He didn’t know at first, but that person’s days of rest that Choi Han saw was more of a period of recovery than days of rest.

Of course, the person himself thought that he was playing around, but it did not seem like that to Choi Han at all.

That was why his people, who at some point realized the meaning of this rest day, tried their best not to bother his recovery.

* * *

December 31st.

The eve of the new year.

Choi Han, who was spending the last day of the year in a residence located on one side of Harris Village, brushed the snow off his shoulder.

Plop. Plop.

His gaze headed toward the yard.

‘We need to make a snowman family!’

Quite a few snowmen were made at Raon’s excited shout.

The snowmen who were made with the first snow were still maintaining their form after multiple repairs. Based on what he had heard, Raon checked on the snowmen first thing in the morning as soon as he opened his eyes.

Choi Han confirmed that his snowman was among the snowman family before walking into the building.

‘It’s calm.’

The inside of the building was warm and calm.

It was quiet.

“No.”

It was calm but not quiet.

It wasn’t loud, but voices as clear and bouncy as the sound of a xylophone could faintly be heard from the kitchen.

“Hey Beacrox, hey Beacrox.”

“…….”

“I’m bored!”

“I’m bored too, nya!”

“…Haaa.”

“I want to help make the cookies!”

“I can knead dough very well, nya!”

“…Haaaaaaaaaa……..”

The corners of Choi Han’s lips oddly curled up.

It was because he was not too familiar with this kind of calmness.

The Forest of Darkness becomes calm in the winter.

It was to the point that it could seem peaceful at a glance.

However, that was just like looking at the surface of a lake without being able to see beneath it.

The weak animals in the Forest of Darkness moved extremely cautiously in the winter, to the point that they didn’t dare to make any noises.

Making any noise would catch the attention of a predator, who would be roaming for food as their source of food had decreased.

It was calm, but… Blood was shed, screams were heard, and the hidden Choi Han could hear the sound of the predators eating despite not wanting to hear it.

Whenever he heard that noise, Choi Han had to clench his stomach that wanted to growl from hunger but could not go out to look for food because he was worried that he would die. Choi Han thought that his extremely weak self of the past was pitiful.

Of course, he figured out how to survive the winter in the Forest of Darkness at some point and his sword arts improved to the point that he could make it through the winters.

However, he still had to hear the things within that calmness year after year.

“Hey Beacrox, hey Beacrox. Can I really not try kneading the dough?”

“I want to though, nya……”

This calmness and the calmness of that time were fundamentally different.

Both periods of time were more peaceful and quieter than other seasons, but the things within them were completely different.

“Meeeeeow.”

Choi Han smiled while watching the grey kitten come down from the second floor. Ron was coming down the stairs with On.

“Where’s Cale-nim?”

On smacked the top of Choi Han’s foot for no reason after hearing that question and commented almost in a sigh.

“He’s sleeping, nya.”

Choi Han looked at Ron. Ron had an empty plate in his hand as he nodded his head with a cold gaze. The smile was gone from Choi Han’s face as he nodded back.

The two of them didn’t need to talk to understand each other.

“He’s sleeping so much, nya.”

Choi Han opened his arms toward On to show his agreement to her shocked mumbling. On jumped into Choi Han’s arms and shook her head side to side.

‘He really does sleep a lot.’

Choi Han had not put much thought into it when Cale said that he was going to rest in this villa. He thought it was normal for Cale to rest since he went through so much.

That was why at first, he watched Cale and wondered how someone could move so little while just sleeping and eating all day.

However, he thought that Cale would not be like this after a few days.

‘But Cale-nim was different, as expected.’

Cale was like this past a few days all the way until the last day of the year.

In some ways he was truly unchanging and shocking.

“But he has at least gained a little bit of weight, nya.”

Choi Han gently smiled as On looked at him while making that comment.

Cale’s pale complexion had gotten a bit better.

He also seemed to be eating well as he gained some weight. However, he was still skinnier than when Choi Han first met him but at least he looked better.

Cale especially looked at peace when he was basically lying down on a chair and eating fruit.

Choi Han walked toward the kitchen with Ron and On.

“And the Wolves?”

Choi Han slightly shrugged his shoulders at Beacrox’s comment with a stoic gaze.

“They’re going to train a bit more first.”

Beacrox slightly nodded his head. Choi Han quietly chuckled after noticing that Beacrox’s movements as he kneaded the dough for the snack bread had become a bit faster.

“What?”

Beacrox scowled at Choi Han but Choi Han simply snorted, as if that vicious gaze was not scary at all.

“Haaaaa.”

“Hey Beacrox, is it hard to knead the dough? I’m right here. My front paws are strong.”

“Haaaaa.”

Raon shoved his chubby front paws toward Beacrox but Beacrox did his best to ignore him. Ron was watching this with interest.

Ron then started washing the empty dishes and On jumped out of Choi Han’s arms to walk to Ron with a dry cloth.

Many different noises could be heard, but none of them were loud and everybody was speaking quieter than usual for some reason.

‘It’s probably because Cale-nim is sleeping.’

Choi Han liked this calmness.

“I’m thinking about having a feast tonight for dinner.”

“Wow! Beacrox, you’re amazing!”

“You’re the best, nya!”

“I want to help, nya.”

Choi Han listened to the warm conversation and thought that it was the first time he spent the last day of the year like this. He was sure he had a time like this in the past, but it was so long ago that his memories were faint.

It almost made him a bit sad thinking about it, but he was subconsciously smiling because he liked this warmth.

Choi Han turned his head. He looked toward the stairs leading up to the second floor.

Maybe it was because it was the last day of the year, but he couldn’t help but be thankful toward the person who created such a moment, the central figure who allowed them to all be together.

And the person at the center of that gratitude opened his closed eyes.

“…Haaa.”

He could hear energetic shouts through the window at the end of the room that was slightly open for ventilation.

“How disgusting.”

The Wolf children were still training despite it being the last day of the year.

“Scary little punks.”

‘How much stronger are they planning on getting?! Are they trying to get strong enough to break boulders or something?

…Actually, they might already be able to break boulders.’

Cale got chills on his back thinking about that fearful thought that came into his mind.

“Haaaaa.”

He rolled his body over and extended his body all over the bed.

“Man, they’re so loud.”

Whether it was inside or outside, one side was loud whenever the other side was quiet. If one side seemed chaotic, the other side calmed down a bit. This repeated over and over.

Everybody in the villa must have gone to the first floor as it seemed bustling but quiet, but in return, the outside of the villa was chaotic with fierce sounds of training as if they were celebrating the last day of the year by training even harder.

“…It’s different.”

Cale slowly closed his eyes.

Although he didn’t want to remember it, memories of his past came above the surface and flashed through his mind like scenes out of a movie whenever he was calm like this.

Cale couldn’t help but recall a certain day of rest.

* * *

That day was the day that after not taking a single day off for a whole year, Kim Rok Soo said that he was going to take a day off.

“Team leader Kim, didn’t you just come in with authorization documents?”

“That is correct.”

“You know that this is an important issue right?”

Director Ma, who had been a director at the company for a long time, shook the document in his hand while looking at Kim Rok Soo.

“I’m not sure, Director Ma.”

“What do you mean you’re not sure? Team leader Kim, do you know how many benefits we will gain if this agreement with the guilds is concluded? You want to take a day off with such a task in front of you? Do you think that that makes any sense?”

Director Ma spoke with annoyance and anger in his voice.

Team 2 and Team 3 leaders who came with Team leader Kim scowled at Director Ma’s annoyance, but did not say anything against it.

The issue of the agreement with the guilds in that document in Director Ma’s hand was something that would bring a lot of benefits to the company, and it would be disappointing if Team leader Kim Rok Soo, the leader of one of the three teams at the core of that agreement, was not going to be there with the conclusion of the agreement right in front of them.

“Do the two of you think it makes any sense?”

Director Ma asked the two other team leaders for their thoughts.

However, the two team leaders did not say anything to take Director Ma’s side. They simply kept their mouths shut.

Then they exchanged glances with each other.

‘Director Ma doesn’t seem to know, huh?’

‘Yeah. I don’t think he knows.’

They understood Director Ma’s thoughts but also understood why Kim Rok Soo was doing this.

Team 2 leader finished exchanging glances with Team 3 leader and started speaking.

“I think that it will be fine even without Team leader Kim, Director-nim. All that is left is to sign the agreement and that is for you to do.”

“Isn’t the day we sign it the most important day? Hmm?”

Team 2 leader held back a sigh.

Team leader Kim Rok Soo had done everything he needed to do regarding this task.

Of course, the day where they sign the agreement was important as Director Ma mentioned. It was the final button to be closed. However, it was fine if Kim Rok Soo was not present when Director Ma and the guild leaders signed the document and shook hands.

‘It is definitely something that someone like Director Ma, who cares a lot about formality, would throw a fuss about.’

That was the reason he didn’t call the Department head or any other high ranking officials and called the three team leaders who were lower level employees.

Team 2 leader saw that Director Ma’s arrow of anger headed back toward Kim Rok Soo as he did not say anything.

He subconsciously opened his mouth after hearing what Director Ma said next.

“Team leader Kim, I thought that you were a talented person with a strong sense of responsibility. You are making me have some doubts. I wonder if it is okay to leave a team in your care.”

‘Uhh, uhh, this idiot Director Ma sounds like he’s about to say something that crosses the line.

He can’t say something like that today of all days!’

Team 2 leader looked at Team 3 leader and both of them opened their mouths at the same time.

However, someone spoke before the two of them could say anything.

Kim Rok Soo, who had quietly been sitting there without any expression visible on his face, was talking.

He was currently the youngest of the team leaders.

“I know that the agreement is an important task, but it is not a matter of life and death.”

“What?”

Just as Director Ma frowned and he was about to raise his voice…

“…Director-nim!”

Team 3 leader opened his mouth.

“Team leader Kim Rok Soo… Hasn’t he worked for the past ‘one year’ even coming in on the weekend without resting? He’s been doing that for the past ‘one year.’”

“Who said that wasn’t the case? But why does he need to take a day off now of all the available days? I know that he’s worked hard for the past yea-”

Director Ma stopped for a moment.

One year.

It had been one year since Kim Rok Soo had become a team leader.

He observed Kim Rok Soo’s face as soon as he realized that. He then resumed speaking.

“Even I am well aware that he has worked hard.”

However, his voice was definitely not as strong as it had been before.

—
Translator’s Comments

Curse you Director Ma.

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