Ep.65

 Ep.65

The morning air was refreshing.

It was distinctly different from the thick, muggy air of midsummer. A cool breeze circulated through the shade of the trees, and the leaves were slowly beginning to turn into various colors.

Sihyeon used his natural energy to reach the summit in a single breath. His still incomplete vessel cried out with pressure and pain. Of all things, compared to the beginning, this level of pain was truly nothing. It hadn't even been a few months since those frantically anxious moments when it felt like the vessel would break apart at any second.

He was more than grateful for how things were now.

"Whew."

Using Orin as his shade, he poured out his natural energy to the last drop and repeated the process of drawing it back in. As his breathing stabilized, a pleasant sense of exhilaration welled up inside him. The tall pine tree was accepting the druid's energy and assisting him beautifully.

Sihyeon carefully checked his physical condition. His progress had been at a standstill for a while, but today, he could definitely feel that something was different. Another gap in his vessel had been filled.

'All of a sudden? What's the reason? What changed?'

Joy and doubt arose at the same time, and almost at that exact moment, he realized the reason.

The lost memory. The memory that had resurfaced while watching the fireworks had filled in a piece of his vessel.

"So I really have to remember everything in the end, huh?"

Sihyeon bit his lip with a displeased look. In truth, he had vaguely felt it—that the memories hidden deep within might be the key to completing his vessel. Even so, the reason he had hesitated was undoubtedly because he knew it would be painful in many ways.

What should he do?

Should he just live as a happy fool? Leave it buried and live with an incomplete vessel? Or should he gouge open the wound, even if it hurts, to complete it?

Sihyeon pondered for a moment, but the conclusion was obvious.

*Dammit.*

"I am curious, though."

He wanted to know what had happened and why he had kept it so deeply hidden. Knowing his own personality, it was obvious he wouldn't be able to sleep soundly unless he figured it all out anyway. Furthermore, the clues to his memory appearing here and there didn't feel like mere coincidences either.

Meeting Hosu, who remembered his childhood. The unexpected fireworks.

And though it was because of the concert, the fact that he was about to meet Siwoo.

It almost felt as though everything had been prepared in advance to lead him in a certain direction.

Sihyeon crossed his arms and nodded.

A wise druid never considers any of this a coincidence. As the ancient poets used to say, the world is a single tapestry woven from weft and warp.

*Whoosh—.*

While he sat there in a daze for a moment, Orin sent a signal through the rustling pine breeze.

7:30 AM.

It was time to move.

Bangwouli, who had been dozing off in the bushes, approached and began to nuzzle her head against his thigh. Once his training was over, she would sense it like a ghost and come over to rub against him. Sihyeon stroked her round head, feeling her warmth.

"Alright. Let's go."

As he brushed himself off and stood up, he saw Kkamangi off in the distance, snorting as he kept watch. Sihyeon called out to the wild boar.

"Kkamangi."

A pair of bloodshot eyes rolled toward Sihyeon.

What a misfit. Still, he had his own cute side.

Sihyeon let out a chuckle and said, "You come along for a lap, too."

*Oink!*

Bangwouli protested, but Sihyeon ignored her. Letting this behavior slide continuously would cause issues. Kkamangi's job was to manage the area so that wild boars and water deer wouldn't wander down into the residential areas.

"Get along. I told you the forest keeper is not an enemy."

Bangwouli walked a few paces ahead as if she were pouting, but when Sihyeon pretended not to notice, she quickly scurried back to hover around his feet. Sihyeon chuckled and called her over.

"Come here."

The fawn immediately pressed her head against Sihyeon's hand.

She was warm and soft.

 *    *      * As he crossed the front yard of the monastery, the statue of the Virgin Mary, adorned with pumpkins and safflowers, came into view. Every season, the most abundant and beautiful flowers and fruits are placed on the altar before the statue. It was a very old tradition of longing for what one desires. To pray for a wish from the heavens, one must offer something precious.

*What do I have to offer to complete my memories?* Sihyeon fell into thought as he stood before the statue.

"Mr. Kang. What are you thinking about?"

It was Brother Peter.

"Ah, hello! …… I was just thinking it's my first time seeing a pumpkin that big."

"Oh. This particular pumpkin is exceptionally large."

The two walked side by side toward the herb house.

"I was wondering what I would have to offer for my prayers to be answered. Is it too materialistic of me to think that? I don't have a pumpkin that big, after all."

Brother Peter laughed out loud. He was a cheerful man.

"Haha. Materialistic? Everyone thinks that way."

"……So you're saying there's no right answer."

"They say heaven helps those who help themselves. The task given to you, Mr. Kang, was given because you are capable of solving it. Do your best. God will be with you."

"……It would be nice if that were a bit more specific."

"Indeed it would. Haha."

Sihyeon grumbled quietly as he opened the door to the herb house.

"Even though it hasn't bloomed yet, the scent is strong."

"Lavender naturally releases a fragrance from its leaves, too. Though essential oil can only be extracted from the flowers."

"It's already like this, so I can't wait to see how strong it'll be once it blooms."

Sihyeon replied, feeling the subtle natural energy swirling around the lavender.

"By the end of this month, pick the unnecessary leaves and put them in your bathwater when you bathe. If you just dry them in a basket, it's great for insomnia, too."

After that, it would bear blue and purple flowers.

"Oh, you can use the leaves too?"

"It's possible with the lavender we grew, but I wouldn't know about the ones grown by others."

The two of them slowly looked around the roses and adjusted the temperature.

The deep green rose leaves filling the herb house glistened with a healthy sheen.

"Today, adjust the lighting after about four hours."

"How do you make that kind of judgment?"

Sihyeon thought it over before revealing only one part of the truth.

"Experience."

"Ah." Brother Peter nodded deeply. Sihyeon felt a little guilty seeing that, but it wasn't as if he could tell him that he talks to roses.

Since he grew them by resonating with the roses and adjusting the required sunlight and humidity at any given moment, their condition was top-notch. And above all, the soil was perfect.

"The village chief poured a whole truckload of topsoil, and it turns out there was a reason for it. Because the soil is good, they're growing much faster than expected."

"Well, Sister Stella does her own fair share of gardening, after all."

Brother Peter let out a soft exclamation of awe. Following his gaze, a single red bud that had sprouted early caught his eye. The sight of a flower bud rising from its stem was always a marvel. Seemingly quite moved, Brother Peter crossed himself and recited a short prayer.

Watching him, Sihyeon muttered under his breath.

*Meur ras!* (Thank you!)

 *    *      * Tracker's World Tour Encore Concert.

The concert, which had started in Seoul around this time last year, had come full circle through North America, Asia, Australia, and Europe, back to Korea, and was now concluding right back in Seoul. The interesting fact was that while they had started the tour in a five-thousand-seat venue, a year later, the venue they were performing in boasted a whopping twelve thousand seats—more than double the size.

"It means they've grown."

Returning to Korea in between world tour stops, they had released new songs, appeared on variety shows, and shot commercials, steadily raising their public recognition. Now, they had firmly established themselves as a trendy idol group by anyone's standards.

"They started at Jangchung. *Sniff.* Tracker has finally entered the Gymnastics Arena. It's Gocheok Dome next year."

While standing in line to collect his concert merchandise, Sihyeon found himself getting touched along with them as he listened to a fan with an exceptionally powerful voice summarize the world tour story.

"When they started in Seoul, the tracklist was only twenty songs. For a two-hour show, that's on the shorter side. That's why they did collaboration tracks and covered other artists' songs, right? But now? A whopping thirty-six songs. They added sixteen songs in just one year. Ten track full-length album, five track mini-album, and one drama OST."

"Wow, they really worked hard. Flying out almost once a month—it's a miracle they didn't collapse."

"It's great for us because we have so many songs to listen to, but it must have been brutal for the boys. They lost a lot of weight, too."

Sihyeon silently agreed, nodding his head. Although RV was truly sincere about artist care, regardless of that, it was a fact that their schedule was grueling.

"Still, even though they've won first place on music shows a lot, their public recognition is still a bit weak. I hope they get a proper breakout hit this year. They have the makings of national idols."

"Boy groups are usually like that. Still, considering their career length, this level is amazing."

"But our boys' visuals have been out of this world lately. I get startled every single time I look at them."

"Ah, my friend is a Lux fan, and she saved a close-up shot of Jerome."

"No one can resist Lee Jerome. Even if people don't know Tracker, everyone knows Lee Jerome."

"If he had done even a little bit of acting, he has a face that could easily play the male lead in any romantic comedy."

Another fan shook her head and lamented.

"……Haah. Jerome is hopeless at acting. You know he barely managed to act in the music video, right? Just look at his share of the behind-the-scenes blooper reels."

"Jerome is my ultimate bias, but I can't even deny that. Maybe that's why he doesn't have many solo anti-fans and has a lot of group fans instead, so we can't even just blindly wish for his acting to improve. …But I don't think it will."

The fans giggled and agreed. The topic quickly shifted to Tracker's looks.

"But seriously, isn't every single one of them at their visual peak lately?"

"For real. I think the youngest line even grew taller. First of all, everyone's skin is insane."

"Apparently the cosmetics industry is going crazy over them too."

"Are they extending their contract with Atlantic Cosmetics?"

"Not really keen on that place. I want them to do color cosmetics or perfume."

"True, with Leo and Siu there, a masculine perfume would suit them well."

Sihyeon perked up his ears.

"The photo shoots would be prettier for that. Heesu and Jerome look glamorous, Kay has a cute look, and Leo and Siu have sharper, more defined features, so their characters are diverse. Color cosmetics would be perfect."

"This is a secret, but Pureure is in contact with them right now. I heard it from an acquaintance."

"Ooh. Our boys have really made it."

Hearing a familiar name, Sihyeon, who had been listening blankly, flinched. The fans seemed to know more than most industry insiders.

He adjusted his mask for no reason. Fortuitously, it was Sihyeon's turn. A man wearing a black staff hat handed over a paper bag and spoke mechanically.

"Here, you have the hoodie, slogan towel, and card holder. Please make sure to put batteries in the lightstick and test it. You need the receipt for exchanges or refunds."

"Got it! Thank you!"

Sihyeon threw on the zip-up hoodie he received as merchandise and sought out the waiting room.

Perhaps due to security, his ticket was checked several times and his ID was requested, but upon seeing Sihyeon's face, everyone smiled and welcomed him warmly. *Are they recognizing me because I appeared on their self-produced content?*

As he turned down a long corridor, he saw Manager Woo wiping away sweat while on a phone call. Sihyeon bowed his head slightly, and Manager Woo personally opened the door for him.

"Hey."

Heesu jumped up from his seat.

"Hyung-nim! You arrived early."

"Your style changed a bit? It suits you."

Heesu said with a bright smile, "It's our first concert for Korean fans in a while, so I spruced myself up a bit. Doesn't it look like ice cream?"

"Uh, I didn't expect to see pink and mint on a head of hair."

"It's decent, right?"

"Yeah. Who else could pull that off but you? It's a perfect fit."

"I knew it. You recognize style."

Heesu's face looked flushed with a mix of nerves and excitement. While chatting briefly with Heesu, members started popping up from here and there. Siwoo had a large blue claw clip in his hair, which seemed to be for the purpose of keeping it out of his face.

"Hyung."

"Have you been well?"

Sihyeon patted him gently on the shoulder, taking care not to disturb Siwoo's clip. A smile spread across Siwoo's face. Even though they spoke on the phone quite often, seeing his face in person made him incredibly happy.

"It's Hyung-nim!"

Jerome approached, welcoming Sihyeon. Leo smiled warmly and locked eyes with him, while Kay greeted him loudly in the middle of changing his clothes.

"Hyung-nim! Hello!"

Sihyeon smiled back at Kay and set down the flowerpot he had brought along.

It was a wild rose that had bloomed for the first time in Sihyeon's greenhouse.