Chapter 173 - Thorns

Chang Mi leaned against the car, sighing. Those two noonas were to take the patience out of a saint. They were like sisters, and they fought like real sisters!

Calling them noonas now hardly made sense, since he had discovered that, technically, he was the same age as them. Daebak! He was just delighted. Shin had promised to teach him how to control his powers so he wouldn't hurt anyone, and Chang Mi was grateful for that.

But as for the 'test' to find out the truth, that was a problem.

The Hunter took a black thorn about 20 cm long from a box, saying that it was the most effective way to find out. Chang Mi couldn't imagine what would happen next. 

"Chang Mi," said the Hunter, "This thorn is now part of Seong Hwan's 'Devourer' form. His spiritual form amalgamated with the wraiths, when his servants crowd together. They do it when they catch the prey. And in this way, I mean, with this thorn, he can kill or at least injure enough a fairy. Fairies, in general, are 'thick' and quite resistant, but not against the Devourer."

He was thoughtful about this information, but asked,

"Hunter Shin, so does this thorn have a connection with Seong Hwan in the same way that the wraiths that amalgamate him do?"

"Yes, this is part of it, and even outside of it, it has a connection. That is why I believe that this stinger will be useful for our purpose. I believe that if you really have a connection with it, with this thorn you will be able to feel him. We can do this for a brief moment only, in a controlled manner."

"And if I have no connection with him, what should happen?"

"You will probably feel really bad and be sick for a few days. The idea here is just to prick it lightly on your finger or elsewhere," the Hunter put the thorn back in the box and pushed it towards Chang Mi. "But perhaps, because you are a half-fairy, the effects are not intense. Maybe you felt nothing."

Chang Mi looked at the object with morbid curiosity,

"How did you get that thorn, Hunter Shin?"

"I fought the Devourer," replied the man plainly. Chang Mi then decided to remove this doubt from his chest, and took the thorn, pricking his finger. 

It went deeper, and it hurt more than expected. As he watched the drop of blood forming, his vision blurred, and he felt sick. His mind wandered to another place, a dark place.

Then he saw the Devourer. Seong Hwan. To his shock, Seong Hwan looked a lot like him. The most striking difference is that he had shoulder-length hair. Chaotic energy swirled around him.

The Devourer opened his eyes, and looked at him, and it was Chang Mi's turn to close his eyes, by reflex. When he opened them again, he was back in Hunter Shin's laboratory.

However, even a few days later, Chang Mi had a restless mind.

He had sleep interrupted by grotesque images that always ended with Seong Hwan opening his eyes and looking at him. He woke up sweating, making sure that the fact that he forced himself to wake up was his only way to keep himself safe.

Now that his father, the Devourer, knew he was alive, Chang Mi knew it was only a matter of time before he found him.

ºº

Eun Ha and Ye Rim left Park Nam Joo's house several hours later. The accurate account of the facts of the day of their birth had left they open-mouthed. Both were emotionally drained and left Nam Joo, who was very fragile, to rest after her long narrative. But Mrs. Park had shown them, as proof, the object that caused the scar on her hand. 

A long, black thorn. Just looking at that stinger, Eun Ha's skin prickled. Her eyes were swollen with tears when she learned of all the suffering that her mother went through. But the blessing that her mother, the fairy Myung Hee, had given Ye Rim had intrigued her. Mrs. Park had not forgotten any part, and was able to say it word for word, or so they believed.

In front of Ye Rim's car, she asked,

"Ye Rim, don't you think it's better to find out what it is about and how my mother's words affected her?"

"If I want to do this, I will do it without your help, Eun Ha," said Ye Rim dryly, getting into the car. Eun Ha quickly held the door so Ye Rim wouldn't close, and the other woman sighed heavily, irritated,

"Aish, what a boring person! Do not think I will forgive you because you are offering to 'help me'," Ye Rim made 'quotes' in the air. "As if I don't know that, in one way or another, you just do it because you find me an incapable person who can't make decisions on her own or can protect herself."

"It's not like that, Ye Rim. But at this point, it's important that…"

"Eun Ha! You piss me off by saying these things. I am an a.d.u.l.t person. A thinking person. An able person. My decisions are mine and the responsibility for my actions must also be mine. I feel I should be grateful for all of your concern and effort over the years. But ... How could I? How many opportunities have you taken from me?"

Eun Ha didn't want the subject to come back to that, but he fell silent, since Ye Rim was right. Ye Rim continued,

"Don't think because you have special powers and you are a fairy, you are better than me who I am human. Don't be condescending. I wonder if you haven't been condescending to me all the time, your whole life. But you know what? Enough. In fact, I called our mutual friends and canceled our birthday party together."

"DON'T!!!!" your biggest fear happened. Ye Rim was really breaking the promise they had made to each other, that they would never have separate birthdays.

"YES!" Ye Rim responded vehemently. "And leave me alone. I solve my problems from now on."

The fairy dropped to her knees, "No, Ye Rim, please don't do this! Give our friendship a chance. I know I did, and I did a lot, but please! I can be your slave, if you want. To redeem myself for everything I did wrong! But for me, you are my sister! Please give me a chance to show how sorry I am!"

"Why would I make you a slave? What madness is this?! No, it is enough for me to know that from now on I am responsible for my life. And that no one is sabotaging me, either in career or in love!" saying this Ye Rim carefully closed the door, still avoiding hurting Eun Ha who was still on her knees and with her hands together, crying her heart out.

Ye Rim started the car and left, ignoring her unnie's sorry situation.

Chang Mi helped her to her feet and hugged her tightly,

"Calm down, Eun Ha. Everything will be fine. She's smart and will soon realize that she is making a mistake and being unfair ..."

She sobbed, resting her head on his chest. Yes, Chang Mi was speaking a truth. Even though Ye Rim was hurt and furious, she was a person with a huge heart.

"She doesn't want to celebrate her birthday with me anymore ..." she whimpered, and Chang Mi stroked her hair,

"Okay, Eun Ha ... You girls will be over it soon. Be patient."

That's what made Eun Ha wake up to reality. What was she doing, in public on a sidewalk, hugging a  high school senior student?"

"Why aren't you calling me noona?" she stepped away and faced him. Chang Mi's beautiful face was slightly flushed,

"Ahem, well… I'm actually your age. I just fell victim to a spell that kept me a baby until I was plucked out from a persimmon tree ... Like that."

"OMO!" she put her hand over her mouth, shocked. Even so, that punk copped a feel on her!

"Well, thanks, but you should go after her now, Chang Mi, since this is what you agreed on."

"Do you want me to keep calling you noona?" Chang Mi asked, clearly hopeful that she would say no. Eun Ha thought a little,

"Well, if you change the way you speak, people will find it strange."

He pouted, but partially agreed, 

"Well, I'll do it until you get used to the idea."

Eun Ha was always amazed by that boy's quick thinking. She discreetly showed him the thorn, which was in a case, summarizing,

"The woman who lives in this house is Ye Rim's mother. She was with my mother when the Devourer attacked my real mother, and killed her ... Ye Rim's mother was hit with that thorn, and so she became ill. She ended up abandoning Ye Rim and running away. Only today did Ye Rim see her again, after so many years."

Chang Mi's eyes went dark, and he tensed, putting his hands in his pocket. In a deep voice, he asked,

"Noona. You know that I am the son of the Devourer, don't you?"