The Hanpuri Concert
Neoul, who had come to Baek Yuri’s house, was so absorbed in touring it that he did not even realize his smartphone had turned off.
Baek Yuri’s home was in a high-rise apartment. Unlike a palace or a pension, it had no yard, but it carried a cozy, warm atmosphere.
Most of all, the night view outside the window was fascinating.
Car headlights, buildings with their lights on, streetlamps brightening the roads at night. To think there were people everywhere those countless lights reached.
In the sea, all the merfolk were dead except Neoul. Humans, by contrast, were as countless as the lights themselves. It was a beautiful sight, and one that made him envious.
“Aren’t you all hungry? You’ve had a hard time preparing for the stage. You must have been worn out from filming all day too. Should I order you a late-night meal?”
Baek Yuri’s mother asked, looking at her son, her nephew, and Neoul with obvious satisfaction.
“No, Mom. It’s late already....”
Just as Baek Yuri was about to refuse, he caught sight of Neoul, whose eyes had begun to sparkle at the mention of late-night food before quickly sinking into disappointment.
“Um.... Since it’s rare, what do you think about tearing into a whole chicken?”
He normally avoided eating late at night for the sake of his health, but they had worked hard, and as a way to relieve stress, a little indulgence probably wouldn’t hurt.
“If you’re going to have three grown sons here, one chicken won’t do. We need at least three.”
“Will you have some too, Auntie?”
Baek Gi-yeom spoke up warmly. But Baek Yuri’s mother smiled and refused with no hesitation.
“You three eat well, clean up well, and get some rest. I’m going to bed early and head to work tomorrow. I have a lecture in the morning. Ugh, I don’t want to go to school!”
“Haha! What are you going to do if the professor doesn’t want to go to school?”
“I don’t know~ My son may be on leave from school, but why doesn’t a professor get leave too? I want a leave of absence too.”
She ordered chicken and all kinds of side dishes, told them to enjoy themselves, and then headed into her room.
Before the chicken arrived, the three of them took turns scrubbing off their stage makeup and washing up. Neoul followed Baek Yuri’s instructions and removed his makeup, then felt as though his face had been born anew, fresh and light.
“No matter how I look at it, I’m better-looking bare-faced. Why do we have to paint our faces?”
When Neoul came out after washing and grumbled in protest, Baek Yuri showed him a stage video of a singer whose features had nearly vanished under the lights.
“Ah.”
He understood at once.
The chicken arrived soon after. As Baek Gi-yeom unpacked it and set it on the table, he asked, “Neoul, do you like drumsticks? Or breast meat?”
Neoul had never seen or eaten chicken before, and, not realizing they were talking about food, looked down at his own legs and chest before lifting his head and saying, “I like faces best.”
“Faces...? You eat heads too...?”
Baek Gi-yeom was struck speechless.
“Pardon? Why would I eat my own head?”
Neoul, too, was struck speechless. Baek Namu, who had come with Neoul and had been hanging around since earlier, burst out laughing by himself.
“Stop having stupid conversations and eat already. You too, Neoul.”
Baek Yuri spoke at the same time as Baek Namu, handing Baek Gi-yeom the chicken breast and Neoul a drumstick. Neoul began eating with cheerful eagerness, still none the wiser.
“It’s delicious!”
“Don’t swallow the bones.”
“Yes!”
Baek Yuri showed him which pieces were drumsticks, wings, and breast meat. After trying each part, Neoul said, “They’re all good, but I think the drumstick is the tastiest.”
“Great. Then eat all the drumsticks, Neoul. Baek Gi-yeom and I only eat breast meat, so there are always drumsticks left over anyway.”
“Oh.”
Thanks to that, all five drumsticks ended up in front of Neoul.
Neoul held out one drumstick toward Baek Namu. But Baek Namu waved him off, saying he couldn’t eat it, and Neoul’s white, long hand passed straight through the crisp chicken.
Neoul looked at Baek Namu with pity. Then that meant he couldn’t eat on time even when he was hungry, and had to go hungry.
Baek Namu, thrown off by Neoul’s mournful expression, kicked at him in exasperation. Of course, the attack passed right through Neoul’s body.
At the news that he did not feel hunger, Neoul smiled in relief. Baek Gi-yeom and Baek Yuri were looking at that exchange strangely.
“Neoul. Is there something there?”
“Nothing at all....!”
Neoul focused on eating as if he had seen nothing. Baek Namu had asked him not to reveal his presence.
Meanwhile, Baek Yuri barely touched his own food, washed his hands, and searched for something on his smartphone. He was looking up audience reactions to tonight’s performance.
As he browsed various sites and checked the comments, Baek Yuri finally lowered the shoulders that had been stiff the entire time.
There had been a few mistakes, but fortunately the response was not bad. Even if they had lost, he consoled himself that leaving a strong impression was enough.
Baek Gi-yeom leaned over and looked at Baek Yuri’s smartphone with him, then relayed the comments to Neoul.
“Oh! They said Neoul did well. That he’s improved.”
Neoul, who had been eating diligently until his cheeks were puffed round like they would burst, widened his eyes.
“Who said so?”
“The audience members who saw tonight’s stage. Want to look at the comments?”
How did he know the audience had said he did well?
It felt good to be praised, but it was also strange, so he swallowed the food in his mouth and looked at the smartphone screen Baek Gi-yeom held out.
These marks are so hard to make out. I want to read them too....
He was suddenly crestfallen, but Baek Namu popped in and read aloud.
GalNeoul’s growth rate is insane. Agreed. Looking forward to what comes next.
“How do you know my growth rate? Ever since I came to land, my body has not grown at all, no matter how much I eat.”
“They’re talking about your dance skills, not your height.”
At Baek Yuri’s explanation, Neoul’s mouth curved with obvious pride.
“Then I seem to have done quite well.”
“You did well.”
“You really have improved a lot.”
Of course! Naturally! Who do you think taught him?
At Baek Gi-yeom and Baek Yuri’s agreement, Baek Namu lifted his chin and stood with his hands clasped behind his back, praising himself. Even his handsome nose seemed to rise higher.
Now then, show your gratitude to your teacher, Mermaid Prince.
Neoul held out the last remaining drumstick to Baek Namu with reluctant eyes, then remembered that he had just said he could only eat ancestral-table food and brought it back to his own mouth.
He ought to show his gratitude, but he had nothing suitable to give. His royal father had always rewarded loyal service by granting delicious food or hosting banquets in recognition of his subjects’ merit.
“Thank you, Baek....”
Neoul had nearly spoken Baek Namu’s name when his eyes rolled between Baek Yuri and Baek Gi-yeom.
“...?”
“...?”
His words took a sharp turn and burst out with full force.
“BaekTokkiSaja!”
“Pfft!”
“Pardon?”
“No, no, not Baek Tokki Saja! I meant Baek Tokki and Baek Saja! No, I was trying to say that I was grateful to Baek Yuri, Baek Gi-yeom seonsaeng, and everyone here....!”
Hahahaha! Ahahaha! What is BaekTokkiSaja supposed to be?
Baek Namu and Baek Gi-yeom both lost it at the phrase, clutching their stomachs and laughing hard. Baek Namu slapped Neoul’s back, though his arm, unable to touch him, passed right through Neoul’s body again and again.
The icy shiver of a grim reaper’s touch ran through Neoul, and he dropped the precious chicken bone he had been holding.
Even Baek Yuri trembled slightly with laughter.
Neoul, who had become the butt of the joke because of Baek Namu, grew briefly sullen before the laughter spread to him as well, and he ended up laughing along.
“Ah, right. Shh! Auntie is sleeping...! We should laugh quietly.”
Baek Gi-yeom cut off his laughter and hurriedly covered his mouth. Then he glanced toward the bedroom door, whispered softly, and snickered under his breath. Since Baek Namu was a grim reaper, their laughter wouldn’t make any sound to him anyway, but he lowered his voice too.
Neoul never normally made a sound when he laughed, and Baek Gi-yeom and Baek Namu were the loudest of all, but he copied their behavior and covered his mouth while laughing.
* * *
Baek Yuri’s room had originally been the room he shared with Baek Namu, so it was very spacious. With Baek Namu’s bed, desk, and wardrobe all gone, only an empty space remained.
After all his things had been packed away, the only items left were a few medals and trophies, certificates, and photographs in frames and albums.
The bleak, lonely room was a little more filled now than it had been in a long time. Baek Yuri spread out a wide blanket suited to the large floor.
After brushing his teeth, Neoul flopped down immediately onto the blanket on the floor. He was exhausted, full, and truly at the point where he did not want to move a single finger.
Hey. Hey. Mermaid Prince. You’re already going to sleep?
“......”
Oh? You’re ignoring your teacher? After I gave you private lessons for free without even charging tuition?
Neoul, who had been trying to ignore him and sleep, rolled over heavily and opened his eyes. It was true that Baek Namu had helped him greatly.
It would not be right to pretend not to know a benefactor.
Neoul lifted his gaze toward the empty air where Baek Namu hovered. Meeting that look, as if telling him to get to the point, Baek Namu grinned and pointed at the wall clock.
Now, the hand has to be here for it to be 12 o’clock, right? The time now is 11:45. In a little while, when it becomes midnight, there’ll be a performance at the amusement park called OOO Land.
Performance...?
It’s called the Hanpuri Concert. It’s the last festival the dead enjoy in the mortal world before they leave for the afterlife. Well, not that a concert can resolve every grievance in the world! The point is to set heavy feelings down for a while, enjoy yourself, and then go.
Baek Namu looked out the window through the blinds. As he tilted his head to watch the road where cars were racing by, his earrings struck one another with a clear sound.
My stage makes up seventy percent of it. It’s practically a solo concert, right?
Neoul sent him a questioning look.
Wasn’t a grim reaper only supposed to guide the dead?
Noticing the stare, Baek Namu shrugged.
I’m not on the guidance team, I’m on the Hanpuri team. When I’m not busy, I sometimes help the guidance team and go out to show the dead the way, but my actual job is performance.
A festival for ghosts....
I can only hand tickets out to the dead, so I can’t give one to you, but I’ll take you to a place where you can see really well. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? Hm? You want to go, right? You’re curious, aren’t you?
Neoul rolled his eyes back and forth.
The heaviness in his limbs and his wish to rest wrestled with his rising curiosity. Seeing him hesitate, Baek Namu said confidently,
I’ll show you exactly what an idol is.
Idol....
Neoul lifted his heavy upper body and nodded. Then he realized there was not much time left before the performance began.
Is that amusement park called OOO Land close by?
Neoul glanced out the window and mouthed the words.
How do we get there?
Baek Namu held up five fingers with complete confidence.
Borrow 50,000 won from Baek Yuri.
“Seonsaeng Baek Yuri. Please lend me 50,000 won.”
In five 10,000-won bills.
“In five 10,000-won bills.”
Baek Yuri, who had just been reaching out to turn off the light, froze in surprise.
“...All of a sudden?”