“I’ll try my best.”
“Make sure to take all these medicines every time you eat.”
“Yes.”
“If anything feels wrong, you must call me. Right now, you can’t feel even the slightest pain. If you do, it’s seriously life-threatening.”
“Yes, I will.”
When I nodded, the sheep who had been hesitating for a long time worriedly got up from his seat. He seemed to be saying he needed to make more medicine to give me. When the sheep opened the door, the fox, bear, and tiger, who seemed to have had their ears pressed to the door from outside, simultaneously leaned forward. When I opened my eyes wide in surprise, the fox and bear glanced at me and looked in different directions. Among them, only the tiger spoke to me with a calm face.
“We were worried.”
Bihyeon, who had been watching their behavior as if observing, turned his gaze to me. While smiling at the corner of his mouth and pointing that way, it seemed like he was asking, ‘Should I scold them?’ so I quickly shook my head.
“Ah, well….”
When I tried to apologize, the bear quickly reached out his hand and showed his palm. Um… since he’s a bear, should I call it a paw pad…?
“Don’t apologize! You decided to die and deliberately spoke coldly!”
“Yes, that’s right….”
“And now you’ve decided to try living again for our sake.”
“That’s also right.”
“That’s enough then.”
The bear spoke weakly but smiled.
“I don’t have much I can do… but I’ll make you lots of delicious things.”
“Eating delicious things is such a happy thing.”
When I frowned and spoke, the bear approached me and tousled and stroked my head.
“Thank you.”
“I’m more grateful….”
Sniffle. The bear who had been rubbing his nose with his hand jumped up and quickly left the room saying he needed to prepare something delicious. The fox and tiger watching us made eye contact with each other then burst into small laughter.
“Then I should clean the dining room. It would be terrible if a sick child breathes dust.”
“I need to catch a lot of chickens.”
“Hansol isn’t a child anymore, how long are you going to treat him like one? Everyone show respect!”
The sheep, who had opened the door and was looking at this situation with disbelief and fierceness, shouted. Only the fox giggled and answered that he understood. Even so, saying he needed to quickly gather medicinal herbs, the sheep also hurriedly left the room. It was like a storm had passed. I looked around the quiet room and exhaled. Then laughter leaked out. I had a strange feeling of returning to a longed-for home I’d left long ago.
“Somehow… everyone is really just the same.”
“That would be so.”
Huh? Formal speech? I was flustered to hear somewhat playful formal speech like when we met at the cafe.
“…Um… why are you suddenly using formal speech again?”
“To show respect.”
This person… no, not person. This god. He’s teasing me. It’s annoying but not hateful, so I chuckled.
“Yes, please respect me. I’m not that small kid from back then anymore.”
“You didn’t grow much in height though.”
“Wow… I’m three times bigger?”
“Then grow bigger than me.”
…I’m trying to hate you. When I glanced and glared at Bihyeon, he smiled with his eyes and stroked my head.
“You listened well to what Malgeum said, right? Eat well, sleep well, and rest well.”
Hmm, I’d like to do that comfortably in my heart… but since I decided to live anyway, I had to worry about what I needed to pay next month first. Debt, rent, phone bills, and so on. When I lowered my head and fell into thought for a moment, Bihyeon tilted his head and looked at me. And he stroked his chin as if he roughly knew what I was worried about.
“First, to relieve your worries, let me say.”
“Yes….”
When I answered weakly, Bihyeon continued.
“The Golden Dragon is a judge who stays in the center, but also a god of wealth.”
Is that why he’s golden? Feeling like I’d realized something, I looked at Bihyeon with serious eyes. Then he shrugged and said nonchalantly.
“First of all, there won’t be any existence with more money than me in this world.”
The money here seems to be exactly the same as in our world…? When I blinked and stood blankly, Bihyeon chuckled.
“I earn well in that world too. For this world’s money to circulate, I need to earn a lot.”
So he’s incredibly rich beyond imagination…? But what does that have to do with me? That’s Bihyeon’s money, not mine. When I blinked and stayed still, Bihyeon let out a small sigh as if he’d expected this.
“Even if I tell you to take everything I have and spend it freely, you won’t, so I’ll just handle it myself.”
“Why would I use Bihyeon-nim’s money…?”
Who would take money someone else earned with difficulty and spend it like their own…? When I spoke with serious eyes, Bihyeon nodded as if he’d expected this too, resting his chin.
“You took the Cintamani. Then from now on, I’m your guardian. Your protector.”
Ah, this… it seems like he’s going to solve everything with money too. I didn’t know that making me happy meant materially. Hearing he has tons of money made me feel a little less burdened, but I still didn’t feel right about it in my heart. Still, it must be money Bihyeon-nim earned with difficulty…? Bihyeon, who was watching my troubled face, poked my cheek gently so it wouldn’t hurt.
“Just accept it. Since I forcibly made you live, it’s also compensation.”
“Why do you say it so painfully?”
“You know it’s painful? Then will you just let it go?”
“…Um… should I…? I was actually worried about it.”
Honestly, that was the biggest problem, so for now I had no choice but to accept it obediently. I’ll get better and increase my part-time jobs to pay it back. Still, since becoming alone, this was the first time I heard such words, so I was very grateful. Thanks to that, my heart seemed to feel much more at ease.
“I settled all the debt under your name while you were sleeping.”
“I see… what?”
“You said you’d let it go.”
“No….”
I didn’t mean to let this go? As I was moving my lips, Bihyeon laid me down properly, covered me well with the blanket, then covered my eyes. I was pondering how to react to this when suddenly sleep came over me. No… don’t put me to sleep. Let me talk a bit….
* * *
“Sol, wake up. Let’s have lunch.”
Lunch…? I rubbed my eyes and got up groggily. Bihyeon came close to me holding a bowl of porridge and sat down. Now I noticed the flower branches the Mountain God gave me were in a vase in the room. Ah, Mountain God-nim… I need to apologize and say thank you. I turned my gaze back to Bihyeon who naturally scooped porridge with a spoon and brought it to my lips.
“Should I cool it down more?”
Ah, formal speech again. At that playful smile, I shook my head. And I opened my mouth and obediently ate it.
“Where is Mountain God-nim now?”
“He used up all his energy and would have fallen asleep inside the lake.”
As I chewed the porridge and looked into space, Bihyeon reached out and cupped my cheek.
“Don’t worry. We recover quickly.”
“Does that mean it doesn’t hurt?”
“It must mean the Mountain God was that desperate.”
Now I couldn’t say the words, “What am I that…” How many did I make cry and hurt… I fidgeted with my fingers. Even so, I obediently ate the porridge Bihyeon gave me. Getting better physically should be the priority first. Only then can I go buy gifts for them or do whatever.
“I need to get better soon.”
“That’s the most welcome thing I’ve heard.”
I made eye contact with Bihyeon who grinned and scooped porridge to offer it. He was somewhat annoying but I opened my mouth and ate it. As I unconsciously stroked my stomach, his gaze naturally went to my hand and then my stomach. Although he wore his usual expressionless face, those eyes sank strangely. I reached out to cup his cheek and carefully stroked around his eyes.
“I’ll get better soon.”
Anyway, I decided to live. I need to focus on recovery for the sake of those who worry about me too.
“Not for others, you need to get better for yourself.”
He spoke in a somewhat reproaching tone as if he’d read my thoughts.
“…Do you read my thoughts with the Cintamani too?”
“I don’t intend to read them. But when your emotions become intense, they’ll be forcibly transmitted to me.”
“So you can read them if you want.”
“Even without reading, I know what you’re thinking anyway.”
Does that mean I’m completely transparent? I glanced at him then grumbled.
“I’m not an obvious person. Ah… am I not a person anymore now?”
When I spoke jokingly but my face became serious, Bihyeon chuckled.
“Be a person. If you want.”
“How can I be a person when I have the Cintamani?”
“Something like a shaman who’s with the Golden Dragon?”
Not serving but ‘with’… I do like that word.
“What is that? I don’t know how to use talismans.”
“Last time I saw, you drew along quite well though.”
When I looked at him with eyes saying don’t joke around, Bihyeon fed me porridge and said nonchalantly.
“It’s not entirely wrong. Even before receiving the Cintamani, your body was already a large vessel meant to contain a god. Your mother in this life probably was too.”
Ah… so Mom in this life also had a body meant to receive a god. She didn’t show it separately. There was no sign of divine illness or anything, so I had no idea. Or not. Thinking about that accident, I can’t say it’s completely not.
“Then that accident was….”
“No, that involved an evil god’s and humans’ intervention. You received the blessing of none other than the Creator God, so it would be correct that most gods couldn’t interfere with you.”
Ah… is that also talking about Aunt? While thinking it’s typical of him not to tell me who, this moment when I immediately know who it is became bitter. By the way, Creator God? There’s one god that comes to mind, so I blinked.
“If it’s the Creator God….”
“The god who governs all life of the earth and nature, and the father who created us. Also called the God of Life.”
“That god with many eyes?”
At my question, Bihyeon nodded slowly and cleared away the finished porridge. Then he took out the medicine placed beside and offered it with water. I put quite a lot of medicine in my mouth and gulped down the water. I felt a slightly bitter taste, but I didn’t register it because of the shock of realizing the god I saw wasn’t the mountain-guarding god but a much greater god. It wasn’t the Mountain God but the Creator God….
“Excuse me! You’re here, right?”
Just then, an unfamiliar voice came from outside. It was a lively yet beautiful voice I was hearing for the first time since coming here.
