After leaving the meditation hall, the burly monk remained unusually silent.
A faint frown lingered on his face.
Tejo glanced at him curiously.
“What are you so worried about?” he asked casually. “If the boss said to leave it alone, then just leave it alone.”
“This kind of threat isn’t even worth taking seriously.”
He stretched lazily as he walked down the corridor.
“Even if we ignored them for ten or twenty years, wiping them out would still be easy.”
A grin appeared on his face.
“If the boss personally made a move, even entire countries wouldn’t stand a chance.
“So what exactly are you frowning about?”
The burly monk shook his head.
“That’s not what concerns me.
“Of course those people are insignificant. Even the old empire couldn’t stand against us. How could trash like them compare?”
“Then what is it?”
The burly monk’s expression darkened slightly.
“To us, they may be nothing more than insects.”
“But to ordinary people…”
“They are disasters.”
“They ruin lives. They spread suffering. They drag entire families into despair.”
His voice grew heavier.
“That is what I cannot tolerate.”
Tejo fell silent for a moment.
The burly monk sighed softly.
“I’m certain sir has his own reasons for refusing to interfere.”
“There are probably considerations beyond our understanding.”
“But even so…”
Tejo scratched his cheek.
“Well, no point overthinking it now.”
Then his eyes suddenly lit up with curiosity.
“More importantly…”
“Who exactly is this ‘Nightingale’?”
“Even the boss reacted when he heard her name.”
“Whether good or bad, it’s rare for something to make him stop and think.”
Tejo quickly pulled out his phone in elation as he looked up on the internet.
The burly monk thought for a moment before replying.
“As far as I know, she was once an extremely famous actress, singer, and screenwriter.”
“She also had a rather tragic life.”
“In her final years, she donated a large portion of her wealth to the monastery and its orphanages.”
“Mmm, and?” Tejo scrolled through search results on the internet while listening.
“I believe sir met her a few times in the past.” The burly monk paused briefly before continuing.
“He once said she possessed the qualities of a sovereign, like him.”
Tejo blinked.
“A sovereign?”
“The kind capable of shaking cities… and changing the world.” Tejo’s eyes widened slightly.
“…Whoa.”
Then he finally opened one of the photos loaded on his phone. The moment he saw it, he froze.
“…What the hell?” His jaw slowly dropped. “Is she a goddess?”
“She’s so damn hot.”
Tejo stared shamelessly at the screen. “She’s way too sexy.”
Smack!
The burly monk immediately slapped the back of his head.
“You are a monk, for heaven’s sake. And she’s a mother.”
“So what?” Tejo rubbed the back of his head with an aggrieved expression. “Damn it! She’s already dead.”
He stared at the photo on his phone again and sighed dramatically.
“Otherwise, I would’ve happily become Aren’s father.”
The burly monk’s eyelid twitches violently.
“Even if she is a mother, a hot milf is still worth —”
Smack!
A loud slap landed behind Tejo’s bald head.
“You—”
Smack!
“Are—”
Smack!
“A—”
Smack!
“Monk!”
Each word came with another slap.
“Ow! Ow! Stop hitting me!”
Tejo covered his head and retreated several steps before suddenly straightening his posture.
Then, with an unusually solemn expression, he placed a hand over his chest.
“I understand now.”
The corridor fell silent for a moment.
Like a being who reached enlightenment, “I shall become the monk who renounces asceticism for love.”
The burly monk stared at him blankly.
Tejo struck another dramatic pose like a knight from a stage play.
“There is no doubt.”
“She is a goddess.”
“She is the queen of my heart!”
“A sovereign.”
“And I…” Tejo raised his phone high into the air. “…am her knight.”
“For her sake, I shall fight the world itself!”
Kick!
This time, the burly monk kicked him hard enough to nearly send him spinning.
“Damn it!” Tejo clutched his head in pain.
The burly monk glared at him furiously. “Shut that filthy mouth of yours.”
His expression gradually became serious.
“Being a sovereign has nothing to do with beauty.
“They are people who only know how to give.
“They do not take back what they have given.”
His voice deepened.
“A king bows to none.
“Not to others.
“Not to power.
“Not to fate.
“Not to gods or demons.
“Not even to the world itself.
“A promise once made…
“…they will keep it even at the cost of their lives.”
The atmosphere around him quietly changed.
Even Tejo stopped fooling around.
“So don’t spout nonsense.”
After a brief silence, Tejo scratched his cheek awkwardly.
“Hey, don’t be so serious. I was only joking.”
The burly monk’s gaze remained cold. “Do not joke like that in front of the child.”
Tejo’s expression softened slightly. “…I know.”
The burly monk sighed and shook his head.
“Whatever she once was… she ultimately destroyed her own life.
“And......she had thrown away her own child.”
There was no mockery in his voice. Only disappointment.
“She is a failure as a mother. Nothing worth mentioning about.”
He looked ahead quietly as they continued walking down the corridor.
“But…”
“Her songs and stories truly were masterpieces. I don't know anything beyond that.”
Tejo blinked. “…Oh.”
A moment later, he glanced back down at his phone again.
“Then maybe I should look into her properly.”
“Do whatever you want,” the burly monk replied. “I’m going to check on the kid.
“He should be awake by now.”
After the monk left, Tejo continued to search on the website, "wow, there are even AV casting her.”
“Wow, that's so hot.” Tejo gulped. “I can't believe she is a mother."
After a genuine dilemma, Tejo looked around, confirmed that none were around and silently clicked on the download link.
******
Copyright © [May] [2026] [The Rainy Imp]. All rights reserved.
Aren slowly opened his eyes.
The room was quiet.
For a few moments, he simply stared blankly at the wooden ceiling above him.
‘Where am I…?’
His memories gradually returned.
‘I think… I saw some of my classmates earlier.
‘Then this place must be inside the monastery.
‘That uncle said someone saved me…’
Aren slowly looked around the room. It was small, yet exceptionally neat.
The room carried a simple Japanese-style atmosphere. A low wooden table rested near the corner beside several writing tools and neatly stacked papers meant for floor seating. Across from the bed stood a modest bookshelf filled with carefully arranged books.
Everything within the room felt calm and orderly.
Rustle.
A faint sound suddenly broke the silence.
Aren turned his head toward the bookshelf.
One of the books near the edge seemed slightly out of place compared to the others.
Because of the distance, he couldn’t clearly read the title on its spine.
After staring at it for a moment, Aren eventually looked away.
Thud.
The sound came again.
Aren immediately turned back.
This time, the book had somehow fallen much closer to the bed.
He blinked in confusion.
The distance was far too great for the book to have simply slipped off the shelf naturally.
Aren quietly looked around the room.
No one was there. It is eerie.
But rather than fear, he only felt confusion.
At his age, concepts like ghosts or supernatural phenomena still felt distant and unreal to him.
Slowly, he bent down and picked up the fallen book.
It was surprisingly thin—barely the width of a finger.
The pages were bound together by thread, and most of them were completely blank.
The handwriting inside, however, was elegant and precise.
It was clearly written by hand.
At the top of the first page was a title:
Theory About Everything Related to Entities and Circles
—Written by
A Sweeping Monk
Aren blinked.
The title sounded strange.
Many sections appeared incomplete, as though the work had never been finished.
Curiosity soon overtook him.
He opened the book and quietly began reading.
The room fell silent once more.
As time passed, he became completely absorbed in the contents of the book.
Meanwhile, the burly monk quietly entered the room.
The moment he saw Aren deeply focused on reading, surprise flickered across his face.
Not wanting to interrupt, the monk silently pulled over a stool and sat beside the bed.
His eyes briefly glanced toward the book in Aren’s hands.
Only a few written pages existed within it.
Yet the child remained completely immersed.
Few minutes later, Aren finally finished reading.
Only then did he realize he was no longer alone.
Startled slightly, he looked toward the burly monk sitting beside the bed. He recognized, he was the kind monk who spoke to him previously.
Before Aren could speak, the monk smiled gently.
“How are you feeling?”
He placed a hand against Aren’s forehead.
“It seems your fever has finally gone down.”
“You’ll probably still need another day of rest.”
Aren nodded quietly. “Thank you… for saving me.”
Then, after hesitating briefly, he lowered his head slightly.
“And… I’m sorry for reading your book without permission.”
The monk chuckled softly. “It’s alright. There’s nothing secret about it.”
He glanced toward the thin handwritten manuscript.
“Though I’m surprised.
“That’s quite a complicated book for someone your age.
“And you seemed completely engrossed in it too.”
The monk slowly took the book from Aren’s hands.
“It was actually written by our abbot,” the burly monk explained. “The same person who saved you.”
He glanced toward the thin manuscript resting in his hands.
“It contains some of his experiences and theories about some stuff.
“Though it is not yet complete.”
A faint smile appeared on the monk’s face.
“Even the title is rather random.” He looked back toward Aren.
“To be honest, the contents are probably far too advanced for a child your age.
“Did you understand any of it?”
The question was asked casually, without much expectation.
Aren hesitated briefly before shaking his head.
“No… not completely.”
He lowered his gaze slightly, trying to organize his thoughts.
“But…I feel like I did.
“It’s hard to explain.
“I’m not really sure.”
The burly monk blinked in surprise. For a moment, he carefully studied Aren’s face.
Then, he asked curiously with unusual sincerity, “You truly understood what was written here?”
Aren looked confused by the question. “No, no, It’s not really about understanding…”
The monk slowly shook his head as though correcting himself.
“What I mean is…were you able to relate to the contents of the book?”
Aren remained silent for a few seconds before finally answering honestly. “Maybe…
“I don’t know.”
The burly monk’s eyes flickered slightly.
His surprise this time was genuine.
Seeing the monk’s reaction, Aren became slightly uneasy.
“…Is that bad?” he asked carefully.
“No,” the monk immediately replied, shaking his head. “Not at all.”
His gaze briefly drifted toward the unfinished manuscript before returning to Aren.
Then a gentle smile appeared on his face.
“For now, you should rest.
“Someone will bring you food shortly.
“You can eat, sleep properly, and rest well.
“Once you’ve fully recovered, we’ll take you back to the orphanage.”
Aren quietly nodded.
The burly monk closed the handwritten manuscript and carefully returned it to the shelf.
After a brief pause, he pulled out another book. “If you get bored, you can read this one. It’s a good story.”
A faint chuckle escaped him. “Apparently, it actually happened.”
Aren nodded once more.
The burly monk placed it beside the pillow before quietly leaving the room.
Once the door closed, silence returned.
Aren slowly lay back against the bed.
But despite his exhaustion, sleep refused to come.
His thoughts continuously drifted back toward the unfinished manuscript…
…and the strange feeling it had left behind.
******
After some time, Aren found himself staring at a girl sitting quietly beside his bed.
She occupied the stool the burly monk had previously used.
The girl was around the same age as him.
Small and lively, she wore simple monastery robes that were just slightly too loose for her frame. Her soft hair was tied back carelessly, with several loose strands falling around her bright, curious eyes.
Her face looked innocent and warm—
…but hidden beneath that innocence was a clear spark of mischief.
Meanwhile, she continued staring at Aren without blinking.
Aren awkwardly looked away.
‘Should I say something?
‘Should I introduce myself?’
After a moment, he glanced back at her.
She was still staring.
‘…Maybe I should just keep quiet.’
Silence filled the room.
The two children simply stared at one another awkwardly for several more seconds. Eventually, Aren couldn’t endure it anymore.
“You’re Kiki, right?” he asked carefully. “From my class?”
“Yes,” Kiki replied immediately.
Silence returned.
After another long pause, Kiki tilted her head slightly.
“Why are you sleeping here?”
“Here?”
“Yes.”
Aren looked around the room uncertainly.
“I don’t know,” he admitted honestly. “When I woke up, I was already here.”
“I see.”
Kiki nodded, folding her hands like an adult, contemplating something.
Aren hesitated briefly before asking, “…Am I not supposed to be here?”
“I don’t know,” Kiki answered bluntly. “This is the abbot’s study. No one is allowed inside.
“Even Kiki isn’t allowed here. Though kiki sneaks in sometimes.”
“…Oh.”
Aren quietly lowered his gaze.
After a short silence, Kiki spoke again, “How did you get sick?”
Aren remained quiet for a moment before answering softly:
“I was thrown out.”
“By your parents?” Kiki asked innocently.
“No.”
“The aunty at the orphanage threw me out.”
Kiki blinked.
“Oh.”
Then, after thinking for a moment:
“So… are you going to live here now?”
“Me?”
Aren looked startled.
“Yes.”
“…Can I?”
“I don’t know.” Kiki swung her legs lightly while sitting on the stool.
“We all live here.
“We’re orphans too.”
Aren quietly listened.
“So…” Kiki looked at him curiously again. “Are you going to stay?”
Aren shook his head slowly.
“I don’t know.”
Silence fell once more.
After a while, Kiki suddenly hopped off the stool. “I have to go now. Lunch should already be ready.”
“If I’m late, those gluttons will eat my portion too.”
Aren blinked.
Kiki pointed toward the empty utensils near the bed.
“Just leave them on the floor afterward. We’ll come collect them later.”
“No, I can—”
Aren tried to refuse politely, but Kiki immediately shook her head.
“Daojin said you need proper rest.”
“Daojin?” Aren asked.
“The big burly monk,” Kiki explained casually.
“…Oh.”
Aren nodded.
“Okay.”
Satisfied, Kiki immediately turned and ran toward the door, seemingly far more worried about losing her lunch than anything else.
The room quickly became quiet again.
It seems like she only came to inquire why Aren had been allowed inside the room.
Aren stared at the closed door for a while before slowly finishing his food.
Afterward, he carefully placed the utensils beneath the bed and lay back down.
Then he suddenly remembered that the monk had given him another book.
Aren reached beside his pillow and picked it up.
The cover showed a serene lake, with a forest background, beneath the moonlight.
At the edge of the lake stood an enormous tree, its branches spreading wide across the night sky. Beneath it sat a monk cross-legged upon a stone slab, meditating peacefully.
The title read:
Buddha — A Prince’s Journey in Search of Truth
Aren quietly stared at the cover for a long time.
Copyright © [May] [2026] [The Rainy Imp]. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, contact the publisher at [
therainyimp@gmail.com
].