Winter's First Wildness
Beastkin experiencing their first wildness were impossibly fierce, their primal instincts completely uncontrollable. Only violence and raw impulses remained, so they needed a guardian's help. Usually, parents guided children through their first wildness. But since Winter was an orphan, Sofia had taken on that parental role. It was possible only because Winter truly felt like her own daughter.
"Hmm..." Sofia examined Winter, who was consumed by wildness. Her lips formed a pout, and the gentle downward curve of her eyes had lifted ever so slightly. She was sulking. It almost looked like she was pleading for something. There was none of the usual danger that came with a beastkin's wildness.
"Winter, you can have chocolate after dinner."
"Why?"
"Snacks beforehand will ruin your appetite."
Winter clenched her fists, clearly displeased at being denied chocolate. "Fine. But you have to give me chocolate after we eat."
"...Alright."
Winter stomped over to the sofa with heavy steps, nothing like her usual light, careful footsteps. She plopped down with the sulky expression only a child could make. Because she was such a kind-hearted child by nature, this was the gentlest wildness Sofia had ever seen. She didn't break anything or howl like a beast. Sofia herself had once left bite marks on her father's arm, yet Winter simply sat there quietly. It was almost disappointing. Sofia had wanted to be like her own father, who would pat her head and say it was fine even with his arm torn up. She felt a pang of regret that she couldn't give Winter those warm parent-child memories.
"...Winter, are you feeling alright?"
"Yes! I'm perfectly fine!"
Her voice was full of energy. She must still be upset about the chocolate. For a first wildness, this was remarkably tame.
"I'll give you chocolate after dinner, so cheer up a little."
Sofia sat beside Winter and gently stroked her hair. Winter turned her head away sharply, as if to show she was still sulking. It was rude, but Sofia couldn't scold her in this state. She needed to create good memories so Winter wouldn't be afraid to let her wildness out again. Sofia simply smiled with her eyes.
"You must have really wanted that chocolate. I'll buy you plenty from now on, so feel better."
At Sofia's gentle touch, Winter's tail began to wag. Startled, Winter grabbed it with both hands. To think that the only action to come out of this uncontrollable, violent state was sulking. What a lovable child. Just watching her made people smile. Sofia silently rubbed Winter's back.
Click—! Someone opened the front door and stepped inside.
"Mmph mmph mmph!" Levinas walked into the living room with an Animal King card pack in her mouth. She held Saebyeok and Han Yeoreum's hands. She must have carried the cards in her mouth because she loved both her family and the cards. Sofia didn't need an explanation to understand.
"Spit it out."
"Bleh." Levinas spat the cards into Sofia's outstretched hand. Then she immediately ran into Winter's arms.
"King! Let's play!"
Levinas sat sideways on Winter's lap and rocked back and forth. She swung Winter's tail left and right as if to announce it was moving.
"No."
"D-Don't wanna?"
"Yeah. I'm not playing with Levinas."
"......!"
Levinas's face went pale. Han Yeoreum looked shocked too, her mouth hanging open as she stared at Sofia. Her eyes begged for an explanation.
"She's experiencing wildness. I forced it on her."
"Ah... So Winter got fierce?"
"This level doesn't even count as fierce. I once tried to bite my father."
"Sofia...?"
"It's hard for a child's body to control wildness. She basically turned into a real shark."
I see. It had looked dangerous, but since Sofia seemed completely unbothered, Han Yeoreum decided not to worry too much.
"Winter, Levinas is about to cry."
Han Yeoreum poked Winter's cheeks. Seeing Levinas on the verge of tears, Winter flinched. Her pupils trembled.
"Y-You want to play that badly?"
"Ung... King, play with Levinas..."
"...I guess I have no choice."
Winter stood up from the sofa with a huff, carrying Levinas in her arms. Saebyeok immediately clung to her side.
"Is this the fierce Winter? Did you lose your mind?"
"Yeah. I'm super fierce right now, so be careful."
"Okay."
She was the same gentle Winter as always. Watching Winter's tail sway, Saebyeok swayed hers too.
**
I couldn't control my desires. Actions I would never normally take came out on their own.
"Here, chocolate."
After finishing dinner, Sofia handed me the chocolate. Thank you, Sofia. I meant to say that, but my body moved in the opposite direction.
"Sofia, you have to feed me."
I spoke to her in an angry tone. Even though she could have scolded me, Sofia just smiled and fed me the chocolate. Somehow, it tasted even better than usual. Maybe because I was completely surrendered to my desires. Satisfied, I approached Han Yeoreum, who was sitting at the table.
My uncontrollable mouth said whatever it wanted.
"What are you doing?"
"Unni? I'm just doing some paperwork."
I set the chocolate down in front of the smiling Han Yeoreum. Not gently—I dropped it roughly.
"Eat this and do your work."
"Oh my, is Winter looking after Unni? Thank you."
"...I'm not looking after you."
Grumbling, I walked over to the children watching TV. I handed each of them a piece of chocolate while they watched the Animal King animation.
"You guys eat this while you watch."
"Huh?! Isn't this King's choco?!"
"Yeah, it's mine. If you don't eat it, I'll get mad. You know I'm fierce right now, right?"
"Ung...! I know!"
Levinas and Saebyeok munched on their chocolate. Since they were sitting so close together, I squeezed in between them. An inexplicable sulkiness kept bubbling up.
"I can't control my anger right now. Maybe this violence is my true nature?"
"...Just hold on a little longer."
Saebyeok patted my head. For the sake of my precious friend, I decided to endure a bit longer.
"Okay. But if you want to stop me, you have to feed me chocolate."
I held out the chocolate Sofia had given me. Just as Saebyeok reached for it—
Hum— The energy that had been boiling through my body subsided. My mind cleared, and everything I had done began to sink in one by one. I had gotten angry at my family. I had done awful things.
Shocked, my mouth fell open as Saebyeok popped a piece of chocolate inside. Plop—the chocolate fell right back out of my open mouth. I didn't even have time to worry about it before I started apologizing to them.
"S-Sorry!"
"For what?"
"I'm sorry for being mean to Saebyeok and Levinas..."
"Were you mean...?"
Saebyeok tilted her head. Levinas just shrugged.
"King was nice, though?"
"T-That can't be right...?"
Hadn't I acted like a complete jerk? I looked around anxiously at everyone.
"Hehe." Han Yeoreum chuckled, and Sofia laughed silently too.
"I-I'm sorry... I was so awful..."
The guilt toward my family outweighed the embarrassment of acting like a child. I felt terrible for being mean to my precious people.
"Winter, every beastkin goes through this. Don't dwell on it."
"Did you act like this too, Sofia...?"
"I was worse. I bit my family's flesh, but no one got angry. It's something everyone has to go through."
"U-Um..."
Sofia's reassurance put me at ease. I let out a sigh and leaned back against the sofa.
"There won't be a next time, right?"
"The second time is easier to control, but..."
"But?"
"If it wasn't at least that intense, could you even call it wildness?"
"Ah..."
Was that so? Then was that mild grumpiness the wildness I would have to live with for the rest of my life? My body stiffened in shock. My wildness was actually quite dangerous.
**
"Ugh."
Winter stared at the full-length mirror in the corner of the living room. She looked the same as always. How had she managed to act so wild in such a small body? In the reflection, her ears and tail drooped.
'...Abilities can be trained.'
She would work hard to grow. Get taller quickly, too.
...Come to think of it, why wasn't she growing? Since her body had changed, she hadn't grown even a single centimeter. Was there something wrong with her body? Winter absentmindedly tapped the top of her head.
"King, what are you doing?!"
Levinas approached with a carrot in hand. Chomp—she finished chewing before taking another bite.
"I was wondering how to get taller. Do you know how, Levinas?"
"Levinas doesn't know either! Wait here!"
Thud thud thud— Levinas ran toward the kitchen, holding her half-eaten carrot with both hands as she looked up at Han Yeoreum, who was cooking.
"Summer! Do you know how to get taller?"
"How to get taller?"
"Yeah!"
"Hmm... Maybe go to bed early and exercise hard?"
How to get taller! Levinas's eyes sparkled as she asked, "What kind of exercise?!"
"Like this, stretch stretch?"
"Stretch stretch! Thanks!"
Thud thud thud— Levinas ran back to Winter. Winter was still staring at the mirror.
"King! Stretch stretch makes you taller!"
"Suck suck...?"
Between her drooping ears and Levinas's lisping pronunciation, Winter couldn't quite understand. How could sucking make someone taller? She just tilted her head in confusion.
"Yeah! Stretch stretch!"
"How does that make you taller?"
"Levinas doesn't know either! Summer said so!"
"Hmm..."
Was Levinas just teasing her because she was cute? Or did this world really work that way? Looking to Sofia for help in this incomprehensible situation, Winter asked.
"It does have an effect."
"R-Really? I've never heard of it."
"It's because you still lack common sense."
Common sense. Could just kissing someone's cheek really make them grow taller? For what reason? Even after living for years, there were so many things she didn't understand. Embarrassed, she decided to try it anyway—for the sake of growing.