Near the Gangneung market, at a campsite perched atop a mountain with an exceptionally clear view of the sea, a man stood sighing deeply.
“Haa, this is driving me crazy.”
The man, who looked like a university student, had just been discharged from the military and was on a solo trip to Gangneung before returning to school. Like many men freshly discharged from the military, he sat alone on a chair, staring out at the ocean, lost in thought about his future.
His name was Park Junheon. Junheon repeatedly stared blankly at the Gangneung sea, trying to sort out his thoughts.
“I thought my success era would start once I got out of the military, but now that I’m out, there’s nothing to do.”
That’s right. This was a common worry many men had after being discharged. But Junheon was thinking about this ordinary dilemma more deeply than most. The right path would probably be to simply return to school as everyone else did, attend university steadily, and prepare for a job.
‘Is that really the right path for me?’
He didn’t want to take the ordinary path that everyone else was on. Schoolwork didn’t suit him, and changing majors wasn’t an option since there was no subject he truly wanted to study. But Junheon wasn’t the kind to avoid studying out of laziness.
If he were, he wouldn’t have worked hard through middle and high school just to get into university.
He was good at studying, but had become disillusioned because he was walking the path everyone else had chosen for him, not one born of his own will. He had studied diligently at a school and department that were known to lead to good employment, following others’ advice.
His parents had advised him, so he had gone to a tough military unit and completed his service. Of course, he didn’t regret it much. He had gained a lot from it. There was always a reason behind what others recommended.
But still…
‘When do I get to live my own life like this?’
He understood that following what others said wouldn’t harm him. Listening to the majority or to sincere advice from people who had lived much more life than him wasn’t a bad thing at all. But living this way his entire life had left him not knowing what he truly liked.
‘…Do I really not know?’
He asked himself. Do you really not know what you like? The answer that came back was:
‘Well, I do.’
He wanted to do music. But until now, he had walked too ordinary a path and had even achieved good grades at a fairly prestigious university. Having accomplished all that by following others’ instructions, the thought of giving it all up to sing at a late age weighed on his heart.
The biggest reason was the pressure of others’ eyes.
‘Doing both at the same time would be tough, and even if I secured a job first, doing music on the side would be hard. I’m already tired of living a life devoted to studying.’
He wasn’t sure. Some might call it an excuse or a “rich man’s problem.” He sat there for a long time, watching the waves gently lap the shore until nightfall.
Then—
“Hello!”
A girl running around the campsite with a dog greeted him. The girl was Byeol. While Jinwoo and Eric were preparing dinner, she had been playing at the campsite with Baekgu, and by chance, her eyes met Junheon’s, prompting her to say hello.
Her father, Jinwoo, had taught her to bow and greet adults properly. Junheon, who had always liked babies, smiled warmly and welcomed Byeol. A cute child and a cute dog — it was a combination anyone would love.
“Hi, were you playing?”
“Yes!”
“Ha ha, so cute. What’s your name?”
“Kim Byeol!”
“Byeol?”
“Yup, Byori!”
“So cute. What’s the dog’s name?”
–Beep!
“Baekgu!”
“Baekgu?”
“Yes!”
Byeol mingled polite and casual speech in a peculiar way as she became friends with Junheon. Junheon found both Byeol and Baekgu adorable, and before he knew it, he was throwing a ball, playing with both of them.
Jinwoo, having finished cooking and coming to fetch Byeol and Baekgu, saw Junheon playing with them and thanked him.
While coming back from a hunt, Jinwoo had also sold a small amount of the magic stones they had collected so far. With that money, he bought ingredients and cooked dinner. Eric was already inside the pendant again. Before Eric returned to the pendant, they let him taste a bit of the dinner, and the constellations envied Eric.
‘I cooked thinking of sharing the meal with Eric, but he only ate a little and went back into the pendant.’
So there was a lot of leftover food. Jinwoo glanced over at Junheon’s camping spot. Even though it was approaching dinnertime, Junheon hadn’t prepared anything. Still, it was nice to see him getting along well with Byeol and Baekgu.
“If you’re thinking of dinner, would you like to join us?”
Jinwoo asked, and Junheon answered as if he’d been waiting for this.
“Can I really?”
*****
I sat at the table. The campsite was lit by bright lights at night, and the sea, so blue in the daytime, was no longer visible. The Junheon in front of me looked like a clean-cut university student, and I liked that he especially doted on Byeol and Baekgu.
The constellations seemed to like him too.
(Rain and Sun God): Hmm, no bad person likes babies and dogs.
(Anonymous 1): That’s right, that’s right.
(Rain and Sun God): Anonymous, you’re an exception. You’re a mutant.
(Anonymous 1): Where do you live?
(Rain and Sun God): Doesn’t matter if I know.
(Blue River’s Messenger): I saw in the coin shop they sell passes to visit other constellations’ stars.
(Endless Waiting): There’s nothing not sold in the coin shop.
(Anonymous 1): Just tell me where your star is, I’ll go meet you.
(Rain and Sun God): I’ve become a constellation, but I don’t want to die again, save me.
I chuckled at their conversation. I laughed so clearly that I thought Junheon might get suspicious, but he was too busy smiling at Byeol and Baekgu.
(Anonymous 1): Jinwoo, what time is it now?
‘9 PM.’
(Anonymous 1): Until midnight… ha, no way.
(Rain and Sun God): Don’t lie, seriously.
(Blue River’s Messenger): Why is tribute only once a day? That’s a lie, huh? It’s a lie, damn it.
(Endless Waiting): Someone buy a skill book and send it to Jinwoo. I’m so hungry these days.
(Father of Crops): If you’re hungry, buy my crops.
(Freed Swordsman): I still have some coins… should I buy the skill book?
(Anonymous 1): I keep saying, even if you give that to Jinwoo, he’ll just use it for his own selfish desires.
(Last Night Watch): Judging by this chatroom’s vibe, I think Anonymous is secretly collecting skill books right now.
(Rain and Sun God): And then Anonymous disappeared.
‘Eating continuously until midnight is a problem. Eat tomorrow night instead.’
I said that and then looked at the dinner. Tonight was chicken stew made with Black Bird. Since I had been continuously receiving Fireflower from the Father of Crops, I often cooked various dishes using it.
I thought Fireflower would be good for the chicken stew, so I replaced the chili powder with it, adding only a little chili powder.
“Please eat.”
“Yes, thank you. You can talk casually with me!”
“Really? Then think of me as a local friend, since this is fate too.”
“Yes, yes!”
When someone asks me to talk casually, I always do. Not because I like it, but because for shy people, those words can be a great encouragement. I don’t want to refuse such kindness.
Anyway.
Junheon mixed the stew sauce into his rice and tore off pieces of Black Bird’s leg meat with the plastic gloves I had given him.
“…Hey, is this really chicken? The size is huge.”
“Bird! Black Bird!”
Byeol answered for me.
“…Black Bird? That Black Bird? A monster? You’re kidding, right?”
Junheon’s eyes went wide in surprise.
“Ha ha, yeah, that monster.”
“Monster meat?!”
“Don’t worry, it’s completely purified of magic energy. I’m a hunter.”
“Oh, a hunter… wow! It’s my first time seeing a hunter!”
I thought he would suspect the magic in the Black Bird hadn’t been detoxified yet, so I was prepared for some trouble. But he was surprisingly quick to accept it. After being amazed at the fact I was a hunter, he relaxed and happily tore off the Black Bird meat to mix with his rice.
“…! This is really delicious.”
“I’m glad it suits your taste.”
“Do you think Byeol will like it? This is a little spicy.”
“Byeol will eat it well.”
Raising Byeol, I often realized one thing: although she looked like a cute little kid, she wasn’t a child at all.
The gap between a spirit king and a human was huge. She was a young spirit king who could even handle spicy food well.
“Eat well! It’s delicious!”
Byeol nodded vigorously, and Junheon chuckled softly.
“It’s really tasty.”
“Good to hear.”
Only then did I take a bite. I scooped a lot of the stew broth over the rice, tore the meat apart, and mixed it in.
The perfectly cooked skin was tender, and the savory flesh greeted me warmly. It had a charm different from regular chicken, and the fiery spiciness made sweat trickle down my face. The sweetness and savory flavors made me want to eat more rice.
Even though I made it myself, it was truly delicious.
(Anonymous 1): Ask him about his story too.
(Rain and Sun God): Yeah, he definitely looks like he has a story.
(Freed Swordsman): Just staring at the night sea without setting the table properly is telling.
(Endless Waiting): I think so too. Seems like he has worries.
Since I agreed with the constellations, I asked Junheon if he had worries.
“Hmm… it’s a common, ordinary worry.”
While Byeol and Baekgu ran around during the meal, then came back to eat again, Junheon quietly began to share his concerns. It was indeed a common, ordinary worry: he was unsure what to do with his life after discharge.
Digging deeper, he felt the path he had taken until now didn’t fit him, but he was afraid to start something new.
“You’ve walked a stable path. Not because you wanted to, but because others told you to, and you worked hard, right?”
“That’s right.”
“It’s not the path you wanted, but there were definite benefits. Universities have brand value, so people recognized your diligence and effort right away.”
“Exactly.”
“So you’ve enjoyed all the benefits. Take a little more time off, do what you want. Try it for about a year. If it doesn’t work, then compromise with reality.”
“…Can I really do that?”
Thinking it’s not a problem that can be solved so easily must be why he’s been worrying so seriously on his own. But in reality, many problems are easier to solve than they seem.
“Well… almost no one does everything they want in life. Everyone compromises with reality. But what sets you apart from those people is that you’ve studied until now, right?”
He had studied hard and entered a good university. In a way, he had bought time and opportunity with effort.
“You can graduate a year later than others and still get a job if you want, right? You could spend that year doing the singing you want.”
“…That’s true, but honestly, I’m still bothered by the idea of continuing on a path that doesn’t suit me. Am I too young to feel this way?”
I shook my head. I understood. He had spent his school years doing what he didn’t want to, so one year would feel very short. Moreover, he knew himself well enough to suspect that living his life on this major would feel empty.
‘Honestly, more people live like that.’
(Anonymous 1): That’s a rich man’s problem.
(Rain and Sun God): I think it’s a very understandable worry.
When viewed coldly, it might be a rich man’s problem. But it’s understandable. Living the life you want is happier than living a stable life. But if you stand at that crossroads, worrying is actually a waste of time. Sometimes, you need the courage to just try.
“But I think being young is a weapon. It’s good to try all sorts of experiences.”
Worrying too much is a waste of time. But being young means all those things are experiences.
“Well then, Hyung, please listen to my song and be honest with me!”
“Okay, I’ll listen.”
I steeled my resolve and said that. If his singing was bad, I planned to advise him to keep studying for his own good.
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