The Warmth Beneath the Cloak

Looking at the figure draped in a pitch-black cloak, the blond priest Kang Seo-dam thought to himself.

I never imagined a god would show up at an event I was shoved into by accident.

This ceremony was never supposed to be his. He had only taken it over after the original officiating priest went missing — and he certainly had never expected to come face-to-face with a god in a form like this.

Still… for a gathering attended by a deity in person, it's remarkably quiet.

Whether it was the Sun Goddess he served, or this god who slipped among the crowd disguised as a human simply to amuse himself — for something so extraordinary, not a single ripple of chaos had stirred.

…With the Goddess, at least, it makes sense that no one noticed, since she never actually descended. But for a god who has taken human shape so openly to remain this silent is genuinely strange.

This was a god who understood humans unusually well.

"……."

Then again, most deities who indulged in games of amusement tended to be rather fond of humanity.

Unlike the Sun Temple's atmosphere, this one is cool and still. A god of death or disease, perhaps? Judging by that chill, he could even be connected to the deep sea.

Ji-oh had received a "license" from the Sun God, but that was only one element among many that made him up. At his core, he carried a gloomy air that felt almost like a funeral made flesh.

Without coming closer or making contact, there was no way Kang Seo-dam could identify precisely which divinity he possessed. He made a rough guess and surveyed the surroundings.

"…Hmm…."

Approaching a god who was merely here for amusement would only risk offending him.

No sign he intends to unleash a calamitous miracle. And the way he's interacting so freely with the other humans suggests he has no desire to ruin the ceremony. Best to leave it be.

Perhaps he was a lesser-known god, or one who preferred a small, elite following — and had come in person to seek out potential devotees. Rare worldwide, but something that supposedly happened quietly enough in religious circles.

"…This class is lucky."

The god in the black cloak might choose someone himself. Even if he didn't, the Sun Goddess had already turned her gaze upon this gathering. Other gods' interest would rise as well, and the odds of the aspirant priests being chosen would climb with it.

"……."

Then, suddenly, Kang Seo-dam realized the Black Cloak was watching him steadily.

For a moment his mind went blank.

"……."

The instant he registered his situation, Kang Seo-dam did not stubbornly hold the gaze. He lowered his eyes at once.

Nothing is more foolish than trying to bear a god's stare head-on.

Whether out of consideration for the humans around him, or simply for a more refined amusement, the Black Cloak's presence had been lowered almost to a human level — so thoroughly that divinity was barely perceptible. But that did not change the abyss of his true nature.

A god was still a god. And Kang Seo-dam was a priest especially sensitive to the rank of existence and the presence of divinity. If he met a god's gaze directly, he might lose consciousness altogether.

"……."

"……."

As if understanding that, the Black Cloak withdrew his eyes again.

…Was that consideration?

He was grateful the god knew how fragile humans were.

Most deities who amused themselves without knowing that much ended up harming people without the slightest malice.

"……."

Quietly swallowing a breath of relief, Kang Seo-dam checked the time.

"…In one minute, will the aspirant priests please finish saying goodbye to their families and gather before me. I will escort you to the dormitory where you will learn the formal rites."

God or not — as a priest, all Kang Seo-dam needed to do was fulfill his duty.

"I think I have to go now."

At Cha I-sol's words, Cha Ah-ra gave a solemn nod.

"Yeah. If it gets hard, just run for it."

"You just hate saying anything proper, don't you?"

"What? He can just farm and live like the village head."

"You're telling him to give up before he even starts? Trying to crush the kid's spirit?"

"Better to do what you're good at than cling to something that won't work, right?"

"Okay, fair."

Cha Eun-hyeok nodded as well.

"If you really feel like this isn't for you, you can just come home."

"Okay, I will! But I'm going to become an awesome priest someday and be the head of the Cha family, so I'm going to work really hard!"

"I'm the head of the family."

"I'll be the pillar of this house!"

"I'm the pillar too."

"See you tomorrow!"

Cha I-sol flashed a pure, beaming smile and turned his gaze toward the other guests.

"I'm going now."

"Yeah, go on. I think you'll do just fine, Cha I-sol, so don't worry too much."

"Thank you!"

Having extracted praise and encouragement from the white-haired hunter, Cha I-sol turned sparkling eyes toward the Black Cloak.

"Hyung!"

"……."

"I'll do great, right?"

"I believe so as well."

"Hehe."

Cha I-sol had successfully pried encouragement out of the Black Cloak too.

"If I get chosen by the Sun God, can I smell like hyung?"

"I have a smell?"

"I'm not sure, but hyung smells like a quilt dried in the sun."

To describe it a little more carefully, it was the feeling of a quilt that had just been brought in from the sun and put away in the wardrobe. When he caught that scent, it felt like taking a sun-warmed quilt from the yard, making a dark little cave with it, and curling up inside.

Dark, and warm, and safe.

"……."

After staring up at the Black Cloak for a long time, Cha I-sol made a bold demand out of nowhere.

"Hug me just once!"

"I-sol, please."

You catastrophically cheerful little monster.

Cha Eun-hyeok was horrified by his younger brother's disastrous social courage, but Ji-oh did not particularly mind.

"If that is what you wish, I can hold you."

"Wow!"

"Come here."

The Black Cloak opened both arms.

So cool.

Perhaps because the lights were above them, the inside of the cloak was nothing but black shadow. Looking as dark as the night sky and as snug as the inside of a wardrobe, the Black Cloak's embrace drew Cha I-sol forward in quick little steps until he sank into it.

And, quite unexpectedly, the man's body temperature was cool. I-sol had expected warmth from the cozy sense of heat, but it was a surprise.

"It has been a long time since I held a child about Cha I-sol's size."

The gentle voice falling from above sounded almost like a lullaby.

"That child was small like you as well."

"I'm not small."

"You are smaller than I am. Of course, Cha I-sol will grow into a fine adult before long."

"Hehe…."

"May the sun shine upon you."

"……."

Cha I-sol lifted his head and looked at the face beneath the black cloth that only he could see.

Gentle eyes like the sea filled his vision.

"…Whoa."

Those eyes were…

very large,

and very safe.

"…Hyung, you're really handsome!"

"I hear that often."

"That's crazy."

"Is that so?"

The face no one else could see under the cloak smiled with a kind light in it.

"Then I shall see you tomorrow."

"Ah…."

Cha I-sol let out a small sound of regret.

Parting was hard enough — but even harder was watching the platinum blond hair and blue eyes darken, as if a lightbulb had simply gone out.

Just now he had looked so cool.

Doesn't that color suit Ji-oh hyung way better?

But Cha I-sol did not push any further.

"Okay, I'm really going now!"

The other aspirant priests had already gathered before the real priest. The blond priest was checking the number of children, their names, and their faces while saying something.

As I-sol drew closer, he could make out the words.

"Cha I-sol?"

"Yes, that's me."

"Cha I-sol, you will be partnered with Eunha from now on."

"Partner?"

"I will explain the details once all the students have gathered. For now, please line up with Eunha. The student with blue hair over there is the Eunha I mentioned."

"Yes!"

Cha I-sol went over to the child the priest had pointed out.

The friend the priest had called "Eunha" had blue hair tinted with a warm teal. When Cha I-sol came up beside him, the boy offered a smile that was somehow soft and kind.

"You're Cha I-sol, right?"

"Yeah. You're Eunha? They said we're partners."

"Priests are supposed to work in pairs of two, I think."

"So two people make one team?"

"That's right."

Eunha's pearl-colored eyes curved. It was a benevolent smile that brought the priests to mind.

"Our partners might change after the formal rites, but a lot of the time the partner you meet at the initiation ceremony stays with you the whole way. We might keep being partners, so… take care of me."

"That's so cool."

"Is it?"

Saying so, Eunha let out a small laugh — and Cha I-sol felt a strange sense of déjà vu at that smile.

Huh. He looks like Ji-oh hyung.

Cha I-sol instinctively sensed the difference between "Seo Ji-oh" and "Giovanni."

He had realized that the changing color of Ji-oh's hair and eyes was not a simple matter of appearance, but a fundamental shift in personality and nature.

And Eunha's smile resembled Giovanni's to an uncanny degree.

Why?

Of course Cha I-sol did not know that the platinum-haired, blue-eyed version of Ji-oh was named "Giovanni," but he at least knew the resemblance to Eunha was striking.

"You smile really cool!"

Cha I-sol reached a simple conclusion.

"I know a hyung who smiles like you."

"…Someone who smiles like me?"

"Yeah!"

"People like that aren't common."

Eunha rolled his eyes sideways and murmured, as if to himself.

"Interesting."

"…Yeah…."

Cha I-sol felt that something was off.

He's smiling, but it doesn't feel like he's smiling.

Eunha's smile was very similar to Giovanni's — yet unlike Ji-oh, whose warmth you could feel without even looking, this one was somehow cold. It had the temperature of a snake he had once touched, or a stone by the river.

Unaware of these thoughts, Eunha asked with that same faint smile still on his face.

"Is that 'hyung you know' that person over there?"

"Huh? Yeah."

Eunha was talking about Ji-oh.

"That's Ji-oh hyung."

"……."

Eunha blinked wordlessly, then asked again.

"Ji-oh?"

"His last name is Seo. Seo Ji-oh."

"Ah. I see."

Eunha looked toward the Black Cloak, whose face was completely hidden, and spoke.

"He has a unique presence."

"Right? He's super warm?"

"Someone chosen by the Sun God? Or else…."

"He said he's a devotee of the Sun God."

"A devotee."

Eunha murmured in a faint voice.

"He's not at that level."

"Huh?"

"He seems like an extremely devout person."

"Isn't he super warm?"

"He is."

And also cold, almost as if he weren't human.

Hearing that quiet murmur, Cha I-sol's eyes went round; he could not make sense of Eunha's words. But Eunha did not continue the subject of Ji-oh any further. He asked about family instead.

"Then the black-haired people next to the black cloak… are they your family?"

"Yeah. Don't we look alike?"

"You look a lot alike. Anyone could tell you're family at a glance."

Eunha smiled softly.

"I look a lot like my older sister too."

"Really? Then she must be super pretty."

"She is as beautiful as a princess."

"Huh? Uh… yeah?"

Did people usually call their own sister "as beautiful as a princess"?

He seems really well-educated.

Having picked up Cha Ah-ra's way of speaking, Cha I-sol decided Eunha was a "well-educated person." Somehow even the way he smiled, and the soft, measured tone of his voice, felt a lot like Ji-oh hyung — and very sophisticated.

He liked that.

"Be friends with me!"

"…Shall we?"

"We can take it slow."

This friend probably has a hard time trusting people, so I should be considerate.

"I'll wait."

Cha I-sol was a quick-witted child.

The mermaid princess had always wanted to understand humans.

What kind of lives did they live above the surface, where sunlight rippled like a net?

Why did creatures who could not even breathe in water sometimes throw themselves into the sea? Why did they rot away like that?

What did they think, what did they eat, and by what structure did they laugh, cry, and grow angry?

The mermaid rose upward.

She kept rising,

and she saw the prince.

"……."

Warm.

That warmth spreading across the surface of the water was the very symbol of sunlight.

Platinum hair that held the net-like sunlight she had gazed up at from the deep sea flowed in waves, glittering like silver above the water. Warm light filled blue eyes that, though they wore the color of the sea, somehow carried heat.

The mermaid princess who ruled the ocean was curious about humans.

Curious about the limits of humans.

"……."

Would that human who resembled sunlight stay warm even beneath the sea?

So she took his hand, and just like that….

"……."

Splash.

"……."

Into the sea.

"…Ah…."

She seemed to have fallen.

Eyes holding pearls blinked drowsily.

The blurry focus soon sharpened, and red lips curved into a languid arc. Before she knew it, she had woken from sleep.

"My."

The beautiful princess, wrapped in an oversized doctor's coat, spoke.

"I had a lovely dream."

Didn't I, Giovanni?

Sprawled upon the surface of the water, the mermaid princess smiled.

(To be continued)