Chapter 266

It wasn’t a sudden death. Do Myung-Jun had been preparing himself mentally as his father had been in poor health for quite some time. His father’s condition had recently deteriorated to the point where he would cough up blood.

Do Myung-Jun explained all this with a smile on his face. He had always smiled a lot in the past. He smiled out of happiness when something good happened. When things got tough, he smiled to cover it up. Instead of crying when he was sad, he forced a bitter smile.

Sung Yu-Da and Lee Seh-Hwa knew Do Myung-Jun's character well. They also understood the meaning behind his smile when he said his father had passed away. They wanted to attend Do Myung-Jun's father's funeral, but he prevented them from coming.

"It will be difficult for you guys to match the atmosphere."

That was the reason he stopped the two from coming.

Voodoo Church funerals were lengthy.

News of the death of the Voodoo Church's First leader was spread through various news channels. Sung Yu-Da and Lee Seh-Hwa saw Do Myung-Jun holding his father's funeral from afar, but they could not see him directly. They couldn't even offer the usual cliché words or provide direct comfort.

"Have you still not been able to contact Senior Myung-Jun?"

"No."

Do Myung-Jun, Sung Yu-Da, and Lee Seh-Hwa used to always meet in groups of three, but after the funeral, only the two of them met. There was no way to contact Do Myung-Jun anymore—he had changed his phone number after the funeral.

Journalists who covered the death of the Voodoo Church's first leader now focused on the succession of the Voodoo Church's second leader. The second leader was none other than Do Myung-Jun.

The sight of Do Myung-Jun through the screen speaking to his numerous followers felt unfamiliar to Sung Yu-Da. The innocent and mischievous Do Myung-Jun was nowhere to be found. He had become a respected leader of the Voodoo Church.

"Now that he’s become the leader of the church, he probably can’t meet with Romanicans anymore."

Sung Yu-Da tried to remember why he had gotten close to Do Myung-Jun. He couldn't recall the exact reason. He tried to remember when they had become friends. They became friends so far in the past that he didn’t even remember when their friendship began. He had spent countless long days with him as a close friend. However, they had been reduced to mere acquaintances so suddenly.

After losing contact with Do Myung-Jun, Sung Yu-Da spent a lot of time meeting Lee Seh-Hwa by himself. When they met, they talked about their career paths. Sung Yu-Da was already a key figure in the Central Paladin Order and dreamed of being promoted to inquisitor. Lee Seh-Hwa aimed to transfer from her local priesthood to the Central Priesthood.

"If I get into the Central Priesthood, I might be able to collaborate with you occasionally. The Central Priesthood and Central Paladin Order work together often, right?"

"I hope you come soon. I'll be waiting." Sung Yu-Da was secretly happy to have more opportunities to talk with Lee Seh-Hwa by himself.

After drifting apart from Do Myung-Jun, the members of the purification clan were pushing Sung Yu-Da toward marriage. Even then, Sung Yu-Da's feelings toward Lee Seh-Hwa remained unwavering. No, rather, his love grew stronger yet because it would never be realized.

"It would have been better if Myung-Jun was here too."

The only thing that didn't sit well with him was that Lee Seh-Hwa still hadn’t moved on from Do Myung-Jun and mentioned him occasionally.

Even when Lee Seh-Hwa and Sung Yu-Da were alone, she would often talk about Do Myung-Jun. She would say it would have been better if he had been there and that it would be nice if the three of them could meet like before.

Watching Lee Seh-Hwa talk like that, Sung Yu-Da felt an unknown emotion. He felt a little angry, anxious, and sad. He couldn't tell if that sadness was because of Do Myung-Jun or Lee Seh-Hwa.

"He’s forgotten about us,” Sung Yu-Da said.

Lee Seh-Hwa didn't respond. She turned her head and stared directly at Sung Yu-Da's face. The sadness in her eyes was visible. Without a doubt, she was sad because of Do Myung-Jun.

Sung Yu-Da gritted his teeth.

"Do Myung-Jun is different from us," Sung Yu-Da said and looked out the window.

Outside the cafe, many people were walking around busily. Some walked in groups with their close friends, while others walked alone. Among them, some people might be followers of the Romanican Church and others who were part of the Voodoo Church. However, Sung Yu-Da was certain that people of different faiths would never walk around side by side.

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Sung Yu-Da stood up from his seat. "Just like how we can’t understand him, he wouldn’t be able to understand us either."

Lee Seh-Hwa stared blankly at Sung Yu-Da. He deliberately ignored her gaze. Do Myung-Jun was the next in line to become the leader of the Voodoo Church from the very beginning. Although they could have been friends for a while, their friendship was never meant to last due to their different backgrounds.

It was similar to how Sung Yu-Da had to give up his feelings for Lee Seh-Hwa countless times just because she was a member of the clan of purification.

Around the time of the first snowfall, Lee Seh-Hwa went to take the entrance exam for the Central Priesthood. Sung Yu-Da also took several tests and interviews to become an inquisitor, but the repetitive failures frustrated him.

That was when Do Myung-Jun suddenly came to find Sung Yu-Da.

"Long time no see."

Those were Do Myung-Jun's first words.

"... "

Watching him shamelessly greet him without any prior contact, Sung Yu-Da felt a surge of anger.

At first, he was furious. He had a lot to say. He wanted to ask why he had suddenly cut off contact and left. But Sung Yu-Da didn’t say anything. It was because he saw Do Myung-Jun smiling at him. It was the same smile he had on his face when his father died.

"What have you been up to?" Sung Yu-Da asked.

Do Myung-Jun just smiled without answering. His face looked worn out as if he had suffered from chronic fatigue. His already lean body seemed to have lost what little fat it had. However, the brilliant and deep light in his eyes had not faded at all. Rather, the sparkle in his eyes seemed to have grown even brighter with time.

They started walking. No one suggested walking first. They just walked as they used to. Do Myung-Jun walked silently, staring at the snowflakes that melted as soon as they touched the ground, and Sung Yu-Da walked while watching him.

Sung Yu-Da belatedly noticed that there was a ring on his finger.

"What's with the ring? Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No. It's my father's urn ring."

"What... Why would you make a ring out of your father's ashes?"

"That's how the Voodoo Church does it."

Do Myung-Jun raised his head and looked up at the sky. Sung Yu-Da also raised his head. The moonlight was bright, and the wind was cool. White frost came out of their mouths as they sighed.

Do Myung-Jun stared blankly at the moon and fidgeted with the ring in his hand.

"It's to preserve death itself as an object."

"So, do you see your father's soul in that ring?"

"No. My father's soul is currently traveling in the Unseen World."

"What are you saying? I really can’t wrap my head around the Voodoo Church. It’s not like I want to understand anyway."

"I have to pass it down to my children later."

"Children? Can you even get married?"

"Marriage... Well." Do Myung-Jun put on a bitter smile as he looked at the ring on his left pinky finger.

The skeletal gem embedded in the ring sparkled in the moonlight. Do Myung-Jun stared at the ring for a long time. More precisely, he stared at the skeletal gem in the ring. He stared at the gem with grim, sad eyes, as if he were looking at someone beyond the stone.

“'I'll make it work somehow,” Do Myung-Jun said.

He lifted his head and looked at Sung Yu-Da. Then, he put on a childlike, innocent smile. “How's Seh-Hwa these days?”

“Why, what about her?”

“You like Seh-Hwa, don't you?”

Sung Yu-Da was taken aback by Do Myung-Jun's sudden words. His expression stiffened, and he felt like his inner thoughts had been exposed.

”...That's nonsense.”

“Good luck.”

“...”

“Seh-Hwa. She's not that strong when it comes to her mentality. So, you should play the role of supporting her. You've got the strongest mentality among us.”

Sung Yu-Da couldn't bring himself to respond and bowed his head. He had failed and been frustrated many times in his attempts to become an inquisitor. Recently, Sung Yu-Da's mental state had weakened to the point where he drank alcohol every day. He wasn't strong enough to be someone's pillar of support. Furthermore, he was engaged to someone other than Seh-Hwa.

“You might be better suited for it than me. Probably.”

It wasn't he who suited Lee Seh-Hwa, but Do Myung-Jun, Sung Yu-Da thought.

However, Do Myung-Jun firmly shook his head. “I can't do it. I'm part of the Voodoo Church.”

“...”

“Being a leader of a church is tougher than I thought. It’s to the point where I am utterly impressed by my father. He wasn't someone I particularly liked...” Do Myung-Jun said with a dark expression.

Sung Yu-Da listened without responding. It was the first time Do Myung-Jun had spoken with such vulnerability.

Do Myung-Jun had always been a strong individual. He smiled when he experienced prejudice for not being able to use divine power at Florence Academy, and when he accumulated demerits and was expelled.

Sung Yu-Da thought the reason Do Myung-Jun could smile even in difficult times was because of Do Myung-Jun's strength. But it wasn't so. He was just living in a different world. The troubles Do Myung-Jun faced at Florence Academy were nothing compared to what he faced in his everyday life. Because he was a Voodoo Churchist, he didn't care even if the Romanican Church members ignored and scorned him. He had his own world, and in that world, Do Myung-Jun was not strong. He was just an ordinary person, no different from Lee Seh-Hwa or Sung Yu-Da.

"I'll leave now. Today was me running away when I still have a lot of things to catch up on."

"..."

"I felt bad for leaving without even properly saying goodbye to you... Anyway, I’m off!"

With those words, Do Myung-Jun left.

Sung Yu-Da tried to stop him. He thought he had a lot to say to him, but after some thinking, he realized he had nothing to say. Sung Yu-Da couldn't even bid him a proper farewell and sent Do Myung-Jun off just like that.

That day, Lee Seh-Hwa informed Sung Yu-Da that she had been admitted to the Central Priesthood. Sung Yu-Da talked to Lee Seh-Hwa about meeting Do Myung-Jun.

"..."

Lee Seh-Hwa seemed shocked after hearing the news, and she stared at Sung Yu-Da in silence for a while.

A hint of betrayal could be seen in her eyes. Sung Yu-Da recalled what Do Myung-Jun had said to him and tried to say something more to her.

He wanted to congratulate her on joining the Central Priesthood and to reveal his feelings for her. However, he couldn't bring himself to speak.

When she mentioned meeting Do Myung-Jun, he couldn't say anything as he saw her expression harden. He couldn't bring himself to utter a word, seeing the betrayal in her eyes toward Do Myung-Jun.

"Let's go see him," Lee Seh-Hwa said, glaring at Sung Yu-Da.

Sung Yu-Da shook his head. "We have no way to reach him. How do we go to see him?"

"Even if we can't reach him, there are plenty of ways to find him."

"If we suddenly show up..."

"That bastard showed up suddenly, too. Is there a rule that says we can't suddenly show up either?"

It was a valid point. Do Myung-Jun had suddenly shown up in front of Sung Yu-Da. Nothing could stop Sung Yu-Da from suddenly showing up to Do Myung-Jun. No matter how busy he was as the leader of Voodoo Church, it wouldn't be impossible to spare a few minutes for them.

Honestly, he didn't feel like going to meet Do Myung-Jun with Lee Seh-Hwa. More precisely, he didn't want to see Lee Seh-Hwa’s welcoming expression upon seeing Do Myung-Jun. However, Lee Seh-Hwa's eyes burned with betrayal, a strange passion, and justice. If Sung Yu-Da refused to go, she was determined to meet Do Myung-Jun on her own.

"...Alright, let's go." Sung Yu-Da nodded, thinking it was better for him to follow along rather than let the two meet alone.