Bubbles and Bitter Memories
Who would have thought I'd end up riding soap bubbles like some wandering spirit? In a world with magic, the strangest things could happen. It felt like I'd stepped straight into a fairy tale. For a moment, I wondered if Levinas's power had something to do with fairy tales. She could make plants grow in peculiar ways, craft boats out of carrots, and even trap people inside bubbles. Maybe her ability was tied to a child's innocence. I used to wonder why those radical beastkin wanted to kidnap her, but now it made sense. They must have coveted a power straight out of a storybook. Perhaps Levinas had the makings of a great mage. As her guardian, I felt a little swell of pride. That's my kid, all right.
"Levinas, let me down now."
When I tapped the bubble's surface, it let out an exaggerated hugging sound. It wasn't the noise a real bubble would make. This was one Levinas's imagination had conjured.
"Okay! But how do I get you down?!"
Levinas and Saebyeok chased after me as the bubble carried me higher. It moved fast enough that they had to break into a jog to keep up.
"You don't know how to steer this thing?"
"Nope!"
She still couldn't control her power? Then how was I supposed to get down from here? I glanced below. The bubble that had once hovered at the second floor was now eyeing the third. "This is getting too high..."
What would happen if it popped? The fall would probably hurt. A chill ran down my spine at the thought. Meanwhile, the bubble only picked up speed.
Thud-thud-thud! Before I knew it, the kids were sprinting after me at full tilt. What had started as a fun game suddenly turned urgent.
"Your Majesty! Slow down!"
"It's not me moving it... I can't control the speed either...?"
"Yeah...! I don't know...!"
"Oh no..."
My legs trembled. Saebyeok, who had raced right beneath me, looked up and flinched. Only then did I realize my underwear was visible from below. I dropped to the ground in a hurry, stretching both legs straight out in front of me. The oversized shirt I wore like a dress was long enough that, in this position, nothing showed no matter the angle.
"Your Majesty! Don't leave Levinas behind! Your Majesty!"
The distance between us grew. Levinas reached out desperately, her voice cracking with despair. She was breathing hard from running, which only made the scene feel more tragic.
"Kids, I think we need to call an adult."
"An... adult...!"
Levinas and Saebyeok glanced around just as the bubble changed direction, heading straight toward the guild building. Was it actually going to find someone who could help? I sat there waiting, ears and tail drooping, for the bubble to reach the third floor of the building.
Through the window, I locked eyes with Jeong Yu-na, who was sitting at her office desk. She jumped up in shock and rushed toward the glass, but the bubble kept rising. Fifth floor. I met Encia and Argo's gazes; both beastkin looked at me with something like awe. On the ninth floor, I spotted Choi Jin-hyuk. He was rubbing his eyes when the bubble carried me even higher, toward the upper levels where our home was.
Unable to look down, I stared straight ahead. In the living room, Han Yeoreum was working on paperwork. Since she wasn't looking out the window, I knocked on the glass with my fist. Tap-tap. The soft sound made her turn around. The bubble spun to face her directly.
"......?"
Han Yeoreum blinked, narrowing her eyes like someone with poor vision and leaning forward to study me. She looked as if she were trying to decide whether what she saw was real.
"Have I been that tired lately...?"
Even through the window, I could hear her voice. I waved both hands weakly at her. It was all I could do. Whether she took it as a hello or a goodbye, I wasn't sure. Then—
Pop!
The bubble burst. Han Yeoreum vanished from view, and an unwelcome gravity took hold.
"Whoa...!"
Hair and clothes whipped around me as the ground rushed up. It should have been terrifying, yet I didn't feel the threat of death—just the sense that I was having a very scary experience. Maybe because Jeong Yu-na and Levinas were waiting below.
"Huuu."
Levinas blew another bubble, larger than before. At Jeong Yu-na's gesture, it drifted forward.
Pop!
I collided with the approaching bubble. My speed slowed, and weightlessness returned. My heart pounded. I must have looked like a child on the verge of tears, gasping for breath, when Jeong Yu-na caught me in her arms.
"Oh dear, Winter must have been quite startled."
"Y-yes..."
My ears and tail trembled, and my heart raced. I probably looked like a drowned cat—utterly pathetic.
"Wah, Your Majesty, I'm sorry... Levinas..."
"I-It's okay..."
I reached out with a shaky hand and patted Levinas on the head. She hadn't meant for any of this to happen, and it was her bubble that had brought Jeong Yu-na to help. There was no need to be angry.
"Levinas will need to learn mana control."
Jeong Yu-na chuckled and rubbed my back. That was when Han Yeoreum came running toward us, the others I'd passed on the way up right behind her. Only seconds had passed since my fall, yet they'd already made it downstairs. The Yeomyeong Guild really was something else.
"Winter! Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"I'm fine. Really."
After checking me over, Han Yeoreum let out a sigh of relief—then immediately frowned and glared at Jeong Yu-na.
"I didn't do it, you know...?"
"Then who did?"
Jeong Yu-na rolled her eyes toward the bubble still floating around Levinas's neck. When everyone's gaze turned to her, Levinas's shoulders slumped.
"Well... these things happen."
Han Yeoreum relaxed and nodded. Jeong Yu-na looked deeply wronged.
"Why do you only treat me differently?"
"...You want the same treatment?"
"Uh... um..."
Han Yeoreum grabbed Jeong Yu-na's cheeks and pulled. They stretched comically.
"There, there, is that better?"
"Hey...!"
Chomp. Jeong Yu-na bit Han Yeoreum's finger. Han Yeoreum shrieked. Levinas watched the chaotic but warm scene with wide eyes before breaking into giggles. I was glad to see her spirits returning.
**
That evening, I stepped outside the park to check on the garden. First on the list was Levinas's carrot patch. Even if the other vegetables wilted, those carrots needed proper care. They were bigger and fresher than before. Had her ability grown stronger? Pleased, I picked one and moved on to the next plot.
Crack! Hiss!
The sound of a soda can opening came from nearby. Yu Sang-ah, an office worker at the Yeomyeong Guild, sat on a bench sipping canned beer.
"You're drinking?"
I sat down beside her. Yu Sang-ah, still holding the beer in her mouth, lifted me onto her lap without a word. It felt so natural that I didn't even resist.
"Just taking a short break."
"Ah."
I needed to check on the crops I'd grown, but now I was stuck here. With nothing else to do, I leaned forward and sniffed the can. The sharp scent of alcohol hit me.
"Want to try some?"
Yu Sang-ah brought the can closer to my mouth. I recoiled in alarm, tilting my head back.
"N-no thanks. I don't like alcohol."
"Heh, good. I was going to tell you not to drink anyway."
Because I was small, my alcohol tolerance would be low. Of course, beastkin bodies might be different, but I still had no desire to drink. Personally, I'd never cared for it.
"I don't really like alcohol either."
"Really...? Have you tried it before?"
"Yes. I didn't drink it myself—someone forced it on me."
"Forced...?"
Yu Sang-ah's body trembled. When I turned, her mouth hung open in shock, her pretty brow furrowed.
"Winter, who forced you to drink?"
"Yes. I haven't touched alcohol since. It tastes awful and just makes my head spin."
It had happened back in school. A mischievous friend had snuck in some liquor, insisting that any real man should try it at least once. When I refused, they forced it down my throat anyway. I thought I was going to die. Even the memory made me dizzy.
"Um... Winter?"
"Yes?"
"Do you remember everything from that day...?"
"Yes. I only had one glass, so I remember it all."
At my answer, Yu Sang-ah swallowed hard. She crushed the beer can in her grip until it crumpled, then pulled me into a tight hug.
"Did the person who forced you to drink... do anything strange or scary?"
"Scary...?"
"Yes, like... you know..."
She trailed off, exhaling shakily. I couldn't tell what she was trying to say.
"No, they just watched and laughed."
"Just laughed?"
"Yes. I guess I looked funny stumbling around."
"Ah... so it was just a prank? That's a relief... No, wait, that's not right either."
Crunch. Yu Sang-ah gripped the can tighter. A bit of liquid splashed onto my cheek. Something felt off, but I didn't wipe it away—I only watched her expression.