Let's Do One More Thing
"Mom's here, so you go do your thing and come back."
"No way! Oppa woke up after 11 whole years! And you're worried about streaming right now?!"
"You said you have to keep promises with your viewers no matter what, right?"
"Still, this is too much!"
Bin-i raised her voice, gripping my hand tightly.
"You've built up that many viewers because you're so dedicated, haven't you?"
"Well... yeah, that's true! But things are gonna get even better from now on! I can feel it. Like everything's just gonna fall into place!"
"That's why you should go fishing today. Maybe starting with today's stream, everything'll smooth out even more. And if you catch some horse mackerel, Mom'll make you those crispy fried ones. You love the way she salts them just right so you can crunch right through the bones."
Mom's fried horse mackerel. Sounds delicious. I wanted to get up and eat some right now. Real food, not that liquid slop through a tube...
"Then what about the restaurant today, Mom?"
"I asked the lady next door to put up a note. Told her I have to be at the hospital today so we can't open. Everyone'll understand."
"Yeah... most of the customers are regulars anyway..."
"So go knock out that fishing stream quick."
"...Oppa. Don't you want me to stay with you? You know I stream, right? As a streamer."
Squeeze.
"Huh? Does that mean you know, or that I should go?"
"Bin-i. Ask one thing at a time. One at a time."
"Oh right. Oppa. Do you know what a streamer is?"
Squeeze.
"Uh... so should I go stream today? Honestly, I wanna stay with you—"
Squeeze.
"Uh... for real? You really want me to go?"
"Mom's here. Don't worry and just go. Grab your gear at home and head to the breakwater—you're cutting it close on time."
"Hiiiing..."
Bin-i let out a whine, looking up at me with droopy eyes.
Yeah. No can do. You have to go fishing today. That's how we'll shake off that evil spirit. I'd already given the order.
「Ready. Complete. Standing. By.」
「Won't miss. Definitely.」
「Kill. Kill. Kill!」
「Whatever. Comes. We'll. Bring. It. We. Don't. Eat. Absolutely!」
The refined spirits, already clinging close to Bin-i, chimed in unison. Seeing them stuck right to her like that made me feel secure. They knew the plan, and their motivation was sky-high. Perfect.
【Bring back good results. I believe in you.】
I spoke firmly, and the spirits each expressed their joy in their own ways... though deep down, they probably felt a healthy dose of fear too. Hm. I treat my confirmed allies exceptionally well. The opposite? I make sure they never show their faces again—reduced to dust, utterly shattered.
That said, Bin-i was about to go live like this? Her eyes were seriously puffy. If she went fishing, a crucian carp might try to make friends... Wait, no. It's sea fishing—no carp around.
Rustle.
"Bin-i dear. I brought this just in case."
"-Ah! Thank you!"
Lee Pil-nyeo, who'd stopped by the room briefly at dawn before leaving, kindly handed Bin-i an ice pack and a gauze handkerchief.
"Don't press the ice pack straight on— it'll damage your skin. Wrap it in this and gently pat your eyes. But after crying so much yesterday, did you cry all night again?"
"No, this one woke up in the middle of the night, pinched her own side, poked sleeping San-i until he woke up, and started bawling again."
"Mom did it too!"
Bin-i huffed indignantly. True. Mom had done the same. She'd thought my eye-opening and finger-twitching while crying together was a dream. So she pinched her own arm first, then poked me. I hadn't actually been asleep, though.
"Yeah, yeah. You and Mom both did. Look at this bruise on my arm still."
She rolled up her sleeve, revealing a dark purple bruise.
Aigoo.
"Oh my goodness."
"It really snapped me awake."
"What a relief. Truly. The doctors called it a miracle... With rehab like this, he'll be up and walking in no time!"
Lee Pil-nyeo beamed, and soon Mom and Bin-i were smiling too. Bin-i alternated the ice pack wrapped in gauze on her eyes and said,
"Ah. I'm totally out of it."
"No wonder. I'd be the same."
Lee Pil-nyeo glanced at me with a warm smile.
"I've got a son myself, so San's situation felt personal. Seeing him come around like this... I'm so happy. I got choked up yesterday too, rushing to call the doctors with tears streaming. They thought something terrible happened when I showed up at the desk bawling."
"Yeah, if it weren't for you taking such good care—"
"Oh, what did I do? You and Bin-i coming by, talking to him—that's what woke San up, right? I saw on the news last time: people whispering 'let's play' every day woke their loved ones from comas."
"Ooo..."
Bin-i let out an impressed sigh and said to Lee Pil-nyeo,
"Oh right. Has Hyun-jun finished getting ready?"
"Of course."
Lee Pil-nyeo's face lit up with pride at Bin-i's question. She had every reason. Her smart kid had beaten out all the privately tutored rich ones and got accepted.
"He's been hyped about dorm life, checking the homepage every day for interior pics and going nuts."
"Yeah. Hyun-jun will do great there. Ah! Time to go! I'm really gonna be late!"
Bin-i jumped up and squeezed my hand tight.
"I'll come right after streaming! Keep those eyes wide open, Oppa! No going back to sleep!"
Squeeze. No going back to sleep. I knew that meant no slipping back into a vegetative state. I squeezed back harder, and Bin-i's face crumpled like she might cry again before she forced a smile.
"...I'm gonna end up with carp eyes on stream. Oh right! Mom! Can I tell everyone on stream that Oppa woke up?"
"Sure. It's not like winning the lottery. Good news like this is meant to be shared."
"Got it!"
Bin-i replied briskly but hesitated a moment before reluctantly letting go of my hand and dashing out of the room. The spirits followed in a motivated swarm.
Alright! Come back with great results!
* * *
Leaving Happiness Nursing Hospital, grabbing a taxi, arriving home to pack streaming gear, then another taxi to the breakwater—Kang Seol-bin moved like a machine.
So mechanically that it wasn't until she smelled the salty sea breeze that she realized, 'Oh, I'm here?'
Seol-bin always streamed with full sincerity, but today wasn't the day. Her mind was in the bean field, as the saying went—body prepping the stream on autopilot, heart stuck at the hospital.
"Hup! Get it together. Focus!"
She dropped her gear, patted her cheeks, and checked her eyes. They'd swelled less from constant icing in the taxi, but still puffy.
"Eh... it's fine! There's a good reason."
Steeling herself, Seol-bin headed to the spot she'd scouted last time. Trailing at a discreet distance were Gongjeong-ryeong, Su-jeong, Hwa-jeong, and Pung-jeong, blending with local nature spirits to stay hidden.
「Evil spirit. Not. Visible yet. Moment it appears. Follow orders. You all. Obey. My. Commands.」
As Gongjeong-ryeong issued the somewhat forceful order, and Hwa-jeong and Pung-jeong nodded automatically—
「Why. Are you. Ordering us?」
Su-jeong stopped dead and tilted her head.
「What. Did you say?」
Gongjeong-ryeong, caught off-guard, stared at her.
「We're all. Equal. Under Master. Why. Order?」
「Equal?」
Gongjeong-ryeong went from flustered to baffled, glaring at Su-jeong, who held her gaze steady.
「Weak obey. Strong. That's. Natural. Law.」
「No. You're. Not. Strong.」
「What?!」
Su-jeong denied it flatly, making Gongjeong-ryeong flare up in anger.
「You're. Not. Strong. Master. Said so. Helped you. Lent strength. You admitted. Can't catch. Evil spirit. Alone. I help you. We help you. If you're. So strong. Why need. Our help?」
Unable to retort since it was spot-on, Gongjeong-ryeong faltered as Hwa-jeong and Pung-jeong shot Su-jeong admiring whoa! looks.
「But...」
Gongjeong-ryeong mumbled, emotions tangled, and Su-jeong patted reassuringly.
「We. Do together. No orders. Master. Gives orders. We cooperate. That's. Comrades. Right?」
Su-jeong sought agreement, and Hwa-jeong and Pung-jeong glanced at Gongjeong-ryeong before nodding. Her words rang true now.
「Comrades. Good. We're. Comrades.」
「All equal. Under Master.」
Hwa-jeong and Pung-jeong giggled happily. Su-jeong stared confidently. Gongjeong-ryeong pondered, then nodded.
「Fine. We'll do it.」
「Good. Comrades. Cooperate well. Bring good results. Get Master's. Praise. We grow. Evolve. Become. True Spirits.」
「True Spirits!」
「True Spirits!」
The four, now united, scampered along, whispering in anticipation of the evil spirit.
「What. Are humans. Doing. What's that?」
「Fishing. They call it.」
「Humans. Use that stick. Fishing rod. Catch fish. From sea. With it.」
「Ooo.」
Meanwhile, Su-jeong scanned busily. Her sneaky glances—hidden from the others—fixed on the keep nets of anglers who'd arrived early and already caught fish. Watching the big and small fish swim inside, Su-jeong hatched her plan...
「What. You staring at?」
If Pung-jeong hadn't snuck up.
She'd have kept plotting solo.
「What. You doing?」
Before answering, Su-jeong eyed Gongjeong-ryeong and Hwa-jeong huddled together. Light and fire overlapped, fostering closeness—or maybe Gongjeong-ryeong scheming to win Hwa-jeong over. Such calculating thoughts hadn't crossed their minds before refinement; higher realm brought complexity. Su-jeong didn't mind her own change. More intricate plans and processes. This is what true spirits should be.
She'd glimpsed the 'traces' Gongjeong-ryeong once mentioned. The inhuman human who became their Master. And beside him, former mere nature spirits wielding immense power... Su-jeong yearned for that realm. Not for what to do with the power—just to have it.
「What. You doing? I'm. Curious?」
Pung-jeong prodded. Su-jeong weighed her plan, figured Pung-jeong's power would help, and replied slyly.
「Let's. Do one. More thing.」
「One more? What.」
「Something. To impress. Master more. Earn more. Praise.」
「O! Let's do it! I'm in!」