episode_0003

-Chime, chime~♬

“Welcome, Yuseong!”

“I apologize!”

I went to Rienim’s shop and immediately apologized.

“Oh dear, Yuseong?”

As I headed to the shop and thought it over, I realized I had taken the contract too lightly. On the first day Rienim rescued me, we made a contract and swore to each other that we would uphold it no matter what.

Rienim promised to provide me with all my necessities of life and fully support my comfortable living.

In return, I promised Rienim to give her the first painting I completed each day, and occasionally diligently carry out requests from her acquaintances. But from the very first agreement, I made a mistake.

It was a breach of contract so egregious that Rienim would have been justified in foaming at the mouth and shoving fish into my mouth, and even that wouldn’t have been enough. Just as I was bowing deeply to pre-empt such a fate, Rienim approached.

-Click, click, click.

The chilling sound of heels. Just as I was wondering if she would stomp on my head with those heels and tap dance, a strangely cold hand gently gripped my cheek.

“Please… Lift your head, Yuseong. You are not a criminal, are you?”

“Rienim…!”

A soft hand in a mesh glove stroked my cheek. Though the sticky touch, clinging like a suction cup, was ticklish, I couldn’t dampen Rienim’s seemingly good mood.

“Really… Why are you apologizing to me?”

“Well, I gave the first painting as a gift to someone I didn’t know. Originally, I was supposed to give you the first painting I drew every day, wasn’t I?”

“Oh, are you talking about that?”

Though hidden by her veil, she pointed to the wall with such a bright voice that I could have sworn I saw Rienim’s smile.

The small painting hanging in the frame was none other than my own painting, titled [Happy Jellyfish Octopus].

“It was a very good painting. Especially the subtle expression of the mysterious entity and the terrified face of the girl… truly… Ohoho, it’s a great talent.”

Really, that good?

Receiving such sincere praise, I didn’t know what to do with myself.

My body squirmed like a squid on a grill from embarrassment, but I quickly composed myself and looked at Rienim.

How did she get that?

“I acquired the painting in exchange for a good opportunity. The person who received your painting as a gift is probably satisfied as well.”

“Did he reunite with his daughter?”

“Yes, they are living very happily~”

That’s good, that’s really good.

My worries were eased, and with the update on the old man’s situation that I was curious about, my tension relaxed.

“But that person, really, to receive such a magnificent painting and not pay for it. Yuseong, you must be greatly disappointed.”

“Oh, as for payment, I received this. He seemed to have dropped it, but I think he left it for me.”

“Aaaah-!”

I proudly held out the book with the wrinkled cover that the old man had given me. But to my surprise, Rienim was startled, and poked, poked the cover with her finger, encased in a black mesh glove, as she spoke to me.

“Th-this, this, this, this here…”

“Do you know this book?”

Clutching the book, I looked at Rienim. On the first day I met her, I thought she was truly mysterious and unknowable, but ever since I got this book, each of her reactions has been surprisingly familiar.

Her veil, transparent yet not allowing a view beyond it, had become slightly opaque, revealing the outlines of Rienim’s hidden face.

Staring at the book tightly clutched in my arms, the emotion emanating from her as she gnawed her plump, alluring red lips with white teeth was anxiety.

Rienim paced nervously and bit her lip at my question. Wondering when she would answer, I waited, and she whispered in a very small voice.

“That’s my diaryyy…”

“Oh?!”

“P-please give it back.”

“But I received it as payment for the painting, didn’t I?”

She must have been embarrassed because I was holding her ‘stolen’ diary. Only then could I understand Rienim’s reaction.

If it were me, if I thought someone was reading a diary I’d written since childhood, my limbs would twist and I’d be busy puking my guts out.

Well, but it’s not my business. This will be interesting!

“Please give it back~”

“Hmmmm…”

“If Yuseong reads my diary, your head might just explode with a pop~. I’m not kidding.”

“The more you say that, the less I want to give it back. Just how embarrassing can it be for it to be so full of shameful content…”

“Aah, you mischievous brat!”

Rienim threw aside her haughty and elegant demeanor from the first day, and smacked, smacked my shoulder, showing her unique brand of familiarity.

This feeling of growing closer with this complete stranger is truly rewarding no matter how many times I experience it.

“I’m sorry, but I actually needed a book to read anyway. It might be an impudent request of you, Rienim, but could I just read a little of it?”

“…Then, in short order, I’ll bring you a book you’re sure to like, and then you must exchange it, alright?”

I nodded at Rienim’s offer. I could read someone else’s diary, and she’d give me another book I’d like too. It’s Christmas!

“I’ll prepare the journals of famous explorers for you; it might take a little time to make them readable by humans, but… I’m sure you’ll be satisfied, alright?”

As if Rienim didn’t trust me, she began to ramble at length about how much more interesting the explorers’ journals were than her own diary.

Her tone was like coaxing a pouting child. I reached out my hand to alleviate her worries.

“Why your hand…?”

“In my hometown, we make this gesture to make a promise and signify that we will definitely keep it. Would you give me your hand?”

Rienim’s white hand, encased in a mesh glove, trembled, and she firmly grasped my hand.

Her hand was icy cold, like the bottom of the deep sea, but as I held it still, it gradually warmed up.

No, I wasn’t trying to shake hands.

“Now, interlock our pinky fingers here… Yes, and then press our thumbs together firmly to seal it. It’s a gesture of trust, to not break a promise.”

“Pinky finger…”

Rienim fluttered her fingers at an invisible speed, before holding out just her pinky finger stiffly to me.

I interlocked my pinky finger with her cold one, then brought our fists together, and firmly pressed my thumb onto her trembling one.

“Ah…!”

“Firmly.”

“Firmly…?”

“Yes, it’s done. Since we’ve promised, Rienim, you must definitely bring me another book, alright?”

“Yuseong, you must also definitely return my diary. Otherwise… you know what will happen, right?”

“Hahahahaha!”

“Ohoho.”

“Hahahahaha!!!”

“Ohoho!”

“Haha-”

“Yuseong?”

“Uh, yes?”

Cutting off her laughter decisively, Rienim called my name, and gazed at me steadily as she asked.

“Besides the book, is there any other reward you’d like to receive? Whatever it is, since you drew the painting, I must pay you back.”

“Hmmmm…”

A reward, huh.

At Rienim’s question, I closed my eyes and pondered deeply. There was nothing I particularly wanted to eat, nor anything I particularly wanted to do.

The only thing I really needed was a book, and now I had a diary, and she was bringing me a new one.

Or perhaps new neighbors? Mister Thompson just screams when he sees me, and the other neighbors only talk amongst themselves.

As an outsider, I couldn’t blame them for discriminating against me. Still, humans are inherently social creatures.

Although I exchanged conversations with Rienim, I missed the warmth of human connection.

People who would welcome me properly and accept me.

A brilliant idea struck me, and I raised my hand and spoke.

“Not here, but I want to see a new city with tons of people!”

“Why?”

“…No, if you ask ‘why’…”

“Aren’t there enough people here? How much effort have I put in…”

Rienim seemed to take it as meaning I didn’t like this city; she placed her delicate hand on her cheek and sighed deeply, looking sad.

Seeing her take it that way, I felt unnecessarily apologetic.

I immediately waved both hands and corrected her misunderstanding.

“I just said that because I wanted to explore other cities too. If it’s an unreasonable request…”

“Hmm…”

“…I’ll just stay home then…”

“Haa, if you look at me with those eyes, my heart aches. Alright, I’ll introduce you to another city.”

“Oh!”

“Really… You really can’t be stopped, Yuseong.”

Rienim, sighing, looked at me, and kneaded, kneaded, pulled, and pinched my cheek repeatedly.

Just as I shivered at her sticky touch, Rienim took her hand away and held out a thick pouch.

“What’s this?”

“It’s human currency. If you go to the city without this, you won’t be able to do anything. Ah! But you mustn’t carelessly take it out in front of others, alright? Because the city I’ll guide you to is full of very ferocious humans…”

“So what?”

“If anything were to happen to Yuseong, I would… sniffle, sniffle~”

Rienim feigned crying, put a handkerchief inside her veil, and patted her eyes.

Well, how ferocious can humans really be? I’d already encountered every scoundrel imaginable on Subway Line 1.

No matter how dark fantasy this world is, it can’t beat Subway Line 1, can it?

Thus, a new city exploration was suddenly arranged.

With a warning that it was late and I should depart tomorrow, Rienim escorted me home.

-Coo, coo, coocoo-coocoo-coocoo

Listening to the atmospheric bird calls, I lay in bed, but sleep wouldn’t come.

A new city, new people, new encounters.

What kind of encounters awaited me? Excited, I noticed the clock pointing to midnight, and sat in front of my easel.

I would express this excitement in a painting.

I drew Rienim tearfully seeing me off, and myself heading towards the new city.

Being sleepy, my eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and the arm holding the brush involuntarily drooped.

But I had to finish the painting. If I were to go without drawing something, I felt Rienim wouldn’t let me go.

“Whew…”

Finally, the painting was complete, even though I had to force my sleepy eyes open to finish it.

Rienim seeing me off, the nameless city full of new encounters, and myself heading there (muscular and with clearly defined six-pack abs).

Feeling proud of my confident, explorer-like appearance, I covered the easel with a cloth and threw myself onto the bed.

Tomorrow… no, it’s today now. Anyway, I had to sleep quickly for today.