Outing to Town (2)
We headed straight to the grocery section of the mart. I steered the cart toward the frozen foods aisle, loading it up with my usual staples—frozen mandu dumplings and fried rice. Long years in the dorms had trained my taste buds for these quick, no-fuss meals.
Aqua, perched in the cart's child seat, rummaged through the growing pile and wrinkled her nose.
[These are no good!]
"What's wrong?"
[Too many strange things mixed in.]
As a water spirit, Aqua could read the information embedded in moisture. That meant she could suss out ingredients and chemical additives in most prepared foods.
[The food your mother gave me earlier was all pure and clean.]
"Well, yeah—this is processed stuff. Mom cooks everything from scratch."
[Then why not cook for yourself?]
There was real concern in Aqua's words, worry for me.
"Hmm..."
She wasn't wrong. And if a spirit user wasn't healthy, it affected their spirits too. For Aqua's sake alone, I needed to eat better.
I'll be pushing fifty in a few years anyway. Time to start watching my diet.
I dutifully cleared out the frozen haul and wheeled toward the produce. Aqua beamed with approval.
[Listen to your spirit, and you'll live long and healthy!]
"Yeah. We've got a lot of years ahead together."
In the veggie section, I made a beeline for the onions first—Mom's shopping list specified onions and spinach. As I started picking, Aqua piped up.
[Let me choose the good ones!]
"You know veggies too?"
[Not really! But I can tell what's good for your body!]
Veggies had moisture flowing through them too, so gauging freshness was child's play for her.
Come to think of it, plenty of ex-hunters become chefs after retiring. Spirit users, I mean.
I pulled the cart closer, and Aqua reached out, caressing each onion one by one.
[This one's been peed on by an animal... This one's loaded with harmful pesticides... This one's too old...]
After a thorough inspection, she handed me only the prime ones. I bagged them up.
"Spinach next, if you would."
[You got it!]
We finished Mom's errands without a hitch and headed for checkout. Passing the fruit aisle, though, something caught my eye.
"Aqua, you can't eat solids, right?"
[True enough.]
"How about those?"
Summer's star attraction—towering stacks of watermelons.
[Oh ho? Fruit brimming with water essence!]
I rolled the cart over. Aqua hopped down onto the pile and pressed her hand to one. Her face lit up as she turned to me.
[These I could eat!]
"Pick the best ones. Two total—enough for me, Mom, and Dad."
[Leave it to me!]
Aqua settled right in among the melons, inspecting them with grave seriousness. Ear pressed to one the size of her head, surrounded by the giants, she looked just like a kid farmer in a rural field.
Might be fun to dress her up sometime.
It was such an adorable scene, I nearly forgot spirits didn't wear clothes.
* * *
Before heading home, I took one last detour up a hill in downtown Samcheok.
[Where to now?]
"Got a spot I want to show you."
Atop the hill stood Samcheok Cathedral. I parked the scooter in the lot, basket of groceries in tow, and climbed the rest of the way on foot.
This was the tallest hill in town, crowned by the cathedral.
From the simple cafe there, I grabbed two Americanos and a pack of nuts, then headed to the garden behind the church.
Best view of downtown Samcheok right here.
A few locals and tourists had already claimed spots. I made for the biggest tree in the garden.
A spirit playing in the dirt turned at my approach—an earth spirit, gnome, with its impassive, mud-doll face.
[A gnome?]
"The resident wild one of this hill."
Wild spirits shuttled between the Spirit Realm and the human world. They'd build up power back home, then vacation here until it ran dry, playing to their hearts' content. This gnome always picked this spot in the human world—must love the vibe and scenery.
"Long time no see."
I greeted it and tore open the nuts from the cafe, offering the bag.
"Mind opening the secret spot for us?"
The gnome eyed the bag, then slowly plucked an almond. It sniffed deeply, face softening just a touch. To normals, it'd look the same, but I could spot the difference.
It nodded and melted into the earth. At once, a thorny bush in the corner parted smoothly, revealing a pristine bench.
[Ooh, you handle them well!]
"Spirit user credentials."
Every vacation, I'd worked odd jobs, saved up, and jetted around the country chasing hotspots to meet wild spirits. Rumors said it boosted Spirit Affinity, even a little.
That's how I'd learned to befriend and communicate with them.
We slipped through to the hidden bench—the gnome kept it spotless.
"Used to be my secret. Now it's ours."
Aqua's lips curved into a smile at "ours."
[Hee hee hee!]
We sat. Downtown Samcheok sprawled cozily below.
Wanted to share this view with her.
My favorite spot in town.
[Ooh, cities look like this from on high!]
Aqua whipped her head side to side, drinking in the panorama. I pointed out landmarks.
"That's the road we just came from."
[There? Ah, the theater!]
She rounded her mouth, tracing our path with her eyes.
[So beyond that hill is the sea?]
"Yep. Our ocean, just over there."
[So vast!]
We gazed for a good while before I picked up an Americano.
[Hot!]
Like she'd sensed it, Aqua snapped her head around from the skyline. I chuckled and handed her a cup.
"Americano. Super popular drink."
[The national beverage?]
That stumped me for a sec.
"Not officially, but it sells like crazy."
Aqua sniffed it, then chugged. And spat it right out.
[Bleeech!]
I froze mid-sip, staring.
[Tastes awful!]
Tongue lolling, she scrubbed it with her palm. Still bitter, she went ptoo ptoo ptoo, purging every drop.
[What is this, rotten water?]
She shoved the cup away like it offended her.
Do water spirits hate Americano?
Undines at cafes always stuck to chocolate drinks, now that I thought about it.
[Can't fathom why humans drink this! Dead taste buds?]
Strike one for me matching her palate. I gave a sheepish grin.
"Sorry. Honestly, I still don't get the taste myself."
Probably never would. Dorm all-nighters turned it into habit fuel.
[Hmph!]
Aqua ignored the cup, plastered to the viewpoint wall, peering down.
Soon lost in the sights again.
[Incredible! Heard human cities were huge, but wow!]
"Samcheok's small."
[This is small?]
She gawked at me.
"Cities a hundred times bigger exist."
[A hundred times?!]
Aqua stared at her hands, folding fingers furiously.
[How big is a hundred times?]
"Maybe more? Wanna check one out next time?"
[Of course! Let's go!]
Her face alight with excitement, she turned back to the view. Blue sky, bluer Aqua. White clouds drifting above, her hair swaying in the breeze.
One more memory etched into my favorite place.
* * *
Heading home on the scooter.
"Fun day?"
[The best!]
"What was the highlight?"
[Hmm...! The movie! Wanna see more!]
Chatting as we crested the hill, a purple-dyed sky unfurled ahead.
[Whoa...!]
Aqua's eyes went wide, glued to the heavens.
Captivated, I pulled over to the beach sand, scooped her up, and carried her to the shore.
Samcheok's sunrises are stunning, but the sunsets? Magic.
I strolled slowly, sea and sky mesmerizing. West behind us glowed red with sunset; ahead, twilight purple. The ocean mirrored it, horizon blending colors in a festival of light.
[Beautiful...]
"Stunning."
We watched in silence. Aqua tapped my arm lightly. I set her down on the sand.
She approached the waves till they tickled her feet, then plopped down. Seawater lapped her legs and bottom.
She stared at the horizon with unreadable eyes. Only after the sun dipped a handspan did she speak.
[I came to the human world to meet you.]
I listened quietly.
[And... yeah. After you, it was probably this sea. I came to see it.]
Her eyes shone with rare seriousness, softly glowing. Her tiny back stood straight, as if to embrace the whole ocean.
[I want to become like this vast sea.]
Watching her, I thought: Our first meeting at the beach wasn't coincidence.
No oceans in the Spirit Realm.
How did the sea look to her? What did it mean to a water spirit like Aqua?
She wanted to be Spirit King. To be the sea.
Maybe the same thing to her.
Then—
Human World Sightseeing Quest completed.
Receive your reward?
Our first quest—done.