Adapting to Human Rules
The next day, Flare woke up and recalled the house rules she had promised Hyun she would follow. It was currently about 11:30 AM, meaning she had successfully kept at least one rule so far. However, she was still hesitating, still feeling a deep-seated aversion to washing up.
"Ugh... It's not that I hate washing up, it's just so incredibly tedious. But a rule is a rule, so I guess I have to do it," Flare muttered to herself as she dragged her feet into the bathroom. She began to wash, her mind filled with nothing but sheer laziness.
When she came out, towel-drying her hair, Hyun handed her a hair dryer. Flare shook her head in refusal. Looking at him with sleepy eyes, she silently demanded that he dry it for her.
"Are you asking me to dry it for you?"
"Uh-huh! Do it for me. My hair is so long, it takes forever to do it myself. Besides, what's for lunch once we're done?"
"Lunch is fried Spam and sunny-side-up eggs."
Hearing the menu, Flare's eyes sparkled. She immediately began to urge him on. "Hurry up and dry it! I'm starving!"
"Alright, alright. I'll dry it quickly, so just sit still."
"Okay~"
Once her hair was completely dry, Flare spotted the fried Spam and eggs laid out on the dining table. She quickly took a seat and looked up at Hyun, silently asking if she could start eating.
"Go ahead and eat. Help yourself to the rice, too."
"Got it~"
The moment she got permission, Flare picked up her chopsticks. She grabbed a slice of perfectly grilled, golden-brown Spam and popped it into her mouth. The signature salty, savory grease and the rich texture of the processed meat instantly burst across her tongue.
She took a bite of the Spam, followed quickly by a spoonful of warm white rice. The sweet, nutty flavor of the rice perfectly balanced the sharp saltiness of the ham, filling her mouth with pure bliss. She chewed and swallowed with an expression of absolute ecstasy.
"This is so good! I can't believe this is processed food. Humans really evolve at a scary pace, don't they? Dragons always tear their food apart raw, so all you taste is blood. No wonder my friend said human food is amazing. Hey, give me another bowl of rice! I want more!"
"Sure, eat as much as you want. There's plenty of rice left, so fill up."
Taking the freshly scooped bowl of rice from Hyun, Flare picked up another slice of Spam and poked it into the sunny-side-up egg. The rich, runny yolk coated the salty ham in a luscious glaze. As she took a bite, the creamy yolk enveloped the salty meat, delivering a wave of pure culinary rapture. To top it off, she shoved a spoonful of rice into her mouth. The holy trinity of flavors harmonized perfectly on her tongue.
Only after she had completely cleared her plate did Flare notice Hyun staring at her. Blushing, she quickly looked away.
"Did you like it, Flare? You were eating like you were possessed. Your bowls are sparkling clean."
"Don't say things like that! It's embarrassing! But it was just too delicious, what was I supposed to do?!"
"You have to take responsibility! Are you trying to ruin my palate so I can't even eat raw meat anymore? At this rate, I won't even be able to tear into wild beasts! It's all your fault for feeding me something this delicious that doesn't taste like blood!"
Hyun looked at the corners of her mouth and handed her something to wipe it with. "Wipe your mouth first before you talk. You've got grease all over it."
Snatching the tissue, Flare turned her head away, exposing only her bright red ears. She hurriedly wiped her mouth and glared at him. "What are you staring at?! Do you enjoy watching people eat that much?"
"Of course I do. Seeing someone eat well is a great thing. It means they're healthy."
"If that's what you mean, I'll take it as a compliment. Who knew you had a side like that? Anyway, now that we're done eating, what are we doing?"
"Want to watch some TV? There are dramas on, so there should be plenty to watch."
Hyun cleared the table, placing the dishes in the sink. He wiped off the excess grease with a paper towel and left them to soak in water. After prepping the dishes, he looked around for the remote, picked it up, and pressed the power button to turn on the TV. Flare quickly became engrossed in the drama that happened to be broadcasting.
"Ooh~ What is this? Why is that woman slapping that man with kimchi?"
"Ah, apparently that guy was cheating on his wife, meeting up with other men and women, and going to hotels behind her back."
Flare pondered his answer for a moment. As she imagined the man meeting both men and women indiscriminately, her face flushed red, and she quickly turned her head away.
"What?! Is it really okay to make a show about stuff like that? Humans are seriously weird. So weird!"
"I heard broadcasting regulations have eased up a bit lately, though they're still pretty strict."
Once the drama ended, Flare approached Hyun, who was sitting on the sofa, to ask him something she had been curious about.
"By the way, do you always just pick up random people or pitiful creatures off the street? You do know that, logically speaking, treating me this well is actually weirder, right?"
"I know. But, well... how should I put this? You know how normal people usually work, right? Doesn't anything about me seem strange to you?"
Flare thought about it for a moment, then realized today was Monday. She stared intently at Hyun and asked, "Don't you work? Isn't today a workday for everyone?"
"I have a decent amount of money saved up, so I'm fine. I actually own this building and my car, so I can live comfortably just off the monthly rent I collect."
Flare's eyes widened at his words. Her tail began to wag furiously as she stared at him. "Whoa, so you're rich? In that case, I want to try using one of those 'smartphones.' Can I have one?" Realizing Hyun was loaded, Flare slyly tried to slip in a request.
"Not yet. If you keep the rules for a week, I'll think about it."
At Hyun's promise to consider it after a week, Flare steeled her resolve, determined to play along.
The next day, Flare woke up and washed up before noon, exactly as the rules dictated. Washing up was still a massive chore, but with a smartphone on the line, there was nothing she couldn't do. Hyun watched as Flare emerged, freshly showered and early. He praised her for her diligence.
"Oh~ Look at you, Flare. So diligent. Good job."
Hearing his praise, Flare's mood instantly soared. She wagged her freshly dried tail, unable to hide her delight. "See? I can do it when I try. Did you really think I couldn't? You highly underestimated me. Though, I am still pretty sleepy."
"I guess I should reward you for keeping your word. I've already made some fried rice, so go ahead and eat. I'll be right back with something."
Since Hyun usually ate around 11:00 AM, their schedules didn't quite align. However, he had prepared the fried rice ahead of time to match her waking hours. Leaving the food set up, he headed into the storage room to grab her reward.
What he pulled off the storage shelf was a factory-reset laptop. Thinking this would make a decent reward, he carried it out, only to find Flare washing the dishes after finishing her meal.
"Flare? Are you... washing the dishes? Seriously?"
Flare was so focused on the dishes that she didn't even notice what was in Hyun's hands. "Well... it's my first time, but I'm doing it right, aren't I?" She showed him the washed dishes and quickly turned her head away, embarrassed.
Checking the state of the dishes, Hyun patted Flare on the shoulder and told her she didn't have to do this. "Flare, you don't have to do this. I can see how hard you're trying, so don't push yourself too hard."
"Really? Is it okay if I don't?" As she turned her head, her eyes fell upon the laptop in Hyun's hands. "What's that? Is that for me?"
"Yeah. Do you know how to use a laptop?"
"I know the basics. But doesn't everyone use it to make calls, play games, and watch videos? Can it really do all of that? I also saw people doing those 'internet broadcasts.' It looked so fun!" Flare's eyes sparkled with excitement as she bombarded him with questions. Unable to resist her puppy-dog eyes, Hyun answered.
"It can do all of that, but since you don't have an official ID, there might be some things you can't access."
Realizing her lack of legal status was a barrier, Flare's tail drooped as she slumped in disappointment. "Then what can I do...? Can I only watch videos...?" Seeing her look utterly devastated, Hyun turned on the laptop and tried to comfort her.
"I'm sorry. There's not much we can do without an ID. I'll try asking an acquaintance of mine, but it might take some time."
At his promise to look into it, Flare glared at him, skeptical. "Can you really solve it? I came from another world. I'm not stupid, you know. Is that really possible?" Seeing her doubt him, Hyun simply replied that he would do his best, finished setting up the laptop, and handed it over.
"Here. You can watch videos on it, and I've already finished the basic setup."
"I'll make good use of it. Thanks!"
Flare carried the laptop into the guest room, set it down on the desk, opened it, and launched the video site. "Whoa, so this is what it is. There are all kinds of videos on here! Amazing! Oh, this one's a cooking video."
Flare spent the rest of the day in her room watching videos, only emerging into the living room when evening rolled around. Looking much happier, she happily munched on the dinner Hyun had prepared. After swallowing her food and taking a sip of water, she asked a question.
"Hey, can I ask you something? Why do you live alone? I thought humans always lived with their parents."
When Flare asked, a flicker of panic crossed Hyun's eyes as he avoided her gaze. "That's... a bit of a sensitive topic. I can't really talk about it easily."
Flare watched his reaction, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Fair enough. It's not like I've told you everything about my situation either."
"But I'm still curious, you know?"
"If I tell you my story later, will you tell me yours?"
Hyun rolled his eyes slightly and replied, "I think it might be better if we both just keep our secrets..."
Flare understood what he meant and went back to eating. *Gulp.* "Fine, let's agree not to pry. Let's just eat first and think later."
It was the evening of their second day under the house rules, and a lingering awkwardness still hung between them.