The Chicken Party and the Moonlight Promise
I picked up my Chinese cleaver and began to carve the chickens into pieces.
Thwack—
Thwack-thwack—
It looked like a lot for just the two of us, but one should never underestimate Baek Ri-seol. She was destined to become a Chicken Killer. I could guarantee that.
I placed the prepared chicken into a large bowl. Salt. Pepper. And my secret weapon: Homemade MSG. This was the real kick.
Baek Ri-seol was already swallowing hard just from the scent.
“Gaga…”
“Yeah?”
“It already smells delicious.”
“I haven’t even fried it yet, you know?”
The problem was the ingredients. There was no milk, no frying powder. So, I just mixed water and flour into a rough batter. In the end, the most important thing was intuition.
I pulled a large jug from the back of the carriage. It was filled with the cooking oil I’d been saving.
Splash—
The oil poured into the pot. Honestly, it felt a bit wasteful, but this was exactly what I’d saved it for.
I slowly raised the heat, waiting for the oil to reach the right temperature. I tossed in a single piece of chicken.
Sizzle—
Tiny bubbles rose rapidly. Good. The temperature was perfect.
“Here we go.”
I dropped the rest of the chicken into the pot.
WHOOSH—
The boiling oil hissed and surged.
Baek Ri-seol’s eyes widened.
“Whoa…”
I fried them until golden, let them rest for a moment, and then—fried them once more.
Sizzzzzle—
The chicken skin turned a deep, perfect gold.
And in that moment, an intoxicating aroma began to spread throughout the entire campsite.
I was certain. The people of this world had yet to experience real fried chicken.
The golden chicken slowly revealed its majestic form.
It was truly a mountain of chicken. The crispy skin shimmered with a faint sheen of oil, and as the steam rose, that maddeningly delicious scent filled the air.
Honestly, even I, the chef, was mesmerized.
Baek Ri-seol was speechless, staring blankly at the mountain of chicken. Even her red eyes were trembling.
I chuckled and picked up a drumstick, handing it to her.
“Eat up, my wife.”
Baek Ri-seol flinched, her ears turning bright red.
“…W-who’s your wife?”
Despite her words, her hand was already reaching out to take the drumstick.
With trembling hands, she slowly received the holy chicken. She opened her mouth cautiously.
Crunch—
In an instant, the juices and savory aroma exploded in her mouth. Beneath the crispy batter, the hot oil and chicken fat burst forth. Baek Ri-seol froze in place. Her red eyes shook, dazed.
Yes. This was it—the most violent, delicious food on Earth. The reaction of a human tasting chicken for the first time.
For a long while, she stared at the drumstick, then slowly turned her head toward me.
“…Gaga.”
“Yeah?”
The corners of her eyes were slightly moist.
“I really can’t live without you, Gaga.”
“…Uh, that’s sudden?”
“Even if we die, let’s die together.”
“I love you so much.”
I stared at her, stunned. For the first time in my life, I had been proposed to by a woman holding a chicken leg.
The problem was that Baek Ri-seol didn’t even realize what she had just said. She was already a runaway train.
Nom—
Nom—
I watched her with a satisfied smile for a long time.
She was already tearing into her second drumstick. No. If I didn’t hurry, there wouldn’t be any left for me. I immediately grabbed a drumstick for myself. Now, only one was left. I’d give that one to Seol-hwa later, and it would be perfect.
But wait.
There were three drumsticks left.
“……”
I slowly looked down at the plate. I had definitely bought two chickens.
At that moment, Jeoktoma twitched very quietly.
And suddenly, a memory flashed through my mind. The pheasant that died after being hit with milk.
“……”
I quietly put the drumstick down. I lifted my cup and took a silent sip of alcohol.
It’s okay, Seol-hwa. You’ve already… had plenty of that milk.
Eat plenty of chicken, too.
I watched Baek Ri-seol’s chicken mukbang with a gentle, fatherly smile, sipping my drink… and I could feel that Jeoktoma was feeling satisfied, too.
.
.
.
Are you happy?
I’m happy, too.
Having eaten her fill of chicken, Baek Ri-seol was in a state of complete generosity.
When Jeoktoma subtly nudged its head forward, she didn’t hesitate at all and planted a deep kiss right on it.
“I’m so happy today, Gaga…”
Baek Ri-seol smiled hazily, flushed with the alcohol.
“I feel like I could do anything for you today…”
“R-really?”
For a moment, I was tempted.
Was today the day to finally live out my fantasies?
Just then, I spotted a refreshing-looking stream nearby. I cleared my throat and pointed toward it.
“How about we… go for a swim to help digest?”
Baek Ri-seol blinked for a moment, then beamed.
“Okay, Gaga.”
We stripped off our clothes and jumped into the stream.
Splash—
The cold water enveloped our bodies.
It was a bit chilly because of the night air, but with my stomach full of chicken and the warmth of the alcohol, I didn’t feel cold at all.
I pulled Baek Ri-seol into my arms in the water. She giggled through her wet hair.
“Gaga, your hands are going to strange places again?”
“It’s just your imagination.”
“Liar~”
For once, Baek Ri-seol didn’t resist, just laughing and playing along. Under the bright moonlight, holding a beauty in my arms in the cool stream—it was truly a paradise on earth.
Splash—
The water rippled gently, and Baek Ri-seol’s wet red hair sparkled under the moon. She nestled in my arms, laughing softly.
I looked up at the sky and suddenly thought: I really don’t want to go back to Korea anymore.
This place was happier. These moments with her were far better than the world I used to live in.
Of course, I missed my iPhone. I wanted to watch Netflix. I wanted a Coke. I wanted Baskin Robbins. I was craving an iced Americano like crazy.
But right now, Baek Ri-seol was in my arms.
“…Gaga.”
“Yeah?”
“Why did your expression go all mushy all of a sudden?”
I chuckled and pulled her closer.
“Just because.”
“Because this place is more worth living in than I thought.”
Baek Ri-seol blinked, then slowly rested her head on my shoulder.
“…Then live a long life.”
For a moment, my heart fluttered.
I chuckled and ruffled her hair.
“Let’s grow old together until we’re senile.”
Baek Ri-seol looked up at me with a straight face.
“What…”
“That’s gross.”
“No, that’s not what I meant!” I burst out laughing, bewildered.
“I mean let’s live together for a long, long time until we die of old age.”
Baek Ri-seol blinked. Then, slowly, she burrowed deeper into my arms.
“…Then that’s fine.”
Splash—
Cold ripples passed between us. In the distance, insects chirped, and a round moon hung over the forest.
I held her quietly and looked up at the sky.
Truly. It wasn’t a bad life.
The Loch Ness Monster, having poked its head above the water, nodded along.
“Gaga.”
Baek Ri-seol, nestled in my arms, spoke in a quiet voice.
“That woman who died earlier…”
“Don’t keep her on your mind too much.”
I exhaled softly, watching the ripples.
“Even if they say it’s a world where people dying is common…”
“It still feels a bit heavy.”
Baek Ri-seol was silent for a moment before continuing.
“You said her hair and eyes were red, right?”
“Yeah.”
“She was likely a Blood Ghost.”
I blinked.
“A Blood Ghost?”
Baek Ri-seol explained calmly, resting against my chest.
“They’re beings that have almost disappeared from the Blood Sect now. Monsters created by the True Blood Sect.”
Her gaze dimmed slightly.
“Monsters that crave human blood, fear the sunlight, and live by consuming blood energy…”
I immediately thought of a familiar term.
“…So, a vampire?”
Baek Ri-seol blinked.
“Vamp…?”
“ire?”
“Something like a bloodsucker.”
Baek Ri-seol thought for a moment and nodded.
“Yes. That’s similar.”
She burrowed deeper into my arms.
“So don’t feel too guilty. They were beings that weren’t meant to live long anyway.”
“But, I was kidnapped in broad daylight?”
“She was wearing a mask, a bamboo hat, and was completely covered in a long robe.”
“…I see.”
Was that why? The reason Jeoktoma had shown such cruelty.
I looked down at the water. Jeoktoma was definitely a pervert, and a guy who loved women immensely. But—at least the version of him I felt wasn’t a being that wanted to kill the women he encountered.
It was closer to the opposite. He liked them, got excited, obsessed over them, and teased them, but he didn’t seem to want them dead. That’s how I felt about his attitude toward Seol-hwa.
But after killing Su-in, I had been a little afraid of him for the first time.
Baek Ri-seol closed her eyes as she leaned against me.
“Blood Ghosts are different.”
“Yeah?”
“Blood Ghosts are already half-dead beings.” She muttered lowly.
“Failures who survive by being forcibly injected with the Blood God’s energy. Beings that prey on others’ lives to survive…”
Splash—
Cold ripples passed between us.
“Jeoktoma absorbing the blood energy…”
Baek Ri-seol chose her words carefully before adding,
“…it was probably closer to Purification.”
I fell silent.
Then that meant Su-in wasn’t killed—she was already broken to begin with.
I quietly lifted my head to look at the moonlit forest and whispered very softly.
“…Still.”
“I can’t help but feel strange about it.”
Baek Ri-seol closed her eyes in my arms.
“I understand, Gaga.”
“I was the same at first.”
She traced the surface of the water with her fingertips and continued in a low voice.
“But we…”
“We are people walking on the edge of a blade.”
Splash—
The calm ripples shimmered under the moonlight.
“You have to get used to it. Otherwise…”
Baek Ri-seol added her final words in a very calm tone.
“…we’ll be the ones who die.”
I couldn’t say anything for a moment.
“That’s why.”
Baek Ri-seol lifted her head from my arms. Moonlight shimmered in her red eyes.
“We have to eat more delicious things.”
“And love each other more.”
She brushed back her wet hair and smiled faintly.
“So that in the moment we die…”
“…we won’t have any regrets.”
I stared at her, dazed.
What she just said was much heavier than I expected.
But at the same time, it was strangely like Baek Ri-seol. A woman who loved to eat, loved to laugh, and loved the warmth of others.
Maybe that’s why she hadn’t completely broken down, even in this world filled with blood and killing intent.
Baek Ri-seol looked up at me from my arms. Through her wet red hair, her moonlit eyes trembled.
“Since Gaga’s Blood God Constitution…”
She spoke in a very quiet voice.
“…is almost complete.”
Splash—
Cold ripples passed between our waists.
Baek Ri-seol, her face slightly flushed, placed her hand on my chest.
“Us.”
“…Wouldn’t it be possible now?”
She caught her breath for a moment, then whispered very lowly.
“…Union.”
I couldn’t say a word. I just stared at her, dazed.
Wet skin under the moonlight. Slightly trembling breath. And the warm body heat burrowing deeper into my arms.
My heart began to beat slowly, faster.
.
.
.
“You said you could do anything for me today.”
