38
“I’ve never seen a bear cub say something like that before.”
Isquis, who had folded his wings and sat down, looked at Shango with a displeased expression.
It was understandable. Shango, who unconditionally hated anything black, had often tried to tear Isquis’s wings apart and sometimes even messed them up when he wore black clothes for disguise.
Shango’s aversion to black perhaps resembled self-hatred. Yet, this person had just said that Yeon Ji-ho’s hair was “pretty.”
“Yeah. I’ve never seen Shango say something like that either. But why would you say it in front of His Excellency?!”
Apophis leaned closely to Isquis and muttered. His eyes alternated between Shango, who was distanced from Yeon Ji-ho, and Set, who still seemed uncomfortable.
As soon as Shango mumbled that Yeon Ji-ho was pretty, Set, who was instantly enraged, moved to Shango’s spot. It was the farthest place from Yeon Ji-ho’s sight.
Nevertheless, Shango remained tucked away in the corner, stealing glances at Yeon Ji-ho’s hair. Amidst the discomfort between Shango’s gaze and Set’s unease, Yeon Ji-ho finally spoke up.
“Shall we eat first?”
As they each served a little bit of galus stew onto their plates, the uncomfortable atmosphere at the table eased somewhat. Yeon Ji-ho subtly placed a piece of chicken leg on Set’s plate and said,
“It might be a bit spicy. The chili here is spicier than the one I brought.”
Isquis, forgetting about Shango’s presence at the mention of food, began to dig in. He frequently grabbed the meat with his hands, often dropping it because it was too hot. Apophis, unable to watch any longer, snapped.
“You idiot…! Eat cleanly!”
“Mmm, yeah, hungry, umm. I said I was hungry.”
“Finish eating before you open your mouth!”
After giving Isquis a sharp whack on the back of the head with a fork, Apophis finally started his meal. Compared to Apophis, Isquis’s eating manners were quite polite, but upon closer inspection, he was also hoarding his food tightly.
Just then, Isquis, having finished his share of galus stew, invaded Apophis’s bowl. With his clumsy hands, he snatched one of his pieces of meat and shoved it whole into his mouth.
“You stupid snake. If you keep eating like that, you’ll lose everything.”
“Y-you bastard!”
Of course, Apophis wasn’t one to hold back either. He struck Isquis on the back of the head again, causing food to spill out.
While the two were bickering, Set quietly used his fork to separate the meat and put it in his mouth. However, it seemed difficult to separate it with a fork, and he frowned in concentration.
Yeon Ji-ho, who was watching with interest from the side, picked up his chopsticks. They were personal utensils he had brought from home.
“It would be good for you to learn how to use chopsticks, Set.”
“Ji-ho, if you teach me, I will learn.”
But it wouldn’t be easy for Set, who had eaten with a fork his whole life. As Yeon Ji-ho pondered over the method, he suddenly thought of the training chopsticks used by children. Imagining Set using those chopsticks made Yeon Ji-ho smile broadly.
“……? Ji-ho, why are you laughing?”
“There are many things I want to do with you when we go back to Korea. It would be nice to go to an amusement park, and maybe travel…”
He was chattering happily about the thought of returning with Set when a loud cough erupted from somewhere. Yeon Ji-ho’s words were cut off, and everyone’s gaze turned in that direction.
“Cough, cough. Ugh.”
“Shango? Why is this bear cub like this?”
“Shango! What did you eat?!”
The owner of the cough was Shango, who had been quietly eating galus stew in the corner. He seemed to be struggling to breathe, clutching his throat as he coughed violently.
Seeing this, Yeon Ji-ho’s eyes widened, and he jumped up from his seat.
“Did you swallow a bone?!”
“Wha?! No way Shango is dumb enough to swallow a galus bone…!”
Apophis, who had been quick to respond, noticed that there were unusually no deboned pieces next to Shango’s bowl and slapped his forehead. He patted Shango on the back of the neck to help him spit out the bone, gritting his teeth.
“Why do you all have to show such foolishness to Ji-ho?!”
“Cough… cough, cough.”
In the end, Shango spat out a large central bone. In the process, it seemed he had tried to chew and swallow it, as the bone was half-crushed.
“……It was delicious…”
Now able to catch his breath, Shango looked longingly at the bone he had spat out. Even Yeon Ji-ho, the one who had made that delicious food, couldn’t help but sigh. He hurriedly scooped more galus stew into everyone’s bowls with a ladle.
“There’s plenty, so take it slow, okay?”
“……Thank you, Ji-ho. W-we’re not usually this foolish…”
“Wow! I’ll eat well!”
“Thank you…”
Apophis, Isquis, and Shango. The three of them had nothing in common. The same could be said for the other Gorgon beasts, excluding them.
As beings referred to as ‘beasts,’ each represented a specific animal, and as nicknames, they resembled the traits of their respective animals. Apophis was a snake, Isquis was a bird, and Shango was a bear.
Among them, Shango was the most clumsy. However, true to his bear nature, he was also the most violent, ranking high in combat power among the Gorgon beasts. Yeon Ji-ho found it fascinating that someone like him was quietly eating the food he had made.
And Set quickly noticed that gaze. He suddenly leaned forward to block the view directed at Shango.
“Set?”
Set, with his eyes narrowed, was only glaring at the empty bowl. When Yeon Ji-ho tilted his head to meet his gaze, he finally rolled his eyes and looked this way.
“……I want to go back soon.”
“Where to, ah… Korea? I feel the same way.”
It had already been a week since they arrived here. The bag that had been full when they first came was now empty and light, and it would probably be difficult to make anything similar to today’s Korean food starting tomorrow.
Would they be able to return after ten days as initially promised? In truth, that seemed somewhat distant. Given the situation, it seemed it would take at least a few months to gather all the Gorgon beasts.
“If I don’t see Seon-rok and Soo-cheol for a long time, they’ll worry.”
“……”
At Yeon Ji-ho’s candid words, Set kept his mouth shut. Well, the reason Set wanted to go back was simply that he missed the days he had spent alone with Yeon Ji-ho.
Set didn’t bring up the idea of helping Yeon Ji-ho return to Korea first. Unfortunately, that was not possible.
After facing Hadad, a tiny seed of anxiety had been planted within Set. The thought that he might lose Yeon Ji-ho to someone else had crossed his mind.
He was a man who had never truly possessed anything in his life. Instinctively, Set realized that he could not let Yeon Ji-ho be away from him, even if this place was more dangerous for him.
***
That night, the group, having rented both of the inn’s rooms, fell asleep in their respective rooms. Set and Yeon Ji-ho shared one room, while the other three shared the other.
Set gave up the bed to Yeon Ji-ho and took the floor. Just as Yeon Ji-ho, whose legs were still weak, was struggling to keep his eyes open, there was a soft knock.
Knock, knock.
At the low knock, Set quickly got up. Looking at the bed, Yeon Ji-ho had already fallen asleep. As he quietly stepped outside, Apophis was waiting with his head bowed.
Click.
Once the door quietly closed, Apophis began to speak.
“What is it, Apophis?”
“……Your Excellency. Shango has encountered the ‘late fruit.’”
“…….”
Set looked down at Apophis with a calm expression, not surprised. Unlike when he dealt with Yeon Ji-ho, his demeanor was harshly cold.
“Handle it.”
“Handle it, you say….”
“It must be burned.”
Apophis’s eyelids, which had been momentarily closed, trembled. However, he seemed to understand the gravity of the situation and bowed his head, accepting the command.
“What does that mean?”
And at that moment, the door burst open, and Yeon Ji-ho rushed out of the room. With wide eyes, he asked Set,
“What is the late fruit, and why would you burn a perfectly fine person?”
“Ji-ho.”
Set’s eyes were cold. He stepped closer to Yeon Ji-ho, grabbing his shoulders and bending down. The moonlight that filled Set’s odd-colored eyes seeped in.
“Shango cannot go with us.”
His eyes were endlessly cold. The master of the beasts was comfortable yet harsh, and he knew exactly when he had to abandon the beast he had raised.
“He will die soon.”
