episode_0022

“This is fucking unfunny. It’s a flop, a flop.”

This summer, I raided a bookstore and brought home a bunch of books, but none of them were very good. How could everything I reached for be boring?

It seemed like all of this was picked out by a stupid old man who had no eye for books. I could see the old man who had picked up these kindling through the slightly open door.

“Dohun Oppa! I made a little dessert because I had some ingredients that were about to expire.”

You crazy bitch, you’re acting all cute without even hiding it. You don’t even have an eye for people. I don’t know what you like about people like that.

Thanks to the world being in this state, he was able to find some use. If the zombie outbreak hadn’t happened, the old man would have been a street vendor or the owner of a chicken restaurant.

“Oh… Brownies, Lina knows how to make something like this? It’s been a long time since I’ve had them.”

The old man had a smile on his face, as if he was so happy that a girl of childbearing age who could barely keep her chin up had baked a dessert for him.

You crazy pedophile. All you think about is women.

“Hehe, this is my first attempt, so I don’t know if it’ll taste good. But you won’t throw it away because it’s not tasty, right…?”

If this were a fantasy world, I wondered if Lina, that crazy bitch, would have been nothing more than a vixen.

Doesn’t it seem like the tail is wagging over the butt of a dog who is strongly insisting on having a child right now?

“No way, I’ve had delicious jjambbap before. If it’s the work of a certified chef, there’s no need to worry. Mmm, it’s delicious. It’s not too sweet either.”

“Thank goodness! I’ll make it often. I really like making things like this. I also like it when people enjoy my cooking. I’m really happy that Dohoon oppa enjoyed it.”

The crazy girl said with a bright smile. It was a bright smile without a single shadow, and the old man seemed to be happy with Lina’s expression and laughed along with her.

It annoyed me to see someone having a boring day because of some outsider’s shit, while that person was eating delicious food and laughing out loud.

“Actually, Danhwa really likes this kind of dessert. Would it be okay if I gave her a little bit?”

“Ah! No!! It’s something I ate!! I’ll make some new ones for Danhwa and bring them to you. I don’t know as much as Dohoon oppa, but Danhwa unnie has a personality and she’ll definitely get mad if you bring her something she ate.”

The crazy woman was startled when the clueless old man blurted out something like that and tried to stop him. As someone who was watching, I was shocked because I could clearly see his true intentions.

I wonder if you’re crazy. Do you think I have such a twisted personality? Do you blame my personality for the things you do that deserve to be cursed at?

Besides, when did I ever say I wanted to eat the food you made for me? Why are you jumping to conclusions when I didn’t even ask for it?

Unlike my seething insides, I was quite rational and did not get swayed by my emotions.

Because I knew that rather than going out of the room and getting angry at those two bastards, it would be better to just get that ugly sight out of my sight and hold my anger inside.

Like it or not, we were going to be stuck in the shelter for a while, so there was no reason to deepen the emotional rift and cause additional emotional drain.

Also, if you really wanted to vent your stress, it would have been more reasonable to do it on the man who picked up a bunch of those bundles and threw them into the shelter.

bang.

I was able to kick the door open and escape the two men’s wild lovemaking.

My stomach was still seething and I was still annoyed, but I was relieved that I hadn’t gotten any bigger and suppressed my anger.

But that didn’t seem enough, so I threw the lighter that a certain idiot had brought me onto the ground.

I felt it was a waste of time to waste on such a tinderbox, and when I looked through my bookshelf to find something to read, everything seemed so boring.

“Fuck.”

I felt angry. I took out my anger by lightly kicking the book I had thrown at him.

Maybe it was because my body had gotten smaller, but I felt like it was difficult to control my emotions. No, it wasn’t that it felt difficult, it was definitely more difficult.

I didn’t like the way they were acting like little kids going through puberty, getting excited and upset by things happening in front of them. They looked like little kids.

‘Little lady.’

A phrase I often heard lingered in my ears.

No.

It had become a daily routine to talk back every time I heard that kind of nonsense, but at this moment, I began to feel ashamed because I thought it was true.

“Ha…!”

Emotions are like fire, and if you don’t give them firewood, they will burn out, but this little brat’s body refused to give it to him.

As if I wouldn’t listen to the commands of my reason.

Did someone say that a healthy mind resides in a healthy body? They say that there is nothing wrong with the stories of old people who have aged by the centuries…

Even though I possessed a mind that was so healthy that it was hard to find it on my own, I seemed to be unable to control this wretched body.

If only I had just died back then, in this prison-like body, I wouldn’t have had to go through all this suffering.

I noticed that my thoughts were becoming increasingly negative.

Again, being of sound mind, I knew very well what the drastic measures were in this situation.

I crawled straight into bed. The warmth that had not yet cooled down enveloped me with a softness. I felt my boiling stomach calming down, just a little bit.

I thought I would feel better if I took a deep breath and woke up. By stretching out my arm and moving the curtains that were slightly open, I was able to successfully isolate this space from the outside world.

The space was filled with a state that was neither complete darkness nor light. If you wanted to sleep, you could, and if you wanted to stay awake, you could stay awake.

When that ambiguity met warmth and coziness, it created a sense of peace.

It’s much better.

As I closed my eyes, I began to feel a little sleepy.

*

Knock knock.

A steady rhythmic knocking sound pulled me out of my daydream.

Damn, we were only one step away from winning the gold medal.

I was left with a deep sense of regret. To the point where I was lamenting, knowing that it was a dream.

“Danhwa, is it okay if I come in?”

“Come in. Anyway, I broke it all because of you.”

If you seem to be sleeping, come back later. Why did you wake me up by knocking on the door and say something like that?

Anyway, after my permission was given, the old man came into the room.

It had been some time since I had fallen asleep, so the room had become somewhat dark, breaking the perfect balance it had once been.

And the light that the old man turned on as he came in completely dispelled the darkness.

“Why are you making it so dark?”

“Are you hearing anything? You said you were sleeping and the old man woke you up.”

Lina, you used to listen to that crazy bitch so well, but now it seems you can’t even hear me. Anyway, that’s what happens to people with abnormal sexual desires.

“Sorry.”

The old man blurted out the words like that. When did I ask for an apology? And an apology is like a secret royal inspector’s badge? It’ll solve any situation?

“What, you woke me up? I haven’t spent more than a day or two with you, and it’s not like today is the first time I’ve woken up because you were being rude, so why are you apologizing all of a sudden?”

“No, that’s true too. I said it because I felt like I needed to apologize first.”

“You’re talking like someone told you to apologize. What kind of kid am I? Why do you go around showing off to everyone that you’re upset?”

“No, of course not. I just feel like I haven’t been listening to you lately… No, it’s not that I haven’t been listening. I should say I’ve been ignoring your advice. Well… Um… Um… That’s right. Sorry.”

It seemed like the old man knew that what he had just said was mean, so he mumbled his words and apologized. If you know that you have something to apologize for, shouldn’t you listen to him?

“That’s right. I don’t know who it is, but there seems to be someone who treats advice like the buzzing of a mosquito. No, it’s worse than that. They don’t care and just do whatever they want without any hesitation?”

It was the same with that bastard last time, and it was the same with Cheon Deuk, and it was the same with Lina this time… Especially, if I hadn’t really gone out to look for that crazy b*tch the last time…

“Let’s do well. As the saying goes, adults have responsibilities. Whether you’re an old man or me, let’s not act like we’re not worthy of our age.”

개새끼야.

I said something that was different from what I really thought. If I had my way, I would have grabbed a golf club or a baseball bat and beat the horse until it was noisy, but my body was limited by its size.

“Thank you. Still, thanks to you, Danhwa, I have been helped in many ways. If I hadn’t thought of saving you back then… it’s hard to imagine.”

I didn’t feel bad. Now I’m starting to see people a little better. I guess I’ve finally realized how great of a person I am?

After all, if I hadn’t been there, the old man would have been nothing more than a zombie crawling on the side of the road a long time ago.

“Well, I know…I won’t add anything. You’re a person with your own thoughts. That’s why I’m still here. But…you know this time it’s a bit much, right?”

“Then, then! I know you’ve been giving me a lot of concessions. That’s why I’m even more grateful.”

When I gave him a subtle warning not to cross the line, the old man spoke as if he were prostrating himself. If the old man were a dog, he would have been panting and sticking his belly out.

If the old man was so humble, I would be willing to show him some respect, even if it was just a little.

“Looking back now, I think it wasn’t a bad decision to help Cheon Deuk.”

In addition to that, the fact that there was a medical staff at the shelter, which was called Hwaryeon or something separate, was definitely a positive factor.

“Right? As you know, the village you and I belong to is too weak in that regard. There are many people who suffer from minor illnesses every winter. The village chief always says that he works hard and that he is grateful, but honestly, you and I benefited from the village chief in the beginning, right?”

I couldn’t deny what the old man said. It was thanks to Grandpa Chunbong that outsiders could sneak in and settle down without causing any major discord.

Now, the power dynamics have reversed a bit, so the old man’s voice has gotten a bit louder.

What’s the use of growing up? This idiot doesn’t even think about using it for his own gain, he just acts like a servant.

When I thought about it, I felt like I was going to explode. I could barely hold it in when I thought of Grandpa Chunbong.

“Anyway, thank you for always following me.”

“Well, that’s about it.”

It’s not that hard. Well, it is hard. Well, from the perspective of someone who owes their life… Well, it’s been a while since I paid that back, but anyway.

‘That’s about it.’ That was the perfect comment.

“So what I’m saying is…”

There’s no way this fucking old man would have just come here naked.

“Haa… What is it now?”

“Hahaha! As expected, it’s a short story? It’s not something else, but from the One Mind Church…”

“…”

It’s winter.