"Miss Park, can I have a word?"
A hurried voice came from behind just as Seol Hwa stepped outside the gym.
It was Coach Stilinski, who looked slightly out of breath, sweat dripping down his slowly balding head.
Seol Hwa stopped and looked behind.
"Yes?" She arched her brow.
"That was the most incredible performance I've ever witnessed. Your field IQ and court vision are first rate even among pros," he smiled, shifting the notebook in his hands.
"That was nothing really," Seol Hwa mildly replied.
"Nothing? Heh. That's where you're mistaken, Miss Park." Coach Stilinski shook his head. "That was certainly something. In my experienced eyes, you can't find that type of elegant play just anywhere."
Seol Hwa stayed quiet, wondering what the coach wanted to say.
Because praises were one of the many things she had outgrown over her lifetime.
Noticing how unimpressed Seol Hwa looked, Coach Stilinski subtly cleared his throat.
"Okay. I'll stop beating around the bush. Miss Park, I really think with your talent you could go very far in the competitive space," Coach Stilinski began with a serious yet hopeful expression.
"What do you think about being the star of our varsity team? The benefits it comes with are stupendous. The whole school will be at your beck and call, and the chances of getting a college scholarship are hundred percent guaranteed with your skills."
"Every scout from major colleges will basically be fighting for you. You'll have all the fame and doors opened for you. You'll become a legend."
"Well, uh, also I see hope of winning the state championship this year with your inclusion," Coach Stilinski exposed his true intentions.
He had always yearned for that honor and glory. Of being recognized as the man who led Midtown High to the top of New York's standing.
However, coming across genius talents like Seol Hwa was a one-in-a-thousand lucky opportunity.
From the coach's words, Seol Hwa effortlessly pieced together the type of man he was.
His goals were…humane.
Mortals will always wish for something in their short, mundane lives.
It could be honor, riches, glory and many other trifles.
Maybe it was their way of finding meaning in their own insignificant little bubbles.
Cultivators were also not different. Just that their priorities lay elsewhere.
While she had already transcended mortal logic, Seol Hwa still had her own wishes and goals.
Without them, she would only be an aimless wanderer in the sea of infinite possibilities.
There was nothing worse than having no self-identity, being just an empty shell.
The middle-aged man in front of her was at least upfront with what he wanted, as shameless as he was.
"I'm sorry that I have to disappoint you. I just don't have the time to be part of what you envision," Seol Hwa finally answered in a candid voice.
Coach Stilinski's face fell. "Wait, Miss Park. Are you joking right now?"
"I'm not," Seol Hwa said impassively.
"This is a chance that you can't miss. It's beneficial to both of us," Coach Stilinski insisted, almost desperately.
"No. Not to me. Give it to someone else who really needs it," Seol Hwa stated.
Coach Stilinski stared at her in disbelief before releasing a short, self-deprecating laughter.
"I wasn't wrong. You are truly unique, starting from your disposition. Even your steadfastness is evident off the court."
"Well then…if you change your mind, find me in my office or in the field." Coach Stilinski smiled bitterly.
Seol Hwa nodded and left, heading toward the girls' locker room.
"It's truly a pity," Coach Stilinski muttered absentmindedly, standing there seemingly purposeless.
After a few moments, he sighed heavily before walking away.
~~~<>~~~
Voices overlapped inside the girls' locker room as they engaged in their gossipy conversations. It was chaos with clothes everywhere.
Seol Hwa calmly walked inside.
There was a sudden pause in everyone's actions as they all gazed toward her.
After the crazy performance she pulled in the basketball game, it was a much more subdued reaction.
Seol Hwa quietly went to her locker, various pairs of eyes trailing her.
She pulled off her shirt, her actions elegant.
Her unbelievable figure was revealed in all its glory.
Gwen entered in that moment.
A look of bewilderment formed on her face, her lips forming an 'O'.
She forced herself to her locker.
The girl next to her was frozen, her cheeks flushing pink.
Her eyes were glued on Seol Hwa's flawless skin, her toned frame and…and those…delicious abs.
Gwen gulped loudly before turning to look at the girl.
'Was her name Joanne?' she thought, but that didn't matter at that moment.
She sighed in relief that she wasn't the only one affected by that…
"Fucking bodacious bod," a random girl shamelessly whispered.
Gwen shot a glare toward her direction, effectively shutting her up.
It was more like a territorial warning.
Gwen then looked back at Seol Hwa who had already changed.
'Well, that was fast,' Gwen thought with regret. Other girls also had disappointed looks because having such a work of art hidden from them felt like the greatest loss.
'But does she have zero body fat and some godly, unknown skincare routine?'
She also changed her clothes, planning to leave with Seol Hwa.
"Do you think those are from genetics or some elite training?" Some girls whispered among themselves.
"She looks like some top-level experiment actually."
"You just can't stop your conspiracy theories, Jennie."
"I think I might know why she looks so damn sexy."
"Tell us, Velma."
There was a momentary silence as if everyone was waiting for the secret.
"It's simple really. Just be Korean."
"…"
"That was…"
"Yeah. Fucking hilarious."
The corners of Seol Hwa's lips twitched as she closed her locker before heading out.
Amusement played in her eyes.
'Just be Korean, huh?'
'Just be immortal.' She corrected her.
~~~<>~~~
"Hey, wait up!" Gwen shouted as she briskly walked towards Seol Hwa.
"Are you planning on ditching me now that you know the way?" She asked in an aggrieved tone when she reached Seol Hwa.
"Wasn't planning to. I knew you'd run to me," Seol Hwa murmured, imperceptible smugness in her voice.
"Don't be so sure, Seol." Gwen rolled her eyes.
There was some comfortable silence between them as they walked home.
"Um, do you mind if I ask you something?" Gwen quietly asked, subconsciously biting her lips.
"Uh-huh." Seol Hwa nodded.
"What type of workout do you do? How did you build your body?"
Seol Hwa smiled, glancing at her. "Workout? Do you want to have a body like mine?"
Gwen forcefully nodded, her ears perked with extreme interest.
Seol Hwa chuckled, almost mockingly. "It's impossible."
Gwen's face deflated, her shoulders hunching.
Seol Hwa added, "But…"
Gwen's face brightened again. "Tell me. Tell me."
"There's a way," Seol Hwa continued. "But it's full of pain and suffering."
"Pain and suffering?" Gwen stopped in her tracks.
Seol Hwa merely nodded.
Gwen resumed walking, a contemplative look on her face.
"Is it plastic surgery?" She suddenly asked.
Seol Hwa gently shook her head, the information about plastic surgery surfacing in her mind.
'Plastic surgery is used to fix "imperfections" in the mortal body. Patching temporariness is a narrow outlook on life.'
'But without these fears…fear of being rejected, fear of oneself, fear of mortality, fear of aging, such a practice wouldn't have been possible.'
'As superficial as it is, be it mortals or immortals, everyone just wants to look good.'
A gust of icy wind blew past the two.
Gwen tightened the hold on her jacket, the tip of her nose slightly reddened.
She breathed out mist, "I hate winter like crazy."
"How do you expect me to function with sub-zero temps trying to freeze my blood cold?" She said rhetorically, kicking a lump of snow on her path.
Seol Hwa grinned. 'Poor mortal. Learn to love all the seasons.'
Gwen looked enviously at her effortless grace, unbothered by the cold.
'What is she? Snow White? Fucking Elsa?'
She shook her head at the absurd thoughts.
If someone convinced her Seol Hwa was a Disney princess, she would believe them.
"You must meditate occasionally if you want to have a strong mind, Gwen," Seol Hwa advised.
"What does winter have to do with meditation?" Gwen dubiously asked.
"Nothing," Seol Hwa replied.
Gwen groaned in frustration, deciding not to even ask any more questions.
She pulled out her phone, checking the time and then she remembered she didn't have Seol's number.
'That's unacceptable. Totally unacceptable,' Gwen reprimanded herself.
"Hi, Seol. Can…Can I check your phone a bit?" She stumbled on her words.
Seol Hwa lifted a single brow. "My phone?"
She recalled she barely used the gadget, merely carrying it for the sake of it.
"What do you want to do with it?" Seol Hwa took out her phone and gave it to Gwen anyway.
Gwen excitedly took it and examined it.
She noted it barely looked used. Maybe its owner took very good care of it.
However, when she pressed on the power button, she realized the screen was locked.
"Can you, like, unlock it for me? It's locked and…" Gwen said awkwardly, returning the phone.
"Oh. Sure." Seol Hwa used the face ID and the phone opened.
Gwen received the phone and was immediately greeted by a wallpaper of an innocent-looking Seol Hwa.
She looked different, less vibrant than the current Seol Hwa.
She didn't comment on it and immediately entered her digits. She saved herself as Gwen BFF with some love emoticons.
She grinned and returned Seol Hwa's phone.
"What did you do?" Seol Hwa inquired but then glanced at her screen.
"Gwen BFF? What's BFF? And what's with these tiny heart symbols?"
Gwen's lips stretched even wider as she poked Seol Hwa's shoulder. "You now officially have my number, dummy."
"And BFF means Best Friends Forever. I'm surprised you don't even know that. And those are emojis," she enlightened the oblivious Heavenly Demon who was not yet in touch with modern slang.
"Forever, huh? I doubt that. Mortals have limited lifespans," Seol Hwa said pragmatically.
She didn't know that BFF was just some word, not literal foreverness.
"Duh, of course. Don't ruin the mood. The point still remains though," Gwen said assertively. "You won't get rid of me that easily."
'You truly don't know,' Seol Hwa thought humorously.
"Now…can I, er, get your number?"
Seol Hwa blinked as Gwen stretched her arm, forcing her to take her unlocked phone.
"Isn't it useless when we basically live near each other?" Seol Hwa asked curiously.
"Useless? Jeez. It's…normal. Even if we live near each other, it will be inconvenient to visit you every time I wanted to talk to you." Gwen placed her hands on her waist.
"Also, it's not like I'm planning to talk to you every minute," she murmured shyly, looking away.
Seol Hwa wordlessly typed her number and gave the phone back.
'Mission accomplished.' Gwen beamed at the screen.
"So…what are you doing for the weekend?" she asked while pocketing her phone.
"Homework, learning new things and meditation," Seol Hwa answered truthfully.
"Ugh, homework. I don't wanna think about it." Gwen gritted her teeth playfully.
"Learning new things and meditation are totally cool. I didn't know you were so into yoga and spiritual stuff," she added enthusiastically.
"I'm into…a lot of things. You'd be surprised," Seol Hwa replied in a light tone just as they arrived home.
"Like what?"
"That's a secret."
"Buzz killer. I'll find out eventually," Gwen childishly poked her tongue at Seol Hwa.
Seol Hwa shook her head, unbothered by her antics.
"Goodbye," Seol Hwa bid her farewell unexpectedly.
Gwen tightly clenched her hand.
She hated it, she realized it.
She hated it when it was time to part with her.
She knew she was just being dramatic but…how come Seol Hwa's goodbye left her feeling empty?
'Gwen, you have her number.' She comforted herself.
"G-Goodbye, Seol." Gwen smiled thinly, the smile not reaching her eyes.
Seol Hwa observed the subtleties in Gwen's expression. 'What's up with her again?'
The rest of the walk was silent as Seol Hwa stopped at her floor leaving Gwen in the elevator.
She didn't look behind. Didn't need to.
Gwen watched Seol Hwa's receding figure as the elevator doors slowly closed.
Seol Hwa could feel the mortal's gaze stuck on her back.
It only disappeared after she entered her apartment.
"I'm home," Seol Hwa announced her arrival only to see Min-Seo lying on her stomach on the sofa, glass of wine in one hand while the other hand scrolled through her phone.
"My daughter, you're back. How come you arrived so early?" Min-Seo asked in a relaxed tone, paused, and then looked up at Seol Hwa.
'She looks so tall. When did she grow up? She looks like a Vogue model with that height,' Min-Seo thought, slightly narrowing her eyes as she assessed Seol Hwa.
"Time just happens," Seol Hwa replied casually, her eyes lingering on the wine as she stepped closer.
"How profound." Min-Seo smiled. "How was school?"
"It's alright. We did some interesting sports." Seol Hwa squeezed a seat beside her mother, setting her bag on the floor.
"Whoa. It looks like you enjoyed it," Min-Seo commented as she sipped her wine.
"Just a bit." Seol Hwa observed Min-Seo with a thoughtful expression.
She might have rested well since it was her day off, however, it didn't mean she was in the clear yet.
Her physical and mental condition were still not up to par.
It would be a stain on her dignity as the Devil Empress if her own mother didn't have the best health.
Seol Hwa had learned that her mother's work was extremely draining, almost the same as what Jeonghwa did in Murim.
The differences between them were major since Jeonghwa, the greatest physician that's ever lived, was in a league of her own.
Anyway, they both helped in healing patients. Min-Seo and Jeonghwa were equal in that respect.
No one was greater than the other when it came to Medicine, that was what the Healing Immortal Maiden had once told her.
Also, this meant her mother had grown accustomed to death to some degree.
Seol Hwa had immense respect for that.
"Mom, how have you been feeling lately?" Seol Hwa asked.
"Very, very exhausted. The days off are what I enjoy the most when I'm not dealing with some troublesome patients that make my work difficult. Some are nice though. All that negativity and despair rubs off on you with time…" Min-Seo gulped the wine, leaving behind an empty glass. She then placed it on the floor.
"But that's what I signed up for, and I genuinely enjoy it despite all the difficulties. Whatever brings food to the table, right?" Min-Seo eyed Seol Hwa, a satisfied smile on her face.
The dark circles were still there.
Seol Hwa was rendered speechless for a second by her positivity. In that moment, Min-Seo shone like the brightest star, dazzling for a mortal.
'If she cherishes her work that much, that's all the more reason I can't allow her well-being to deteriorate any further. How can a person be so kind?' Seol Hwa contemplated, amazed by her mother.
"Mom, I want to show you my appreciation through a massage," she finally said.
"A massage? Where did you even learn that?" Min-Seo chuckled lightly.
"I learned from one of the best, if not the very best," Seol Hwa assured her with a confident gaze.
Min-Seo propped herself with her elbow and squarely looked at Seol Hwa.
Of course, she didn't believe her daughter's nonsense, but she found it sweet.
The gesture was enough to leave her heart filled with warmth.
'Aww, what a sweet summer child,' she thought with relish.
"And how are you going to do it?" Min-Seo asked genuinely.
"Just lie down. You'll experience it yourself. Leave yourself to me." Seol Hwa gently placed her hand on Min-Seo's back, nudging her to lie flat on the couch.
"Okay," Min-Seo relented, obediently doing what Seol Hwa wanted.
She had a feeling she couldn't refuse even if she wanted to.
"Do I need to change these pajamas into something less…obstructive?" Min-Seo asked, anticipation in her voice.
"No," Seol Hwa replied flatly.
She then manipulated the tiniest amount of her spiritual essence. She dialed down its potency fearing Min-Seo wouldn't handle it.
With practiced ease, she placed her dainty hands on Min-Seo's back.
Min-Seo tensed a bit.
Seol Hwa didn't immediately inject the spiritual essence. She first did a normal massage to prime Min-Seo's body for the final prize.
"Ahh," Min-Seo softly moaned, closing her eyes to revel in the sensation.
Seol Hwa smiled. 'That's just the tip of the iceberg.'
She worked her way to her neck, kneading her flesh gently like dough, then trailed down.
Min-Seo's embarrassing moans continued, but Seol Hwa paid them no mind.
She was a bona fide professional after all.
When Seol Hwa felt Min-Seo's body already pliable under her touch, she knew it was the right moment.
Skillfully, she injected a thread of spiritual essence into her body.
Min-Seo's whole anatomy was laid bare to Seol Hwa's vision.
Seol Hwa guided the spiritual essence through the muscles and erased all the fatigue, altering the way her lactic acid built up. She methodically eliminated the fatigue toxins which meant Min-Seo wouldn't get tired easily even during the busiest work shifts.
She then cleaned Min-Seo's blood vessels and untangled all the knots in her body.
Seol Hwa was healing the body which had only known being worked without ample rest.
She finally stopped the Qi massage treatment when she heard a different sound from Min-Seo.
KRROO!
She was snoring adorably, the most peaceful expression she'd ever had showing on her face.
Seol Hwa couldn't stop herself from smiling genuinely.
There was something beautifully mundane yet calming in seeing her mother sleep after all that stress had been expunged.
"Just like a big baby," Seol Hwa whispered and decided to relocate Min-Seo from the couch to her bed.
She easily picked her up from the couch princess style and walked to her room.
While inside Min-Seo's room, Seol Hwa carefully tucked her in.
Min-Seo cutely snuggled her blankets, no situational awareness whatsoever.
Maybe it was because it was her home. But there was another layer of security which she didn't know about…
…the Bloodborne Devil Empress was watching over her like a guardian angel.
How ironic because there was nothing angelic about her.
She was more like a demonic angel.
~~~<>~~~
Yu_ner's corner:
It's been ONE busy week. The moment I come off work and sit in my bed or the moment I eat something, the ALMIGHTY sleep claims me. I thought being sleepy after work was a myth and I couldn't be any less affected but oh boy was I wrong lol. I can't write in my free time at work due to my phone's display having green and pink light sabers. Been a year and more since they saber'ed my screen. Hope my lovely Patreon subs will help me with this one. Buying a new phone will surely help me write on Docs anywhere and when I have the time. I feel sad inside when I don't write. The ideas can't keep on living rent-free inside my mind.
So yeah, here's a chap from your sunbae. Hope you enjoy it.
Also for support, read 20 chapters ahead at my patreon: https://patreon.com/Yu_ner?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink
For general support, buy me coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/yunerr21
byeee:3