Come Back Home (3)
[Droorong~.]
[Kkool-.]
[Siii-.]
The spirits had drifted off to sleep, each snoring in their own unique way. It had been a while since we'd returned home, they were still adjusting to the time difference from the Spirit Realm, and Terra had spent the last few hours poking around every corner of the house out of curiosity—they must have been exhausted.
I clutched at my stinging heart and checked on the sleeping angels. On top of the blanket, Aqua and Terra were fast asleep, locked in a tight embrace. Watching the two of them, with their strikingly similar faces pressed together, felt like gazing at a beautiful découpage.
[Mmnyam...]
Whatever dream she was having, Aqua smacked her lips and hugged Terra even tighter.
[Mm...]
Terra nestled her head deeper into Aqua's arms.
Friends... no, sisters, probably.
One surprising thing as I watched them was how Terra, who seemed far more mature, let Aqua play the big sister role. Terra's stoic, passive nature played a part, no doubt, as did Aqua's long history of looking after the other spirits.
They'll never fight, that's for sure.
Prideful Aqua and quiet, gentle Terra. Since Aqua had become a Spirit King first, there'd be no clashing egos between them.
[Droorong~.]
[Kkool-.]
I pulled out my phone and snapped a photo of them. Getting into it, I even arranged the blankets and pillows to capture the bedroom vibe perfectly—and before I knew it, my gallery had over forty new shots.
"Phew..."
Letting out a satisfied breath, I turned my head and spotted another little angel stirring up my photo urges. Mandu had curled into a perfect ball on the pillow, nose and eyes tucked under its wings, fast asleep. That wild little pose had me firing up the camera app again.
After indulging in some solo photo editing, I finally lay down on the blanket beside Terra and Aqua. Propping myself on one elbow, I gently stroked them both with my other arm.
[Heeheehee...]
Aqua let out a big sleepy grin and sank even deeper into slumber. Terra's breathing grew slower and steadier.
At this rate, I'm not sleeping tonight.
They were just too adorable—my heart wouldn't calm down. But it was sure to be a happy all-nighter.
"Heh heh heh..."
I softly stroked Aqua's hair.
* * *
The next day, I headed to the Hans' place bright and early.
[Oh...]
Stepping into the new building, Terra's eyes sparkled again as she eagerly scanned her surroundings.
"Senior!"
"Bro!"
Han Areum and Han Deuri, who had just finished breakfast and were doing the dishes, greeted me warmly.
"Hey."
Jang Gilsan, reading the local paper behind them, gave a small nod in welcome.
I set Aqua and Terra down on the floor first. Terra wandered around, touching all the furniture. Earth spirits could easily discern an object's properties or composition just by touch, using their spirit power—what spirit users replicated with the Scan spirit spell.
[Ooh... This is metal too...]
Terra especially loved the metal furniture. She fiddled with the air conditioner, then tilted her head.
[What's this?]
Aqua, who'd been tailing Terra excitedly, piped up with glee.
[That's an air conditioner! Doesn't it feel cool? Wind comes out of there!]
[Ooh... And that?]
Terra bombarded Aqua with questions. Mandu hopped off my shoulder, fluttered over, and landed on the table where Jang Gilsan sat.
[Sissit!]
Mandu's target: the snacks Jang Gilsan had been munching. Jang Gilsan stroked Mandu's back with a finger as it devoured them.
"A salamander with wings, huh..."
[Sissit!]
Mandu barked mid-chew. I translated.
"It wants you to call it a dragon."
"Lacks the dignity for a dragon, though."
[Sissit!]
"Says it's still growing. Once full-sized, it'll be as magnificent as Pompeii."
Apparently, not just the undines adored and followed their Spirit King.
"That guy's barely a meter tall at best."
"In the Spirit Realm, a meter is like five meters here."
The towering siblings finished the dishes and gathered around the table.
"So, time to hear about the Spirit Realm?"
Han Areum's eyes sparkled as she asked. Aqua jumped right in.
[We're talking about the Spirit Realm!]
[Terra, come here!]
Aqua pulled Terra, who had been peering curiously at the window, over to sit beside her. They'd exchanged greetings with Terra and the others before dinner last night.
"Terra, hi! Remember me?"
[Mm... Human woman.]
"Han Areum. Try saying it: Han Areum."
[Hana-room...?]
"Han Areum."
"Not sis—say my name. Han Deuri."
[Han Deuri.]
"Nailed it."
"What? Why's mine so easy?"
"Who said your name's hard to pronounce?"
Han Deuri chuckled contentedly and patted Terra's head. Unlike Aqua, Terra didn't mind the head pats at all. And she wasn't scared of Han Deuri either.
"So, what happened in the Spirit Realm?"
Jang Gilsan folded his paper and lifted Aqua onto the table.
[Thanks!]
Aqua settled comfortably. Terra, seeing her, clambered up onto the table too.
I stroked them both as I recounted our Spirit Realm adventures to the trio. It might've been spilling secrets, but Aqua, the Water Spirit King, had given her okay.
"Pompeii went through all that..."
"Lost a father figure..."
"...And the result's middle-school syndrome."
"No, that's not the point."
As Han Areum and Han Deuri bickered lightly, Jang Gilsan heard the rest.
"The manga Kazami Akira gave was an artifact harming the salamanders... What about that side?"
"Urgent stuff's handled; I'll look into it slowly with what I can manage."
Jang Gilsan nodded and moved on. Now it was my turn to hear what I'd missed.
"Reporters swarmed like crazy."
"Security kept 'em out of the guesthouse, but going for ice cream? They stuck like glue."
"We didn't say a word, though!"
We hadn't exactly snuck off to the Spirit Realm in secret, so this was probably par for the course.
"No big worries."
Jang Gilsan said it casually.
"Union Guild and Phoenix Guild warned the press to leave you alone."
Union was where Jang Gilsan was executive director; Phoenix had Jeong Ri-on, where I'd shot that ad.
Han Deuri muttered in awe.
"This is what connections are..."
Same thoughts here.
Reporters covering awakeners or hunters won't even approach me now.
They were the top two guilds in Korea's hunter scene. No outlet would ignore that warning if they didn't want to go under.
* * *
After hanging out at the Hans' till noon, I got home to find laundry piled in the yard—pillows and blankets from checkout guests.
"Gonna do laundry?"
"Nice day for it. Gotta dry 'em."
Aqua and I locked eyes.
"Leave it to us."
[Leave it to us!]
"Aren't you tired?"
"We rested up. Right?"
[Of course! It was like heaven!]
I rolled up my pants right away.
[Laundry?]
Terra asked.
[Aqua can just control the water.]
"Where's the fun in that? I'll show you the human way."
[Human way?]
[Ooooh!]
[Sissit!]
Aqua and Mandu perked up expectantly. I dumped the stained pillowcases into the massive rubber tub prepped in the yard—the kind big enough for a kid's bath or kimchi making.
I filled it halfway with water and added detergent.
[Now toss it in the washer?]
Aqua squatted by the tub, watching the detergent dissolve.
"Nah. We stomp it."
[Stomp?]
I kicked off my shoes, stepped in, and started squishing the covers underfoot.
[This is the human way to wash?]
"Yup. Super effective."
[Ooh!]
Aqua watched intently, curiosity blooming on her face.
[Lemme try!]
She vaulted toward the tub dramatically—and slipped on the suds.
[Eek?!]
"Whoa."
I caught her quick.
[Thanks!]
Aqua flashed a grin, then stomped away enthusiastically.
[Heehee! So slippery and tickly!]
I beckoned the other two outside the tub.
"C'mon, Terra, Mandu."
[Sissit!]
Mandu hopped right in. Terra eyed the tub, took my hand, and stepped up.
[...Oh?]
She wiggled her toes at the weird sensation.
[Ooh!]
Then stomped with glee. Aqua grabbed Terra's hand; Terra smiled and laced fingers with her.
Under the warm sunlight, spirits knee-deep in suds on noses and cheeks stomped laundry, laughing. Impossible not to smile.
"Heh heh heh..."
Mom and Dad watched from the porch, coffee in hand, grinning.
[Ungcha!]
Aqua and Terra stomped hard. Mandu tried too but kept slipping off the fluffy laundry, being so light.
[Sissit!]
Foam-covered Mandu cried out happily. Aqua looked up at me.
[Like this?]
"Perfect. Keep stomping—the weight'll scrub the dirt out."
[Weight? Then I'm too light!]
"Stomp harder."
[Oh ho! Good idea!]
Aqua thudded her feet. Terra followed suit.
Maybe add some Purification Agent?
◈ A small bottle containing the purifying spring water said to bubble only from the deepest pond in the Spirit Realm.
Guests prized cleanliness most in bedding, but pillows topped the list. For that, ten thousand won in detergent was a steal.
We stomped away. Suds splashed onto Aqua's nose and Mandu's back. The agent's power? The covers turned sparkling white in seconds.
I rinsed them one by one. Aqua dragged over the hose, spraying to help.
[Sissit!]
Mandu flew rinsed covers to the drying rack. Terra, on a boosted platform beside it, hung them on the line.
Clear division of labor—we finished in a flash.
[Done?]
Aqua asked.
"Yeah, one more rinse."
[Still some dirt left, though.]
"Where?"
[Right here!]
Aqua's mischievous tone—and the hose angled up.
Splash!
Aqua's water jet soaked me instantly.
[Ahahaha!]
Perfect timing—I'd been sweaty in the sun. Cool relief. But that wasn't the point.
"Heh heh, you little...!"
Playtime activated. The chase was on.