“Thank you. I don’t know how I can repay this, but someday I’ll definitely…”
“There’s no need to repay, Sol.”
This time Boss Ppik also wrapped our hands.
“I think we’ve now become the kind of relationship where we can say ‘what’s between us.’ Isn’t that right?”
Haha, I burst into laughter and nodded my head. I felt like tears would come out, but right now I wanted to show them my smile.
“That’s right. Even if not, I think I’d be happy if we became that kind of relationship now.”
Pleased with my answer, Boss Ppik smiled brightly. While tears streamed down.
“Um… can I come work at the cafe again?”
“Of course! Come anytime once your body recovers!”
“I’m practicing walking hard. I’ll be able to go out soon.”
“Really? That’s really good news.”
Boss Ppik clapped his hands while smiling broadly. Then he stood up abruptly. Telling me to hurry and practice walking, saying they should go, he took the fish and left the room. I got up to see them off. Though I had to lie back down pushed by the Haechis. Perhaps learning from how Bihyeon overprotects me, somehow all three were exactly the same. After the two came and briefly went out, Bihyeon, who had been sitting on the veranda, turned his head to look at me.
“I’ll be going.”
“Alright.”
“Oh my, look at me! I completely forgot while looking at Sol…! Lady got what you requested.”
The fish hurriedly took out a red bead from his bosom. Looking closely, it was a transparent bead with a red energy swirling inside. Curious, I peeked my head out to look, and Bihyeon laughed softly and handed me the bead as if telling me to look closely. Then he turned his gaze back to the fish.
“When I said it was for Sol, she said no compensation was needed.”
The fish who spoke while laughing “huhu” glanced at me. I bowed to him in greeting, and he waved his hand at me and left the palace with Boss Ppik. I examined the bead again. What is this? Did Lady do something for me? While I was looking into the bead, Bihyeon came into the room. Then he picked up the beads that had been broken off his wrist and, rather than throwing them away wrapped in cloth, had been stored in a corner of the room. Soon he smoothly took off his durumagi and covered it over my blanket.
“Bihyeon-nim, what is this… hm? Where are you going?”
At my question, he smiled softly.
“Since there’s something to purify, I have to go get it. Things precious to you, Sol.”
“Ah….”
Bihyeon smiled affectionately and stroked my head. He’s going to that house. I reached out my hand and grabbed Bihyeon’s collar. Because even though he was the one going out, I was the one with anxious eyes as if I would go far away somewhere.
“Should I go too?”
“You don’t want to go back there.”
Why do you think that? Did I unconsciously show that I dislike that house?
“I’ll be back.”
Even while saying that, he touched my hair with a touch dripping with reluctance. After doing so for a while, he got up, placed the Haechi in my arms, and left the room. I tried to get up to see him off, but he raised his hand in an expression telling me not to come out. He, who kept looking at me with affectionate eyes and very anxious eyes until the end, closed the door and left.
I stroked the heads of the Haechis who had been napping and were now awake and purring, then held them in my arms and stood up abruptly. Although I staggered several times throughout this short distance, I barely managed to burst open the door and go out. Bihyeon, who had been preparing to leave with the fox’s help, made eye contact with me and gestured as if telling me to go back inside.
“I want to see you off.”
It wasn’t an atmosphere where he’d take me even if I said I’d go too. Besides, didn’t he say the curse was still there? Even if I went, it wouldn’t help. I forcibly swallowed down the words that I wanted to go with you and smiled broadly.
“I want to see you off.”
Still, perhaps thinking the weather was okay, Bihyeon pondered—hmm. Thinking he might tell me to go back inside again, I quickly bent down to sit and put on my shoes. Perhaps thinking I would fall from my hasty action, the fox reached out her hand in confusion, and Bihyeon strode over and lifted me up. He looked light as if lifting a child.
“Even so, I am heavy though….”
“Who? You?”
He shrugged his shoulders as if he really didn’t know. Seeing his face smiling with raised lips seemed to be filling with mischief again, so I tapped his shoulder.
“Put me down for now. You need to go and come back quickly so you can help me practice walking.”
Perhaps he really liked my answer, as he smiled and put me down. So very carefully. Phew, I heard a small sigh of relief from the side. The fox seemed quite startled. I looked at the fox with an awkward smile as if apologizing. When our eyes met, she smiled affectionately.
“Still, you walked out alone.”
“Right.”
So I smiled along too. Bihyeon, who had been watching the two of us, shrugged his shoulders with a smiling face and stroked my head. Soon he took his outer garment and headed for the door.
“Have a safe trip.”
“I’ll be back.”
I tried to follow Bihyeon but sat down in the pavilion without strength and waved my hand. He, who kept looking back as if he didn’t want to go, crossed through the door.
“Phew….”
Kkuung. The Haechis who had been perking up their ears and then came to sit on my lap yawned and lay down. Looking at the sky, it was blue. Since I came out anyway, should I wait outside? I thought that if I was visible as soon as the person who returned from outside arrived, they would be a bit more relieved. The weather was warm, and my body condition was good too.
“Please go inside.”
“I’m thinking of waiting for Bihyeon-nim here.”
“Oh my… what if you catch a cold again? This time Malgeum-nim might really faint.”
“The weather is warm so I think it’ll be okay. If I’m immediately visible when the door opens, I think Bihyeon-nim will be happy… I’ll go inside if it gets too cold.”
Though I don’t really feel the cold well either. At my words, the fox pondered a bit and then nodded her head. Even so, her eyes looking up at me were full of worry. Perhaps her mind wasn’t at ease, as she fidgeted restlessly for a while before going into the room, bringing out a thick blanket, and covering my body. And still not satisfied, saying she’d prepare something warm, she slipped into the dining room. It’s warm with the Haechis here too.
I stroked the Haechis who were sleeping with their bellies turned over and looked around the yard. The scenery that I had only thought was beautiful before now felt nostalgic. This place was exactly as the me and Bihyeon from my memories had diligently, and a bit sloppily, planted it. Not a single thing had changed. If anything had changed, it was about one tree that Bihyeon had made from the flowers he received from me had increased.
“What are you doing?”
When I was immersed in sentiment, the tiger who had been moving dishes swished his tail and approached me. His action of temporarily setting down the dish and trying to lift my body seemed like he was going to move me inside the room, so I hurriedly shook my head.
“I’m waiting for Bihyeon-nim.”
“Why wait here?”
The voice that asked peacefully was leisurely as befitting him.
“Because I think he’ll be happy if I’m immediately visible when the door opens.”
It was the same question, but answering was enjoyable. Imagining that face coming in after opening the door, seeing me, and smiling in relief made me smile naturally. He’d worry about me catching a cold, but it’s not extremely cold weather like that time, so wouldn’t it be okay? This blanket is cozy too, and above all, the Haechis’ warmth was hot like a heater.
“He would be happy.”
After answering me, the tiger went into the dining room, put down the dish, and came right back out to my side. Then, like he had done once before, he sat beside me and curled his body in a circle to wrap around my body. When I burst into laughter remembering that time, the tiger perked up his ears and moved.
“I was thinking of that time. You did this for me before too.”
“Yeah, I remember. Everyone was so worried when you caught that cold. Hyeonwoong shook his leg all day.”
I see. It was naturally drawn in my head. So it seemed like the bear’s voice was replaying, shouting alone about why I was doing that outside.
“I probably worried too. And I think I’m worried now too.”
It was like a young child who doesn’t know their own emotions well was speaking. Always leisurely and slow at expressing emotions, I thought he was just taciturn….
“This time it’ll definitely be okay. I’ve gotten much healthier.”
When I raised my arm, flexed it, and pointed at my forearm, the tiger stared and then—thud—rested his chin on his front paw.
“Humans are really weak.”
“…I said I got healthier.”
“Yeah, but still weak as if you’ll go out at any moment.”
It doesn’t seem like he’s bringing this up just because I’m sick. I looked at the tiger swishing his tail and smoothly raised my hand. Ah. I almost naturally stroked his head. As I stopped with my hand raised awkwardly, he raised his head and perked up his ears.
“Why?”
“Ah, stro… no, nothing.”
“You’ll stroke me? Okay.”
“Is it okay?”
“Yeah. I’ll allow you.”
The tiger’s action of readily offering his head made me stroke his head diligently, glance once, and even vigorously stroke up to his back. Wow, it’s wide. Whoa, there’s no end. Then I discovered a long scar between the fur on his back, so I pretended not to notice and stroked somewhere else. But because I kept seeing small scars in other places too, I eventually opened my mouth.
“Um… doesn’t it hurt? I feel like I touched it unnecessarily….”
“It’s an old wound. I was imprisoned by humans for a long time, you see.”
I trembled thinking of Bihyeon whose body was torn while trapped in prison. That means in the end, these are all wounds inflicted by humans… but is he entrusting his body to me, a human, right now? As I was flustered, blinking my eyes rapidly and flinching my hand, the tiger leaned heavily against me and swished his tail.
“You’re okay. I’ve watched for a long time, so I know what kind of human you are.”
“I guess I wasn’t a bad human.”
“You’re a good human. Mm… beyond that, a foolishly and stubbornly good human.”
Is this a compliment? He seems to be in a good mood, so it doesn’t seem to be a bad meaning. The subtly playful smile resembled Bihyeon, so I couldn’t say anything.
“Uh, um… I’ll take it as a compliment…?”
“Is it a compliment? I don’t know. I just think I’m okay with you being like that. And now I think I’ve come to like you being like that.”
It is a compliment. I burst into laughter and stroked his back diligently.
