The Butler Awakens
My father asked the moment he stepped inside if I could use my skill. He was pretending not to want it but was clearly hoping for one. Right now the number of awakened people in South Korea is around 100,000. About the same as the number of doctors. If you look hard enough you can find them but none of them are around me. That is how rare awakened people are.
“Don’t freak out.”
“Freak out? I’m still a former marine hunter who deals with ghosts.”
“Then that’s a relief. Summon.”
A familiar skeleton soldier squeezed out of the space that had split open.
“Heek.”
My father stepped back without realizing it even though he said he wouldn’t freak out.
Of course no one could look at a skeleton in white bones and not freak out.
“Looks scary but it’s actually super weak. Slow.”
The skeleton soldier showed respect the instant it was summoned.
My father watched and coughed awkwardly as if to say when had he ever been surprised.
“Yeah? Glad to hear it.”
Even though I said the skeleton was weak my father took it as good news. His wish that I never become a hunter was sincere.
“Still it has learning ability and does exactly what it’s told.”
At that moment the cluttered sink caught my eye.
‘This one I can handle.’
“Skeleton soldier clean up the sink and around it.”
The skeleton soldier rose from its spot and headed toward the sink with a creaky motion.
Worried by the sight I followed the skeleton and my father watched from a distance. But when the skeleton reached the sink it stood there bewildered. It clearly didn’t know how.
“You don’t know how?”
I whispered to the skeleton soldier. It stared at me blankly then shrugged both shoulders. That proud motion made my blood pressure rise slightly. Embarrassed I quickly covered for it in front of my father.
“Ah it just hatched today so it doesn’t know what dishwashing is. I’ll have to teach it.”
“Hmm is that so?”
I had tried to show my father something good but my pride took a hit. My father had probably noticed the skeleton soldier’s clumsy movements too.
“Still once it learns it never forgets. After I teach it household chores it can clean and do laundry too. Right?”
The skeleton soldier nodded.
Its nodding looked so ridiculous my face turned red. My father said he had to wake up early tomorrow so he went to wash up and sleep.
“Yeah whatever. It’s dishwashing. Watch and learn.”
Nod.
I turned on the faucet and started washing dishes.
“Turn on the water and rinse the kitchen dishes. Then this is pongpong. Scrub with the scouring sponge to wipe away dirt on the dishes. If there’s no pongpong or scouring sponge open the cabinet below and you’ll find one. If you take out a new one the used ones go in the recycling bin in the utility room. If it’s pongpong put it in the plastic recycling trash. If it’s the scouring sponge put it in regular trash...”
Suddenly one concept came to mind.
If if conditional statements...
I injected the dishwashing algorithm into the skeleton soldier.
“Recycling is plastic cans paper glass vinyl styrofoam. Got it?”
Nod.
“If you have pongpong and scouring sponge keep washing. Clean the dirt with detergent then rinse with water. If detergent is left rinse more. Plates cleaned perfectly go in the tray stacked neatly. Got it?”
Nod.
“Then try it. Dishwash.”
The skeleton soldier started doing exactly as I said.
There was plenty pongpong and detergent so I just let it use them. I taught it how to wash cups and bowls too. Surprisingly it did well and stacked them in the tray. Of course the movements were painfully slow. But it was getting it done.
“Finish the last part nicely. Wipe the foam and drips with this cloth. This is a rinse cloth. Try it.”
Do exactly as I say.
“You did great.”
The one and only ridiculous-looking skeleton suddenly threw up both arms in joy.
Is it happy?
A grin slipped out of me.
“From now on when the dishwashing area stacks up that’s your job. Got it?”
Nod.
“And you have to clean and do laundry too. I’ll teach you cleaning first. Laundry machine is noisy at night so...”
* * *
I taught the skeleton soldier like I was coding. I also made sure it knew what to do in any unexpected situation. For example if you accidentally spill something spray Eficila to kill bugs and even what to do if there’s a fire.
The skeleton soldier was cleaning the house silently at night mode with a rag.
“It looks like it could cook too... maybe that’s why Mom...”
I could tell it understood my mother’s feelings.
The skeleton soldier was taking over the housework. Was this skeleton the one who would take care of Dad and me when Mom was gone?
Mom. My nose started stinging again.
It happens a few times a day.
Time will make it dull.
I lay on the bed and scrolled through my phone gallery.
‘I should have taken a lot of photos with Mom...’
Late regret. Then I found an old video.
- Why are you filming this.
- When I leave for university I want to eat Mom’s kimchi stew.
- It’s... Then watch carefully and learn. First you have to prepare ingredients. First kimchi and pork...
Aww...
The tears came all at once.
When will it become dull?
It looks like it will take a very long time.
Then a thought came to mind.
I called out to the skeleton in a wet voice.
“Skeleton come here.”
I spoke quietly but the skeleton soldier that had been cleaning the living room floor came into my room.
I handed my smartphone to the skeleton soldier.
The kimchi stew recipe Mom had taught me was playing on repeat.
“Can you make kimchi stew watching this?”
The skeleton soldier didn’t answer. It watched the video from beginning to end once.
Then it nodded.
It could do it.
“Then try.”
The skeleton soldier creaked its way back to the kitchen.
Just like in the video it took kimchi out of the fridge. The weight it could lift now was about 3 to 5 kg. Worried it might break its spine like when carrying a box I took it instead.
The skeleton soldier brought a pot and used tongs to take out one piece of kimchi.
Exactly like Mom did in the video. Then it sliced the kimchi with a knife took out frozen pork from the freezer thawed it in the microwave sliced more chopped green onions...
The skeleton soldier handled the ingredients that Mom had left for me with skill. It started making kimchi stew exactly as Mom taught me. Turned on the hood fried the pork first.
- Fry it on high heat until the meat is a little charred. That way you get Maillard reaction the flavor stays and the meat gets grilled. Then add the kimchi and fry together.
A delicious aroma already filled the kitchen.
- No need for seasoning. Kimchi already has seasoning in it. And Mom’s secret. There’s rice water right? Use that instead of water...
The skeleton did rice without being told.
Washed the rice then set aside the second rinse water. After washing three times it put it in the rice cooker. The water amount was perfect.
The rice cooker announced “Starting to cook.” The skeleton checked if the seasoned kimchi and pork were fully absorbed then poured in the rice water. It started washing all the other tools except the cutting board with tofu and green onions on it.
“Is it a robot?”
The inside of the skeleton was empty. It wasn’t a robot but it did exactly as told.
I thought I could teach it something.
It had the possibility that Anseongjin Hunter mentioned.
I started agreeing with those words too.
The skeleton did the cleaning I told it to do until the kimchi stew was complete.
Slow but sure. Thorough.
It was so amazing I wanted to hug it.
While cleaning it occasionally checked on the kimchi stew.
Then suddenly the skeleton soldier scooped a little broth with a ladle and waved at me.
- Want a taste?
“......”
My mother’s afterimage overlapped with the skeleton soldier.
I who was sitting on the chair stood up as if possessed and walked over to the skeleton soldier.
The skeleton soldier blew on the ladle as if cooling it and brought it to my mouth.
“Not something I was told to...”
I brought the ladle the skeleton soldier gave me to my mouth and tasted it.
- How is it?
“Perfect...”
Something suddenly surged in my chest and without knowing I hugged the skeleton soldier.
It was hard and bony without any flesh. It patted my back even though it looked ugly.
Why does this comfort me so much?
The skeleton soldier was definitely the legacy Mom left for me.
The skeleton soldier gently wiped the tears on my face with its own hand then looked at it curiously and rinsed my face with the rinse cloth.
“Hey kid wiping your face with a rinse cloth?”
Its empty and ridiculous eyes seemed to say “clean.”
I grinned and together with the skeleton soldier added tofu and green onions to the kimchi stew then started setting the table.
It was already 5:45 AM.
My father had to go to work at 6:30.
“Ah I should add some bean sprouts too.”
He drank last night so a refreshing hangover soup.
The rice was done the stew was done.
I set the table.
The fridge had plenty of side dishes Mom made.
I took out dried bean sprouts and jerky dried radish and dried kim.
The simple table was set. Now for the utensils. Habitually I picked three sets then put one back.
“What’s all this?”
At that moment my father’s voice came from behind.
He must have woken up at the smell of kimchi stew.
“Dad you should do a hangover. And you have to go to work early so eat breakfast. Sit down.”
My father looked alternately at me and the skeleton soldier with a bewildered expression.
Then he sat down and I ladled rice into one bowl for Dad and one for me.
“You did all this?”
“He did it all. I only helped.”
“What?”
The skeleton soldier was joyfully throwing up both arms.
“I made it with Mom’s recipe. Try it.”
My father looked at the table with an empty spot in a pitiful way. The spot Mom used to sit.
Creak.
But then the skeleton soldier sat in that spot.
Without being told to.
“Skeleton what are you doing?”
“Hahaha just leave it.”
My father let out a big laugh.
“Let’s eat. Hahaha...”
My father scooped kimchi stew poured it over rice and took a big bite.
Then because it was too hot he wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
“Did you burn the roof of your mouth?”
“Hah... chup... it’s okay.”
My father ate one whole bowl of rice as if it was the best food in the world.
“Thank you Doosik.”
“No thanks.”
“And what’s this guy’s name?”
The skeleton sitting in Mom’s spot shrugged.
The skeleton soldier is a skeleton...
“If there’s no name I’ll give one.”
The skeleton soldier looked alternately at me and Dad.
“Name? Well later I’ll summon many more besides this one.”
“Still I think this friend is the most special to me.”
True. Thinking about it I felt the same.
- Individualization: Each skeleton soldier is a separate individual. Different abilities and equipment configurations are possible.
Thinking about it wasn’t it already separate individuals. Right now this skeleton soldier was the one Anseongjin Hunter taught straight and jab.
“Let’s name this friend Hansik.”
“Huh?”
“Since it makes kimchi stew so well let’s call it a kimchi specialist. Later I’ll summon Western Chinese Japanese too. You’re Doosik this one’s Hansik.”
“Puhuh what is that? Eh?”
But right then an arbitrary message appeared in front of my eyes.
【The Skeleton Star has recognized the naming of skeleton soldier No. 1.】
【Skeleton soldier No. 1 evolves into a named skeleton soldier.】
【Named skeleton soldier Hansik has been granted the characteristic ‘Butler’.】
【‘Butler’ increases all stats by 100% inside the ‘home’.】
【‘Butler’ handles everything inside the ‘home’ neatly with perfect sense and performs commands.】
“Oh. Double.”
Hansik was joyfully throwing up both arms.