Shh! They're Coming!
“Shh! They're coming!”
“Shh, shh.”
We could hear murmurs drifting over from afar, and sure enough, Grandma and Grandpa were back from their walk. Mom and Aunt, who'd gone with them, were still off somewhere gossiping, nowhere in sight.
“So anyway, Jeonghui says she's gonna plant some cabbage.”
“...That old lady doesn't have the strength for it.”
“Exactly.”
Grandma and Grandpa shuffled slowly toward the house. Then, at one point as they crossed the yard, their footsteps came to an abrupt halt. The murmurs cut off like a snapped wire.
“......”
“......”
A horrific sight lay before them, too gruesome to behold with eyes wide open. A massive window shattered to bits, shards glittering on the ground in the sunlight.
“...What the hell is this?”
Grandpa whipped his head around, yelling.
“What happened! Where are the kids!”
Grandma wordlessly stomped up to the front door and went inside. A moment later, she emerged clutching a hefty rock.
Grandpa, who'd been glaring around furiously, fixed his eyes on what she held.
“Granny, what's that?”
“It was inside the house.”
A note was stuck to the heavy stone.
“Looks like someone used this to smash the window.”
“Which little punk Hura!”
“Let's see.”
Grandma muttered coldly as she peeled off the note. It probably said something like, 'Get out of our neighborhood, you disgusting humans!'—a phrase our proud father had agonized over and written by hand.
Grandma and Grandpa's faces twisted into demonic rage as they read it.
“These rotten bastards...!”
“Who?”
“Gotta be Okbun.”
“...Thinks that dead cat's gonna come back to life or something?”
We gulped dryly at Grandma's icy murmur. Grandpa was intimidating enough, but the murderous aura radiating from her was no joke. If that wrath ever turned on me...
I might just drop dead of a heart attack.
A glance sideways showed Dad and Uncle shivering like leaves. I finally understood their desperate attempts to dodge blame.
“Nah, not Okbun. She'd know what happens if she pulled this crap on us right now.”
“...True. She ain't got the guts.”
Grandma and Grandpa huddled over the note, staring holes through it. They looked like grim reapers poring over the ledger of souls.
“Then suspects are Yongchun, Euldong, Sukja, Jeomrye. One of their houses.”
“Add Minsik too.”
“Guess we should go hear why they'd smash some innocent neighbor's window.”
“Time to remind 'em what happens when they pull this shit.”
“Granny, grab the bat. I'll get the truck keys.”
Grandma and Grandpa hopped in the truck and sped off like the wind.
Only then did we poke our heads out from behind the bushes.
“...They gone?”
“Yes, bro. Looks like it.”
“Phew...”
“Haa...”
Dad and Uncle wiped the cold sweat beading on their foreheads and let out deep sighs of relief. Dad grinned at Uncle.
“Heh heh... What'd I tell ya?”
“You're the man, bro. We'd be toast without you.”
“Hahaha. No big deal.”
...Not something to brag about, though.
I exchanged a complicated look with Sis and sighed heavily. Then I turned to the Happy-Sad Sisters.
Eunhui was glancing around anxiously, while Eunbi stared at the two dads with eyes even colder than before.
“......”
Tough luck, but it's too late to turn back now. If they get caught here, Dad and Uncle are looking at extra charges for insolence—major punishment, life-altering stuff.
Get what I mean? Staring at Eunbi to convey that, she met my eyes for a moment, then nodded faintly. She started clamping a padlock on Eunhui's mouth.
Convincing her to keep it secret. Watching Eunbi, I sighed again.
Who's the adult here, seriously.
* * *
The incident seemed to blow over without a hitch. Dad and Uncle swept up the glass shards and swapped in a spare window from the shed. Then they spun their tale for Mom and Aunt, who finally strolled back from their walk.
“So get this—we step out for a kite-flying contest, and someone goes and smashes the damn window.”
“Yeah, we come back and freak out.”
“Oh my god, really?”
Mom glanced at me and Sis as she asked. What could we do? We nodded vigorously.
“Who did it?”
“No idea. Lucky no one got hurt.”
“You should've seen us slaving to replace it.”
“Oh dear. What a mess.”
Mom widened her eyes in worry, but Aunt flicked a glance at tight-lipped Eunhui and Eunbi and said,
“Hmm~ Not from playing ball, right?”
“W-what're you talking about, sis-in-law?”
“Y-yeah, we're not kids—why would we smash a window with a ball?”
Aunt smiled sweetly.
“Hee hee, just teasing. Must've been tough fixing it.”
“Ha... haha, nah, just doing what we had to.”
“Hahaha, you rascal. Hahaha.”
The two dads' wooden, stilted act repeated in front of Grandma and Grandpa too. From the sidelines, it felt like rewatching a movie.
“Can you believe it? We step away for a sec, and bam—window smashed!”
“Didn't know who, but kids' safety first, so we cleaned the glass and fixed it.”
“If I'd seen the punk, I'd have snapped their legs!”
Grandpa, looking like he'd just beheaded an enemy general, clapped their shoulders.
“Good job. Must've been rough.”
Like a commander praising his troops.
“Kids okay? No scratches?”
“Yes, of course.”
But not out of the woods yet. Dad and Uncle stole glances at Grandma.
She'd returned reeking of arson and spoke up.
“You worked hard.”
She tossed the words at the two heads of household like scraps, then flung her bat into a corner of the yard. Red liquid dripped from it.
“Eek!”
“H-heeek!”
Dad and Uncle yelped and clutched each other in terror.
Ignoring their fright, Grandma marched straight inside.
“F-Father-in-law, what... what is that?”
“N-no way... blood?”
Grandpa chuckled.
“Granny wouldn't go that far.”
“R-right?”
“Just smashed a few soy jars.”
“Then...”
“Some soy sauce, red pepper paste, kimchi. Last one at Minsik's had kimchi, I guess.”
The two swallowed hard.
“Don't worry. All sorted nice and peaceful.”
“R-really?”
“Yep. Won't happen again.”
“What a relief.”
“They all denied it to the death, but once Granny's on it, what can ya do?”
A sinister scrape-scrape of knife on whetstone echoed from inside. Grandma prepping dinner right away.
“C'mon, let's head in.”
Grandpa clapped the rigid pair's shoulders. He went first, followed by Mom and Aunt.
Dad and Uncle turned to us, faces ashen. Their expressions said it all.
'Speak and Dad dies. For real.'
'You kids don't want single-parent homes, right? Keep the secret.'
We mimed zipping our lips to reassure the two dads.
* * *
A room in the Flame Palace, decked out like a classroom.
Vesta paced in front of the blackboard, lecturing.
“What is maturity? 'Tis to be aloof and confident. Act as if you know much, as if all is familiar, making the other wish to lean on you, rely on you.”
Molrangkau scribbled furiously, not missing a word, while Tteoksoon-i dozed off behind her.
“Right now, you and Hura are too friendly.”
“Friends are good, aren't they?”
“Friends are fine. But there's a vast chasm between friend and girlfriend.”
“Ah...”
“In your current state, you'll never cross it! Too comfortable. You must create distance.”
Vesta adjusted her glasses perched on her nose.
“Make him think, 'Huh? Did she have this charm?' Make him see you anew. Appeal to his rational side. Understand?”
Molrangkau blinked, then asked,
“...What does that have to do with me using formal speech with Hura?”
“Tch. Watch closely.”
Vesta snapped her fingers. A sharp flame sword ignited in midair and halted right before Molrangkau's nose.
“How do you feel?”
“...A bit startled.”
“Startled leads to what? Exactly what sensation?”
“Um... heart dropping with a thud?”
Vesta raised a finger triumphantly.
“Precisely.”
“...Pardon?”
“That feeling—isn't it similar to when you think of Hura?”
“Well... kinda, maybe...”
Her heart raced thinking of him; it dropped with each smile of his. Maybe a little alike.
“Strictly speaking, slightly different. But we focus on the similarity.”
“...Not sure I follow.”
“First, shock him. Unsettle him. Deviate from the 'friend' path.”
“By using formal speech?”
“Yes. Throw strangeness at him. Otherwise, you'll be stuck on 'friends' forever.”
“......”
“The fairy uses formal speech with Hura. You go more polite.”
“Wait, you mean...”
“Call him Sir Hura, treat him with utmost courtesy, as you do me.”
“Ehh? Th-that's...”
Vesta crossed her arms, eyeing Molrangkau.
“Why? Can't do it?”
“He's a friend, still...”
“Hura and the fairy are friends too. Yet both use formal speech.”
“......”
Molrangkau's hands fidgeted on the desk.
“...Tch.”
Vesta clicked her tongue and nodded at Geum Taeyang, who'd been silent opposite. He stepped forward with a nod.
“Lady Molrangkau.”
“...Yeah.”
“I once said knowing the enemy ensures victory in every battle.”
“You did.”
“You've analyzed yourself somewhat. Now, the enemy. In your eyes, how was the fairy?”
“...Smiley, gets along easy with people.”
“And?”
“Puppy-like. Kind, bright... cute.”
“Spot on.”
Geum Taeyang nodded approvingly.
“Lady Molrangkau.”
“Yeah?”
“Did you know? Dogs and wolves share many traits. Distant kin, they're called.”
Molrangkau blinked at the sudden tangent.
“Wolves are born fighters who never release their prey.”
Geum Taeyang leaned forward, gripping her desk ends, locking eyes.
“The fairy is a wolf.”
“......!”
He vividly recalled her growling whisper in his ear—like she'd rip it off. Usually bouncy as a puppy, but in key moments, she'd turn wolf and clamp down.
And never let go.
“And you, Lady Molrangkau?”
He prodded provocatively.
“Cat? Or tiger hiding claws?”
“I am...”
Molrangkau clenched her fists tight. She bit her ruby lips hard. Fire blazed in her crimson eyes.
“A tiger.”