The Heavenly Demon Goes Out to Play (2)
The interior was still a complete mess, but the dogs seemed far calmer now that Ara had vanished from sight.
“This is exactly why it doesn’t work.”
“What do you mean? Just now…”
It went beyond simple dislike. Just as Ara had said moments ago, the dogs genuinely hated her.
“It’s always been like this. I don’t really know the reason myself.”
“That’s why you don’t keep pets at home.”
“I figured no animal would ever like me.”
Ara shrugged as if it were nothing, but for someone who truly loved animals to be hated by them was no small matter. Enri inwardly scolded herself for her mistake and quickly searched for a way to salvage the situation. Leaving things as they were would only worsen Ara’s mood. The solution came swiftly—after all, there was one other thing Ara had clearly shown interest in besides animals.
“If this place won’t do, let’s go somewhere else! I have a spot in mind.”
“It’s not another animal-related place, right?”
“No, it isn’t!”
The next destination Enri led her to was unmistakably somewhere Ara would adore. The moment she glimpsed the store’s interior through the glass, a radiant smile bloomed across Ara’s face. It was unmistakable.
Doll Department Store.
Ara couldn’t tear her eyes away from the endless rows of stuffed dolls lining the shelves. Seeing her reaction, Enri breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Thank goodness. She had remembered how Ara called the dolls cute during their last visit to the toy factory.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes. Are all of these for sale?”
“I believe so.”
“Let’s go inside right now!”
For the first time, genuine enthusiasm burst from Ara, who had always been the one dragged along by Enri’s hand. The dolls inside must have been irresistibly charming.
Once inside, Ara couldn’t look away from a single doll. With each new one she discovered, she made eye contact first, touched its hands and feet, hugged it tightly to her chest, and then spent several minutes debating whether to take it home. She looked as if she would buy every doll in the store if only she could.
There was no trace of the dignified Heavenly Demon she displayed in Apis. Standing before the dolls, Ara was simply an ordinary girl.
Watching from the side, a warm smile lingered on Enri’s lips. How could she not smile? She had never seen Ara lose her composure before, yet here she was, seriously contemplating a single doll.
“Why are you worrying so much? Just buy a bunch and take them.”
“I want to, but there’s a limit to what I can carry.”
Ara had already planned to buy several—at least as many as she could physically hold. But the store held far more dolls than her arms could manage, so some careful selection was inevitable.
“They probably offer delivery here, don’t they?”
“Delivery?”
“Yes. Just give them your address and ask them to send it over.”
The moment she heard those words, Ara’s eyes sparkled. She looked ready to declare she’d take everything in the store, so Enri quickly cut in.
“Still, there’s a limit to how many you can keep at home.”
“...True.”
“Let’s just get ten. If you need more, we can come back later.”
“Ten? That’s way too few.”
“Just how many were you planning to buy?”
Even ten would be excessive for one person to carry. She hadn’t even known about delivery—how had she intended to haul that many? Ara really did love cute things. She had completely lost her mind.
“Fine. Ten it is. I’ll have to choose carefully.”
Ara kept her word. She examined each doll with the gravity of a jeweler appraising precious gems, picking them up and setting them down again and again. The ones that survived her rigorous selection were all irresistibly adorable. It took nearly three hours to finalize the ten dolls, but Enri was perfectly content simply watching Ara, who had utterly forgotten her usual solemnity.
After the delightful shopping spree, Ara looked refreshed and light.
“How long until they arrive at home?”
“They should get there by tomorrow at the latest.”
“I have to wait until tomorrow…”
She must have really taken a liking to them. To feel reluctant even waiting a single day—today’s goal could be considered a success. Enri thought it had been the right decision to bring Ara out.
“And Enri. Here.”
Ara tapped Enri’s shoulder as she stretched. When Enri turned, Ara held out a tiny doll. It was small enough to fit in the palm of her hand, with a ring attached to its ear so it could hang from a keychain.
“A gift?”
“You showed me a place like this. I couldn’t give you nothing in return.”
Faced with Ara’s bright smile, Enri carefully accepted the doll and tucked it deep into her bag. Once home, it would be proudly displayed somewhere in her room.
“Then shall we go eat? I’ll take you to a fantastic restaurant!”
“What is it this time? Soup again?”
“No. This time it’s a full-course Korean meal!”
At Enri’s reply, Ara let out a dry chuckle as if she had expected it.
The place Enri brought me to was quite a formal establishment. From the entrance, an employee in a perfectly pressed suit stood waiting. The moment she heard Enri’s name, she guided us with refined, measured movements.
As soon as we sat down, she brought the menu and began explaining the upcoming dishes. Most of the terms were completely unfamiliar to me. I had thought my Korean had improved considerably, yet I couldn’t understand a single word of the food descriptions.
Wondering if it was just me, I glanced at Enri and realized my shortcomings weren’t the issue. She was the same. She nodded as if she understood, but her vacant eyes betrayed that she hadn’t comprehended anything.
Difficult explanations aside, the food itself was magnificent. I might not have understood the server’s words in my head, but my tongue certainly understood the flavors. The appetizer soup. The fish. The meat. Every dish was breathtakingly delicious.
To what extent? Enough that I forgot all dignity and scraped every last trace of sauce from the plates.
The only conversation between Enri and me during the meal consisted of things like “This is so good!” and “This one is incredible too!” Mere formalities. There was no time to talk when we could be putting more food in our mouths.
After filling my stomach with such a satisfying feast, my reason finally returned. Only dessert remained. It had been an utterly luxurious meal.
“A friend recommended this place. I’m glad we came.”
“I think this is the most delicious restaurant I’ve ever visited.”
“So, are you satisfied with today’s outing?”
Satisfied? Of course. Just discovering a store packed with stuffed dolls was enough to satisfy me. In my heart I wanted to buy every single one, but as Enri said, there were physical limits. I couldn’t let dolls take over my living space. It had taken a long time to decide, but the ten carefully chosen dolls were the elite of cuteness. The effort had been worth it.
The dog café from earlier had been nice too. It was obvious Enri had gone out of her way. Even though my constitution prevented me from fully enjoying it.
Strangely enough, animals have hated me since long ago. Any creature that saw me would bare its teeth, bark, attack, or flee. Though I truly love animals, I’ve hardly ever spent time with them.
The white tiger who sent me to this modern world was good in that regard. He never complained no matter how much I stroked his fluffy fur with both hands.
“I had a wonderful time today.”
“I’m glad my consideration paid off!”
I did enjoy myself, but I still wondered why Enri was being so attentive. She had given me far more favors than I had given her. I couldn’t understand it, but whatever. Since I had received, I would repay her in kind someday. For now, I would focus on the dessert approaching from across the room.
Something sweet. After serving only magnificent dishes, what grand finale had this restaurant prepared? I couldn’t help but look forward to it.
The employee brought three-colored ice cream and green tea. As before, she offered a complicated explanation, but to summarize, both were crafted from premium ingredients.
The moment she left after telling us to enjoy, I picked up my spoon. Oh. It melted smoothly the instant it touched my tongue. And that gentle sweetness spreading through my mouth—there was no heaviness at all, only the pleasant softness of pure sweetness. How could ice cream be this perfect?
After setting down the spoon and taking a sip of tea, the slight bitterness washed away any lingering weight from the sweetness. Incredible. This way I could enjoy that first perfect taste every single time. What a devious combination. With these two, I felt I could eat ice cream all day long.
While I was marveling at the dessert that seemed to threaten I would have no choice but to finish it all, Enri spoke softly.
“Ara, you’ve done a few broadcasts now. How is it? Is it fun?”
“It is fun.”
The viewers saw me only as someone playing the role of the Heavenly Demon. That was why they showed no hesitation in being rude. Personally, watching people go to such lengths to get a reaction out of me always made me laugh. It was like watching boys pull mischievous pranks to catch the attention of a girl they liked.
Broadcasting alongside those who gave the reactions I desired couldn’t help but be enjoyable. There were occasionally people who spouted strange nonsense or hurled insults, but compared to what I had experienced in Murim, it was nothing. Those types weren’t even worth paying attention to.
“When you have a lot of viewers, broadcasting feels rewarding. Even if more strange people flock in, it’s still much better than having none.”
“Is it hard when there are no viewers?”
“Do you know how miserable it feels to turn on a broadcast, talk to yourself for seven hours, and then turn it off?”
Enri recounted her hardships as if sharing heroic tales—stories of the various antics she had performed to gather viewers, times she had been happy thinking someone had joined only to cry when they left without a word, and the first time she earned money from broadcasting and bought herself a meal.
Listening to the old stories that flowed naturally from her, I realized Enri had struggled in her own way to reach her current position. She laughed while telling them now, but she must have suffered quite a bit back then.
Still, I was envious. To be able to speak so lightly of past hardships, treating them like heroic tales. All the struggles I had endured were heavy ones filled with blood, death, and resentment. The word “pleasant” had no place in such stories.
While I was listening to Enri, my smartphone rang. It was Harin. What could it be? The girl who usually only sent texts was calling. After getting Enri’s permission, I answered. Harin’s excited voice came through immediately.
“Hwaryeong-nim! Is it okay to talk right now?”
“What is it?”
“Um, do you know about Hwaryong Muin? It’s related to that.”