051 – Cactus Fruit and Two Tickets #2
"So, what happened in the end?"
At Crowzer's question, I casually reminisced.
About the Earth transfer ticket.
"Who gets demoted is on hold for now. But they'll decide soon, I bet. Probably within four days, the ticket's owner will be set."
Just one Earth transfer ticket. And only one person who can claim it.
It has to be me.
Soon, Crowzer shoved a heaping mouthful of bright red tteokbokki into his mouth and marveled.
"To think something like this blew up over just one serving of tteokbokki. This Soul Society sure is full of wonders."
What tteokbokki? Was Crowzer mistaking the Safety Management Team's 'snack accounting' for tteokbokki, sundae, and kimchi dumplings at some street food joint?
I could feel a real 'wall' here. This wasn't something you could imitate just because you wanted to.
"Miss, could I get some more fish cake broth over here!"
Crowzer shot his hand up high. He'd ordered just one serving of fish cakes, and this was already his fourteenth broth refill.
The guy's movement technique was on another level—it was making my head spin.
"Heh heh heh, unlimited broth refills make this the perfect spot to fill up when you're broke. Though the part-timer girl seems a bit dim."
As he said that, Crowzer's eyes flicked toward the server at this rundown Happy Snack House. She was a woman with pink hair tied up prettily like a rose. Maybe twenty years old? Her slightly pointed ears marked her as a nymph.
"There are nymphs like that. Especially innocent and kind ones. My lover Eurydol used to be one too. Now she's just a wicked wench chasing money and fame... krk..."
Crowzer started bawling. Probably drunk from downing all those drinks with just one serving of fish cakes.
"Nymphs, huh..."
Between the recent Paranoy and Melinoi incidents, nothing good had come from tangling with nymphs.
If I hadn't written that thesis on nymphs, I might've flunked the Happy World job interview. So yeah, nymphs were basically the root of all my misery.
Slurp—
Then the nymph server approached our table. After fourteen-plus broth refills, was she about to chew us out?
I felt embarrassed for no reason, but instead, she held something out to me. A round fruit that looked just like an orange. With a memo too.
Hell Cactus Fruit. Good for hangovers. Your companion seems to have drunk a lot.
"We didn't order this, though?"
The woman smiled brightly at my words. Service?
Cactus fruit was rare even for me, who grew cacti in abundance. They hardly ever fruited. Shaped like oranges, they even tasted similar. With no actual oranges in this Soul Society, these hell cactus fruits were precious for that reason.
And she was giving away something that valuable for free?
Soon, a skeletal old lady who seemed to be the owner started scolding the nymph girl harshly.
"You giving out freebies to customers again without asking? Ugh, this girl!"
"……."
The nymph server bowed her head repeatedly. She waved her hands as if protesting—probably sign language.
Whoosh—the bony lady raised her fist.
"Get over here! Just one smack!"
"……!"
Was she about to flick her on the forehead? A nymph getting knuckle-rapped. It should've been satisfying for a nymph-hater like me, but for some reason, I stepped in between them.
"Boss, we'll pay up. Your staff service is top-notch here. This is a tip for the shop. And this is a separate tip for the girl, so don't take it away."
Jingle jingle jingle—
"G-gold coins...!?"
"What, not enough?"
"No! No! More than enough! Come again! You're Agent Jo Iseo from HQ Audit Team, right? Whew, way handsomer than in the papers! Next time, I'll seat you somewhere nicer!"
I dragged out the groaning, drunken Crowzer and left the shop.
The server girl waved vigorously at me. Even without knowing sign language, I could tell it meant "Come again!"
Of course, I had zero intention of returning. I'd scarfed some tteokbokki and fish cakes, and it cost me a handful of gold coins. Total rip-off. Should've gotten a hundred more broth refills.
Dealing with nymphs never ends well.
# # #
Agent Narcissus's house sat between the rundown Happy World and the new city of Elysium. A cramped house with a small yard.
How many years did it take to go from the shittiest apartment in Happy World to a view of Elysium New City?
Like any lost soul, Narcissus dreamed of moving into Elysium New City.
But he was marked by Executive Nemesis, Goddess of Retribution. Social climbing wasn't easy.
After desperate efforts, he'd caught Executive Director Apate's eye and made it to HQ agent. But the boss he trusted got fired, and now Narcissus himself faced demotion.
"Guess Elysium's off the table after all."
The distant lights of the new city pierced Narcissus's eyes. Tears welled up unbidden. His second life felt like a failure too.
But Narcissus quickly wiped them away. Pretending nothing was wrong, he stepped into the yard, where a pink-haired woman tending the flowerbed cactus patch lit up at the sight of him.
"……!"
She said nothing. Instead, her hands moved busily. Sign language.
She was mute due to some circumstance.
Narcissus smiled, hiding his recent worries.
"Echo, if you were visiting, why wait out in the yard? It's cold."
The pink-haired nymph called Echo didn't reply. Instead, she pulled a precious fruit from her bosom. A cactus fruit like an orange.
"That's my favorite. Must've been hard to get."
Narcissus split the fruit in half and shared it with Echo. It was as sweet and delicious as he'd imagined.
Scrub scrub scrub—
Echo signed while wiping juice from her mouth. Narcissus understood right away.
"You want every day to be like today?"
Nod nod—
Echo stood, grabbed the piggy bank from the shelf, and shook it.
Clink clink—
The heavy sound of full gold coins.
Scrub scrub scrub scrub—
More signing. Narcissus got it naturally.
"Got a big tip today and saved up a ton? A bit more and you can buy a curse-lifting voucher. Good job, Echo. You'll be able to talk again soon."
Nymph Echo. Her muteness came from a curse by a terrifying goddess.
To break it, she worked hard despite her clumsy skills. After Business Renewal, she aimed to buy a Curse-Lifting Voucher.
But not for herself.
So Echo shook her head and pointed at Narcissus.
Your curse. Can lift it. Soon.
"...Me?"
Narcissus was stunned. He'd never expected Echo to be thinking of lifting his curse, not hers.
Narcissus bore a curse from a fearsome goddess too. In life, he'd been prickly as a cactus even to those who showed him kindness, earning much resentment. Someone had asked the Goddess of Retribution Nemesis to punish him.
—Fine. I'll curse Narcissus for you.
Nemesis's curse turned him into a selfish man who loved only himself. And it persisted even now.
No, I was selfish even before the curse.
Echo, on the other hand, wasn't. In this Soul Society, she acted like Narcissus's big sister or mother. No matter how prickly he got, she'd just smile brightly.
That was the problem. Narcissus was about to be demoted to Earth soon. He had to leave Echo behind.
When can I return to this Soul Society?
100 years? 200? Who knew.
By then, Echo might be a memory-lost 'ghost.' Those cursed by gods turned ghostly faster than others.
She wouldn't remember Narcissus then.
I heard someone at affiliate Caron Transport overcame ghostification tied to family... must've cost a fortune.
Narcissus, who couldn't even afford Elysium apartments, had no chance of saving for Echo's ghostification cure. Especially facing demotion.
In the end, I'm selfish to Echo right up to the last.
Narcissus broached carefully.
"Echo, I'm probably heading to Earth soon. No idea how long till I get back."
"……!"
Echo's eyes widened in shock. Tears gathered.
Scrub scrub scrub—
Me too. Follow you.
"Impossible. I'm getting demoted. Even if you want to come, no one would allow it. There's only one ticket."
I. Saved money. Buy ticket. Break piggy bank.
"Echo, are you an idiot? Do you know how much an Earth ticket costs? You couldn't buy one in a lifetime!"
"……."
Narcissus snapped irritably.
"And you keep showing up here uninvited! It's annoying as hell!"
He yelled and stormed out to the yard. The Elysium lights shimmered far off.
He'd never reach those lights. Leaving Echo behind.
Suddenly, he recalled Agent Jo wanting the ticket for himself. Such a responsible, ambitious guy. Full of altruism.
Everything Narcissus wasn't.
If I tell Jo my situation, he might really take responsibility for me...
Narcissus had every reason to stay in Soul Society.
After agonizing sleeplessly beside teary-eyed, swollen, sleeping Echo, he headed to work the next morning. Agent Narcissus sought out Jo.
"Agent Jo, I have a favor. Instead of me—"
"Go to Earth in my place?"
"—take good care of one person for me. Just check in sometimes, talk to her. Keep the isolation from accelerating her ghostification..."
Narcissus's phone and wallet were stuffed with his own photos. Fitting for the symbol of self-love.
But deep in his wallet was one photo of a brightly smiling pink-haired nymph.
Seeing it, junior agent Jo's eyes wavered.
"...I refuse. I can't stand nymphs."
Three days left till the ticket decision. Jo resolved to scheme.