NOVPUB
Chapter 112
𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑝𝘶𝘣.𝑐𝘰𝘮Today was an unusual day. The home vibes felt off, starting from the morning itself.
The usually lively atmosphere seemed strangely subdued during breakfast.
Master read the morning paper and ate in silence like usual, but he seemed a bit more aloof.
The usually chatty Young Master was unusually quiet. She ate in silence and left for school without a word. That was very unlike herself. Breakfast felt different without her usual chatter about her classes at the Academy, the latest trends, and other miscellaneous things.
I wondered if they had argued.
But then again, it wasn’t just the two of them.
Even Lord Izaas and Byeol were up early today and left the house in a hurry. Normally, they like to sleep in well past 10 AM, so what was going on today...?
“Lord Izaas, where are you going?” I asked him, but he flinched and hurried outside.
“Byeol, where are you guys off to so early?” I inquired again.
“I-I dunno anything. Is a seecwit—”
Lord Izaas quickly came back and interrupted her by covering her mouth, leading her outside.
***
It’s been four months since I settled into my new nest. At first, it was a huge adjustment, and life on Earth felt quite unfamiliar. But now, I’ve gotten used to it and have been managing pretty well.
I emptied the washing machine and straightened the wrinkles on the clothes before placing them on the drying rack on the balcony one by one.
Normally, Young Master takes care of the laundry, but I wanted to help out around the house, even if just a little, to reduce her workload.
A pair of sparrows landed on the balcony railing, chirping happily. I smiled unknowingly at how cute they were. I offered them a few rice grains, and they happily accepted.
Next up was Master’s white dress shirt.
Making sure no one was around, I took a quick sniff. I could faintly detect master’s unique scent beneath the sweet scent of the fabric softener. After getting my fill of his scent, I straightened the wrinkles on the shirt and placed it on the drying rack.
I like how smelling his scent makes me feel calm and secure.
***
A scream echoed from unit 302. That was a signal for noon.
The next-door neighbor is a web novel writer in his early thirties. It seemed like he was having another tough day with his story.
Anyway, since it was lunchtime, it was time to eat.
I usually have lunch with Lord Izaas and Byeol, but since they both ran off somewhere today, I had to eat alone. I checked the fridge and noticed a blue container with a sticky note that read, “Take out the salad and heat the rest in the microwave.”
Young Master always prepares our meals the previous night.
I warmed up the food in the microwave, and once it was ready, I sat at the dining table.
“Thank you for the meal,” I said and dug in.
Today’s lunch was multigrain rice, pork cutlet, and salad. Young Master really is an amazing cook.
Taking a big bite of the pork cutlet, I couldn’t help glancing over at the dog food in the kitchen corner.
When I first came to this nest, I didn’t really enjoy human food. Dog food was actually easier to eat. But now, I’m completely used to human food, and I rarely eat dog food. I still have it as a snack every now and then, though.
The doorbell rang, interrupting my meal.
Were Lord Izaas and Byeol back? No, that couldn’t be it. I shook my head and walked to the entrance.
I tiptoed to check the screen beside the door to see who was visiting the nest. It was a man wearing a blue vest with a hat labeled “Coupong.”[1]
As I remembered Master’s words of never opening the door for suspicious people, the man at the door spoke loudly
“Package delivery! Is anyone home?”
It was just a package, so I opened the door, and the man set down a large box at the entrance while sweating profusely.
“Are there any adults at home?” he asked.
“Why do you ask...?”
Was he a bad person?
I gathered my magic, prepared to neutralize him if necessary, but he smiled and handed me an electronic pad.
“Could you sign here, please?”
Phew, he wasn’t a bad guy after all. I took the pen and carefully wrote “Karsiel” in neat handwriting.
The man gave me a puzzled look but simply said, “Let your parents know their package arrived,” and left.
***
After lunch, I decided to head outside as there wasn’t much to do at home by myself.
I wore my usual outdoor outfit—a simple white dress. I went to the neighborhood store.
“Hello, granny,” I said to the store owner.
“Oh my, hi, Siel!”
“I’d like one ‘ggang-ggang’ [2]please.”
Ggang-ggang is an icy, soda-flavored popsicle, and I love its refreshing chill.
I handed the lady a thousand-won bill, and she gave me three hundred won in change. I receive a weekly allowance of five thousand won from Master, which is more than enough. If anything, I always have some left over.
As I bit into the popsicle, a cold zing shot through my head, making me groan involuntarily. I used to dislike this feeling, but it didn’t take long for me to get hooked.
It was peaceful. Yet a sense of unease crept into my heart.
What was I even doing here? Was it really okay to spend my days like this?
After unexpectedly waking up from my eternal sleep, I found myself on the roads of this planet called Earth.
Another bite and another involuntary groan.
I mused as I ate the icy treat.
Since waking up, Lord Izaas and I have lost most of our memories of the Core; only fragments remain. Maybe Hakase would know, for he is the only dragon who hasn’t fallen into an eternal slumber.
For a moment, I had an impulse to visit his nest to ask him but then decided against it. He would just laugh like a fool, pick me up, and spin me around. I didn’t want that; I am no longer a child.
Then, I heard a child’s voice.
“I’m not going! I want to play a little longer!”
An adult’s voice followed right after.
“Hey, didn’t we promise to stay only an hour?”
I looked around and saw a family of four in the playground about thirty meters away—a mom, dad, daughter, and son. They continued to talk among themselves.
“But...”
“Look at your brother. He’s such a good boy.”
“Honey, let them play for a bit longer.”
For some reason, I couldn’t help but picture Master, Young Master, Lord Izaas, and Byeol instead of that family. But I wasn’t there.
I had felt it vaguely for a while now. Since Byeol joined us, I felt somewhat left out. I know that Byeol is young and needs a lot of attention, but still... I can’t help feeling a little hurt.
I suddenly had an idea of cooking something for the family. I am not particularly good at cooking and can never match Young Master’s skills, but it would still make them happy, right?
I already felt better imagining them enjoying my food.
***
Cooking dinner was one thing, but deciding on the menu was another.
I emptied all the cash I had and gathered so far—a little over 30,000 won. I went to the usual supermarket to do some grocery shopping.
“Discount on stew pork! Only six thousand won for three hundred grams!” the store clerk shouted into a megaphone.
I remembered that Master loves kimchi jjigae. He enjoys a wide variety of food, but dishes with kimchi are his favorite.
“Hi sir, I’ll take one pack, please.”
“Hehe. Are you here running an errand for your mom?”
“N-no... I’m cooking,” I said, flustered.
The clerk looked down at me, a bit surprised, and I couldn’t help but lower my head under his somewhat sympathetic gaze.
“Here you go,” he said, handing me a plastic bag.
However, instead of giving me a pre-packed container, he had wrapped the meat himself. Even at a glance, it looked like much more than three hundred grams. Oddly, the price on the tag was just under two thousand won.
“Uh, sir, I think there’s a mistake with the price here.”
I tried to be honest, but the clerk said something completely irrelevant.
“Stay strong.”
“Pardon?”
“Never let the world bring you down.”
The clerk wiped away a tear and sniffled as he spoke.
Humans sometimes shed tears in the most unexpected moments. Was this man one of those sentimental kinds?
Well, a good deal is a good deal, I thought, dismissing my previous thoughts.
I also bought tofu and green onions for the kimchi jjigae. Since we had some well-aged kimchi at home, I could use that, and there was broth powder in the kitchen, too. With everything in hand, I checked the time. It was already past 5 PM. Four hours had flown by since I’d left the house.
I needed to hurry home and start preparing dinner quickly.
***
When I reached the apartment door, I could hear voices coming from inside. It sounded like everyone was already home.
“Yong-Yong, that’s not wight! Do bettuh.”
“N-no! These balloons just keep popping on their own, I swear!”
“Ugh! At this rate, Siel will get here before we’re done.”
The house was noisy.
I hesitated by the door, but it suddenly swung open, and there stood Master.
“You’re back?” he said with a warm smile.
No matter how many times I see him, I always feel that Master is an amazing being. Even when I make no sound at all, he somehow always knows when I am at the door.
“Master, what’s going on inside ...?” I asked, trying to peek inside, but Master immediately shut the door behind him.
“M-master?”
I looked at him in confusion, but he just kept smiling silently. No, actually, I think he just gulped.
“Master, why are you home so early...?”
He usually arrived around 7 PM, but it was only just past 5:30 PM now.
The ruckus inside continued.
“Yong-Yong so bad. How many you make when I make four?”
“O-oh no, Karsiel’s outside!”
“Really?”
“What’s going on, Master...?” I asked.
Master sighed and threw open the door.
“Let’s just go inside.”
***
As the door opened, everyone froze in shock.
Floating balloons filled the room. Banners reading “We Love You, Siel❤” hung from the ceiling. Young Master, Lord Izaas, and Byeol all wore party hats.
In the stunned silence, the balloon Lord Izaas was blowing up burst, and Byeol scowled.
“Yong-Yong, you pop anotha?”
I heard a snicker from behind me. Turning around, I saw Master chuckling.
“Master, what is all this...?”
He patted my head and said, “A surprise party.”
“Pardon?”
“At least, that was the plan.”
Looking around, I noticed the box we had received earlier was open, and inside it were all sorts of party decorations.
“But... why all of a sudden...?” I asked them.
Young Master smiled and said, “Our Siel’s been such a sweetheart, so we thought we’d do something to make you happy. But, as you can see, we didn’t finish in time. Sorry.”
“Couldn’t you have come home a little later?” Lord Izaas grumbled.
“Sieh, are you cwying?” Byeol tilted her head, looking at me curiously.
Crying? What was she talking about?
That’s when I felt something warm and wet trickling down my cheeks.
“Oh...” I exclaimed, sniffing somewhat loudly.
I didn’t understand it. I wasn’t sad, so why were tears falling?
Suddenly, Young Master scooped me up and held me close, patting my back.
“I love you.”
At that moment, I felt silly for feeling left out, as if I didn’t belong with the family.
***
Young Master looked through the groceries I had brought for dinner and asked, “What’s all this?”
“I bought ingredients to make kimchi jjigae for tonight.”
“Where’d you get the money?”
“Um... with my allowance...”
Young Master hugged me tightly again.
“My Siel, how are you so thoughtful?”
Just then, Lord Izaas lifted the grocery bag with his front paw, announcing, “Kimchi jjigae is my specialty.”
Byeol flinched and stammered, “N-no, please, no.”
Even Master’s expression hardened. Young Master and I tilted our heads in confusion.
1. “Coupang” is basically the Korean version of Amazon! ☜
2. ”Ggang-ggang is an expression used to describe something frozen solid. ☜
