The fish who had been smiling while watching that checked the time and was startled.
“Oh dear, I should get going now. I ran away for a moment because I felt a familiar energy. I need to start tidying up soon too.”
“Yes. I’ll visit later.”
Watching his retreating figure as he waved his hand and leisurely went on his way twirling his umbrella, I surveyed the surroundings. Perhaps because he left, the fish made of water that had been around disappeared.
In the quiet stillness, my head felt a bit dizzy. Have I, seen this scene somewhere before? I don’t know why I feel this sense of longing and at the same time an empty heart.
Bihyeon approached me as I stared blankly into the air and grabbed my collar.
“Let’s go. There’s still a lot to see.”
“…Ah… yes.”
“Are you sick somewhere?”
No, rather my condition was very good. Maybe it’s because I ate the rice cake the rat-nim gave me. I shook my head and smiled, then grabbed Bihyeon’s hand and walked forward quickly.
Since I’m already here, let’s not think about other things and just enjoy the festival. Today is this man’s birthday. So all the more reason to have a joyful heart.
“Let’s hurry.”
I smiled brightly and pulled him along.
We walked while slowly looking at the food with our eyes. Most of it was similar to human festivals.
Walking down the street, I found cotton candy and pointed at it. As if he really hated sweet things, he turned his head away with a “Mm,” which made me burst out laughing.
Just as we were about to pass by, the merchant smiled and tapped my shoulder, then handed me a cotton candy. It was a fluffy color like clouds.
As I raised my head going “Hm?”, somehow it was a familiar face.
Huh?
“Uh… Boss Ppik!”
“Hey, Hansol, if I’d known you were coming here, I would have set aside more food! Bihyeon-nim, congratulations on your birthday.”
The boss’s eyes sparkled with a truly welcoming face. Haha, smiling brightly, he pressed the pretty cotton candy, of which there wasn’t much left, into my hand.
Bihyeon smiled and nodded.
“Thank you. What, you’ve already sold a ton?”
“That’s right! The cookies you made are already all sold out. You have no idea how popular they are…”
“That’s a relief.”
“Ah! Wait.”
While the boss went to get something, I smiled and looked at the cotton candy, then held it out to Bihyeon. While smiling at the corners of his mouth, he smoothly turned his head away.
I tore off a bit of it and put it in my mouth. It was truly fluffy and sweet like clouds.
Wow, so this is what cotton candy tastes like. I saw kids eating it a lot when I was young, but this was my first time trying it myself. It’s the same as human world cotton candy, right?
“Is it delicious?”
“Try it. It’s like clouds.”
“Clouds?”
“Yes, it looks like clouds too, doesn’t it?”
When I held out the cotton candy and poked my head forward, Bihyeon made a “Haha” sound.
His mouth was smiling, but I thought his eyes looking at me seemed a bit sad somehow.
Is he thinking of that child while looking at me? Do we resemble each other that much… I blinked, then the boss who brought the food packed in a box handed it to Bihyeon.
“Here, take this and share it with your guests. I packed only our popular products. The pumpkin taffy is so delicious too.”
“…Alright.”
The boss glanced at me and winked, as if I was included among the guests.
Boss… Bihyeon-nim doesn’t like sweet things…
Looking at his eyes, as expected. He was smiling but subtly turning his head.
“Uh, um… Ah. Boss, is there plenty of cookies left to sell tomorrow?”
I stared at Bihyeon, then urgently spoke to change the subject.
“Of course! I’ll give you a bigger bonus as they sell here, so wait for it.”
Another bonus?
Fine by me. I nodded and at the words telling us to hurry along, I waved and walked the street again with Bihyeon. As I ate the cotton candy, Bihyeon, who seemed anxious I might bump into someone, wrapped his arm around my shoulder and tilted his head.
“Is it that delicious?”
Hm? Ah. I must have been smiling.
I raised my hand to touch the corners of my mouth, then just laughed, “Ahaha.”
“Yes. Um, I just feel good.”
I honestly don’t really know what the taste is like, but it was literally just good.
I had plenty of opportunities to buy it as an adult, but I deliberately didn’t. Maybe it’s because I remembered my aunt who so fiercely scolded me not to eat it when I was young…
If I’d known it had such a fluffy taste, I would have bought it much sooner. As I smiled slightly and tore off a bit of cotton candy, Bihyeon approached and took it with his mouth. He ate just a little bit and chewed, then covered the corners of his mouth with a “Mm” as if it was very sweet.
That sight was funny and cute, so laughter burst out.
“Oh? Look what they’re doing over there.”
As we walked down the street more and came to a wide area, I saw people performing a small show there.
When I lightly grabbed Bihyeon’s collar and pointed there, he raised the corners of his mouth.
“Shall we go see?”
“Yes. Let’s go.”
All the performers were in hanbok with tree bodies. Those wearing golden masks were playing janggu, ringing kkwaenggwari, and spinning sangmo. There were also those spreading fans with a swish and dancing while fluttering their splendid hanbok. Around them, non-human beings of various appearances sat in a circle watching.
I took Bihyeon closer, sat him in a spot with a good view, then took a seat next to him. He, who had been glancing at me, just smiled without saying much, perhaps because I was enjoying it like a child.
Though there wasn’t tremendous music, my body naturally got excited and I clapped along with those beside me.
‘Being with Bihyeon-nim feels like dreaming.’
Even this moment right now felt like I was dreaming. Maybe it’s because everything unfolding before my eyes is so unrealistic.
The one with the fan who had been spinning round and round approaching those watching stopped in front of me. They spread the fan in front of me, then smoothly touched the flower drawn inside. They looked at me once, looked at the fan again, tilted their head, then pulled out a golden flower I’d never seen before and handed it to me.
Wow. My eyes sparkled as I received the flower. The eyes of the mask folded and the mouth smiled prettily, then they went back to the center and danced merrily.
Holding the flower stem tightly, when the short performance was completely over, I clapped enthusiastically.
Unable to shake off the lingering impression, I took a deep breath and finally got up from my seat.
“Today, it feels like I’m the one receiving gifts from you, Bihyeon-nim.”
“Mm?”
“Here, I’ll give this to you.”
I held out the flower I was still clutching tightly in my hand.
Then Bihyeon smiled. He just smiled without taking it, so I tucked it into the ornament on Bihyeon’s hanbok.
“It seems like only I had fun today. A gift containing my feelings.”
After carefully tucking it into the ornament and stepping back one step, I smiled playfully.
Bihyeon, who had been looking at me, soon nodded. I was worried what if he refused, but fortunately he seemed willing to just accept it.
The end of the festival street was gradually coming into view. It definitely doesn’t feel like much time has passed.
When I glanced at my phone, it was already past 3 o’clock.
“Shall we head back soon?”
I want to look around more like this, but… guests will keep coming to the palace, so we should head back soon.
Bihyeon, who checked the time, nodded. I turned around and walked back the way we came. They said the festival goes on all day—as some shops closed, other shops came in to fill the spots again, so on the way back I could see new food and goods being sold.
Throughout the way, Bihyeon thought about something else for a moment, then muttered quietly.
“I had fun too.”
Thump!
Though he spoke very quietly, barely audible, it definitely reached me. Smiling so prettily, Bihyeon went to a corner, summoned a door, and immediately crossed through it.
Staring at him blankly, I turned around and captured the festival street still sparkling with splendid lights in my eyes once more.
I’m leaving after having fun. Really, today I’m leaving with a big gift.
I smiled quietly by myself, bowed my head slightly, turned around, and crossed through the door. The palace household members sitting in the pavilion turned their heads to look at us.
“You’re back? You came back earlier than I expected.”
“Yes. Ah, could you come here?”
“Yes.”
Bihyeon, who went to a corner of the yard and gestured to me, took out the branch from his ornament and tapped it on the ground.
“Let’s see how happy you were today.”
“Pardon?”
Surprised by the voice containing playfulness, I answered, and the small branch that took root in the ground instantly grew. The golden flowers I’d never seen before that bloomed on the huge tree swayed and petals scattered.
“Wow…!”
My eyes sparkled as I smiled brightly.
Reaching out into the air and flailing, I caught one petal slowly swaying down.
Then I opened my hand and showed it to Bihyeon.
“Look at this, Bihyeon-nim. I…”
‘Look at this, Bihyeon-nim, I caught this!’
Huh…?
The clear laughter of a giggling child came, so I slowly raised my head.
Blinking, my gaze met with Bihyeon’s. While smiling gently, his eyes looking at me had sunk a bit sadly. But that was only for a moment—his eyes that immediately changed playfully touched my hand.
“It seems good fortune will come to you tomorrow.”
“…Yes…”
I clenched the awkwardly extended hand tightly and subtly lowered it.
I smiled awkwardly and averted my gaze. My feelings were strange. I felt like I had eavesdropped on something I shouldn’t have heard. Slowly stepping backward, I soon took off the durumagi and handed it to him.
“Today, thank you.”
“…Yes.”
“Happy birthday once more. Um… I’ll be going.”
I felt like I needed to get out of here quickly. Staring blankly at the ground, I turned around.
At that moment, my eyes met with the White Tiger who was leisurely lying on the veranda swishing his tail. When I smiled awkwardly and bowed, he lightly came down and approached me.
Calm eyes looked at me. I lowered my body to meet his eyes and smiled slightly.
“White Tiger-nim, I’ll be going. Please be careful on your way back.”
“…Alright.”
At my words, his tail swayed. The White Tiger, who answered a bit late, nodded and spoke very quietly.
“Don’t give up… I hope you’ll endure.”
Endure…? I was curious about his enigmatic words. I stood up and greeted the palace household members with my eyes, then turned my head to look at the White Tiger again. But he had already withdrawn his gaze from me and was heading to his room.
