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Dozens of unicorn tubes were drifting down the lazy river.
[Those are unicorns!] Aqua cried, clutching my arm tightly. Her eyes sparkled with delight at the surprise I'd prepared, her earlier tension forgotten.
Hundreds of unicorn tubes in every color, shape, and size filled the lazy river completely, bobbing gently along. Over the past two days, at my suggestion, the production team had scoured Gangwon Province to gather them all.
[Ooooooh…!] Aqua's mouth hung open as she watched the parade of nearly a hundred unicorns.
The PD gave me a small nod. Aqua's awestruck expression meant the shot was perfect. I stroked her back and asked,
"Ready to go play with the unicorns?"
[Of course!] Aqua wriggled with excitement in my arms, practically bouncing on her butt. She'd been singing unicorn songs lately, and it had clearly worked like a charm.
I carried her into the lazy river. The cameras followed slowly behind us, while others were already positioned on the far side. I set her down on a nearby unicorn tube, and Mandu scampered after her onto one too.
[Hee hee hee!] Aqua hugged the tube's neck once before hopping from one to the next.
[Unicorns everywhere!]
[Shi-sit!] Mandu bounded after her, leaping tube to tube.
[Ha! This one's a black unicorn! What happened to it?!] Aqua was too busy admiring them all to notice much else. Watching her joy sparked a mischievous urge in me.
I snuck up beside her tube and splashed her. Splash!
Aqua blinked blankly for a second after the water hit her, then grinned wickedly.
[Splashing the Water Spirit King? You've got guts!] She swung her hand, sending a wave rippling through the lazy river in its wake.
"Hey, using spirit power is cheating!" I dove underwater just in time to dodge it.
Surfacing a bit farther away, I splashed her again. Splash!
[Over there!] Before she could turn, I dove once more and popped up on the opposite side. With C-rank awakener physical abilities, the water's resistance was no big deal.
Splash!
[Hmph!] But playing water games against the Spirit King was child's play to her. She clenched her fist toward me, and the water around me gripped me tight.
"Whoa?!"
[Gotcha!] Aqua giggled and hopped tube to tube toward me. Then she slipped. Splish!
[Wah?!] The splashes I'd sent her way earlier had left water pooled on the tube.
Splat! She tumbled onto it, flipping the tube over.
[Eek!] Sploosh!
The mighty Water Spirit slipping on water and falling in—it was too much. I burst out laughing.
"Ahahaha!" Even the staff, mid-shoot, covered their mouths to stifle their chuckles.
Aqua surfaced with a dazed look. I scooped her up.
"Ahahaha! You okay, Aqua?"
[Ugh… What just happened?] Her bewildered face was so adorable I planted a kiss on her cheek. Slowly, a smile spread across her lips.
[Hee hee hee!] She didn't know why, but my laughter made her happy too—that pure, radiant smile said it all.
After exhausting ourselves in the lazy river, we headed to the wave pool.
[It's been a while!] This was where we'd trained surfing before her showdown with Niagara.
"Alright, let's go in." I stepped into the wave pool with Aqua.
[Let's go!] We walked across the water—Aqua using her spirit power, me laying a thin Water Shield underfoot.
Whoosh! When waves crashed toward us, we'd leap onto our shields. Once we reached deeper water, the real fun began.
"Remember how to surf, Aqua?"
[Of course!] We formed surfboards under our feet with spirit power and Water Shield.
In the empty wave pool, we rode the waves again. Shwoosh!
Aqua and I sliced through them cleanly. At the production team's request, the waves were much bigger than usual.
[Wheee!] Aqua mastered the massive swells effortlessly. I followed right behind.
When a wave pushed us to shallower water, she'd use her spirit power to pull us back out. I frolicked like a dolphin, free and thrilled. Riding the sea—or waves—was always exhilarating, better than any game.
We forgot the drone cameras and surfed wildly.
With filming done at the pools and attractions, we prepped for the ad photoshoot.
"Rash guards this time, please."
"Let me touch up your makeup too."
The designers swarmed me, hands flying. Aqua, being a spirit, needed no makeup.
[Hmm~ hmm~ hmm~.] She hummed on my lap, peering into the mirror during my hair and makeup. Mandu lounged on the vanity, watching curiously, tongue flicking.
With the water park opening in less than an hour, the designers were rushed—no time for Aqua or Mandu.
"Thanks for your hard work!"
"Have some snacks and drinks!"
Han Areum and Han Deuri zipped around, handing out beverages and treats. They'd come to watch but ended up as my managers. I waved them over.
"Enough—take a break, you two."
"We barely did anything. Here, sunbae—ahh~."
"I'm not that hungry…"
"Ahh~." Unable to resist her insistence, I opened my mouth, and a chocolate popped in.
"Thanks."
"No problem. Aqua, this is for you." She gave Aqua a blue lollipop matching her color—no risk of tint changes.
[Thank you!]
"Mandu, here!" She fed him chocolate too. He gulped it down with a happy shi-sit!
Han Areum petted them both before leaving with Han Deuri to share snacks with the outdoor staff. I smiled at their retreating figures—diligent juniors who found work even when there was none.
[Yummy!] Aqua slurped her lollipop noisily. Once finished, she started playing with the mirror.
Smush. She pressed her cheeks with both hands. Squish, squish. They yielded like mochi.
[Mmm!] She nodded approvingly, releasing them—clearly proud of their perfect shape.
Her eyes landed on a tint tube next.
[Ooh…] She glanced slyly at the designers, mischief brewing. Our eyes met; she crescent-moon smiled and pressed a finger to her lips.
'Bored, huh?' I mirrored her, smiling faintly.
She snatched the tint. The busy designers, fixing my hair, didn't notice. Pop.
She sniffed it, then smeared it on her face. Red tint on her translucent blue skin. I watched curiously.
'Looks good, actually?' Her usual sky-blue had new life with the red.
But that thought was short-lived. She squeezed out more, slathering her cheeks.
'Blush imitation?' She giggled at her lip-and-cheek-coated face—like a clown.
[You too!] She dabbed some on Mandu's lips. He closed his eyes blissfully, then opened them—lips red as if he'd eaten a mouse.
I chuckled, gathered her hair into a ponytail, and tied it with a rubber band from the table. Perfect apple bob.
[Ooh? Ooooh!] She gasped like it was her first ponytail, admiring the mirror.
The designers finally noticed.
"Ah!" One froze, hands mid-air. Others followed.
[Hee hee hee!] Aqua beamed at them from the mirror.
They shook their heads dazedly.
"Ugh… professional pride…"
"Makeup on a spirit… I wanna try so bad…"
"Purple would suit Aqua… No, hold back. My makeup instincts!"
"Snap out of it, guys! Shoot's soon!" They refocused on me, though their eyes kept drifting to her.
"Too cute…"
"Ponytail with a rubber band? That's cheating…" My smile wouldn't fade either.
After wrapping the ad shoot and even joining the after-party, I turned to my friends prepping to leave.
"Time to head back?"
Han Areum, removing her cleansing headband, blinked. "Where to, sunbae?"
"Home. Our house."
She paused. "We can go back now?"
"Why not?"
Han Deuri chimed in, toothbrush in mouth. "Yeah, reporters and scouts have thinned out since that interview."
"I'm not a criminal— no reason to keep hiding." I missed my parents too. Vacation was nearly half over, and we'd barely spent time together.
I glanced at Jang Gilsan. "You guys staying here?" He'd mentioned staying in Samcheok all month.
He looked up from his tablet. "Rented the house next to yours."
"What?"
"The whole place." Memories flashed of our kind neighbors, the Soon family, for 15 years.
"…You didn't buy them out with money, right?"
"Offered a full-month Europe trip for vacation—they packed excitedly."
Right, Soon had wanted European summers for years. Money helped, but not eviction.
"Win-win."
"Rooms for you two too." The relieved siblings brightened—no more layoff fears.
"Thank you, boss!"
"We'll serve you well!"
"Gotta call about those orphanage toys the kids want."
"No—don't get 'em hooked on spending; it'll stress the director."
"Next week's Min-su's birthday—you know that, noona."
"Birthday toys every time? We'd have 20 new ones a year!"
I smiled at their playful spat—good kids prioritizing the orphanage even with money.
[Back to your parents' house?]
"Yeah."
[Hee hee hee!] Aqua beamed happily.
"Excited to go back, Aqua?"
[Of course! Your parents are wonderful!] Her joy lifted my spirits. Spirits sense evil instinctively—that's why villains can't be spirit users, even with Spirit Affinity. My parents were spirit-approved good people.
I stroked her cheek. She just giggled.
Next morning, we loaded up in Jang Gilsan's secretary-driven car. Watching Phoenix Resort fade away hit me.
'I stayed there weeks? VIP rooms at a booked-out resort, casually.' Unreal, even for me.
'My life's changed big time.' No more beachside sighs over futures or scraping scholarships. The shift felt surreal.
[We're here!] Not far, we soon reached Haynaru Guesthouse.
As we unloaded, voices called. "Hey? It's Kang Hyunwoo!"
Turning, I saw reporters with cameras approaching—staking out near my parents' for scoops.
'This'll be daily now.' If reporters were permanent, hiding was pointless.
I held Aqua confidently, waiting. Post-interview and ad, cameras didn't faze me anymore.
"Kang Hyunwoo! True about the Phoenix Resort ad?"
"Freelance start?"
"Open to other companies?" Questions and flashes poured. Some hit Jang Gilsan too.
One question caught me: "F-rank spirit user—you got big help contracting the Spirit King! Words for them?" Perfect.
I gently rocked stiffening Aqua. "I sincerely thank everyone who supported me."
Silence fell as I spoke.
"Especially my friend Jang Gilsan, my juniors, and the Spirit Knights—thank you again." I adjusted Aqua.
"But the greatest help, the one I'm always grateful for, is my spirit, Aqua."
[Oah?] She looked up. I smiled, bumping my forehead softly to hers.
"I became the Spirit King's contractor, and Korea got its first, because Aqua came to me."
She bashfully grinned, head smooshed.
[Hee hee hee!] Flashes intensified at her smile.
Then a reporter thrust a mic—not at me, at Aqua.
"Aqua Spirit King! A word for your fan club?"
[Me?] Her round eyes blinked.