Living Together – 3

The chestnut brown-haired woman habitually smoothed out the newly formed wrinkles on her face.

“MZ generation this and that…”

Knowing that no good words would come out to someone she just met, she shut her mouth.

“Ahahaha… She’s right, he’s a tutor. He’s just a little eccentric.”

Her niece gave an exaggerated laugh, wedging herself between her and the man.

“Okay, I get it for now.”

Still scrutinizing the man with distrustful eyes, she backed down.

If her niece was okay with it, then it was okay. It wasn’t so much that she trusted her niece, but rather that she believed the choice was hers to make.

The man began to take out the groceries he had bought and put them in the refrigerator one by one.

“Wow, but what brings you here, Auntie?”

“I have some business to take care of in Seoul for a bit. That…”

“Oh, that? Is everything ready?”

“Yes.”

Kim Sung-ah said in a cheerful voice, and Lee Jung-ha nodded with a bitter look on her face.

“By the way, why couldn’t I reach you?”

Kim Sung-ah’s aunt, Lee Jung-ha, asked her niece, who was standing awkwardly, in a scolding tone.

“Reach me?”

Kim Sung-ah took her cell phone out of her pocket. There were eight missed calls.

All the senders were listed as [Aunt].

“Yes, suddenly an emergency alert came, and they said there were giant bat swarms outside… and I couldn’t reach you!”

At her niece’s sheepish expression, Lee Jung-ha dredged up the worries she had barely suppressed.

“Ah… I’m sorry.”

“I told you to keep in touch, especially since we live so far apart and can’t see each other often.”

“Yeah, you did.”

Kim Sung-ah lowered her eyes and looked at her toes.

“……..”

Both her aunt, who was overwhelmed with emotion and scolded her, and Kim Sung-ah, who was being scolded by her suddenly visiting aunt, fell silent.

In short, an uncomfortable silence.

After a long struggle with the air, Lee Jung-ha took a breath and opened her mouth.

“There’s not much time left for me to take care of you…”

Kim Sung-ah’s hand clenched.

“It’s okay, Auntie. I can take care of myself.”

Raising the corners of her mouth, Kim Sung-ah made a smile.

“Yeah, seeing that the house is a bit clean, I’m glad you seem to be doing well.”

Looking around the living room, her aunt said. Kim Sung-ah smiled bitterly inside.

“Please take good care of Seong-a. She’s got the brains for studying, so please help her get into a good university in Seoul.”

The aunt looked at Kang In-ho. He, who was putting eggs in the refrigerator, turned to her in an awkward posture.

“Ah, yes… well, don’t worry. All the students I’ve taught have gone to good universities.”

“That’s a relief then.”

“Ah, ah~ Auntie! Are you staying here tonight?”

To prevent any further conversation, Kim Sung-ah hurriedly spoke up.

“No, I’m staying at a friend’s house for one night, and I’ll be going back to Busan tomorrow.”

“I see.”

“Yeah, I just stopped by for a bit.”

Her aunt, who had gone to the front door, put her feet into her shoes. Then she opened the front door.

Kim Sung-ah followed her aunt to see her off, and Kang In-ho glanced at the door they had gone out of for a moment before resuming tidying up.

The two women walked through the quiet yard.

“I need to clean up the weeds.”

Looking at the overgrown weeds, the aunt said, and Kim Sung-ah nodded.

Although they spoke freely like close friends, the topics of conversation were superficial.

Kim Sung-ah felt coldness and a sense of duty when she talked to her aunt.

Perhaps she was seeing an illusion of her sister in her.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

“Okay, bye.”

They said goodbye in front of the gate.

“Make sure you graduate this year.”

At the nagging, Kim Sung-ah smiled weakly.

“Okay.”

“The choice is yours, but… as an adult, I’ll advise you that it’s good to graduate from university.”

“Yeah, thank you.”

Having seen off the person she could call family, she closed the gate.

Clang, clunk.

The rusty, massive iron gate closed heavily. Just like her heart.

After the aunt’s visit, Kang In-ho watched Kim Sung-ah, who seemed strangely down.

Kang In-ho’s eyes followed Kim Sung-ah as she brought the curry to her mouth.

Red hair roughly tied up with a rubber band, a haughty gaze, small lips of light pink.

A small height that only came up to his sternum and long legs that didn’t match that height.

“Why?”

Kim Sung-ah, feeling his gaze, looked at him.

“Want more curry?”

The meal, filled only with the clatter of utensils, was uncomfortable, so he said anything that came to mind.

“No, thanks.”

“Why? Is it not good?”

“It’s good. It’s just that I think I’ll be full with just this.”

“Really? I guess I’ll have to eat the leftovers tomorrow.”

“…Are you curious?”

Kim Sung-ah opened her mouth first at Kang In-ho, who was fidgeting like a puppy needing to pee.

“Huh?”

“About my aunt.”

“Ah… well…”

He scratched his head and gave an ambiguous affirmation.

“I see her maybe once or twice a year. She lives far away, so it’s hard to see her often.”

“You seemed close.”

“It just looks that way. Neither my aunt nor I are that interested in each other. If she was really interested, do you think she would have readily believed that you were a tutor?”

“Ahaha….”

At her reproachful look, Kang In-ho laughed awkwardly.

“To my aunt, I’m ‘my sister’s daughter,’ and to me, my aunt is ‘my mom’s sister’… That’s about it. We don’t take care of each other much, but we just ask how each other is doing.”

“Complicated.”

“…But my aunt mentioned bats earlier, is that okay? Will her memory be erased properly?”

Kang In-ho changed the subject.

“It has to be a full day. To be exact, the memories and records will disappear with the sunrise the next day.”

“Are you using magic?”

“It’s not me doing it… it’s the Star’s Power.”

“What’s the principle?”

“Why are you looking for a principle in magic?”

Kim Sung-ah retorted, dumbfounded.

“I guess so.” Kang In-ho laughed. At his bright laugh, Kim Sung-ah’s face softened.

“Are you done eating?”

Kang In-ho began to clear the empty dishes.

Kim Sung-ah stared blankly at his back as he carried the empty dishes without being told, put on rubber gloves, and washed the dishes with detergent.

Watching someone prepare a meal, keep her company, clear the dishes, and do the dishes.

In this large house, such a familiar, longed-for scene.

She gulped down the water in her cup.

She felt choked for no reason.

After finishing the dishes, Kang In-ho sat across from Kim Sung-ah, who was still sitting at the table.

“Why are you here instead of the living room sofa?”

“None of your business. Whether I’m here or not.”

At her sulky attitude, Kang In-ho laughed as if he was dumbfounded.

“Well, you’re the homeowner. What can I say?”

He brought a plastic box of greenhouse tangerines from the refrigerator.

They were greenish, as if they weren’t ripe yet.

He handed one tangerine to Seong-a and took one out again to peel.

“Ah, I have something I’m curious about.”

He said when he was halfway through peeling the tangerine.

“What is it?”

“When you transform, do you have to chant the spell? ‘Twinkle twinkle little star’ this thing.”

“It’s ‘Resplendent, sacred Star’s Power’?”

“Whatever.”

“Actually, you don’t have to. But it’s a kind of self-hypnosis, so it’s a necessary process to draw out your full power. You know what those athletes do? That thing…”

“Routine?”

“Ah, right. Routine! And come to think of it, when I first became a Magical Girl, I couldn’t transform without chanting. I was able to do it without chanting as I went on.”

“Beginners need to chant, and experts don’t need to chant, but… chanting is necessary for efficiency.”

“That’s the summary.”

“How do you become a Magical Girl? Does some white, red-eyed cat-like thing come and say, ‘Make a contract with me and become a Magical Girl’?”

“…It’s not like that.”

Her relaxed face hardened again. Kang In-ho felt like he had touched something.

“I inherited this power from another Magical Girl. As soon as I inherited the power, it was like knowledge came into my head? I just knew it automatically.”

“Magic.”

Kang In-ho said seriously.

“It’s magic.”

Kim Sung-ah said seriously.

Kang In-ho ate the peeled tangerine in one bite, and Kim Sung-ah put one piece at a time into her mouth and chewed.

“I have another question.”

Kang In-ho, who had swallowed the sour tangerine, reached for the second tangerine and asked.

“You’re a talkative character, aren’t you?”

Kim Sung-ah frowned as if she was fed up, but there was a faint smile on her lips.

“When I was one of the Four Heavenly Kings, what did I look like? I wouldn’t look like I do now, would I?”

“Hmm… you fought wearing a mask. A mask that changed your abilities when you changed it…”

“Mask?”

“Yes, a mask. Let’s see… just a moment.”

Kim Sung-ah stood up, supporting herself on her knees, and went up to the second floor.

Kang In-ho tried not to look at her back in her loose T-shirt and dolphin pants.

A moment later, she came down the stairs with a pen and a white piece of paper in her hand.

“It’s hard to explain with words. I’ll draw it for you.”

“Are you good at drawing?”

“Sort of?”

Holding the pen triumphantly, she began to draw on the white paper.

Kang In-ho put half of the tangerine in his mouth and admired her drawing.

“Oh….”

After drawing lines without hesitation several times, Kim Sung-ah finished the drawing and held the paper in front of his eyes with a “ta-da” sound.

“This is what you looked like. How is it?”

“…Don’t go into art.”

“???!!! Why???”

“Just don’t go into it.” Kang In-ho said, putting the tangerine in his mouth.