episode_0098

Even searching anywhere was daunting. Fortunately, there were many people in the same situation as Narin on the Internet.

Footsteps of people who searched the Internet using various search terms because they didn’t know what to do after the pet they had raised with all their heart passed away.

Thanks to this, even if you just search for “hamster corpse,” stories about aftercare come up.

Aftercare? Isn’t that too bleak? I thought about that for a moment. After seeing the method of disposal, Narin muttered in disbelief.

“Just throw it away… … ?”

Put it in the garbage bag and throw it away. I was dumbfounded by those shocking words, so I just stood there dumbfounded, and then I hurriedly looked at the other children.

Namin was still unable to move away from Hamshik’s body, and Jihyun was also staying by Namin’s side, so fortunately she didn’t seem to hear.

For some reason, the color bird was lying down next to Hamshik without saying anything. Thanks to that, Narin was able to finish reading the contents after ten years of being shocked.

Burying an animal’s body anywhere in the ground is an illegal act prohibited by the government because it can spread bacteria and viruses.

It was only after seeing that that Narin understood the bill. Well, I guess so. There is also a saying that it is a poison.

It is said that it is possible if you own a single-family home with a yard, but neither Narin nor her parents lived in such a place.

Koreans, unless they live in the countryside, mostly live in apartments or officetels. Even in single-family homes, if you are not the landlord, you do not have ownership of the yard.

If not, then makeup. But this was something that Namin didn’t seem to agree to. Because Hamshik’s form wouldn’t remain at all and he would just turn into ashes.

The cost was also an issue. I looked it up and it was between 150,000 and 200,000 won.

Hamshik-yi, it was money that he could spend as much as he wanted for Na-min, but it was still a burden to Na-rin.

Then, the only thing I found was a flower pot. A funeral that was possible because it was a small animal like a hamster.

They say they can’t bury it because it pollutes the land, but if the soil is yours, you’re free to use it however you want.

That’s why they use flower pots. You could say that it’s a simplified form of a funeral that has been practiced since ancient times.

Wouldn’t this be a little comforting to Namin? If plants grow using Hamshik as nutrients, Namin might recall memories of Hamshik every time she sees the plants.

“Guys, I’m going out for a bit.”

“Aren’t you eating dinner?”

“I’ll be right back. I’ll go get a flowerpot to bury Hamshik in. Jihyun, I’ll ask Namin for a favor.”

“Yes, have a nice day.”

So Narin hurried out of the house. She had to buy a flower pot before the flower shop near her house closed.

Hamsik’s funeral couldn’t be postponed until tomorrow. No matter how precious Hamsik was to Namin, it wouldn’t be good if Hamsik’s body and Namin were to remain together.

“The flower shop… … . Oh, thank goodness it’s open. Hello, do you have a flower pot that I can bury my hamster in?”

“Do you want to make a flower pot? I recommend Sansevieria, Stucky, and succulents that grow well with other plants. Hamsters sometimes have seeds in their mouths, so they sometimes grow together. They are all easy plants to care for.”

“Okay, then please give me succulents.”

“It’s 14,000 won. Here’s a flower pot, soil, and seeds.”

Since there were quite a few people arranging flowers, the flower shop owner immediately understood what Na-rin was saying.

Thanks to that, there was no need for a long story, and Narin went back home, carrying the rest in a flowerpot about as high as her forearm, tucked under her arm, and hugging it.

On the way, I also sent a text message to Ahyeon. To be exact, I contacted the lady at the guild cafeteria who was taking care of Ahyeon.

– Narin: Na-min is looking for Ah-hyun, so could you send her to our house right now?

– Restaurant lady: Write something like “What’s going on?” and send it to me.

– Narin: Hamshik died… I’m going to hold a small funeral.

– Restaurant owner: Oh… No, don’t use this.

– Restaurant owner: Should I come and visit you too? Write and send it to me.

– Narin: You must be tired, but it’s okay.

– Restaurant Lady: Ghosts don’t get tired. It’s okay.

Now that I think about it, when I took Na-min and Ham-sik to work, the restaurant owner was especially fond of them.

So, he came to see me like this. Thinking that Hamshik wouldn’t be lonely on his way, Narin returned home.

I thought that Namin would still be sad, holding Hamshik who would be sleeping forever.

When Na-rin arrived in front of Ji-hyeon’s house, unexpectedly, she heard Na-min talking to Ji-hyeon about this and that.

“Okay, I’m going to write down my YouTube account password here. This, and my game ID and password. And… … .”

“That, Namin-ah. You don’t have to worry about it this much… … .”

“Jihyun-ah. I’m not a child. I know that we will die someday. Just like Hamshik-i, we will die much sooner than Na-rin-i. And Jihyun-ah, since she became a dwarf later than I did, she will live longer than me. So.”

“… … .”

At first glance, it might seem cute for little kids to talk like that, but those words tore at Na-rin’s heart.

Honestly, Hamshik’s death wasn’t that devastating or a great loss.

I did like Hamshik, but that was only as a pet. It was sad that he died, but I thought that it was a good thing since he lived happily thanks to Na-min.

But now, if Namin, who I truly consider to be my own little sister, were to die, it would be a heartbreaking feeling just to think about it.

Narin, who had been crying there, closed her mouth for a moment, caught her breath, then opened the door and tried to speak in a calm voice.

“Hey guys, I bought a flower pot. Let’s ask Hamshik here.”

“Oh, Sister Narin. You’re back.”

Just thinking about it makes me sad. Likewise, Na-min, who thought of Ham-shik as her younger sister, must feel even worse about the death.

The greeting, which would have been usually cheerful, seemed rather dull.

Only then did Narin understand Namin’s feelings and carefully placed the flower pot in front of the house containing the hamster.

Then, after Narin got off work, Saekmusae opened her mouth for the first time.

“If I ask about the ham diet, will I never see it again?”

“I guess so… … .”

Do you know that the color bird is death? Oh, I see. Because you escaped from the laboratory where the terrible experiments were being conducted.

Narin looked at the Saekmu Bird with a complicated look, although she was secretly glad that there was no more cruel thing to explain what death was.

Saekmusae, who was surprisingly good at talking but also surprisingly innocent, seemed to really think of Hamshik as a companion.

The magpie, who was rubbing her cheek against Hamshik’s face, whispered softly to the sleeping Hamshik.

“Hello, darling. Good night.”

Was that enough of a farewell? The color bird came out of the newlywed house and quietly watched Na-rin. As if telling her to do her job.

In the meantime, Ahyeon and the restaurant owner also came to the window.

“Knock knock. Is it okay if I come in?”

“Oh, hello. I heard that Hamshik has already passed away… … .”

The restaurant owner who could have just walked through the window, but insisted on waiting in front of it. And Ahyeon, who was floating around, hesitantly, next to her.

Narin opened the window and greeted them both.

“Ah, yes. Thank you for coming. Well, I called you not because it was a hamster funeral, but because Nami had a favor to ask. That’s why I called you.”

“You should come whenever you call. Thanks to you, I was able to contact my mom and dad. What is that, Nami-min request…?”

“Hello. Could you please call Ahyeon and Hamshik the ghost? I haven’t even been able to say goodbye to Hamshik.”

It was a request typical of Na-min, who was so innocent. However, seeing Ah-hyun struggling, Na-rin had a feeling that it would be difficult to come true.

“Uh, that… … . In most cases, ghosts can’t communicate with each other… … . They just mumble and wander around a space, and when you go back a few days later, they’re gone. So I don’t think Hamshik will come out even if I call him. I’ll try to look for him… … .”

“You can’t become a ghost if you don’t have any grudges in this life. Hamshik must have lived happily and gone to a good place because Namin treated him so well.”

The restaurant owner cut off Ah-hyeon’s frustrated words and gave her a cold, almost cruel answer.

Narin was worried that Namin would get hurt there, but Namin just looked like she was dying and didn’t seem that upset.

No, I’m already in a bad mood so it might not get any worse.

“I see… … . Still, thank you for coming to help me like this.”

“Ugh… … .”

Narin doesn’t know funeral procedures. She’s never been to a funeral before.

So while Namin and the ghosts were talking, I filled the flower pot halfway with soil. Just like I found in the search results earlier.

And when he was about to put his hand inside the box to bury Hamshik in it, Namin came forward first and brought Hamshik out.

“Narin-ni, let me ask you something.”

“Are you okay?”

“It’s okay. I’m Hamshik’s older sister, so I should do it.”

Was Nami this dignified? Nari waited for Nami, who was carrying a hamburger on his head.

The flower pot was quite tall, so it served as an elevator for Namin with just his hands.

“I have some almonds and macadamias that Hamsik has been saving. Can I plant them?”

“Okay.”

Whether it’s almonds or macadamias, if you buy them commercially, they’re probably roasted.

Rather than saying that she planted it, it would be more appropriate to say that she buried it with Hamshik. Narin decided not to trample on Namin’s innocence.

In the cage, Na-min holds roasted almonds and roasted macadamia nuts in both hands, as expected by Na-rin, and gives them to Ham-shik.

“Hamshik-ah, thanks to you, I was so happy and had so much fun. I will live happily in the future, go to a good place… … . Delicious, food. Lots… … .”

Until then, she seemed to be calm, but eventually, Na-min burst into tears.

Na-min, who couldn’t be comforted even when Ji-hyun was by her side, cried so much that it was hard to understand where the tears were coming from.

Namin, who had cried until her eyes were swollen, finally stopped crying when she collapsed from exhaustion.

Only then was Narin able to finish burying the ham. She covered it with soil, planted succulent seeds, and placed the nutrients that the flower shop owner had provided as a freebie next to it.

After that, if you place a flower pot on the windowsill above the desk, your farewell to Hamshik will be over.

The restaurant owner made a lame joke to Narin, who was sitting there in vain, carefully stroking her hair with her fingers.

“Hmm. We’re ghosts, so do you want to have a drink? It looks like you haven’t had dinner yet.”

“Oh, right. Since you came all this way, I should at least treat you to a meal… … .”

“Oh, no. We’re ghosts anyway, so we can’t eat anything.”

“Ahyeon-ah, Ahyeon-ah. You don’t know anything about ghosts. They say that people eat food prepared on the ancestral rite table, considering it to be eaten by ghosts.”

“Aha.”

It was a story that even Narin didn’t know. I nodded my head and thought about what to eat for dinner.

I didn’t have an appetite, but I thought I should at least feed Jihyun and Saekmusae, who were still awake.

The simple funeral in a single room ended there.

Perhaps it was thanks to the restaurant aunt who helped liven up the atmosphere while we were eating, but Saekmusae also started to open his mouth little by little.

Narin and Jihyun also managed to regain smiles on their faces while talking to the two ghosts, although their strength had drained.

“I’m worried about Na-min. But I think she’ll be able to overcome it since she has Na-rin, Ji-hyun, and Saek-musae.”

“That, of course. Hamshik didn’t become a ghost like us… … .”

So the two ghosts finished their meal and left. Narin washed up and went to sleep in preparation for the next day’s schedule.

Even if Hamshik leaves, the world will still turn. I just hope that Namin will quickly gather her strength and smile brightly again.

Narin, who had been in such a deep sleep, opened her eyes to a squeaking sound.

The sound of a hamster wheel. Could it be that Namin, unable to bear the sadness, is turning on the hamster wheel that Hamshik used to enjoy?

Although she was sleepy, she still had to comfort Na-min. Na-rin got out of bed and headed to the hamster cage.

Come to think of it, if there’s only Na-min and Ji-hyun without Ham-shik, it would be better to find them a different home rather than a hamster cage… ?

Narin, who was thinking about such things in her sleep, opened her eyes wide when she saw the hamster wheel inside the cage.

Because Namin wasn’t there. Instead, a being that shouldn’t be there was sitting there in a strange position.

Hamshik, holding macadamia nuts in one hand and a nutritional supplement in a flower pot in the other, stands on his hind legs supporting his body and squeaks on a wheel like a Viking.

Then, Hamshik belatedly realized that Narin was looking at him, so he stared blankly at Narin and then handed her a macadamia.

“Eeee?”

Narin let out a sound similar to Namin without realizing it.