Side Story 20
Translator: RaidenTL
Side Story 20
“A nest?”
“Ah. A nest.”
Unlike Ga-yul, who blinked his eyes in confusion, Ga-hyeon gave a short nod of understanding.
“What’s a nest, Cotton Ball?”
“It’s a cozy home where birds lay their eggs and raise their babies!”
So-ya explained, her face flushed with excitement as she stared at the bird’s nest. Her heart went pit-a-pat. It had been a very long time since she had seen one. In the Southern Land, where the birds lived together, nests were a common sight.
And I… I had a nest too, when I was little…
Suddenly, So-ya shook her head vigorously, brushing away the sad thought.
“They raise their babies there? Then does that mean there are baby birds inside?” Ga-yul asked, his question surprisingly sharp.
“Yes! There might even be newborn chicks! Birds build nests specifically to lay their eggs.”
“...!”
Ga-yul’s eyes grew wide and round. Goodness, newborn baby birds. He imagined how adorable they must be. Of course, no baby bird could ever be cuter than their Cotton Ball, but still…
Wait, do those baby birds have wings and beaks just like Cotton Ball? Do they chirp ‘cheep-cheep’ just like her?
“Ugh…” Ga-yul suddenly clutched his chest.
“What’s wrong, Brother?”
“I imagined something too cute, and now my heart hurts…”
“Baek Ga-yul, you’re an eleven-year-old tiger. Act your age; you’re being pathetic,” Ga-hyeon muttered, knitting his brows and shaking his head. Beside him, however, So-ya followed Ga-yul’s lead and clutched her own heart.
“Urgh!”
“So-ya…?”
“I think my heart feels tight and achy too. Just imagining the baby birds is so cute that it hurts…”
A soft smile bloomed on Ga-hyeon’s face as he watched his little sister prattle on with her tiny mouth.
“Was that sound you just made because your heart hurt? Our So-ya is quite the character.” Ga-hyeon spoke tenderly, stroking So-ya’s hair.
“What? You called me pathetic for doing the same thing!” Ga-yul grumbled, pouting, but Ga-hyeon ignored him as if he hadn’t heard a word.
While the two brothers bickered, So-ya crept toward the nest with Seol-yo. She wanted to see the babies. Unfortunately, the nest held nothing but small eggs. The chicks had not yet hatched.
“Huh? There aren’t any babies.”
Ga-yul, who had followed them at some point, let out a disappointed sigh. Seol-yo, who had also been secretly expectant, looked dejected.
“But if we wait, they’ll hatch soon. The mother bird will keep them warm. Look, there are the mommy and daddy birds.”
So-ya pointed toward a pair of skylarks circling in the air.
“I hope the babies are born soon.”
“Me too.”
The children whispered to themselves, gazing up at the skylarks’ nest.
*
From that day on, So-ya visited the skylark nest every single day.
“Young Lady, are you going to see the nest again today?”
“Yes, Lady Yeon-jeong! I have to go see if the nest is safe!”
The children weren’t the only ones interested in the skylark couple that had settled in the White Tiger Palace. The adults also took a great interest in the chicks that were about to hatch. After all, it was the first time a bird had ever built a nest within the palace walls.
And then, a short while later…
Cheep, cheep.
Amidst everyone’s anticipation, the adorable chirping of baby birds echoed through the air.
“They’re really here… baby birds…”
“Yes, they’re tiny little babies.”
So-ya and Ga-yul stood a short distance away so as not to startle them, their faces flushed with heat. Inside the nest, the chicks, who had not yet opened their eyes, were waiting for their mother. Just then, the mother bird flew in with food in her beak. The blind chicks opened their beaks wide, eagerly accepting the meal.
“...!”
In an instant, So-ya and Ga-yul’s eyes sparkled.
“Did you see that, Cotton Ball? The babies opened their beaks…!”
“Yes, I saw it, Brother! They’re so… so cute.”
“I didn’t know baby birds were this small. They’re precious…”
“They really are. Oh? But wait…”
At that moment, So-ya’s eyes fell upon a single egg that had failed to hatch. Unlike Ga-yul, who was once again clutching his heart at the sight of the chicks, So-ya couldn’t stop worrying about that tiny egg.
It wasn’t until three days later that the unhatched egg finally showed a sign of life.
“Cheep! Cheep! (Hang in there, baby bird! You can do it!)”
So-ya flew right up to the nest, flapping her wings and cheering with all her might. Soon, with a faint, fragile cry, the last baby bird broke through its shell.
The chick from the final egg was exceptionally small. Perhaps because of its size, it couldn’t compete with its siblings for the food the mother brought, and it often tripped and fell after being jostled by the others.
So-ya’s heart ached with frustration.
It’s so mean. Jjaek-jjaek is part of the family too, but they don’t look after him just because he’s small and was born late.
‘Jjaek-jjaek’ was the name So-ya had given the last chick. Though she knew the other birds meant no harm, she couldn't help but feel upset on his behalf.
I can’t just watch. I’ll have to bring him food myself.
*
Early morning.
Having been awake since dawn, Ga-hyeon sat at his desk, transcribing a book. It was a punishment from Sa-eon—to reflect on his mistakes while copying an ancient text containing the wisdom of sages. Finally finishing the last character, he rubbed his wrist and walked to the window.
Below, he saw So-ya crouching among the grass.
I suppose she’s checking the nest again today.
In the mornings, So-ya was the first to wake to check on the chicks, and in the evenings, she stayed out the longest to care for them. Unlike Ga-yul, who had tried waking up early with her for two days before giving up, she was remarkably persistent.
It’s still chilly since it’s dawn.
A look of concern crossed Ga-hyeon’s face.
What if she catches a cold?
She had already caught one last winter while playing in the snow. Worried, Ga-hyeon grabbed a warm blanket and headed downstairs.
“So-ya.”
“Ah, Brother.”
So-ya, who had been covering the sleeping birds with leaves, turned around with a bright face.
“You’re up early again.”
“Yes. The morning dew is cold, so I was worried. What about you, Brother?”
“I was worried about you. The dawn air is freezing.”
Ga-hyeon spoke with a gentle scolding tone as he draped the warm blanket over So-ya’s shoulders.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Brother. I’ll make sure to dress warmly so you don’t have to worry.”
So-ya pulled the blanket tight, looking as though she hadn't realized she was causing him concern.
“Is this little one Jjaek-jjaek?” Ga-hyeon asked, picking out the exceptionally small bird in the nest.
“Yes, this is Jjaek-jjaek!”
So-ya’s face lit up at the mention of the name. She took special care of this tiny chick from the last egg. She brought it food in the mother’s stead and even helped it learn to walk.
“Jjaek-jjaek is good at walking now, and he even started trying to fly yesterday! He fell because he couldn’t go very high, but still, isn’t our Jjaek-jjaek amazing?”
So-ya chattered away excitedly. Ga-hyeon knew why So-ya was so invested in Jjaek-jjaek. It was because the bird reminded her of herself—being exceptionally small and not having received full care from her original family. That was likely why her heart went out to him.
“Don’t you resent the other birds?”
“They’re just babies. I feel a little sad for him, but they’re still young, so it’s okay.”
One might expect her to dislike the other birds for pushing Jjaek-jjaek down and hogging the food.
“Father told me that all babies deserve to be loved. He said that’s how a just world should be.”
So-ya simply gave a faint smile and answered in a quiet, steady voice.
“He said that because babies are still young, they make mistakes. He said those aren’t the babies’ faults, but the faults of the adults. That’s why adults have to be there to guide them.”
“...”
“I’m not an adult yet, but just as Father gifted me a just world, I want to show Jjaek-jjaek and the other babies what a right world looks like.”
So-ya added with a broad beam, “Because I love the White Tiger Palace—the just world Father led me to—so much.”
“A just world…”
Ga-hyeon quietly chewed over So-ya’s words. It felt… very much like something their father would say. And it was very much like So-ya.
So-ya really does take after Father.
It was a strange realization. Even though they didn't share a single drop of blood, So-ya resembled their father more than any of them.