Mandu (1)
Aqua squats down in front of the baby salamander and asks.
[Aren't you afraid of water at all?]
[Sssit?]
The baby salamander tilts its head at the question, as if wondering why would I be afraid of that?
[Hehehe...!]
Aqua lets out a satisfied laugh and strokes the baby salamander's head.
[You've got the makings of a general! Very well! I'll give you a bath!]
Aqua swings her hand, and a cascade of water pours down over the baby salamander. Thanks to her exquisite control, nothing like the blanket getting soaked happens.
At the baby salamander's request, Aqua summons water several more times.
[Sssit!]
Evidently delighted by the water play, the baby salamander's eyes curve into happy crescents.
I gently stroke its back. Soft and smooth, yet springy with elasticity. At my touch, the salamander rolls onto its back, exposing its belly, eyes sparkling as if begging for a rub there.
"Hahaha."
I laugh and tickle its belly with my finger. Since it's only the size of my palm, one finger is plenty.
The salamander squirms from the tickling, then grabs my finger with its legs and hugs it tight. It gently 'nom-noms' my finger with its soft mouth.
Gasp!
For a moment, the baby salamander's nibbling attack makes my heart skip a beat.
[Heeheehee!]
Aqua laughs too, watching the salamander with obvious delight. It's the warm, affectionate chuckle of an older sister watching her mischievous baby sibling.
* * *
I carry Aqua on my shoulders while she perches the salamander on her head, and we head to the kitchen. Mom and Dad are preparing breakfast.
"We'll help too."
We naturally pitch in with the meal prep. Aqua handles simple table setting and vegetable chopping. I scoop the rice and ladle the soup.
It's become part of our daily routine before we knew it.
[Shaaat!]
Suddenly, the salamander lets out a startled chirp. I turn to see it flicking its tongue toward the gas stove's flame.
"Oh my?"
"What's a lizard doing in the kitchen?"
The salamander must have instinctively drawn on its spirit power upon seeing the fire.
I smile at my parents and say, "It's a salamander."
"A salamander? You mean a fire spirit?"
"Did you contract with a fire spirit too?"
"This one's a stray spirit, so I'm looking after it for a bit."
Mom and Dad gaze at the salamander with wonder. It stares curiously at the stove flame, hissing softly.
I chuckle quietly and stroke its back. Once the table is fully set, we sit down and start eating.
[Kyaa~!]
Aqua is chugging cola for breakfast.
"Eat slowly. You'll get a tummy ache."
[A water spirit like me won't get indigestion from cola!]
Even as she says that, she slows her sipping so Mom won't worry. What a good spirit.
Between bites of my own rice, I feed the salamander too. Unlike water or wind spirits, fire spirits can eat just about anything.
Slurp!
The salamander catches the food I offer in its mouth and gulps it down without chewing.
No wonder salamanders get chubby.
Rice, kimchi, meat side dishes—it devours everything without complaint.
"My, this little guy's eating like a champ."
Dad looks impressed.
[Heehee! Eat up and grow big and strong!]
Aqua pats the salamander's back with a grin. It rolls onto its belly again at her touch.
[Alright! Time for tickles!]
Aqua sets aside her cola and tickles its belly with both hands. The salamander wriggles from the itchiness but licks her hands with its tongue.
[Heehee!]
[Sssit!]
Seeing them playfully tussle mid-breakfast brings a smile to my face. Mom and Dad look at me fondly.
"Why are you looking at me like that all of a sudden?"
"It reminds me of when you were little."
"You used to smile at Hyunwoo just like that, dear."
"Hyunwoo was such a good boy—never fussy, always listened well."
"Yeah. Parenting was a breeze for us when others struggled."
"Ahaha..."
All I can do is laugh awkwardly.
* * *
After breakfast, Park Uncle drops by. My parents greet their old friend with smiles.
"Park! Come on in."
"Not too busy?"
"What kind of busy would keep me from seeing a neighbor like this?"
Park Uncle laughs heartily and sits on the yard bench, asking me, "How's that spirit you picked up yesterday?"
He must have come by first thing in the morning out of worry for the baby salamander.
I smile and reply, "Yeah, it's totally fine now—full of energy."
I glance around for the salamander, but Aqua and it are nowhere in sight.
They're nearby, so no need to worry.
Contractors and spirits are linked, so we can sense each other's locations. Aqua's not far.
Park Uncle nods and asks, "So why was a fire spirit down under the sea?"
"Beats me. Aqua asked, but the salamander didn't know."
"Really?"
"It vaguely remembers seeing the Fire Spirit King's face, then waking up underwater."
"Well, that's out of my wheelhouse anyway. As long as it's healthy, that's great."
Relieved, Park Uncle settles in comfortably and chats away with my parents. I get caught up in the local gossip too, lost in conversation—
[Charge!]
Aqua's voice makes me turn. She's riding a neighborhood Jindo dog, with the salamander on her shoulder.
[Hyah!]
Aqua kicks the dog's side, and it lets out a mighty howl before bolting off.
[Wolf rider!]
That foreign drama from the other day must've made an impression.
[Summer's coming!]
[Shaaat!]
Aqua clings excitedly to the dog's neck. The salamander flicks its tongue happily too.
"Those kids sure know how to have fun."
Not just my parents—even Park Uncle watches with a fond smile.
Then Aqua turns toward me.
[Oh! The evil deer king is there!]
She conjures a Water Shield and water spear in her hands.
[Follow me—charge!]
[Shiiiik!]
The Jindo carrying Aqua and the salamander barrels straight at me.
To play along, I stand and spread my arms wide.
"Come at me, wolf rider!"
[Die, deer king!]
But Aqua seems totally immersed in the game. She doesn't slow down at all, slamming the dog right into my gut at full speed.
Thwack—!
"...Guhk!"
I finally get what they mean by 'playing with kids wears you out.'
* * *
Aqua and the salamander start playing in the yard. Mostly, one dashes off and the other chases after.
[Heeheehee!]
[Sssit!]
But that's enough to keep their laughter echoing nonstop.
We chat while occasionally following their antics with our eyes. Just watching is pure joy.
Even the guests heading to the beach with tubes and swim gear stop and stare in awe.
"Kids, have a snack."
Mom brings out sliced watermelon.
"Oh, yeah. Eat these too."
Park Uncle pulls out a bag of mandu. He must've grabbed it on the way.
[Watermelon!]
Aqua hops excitedly onto the bench. The salamander scrambles up a bench leg after her.
"Want some watermelon too?"
Mom cuts a piece extra small for the salamander. It sniffs curiously, then chomps down wide-mouthed.
Chomp!
Gulp!
It swallows the chunk whole and wags its tail furiously. Delicious, apparently.
How does that tiny body hold so much? The salamander rapidly bites off and gulps watermelon pieces.
Aqua devours hers competitively. Her body starts turning pinkish.
"Look at this one—like it's been dyed with henna."
Park Uncle chuckles affectionately at Aqua and munches his mandu. I grab one too—juicy pork filling.
[Huaa~!]
Stuffed, Aqua leans contentedly against me. The salamander crawls around the bench, licking mandu bits off Park Uncle's fingers.
"Hohoho. Acts just like a dog."
"Pardon?"
"Doesn't it remind you of a pup?"
I nod quickly after a brief surprise. Yeah, the baby salamander's antics do look dog-like.
Adult ones are just lizards, though...
As I ponder if this is some kind of dramatic change, Aqua yelps [Ah!] and points.
She's pointing at a fresh mandu from Park Uncle's bag.
[It looks just like it!]
"Like what?"
[The salamander!]
I look back and forth between the baby salamander and the mandu.
"Huh, it does."
Now that she mentions it—the salamander's face is long and plump side-to-side, just like a mandu.
[Kekekeke! From now on, let's call this salamander Mandu!]
"Mandu, huh..."
I'd been thinking it needed a nickname anyway.
"Perfect. From now on, your name is Mandu."
[Mandu Mandu! Salaman-du!]
Aqua snatches Mandu excitedly and hoists it high. Mandu just tilts its head, licking its chops.
[Heeheehee!]
Aqua hugs Mandu tight. Watching it wriggle in mild protest, I ask, "You like Mandu that much? You've seen plenty of baby salamanders in the Spirit Realm."
[But this one's different from the others!]
Aqua thrusts Mandu toward me again, posing like a kid showing off a toy.
[Mandu's the family we saved and welcomed!]
Seeing her loving gaze, I think, She's the perfect big sister spirit.
"Alright, shall we get back to filming?"
I dust off my hands and stand.
[Filming?]
"Forgot? We were gonna shoot that promo video."
[Oh! Totally slipped my mind!]
Aqua hops off the bench and reaches for me. I scoop her up.
"Give it your all. Your parents' retirement depends on you kids."
Park Uncle teases.
"Wanna go fishing anytime, just say the word. Can't lend the whole boat like yesterday, but I've always got space."
"Thanks."
I head to my room for the tripod and selfie stick. Aqua asks,
[What's the shoot this time?]
"Hmm..."
I think for a moment. Something fun for Aqua that shows off her and the guesthouse's charm?
The idea comes quickly.
"How about some water cleaning together?"
[Water cleaning!]
Aqua throws her hands up in excitement.