Chapter 47
Eun-hwi settled in the deep shade of a tree, avoiding the pouring sunlight, and sat on what was called a foldable fishing chair.
“Dokkaebi-nim, please just sit comfortably and don’t do anything. This Hong-salgwi will do everything.”
Dr. Hong started setting up an impressive lunch table, taking out a mat and a folding table from the cart he had been struggling to pull. He busily brought out the food alone, without anyone’s help, as if to prove his boast wasn’t just empty words.
“Oh, right. Dokkaebi-nim, you like music, don’t you? I brought a cassette player to let you listen to some songs.”
He took out a black device with round circles on both sides and a handle on top, placing it at the edge of the mat. It looked similar to something Eun-hwi had seen at the bald Mr. Kim’s house before.
Click.
When he pressed the operation button, a fast-paced song that made his chest thump began to play. Excited by hearing similar songs on TV a few times before, Eun-hwi shook his head as if dancing to the continuous rhythm.
However, in contrast to the half-dokkaebi enjoying the music cheerfully, Yeo Moon-beom, who was sitting still with his arms crossed, spoke to Dr. Hong in a cynical tone.
“It seems young people these days are living in the early 90s? You’re trying hard in your own way to find a way out… But you’re doing something that really doesn’t suit you.”
“Don’t you know retro is trendy these days? They say people do things that don’t suit them when they’re close to death. You should understand, Manager Yeo.”
Close to death?
At these sudden words that caught his ear, the half-dokkaebi’s body, which had been swaying left and right like a pendulum, came to an abrupt stop.
“…Is Dr. Hong-salgwi dying?”
“Ah, well, about that, Dokkaebi-nim. Actually, I…”
Dr. Hong, after glancing at Yeo Moon-beom’s expression, started to speak but hastily closed his mouth. It seemed there was a reason he found it difficult to talk about.
Just like himself not too long ago.
“Are you perhaps sick?”
“Whether to say I’m sick or not…”
It was an ambiguous answer, neither a denial nor an affirmation. Eun-hwi stood up abruptly and asked.
“Is there something wrong with your pepper too, Dr. Hong-salgwi?”
“…Pardon?”
“I thought I had a fatal disease not long ago because something was wrong with my pepper. But it turned out that it’s something that can happen to anyone when they become an adult and feel good. I got better because Yeo Moon-beom touched my pepper. It’s probably not a disease.”
When growing crops, some fruits ripen later even if they grew at the same time. Guessing that Dr. Hong might be a case of becoming an adult late despite his age, Eun-hwi explained as carefully as he could.
Dr. Hong, who Eun-hwi thought would be immediately happy upon realizing it wasn’t a disease like himself, looked at Yeo Moon-beom with a surprised expression and asked.
“Manager Yeo. How did you know to touch it already?”
“How did I know? I could tell at a glance, so I touched it.”
“…You despicable thief!”
“I just fooled around a bit, it’s unfair to call me a despicable thief. From the way you’re talking, it seems there was some useful information among the materials you researched? But now that we know the method, there’s no need to check the contents, right?”
Thief? Fooling around?
Eun-hwi blinked, standing still, unable to understand the conversation between the two. His thin eyelashes under his eyes, barely visible beneath the brim of his hat, fluttered in the gentle breeze, holding a question.
“You’re not going to check? It might be better to read it if possible. There’s something that bothers me, so I can’t just let it go.”
“What’s bothering you?”
“It’s a secret until I finish the Wolhwa Island marine ecosystem research!”
Dr. Hong put his index finger to his lips and smiled playfully.
“Wolhwa Island marine eco-what research? What’s that?”
“Well, Dokkaebi-nim. Believe it or not, I learned diving on my own by jumping into water since before there were scuba diving education courses. Since Wolhwa Island’s ecosystem is still an under-researched area, I plan to carry out the tasks assigned by the country while conducting detailed underwater surveys.”
Eun-hwi couldn’t understand why he would go underwater if he wasn’t going to the Dragon Palace to meet the Dragon King. Though he didn’t know much, it seemed Dr. Hong had been assigned to do national service due to being caught by Yeo Moon-beom earlier.
Dr. Hong glanced at Yeo Moon-beom’s face briefly, then raised his head as if to show off and continued speaking.
“Of course, this is assuming I don’t die.”
His constant talk of dying was worrying. Eun-hwi offered words of comfort with sincere feelings.
“I didn’t die, so Dr. Hong-salgwi won’t die either. Right, Yeo Moon-beom?”
“…”
However, Yeo Moon-beom said nothing and just clenched his molars. The ends of his eyebrows wriggled like inchworms and then rose up irritably.
“If Dokkaebi-nim says so, then I suppose I won’t die. Let’s stop with the gloomy talk and have our meal together. Take off your shoes and come sit here, Dokkaebi-nim.”
Dr. Hong, having regained his spirits, called Eun-hwi with a much brighter expression.
“But you know, Dr. Hong-salgwi. What’s the secret?”
“It’s an important secret that I can’t tell Manager Yeo until the research is finished.”
“What is it? Can you tell me?”
What could be this important secret that couldn’t be told to Yeo Moon-beom?
Unable to contain his curiosity, Eun-hwi entered the wide-spread mat, cupped his hands to his ears, and leaned his shoulder towards Dr. Hong.
“Well, you see, Dokkaebi-nim.”
“Yes?”
Although still sitting with his arms crossed and eyes narrowed, even Yeo Moon-beom seemed interested in the secret, as the wrinkles between his brows twitched. Seeing this, Dr. Hong’s eyes, as small and thin as buttonholes, sparkled behind his sunglasses.
“Actually, you see.”
“Yes.”
“It’s a secret from Dokkaebi-nim too. Hehehehe.”
It seemed he was worried that the secret might be blurted out to Yeo Moon-beom if not kept from Eun-hwi. Dr. Hong, who usually loved explaining things, uncharacteristically held back his words.
“Tch. That’s mean.”
Somehow, Eun-hwi felt deflated. After telling him the incredible fact that he wasn’t sick, all he got in return was a refusal.
He felt hurt, thinking he was the only one who cared about Dr. Hong. He lost all desire to teach him how to calm down whenever his pepper acted up in the future.
‘Hmph! See if I tell you now.’
He thought it served him right to suffer a bit. But then he suddenly imagined Yeo Moon-beom helping Dr. Hong.
‘…I don’t like that.’
Although Yeo Moon-beom was treating Dr. Hong with obvious discomfort, he was inherently a kind person, so he might offer help to Dr. Hong just as he had done for Eun-hwi.
He felt very uncomfortable. He wished that what Yeo Moon-beom had done with him yesterday wouldn’t be done with anyone else. He wanted to be the only one to be friends with Yeo Moon-beom and share everything together like now.
“I specially ordered this lotus leaf rice box for Dokkaebi-nim. The lotus leaf scent is amazing, so please eat it with this buckwheat porridge, Dokkaebi-nim.”
Dr. Hong, oblivious to Eun-hwi’s feelings, excitedly unfolded a square-folded lotus leaf. Inside was sticky rice filled with jujubes, pine nuts, chestnuts, and ginkgo nuts.
“Yeo Moon-beom. Can I eat this?”
Despite his unease, he was salivating from hunger. However, unable to eat without permission, Eun-hwi turned around and called out to Yeo Moon-beom.
“You can eat it.”
Only then did Yeo Moon-beom stand up, step onto the mat, and wedge himself between Dr. Hong and Eun-hwi to sit down.
“It’s a bit cramped, could you move over a bit, Dr. Hong-salgwi?”
Yeo Moon-beom, sitting cross-legged, tapped Dr. Hong’s knee that was touching him. Pushed by the difference in strength, Dr. Hong was forced to the edge of the table and took his lunchbox with a sulky face.
“You heartless human!”
“Why are you surprised now? Did you just realize this?”
Seeing that he was still treating Dr. Hong coldly, it seemed Eun-hwi’s worries wouldn’t come to pass.
That was a relief.
“Eun-hwi. Say ah.”
“Mmm, ah-”
As Eun-hwi opened his mouth wide like a chick receiving feed, Yeo Moon-beom popped in some sticky rice topped with stir-fried anchovies. The rice, infused with a strong lotus leaf scent and filled with nuts, had a nice texture, but having been made some time ago, the rice grains had turned into rice cakes.
“Isn’t what I make tastier?”
“Yes. The rice you make is tastier, Yeo Moon-beom.”
He answered honestly as it was such an obvious fact. Yeo Moon-beom spoke with a triumphant expression, as if asking if he would still bring offerings like this.
“Can’t be helped then. From now on, don’t eat things like this, only eat the rice I make for you.”
Slurp. Sluuurp.
As he sucked on the straw, a somewhat fishy-tasting chocolate milk touched the tip of his tongue. It couldn’t even compare to the taste of the mysterious elixir Yeo Moon-beom had given him before.
Still, Eun-hwi kept his lips on the long, thin stick, finding it fun to drink the milk inside with a straw. It was fascinating how blowing into it made bubbling sounds inside, as if he were playing an instrument rather than drinking chocolate milk.
Clink. Clink.
After drinking all the milk, the straw rattled inside the empty container. Dr. Hong, who had been quietly watching this from the side, called out to Eun-hwi.
“Um… Dokkaebi-nim.”
Eun-hwi responded in the same low volume to Dr. Hong’s quiet voice, ensuring it wouldn’t reach Yeo Moon-beom’s ears as he was taking a phone call some distance away.
“What is it, Dr. Hong-salgwi?”
“May I tell you my story for a moment, Dokkaebi-nim?”
