Let's Live Like Civilized People
"Pff."
Jeong Yu-na let out a sigh, and Choi Jin-hyeok just stared at the floor. The two of them lingered there like they were criminals. Had something bad happened?
Han Yeoreum approached the pair, who were slumped over listlessly.
"What are you guys doing?"
"Ah, Yeoreum..."
Jeong Yu-na, always brimming with confidence, had lost all her spark. It was probably something to do with Winter.
"Because of Winter?"
"Yeah. We messed up..."
"M-messed up?"
"Yeah. Well, see..."
Jeong Yu-na explained everything that had happened just minutes ago in a listless voice—from passing out chocolates with Winter to the girl fleeing in fright.
After hearing the full story, Han Yeoreum clicked her tongue. Tsk tsk.
"Jin-hyeok must've scared her with that angry tone."
"Looks like it."
Phew. Jeong Yu-na sighed again. As if in response, Choi Jin-hyeok hung his head even lower. Their end-of-the-world attitudes rubbed her the wrong way.
Han Yeoreum clapped her hands to snap them out of it.
"Save the self-blame for later. First things first—you gotta apologize to Winter."
Clap clap! The loud noise seemed to jolt them back to reality; a spark returned to their eyes.
"We do need to apologize, but..."
Would the kid even accept it? Or just force it to escape the situation? Choi Jin-hyeok muttered to himself inwardly.
Just then, Han Yeoreum spotted Winter in the distance, sprinting over with a basket of chocolates balanced on her head.
Dodo dodo—It sounded just like a cat scampering across the floor. Her footsteps were remarkably light, befitting a feline beastkin.
Why was Winter—who'd run off scared—rushing back here? The moment the question crossed Han Yeoreum's mind, Winter lifted the basket toward Choi Jin-hyeok with a stiff expression.
"H-here, have some ch-chocolate..."
"Ah, yeah."
Choi Jin-hyeok reached into the basket Winter held out. Even as he did, he kept stealing glances at her face, clueless why the girl who'd fled had returned. He silently pulled out one chocolate, and Winter gulped hard before darting off into the distance.
Choi Jin-hyeok, Jeong Yu-na, and Han Yeoreum could only watch her retreating back.
Maybe that was Winter's own way of making an effort.
* * *
"Haa."
She'd handed the chocolate to Choi Jin-hyeok and returned to the container house. On the way, she'd even given one to the convenience store clerk she always relied on for bottle money.
Whether from the sprint or her fear of people, her heart was pounding.
I did it.
Handing chocolate to that scary Choi Jin-hyeok. It was clumsy, but the best show of goodwill she could manage.
Better than doing nothing at all.
Don't rush—take it one slow step at a time. Someday, she might even speak properly in front of people without shrinking back.
"Phew."
Scary as hell beforehand, but relieving afterward. As she patted her satisfyingly thumping heart, Sophia approached.
"Didst thou deliver the chocolate?"
"Yes. But I just handed it over—couldn't bring myself to say a word."
"Tis fine. That sufficeth for now."
Sophia nodded to her, and a wave of relief washed over Han Gyeowol at the simple gesture.
"Sophia, this is the first time in my life I've talked to so many people."
"I-is that so?"
"Yeah. I pretty much lived alone before, so I never had chances to talk to anyone."
"U-uhm..."
Did I say something weird? Sophia tugged down the corners of her mouth, adopting a stern expression.
"Yet for one who lived alone, thou art remarkably clever."
"Me?"
"Aye. I heard thou receivedst no proper education. And yet so bright—'tis surprising."
"Th-that's..."
Han Gyeowol scratched the back of her head at the backhanded praise. She hadn't attended school in this world, but back on her original Earth, she'd had a proper education. It felt like deceiving Sophia, but she couldn't exactly spill about her past life. She'd just get labeled crazy.
"By our standards, Winter, thou art plenty excellent. So chin up—dinna mope about being alone."
"Yess..."
Sophia was comforting her. Feeling embarrassed, Han Gyeowol shot to her feet.
"I'll get to the housework now."
"I shall help. What first?"
At Sophia's question, Han Gyeowol unconsciously tensed. It was time for the second step toward living like a civilized person.
The first step: get along with the neighbors. The second...
"I-I'm gonna do laundry. Decided to live properly from today."
"Good heavens."
Whether shocked that she was doing laundry or not, Sophia's eyes went wide. Leaving the elder behind, Han Gyeowol headed into the tent now used as a storage shed—to fetch the laundry and her first-ever bar of laundry soap.
"Well thought, Winter. One must do laundry to live like a person."
Sophia followed eagerly, forgetting her bad leg. She even took the initiative to grab Han Gyeowol's dirty clothes.
"Was I that dirty...?"
"...Not dirty, per se—like a beast."
"I-is that so..."
Beast-like. As a beastkin now, maybe it was a compliment. Rationalizing it that way, she gathered the laundry, but something felt off. A few pieces were missing.
What?
She'd set aside exactly thirteen items for washing. But only ten were there now.
"Sophia, have you seen my clothes? A few seem to be gone."
"I know not. Mayhap set elsewhere?"
"No way..."
Everything was survival gear; she remembered the position of even a single pebble. She couldn't help suspecting the missing clothes.
Did a thief break in?
But there was a barrier—nobody could enter. Puzzled, she decided to do the laundry first. Grabbing the clothes, she headed to the pond with Sophia.
* * *
Splash!
Han Gyeowol dove into the pond and looked up at Sophia. The elder stared down at her with a stiff expression.
"Sophia, come on in."
She extended a hand to help the ailing woman, but Sophia held out her palm and stepped back.
"I abhor water."
"...A shark hating water?"
"'Tis because I am a shark. My instincts awaken."
Shark instincts. It sounded terrifying.
"Sophia, then you don't shower?"
Eek. Even she showered. Han Gyeowol wrinkled her nose without thinking.
"...Showers are tolerable. The danger lies in the sensation of swimming."
Aha. So contact with water was fine. Han Gyeowol handed the laundry up to Sophia.
"Then help from up there?"
"I can aid, but... art thou sure laundry here is fine?"
"Yes. Purification magic cleans the water right away if it gets dirty."
"Most wondrous."
Sophia, expressing admiration, perched by the pond's edge. The instant her ankle dipped in, her complexion improved visibly in real time.
She really has something with water.
What did water have to do with her? Pondering that, Han Gyeowol began washing.
Swish swish—Just rinsing the soiled clothes in the water started cleaning the fabric, thanks to the pond's purification magic.
Still need to soap them up.
She set the well-rinsed items aside on the bank and carefully applied soap. Right beside her, Sophia helped lather them too.
As they focused silently on the task, onlookers began murmuring around them.
"Aigoo, the little ones are handwashing."
"Ha... I wanna buy 'em a washer..."
Sophia flinched at being called one of the "little ones." Han Gyeowol bristled too, but since the elder was holding back, she kept at the laundry quietly. Besides, she didn't have the guts to snap at people.
"Sophia, they think you're a kid too."
"...Tend to the washing."
"Yup..."
Swish swish—Han Gyeowol washed while watching Sophia's expression.
Dirt and green stains from nature were embedded deep, but the purification magic made quick work of them. They were practically like new.
Delighted, she held the clean clothes up to the sunlight—when Han Yeoreum approached.
"Whoa, Winter doing laundry?"
"Yeah. Gonna live like civilized folk now."
"Sniff, sis is so moved..."
Han Yeoreum's eyes reddened. Why get emotional over mere laundry? Han Gyeowol looked up at her, puzzled.
"Winter, but why not use a washing machine...?"
"W-washing machines are too expensive..."
"Guild building has a laundry room. Just 500 won per load."
500 won per load. Pricey, but compared to the time it'd save, not bad. She was making 40,000 won a day now, after all.
"Can I use it too?"
"Sure. We're neighbors, right?"
Neighbors. The warm word made her tail swish happily. She already felt like a modern person.
I'll use the machine from now on.
That'd free up time for other things. As she went to wring out the water from the clothes—
Han Yeoreum snatched them away.
"Sis'll do it. Sis is strong."
"Yess."
Squeeze—Han Gyeowol looked up at her sister figure wringing them out. There was something she had to ask.
"Hey, but isn't there a barrier around our place?"
"Well... actually, I haven't set it up yet."
"Ah... then someone stole them."
"St-stole...?"
Han Yeoreum froze mid-wring, water dripping from her elbow.
"Yeah. I left them in the tent, and a few are gone."
My favorite ones, too. Of all things to steal. Regretfully shaking out the garments—
There was a ripping sound from Han Yeoreum's hands. Han Gyeowol's second-favorite outfit had torn under her grip strength.