Cheek Kisses for Growth
So I resolved to wish for growth, ready to do whatever it took. Yet putting that resolve into action proved far harder than I'd imagined. Was this truly how people in this world pursued growth? The notion felt so bizarre that I couldn't help asking again.
"Sofia, this really will make me taller, right?"
"It should help. How curious that you've asked twice now, Winter."
She seemed surprised that I, who usually trusted her without question, had voiced doubt. Sofia's eyebrows arched upward.
"I-it's just… it doesn't make sense with my common knowledge."
"…Is that so?"
"Yes… I can't begin to guess what principle would make someone grow taller from this…"
I worried I must look like someone lacking even basic sense. The frustration of trying so hard yet still falling short weighed on me.
"The principle… is probably because it stimulates the body."
"Stimulates it?"
"Yes. Our bodies are made to grow when they receive the right stimulation."
"Hmm…"
Did this world also count emotional stimulation as a form of growth? I thought I could understand the feeling, at least a little.
"Winter, there's no need to be so ashamed of what you don't know."
"…All right. I'll give it a try."
Now the real problem: who was I supposed to perform this embarrassing act on? After hesitating, I approached Saebyeok, who lay sprawled across the sofa, fast asleep. Saebyeok was a child of few expressions. If her reaction stayed small, my embarrassment would be smaller too.
Tap, tap— I lightly patted her back. Saebyeok's eyes snapped open, gleaming like a cat's.
"Saebyeok, help me out."
"Okay. What kind of help?"
"Just stay still."
"Okay."
Saebyeok went rigid on the spot. She didn't need to turn to stone, though. I scratched my cheek, then quickly pressed my lips to hers and pulled away just as fast.
"……!"
Her ears and tail shot straight up, then began whipping back and forth at an incredible speed. I'd never seen a tail move that fast in my life. Embarrassed, I glanced sideways—only to find Sofia staring at me with wide eyes.
"W-Winter, what was that just now?"
"I heard that if you do this, you'll grow taller…"
"No, that's… Try it on me as well."
Sofia offered me one cheek. Her shark tail flicked rapidly behind her.
"Levinas too! Levinas wants one too! And do it!"
Levinas stomped her feet in front of me. Thump, thump, thump, thump—the rhythm was so steady I worried about the downstairs neighbors.
"Levinas, we must keep to the proper order, mustn't we?"
"Ugh! Ugh!"
Sofia was unusually excited, Levinas was voicing her complaints, and between them Saebyeok wore a distinctly smug expression.
Is it really that good? What exactly did a kiss mean to the people of this world that it provoked such reactions? Though I felt even more embarrassed doing it again, I didn't want to see my precious family fighting. Using the agility unique to beastkin, I quickly kissed Sofia and Levinas on the cheek as well.
"……!"
Sofia's eyes rounded as she gently touched her own cheek. Levinas stood frozen in place, trembling all over. What on earth was this that made them so happy? Even though my family had enjoyed it, I felt too embarrassed to do it again.
"Ahem… To think I'd experience such luxury in my lifetime."
"Luxury…?"
"Yes. Still, as your guardian, I shouldn't deceive you, Winter."
"Deceive me…?"
Strange words kept coming from Sofia's mouth. I could only blink in confusion.
"I suspect you misunderstood what 'stretch' meant, Winter."
"Stretch…?"
"I meant stretching exercises."
Sofia laced her fingers together and stretched her arms overhead. Only then did I realize my mistake.
"L-Levinas, was it really just stretching?"
"Yeah! She said doing stretches would make you taller!"
"……!"
Good heavens. I must have misheard because of Levinas's lisping pronunciation. My face burned, and I covered it with both hands. Just then, the sound of footsteps approached from the kitchen—Han Yeoreum.
"What are you all doing?"
Han Yeoreum stepped into the living room and looked us over. Sofia was still caressing her cheek, Levinas trembled with pure joy, and Saebyeok looked like she'd melted into the sofa. Realizing something, Han Yeoreum came straight to me and shook my shoulders.
"Winter, what about me?!"
"I-it's already over…"
"Just one for your sister! Please, I'm begging you!"
"It's finished…"
"Guh…!"
Han Yeoreum dropped to her knees, expressing despair with her entire body. I couldn't understand why everyone reacted so strongly. Still, I decided to close my eyes and do it for Han Yeoreum too—just this once, and she would be the last. Only my tail kept wagging on its own, oblivious to the situation.
After lunch, we all headed outside together to collect empty bottles and scrap metal.
"King! Big trouble!"
Levinas, who had gone to pick up bottles, came running back to us. For some reason her hands and feet were soaking wet.
"What's wrong?"
"Look at this!"
Her hands were full of coins—easily five thousand won altogether.
"Levinas, where did you get those coins?"
"I picked them up! Someone threw them away!"
"People just throw away this much money…?"
"Yeah! There's still more! Let's go collect them together!"
Levinas grabbed our hands and pulled us along. The place she led us to was the fountain in the small park.
"Huh…"
Could it be? I hurriedly peered inside the fountain. Sure enough, it was filled with coins people had tossed in. Levinas had been collecting the fountain's coins. Just as I moved to stop her, both Levinas and Saebyeok kicked off their shoes and stepped into the water.
"King! This must be a place where people throw away money!"
"Let's take it all."
The two children began scooping up coins from inside the fountain. I could feel nearby people turning to stare.
"Look at those kids picking coins out of the fountain."
"They're beastkin kids. They probably don't know any better."
"Yeah, it's just cute, that's all."
Whispers rippled through the park visitors. I tried to ignore the way my body wanted to shrink in on itself and walked toward the children.
"Kids…"
I had to stop them. Kicking off my own shoes, I stepped into the fountain. The moment I grabbed Saebyeok and Levinas by the wrists, a woman's voice called out from behind.
"Children, you shouldn't pick up those coins."
Startled, I turned around. It was the policewoman we'd met before, watching us. My body trembled at the realization that we'd been caught again.
"I-I'm sorry…"
"It's all right. You didn't know."
Even though we'd done something wrong, the officer didn't get angry. She simply smiled gently at the children.
"Officer! Are we not supposed to pick up the money?"
"That's right. People's wishes are inside those coins."
"Wishes…?"
Levinas tilted her head, clearly puzzled about how a coin could contain a wish.
"When you throw a coin into the fountain, you're making a wish."
"But Levinas already picked them up?"
"Then the wishes won't come true."
"Hic…!"
Levinas's eyes went wide as she patted her bulging pockets. In that short time she'd collected quite a lot—the fabric sagged heavily.
"What do we do because of Levinas?!"
"It's okay. We can just put the coins back."
"Got it…! Saebyeok, throw the coins away too…!"
Levinas hurriedly turned her pockets inside out. A shower of coins rained back into the fountain, sending ripples across the surface. Watching her, Saebyeok lifted her shirt. Just when I thought her belly button would show, a cascade of coins poured out from underneath.
"……?"
How had that many coins fit inside someone's clothes? More importantly, when had she collected so many? While I stood stunned by the cartoonish sight, the officer slipped her hand under my arm.
"All right, come out one by one."
She lifted me out of the fountain and set me down on the ground. The other children, finding it fun, lined up for their turn.
"Officer, can you buy wishes with money too?"
Levinas asked while being carried out. The officer gave her an ambiguous smile.
"Hmm? Honestly, no one really knows."
"What?! Then why throw money?!"
"Because there's hope it might come true."
"Hope! Levinas likes hope!"
Levinas giggled behind her hand, then suddenly drooped her shoulders. Her rabbit ears, which rarely did so, flopped all the way down to her eyes.
"But Levinas doesn't have money to buy hope…"
Even a single coin was too precious to throw away carelessly. I'd once trembled over a single hundred-won coin myself, so I understood Levinas's feelings completely.
"If you don't have money, you can't buy hope?"
Saebyeok, still standing in the fountain, asked us. Levinas answered first.
"Yeah… Without money, you can't buy hope…"
"Oh no."
The children's conversation was heartbreaking. I felt dizzy.
"K-kids, I'll give you coins. Let's throw one each."
"Won't it be hard if we throw coins?"
"B-but we need hope…"
I rummaged through my pockets. I had two hundred-won coins and three five-hundred-won coins. Five-hundred-won coins were precious, so I handed the two hundred-won coins to the children.
"What about you, King?"
"I only have two hundred won left."
"Then throw one for Levinas instead…?!"
"It's okay. I already have Levinas and Saebyeok."
No matter what, I couldn't throw away five hundred won. As I stepped back insisting it was fine, someone grabbed my wrist.
"H-here, throw this…!"
A boy I'd never seen before pressed a coin into my hand. Why was he giving me this? Before I could ask, he ran off into the distance. I could only stare after his retreating back, unable to understand what had just happened. For some reason, the people around us were watching me with strange expressions.