Chapter 1042
Cui Ming: Xin Cheng, I'm giving you face in front of your sister.
Choi Myung raised an eyebrow when he saw Shinjo being pushed forward by Mayumi, and walked over to the two of them. Miyuki followed behind, and seeing Shinjo's nervous expression, she couldn't help but smile.
"Good morning, Instructor!" Shinjo stood ramrod straight, his voice several decibels louder than usual, like a student being called on. Mayumi smiled politely and greeted him, "Mr. Choi Myung, hello, I'm Shinjo's younger sister, Mayumi."
"No need to be so tense, today isn't a training day." Cui Ming looked at Xin Cheng's tense shoulders, his tone very calm, his gaze shifting between him and Mayumi. "Are you two siblings here to play?"
"Yes, yes!" Shinjo nodded quickly, his hand unconsciously clenching the coffee cup. "I just happened to be off today, so I accompanied Mayumi to do some shopping."
Mayumi noticed his embarrassment and took the initiative to speak: "I've often heard Shinjo say that Mr. Choi Myung was particularly good on the battlefield and was his role model."
These words made Xincheng's face turn red instantly, and he quickly retorted in a low voice, "Who told you that! When did I say that!"
Watching the interaction between the brother and sister, Cui Ming couldn't help but laugh: "Xin Cheng's combat ability is indeed quite good, it's just... his 'luck' when flying is a bit lacking." When "flying" was mentioned, Xin Cheng lowered his head even further, like a child who had done something wrong.
Miyuki gently tugged at Choi Myung's sleeve, signaling with her eyes to stop teasing Shinjo. Choi Myung understood and instead said, "Where are you planning to go next? The roller coasters at the amusement park are quite famous, want to try them?"
“We were just about to go!” Mayumi answered first, patting Shinjo’s arm. “Right, bro?”
Shinjo nodded vigorously, as if grasping at a lifeline: "Yes, yes, yes! Then, instructor, we'll head over first, we won't bother you any longer!" After saying that, he pulled Mayumi and walked towards the roller coaster, his steps so fast it was as if he were fleeing the scene.
Watching his retreating figure, Mayumi didn't forget to turn back and wave at Choi Myung and Miyuki, muttering, "Brother, why are you running so fast? Mr. Choi Myung isn't going to eat you!"
Cui Ming watched the two figures disappear into the crowd and shook his head helplessly: "That kid is still so afraid of me."
Miyuki took a bite of her marshmallow and said with a smile, "Actually, Mr. Shinjo is a very nice person, he's just too nervous in front of you."
"It'll get better with time." Cui Ming took her hand again and pointed to the bumper car area not far away. "Come on, let's go play there. I saw you staring at that area for a while."
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the two of them. Laughter and music from the amusement park mingled, gently fading away the unexpected encounter and leaving only the ease and comfort of the moment. Choi Myung held Miyuki's hand as they walked along the stone path of the amusement park. Seeing the girl's eyes light up at the sight of the carousel, his heart softened. To be honest, he had always been exceptionally tolerant of Miyuki—even when she occasionally lost control of her emotions due to worry for her family, even when she sometimes said extreme things like "we might as well die together," Choi Myung had never truly blamed her.
He knew all too well how rare and precious Miyuki was. Many people talk about "sacrificing family for the greater good," but when faced with former family members who are now enemies, most hesitate, become soft-hearted, and simply can't bring themselves to do it. But Miyuki was different. From the very beginning, she was clear-headed about that if her family couldn't be saved and were completely controlled by the Radam creatures, she would end it all herself, even if it meant a lifetime of suffering for herself.
Cui Ming still remembered the scene when he first heard Mei Xue say those words—the girl sat by the window, clutching old photos of her family, her eyes filled with determination, yet hiding a barely perceptible tremor. At that moment, Cui Ming was truly moved. This kind of awareness is not something everyone possesses, especially for a young girl like her; it is all the more precious.
Of course, Cui Ming understood that those who couldn't bring themselves to do it weren't wrong; it was simply human nature. After all, they were family members connected by blood—how could they just let go of them? But on the battlefield, such hesitation often became a fatal weakness, even dragging down their teammates. In this respect, Mei Xue was stronger than many others—she could distinguish between what was important and what was not, and could make the right choice at crucial moments, even if that choice would leave her battered and bruised.
However, Cui Ming never intended for Mei Xue to go that far. He always told himself that if he could save her, he must, even if the hope was slim, he had to try.
Some said he was too persistent, even foolish, but Cui Ming didn't care. He knew what kind of person he was—he wasn't some lofty hero, just an ordinary person, a bit selfish, and vengeful. Otherwise, he wouldn't have fought the Star Guide's schemes for so long in countless cycles of reincarnation, never backing down even when he was battered and bruised each time.
To Cui Ming, Mei Xue was like a ray of light in the darkness. Her strength and determination showed him the most dazzling side of humanity. Therefore, he was willing to embrace her vulnerability, accompany her to the amusement park to relax, and do everything in his power to help her rescue her family. He didn't want this light to go out, didn't want this foolish girl to end everything in such an extreme way.
"Cui, look at that!" Miyuki suddenly pointed to the cotton candy stand not far away and excitedly tugged at his hand. "I want to eat the pink one!"
Cui Ming snapped out of his reverie and looked at the pure smile on Mei Xue's face; the heaviness in his heart instantly dissipated. He smiled and nodded, "Okay, let's go buy it, and we'll get the biggest one."
As Cui Ming led Miyuki by the hand toward the cotton candy stand, he silently told himself—no matter how many difficulties they faced in the future, no matter how long the battle against the Star Guides would last, he would protect the girl beside him, help her find her family, and let her continue to smile happily like she did now. This wasn't a hero's mission, just an ordinary person's promise to someone he cared about.
Choi Myung took the pink cotton candy from Mi-seok and watched her carefully take a bite, her lips smeared with sugar frosting yet her smile exceptionally bright. The little incident caused by the hidden weapon had long since vanished from his mind. He secretly gripped the mini dagger hidden in his sleeve, his fingertips touching the cold metal, but only one thought remained in his mind—he hoped that today would be peaceful and that nothing untoward would bother him.
It's rare to see Miyuki so happy.
From the moment he met this girl, a heavy weight always clung to her face. She was either staring blankly at family photos or silently studying materials on fighting Radam. This carefree smile while holding a cotton candy was something Cui Ming had never seen before. He even considered taking Miyuki on the carousel later; if she dared to try it, he wouldn't mind taking her on the roller coaster too—as long as she could stay this happy, this little "compromise" was nothing. (End of Chapter)