UR Chapter 79

Chapter 79

“Hey, but wouldn’t it be hilarious if the guy you went on that blind date with was actually him?”

As if he’d never been angry, Jin-sang chuckled and smacked I-bom’s back while he rolled around on the floor.

“Ow.”

I-bom winced dramatically and curled himself up, then shook his head firmly.

“…No way. Think about it. They said he’s a Samho executive. Would someone like that really go hiking ‘alone,’ just to stop by the convenience store next door for an ‘energy drink’ because he was thirsty? He probably has a gym at home.”

“Why not? Maybe his home gym was under repair, or maybe he really loves hiking. You see that all the time in dramas—those ridiculous coincidences piling up.”

Jin-sang shrugged and then furrowed his brows, lowering his voice in a mock-serious tone.

“Mm-hmm. ‘My home gym broke, so I went hiking and happened to meet cashier Kang I-bom at a convenience store. I’ve fallen for you.’ Something like that.”

“Ugh. Stop it.”

Rolling around like a pill bug, I-bom reached out and groped along the floor until he snagged Jin-sang’s padded jacket and hugged it to his chest. His face looked oddly lonely.

“…Jin-sang. But… actually.”

“……”

“He said he likes me… That he wants to date and be in a relationship… But you know I’m a half-beastman.”

“Oh, for crying out loud. Digging your own grave.”

Jin-sang clicked his tongue in disbelief. The image of I-bom at the convenience store, regretting not saying a word to the handsome customer, came to mind easily. His youthful face was shadowed with dark circles, probably from overwork.

“…It’s not really digging my own grave—more like knowing my place. I mean, realistically, would someone from a family like that see anything special in a half-beastman? I saw on the news that he needs to get married, and I started thinking—what if I get my hopes up over this dating thing and end up disappointed? It’s scary.”

“What kind of uselessly old-fashioned and overly honest guy are you?”

Jin-sang stood up. The anger about going to find Soo-hyun had already cooled, but I-bom instinctively rose as well, just in case he caused a scene again. Jin-sang still didn’t seem to realize his slippers had been shoved deep into the shoe cabinet, but I-bom felt a nervous flutter in case he noticed.

“What does it matter? If you enjoy dating, that’s all that counts. This isn’t the Joseon era—why harp on family background? Just close your eyes and go for it. Didn’t that guy say you were his first kiss and that you had to take responsibility?”

“Hey!”

At the word “go for it,” I-bom hurriedly clamped a hand over Jin-sang’s mouth. Even though no one else was listening, he still reacted in shock. Seeing that, Jin-sang grinned mischievously. This time, he was the one doing the lecturing.

“What’s the big deal about responsibility? Just say okay. What’s the problem?”

Jin-sang strolled to the fridge as if nothing was wrong, taking out two more cans of beer. When he cracked one open, it hissed and foam bubbled to the surface.

“Why do you freak out so much at the mention of a kiss? If the mood’s right, adults can do a lot more than that.”

“St-still…”

“Why not be honest about your desires? We’re going to go through mating season someday, too.”

“……”

Mating season.

I-bom’s eyes flickered nervously.

“Yeah. Just take it easy—we’re adults now.”

Gulp. In the brief moment I-bom faltered, Jin-sang drank his beer and shook his head slowly.

In Jin-sang’s eyes, I-bom was a good friend with no real flaws. At a young age, he took care of his grandmother and younger sibling, was the most filial kid in the neighborhood, and was the most reliable person he knew. He couldn’t understand why I-bom was so hard and strict with himself. And on top of that, his face was the cutest in all of Aji Village.

“Go for it. You only live once—what’s the problem?”

When I-bom looked at him with a stiff expression, Jin-sang patted his shoulder.

“You have to tell me all about it after the date.”

* * *

7:30 in the morning.

A warm beam of sunlight slipped gently between the windowpanes. After so many gloomy winter days, there was finally a peaceful hint of warmth in the air.

Normally, by this time, I-bom would be splashing cold water on his face and rushing off to work at one of his part-time jobs. But with Happy Bunny closed for a whole week, his schedule was suddenly wide open.

A break after running 365 days without rest—unsettling yet sweet. They say people need to work at an easy pace to have room in their hearts, and maybe this was what ordinary people meant by “free time.” I-bom decided to enjoy sleeping in for once.

Wrapped up in a blanket infused with the scent of sunshine, he rolled around in bed. The rustle of fabric came from the padded vest he’d worn for warmth. Ah… peace.

“……”

But even though he wanted to sleep in, the years of waking before dawn for work meant his body refused to rest. His eyes closed, but his mind only grew clearer with the various sounds of the morning outside.

“…Can’t sleep.”

Maybe late mornings were for people who were used to them.

Shaking his head, he got up slowly. Maybe it was from drinking beer when he usually didn’t, or maybe alcohol just didn’t agree with him—either way, his head throbbed.

From far away came the sound of I-seol’s hurried footsteps, and somewhere nearby, a magpie cried sharply. Outside the thin front door that let in every noise, children’s voices sang out in the morning air.

“Even sleeping in is hard…”

Stretching his stiff neck from side to side, he rolled up his sleeves.

“Guess I’ll start by washing the blankets.”

That meant pulling out a basin deep enough to fit a whole blanket, adding laundry powder, and stomping it clean by foot. I-bom thought about where the big basin might be. Probably stored together with the big red tub used for salting kimchi…

Slipping on his shoes, he walked toward the vinyl greenhouse. The cabbages had all been harvested, so all that should be left was the basin and a sack of salt.

Meow—.

Dragging his feet across the ground, he froze at the faint cry of a kitten. Holding his breath, he strained to find the direction of the sound. Could it be the kittens he’d seen last time? The weather was still chilly enough that their safety worried him.

* * *

Steam swirled in the air.

As the damp North Wind, which had been exhaling clumps of frozen snow, faded away, Westwind blew his breath across all of Manwol Mountain. Not long ago, Westwind had moped about being a beginner wind spirit, but now he spun his body with practiced ease, like he’d never been clumsy at all. He was every bit the mature spirit now.

Pleased with himself, he gathered fallen leaves into a small whirlwind. Sunlight glinted through his playful gusts like creamy pearls.

“Wooow! That’s so cool…”

A round-eyed calico named Callie shone with admiration. With her chubby, peanut-shaped body swaying clumsily, she waved her little paws at the wind, as if she could see exactly what Westwind was doing.

「Thanks… But who are you two?」

“Hello!”

At his question, a black-tabby cat with golden eyes, named Inky, answered in a clear, spirited voice. To humans, it would have sounded like nothing but a mewling howl at empty air.

“We’re the Kitty Siblings!”

Siblings. The black-tabby and the white-based calico lifted their noses to the sky proudly. As if choreographed, they both raised their salmon-colored paw pads and let out a fierce “Kyaa-ung!”

Their pink tongues were tiny and their fangs even tinier, but their roar was as bold as a tiger’s. Watching them fondly, Westwind asked,

「Kitty Siblings? Oh—does that mean ‘cats’? Why do they call you that?」

“Yes, yes! Well…”

Callie shyly swished her tail and spoke in a small voice.

“People call us that…”

「Really? So what are your names?」

“I’m Callie, and my brother’s Inky.”

Callie’s wide eyes brimmed with curiosity. They were still tiny, milk-scented kittens.

Westwind looked down at them with a gleam in his eye.