Tae-seong stopped in his tracks, his mouth falling wide open.
I watched him, wondering if a fly might fly in, before he finally turned his head toward me. Even that movement was stiff, like a creaking machine that had broken down.
“Uh, so, President?”
“I told you to call me Chansung. Why use formal speech when we’re the same age?”
“No, I mean, that’s true, but…”
It turned out we were the same age, so I had suggested we just be friends, but Tae-seong seemed unable to adjust to the idea. Or perhaps he had simply lost his mind for a moment given the current situation.
“This house is yours?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Come on in.”
“…But you said you didn’t have any money.”
“I said I earn a small amount, I didn’t say I had a small amount saved.”
Even now, the Stocks I had made an Investment in were growing in real-time. If I sold just one of them, I would likely be called nouveau riche anywhere I went.
“Is this what they mean by taking the liver out of a flea?”
“Hmph, is that any way to talk to an Owner who’s offering you room and board? Just get inside.”
Tae-seong remained dazed for a moment longer before grumbling and stepping inside. Since the interior of my Home felt even more grand than the exterior, his mouth fell agape once more.
“I’ll give you some of my clothes. Our builds are similar, so they should roughly fit.”
“Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it. Think of it as welfare for my employee.”
“You sure it’s not chains for a slave?”
“I see you’re getting your energy back.”
Since he was starting to joke around, he must be getting more comfortable. I laughed and gave Tae-seong’s back a Handae.
“Let’s call it a day. I’m going to the Chachip to clean up. I’ll be back soon.”
“Chansung.”
As I was about to leave after saying goodbye, Tae-seong looked at me with a serious gaze. When he put on such a heavy expression, he actually looked quite charismatic, but his beggar-like appearance ruined the effect. It was an odd, mismatched feeling.
I’ll need to wash him first.
“What?”
“No, do you really trust me?”
“What do you mean?”
“What if I run away with your valuables?”
…What should I do with this kind-hearted guy?
“What thief in the world announces that they’re going to steal something?”
“No, that’s true, but…”
“And if you do steal something, I’ll expose you later when you’re successful.”
“…That’s a very strange threat.”
“Just wash your feet and get some sleep if you understand. If you’re bored, you can come out to the First House for a stroll, or go see the City Center. Wear these shoes. Throw those ones away.”
The things Tae-seong had been wearing… could they even be called shoes? They had holes near the big toes, making them utterly useless. Tae-seong seemed embarrassed, hiding his feet this way and that with a red face.
…Hide them all you want, you aren’t an octopus.
“I’m off. See you later.”
“…Okay. Chansung, thank you. More than words can say.”
“You say the cringiest things. Just be prepared, because I’m going to work you to the bone.”
On the way back to the Chachip after leaving Tae-seong at the Home, I wondered if I had done the right thing. But when I opened the door to the Chachip, the conclusion was clear.
‘I did well.’
Tae-seong was clearly troubled. While he would eventually stand on his own feet someday, it wasn’t a bad thing to provide the platform for him to do so. Of course, I might find out later that it was all for nothing, but that was a problem for future me.
Ting.
“Mister!”
“We’re here!”
“Right, right. Did you have fun playing today?”
“Yes!”
“There was a lot of work so we were busy, but it was still fun.”
“That’s a relief.”
“And you know what, Mister?”
Noran then began to chatter away about what had happened in the Spirit Realm. It was difficult to understand because she spoke in her own unique way, but Naru interpreted appropriately, so it was manageable. Moreover, one of the stories was quite interesting.
“Yuae said that?”
“Yes.”
“Yeah!”
Apparently, Yuae had told all the Spirits that they should visit the at least once.
“It will be different from the promotion I’ve done so far. Sister Yuae is different from us in both the power she possesses and the years she has lived.”
“So you’re saying the weight of the words is different for other Spirits because they came from Yuae?”
“That’s right.”
“That’s good.”
If many Spirits visited, the messy problems might be solved more quickly. It might lead to some overtime, but it was for the sake of helping Spirits. This much overtime was nothing.
“And Yuae told me to give this to you, Mister.”
“This?”
What Noran pulled out was a Moon Fragment. It felt like she was replenishing my supply, perhaps remembering that I had used some before. She could have come and given it to me herself. However, I knew why she had sent it through Noran.
She wanted to show that many things were changing. After a little more time passed, the day would come when Yuae could finally embrace Noran.
“Thanks.”
“Hehe!”
“Sister Yuae told me to ask if there’s anything you need, Mister. She said she wants to help you if she can.”
“Anything I need?”
Did I need anything? I already possessed material abundance, and the same went for mental abundance. There wasn’t anything I particularly lacked right now.
“Then…”
“Yes?”
“Can you ask her just one thing next time?”
I quietly asked Naru a single question. After hearing the question, Naru burst into laughter.
“You really are such a good person, Mister.”
“Am I?”
“You really are.”
I felt like I was hearing that a lot today. I shrugged my shoulders and dusted off my hands. As we talked and worked busily, the cleanup of the Chachip was finished before I knew it. Now, it was time to go Home.
“Alright, let’s go. Home.”
“Okay!”
“Can you make dinner today? I want to eat something delicious.”
“What do you like? Seafood? Ah, should we have meat? There’s still some meat left from what we got before.”
“Umm, anything!”
‘Anything’ was the most difficult order in the world. I was about to play a game of Twenty Questions to narrow it down to one answer when it happened.
“Are you closed already?”
“Oh, Tae-seong… Huh?”
Tae-seong, who had come to the Chachip, looked completely different from before. His thick hair and beard were still a bit bothersome, but his previous shabby appearance was nowhere to be found, making him look much better. I could finally see the proper image of Hwang Taeseong that I remembered from my past life.
“What’s wrong?”
“…You, seriously, don’t waste that face. If you’re handsome, you should groom yourself.”
“Where would I get the money for that?”
“Always talking about money. Let’s head to the City Center together later. We’ll buy you a suit and get your hair done at the salon.”
The old lady at the hair salon would probably throw a fit, asking how he could neglect his hair like this. The man himself didn’t seem to care in the slightest.
“Besides that, why did you come out? I told you to rest at Home.”
“How can an employee rest when the President is out working?”
“Why not? Resting is good.”
“I’m not a person without a conscience. I wanted to lend a hand, but I didn’t think you’d be done already.”
“It’s because it’s the Village. No one comes by at this hour.”
If someone did come, it would be a Spirit, but there was no sign of them today. If asked how I knew, I could only say it was a gut feeling. While I talked with Tae-seong, Noran, who had been standing quietly beside me, stepped forward. She approached Tae-seong and looked him up and down.
“Uh, by the way… is she your daughter?”
“No.”
“But you look a lot alike.”
“…Just think of her as a similar The Existence.”
“Mister.”
Noran gazed at Tae-seong with sparkling eyes. Looking into those eyes, Tae-seong crouched down to meet her eye level.
“What is it?”
“Mister, are you aching?”
“What?”
“Here, here. It feels like you’re aching.”
Noran tapped Tae-seong’s chest with her palm. Tae-seong froze for a moment at that action, then gave a smirk.
“Yeah, it aches.”
“Umm. You shouldn’t ache. If you ache, it becomes an ‘aya.'”
“Aren’t those the same thing?”
“They’re different! Aching and ‘aya’ are different. Naru and I can fix an ‘aya,’ but we can’t fix an aching.”
Was an ‘aya’ a physical wound, and an ‘aching’ a wounded heart? Noran spoke bluntly and then gently stroked Tae-seong’s hair.
“But it’s okay. Our Mister will fix all your aching, Mister.”
“Uh… you mean Chansung will fix it?”
“Right! Hehe!”
Noran gave a refreshing smile. Tae-seong blinked at that smile before smiling back. It was a rare sight — a child comforting an adult.
***
“Then is Mister Tae-seong going to live at Home with us too?”
On the way Home, the four of them together, Naru asked cautiously. Come to think of it, I should have asked the children’s opinions as well.
“Would it be uncomfortable?”
“No. We’re fine. Right?”
“Umm! We’re fine.”
“Thanks.”
“Hehe, it’s nothing.”
I was simply grateful for the two children’s consideration. Tae-seong still looked a bit apologetic, but that guilt would soon vanish once he got used to things.
“He’ll be at the Chachip with us while Siwoo is away.”
“Is she family?”
“Well, our part-timer. She can’t come for a while due to some circumstances. If her work ends quickly, she might come back sooner, but…”
I trailed off, glancing at Naru. Naru rolled his eyes here and there before shaking his head.
“It seems it will take a while this time.”
Since Naru said no, it seemed it would definitely take longer than last time. It couldn’t be helped. It seemed each Spirit had things that only they could do. It would only be hard on Hyun-woong, who was dying to see Siwoo.
“Is that part-timer like family too?”
“Right. Like a younger sister?”
“Hmm… isn’t she just your daughter?”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s just the feeling I get.”
Tae-seong stepped back a couple of paces and stared at me. What was wrong with him?
“When I look at you like this, you look like a perfect patriarch.”
A patriarch.
“Is that so?”
“I think that’s right too.”
One would do anything to protect their children. That was the mindset I had while looking at my children in my past life. I felt that same way when I looked at the Spirit Children now. In that sense, I suppose I was a patriarch.
“…Still, I’m not a father.”
“You’re stubborn.”
“A person needs to have some backbone.”
“I’m not sure about that kind of backbone.”
“Quiet and hurry up. Don’t walk behind me.”
I walked with Tae-seong in an atmosphere that was much more comfortable than before. Tae-seong’s stay wouldn’t be very long, but I was curious to see what kind of days lay ahead.
***
Tae-seong’s arrival didn’t change the daily routine. I woke up at 4:30 AM as usual. As I prepared to head out to the Chachip, Tae-seong followed me with sleep still in his eyes.
“I told you to rest.”
“I told you yesterday too. How can an employee rest when the President is going to work? I’m coming with you.”
“You’ll be tired.”
“I don’t think resting would feel like resting anyway.”
Since the two children were coming too, Tae-seong would be left Home alone if he stayed. I suspected he found that uncomfortable.
“I’ll go early and learn the work at the Chachip.”
“A good mindset, rookie.”
I said that, but there wasn’t much to make Tae-seong do. It was the same as when Siwoo first arrived. At most, it was carrying the prepared Tea, doing dishes, and bringing ingredients from the Warehouse. Not many customers came, so there would be plenty of leisure time.
And I had thought of a brilliant way to use that leisure time separately.
“Ah, Tae-seong.”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t be surprised when we go in.”
“Why shouldn’t I be surprised?”
“Anyway, promise me. You won’t be surprised.”
“I need to know what’s surprising to not be surprised.”
“Promise me first.”
“Alright, alright.”
I grabbed Tae-seong’s finger and forced a promise out of him. Tae-seong half-heartedly hooked his finger and promised. After securing the promise, I opened the door to the Chachip. Tae-seong, following behind me, came to a halt at the entrance. I asked as I watched his pupils shaking uncontrollably.
“How is it?”
“How… is it?”
“Isn’t it nice?”
At the end of Tae-seong’s gaze, a small Mudae had been prepared. It was the so-called .
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.