The Puppet That Danced for Coins
Late at night in the square, a soft, warm glow began to spread through our house.
Tak. Tak.
It was the pleasant crackle of a candle (stolen, of course) burning away. Beneath that flickering light sat a neat little wooden desk (also stolen).
That’s right. I was on the verge of falling into a deep study trance…!
Well, actually, I hadn’t even turned the first page yet.
Why? Because any proper Korean knows that before you start studying, you must first align the desk perfectly, calm your mind and body, and perform the sacred ritual of setting the perfect mental state. It’s non-negotiable.
In the past, I’d lost entire nights to the Shorts algorithm while doing this very ritual, but this time it was different. This time I was serious.
I knelt in front of the stolen desk in a reverent posture, then picked out the thinnest, easiest-looking picture book from the pile and placed it on the desk. Swallowing hard, I carefully opened the long-awaited first page.
As expected.
This was clearly the otherworld version of a learning sheet meant for toddlers just starting to read.
Next to large, cutesy illustrations were big, curly letters scrawled across the page.
The characters looked somewhat similar to the Roman alphabet, yet subtly different—like some unidentified alien script.
Wait a second. What kind of teaching method just throws pictures and random words at you? Shouldn’t they start with the basics like 가나다라 or A, B, C, D and spoon-feed it properly?
I almost slammed the book shut from dizziness, but luckily, when I examined the corner of the page, everything was neatly organized.
[A][B][C]…….
Whew. That took ten years off my life. Alright then—off to the magical world we go!
Exactly one hour after I’d shouted that in my mind…
…Studying really is disgustingly boring.
I slammed my forehead onto the desk and let out a deep sigh.
The next morning, I crawled out of the house while rubbing my stiff neck.
Last night, those intruders had been doing something around the barrier. I needed to figure out what exactly had happened and gauge how the slum’s atmosphere was shifting.
My feet naturally carried me back to the slum market, which, as always, reeked of rot and filth.
In a corner of an empty lot, a bunch of brats were huddled together, faces flushed with excitement as they whispered about secret topics.
“Hey kids, I’m here.”
“Yo! Did you see that yesterday? It was total chaos!”
“Yesterday? Oh… you mean those people who showed up by the barrier?”
“Yeah! Those scary uncles in shiny iron armor and the weird ladies with staffs! They looked super busy. They were wandering around even though it was late at night!”
“Right, right. They even came right up to our house, searching for something. And man, they looked terrifying…”
“Hey, Vita! Where the hell were you hiding all day yesterday? I looked everywhere for you!”
“Ah, you were looking for me? Sorry, Shutein. I had some things to take care of.”
My honest apology instantly turned Shutein’s fierce glare into a bright tomato-red blush.
“H-hmm! W-well, as long as you know you’re sorry! Ahem! Alright then, kids! Let’s all do our best today too!”
““Yeah!!””
Watching the little ones scatter energetically to their assigned spots after answering in unison, I let out a small, internal chuckle.
These kids really have endless energy. Then again, I suppose that level of liveliness is normal at their age.
No. This isn’t the time to worry about others.
Every time I felt that heavy weight against my chest, an uncontrollable surge of excitement made my heart pound.
I turned in the opposite direction from the children and headed toward the busiest part of the market. Finding a spot on a moderately crowded street corner where I wouldn’t get trampled, I carefully pulled out the item I’d been hiding and set it on the ground.
It was a palm-sized wooden doll, crudely carved but surprisingly detailed in its human shape.
I stared quietly at the small, shabby doll and swallowed.
Yes. The method I had chosen was a puppet show—using magic to control this crude wooden doll.
This was the very definition of a perfect creative economy!
By focusing on delicately manipulating the doll, I would naturally improve my mana control. And in exchange for this rare spectacle, I could collect plenty of coins and food as donations.
It was the ultimate two-birds-one-stone solution—training and making a living at the same time. Even I had to admit it was a brilliant idea.
Hah, I really am a genius. My talent is simply too much to contain.
Now then. What to do?
Part of me wanted to spread my arms wide and shout:
“Come one, come all! This isn’t something you see every day! A miraculous magic puppet show for just one copper! Step right up!”
But the moment I tried to open my mouth, a wave of embarrassment hit me and I clamped it shut.
Still, it was fine. There was no need to strain my voice yelling.
Wasn’t this the very magic that psycho mage had called special, eyes gleaming with that disgusting interest?
If I used that magic to make a wooden block dance and move on its own?
There was no doubt people’s astonished gazes would lock onto me without me having to raise my voice.
Ahh, just how much bread and how many coins would rain down on me?
It was practically a blue-ocean monopoly business. I might even score luxurious loot like sandwiches or strips of jerky.
Just imagining it made my empty stomach churn and my mouth water.
After a quick glance around, I began channeling mana toward the wooden doll sprawled on the ground.
Cool, thick strands of shadow crept out from my own shadow, slithering like threads into the creaking joints of the wooden doll.
Alright. Time to make some money. Let’s put on a flashy show!
Creak. Clatter.
The roughly thirty-centimeter wooden doll began to twitch. The sole goal of the mana I’d extended was to make it move exactly like a living, breathing person.
Simply making it float in the air like a ghost was something only amateurs did. That was crude mana manipulation anyone could do. It wasn’t artistic mastery.
I focused intensely on every tiny motion—making the doll’s small wooden hand press against the ground first, bending its knee joints, carefully shifting its center of gravity. It took such tremendous concentration that beads of sweat formed on my forehead.
Tap. Tap.
Finally, the wooden doll stood fully upright on its own two feet.
Yes, good. You’re standing. Perfect. Now, shall we walk onto the splendid stage?
The wooden doll began walking with dainty steps according to my will.
And the moment it reached the center of the stage and gave a small nod, the hurried footsteps of passersby began to falter one by one. The rough curses and vendor calls that had filled the air suddenly died down, and a strange silence settled over the area.
Ahh, I didn’t even need to turn my head to feel it vividly. The electrifying sensation of dozens of eyes—filled with shock, wonder, and curiosity—all pouring onto my small, shabby stage at once!
Shadow Puppetry — First Performance
“What the—? Is that magic?”
“That tiny brat is using magic right now?”
“Whoa! Mom, look! The wooden doll is walking by itself!”
“Well I’ll be… The joints move just like a real person. Never seen a spectacle like this before.”
“Oh ho, this is incredible! Pretty entertaining, isn’t it?”
In the middle of the market, the people who had stopped dead in their tracks began murmuring with a mix of shock and admiration.
Their eyes were fixed on a small girl kneeling on the ground, concentrating with all her might.
A girl biting her lip, wiggling her tiny hands in the air with delicate motions. With sweat glistening on her forehead, she looked so adorable that anyone would want to protect her.
Hehe. Getting amazed already just by walking? The real show hasn’t even started yet. Alright, let’s go. Here we go!
Clack!
The wooden doll standing at the center of the stage suddenly placed one hand on its hip and thrust the other arm dramatically toward the sky.
And so began the wooden doll’s dance time.
Boom-chk, boom-chk, boom-chk-chk!
The joints that should have only creaked began snapping with sharp precision.
It started with a wave-like ripple of the arms, followed by a flawless moonwalk that made it glide backward as if sliding across a stage.
Tap. Chrrrrk! Pop!
It was an impossibly dynamic and spectacular dance performance that no one could believe was being done by a mere block of wood.
The crowd’s reaction was explosive.
“Wh-whaaaaat the hell is this!!!”
“Oh my god, what is that?! The doll’s sliding backward without lifting its feet!”
“Yaaaaaah! Little miss, you’re the best!!”
Their eyes widened so much they looked ready to pop out. People clapped, cheered, and the children began jumping around, clumsily trying to imitate the doll’s dance.
My wooden puppet, having completely captivated the audience, finished with a powerful leap, a mid-air flip, and a stylish kneel with one knee on the ground.
At that perfect finale, the street erupted in thunderous cheers loud enough to shake the buildings.
In the middle of the stage where applause rained down, I had to endure the pain inwardly.
Ugh…! My eyes, my eyeballs feel like they’re burning…!
I hurriedly covered my eyes with both hands and rubbed them furiously, trying to soothe the searing pain.
Even in the midst of that agony, the corners of my mouth twitched upward. My eyes hurt so badly I couldn’t open them, but my sensitive hearing remained perfectly sharp.
Clink! Clatter! Thud, thud, thud!
The refreshing sound of heavy metal coins and hard pieces of food pouring like rain into the pot I’d placed in front of me!
I could feel it with every sense in my body even without looking. That empty pot was now filling up like crazy with people’s donations. The sweet joy was enough to numb even the horrible pain that felt like it would blind me on the spot.
But at that moment, the crowd’s murmurs began taking a strange turn.
“Oh dear, oh dear! Look at that. The little one’s crying!”
“Aigo, tsk tsk… Poor thing must’ve gone through so much. This is probably the first time she’s ever received such a big cheer in her life. No wonder she’s moved to tears.”
“Don’t cry!! Your puppet show was the best thing that’s ever happened in my life!!”
It seemed the people thought I was shedding tears of overwhelming emotion from their passionate response.
Vita’s pitiful tears perfectly triggered the slum dwellers’ harsh sympathy and admiration. In the end, they dug into their pockets with even greater willingness and began pouring out far more enthusiastic cheers than before.
…Oh. This is a total jackpot, isn’t it?
With my head bowed and face covered, I smiled, the corners of my lips twitching with glee.