CHAPTER ELEVEN The Space Between One Step and Another
573 Words
The tunnel should have been empty.
Three attackers.
Finished.
Questions later.
That would have been normal.
Instead—
Taejun stayed still.
Yeonhwa noticed immediately.
His posture had changed.
Not tense.
Not relaxed.
Listening.
She looked at him.
“…What?”
His eyes stayed forward.
Then—
“Don’t move.”
Her eyes narrowed.
Excuse—
The wall beside her exploded.
Stone shattered.
Yeonhwa reacted instantly—
too instantly.
She reached for Moonveil—
and something grabbed the back of her sleeve.
Pulled.
Hard.
Her feet left the ground.
She stumbled backward.
A blade passed exactly where she had been standing.
Silence.
Dust.
Her eyes widened.
She looked.
Taejun.
His hand had caught her.
Not dramatic.
Not protective.
Not emotional.
Just—
correct timing.
His hand released immediately.
Like it meant nothing.
He looked ahead.
“…You moved too early.”
She stared.
Then looked forward.
Another masked figure.
Different.
Not clumsy.
Fast.
Sword user.
Their attention wasn’t on Taejun.
Only—
her.
Yeonhwa noticed.
Immediately.
The attacker shifted.
Ignored Taejun.
Came straight toward her.
Her eyes sharpened.
Why.
She stepped.
Blocked.
Pressure.
Too strong.
Again.
Again.
Too focused.
This wasn’t random.
The attacker wasn’t trying to win.
Trying to reach her.
Her footing slipped.
The blade came—
Then—
clang.
Black steel.
Taejun.
He blocked.
No expression.
No speech.
He pushed the strike aside.
Looked at the attacker.
And quietly said—
“…You’re obvious.”
The attacker moved back.
Changed direction.
Disappeared.
Gone.
Silence.
Yeonhwa stared.
That was it?
They left?
Taejun lowered his sword.
Turned.
Looked at her.
“…You okay?”
She blinked.
Small question.
Unexpected.
She immediately recovered.
“Yes.”
Pause.
“…You pulled me.”
He looked confused.
“Yes.”
She stared.
No explanation?
No comment?
Nothing?
He looked away.
Then said—
“You were in the wrong position.”
She crossed her arms.
“…That’s all?”
He blinked.
“What else would it be?”
Rude.
—
They started walking.
Quiet.
Stone corridor.
Slow steps.
Then—
Yeonhwa asked—
“…Why didn’t you let me make the mistake?”
He looked ahead.
Long silence.
Then—
“Because mistakes are useful.”
Pause.
His eyes stayed forward.
“…But not all mistakes deserve punishment.”
She looked at him.
That sentence felt older than seventeen.
Too old.
She looked away.
“…That’s dramatic.”
His reply:
“You like dramatic.”
She looked offended.
“…That is not true.”
He looked at her.
One second.
Then—
“You entered an illegal underground tournament under the name Moon.”
Silence.
Fair.
When they reached the exit—
they stopped.
Moonlight.
Cold air.
Yeonhwa looked at the city.
Then quietly—
“…Thank you.”
Taejun looked at her.
She immediately added—
“For the positioning correction.”
His expression didn’t change.
But—
very slightly—
the corner of his mouth moved.
Not a smile.
Almost.
Then—
“You’re welcome.”
And walked away.
Yeonhwa stood there.
Watching.
Then froze.
Wait.
Did—
No.
Impossible.
Absolutely not.
—
Back home—
Minji opened the door.
Looked at her.
Looked at the dust.
Looked at the tiny tear in her sleeve.
Closed her eyes.
“…At least tell me if you’re starting a war.”
Yeonhwa removed her shoes.
“…I don’t think I am.”
Pause.
Then quietly—
“…But I think someone else might be.”
- Writer
