Eat The World Tree

Sometimes, when my mind was troubled, simply entering Sansuyu’s room solved most problems.

“Shieun?”

Sansuyu, dressed in her pajamas, opened the door and tilted her head like a curious squirrel as soon as she saw my face.

“What’s up?”

I couldn’t see the transparent pajamas and the undergarments beneath them, but her soft cheeks were the first thing that caught my eye.

-Squeeze.

I grabbed her cheek and stretched it out.

-Stretch!

Sansuyu’s cheek stretched like mochi. It was like magic that washed away the fatigue of the day.

It seemed she had realized that it’s useless to hit my hand or show that she disliked it. She didn’t even try to stop me from pulling her cheek.

I naturally entered Sansuyu’s room and closed the door.

The room was filled with the scent of Sansuyu.

“What did you do today?”

At my question, she stood at the entrance, looking up at me.

Her mouth was visible due to her stretched cheek. The small, red, fruit-like tongue on top of her neat white teeth was adorable.

Pulling her cheek made her twice as cute.

“You touch me too much, Shieun.”

-Slap.

Eventually, she slapped my hand.

She furrowed her brows as if she’s genuinely upset.

She entered the room, clearly showing she’s annoyed. As I watched her from the sofa, she soon walked over, carrying a teacup with a composed expression, as if she hadn’t been irritated earlier.

She had the grace of a host ingrained in her.

She quickly set the teacup, placing the snacks and tea in front of me.

She lightly rested her hand on the lid of the teapot, tilted her head slightly, poured the tea, and offered it to me.

At moments like these, I caught a glimpse of the old Sansuyu.

“The tea is delicious; you brew it well.”

After savoring the aroma and taste, I complimented her honestly.

Though my palate wasn’t sophisticated enough to distinguish between premium black tea and tea bag tea, anything Sansuyu brewed tasted great.

“Is it good?”

“Yeah.”

“I can’t tell. I can’t really taste it. So why did you come?”

“My room still has Bao sleeping in it. I couldn’t just lie down beside him, so I had no choice but to come here.”

I could have stayed in Taeyang and Aori’s room, but their conversations were too intense for me to join in. Their talks were filled with so much innuendo that I felt like I was catching it just by being around them.

“This atmosphere suits me best. Sitting next to someone in this warm, cozy air, feeling my heart calm down. And having delicious tea. There’s someone by my side who heals me just by being there.”

“It’s most comfortable next to you.”

When I spoke honestly, Sansuyu shyly avoided my gaze.

Her teacup showed no signs of being emptied.

“Why?”

“Who knows.”

I used to think that people were just saying that she had a knack for drawing others to her and that she had good luck with people. But looking at her now, it seemed she was really born with such an ability.

“Are you staying over?”

“If that’s okay, I’d love to.”

After finishing the tea, we turned off the lights and got into bed.

Having already slept together many times, there was no awkwardness between us.

With my head on the spare pillow, my mind calmed, I quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Usually, I didn’t feel sleepy at all. The healing power I possessed restored my energy, so I didn’t need to sleep to function.

However, being next to Sansuyu somehow made it possible to sleep every night.

“If you feel unwell, wake me up.”

“Okay.”

With those words, I closed my eyes.

Instead of my usual nightmares, I had a happier dream that night.

It was a dream where I drank milk with a lot of sugar in it.

I tasted breast milk in my mouth.

Not just a hint, but a strong taste. It’s like I woke up in the morning and deliberately drank a whole cup.

“…….”

What’s going on?

Was it just a wild dream? Being next to Sansuyu, did it make me start having these delusions?

When I turned my head, I saw that Sansuyu was already awake, clutching the blanket tightly with both hands and staring at me.

Her eyes looked rounder than usual.

Today, the two large peaks rising beneath the blanket seemed oddly annoying.

“Sansuyu.”

“…Yes.”

“Did you, by any chance, do something to me last night?”

Sansuyu shook her head vigorously.

There was no way she’d lie. Trusting her implicitly, I dropped my suspicion and scratched the back of my head.

“Really? Alright.”

Though I felt a bit uneasy, I somehow felt happier after speaking.

Anyway,

Starting today, the second trial continued.

Unlike the first trial, this one wouldn’t be filmed.

The trees were uncomfortable with being filmed, and sometimes they made unreasonable demands, so the World Tree had prohibited broadcasting.

Those arrogant trees wouldn’t stand for their reputation being tarnished.

Considering their behavior didn’t reflect well in the public eye, the decision was made not to broadcast it.

It’s not without merit, but after weighing all the factors, it was decided not to air it.

Instead, the success or failure of the participants’ trials would be posted separately on a website.

I left Sansuyu’s room and returned to my own to prepare. I worried that Bao might have caused some trouble, but fortunately, most of my belongings were intact.

After changing into the participant uniform, I headed to the trial.

This time, there was no speech or anything similar. After receiving individual instructions, I could meet with the tree at a time that suited me.

I sat in a chair, waiting for Lim Jonghyun to come out after receiving his instructions. Did he pass as well? Was he really that skilled? The thought crossed my mind, but it was interrupted when Lim Jonghyun turned his head and walked out. Now it was my turn. As I stood up, Lim Jonghyun paused and looked at me.

He had a very annoyed expression. I gave a vague smile and walked forward. Lim Jonghyun watched me for a moment, then left the area. Ignoring his gaze, I headed toward the reception desk.

“Hello.”

“Oh! Hello, Cadet Lee Shiheon. I really enjoyed watching your performance in the first trial.”

The receptionist, who was in charge of the El Academy cadets, smiled brightly and extended a hand as soon as she saw me.

“Oh… really?”

“Of course. Haven’t you checked the internet? Everyone is talking about it.”

Come to think of it, I hadn’t checked the internet yet. I had spent most of my free time arguing with Bao, so I completely forgot.

“I’m not used to this kind of attention, haha….”

Wondering how to respond, I awkwardly laughed, thinking it would be best to humbly brush it off. The receptionist smiled at me as if she found my reaction cute and said,

“Oh, come on. After this selection competition, you’re going to be really busy.” “Do you think so?” “Haha, of course~ You fought against a National Tree. It’s still hard for me to believe it.”

I hadn’t intended for my name to become so widely known. It was a trial where I kept encountering National Trees. Because of that, I had no choice but to push my limits and use my status window.

“Well, when else would I get to fight a National Tree? If we fought seriously, I would definitely lose.”

“Pfft, that’s true. Normally, people wouldn’t even dare.”

This was the only way I could explain how I managed to tie with a National Tree. Due to security reasons, National Trees couldn’t fully utilize their power. When the power of a Tree was unleashed, its potential increased explosively. So, my explanation wasn’t entirely without merit.

“Oh, right. The trial explanation… I got so excited talking about Cadet Lee Shiheon that I almost forgot. For the second trial, please move to the basement. The World Tree candidate you’ll be meeting is in room D-521.”

Room D-521. I memorized the name internally.

“You’re in the same room as Cadet Lim Jonghyun?”

“Really?”

“Yes. You can enter the room at any time, but it’s best to coordinate with the tree in advance. Quite a few participants have been disqualified for offending them.”

Disqualified for offending them? Was that even possible?

The receptionist’s expression was nonchalant, as if she were stating a matter of fact. It seemed the second trial might not go as smoothly as I hoped. Before leaving the reception desk, I carefully asked the receptionist,

“Wouldn’t it be a good idea to at least show my face today?”

“Of course. The sooner, the better. After all, you’ll be the first to meet the tree.”

As the receptionist spoke, I suddenly recalled how Lim Jonghyun had glared at me earlier. Did he know that I would be meeting the same tree? The thought sent a chill down my spine.

The sooner you meet them, the better impression you’d make. It’s common sense.

Just like how a manager or department head would naturally favor an employee who arrived 30 minutes early over one who came on time. No matter how rational someone was, emotions still play a role. And what about trees that lived in their own pride?

“Understood.”

With that response, I hurriedly grabbed the documents she handed me and headed down to the basement. I passed by other cadets on my way to the place where the trees that might one day become World Trees were kept.

I ran as fast as I could and grabbed the doorknob of room D-521.

-Thunk!

The doorknob didn’t turn all the way and got stuck halfway. Someone had already beaten me to it.

“Sigh.”

(In Use)

I noticed the sign hanging on the door.

I fiddled with the doorknob a few more times in frustration before taking a step back. There was a bench for waiting participants, so I sat down and sighed in disappointment.

It couldn’t be helped. No matter how temperamental the trees were, they wouldn’t disqualify someone over who entered first, would they? But if they were determined to find fault, they could.

‘I can’t afford to be disqualified.’

Given the possibility that the Flower might appear, I needed to stay here as long as possible. I thought power alone would be enough, but now I realized they also expected us to navigate these political subtleties.

I opened the document I had just received and read its contents. There was a picture of a tree with sharp green leaves, dressed in a beautiful outfit. My mind froze at that moment. The idea of a tree wearing clothes was completely foreign to me.

‘…Is that lingerie?’

The fabric draped over the tree revealed just enough to suggest it. I quickly covered the photo with my hand. I couldn’t bear to look at it any longer. On the left side of the document was a brief summary of the tree I was going to meet.

Name: Merry.

Species: Huai Tree.

Height and Weight: 2m 16cm / Unspecified.

Likes: Tasty water and fertilizer, pranks.

Dislikes: Humans.

“…….”

-Dislikes: Humans.

Why did I always have such bad luck with trees?

-Click.

At that moment, the door opened. Lim Jonghyun walked out, glanced at me, and smirked before passing by. His mocking expression was the least of my concerns right now. A tree was peeking out from the door, looking at me. Among the branches, fabric resembling a wedding dress was draped, and at the top, a tiara adorned with jewels sat.

Each leaf gleamed with a deep green light, as if to prove that it had grown in a noble place, with no signs of damage or decay. I grimaced as I looked at the tree.

[What are you doing?]

The tree spoke.

[Are humans so rude? You didn’t even greet me. Being late, you’re just proving you’re an inferior species.]

The tree’s words struck my ears like a hammer. Having inherited the power of the Tree Spirit King, I was confident in my ability to communicate with trees better than anyone.

That was why her voice resonated so vividly in my ears, like listening to a local broadcast.

‘What am I going to do?’

I started to worry about the future.