Eat It While You Have It!
Yeomyeong Park was as wide as it was prone to all sorts of incidents. People drinking in the no-alcohol zones or getting overly frisky with their partners. Even the kind of lowlifes who made visitors frown would show up now and then.
But today, a section of the park was unusually quiet. Not even small chatter from couples or families could be heard. With so many people around, what could be the reason? Choi Jin-hyeok, out on patrol under the guise of taking a break, realized that everyone's eyes and ears were fixed on one spot.
That's...
Winter, who'd been the talk of the town lately, was sitting on a bench. Right beside her was the new horn rabbit girl who'd just arrived. No approaching. No photos. No chatting out of curiosity. The park visitors had made up their own rules to protect the kids. One of them wasn't even a kid, though—an elder.
But why was everyone staring so intently today? Choi Jin-hyeok headed toward Winter's back, puzzled, and quickly found out why.
It was because the horn rabbit girl next to Winter spoke up in that innocently bright voice kids have.
"You have to eat food when you have it, right?!"
Her voice was loud enough for everyone around to hear, no holding back. Thanks to that, even Winter's quieter reply carried clearly.
"Yeah. Last time, the red bean bread was so good I rationed it for a whole month? But it got all moldy, so I had to throw it all out."
"Gasp...! Can't you just eat the parts without mold?!"
"No, once it's moldy, you can't. I was so hungry last time I picked off the moldy bits and ate it anyway? Thought I was gonna die that day."
A raggedly dressed kid saying stuff like that. A middle-aged man who'd been sipping water choked and started coughing, cough cough.
"What a waste! It was precious chocolate, and I was trying to make it last..."
"Precious?"
"Yeah! Chocolate's a snack only fancy high-class people get!"
"I-is that so...?"
What kind of chocolate was so exclusive only elites ate it? Choi Jin-hyeok snuck a peek at the chocolate in the girl's hand without being noticed. It was the cheap stuff from the nearby convenience store—about 5,000 won a bag.
"But Levi Nas ate chocolate once a few years ago! This is only the second time ever—pretty amazing, huh?!"
Ahem. Levi Nas put her hand on her hip and puffed out her chest proudly. The onlookers felt sorry for the kid boasting like that.
"Same here. This is my second time too."
"Wha...?! Eating chocolate is the coolest thing Levi Nas has ever done in her life! The king must've already done everything..."
"Uh, yeah."
The two kids' conversation was just too pitiful. Sniff. Somewhere, a sensitive woman dabbed at her tears.
"Has the king ever had yogurt?!"
"Yo-yogurt?"
"Yeah! Levi Nas gets yogurt as a snack once a month!"
Levi Nas closed her eyes, savoring the memory with an ecstatic look. Winter watched her face, then slowly shook her head. At least in this life, she had no memory of trying it.
"I haven't had yogurt yet."
"I see!"
Maybe because she'd won on one point? Levi Nas looked triumphant.
"It's okay! Yogurt's super hard to get!"
"Th-that much...?"
"Yeah! It's like a reward they only give to people who've worked themselves half to death for a month! The king hasn't worked that hard yet, right?!"
She's the king, after all. With underlings around, no need to work to the bone. Confident Levi Nas leaned toward Winter. The two kids on the bench were even closer now.
"Uh, yeah. I've passed out from exhaustion on the job before, but not quite to the death level..."
"Uwaha! The king grew up all pampered!"
"I-is that so...?"
Collapsing from fatigue was pretty common in modern society, though. Winter nodded, somewhat convinced.
"Yeah! But Levi Nas worked hard, so the grown-ups never hit her!"
"Kinda jealous. I got hit sometimes."
"Y-you got hit...?"
"Yeah. Got kicked in the stomach once—couldn't breathe, really thought I was gonna die."
What kind of conversation were these two kids having? Choi Jin-hyeok and the nearby citizens fell into shocked silence.
Kicked in the stomach...?
Violence was forbidden where the guild's eyes reached. Must've been somewhere out of sight. Choi Jin-hyeok clung to that excuse for comfort, then clenched his fist tight. No excuse would fly in this situation—he knew that now.
"Ha..."
He'd just wanted a casual greeting since he was there. But he'd stumbled right into the kid's wounds. Wounds that started from his own negligence. What the hell was he supposed to do now?
As Choi Jin-hyeok hovered awkwardly nearby, a middle-aged couple approached him. The man who'd coughed up his water moments ago and his wife.
"You're from Yeomyeong Guild, right?"
"Y-yes... I am, but..."
"Come here a sec."
"N-no, this is, uh..."
Choi Jin-hyeok knew why they were calling him. They were worried about the kids. Living in Yeomyeong Park, they had every reason to suspect the guild.
"Those beastkin kids on the bench—they're the ones living in that shabby container, right?"
"Y-yeah, but that's..."
Not something we wanted.
Even as Choi Jin-hyeok floundered with the couple, the kids' chat kept going.
"Wow, the king had it rough too..."
"Yeah. But I'm good now—I even have a proper house like that."
Winter pointed at the container. The secondhand paint-peeling thing was rusted, orange patches everywhere.
"Amazing... Levi Nas is still sleeping on the streets..."
"I was too at first. If Levi Nas works hard like me, you can get a nice house too."
"R-really?"
"Yeah. I'll teach you all sorts of stuff."
How to live like a king! Levi Nas bounced up like a horn rabbit in delight. Just then, Sophia approached, leaning on her cane.
"Winter, care to talk for a moment?"
"Sure. What's up?"
"About bedding."
Bedding? Winter glanced around, rolling her eyes.
"Bugs aren't flying around yet this season."
"I mean a bed. A bed."
"Oh."
That kind of bedding. Winter scratched the back of her head sheepishly.
"Guess I need to scrounge another mattress..."
"Mattresses are hard to find. I'll just sleep in the box."
"...You sure?"
"Yeah. Sophia, your body's not great on land. And Levi Nas is still little."
Huh? Isn't Winter the littlest? Sophia tilted her head but didn't voice it. She knew how mature kids could get from hard lives.
"Hmm... No. I'll buy you a mattress."
"...Huh? You sure?"
"Yes. No place to spend money anyway."
"Wow...!"
Winter preferred a mattress over a box too, apparently. She clapped her hands with joy. Clap!
"I'll get ready to go. Wait here."
"Okaay..."
Winter perked up her ears as Sophia headed to the container. Turning at the familiar footsteps, she saw Choi Jin-hyeok trudging after the middle-aged couple.
Parents?
Only parents could make a top hunter like him submit like that. Winter gazed enviously at his retreating back.
*
Sophia would be back soon from her outing, so Winter figured she'd teach Levi Nas something basic first. At least get her to my level. The new life goal lifted her spirits. Her tail swished freely.
Feels good.
Teaching a kid was important. Contributing to society, probably. Feeling like when she first got the container, Winter stood from the bench.
"First off..."
What to teach? Horn rabbit hunting flashed in her mind, but she nixed it—Levi Nas was a horn rabbit beastkin. Too much for a little kid. Basics it was.
"Levi Nas, ever earned money yourself?"
"No way! Only grown-ups can make money!"
"Huh? Didn't you say you worked?"
"Yeah! Got yogurt instead of money!"
Wait. Didn't she say once a month? They paid her in yogurt? The doubt hit just as a woman's sob echoed from somewhere. Something bad happened, huh. Park had all kinds. No need to worry.
"Then I'll teach you how to make money."
"M-money?! Even though we're not grown-ups?!"
"Yeah. Money's everywhere here."
"N-no way!"
Levi Nas's horn rabbit eyes went wide, scanning around. But she missed the empty bottles on the ground.
"Hmm..."
Still a newbie at this homeless thing. Winter decided to teach her the greatness of empty bottles ASAP.