After confirming that I had taken all the medicine, Bihyeon turned his gaze toward the door half a beat late.
“Mm… today Sol’s guest has come for you.”
“For me?”
Why is my guest coming here…? Flustered, I rolled my eyes this way and that and tried to get up from my seat. But he stopped me.
“Where does a patient think they’re going?”
Before I could answer anything, the door burst open.
“Come here!”
They were a truly lively person. A height a bit shorter than me, and an incredibly white and fair face. I stared blankly at that beautiful face before snapping back to attention and standing up. Of course, this time I was stopped by the guest. They had only raised their hand as if to tell me not to get up, but I felt a strange feeling that I should obey. Unlike their face that smiled so brightly that anyone watching would smile along, I felt a heavy yet sacred aura.
“May I come in?”
“Please come in.”
“May I come in?”
This time they asked me. So I nodded my head quickly.
“Good! Then excuse me. Thank you for inviting me.”
The guest who entered with a bright smile walked toward me with big strides. Flustered, I leaned my waist back, and they plopped down in front of me. When I glanced at Bihyeon, he was being extremely polite, bowing his head and moving aside. What? Is this someone even higher than him? Should I bow too? When I looked down with serious eyes and bowed my head, they laughed—hahaha!—and waved their hand.
“That’s enough, right now I’m just a wandering merchant collecting items that leave their owners.”
“A wandering merchant… Ah! Are you the person Seodam-nim mentioned?”
“Seodam talked about me? You must be a really good kid. Well, you’re a child that even that Creator God finds lovely.”
“I-I’m not that good of a kid….”
Everyone’s evaluation of me is too excessive. I’m not that good of a kid or that nice. When I spoke stammering, the wandering merchant laughed—hahaha!—cheerfully.
“You’re harsh in your self-evaluation.”
“There is that side to me.”
“Good children should be given really good things. Baby, give me the house in your house.”
“My name is Yoon Hansol. But if you mean house… my house?”
That’s—I moved in as a monthly rental, so it’s not mine…. As I blinked my eyes in confusion, the wandering merchant smiled brightly and stuck out their hand.
“No, Hansol. The house in your house.”
The house in our house? What does that mean? I looked at Bihyeon with wavering eyes. Then Bihyeon laughed softly and mouthed the words “Seodam.” Ah! They’re talking about that small house the rat gave me.
“My name is Munsaebyeok, and I’ll collect that house myself. You’ll give it to me, right?”
“Yes… Seodam-nim told me to do so.”
As soon as my permission fell, that small dollhouse appeared in front of the wandering merchant. Startled, I let out an “Eek!” and pulled my body back, and Bihyeon carefully grabbed my shoulder. It was an action that seemed to worry not just about me being startled but about straining my body.
“If it’s you, I feel like you’d tell me to give Seodam compensation. Don’t worry, I’ll fairly give Seodam something good too. Got it?”
“That….”
How did they know…? The wandering merchant laughed—ahaha—and held out a glass bottle filled with white pellets to me. They were sparkling with beautiful light as if filled with small jewels. Wow, it’s pretty.
“I just happened to swiftly snatch this from the old hag.”
Old h… is it okay for a god to say that…? At the wandering merchant who was smiling brightly as if asking what I was waiting for and why wasn’t I taking it, I accepted the glass bottle for now.
“Eat one at a time after every meal without fail. When you finish all of that, your body will recover enough that you can go outside and run around.”
“Thank you.”
But is it okay for me to receive this? As I held the glass bottle tightly in confusion, the wandering merchant laughed brightly—ahaha.
“No need to be grateful. Compared to this house, it’s nothing. Originally it doesn’t work on humans because it’s from the Heavenly Realm, but since you swallowed the Cintamani, it’ll work really well.”
“…What? The Heavenly Realm?”
“The Heavenly Realm.”
When I pointed upward with my finger, the wandering merchant smiled brightly and nodded their head largely. As I opened my mouth blankly, Bihyeon sighed. Then he reached out his hand and opened the door. The bear who had prepared sweets and tea saw the wandering merchant and made an “Oh!” sound, his eyes sparkling as if pleased.
“Saebyeok-nim, you came? It’s been a while.”
“Yeah, it’s been a while. Since Hyeonwoong gave it to me, I should drink it all before leaving.”
“Just leave quickly.”
“Hey now, a guest doesn’t leave food behind.”
“Hansol, you just drink the tea. The sweets aren’t allowed yet!”
Right, right. Suddenly the bear spoke to me with a fierce expression and stood up from his seat. Mm, should I just give up thinking like before? Yeah, when even the Earth God exists, why wouldn’t the Heavenly Realm exist? Perhaps seeing me whose expression kept changing, Bihyeon and the wandering merchant laughed at the same time.
“I feel like it, I’ll give this to the baby too.”
“I have nothing to give… And Saebyeok-nim, I’m not of an age to be called baby.”
“You haven’t lived that long, if you’re younger than this guy, you’re all babies. And originally babies just accept when adults give them things.”
The wandering merchant who had been speaking playfully, drawing out their words, pointed at the bear. Then, telling me not to worry about trivial things, they smiled brightly and took out one large candle and dark red matches from their bosom and held them out to me. When I hesitated and then accepted them, the wandering merchant smiled gently and spoke in a low voice.
“I brought it from hell. Even without oil, if there’s anything evil, it’ll burn it all up. The moment you need it will come.”
When I met those eyes that shone darkly, at that moment I felt like I was facing a tremendously huge being. Similar to when I met the Creator God, but a bit darker and heavier….
“I….”
Before I could say more, the wandering merchant raised their hand and brought their index finger in front of their own lips. It was an expression telling me not to speak further. When I shut my mouth tightly and looked at what I’d received, the wandering merchant who smiled brightly again smoothly stroked my head.
“Hansol, now you only have happy things left ahead.”
I blinked my eyes a few times and made eye contact with them. This time they were smiling with affectionate eyes.
“Hurry and get well. I’m also curious about the future you all will paint.”
Why… did I suddenly feel that way? An atmosphere like the Creator God. But that energy resembled the White Tiger. Fragile and precarious as if about to disappear at any moment.
“Um… ah, can I see you again?”
“Of course. But why? Is there something you want?”
They really seemed curious, sparkling their eyes like a child and pushing their face toward me. It was a different beauty from Bihyeon. Should I say a slender and fair face?
“I want to give you something too.”
“If you’re going to give me something, you’d have to receive something too, wouldn’t you?”
“Can’t I just give it? Since I also received this for free.”
When I held out the candle as I spoke, the wandering merchant who had been pondering—hmm—finished their tea and stood up from their seat.
“Then prepare something small.”
“Yes, I will.”
“Really, this is why we can’t get our heads straight. Humans are just too lovable. So hateful yet….”
The wandering merchant who had been muttering raised their hand and waved it. Then with determined eyes, they pointed at the glass bottle I was holding.
“You can eat it together with the medicine Malgeum made, so don’t forget and eat it faithfully. Got it?”
“Yes, I will.”
“Ah, right. Since it’s bitter, make sure to eat it with candy.”
“It’s bitter…?”
“Medicine that’s good for the body is originally all bitter, baby.”
The wandering merchant who laughed joyfully—ahaha—took one step outside the door and disappeared in an instant. It felt like I had dreamed again, so I stayed still for a while until Bihyeon waved his hand in front of my eyes and only then did I come to my senses.
“Bihyeon-nim, Saebyeok-nim is….”
“Are you curious?”
When he asked like this, I had never been happy hearing the answer, so I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head quickly.
“No… I just don’t want to know.”
“Why? Aren’t you curious?”
“Mmm, I think it’ll be more enjoyable to wait without knowing.”
After answering while pondering, when I opened my eyes, Bihyeon smiled sweetly with his eyes. I faced him and then lifted the glass bottle. Something small… once my body heals, I should go buy star candy. And I’ll put it in this bottle. Hoping they’ll think the stars contained in the glass bottle are pretty while eating something sweet and small.
“I’ll eat diligently and get better.”
“It hasn’t been long since you took the medicine, so hurry and take one out and eat it.”
“Um… what about candy?”
“You need to know how bitter it is so you’ll desperately seek candy next time.”
The way he gestured with a grin seemed to mean eat it quickly. Still, how bitter could it be? Gulp, I swallowed my saliva, took one out from the glass bottle, and tossed it into my mouth. I looked at Bihyeon who was preparing by pouring tea beside me and swallowed the medicine. It briefly touched my tongue before going down my throat, and it was much more bitter than I thought, so I opened my eyes wide and covered my mouth.
What is this? It’s much more bitter than regular medicine. I’d rather eat powdered medicine, it would be less bitter…! When I looked at him with tears welling up in my eyes, Bihyeon handed me the tea. I received it and—gulp—swallowed it. Still, the bitter taste wouldn’t disappear. When I pointed at the sweets with desperate eyes, he smiled with firm eyes and shook his head.
“That’s too much…!”
Bihyeon shrugged his shoulders and opened the door to call the fox.
“Haru.”
The fox who had been sweeping the yard came close, looked at me, then hurriedly turned her body around. Then she perked up her ears and raised her head toward the sky.
“Oh my. Which fruit would be the softest and sweetest….”
– Ppii.
I heard the sound of a familiar bird. Bihyeon, who had been looking up at the sky like her, extended his arm. A small jewel-like sparkling bird that sat on his arm—thud—put down what it was holding in its beak. It was a red fruit.
“Ah, this is….”
“It’s a wild strawberry.”
The jewel bird chirped—ppii—and looked at me. Then it came inside and climbed onto my shoulder. Peck peck, it carefully tapped my cheek with its beak. It seemed to mean for me to hurry and eat it, so I received the wild strawberry Bihyeon held out and put it in my mouth. A sweet and sour taste lingered in my mouth.
“Thank you.”
– Ppii!
As if in a good mood, it sang diligently before spreading its wings and flying outside. Phew, fortunately the bitter taste completely disappeared. Bihyeon looked at me and laughed softly.
“I’ll have to buy a lot of candy.”
“Please get the sweetest kind….”
His eyes that smiled saying he would were so incredibly affectionate that my slightly resentful feelings subsided.
