Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: The 5-Year-Old Hates Sweet Potatoes (2)
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[Andy asked the guard ant. "Guard, did you actually see Annie leaving the anthill?"]
The illustration in the fairy tale shows Andy's face with downturned lips. His worry for his little sister, Annie, is plain as day.
The guard ant nods with a concerned look on his face and replies. ["Yeah, I saw her. She seemed to be looking for you, Andy."]
"Ugh... no way she's going out to look for Annie. Then Yunseul-i's heart would be way too...!"
Yoon-seul clutches at her chest in frustration.
Her expression isn't great.
It's like the face of someone who's eaten a sweet potato and has it stuck in their throat.
Still, I keep reading to see how the story ends.
[Andy is so shocked that he leaves the center of the anthill for a moment and heads back toward the entrance. Oh no... just as he thought! "It looks like rain's coming soon." The sky is darkening. Clouds are gathering. Andy rushes out, and the startled guard ant follows. "Where are you going, Andy? It's about to rain. The queen's worried about you too."]
"으윽... 설마 애니를 찾으러 나가는 거는 아니게찌. 그러믄 윤스리 가슴이 넘무...!"
"Ugh... there's no way she's going out to find Annie. Then my heart would be too...!"
[Andy shakes his head even after hearing the guard ant. "Guard, I've been working hard all this time for Annie. But if she gets hurt in this rain, it'll break my heart!"]
The next illustration in the picture book.
A flock of clouds stretching out ahead.
Under that gloomy sky, Andy strides out with determination.
To find his little sister.
[Andy emerges from the anthill. But the path ahead is uncertain. "Where could Annie be?" The anthill is long and wide, but the world outside is vastly larger. The giant human world. Finding Annie there would be incredibly tough. But with the sky turning pitch black, rain feels imminent. Andy decides to hurry.]
"Ugh, please! Come out, Annie. If this keeps up, Andy's gonna get soaked and hurt!! Ants get sick when they get wet, they say."
Yoon-seul strokes her cheek and shakes her head vigorously.
She can't stand this situation at all.
To speed up the plot, I pick up the reading pace a bit.
[Andy wanders the wide field for a long time. He's scared of the dew on the leaves or the mantises, but he presses on steadfastly. He has to find his sister. But after searching for ages, there's no sign of Annie? Exhausted, Andy collapses.]
"Argh! Feels like I ate a sweet potato. Cider! Cider!"
Yoon-seul leaps off my lap and darts to the fridge to grab a cider. Then she returns, cradling it preciously in her arms.
"This'll make it better."
"Were you that frustrated it hurt?"
"Yeah, way more frustrating than actually eating a sweet potato."
Pop... fizz!
Pop... fizz...
"Oppa, open it."
"Sure."
Her tiny fingers hook onto the tab, but she keeps failing.
Our house's 5-year-old can't open cider on her own anyway.
So I open it for her.
"Gulp... phew... throat stings."
With Yoon-seul beaming in satisfaction, we dive back into the fairy tale reading.
[Rain's about to start falling soon. The storm clouds glare menacingly at Andy. Disappointed at not finding his sister, Andy worries that delicate Annie could really be in danger. Should he give up? "No, I can't. For my sister." Andy stands again, summoning his resolve. He extends his antennae to check the direction.]
"Hm? Antennae?"
"Ants have antennae."
"Yunseul-i's tail is like that."
She wants to claim it's similar to an ant, maybe.
Yoon-seul tilts her long tail forward and wiggles it like antennae.
[Andy wiggles his antennae to send a signal. If Annie's nearby, she'll pick it up with her own and recognize him, he believes. And after a moment. "Annie sent a signal back!" Her response comes through Andy's antennae.]
"Ooh...! So now Annie and Andy meet."
[But maybe too much time has passed? Rain starts falling. A light drizzle. It's not pouring yet, so they can endure. "If it takes longer, Annie'll really be in danger!" Andy races toward Annie's location.]
"Be careful, Andy..."
Yoon-seul gulps down her cider, immersing herself even deeper in the story.
["Oppa!" Annie appears in the distance. He finally meets Annie! She's sheltering under a huge leaf. Andy rushes over and hugs her. "Annie... why'd you come out of the anthill? It's raining, it's dangerous."
His sister apologizes to her brother with a sorry look. "Sorry... Oppa, it looked like rain was coming, and you weren't back, so I got worried. That's why I came out looking with this." In Annie's hand is an umbrella made from a giant leaf?]
In the picture book illustration, the leaf umbrella in Annie's hand is enormous. Big enough for two ants—Annie and Andy—with room to spare.
"Hm? Oppa, that's weird."
"What's weird?"
"How's she so weak but holding an umbrella that big? Even Andy would struggle with that."
"Oh... probably 'cause ants are super strong."
"Ants are strong?"
"Yeah, crazy strong. They say ants can lift twenty times their body weight easy."
"Heek... but how do they beat the rain?"
"Yeah, no idea on that one."
I'm no insect expert.
No answer for that contradiction.
Humans barely grasp human ecology—how could we get ants'?
[Annie shares the giant leaf umbrella with Andy. And just like that? Neither ant gets wet at all! "Annie, did you make this umbrella from a leaf?" At Andy's question, Annie smiles and answers. "Yeah! 'Cause if it rains while you're out working, it'd be dangerous. So I made it for you, Oppa."]
The long journey to find Annie.
A happy ending seems in sight.
[Andy and Annie head back to the anthill under the umbrella. Annie's creation is sturdy—no tears, no sogginess. "Still, Annie, no more sneaking out like this dangerously. Promise?" Andy holds out his leg, and Annie hooks hers to it. "Okay... sorry for worrying you, Oppa."
The ant siblings return to the anthill. But what's this? The ant families inside all greet them with smiles. The guard leads the siblings to the queen ant. What's going on?]
"Whoa! It's not over yet."
"Yeah, there's more after."
[The queen ant welcomes the siblings warmly. "I'm so glad. Andy, Annie. I was worried you wouldn't come back." Andy asks the queen. "Thank you for worrying, Your Majesty. But why'd you call us?" The queen replies. "Because of the umbrella Annie made. Thanks to it, you two made it through the rain. We ants need that. Could you make more for the other workers?"]
Annie nods happily. "Of course! The queen and all the workers are family in the same anthill."
"Ooh! Little sis suddenly gets a great role."
"Yeah. Leads to a heartwarming ending."
[And so days pass, and rain comes again. But no need to rush back to the anthill in worry like before? Thanks to Annie's umbrellas distributed to everyone.
Ants can now forage for food easily. Andy and Annie become the anthill stars and live happily ever after.]
A perfect happy ending!
It even captures ant traits nicely from a kid's perspective—a solid fairy tale.
But Yoon-seul's face after finishing is still unsettled.
"Yoon-seul, why the sour face?"
I ask, but she hops off my lap without a word.
Then unleashes a flurry of punches at my lap.
Whoosh, whoosh-whoosh!
"W-What's wrong?"
"Yunseul-i angry."
"Yoon-seul angry? Why are you angry?"
"This story was that frustrating. Yunseul-i got so choked up reading it."
"Oh..."
She did chug that cider midway.
To me, it was a pretty decent fairy tale.
"Annie's weak but goes wandering outside to worry Oppa. That's too dangerous."
"That what ticked you off?"
"Yeah... she could've just waited in the anthill and given it later. But nooo! So annoying."
Pretty realistic for a 5-year-old.
Hearing it out, she's got a point—twice the surprise.
"Anyway, Yunseul-i needs revenge."
".... Revenge? On who."
"The uncle who brought this."
"Mr. Hwang Chi-ho?"
"Yeah! Yunseul-i'll make him eat sweet potatoes like crazy. No cider!"
Forcing 'tons' of sweet potatoes without cider? That's harsh punishment.
But I couldn't just stop her.
Seeing her punching frenzy, she's in mid-anger mode right now.
Minor anger, I could calm, but a 5-year-old at this level? UnstOppable.
All I can do is pray.
That Chi-ho doesn't choke on sweet potato bombs and shed regretful tears.
**
Chilly.
Was this restaurant always this vibe?
Hwang Chi-ho steps cautiously into the eerily quiet interior, chills rUnnieng down his spine.
Yesterday, he recommended a picture book to the younger sibling of the restaurant owners—the 5-year-old.
Simple reason.
A 5-year-old who hates the sweet potato parts of stories!
What a rare character.
He wanted to witness it firsthand or hear the tale to inspire new character creation for his novel.
So now, Hwang Chi-ho is puffed up with anticipation.
What reaction did the 5-year-old have to that book yesterday?
He decides to ask the Onui Restaurant owner.
"Joo-hyun! I'm here... ?!"
His sentence ends in a sharp uptick.
Somehow, the owner sneaks up behind and grabs both his arms.
He looks skinny, but damn, those muscles—strong grip.
Tough for a lifelong writer to resist.
"J-Joo-hyun?! What's this."
"Sorry, but you're done for."
"W-What...?"
"Don't ask questions."
"No. You're grabbing my arms from behind and telling me not to ask?"
The owner drags Hwang Chi-ho by the arms and forces him into a corner table. Baek Su-in's already there waiting.
She grabs him with a wicked grin and ties his arms and legs tight.
Then covers his eyes with her hand.
"Never thought revenge would come so easy?"
"Hey! Revenge? Baek Su-in... let go! No, save me. Please. What's going on."
Hwang Chi-ho, eyes blinded.
That's when it hits.
A sweet scent tickles his nose.
Familiar, fragrant aroma he's smelled plenty.
But lingering too long, it turns nauseating.
"This... sweet potato?"
"Uncle... revenge. For secretly feeding Yunseul-i sweet potatoes! Take this!!"
Pffft—
"Eep!"
Hwang Chi-ho's mouth stuffs full of moist, mushy, sweet sweet potato.
Cooled just right, even mushier.
Munch munch...
He chews on instinct—tasty, but.
Throat clogs.
"Munch munch... water! Give me water. At least water."
"Hee-hee— Yunseul-i wouldn't give water. It's revenge. .... Oh, oops! Said Yunseul-i. We're doing this secret. Big trouble. Everyone heard. Guess now..."
Pffft—
Pffft—
Pffft—
"Eep! Eeeep!!!"
Endless sweet potatoes pour in.
[Onui Tycoon!]
[The customer is secretly enjoying this.]
[Fantasy Webnovel Author Hwang Chi-ho: Satisfaction +5%!]
[Total Satisfaction: 39%]
Thanks to that 'endless sweet potato punishment,' five whole sweet potatoes go down Hwang Chi-ho's gullet sans cider or water.
His belly's so full he skips dinner, heads home stuffed on free sweet potatoes.
And regrets it.
Vows never to recklessly recommend sweet potato-plot fairy tales to a 5-year-old again.
Postscript.
For a while, Hwang Chi-ho slashes sweet potato parts from his serial novel.
Another happy ending.