Chapter 102
Could he possibly have noticed I’m a dokkaebi and that’s why he asked…?
I must have let my guard down, too excited about going to the palace. Eun-hwi stealthily reached up and pressed his hat down firmly, tightly gripping both sides of the brim to prevent it from being pulled off.
“Ha.”
Sure enough, the man let out a derisive laugh, as if he hadn’t been asking for a simple introduction. As Eun-hwi shrank back from the threatening expression that was just as intimidating as an angry Yeo Moon-beom,
“Chai-heon. Why are you scaring someone who was just minding their own business?”
The peach blossom-like Mr. Kim scolded the man.
“He was fussing with your clothes, trying to fix them.”
“I approached him first. Because he was cute.”
“…What?”
The man frowned openly. Whatever “fussing” meant, it clearly wasn’t something positive.
Had he not been holding a child sleeping soundly against his shoulder, he would have surely lost his temper and snapped. The half-dokkaebi noticed how the man’s scarred eyebrow twitched as he struggled to swallow his anger.
“Doesn’t he remind you of how I used to look, wearing a hat pulled down like that?”
“Not at all.”
The man curtly replied, scanning Eun-hwi with an impassive gaze that found absolutely no similarities between them. His silent message to leave quickly created a subtle pressure.
“I-I should go now. Take care.”
Eun-hwi deliberately placed both hands at his waist and bowed politely. It seemed best to flee before any more awkward situations arose.
But just as he was about to turn away from them, the peach blossom Mr. Kim grabbed his wrist.
“Could you wait here for a moment?”
“…Y-yes?”
Eun-hwi was so surprised that his voice cracked at the end. Embarrassed by the strange sound he’d made, his face turned bright red. His long downcast eyelashes fluttered nervously.
“I have something to give you.”
Yeo Moon-beom and Dr. Hong are waiting for me.
But facing that brilliantly smiling face, like a fully bloomed flower, the half-dokkaebi couldn’t bring himself to refuse.
Feeling the piercing gaze fixed on his captured wrist, Eun-hwi followed the peach blossom Mr. Kim out into the hallway.
“I’ll be right back. Wait just one minute.”
The peach blossom Mr. Kim held up his index finger before rushing off somewhere. A quiet stillness settled in the corridor where only the lingering echo remained. Eun-hwi’s face, which had been flushed with heat, quickly turned pale.
…This is scary.
He was at a loss for what to say. Unable to bear the awkward atmosphere, the half-dokkaebi fidgeted with his feet. He hadn’t expected such a difficult trial so soon after taking his first steps into the human world.
Forty-three, forty-four, forty-five, forty-six…
“Appa.”
While desperately counting in his mind, hoping the minute would pass quickly, Eun-hwi heard what sounded like baby talk. His drooping ears perked up.
“Our little princess. Are you awake?”
The sharp, intimidating gaze had softened, now filled with the same warm sunshine Eun-hwi felt when Gabi looked at him. It gave him a strange feeling.
“Appa. Appa.”
“Papa will be back soon.”
“Papa. Papa.”
“What’s wrong, Min-seo? Are you hungry?”
“Oppa, oppa, hello!”
The child who had been babbling incomprehensibly turned her head to stare directly at Eun-hwi.
“…Huh? Me?”
“Hello!”
Having lived for so long on Wolhwa Island where only elderly people remained, the very existence of young children was unfamiliar to Eun-hwi. Under the man’s urging gaze, he finally opened his tightly closed mouth.
“Hello there, little princess.”
“Kyaaaaa!”
Her sleepy eyes curved into crescent moons. The dimples between her cheeks and under her eyes were so pretty. Eun-hwi unconsciously clutched his chest, finding the child far more adorable than the Moon Rabbits he always admired from afar.
He could somewhat understand why Gabi had given up his position as the Dokkaebi King to raise him.
Suddenly, he desperately wanted to see his father’s face. He missed that comfortable embrace like a nest under the eaves, protecting him from all the world’s threats.
“What’s this? You three playing together?”
The peach blossom Mr. Kim approached, holding the hand of a child wearing a traditional headpiece, and extended a paper bag to Eun-hwi with his other hand.
“Today is our daughter’s first birthday celebration. This is my thanks for making me look good.”
“Oh, I-I couldn’t possibly…”
“It’s nothing special, just some rice cakes for the celebration. Don’t feel burdened.”
“Th… thank you.”
Though he’d been taught never to eat things offered by strangers, neither the peach blossom Mr. Kim nor the stern-eyed Mr. Kim seemed to mean him any harm.
After accepting the gift, Eun-hwi bowed once more. Then he headed toward Yeo Moon-beom and Dr. Hong who must be waiting for him, carrying in his heart the satisfaction of having helped someone and the confidence that he could accomplish things on his own.
“Yeo Moon-beom! …Mister!”
He called out loudly to Yeo Moon-beom who was visible in the distance. Being a head—no, two heads—taller than others made him easy to spot from afar.
“Why are you so late? You were gone so long I was about to call, thinking you’d gotten lost.”
“Umm, I wanted to wash my hands but didn’t know how to turn on the water…”
“Is that so? I should have shown you beforehand.”
He apparently hadn’t known about sensor-operated faucets and had wandered around for quite some time. Yeo Moon-beom smiled, clearly picturing the scene. His only regret was missing the sight of Eun-hwi fluttering about in confusion.
“What’s that? Did someone leave something behind?”
He noticed the shopping bag neatly held in Eun-hwi’s white hands. Having heard stories about how Eun-hwi would often find and return lost items to villagers, he frowned slightly, wondering if the half-dokkaebi had gotten involved in another trivial matter.
“It’s not lost, it was given to me. I got a gift from the peach blossom Mr. Kim!”
“Peach blossom Mr. Kim?”
“Yes! His clothes tie was crooked so I fixed it, and he gave me this as thanks. He said they’re rice cakes from his daughter’s first birthday celebration.”
“…You fixed a stranger’s clothes?”
It was hard to believe that someone who couldn’t even button his own clothes properly had fixed someone else’s attire. So naive and fearless.
As Yeo Moon-beom raised his eyebrows and sharpened his gaze, the half-dokkaebi, sensing his mood, stammered a defense.
“B-but his face looked exactly like the elderly Mr. Kim we met yesterday… He wasn’t a complete stranger.”
“The elderly Mr. Kim… Chairman Yoon Dae-ho?”
“Mm-hmm.”
It seemed Eun-hwi had fixed the clothes of Chairman Yoon’s grandson’s partner. As far as he knew, the grandson Chai-heon, who supposedly resembled him, was nothing like a peach blossom.
Yeo Moon-beom swallowed the anger rising in his throat and ran his hand through his hair. He could feel Professor Bang Ki-bong’s penetrating stare fixed on his every movement and expression.
“No matter who it is, don’t touch anyone but me again. It’s dangerous.”
Having earned the favor of Chairman Yoon’s relative, who greatly valued family, wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, he wasn’t generous enough to ignore his increasingly unpleasant feelings.
When it came to matters concerning Eun-hwi, he couldn’t tolerate anything.
“Does that mean I can’t touch Dr. Hong-salgwi either?”
“You can’t.”
“Why not? We know him well.”
“That’s exactly why you can’t. I get jealous.”
“…Jealous?”
He deliberately glanced at Professor Bang Ki-bong, sending a warning message not to even think about taking advantage of the innocent child’s goodwill.
Yeo Moon-beom turned away from Professor Bang Ki-bong, who was staring at him with a curious expression, and embraced the small, delicate shoulders as he whispered:
“I’d like it if you only looked at me and touched only me, now and in the future. That’s how couples are supposed to be.”
“Couple? What’s that?”
“It’s a fancy term for two lovers who care for each other.”
“Oh, I see…”
He could see the flush of red spreading from Eun-hwi’s nape and warming his earlobes.
After begging all night long to be filled, it was endearing to see him blush at the mere mention of affection, with such innocence.
The desire to make Eun-hwi his sacred domain, where no one else could tread, stirred in his heart.
“Oh, alright. I promise, Moon-beom. But…”
“But?”
“You can’t touch other people either. Not even Dr. Hong-salgwi. Understood?”
“Understood. I’ll promise too, now let’s go. To eat.”
Finding this mischievous demand somehow pleasing, Yeo Moon-beom smiled broadly as he led the half-dokkaebi out of the lobby where the car was parked.
Of course, he didn’t forget to pass the shopping bag of celebratory rice cakes to Professor Bang Ki-bong.
* * *
At a restaurant with a clear view of the palace, Eun-hwi sampled dozens of royal court dishes with his two companions.
Though they were delayed by explanations about how to make the Gaeseong medicinal sweets that were served last, it was the most lively meal he’d experienced since their picnic.
He hoped that someday when Gabi returned, they could enjoy another meal here with their current group.
“Hey. What’s that?”
They were on their way to what they called a department store after a satisfying meal. While eagerly taking in the scenery from the congested road, Eun-hwi pointed at something that people were holding as they stood at the crosswalk.
Those dark brown things were inside transparent cups, and people were sipping them through thin stick-like straws. At a glance, they resembled cinnamon punch.
“Ah. That is, Dokkaebi sir, called an ‘Americano’…”
“It’s poison.”
Yeo Moon-beom interrupted Dr. Hong’s explanation to reveal what it really was.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
