Home/The Beloved Young Divine Child of the Twelve Zodiacs/ch 37

Chapter 37

"Oh, really?"

After four days, the misunderstanding was finally cleared, and Muje was greatly relieved. But then Doyoung's next reaction left him utterly flustered.

"Yeah, he looks like a male at a glance. Want me to check?"

Doyoung reached out with a mischievous grin, and Muje quickly scurried away.

"What a funny little thing. Is he picky about people?"

"He's shy around strangers."

Arin gestured to Seol, and he hesitantly came over and rubbed his head against her. His adorable behavior made Arin's expression melt.

"Haha. But why would you name a male 'Seol'? It doesn't suit him."

"But Seol likes it too. Right, Seol?"

At Arin's prompting, Seol looked away as if to ignore her.

"Doesn't seem like it," Doyoung said with a playful expression.

"That's strange..."

Just as Arin was staring at Seol with a puzzled look, Doyoung, who had been acting like he had something to say, asked cautiously,

"Anyway, nothing's happened to you, has it, little one?"

"Huh? Like what?"

"Like someone suddenly coming up to you acting all friendly."

He had already given Hyeoksu a stern warning, but greedy people never knew when to give up. Lately, he hadn't seen him around, so maybe he had already left.

Arin, oblivious, just smiled. "No. I haven't been anywhere except the relief center."

"You go there a lot, don't you?"

"Hehe. I just like being helpful to someone."

After sponsoring the gifts, Arin had often visited the orphans. They reminded her of herself, and she couldn't stop thinking about them. If she hadn't met her father, she would have been no different from those street children. She planned to go again today.

"I'll come pick you up on time."

After Doyoung left, Arin got ready to go out. Today was the day she was to receive a plaque of gratitude from the relief center.

On the way there, while Choryeong spoke with a staff member, Arin gazed out the window and spotted Dohun.

"They said that area is dangerous—it's a slum..."

He was entering a dark alley. The relief center staff had strictly warned her never to go there. Even though she knew it was probably unnecessary worry, Arin found herself following him.

I need to get him out of there quickly...!

After losing sight of Dohun, Arin was briefly at a loss, but then she remembered a good idea.

I'll try the method the Divine Maiden taught me.

The ability to see the essence of existence. Since the only person with the energy of the Twelve in this area would be Dohun, he should be easy to find. Arin focused her energy into her eyes. In that moment, her eyes sparkled like stars, and Muje didn't miss it.

Her eyes...

It felt just like when Yeoryeong used her divine power. Arin quietly surveyed her surroundings. When she found a familiar energy, she hurriedly moved her feet.

Tap-tap-tap.

Her tiny strides grew urgent. She was afraid of losing him again, and scared of being left alone in this place.

Just as she turned into the alley, following the energy—

"Huff!"

There, not Dohun, but another child stood—one who was clutching a badly wounded arm, breathing heavily. He had lost a lot of blood; his face was pale.

Arin recognized him at once. It was the black-haired boy who had fought with the dumpling shop owner last time.

What should I do?

He looked too injured to ignore. She was afraid he might be dead, with his eyes closed.

"A-are you okay?"

Just as Arin reached out her hand, the boy suddenly opened his eyes and lunged at her.

Crash—!

A bolt of lightning struck between Arin and the boy—Muje had used his power to protect her.

"Aah!"

Arin screamed, and the boy, equally startled, jumped back. Out of nowhere, a lightning bolt from a clear sky. Startled, they kept a cautious distance from each other.

"Who are you? Are you with them?"

The boy clutched his wounded arm and growled.

"No, I'm not! I was looking for someone."

"Then stop bothering me and get lost."

He leaned against the wall, staggering. Seeing his complexion worsening, Arin couldn't leave him.

"But you can't..."

If she left him like this, he would surely die without proper treatment. She had followed the strong energy of the Twelve, but instead of Dohun, she had found this boy. Arin was flustered.

So that boy is also a twelfth-year.

Recalling the defiant eyes she had glimpsed at the noodle shop, Arin was scared but gathered her courage to step closer.

"I told you not to come."

"But still! Your wound needs treatment."

Arin untied her ribbon—it was the only thing she had that could serve as a bandage.

"I won't hurt you. Please don't be wary."

"..."

The boy no longer had the strength to stop her. Arin carefully approached, applied some emergency ointment to the wound, and wrapped it with her ribbon.

"Huff."

"Does it hurt?"

When he let out a groan, Arin blew on the wound. When she was little, her mother would do that, and it always made her feel better.

"How is it? Does it hurt less?"

Her innocent demeanor left the boy frozen. She had appeared out of nowhere and treated his wound without hesitation. There was no such thing as free kindness in this world—she must have some ulterior motive.

"Who are you?"

But she looked so utterly harmless compared to the group that had been chasing him. What made him uncomfortable was the color of her eyes. Arin was clearly a twelfth-year, and looked like a daughter of a noble house. Seeing her, who had likely grown up in a happy family he never had, stirred a bitter inferiority within him.

Just then, Arin pressed the ointment jar into his hand.

"Take this. You need to apply it several times so the wound doesn't fester. Otherwise, it might hurt for a long time."

Seeing her casually hand over such an expensive ointment, the boy's eyes flashed. It only made his own wretched situation feel more pronounced.

"Don't treat me like a beggar."

He threw the ointment jar to the ground.

"Get lost. This time I really will bite you."

The boy's eyes flashed with danger, and Muje was about to step in when—

"Stop. If you go any further, I won't hold back."

Dohun appeared, having arrived at some point, and positioned himself between Arin and the boy. Arin blinked, recognizing her protector.

"Brother Dohun?"

He glanced at her briefly, then turned to the boy with a sharp remark.

"Repaying kindness with hostility is not right."

"I never asked for help."

"Really? It looked to me like you were begging for it."

At Dohun's provocation, the boy clenched his fist. But he couldn't attack—Dohun clearly looked stronger than him.

"Tch!"

Without a word of thanks, the boy vanished.

As Arin watched the direction he had gone, Dohun asked,

"Why are you here?"

"Ah, I saw you, Brother Dohun..."

"You followed me?"

His tone sounded accusatory, and Arin fidgeted nervously, afraid of being scolded. Dohun stared at her, who had honestly admitted to following him.

Brother, huh...

It wasn't a welcome term, but there was no need to show it.

"Let's go."

Without another word, Dohun scooped Arin up.

"Ah."

"Stay still. With your stride, it would take forever."

Arin obediently wrapped her arms around his neck, and Dohun continued,

"If you get hurt, Father will worry. Don't do that again."

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