Although Halmeoni’s illness has been cured, that’s a truth only Halmeoni and I know.
Unaware of this, the Hyeon siblings finished harvesting in a hurry and returned to the tea house.
But, it wasn’t just the two of them who came back.
“Halmeoni! You should’ve told us if you were feeling sick.”
“Aigo, you two worry too much.”
“Of course we worry. Are you going to keep speaking so coldly?”
Their father, who was also the Youth Association President of the village, Sanghyeon Ajussi, came with them.
Thanks to that, the house felt a bit more crowded than usual.
Watching Ajussi sticking close to Soomyeong Halmeoni, I asked Hyeon Ung, “Why did Ajussi come with you?”
“Because of the car.”
“The car?”
“We can’t all fit in the Porter. Unless someone wants to ride in the cargo bed.”
“Ah.”
The Porter is for carrying things, not people.
You’re not supposed to put people in the cargo bed.
“We tried to borrow Dad’s car, but he kept asking questions.”
“He just got the car not too long ago. He’s worried we’ll dent it or something.”
“I’ve had my driver’s license for years now.”
“That’s different. Anyway, that’s why it turned out like this.”
“Talking about Soomyeong Halmeoni, we didn’t do anything too reckless, did we?”
“Our father is tight-lipped.”
True.
The Hyeon siblings always seem lighthearted, but they have a serious side too.
So of course, their father, Sanghyeon Ajussi, wouldn’t be any different.
Watching Ajussi and Halmeoni talking quietly together, I raised my hand.
“You’re heading straight to the hospital, right?”
“Yeah, that’s the plan. You come too.”
“I’ll pass.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Five of us will just make it more complicated. Since Sanghyeon Ajussi is here, you go with him.”
I am curious what the doctor will say.
But four people crowding around Halmeoni is a bit much.
And besides.
I already know what answer will come out.
“I’ll just tidy up a bit.”
“You heartless brat.”
“Enough. Get going. The hospital will close soon.”
“Alright. Dad, let’s go!”
“Yeah, yeah. Changseong-ah, I’ll come by next time.”
Sanghyeon Ajussi gave a simple goodbye and headed out.
Soomyeong Halmeoni, leaving with Ajussi, glanced at me and gave a playful, eye-smiling grin.
“Our little secret, right?”
I guarantee things are going to be turned upside down at the hospital.
Because Halmeoni’s condition is just that good.
“That’s a relief, really a relief.”
“Did everything go well?”
As I muttered to myself in the now quiet tea house after everyone had left, Naru asked.
No-Rani went off to play in the Spirit Realm again today, but Naru stayed.
She seemed to have something she wanted to say for a while now, but I hadn’t been able to ask because I was so busy.
I smiled at Naru and nodded.
“Yeah. I think everything worked out well.”
“That’s good.”
“Right.”
“But I thought things would work out.”
“…Why’s that?”
“Because it’s you, Ajussi.”
Naru said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“Since it’s you, I thought things would work out.”
“Thanks for saying that.”
“I mean it. There are things about you that remind me of Grandfather.”
“Is that so.”
To be told I’m like Grandfather… it’s always nice to hear.
Feeling a warmth bloom in my heart, I got to the point.
“Naru, you have something to tell me, right?”
“How did you know?”
“It’s obvious. And it’s something you can’t talk about in front of No-Rani, right?”
“Ajussi, you really are amazing.”
Naru’s eyes sparkled.
I started to worry if maybe I’d raised her expectations too much.
Still, I was curious what Naru wanted to say.
“What is it?”
“A spirit is coming here tonight.”
“What kind of spirit?”
“The Rain Spirit. Her name is Siwoo.”
Siwoo.
Rain that falls at just the right moment.
A fitting name for the Rain Spirit.
“Remember what I told the Spirit Realm before? That if they drank your tea, they’d get stronger.”
“You said something like that, didn’t you.”
“They want to come try it. Lately, she’s been saying she feels really weak.”
“Really?”
“You probably noticed. It hasn’t rained at all lately.”
Now that she mentions it, she’s right.
It’s the end of July already, and there hasn’t been any monsoon season yet.
Every day, the news talks about a drought, and the old folks who farm can only sigh.
Rain is essential for farming.
“So you’re saying Siwoo, the Rain Spirit, is weak, and that’s why?”
“That’s part of it, but it’s also because No-Rani’s power has grown a lot stronger.”
“I see.”
“These days, No-Rani is so happy that she has extra energy. Yellow Light Powder is flying everywhere in the Spirit Realm.”
I’ve never seen it, and I can’t go there, but I can picture it in my head.
No-Rani running around the Spirit Realm, scattering yellow powder everywhere.
“Changes in the Spirit Realm affect the Human Realm, too. When the sun is strong, there’s no way it’ll rain.”
“I see… Now I feel kind of bad.”
Because of me, a friend called the Rain Spirit lost her strength. I couldn’t help feeling guilty.
Maybe reading my expression, Naru waved her hands.
“It’s not your fault, Ajussi. That’s just the way of nature. When someone gets stronger, someone else gets weaker. That’s the Flow.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, and besides, you can help, right? Just like you helped me.”
Naru created a little cloud of green powder in her hand.
Just as she said, her power has grown a bit stronger.
It’s all thanks to the Green Dawn I serve her every day.
“So don’t feel too bad. None of us resent you.”
“Alright, I get it.”
I stroked Naru’s head and pulled myself together.
Now’s not the time to regret my past decisions or get lost in guilt.
What matters now is figuring out how to help the Rain Spirit, Siwoo.
“I already know what tea to make for Siwoo.”
Last night, I memorized every tea in the Recipe Book.
Not just the effects or methods, but who each tea was for, what to watch out for—everything.
I didn’t miss even a single detail.
“I could just brew that… but…”
Through Soomyeong Halmeoni, I realized there’s more I can do in this place.
So I need to think more about it.
So I can get even better results.
***
—Hey, can you believe this? Halmeoni’s bone fracture healed in a day!
“Really?”
—And last time, they said there were cancer cells, but now they’re all gone. The hospital is in an uproar, calling it a miracle.
“That must be chaotic.”
From the other end of the line, I could hear Hyeonseo’s voice and the commotion.
Most of the noise was probably from other patients at the hospital, but sometimes I caught the doctor’s voice, too.
I was glad I hadn’t gone with them.
“How’s Halmeoni?”
—Dad’s with her. But there’s something strange.
“What is it?”
—It’s like… Halmeoni already knew her fracture and cancer were gone.
I flinched at those words.
There’s no way Soomyeong Halmeoni would have said anything.
She wouldn’t have made it obvious, either…
“Then how did she know?”
—Just a feeling. She was so calm, even in front of the doctor. Like it was nothing special.
“That’s just how Halmeoni is.”
—Yeah, but… I don’t know, it felt different. I guess it’s just a feeling. Oh, hang on.
She stopped there, and all the sounds faded away.
After a moment, Hyeon Ung’s voice came through instead of Hyeonseo’s.
—Changseong, it’s me, Hyeon Ung. Looks like we’ll be staying overnight here.
“At the hospital?”
—Yeah. Things are so crazy, we can’t just leave.
“Must be tough for you.”
—Hey, put Hyeonseo back on. Changseong, let me ask you something. Did you know this was going to happen?
I guess Hyeonseo had taken the phone back, judging from her good instincts. I felt a pang of guilt but played dumb.
It’s a secret between Halmeoni and me—I can’t just say it here.
“Don’t say nonsense.”
—Right? It doesn’t make sense to me, either.
“Anyway, make sure Halmeoni gets every test she can while she’s admitted. Just in case.”
—We were thinking that too. Dad agrees.
“Just in case, tell Halmeoni not to worry about the fields. I’ll take care of it.”
—You? You’ve never done any farm work.
“I can just look it up online.”
Besides, I’ve got No-Rani and Naru beside me—they’re like cheat codes.
“There’s no need to worry about messing up.”
—Oh, someone’s calling. I’ll let you know. See you in the morning.
“Alright, take care.”
After hanging up, I quietly thanked the Seo family for all they were doing on the other end of the phone.
“Good job, Jo family.”
As soon as I hung up, the door to the tea house burst open and No-Rani bounded in.
She looked just like an oversized dog happily returning from a walk.
Except No-Rani is much smaller than a big dog.
“Did you have fun?”
“Yep! It was fun again today!”
“That’s good.”
“Oh, and I brought a friend!”
“A friend?”
At those words, I turned to the entrance.
There stood a tall woman with elegant features.
Her long, blue hair hung down to her shoulder blades.
Should I say it looked like water?
Depending on the angle, her hair color changed, a mysterious shade.
“Hello. I hope I’m not interrupting your business?”
Her calm, resonant soprano made it clear.
This woman was Siwoo, the Rain Spirit, just as Naru had said.
“We’re closed for the day, so you came at the perfect time.”
“Do you know who I am?”
“Naru told me. Though she didn’t describe your appearance, so I didn’t expect you’d be such a beauty.”
It’s true.
Naru talked about her like a friend, so I assumed she’d be around No-Rani or Naru’s age.
But the person who showed up looked like a high school student, so I was caught off guard.
Siwoo seemed pleased by my words and smiled softly.
“Thank you for saying that.”
“Come, have a seat. No-Rani, sit next to her. I’ll get you dinner.”
“Okay! Siwoo, come here.”
No-Rani acted like she was the owner of the place and led Siwoo to the bar table.
The two of them sitting together—there’s a strange resemblance between them.
Almost like sisters.
While I watched, Siwoo lowered her head lightly.
“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Siwoo, the Rain Spirit.”
“I’m Changseong Lee. Son of the former owner, Grandfather, and the current owner of the Yangjibareun Tea House.”
“I’ve heard about you. From Grandfather.”
“…From Grandfather?”
“Yes.”
Siwoo looked around the tea house as she spoke.
“I’ve been here a few times before. Not often, but whenever I could. You probably didn’t see me because I came when the President wasn’t here.”
“I see.”
So Siwoo was a regular at this tea house, too.
Seems there are more spirits among the regulars of the Yangjibareun Tea House than I thought.
“At those times, Grandfather talked a lot about you, President.”
“About me?”
“Yes, all kinds of stories. How you fell and scraped your knee on the way here, or how you got a perfect score on your test today. Things like that.”
“So he shared all those little stories.”
“He sure did.”
To think Grandfather talked so much about me where I didn’t even know… it feels strange.
While I was getting tickled by that embarrassment, Siwoo added a word.
“Grandfather always said he wanted the President to be happy. He also asked us, if we could help, to please do so.”
“…He really said that?”
“Yes. It’s been a while, though.”
Her words hit me like a heavy hammer to the head.
“Grandfather’s arrangements for my happiness.”
Looking around the tea house, a deep emotion welled up inside me.
Grandfather didn’t leave this tea house to me so I could help spirits.
He left it so the spirits could look after my happiness.
“This is…”
Grandfather always thought only of me.
I feel like I might burst into tears at any moment.
Maybe Siwoo sensed my mood.
She gently closed her eyes.
“I saw and heard nothing, okay?”
“Thank you.”
No matter how many times I wiped my tears, they kept falling.
Today of all days, I miss Grandfather so much.