The Badge from the Past
Levinas, did something happen? A massive metal tray of unknown origin had been left at the recycling station. It was so large that anyone trying to carry it would have to balance it on their head. It looked like it could be useful for all sorts of things. I hooked the metal tray over my ear and headed toward Han Yeoreum. Tap, tap, tap—Han Yeoreum stood near the recycling station, staring at her smartphone. Had she not found what she needed? I walked closer and looked up at her.
"Did you find anything?"
"No, there was nothing Unnie needed."
"Ah… I guess there isn't always something we need."
I glanced at the smartphone in Han Yeoreum's hand. It was held high above my head, so I could only see the back. Stickers of a rabbit, a cat, and a shark were scattered across it.
"The photo I posted with Saebyeok last time got a really good reaction, you know?"
"Really?"
"Yeah. Everyone said it was the prettiest thing in the world."
Of course they did. Even at a glance, Han Yeoreum was the kind of beauty who drew compliments wherever she went. From the top of her head to the shadow at her feet, there was nothing about her that didn't fit the definition of pretty. It would have been stranger if no one had called her beautiful.
"She really is pretty in person."
"Hmm… Are you talking about Unnie?"
"Yes."
"That… yeah. Hehe…"
Han Yeoreum blushed and scratched her cheek. It seemed like she had been about to say something else. With a question mark floating above my head, I kept staring at her when someone approached us. It was a middle-aged woman carrying old clothes and a pot that looked almost brand new. A pot brought to the recycling station. Was it what I thought it was? My tail wagged with anticipation as I looked up at her.
"Excuse me, are you throwing that pot away…?"
At my question, the woman glanced behind me at Han Yeoreum.
"I'm not throwing it away. This is actually from Yeoreum—"
"Ahem!"
Han Yeoreum's sudden cough cut the woman off. I heard the sound of frantic arm-waving and turned around. There stood Han Yeoreum, standing perfectly straight.
"……?"
What was that? She had clearly been waving her arms wildly just now. While I puzzled over it, the middle-aged woman handed me the pot.
"I was going to throw this away. Do you need it?"
"Ah, yes…!"
"It was almost new, so I felt bad just tossing it. I'm glad someone can use it."
She was right. It was a secondhand pot with no visible signs of use.
"Thank you. I actually needed a pot right now."
"I'm the one who should be thanking you. Thanks to the Yeomyeong Guild, even the housing prices around here went up."
"Housing prices?"
Had the prices risen so much that people were casually throwing away barely used pots? Once again, I was struck by how impressive the Yeomyeong Guild was.
"Hoho, something like that."
The middle-aged woman laughed behind her hand and walked away. She looked so cheerful that it really did seem like the housing prices had gone up a lot.
"Saebyeok, it's almost a brand-new pot, isn't it?"
"Yes. We got lucky."
Pots like this weren't easy to come by. Ever since the Yeomyeong Guild had helped us, our luck had been consistently good. Maybe Han Yeoreum really was my good luck charm. I looked up at her with gratitude. Just seeing her made my tail wag even harder.
"Shall we head back for today?"
"Yes."
A tray and a pot. Today's haul had been excellent. I could only hope that days like this would continue.
The makeshift recycling station set up at the bus stop outside the park was a place Levinas often visited to collect empty bottles. What had once held only cans and plastic now included a section for glass bottles. Only the children knew that the bottle section had been added for their sake.
"Thump, thump, give me a new bottle, give me an empty one~"
Levinas hummed the song Saebyeok had taught her while rummaging through the glass section. Today's haul was three bottles. But something about one of them felt off. There was trash inside. Since it was a dark beer bottle, it was hard to see the contents. Bottles with foreign objects inside wouldn't be accepted, so Levinas immediately pulled out a stick. It was a special tool Saebyeok had made to help remove things from inside bottles.
"Come on out."
She flipped the beer bottle and poked at the contents. With plenty of experience, she quickly cleared out whatever was inside. Plop—the round badge fell to the ground. It was about the size of the bottle's mouth, and Levinas's face went pale.
"Uh…"
It was the badge that symbolized the "laborer" class in the beastkin group she had once belonged to. There was no reason for something like that to appear inside an empty bottle. Levinas immediately understood what it meant. Someone from the village must have left it there.
Come back. We're watching. Traitors won't be forgiven.
Something like that, probably. Levinas felt her heart drop.
"Levinas already switched sides, though…"
Should she tell the King the truth? Levinas hesitated. The King was incredibly cool and strong, but she was still just a child—two years younger than Levinas herself. The beastkin from the village were ruthless toward children. Levinas knew exactly how they would treat the King. She didn't want to put her through something so terrible. The King—no, Saebyeok—was precious family. For the sake of her family's safety, she had to keep this a secret.
"Levinas will be the only one who's upset…"
After losing her parents, she had found a new family who gave her the love she thought she would never feel again. Levinas didn't want to cause them any pain. She decided to hide everything about the bad beastkin.
After placing the newly acquired pot and tray inside the tent, I returned home. Thinking of everyone who would greet me warmly, I stepped into the living room—only to find the atmosphere strangely off. The air felt cold, and the room seemed dark. It wasn't actually like that, but that was the impression I got. I unconsciously sharpened my senses. The air was as warm as ever, and the room was bright under the lights. Was it just my imagination? I looked around aimlessly and spotted Levinas sitting weakly in the corner. Saebyeok and Sofia were watching her with worried eyes.
"Saebyeok, when you get home you should wash your hands and feet first—"
Han Yeoreum, who had come in late, took one look at the heavy atmosphere and closed her mouth. Not understanding the situation, we moved toward Saebyeok and Sofia, who were standing a little ways off.
"Sofia, Levinas looks like she has no energy."
"You're telling me."
"Do you know why?"
Sofia just shrugged at my question. She didn't know either. Instead, Saebyeok spoke up.
"I asked, but she wouldn't tell me."
"Nothing at all?"
"Nope."
What on earth had happened to make her like this? I decided to ask Levinas directly.
"Levinas."
I approached her carefully. Her ears perked up when she saw me, then drooped again weakly.
"Oh… King…"
"Did something happen?"
"Well…"
Levinas hesitated, then shook her head. It didn't feel like nothing had happened—it felt like something had, but she wasn't going to tell me.
"We're family. If something's bothering you, let's share it."
At the word "family," Levinas flinched and lowered her head. She fidgeted with her fingers for a long time before standing up from the sofa.
"…King, Levinas is going to sleep."
"Are you tired?"
"Yeah…"
Thud, thud— I watched her back as she walked listlessly into her room. I couldn't leave her alone when she was so down, so I quickly followed.
—I'll try talking to her first.
After exchanging glances with everyone, I closed the door. I figured she might be more honest if there were fewer people around.
"Levinas."
Levinas was lying face-down on the bed, her face buried in the pillow. I lay down beside her and looked at her.
"You don't want to talk about it yet?"
Levinas stayed completely still. Should I give her some time alone? I patted her head once and stood up.
"You know that no matter what happens, I'm on your side, right?"
"…Yeah. I know."
Levinas lifted her head. The pillow her eyes had touched was slightly damp.
"When you've sorted out your thoughts, will you tell me then? I'll help you no matter what."
"I… I don't think I can tell you even later…"
"Even later?"
There was trust between us. It must be something really hard for her to say. My tail drooped at the thought that I couldn't help her.
"King…"
"Yeah?"
"Levinas really likes the King."
"I feel the same way."
"Levinas doesn't want to be apart from the King…"
With those words, Levinas buried her face in the pillow again. From the sound of her steady breathing, she really did seem to have fallen asleep. Skipping dinner and going straight to bed—she must have been exhausted from whatever was bothering her. I gently turned her over so she wouldn't have trouble breathing.
"Levinas, don't worry too much."
Unlike me, Levinas was loved by everyone. No matter how hard things got, there would be plenty of people willing to help her. She had the Yeomyeong Guild on her side. What I needed to do was reassure her. And to do that, I had to find out what had happened. For now, I decided to talk to Sofia.