Niece's Playtime and the Elf Queen's Timeless "Soon"
"Unnie! Unnie! Bounce me! Bounce me!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'll do it..."
The child's ear-piercing shriek battered my eardrums mercilessly. It was Park So-jin's daughter, Ha-yoon.
I'd been dragged here reluctantly after hearing she'd been throwing a massive tantrum, demanding to see me. Right now, I was dutifully playing human amusement ride in the middle of my big sis's living room.
"You made a promise, so you gotta keep it, kiddo."
Sprawled on the sofa, So-jin-noona sipped her coffee and cackled.
"Noona... I'm telling you, age doesn't earn me any mercy."
"Listen to this guy. Ha-yoon, attack your unnie!"
"Yah! Yah!"
Ha-yoon swung her cotton-candy fists wildly at my silver hair.
I tilted my head to dodge easily, then gathered mana into a round orb at my fingertip.
Ha-yoon's body lost its grip on gravity and floated lightly into the air.
"Kyaaah! So fun!"
The child's gleeful giggles filled the living room. With a soulless expression, I flicked my finger, rolling her this way and that through the air.
After a good long while of this torment, I was starting to run out of steam.
That's when my pocket buzzed noisily.
The caller was the old man.
"What happened?"
I snapped the moment I picked up.
—Yeah, the Elf Queen wants to see you for a bit.
"The Queen? Suddenly why? Did we screw something up on our end?"
Just sitting tight, and now some diplomatic mess had blown up?
—Nah, nothing like that. She said she has a proposal for you.
"What kind of proposal?"
—She'll explain in person. I don't know the details.
"In person? Ah, what the hell..."
It felt exactly like getting called to the principal's office back in school for no damn reason. Even knowing I hadn't done anything wrong, cold sweat trickled down my spine—this nagging unease.
"Unnie has to go...?"
My voice stiffened, and Ha-yoon's eyes—mid-laughter—suddenly welled up with fat tears.
"Uh... hold on. Hey, don't cry, wait it out, Ha-yoon. Good girl, cut it out!"
—It's not urgent, so play with the kid and come whenever.
"Ah, why didn't you say so sooner? She's already crying."
—Tough luck, punk.
The old man spat out his piece and hung up heartlessly.
In the end, I had to scoop up Ha-yoon on the verge of bawling and soothe her dramatically.
I cranked up the mana output for a high-altitude bounce ride that nearly scraped the living room ceiling. Only then did a bright smile bloom back on her face.
Drained to the bone, I still scarfed down dinner at noona's place.
I had to pinky-swear an impossible promise to come play again before finally escaping that hellish playroom.
Walking off the meal in the cool night air, I trudged along until I found myself at our familiar home.
Unlocking the door and stepping into the entryway, a wave of hot living room air hit me.
The family was huddled on the sofas, watching a variety show.
"Oppa, out playing hooky again?"
Spotting me, Ha-eun ran her obnoxious mouth.
"Ah, enough already."
"Which station today? Gangnam? Hongdae Entrance?"
My sister dragged out my dark history, cackling away.
This damn orangutan.
The thread of my patience, pressed to its limit, finally snapped.
Without a word, I condensed a small, hard ball of mana at my fingertip.
My target: my smirking sister's broad forehead.
—Thwack!
"Owwwww!!!!!!"
A crisp impact rang out, and Ha-eun screamed, clutching her forehead.
"Serves you right, you wench."
"Crazy! Mom! Oppa shot mana at me!"
Ha-eun frantically grabbed a cushion to shield her face.
But you can't ignore my mana control.
—Thwack! Thwack-thwack!
The ultra-mini mana bullets curved in an arc, bypassing the cushion to nail her forehead dead-on.
Ha-eun rolled around on the sofa trying to dodge, then tumbled to the floor.
"I surrender!! I surrender!! My bad!"
"Try flapping that mouth one more time."
"King God General Emperor Majesty Kang Tae-ho! I yield!"
After wringing out her humiliating unconditional surrender, I finally dispersed the mana from my fingertip.
Ignoring her huffing and puffing, I wedged myself into the narrow spot in the middle of the sofa between my parents.
"Did our puppy have a good time?"
Mom stroked my silver hair affectionately as she asked.
"Yeah. It was a bit rough, though."
In front of my parents, no need for pretense—I vented honestly.
After a full day tormented by Ha-yoon, plus round two with my sister, my whole body ached like I'd been beaten.
I sprawled limply on the sofa, recharging my depleted stamina with eyes closed.
The next morning, early flight to Osaka, Japan.
The stamina I'd barely recharged at home hit rock bottom again the moment I stood at the Gate entrance.
The tedious physical exam procedure greeted me without fail.
Only after slogging through the formal, exhausting checks could I finally step into the massive Gate.
A lush forest spread out refreshingly before me, filled with crisp air.
Right after entering, I spotted the Elf Captain waiting ahead.
—Shwooo!
A sharp whoosh tore through the air.
Something hurtled toward my face at terrifying speed.
I tilted my head casually to evade.
[No fair! I haven't seen you in forever, and you're dodging? Lame!]
It was the spirit that had whiffed past me into empty air.
The little guy flailed a few times in midair before zipping back toward my face.
[Hehe... yeah, this is it. This sweet, sweet mana.]
Plastering itself to my shoulder and rubbing its cheek against mine like a total perv.
I roughly peeled off the clingy spirit and followed the Elf Captain.
We trekked deep through the dense forest into the splendid Elf capital.
The nature-harmonized massive buildings? I'd seen enough last time—no big thrill anymore.
I was escorted straight to an ornate guest chamber.
Sinking into the plush chair, I sipped the provided tea while waiting for my guest.
But long past the appointed time, no sign of the one who'd summoned me.
As my patience wore thin...
Finally, heavy footsteps announced the arrival of the Elf Queen.
"Didn't you come too early?"
"Ha..."
I let out a disbelieving chuckle.
Right, these stuck-up elves.
Their sense of time was totally shattered.
The Queen settled onto the opposite sofa and spoke indifferently.
"First, the message I have for you..."
The moment her lips moved, a jarring sense of wrongness hit me like a blow to the crown of my head, furrowing my brow.
Hold up.
An Elf Queen's mouth should be spouting incomprehensible alien gibberish.
Yet her words were drilling straight into my brain like my native tongue.
I hurriedly raised a hand to cut her off.
"Hold up, stop."
"What now."
The interrupted Queen shot me a sharp, displeased glare.
"Sorry, but how am I understanding your language perfectly?"
I spread my hands, face screaming bewilderment.
"I didn't even bring an interpreter."
At my question, the Queen set down her teacup, propped her chin, and pondered deeply.
Like she'd just now realized she was speaking human for some reason—total blank stare.
Her long ears twitching as she glared into space, she finally clapped and dropped the answer.
"Ah, the mark on your right hand must also handle translation."
Hearing that, I glanced indifferently at the back of my right hand.
The spot where the World Tree tattoo had been—now flawless skin. Invisible to the eye, but I could feel faint mana waves lingering.
"May I continue now that your curiosity is sated?"
The Queen sipped her cold tea and nodded at me to hurry up.
"Ah, yeah. Go ahead."
I sank deeper into the plush sofa and nodded half-heartedly.
"I summoned you to relay that you must attend the upcoming Allied Forces Conference."
Her grandiose words snapped my drowsy eyes wide open.
"Allied Forces Conference?"
The absurd scale had me chuckling involuntarily.
"Indeed. As a representative of your world, you qualify to participate."
The Queen shrugged like it was the most obvious thing.
"Are we not allies?"
Allies.
"Ah, right. Allies."
I mumbled soullessly, scratching the back of my head.
"But what's 'upcoming' mean exactly?"
These were the folks who'd just called my punctual arrival "too early"—their time sense in ruins, proven personally.
The Queen tapped the table with her long, pointed finger, diving into complex calculations.
"Hm... in human time terms..."
Please don't say pack your bags the day after tomorrow.
"Precisely three months from now."
"...Ah, three months."
Absurdity leaked out in a sigh.
To call a schedule three months out "soon" and drag me all the way to Osaka for it.
Something a phone call or text could've handled, but no—they insisted on face-to-face.
"Yeah, see you real 'soon' then."
Utterly missing my sarcasm, the Queen rose as if business was done.
"Until the conference, then."
No thanks for coming, nothing—just her trailing dress swishing as she breezed out of the guest room.
Last time she left me speechless and vanished; same deal now.
Coming and going on her own whims.
"What a piece of work."
I stared at the lonely teacup on the table and let out a deep sigh.
Guess I'll never get along with these timeless elves in this lifetime.