Chapter 115. Cafe (2)
[Ready.]
Terra said that and pointed somewhere with her finger. It was the safety watchtower at the beach. That marked the race's midpoint. I was impressed by the clean, no-frills execution.
'As expected of the brainy spirit!'
Mandu pressed his body flat against the table and raised his wings. The sylphs lowered themselves too. All to build up propulsion.
Whiiiish—.
A breeze swept in from somewhere. Sand whipped up, and bits of paper tumbled across the ground.
Terra lowered her hand.
[Go.]
Paaang—!
Mandu and the sylphs kicked off the table and shot into the air. If I and Jeong Ri-on hadn't been holding the table steady, it would've shattered from the rebound.
Mandu and the sylphs flew fast. Mandu flapped his wings furiously, while the sylphs blasted wind from below their feet.
"Whoa, impressive!"
Jeong Ri-on's mouth fell open in an O as he watched Mandu. They started neck-and-neck, but Mandu gradually pulled ahead.
[Falling behind!]
[We can't let that happen!]
[For the honor of the wind...!]
One sylph from the rear gathered spirit power and blasted it forward. With that surge, two sylphs shot ahead and overtook Mandu.
[Fly... for my share too...!]
Like a spaceship burning its last fuel, the spent sylph plummeted limply after fulfilling its role.
By now, the spirits had rounded the midpoint at the safety watchtower. The lifeguards' eyes bulged at the sudden gust.
[Shi-siiiit!]
Mandu flapped his wings with everything he had. Little by little, he started pulling ahead again.
[Go, Unit 1!]
The second sylph unleashed another forward burst of wind. That propelled the lone remaining sylph farther from Mandu.
The finish line was now in sight.
[Uwoooo!]
[Shaaaa!]
Mandu rapidly closed in on the sylph. But Jeong Ri-on's sylph wasn't going down easy.
Squeeeee—!
They crossed the finish line at a speed where the wind whistled sharply in my ears.
Terra raised her hand toward Jeong Ri-on with a stoic face.
[Sylph victory.]
No objections. Even to my eyes, the sylph had edged ahead.
[Shi-sit!]
Mandu cried out in frustration upon returning to the table.
[Haha! We're rivals to Lady Aqua! Even with wings, come back after ten more years of practice!]
The sylphs, meanwhile, were ecstatic. The other two had rejoined them, all crossing their arms in smug poses as they looked down at Mandu.
I gently scooped Mandu into my arms.
"It's okay. You did great. Just fly faster next time."
Mandu buried his head in my chest.
[Good work! You were plenty fast!]
Aqua patted his back too.
To me, Mandu's speed was more than enough to outpace most average sylphs. The only reason was that these were Jeong Ri-on's exceptionally strong ones.
"Man, you're even faster than before?"
Jeong Ri-on grinned, praising his sylphs.
[Hahaha! Of course!]
[The skies are sylph territory!]
[We only lose to Lady Aqua!]
As Mandu and the sylphs' fortunes diverged, the cafe owner approached me. Like everyone around here, she'd known me and my family for over a decade—practically aunt and nephew.
"Here's the menu."
"Thanks."
I opened it and placed it in front of Aqua, Terra, and Mandu.
"What do you want?"
[Shi-sit!]
Mandu's eyes sparkled at the word "food," forgetting his indignation as he peered at the menu. Nothing beat treats for a mood boost.
[What's this?]
Terra asked, eyeing the menu.
"Everything listed here is food. Tell them what you want, and they'll bring it."
[Ooh...]
Terra, used to foraging for food in the Spirit Realm, seemed fascinated by the concept.
[Shi-sit!]
Mandu pawed at the tiramisu cake.
[I'll have iced chocolate!]
Aqua picked hers too. I helped Terra decide.
"Gnomes like coffee."
[Coffee?]
"Americano's on here. It's bitter with a slight tang."
[Bitter's not bad.]
"Americano it is, then. And a sweet cake on the side, just in case."
[Mm.]
As I looked up after settling Terra's order, Aqua was fidgeting restlessly for some reason.
"What's up?"
[M-me too, Americano!]
Aqua declared with resolute pride, unwilling to be outdone now that her friend was having one. Icing chocolate suddenly felt childish to her dignity.
'Americano's an adult drink to Aqua.'
I chuckled softly.
"I'll go with sweet iced chocolate."
[Uh, um.]
"But I kinda want some Americano too."
I smirked at her.
"Shall we order and share?"
Aqua blinked a few times, then beamed.
[Heehee! Let's!]
Squeeze. She hugged my arm tight. That soft, pliant touch brought a smile to my face.
* * *
"What was the most beautiful spot in the Spirit Realm?"
Jeong Ri-on's innocent question ignited war.
[Wind Cliff is the best in the Spirit Realm!]
The sylphs struck first.
[Ah! No, Great King Waterfall is supreme!]
[I like Giant Cave.]
Aqua and Terra held their ground.
[Shi-sit!]
Mandu seemed to favor the spirit spring.
[Pfft, what's fun about waterfalls or caves? Always falling or just sitting there.]
[And Wind Cliff's got nothing!]
[Wind Cliff's cliff is pretty. But earth is superior.]
[Wh-what? Lady Terra, you wanna go?]
[It's war, you airheads!]
After fifteen minutes of fierce debate, Jeong Ri-on checked his phone and said,
"I should head out."
"Already?"
"Got some business."
"We haven't even treated you properly yet."
"The top-tier info you shared is thanks enough. Worth the trip."
As he grabbed his sunglasses and phone, Jeong Ri-on went "Ah" and pulled three envelopes from his pocket.
"Water Park sales skyrocketed thanks to you. Gifts from us."
Vouchers for restaurants at Phoenix Resort.
"See you next time."
[Lady Aqua! Lady Terra! Bye!]
[Mandu, bai!]
[Practice flying more next time!]
[See you!]
[Bye.]
[Shi-sit!]
With the spirits' farewells, Jeong Ri-on flashed me a grin, hopped into his car—a Lamborghini—and drove off.
Suddenly, I recalled his sylphs riding in the electric Lamborghini and chuckled.
* * *
Moments later, our orders arrived.
[Ooh!]
Aqua's eyes sparkled as she reflexively grabbed the iced chocolate.
[Hot!]
She quickly cleared her throat, set it down, and pulled the Americano to her side.
"Hee hee hee..."
I stroked her back with a soft laugh. Even under the warm sun, Aqua's cool temperature felt wonderful.
[This is coffee?]
Terra peered curiously into the dark liquid.
[Sniff sniff.]
She sniffed it too, and her stoic face softened at the aroma.
[Shi-sit!]
Without waiting, Mandu chomped a big bite of tiramisu cake. His plump cheeks puffed contentedly.
"Um..."
As I smiled at the spirits, the owner spoke up.
"Yes?"
She hesitated.
"Th-that... You're the Spirit King contractor now, right?"
"That's right."
"Could I get a photo and autograph?"
Aqua and I exchanged smiles. It'd been ages since my last request—ever since returning from the Spirit Realm.
[Of course!]
Aqua proudly adjusted her hat.
The owner blinked in surprise, then covered her mouth cooing "So cute!" repeatedly.
[Pen and paper!]
She hurriedly fetched them—two pens, actually. I checked,
"Mine too?"
"Of course!"
She nodded vigorously.
'My autograph.'
A strange sense of elation washed over me as I signed. Mine and Aqua's went big in the top left and right of the A4 sheet. We left the bottom for Terra and Mandu.
[You too, Terra!]
"Here, pen."
Terra awkwardly gripped it.
[Autograph?]
[Write your name here!]
Terra neatly printed her two letters where Aqua indicated. Unlike Aqua's round, consonant-heavy scrawl, Terra's was precise and printed-perfect, like from a machine.
"How about Mandu?"
[Stick it in his mouth?]
As we pondered, Mandu placed his front paw on the blank spot.
Gradually, heat rose from it. When he lifted it, a charred print remained—his paw shape.
[Ooh! Mandu's autograph!]
Aqua vigorously petted his head in awe.
[Shi-sit!]
Mandu proudly raised his snout.
"Here you go."
I handed the sheet back. The owner took it reverently.
"Can I hang this in the shop?"
"Go ahead."
"And a photo..."
She held up her digital camera awkwardly. I smiled.
"Why so formal all of a sudden? Treat me like old times."
"Well... Back then you were just the guesthouse kid. Now you're an amazing spirit contractor."
"Doesn't change that I'm still your neighbor. Plus, I'm Samcheok's promo ambassador now. Snap away."
She scratched her cheek gratefully.
"Thanks for saying that."
We posed with coffee and cake. Aqua grinned wide at the phone.
[Hee-!]
Terra mimicked her.
[Hee.]
The owner rushed inside to print them, and Terra asked,
[That was a photo too?]
She remembered seeing one before.
"Yeah. She'll hang it in the shop."
[To keep our moment forever?]
Terra recalled Aqua's Spirit Realm explanation perfectly.
I stroked her head.
"Exactly. So the owner and all her customers can see it."
Rougher than Aqua's silky hair, but Terra's earthy, silky fuzz felt vividly alive.
[Ooh...]
Terra looked up at my hand, then closed her eyes softly.
[Mm...]
"Feels good?"
Terra nodded faintly.
"Hee hee hee..."
I petted steadily, gently, letting her savor it.
[Puuu...]
A weird sound made me turn. Aqua was puffing her cheeks, glaring at me.