat just enough to stave off hunger. Especially in those times, food was so scarce that most people endured starvation.
Hearing my response, she gave me a scornful look and retorted.
"Are you really going to be picky about food here? Just eat what youâre given."
"I said Iâm not eating. Are your ears clogged? Why do you keep making me repeat myself?"
"Then what? Are you planning to starve to death?"
"Living like this, starving to death might not be so badâ"
Smack!
"Ugh!"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Pain shot through me as my head jerked forward.
She had slapped the back of my head, hard.
For a moment, I thought I might pass out.
"You crazy womanâ¦!"
I turned to her, seething with anger, but she cut me off.
"Donât spout nonsense while everyone else is fighting tooth and nail to survive."
Her eyes burned with an intensity that made me hesitate.
"I know youâre a fool. I know youâre someone who might drop dead any day, and it wouldnât be surprising."