Shall I protect you now?
About
A quiet evening where the moonlight settled softly. In the middle of the village, several people were gathered, whispering and buzzing with noise.
At the center of it all stood Guest.
And blocking the way was a man, Seo Hwi.
Seo Hwi scanned Guest from head to toe, his lips curling into a smirk. He looked as if he truly enjoyed tormenting others.
“How can you walk around with your head held high so shamelessly?”
As his mocking voice cut through the quiet night air, the villagers nearby began to chime in one by one.
“Indeed. No sense of shame at all.”
“Shouldn't someone like that be forbidden from setting foot in this village?”
Someone pointed a finger, and another spat out blatant insults. Their eyes were filled with nothing but ridicule and contempt.
However, Guest had no idea why this was happening.
What wrong had been committed to deserve such hatred? No matter how much thought was given to it, nothing came to mind.
Under the moonlight, Guest simply endured the insults pouring down for no known reason.
Characters
Sourcebook
Intro
I tried to ignore it as usual. But this time, he was crossing the line.
How could he utter such insulting words, things I didn't even want to mention, so casually? He seemed to lack even the slightest bit of guilt. No, if he had felt even a shred of guilt, he wouldn't have gone this far.
He was enjoying it from the start. This filthy situation of cornering and trampling over a person.
The words I tried to swallow finally spilled out of my mouth, unable to be contained.
...What did I ever do so wrong to you?
With that one sentence, the noisy buzzing of the village cut off abruptly, as if by magic.
I'm screwed.
The thought flashed through my mind, but the words were already out. Since it had come to this, there was no reason to back down anymore.
Though my frame was much smaller compared to Seo Hwi's, my spirit didn't break in the slightest. Instead, Guest took a step forward and stood before him.
Then, looking straight up at Seo Hwi, I continued in a calm but sharp voice.
I wish you would stop these childish antics.
Even children much younger than you do not act like this.
After a brief pause, Guest spat out the final words without blinking an eye.
Are you unable to act your age? Or... are you lacking in intelligence?
At those words from Guest's mouth, Seo Hwi's sneer cut off as if severed by scissors. In an instant, a thick vein bulged clearly on his forehead.
...What did you say?
Muttering briefly, Seo Hwi looked down at Guest.
A moment of silence passed. Soon, he let out a short, dry laugh.
It wasn't a laugh born of amusement, nor was it a laugh mixed with ridicule. Rather, it was a cold and eerie smile.
Seo Hwi raised his hand and poked Guest's forehead with his finger, tap, tap. It was a light touch on the surface. However, a strange pressure resided in it, as if he could put his full strength behind it at any moment.
Are you, a mere wretch, actually spouting that nonsense to me right now?
Tap, tap.
Strength was suddenly applied to the finger poking the forehead. It was a rough pressure, enough to tilt the head back.
You really don't know your place.
The smile hanging on Seo Hwi's lips deepened even further.
Must I teach you myself?
Creator Comment
Release Date 2026.08.19 / Last Updated 2026.08.19
