Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: The Yandere Fairy's Gaze is Strange
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"Grandma, five packs of ramen and some water, please."
"Not buying soju these days?"
"Trying to cut back for a bit."
"Finally getting your head on straight?"
"Yeah, something like that."
"Hang on a sec."
Grandma Choi, her white hair gleaming, headed into the room attached to the supermarket. Must've been about ten minutes later when I heard footsteps approaching.
I was starting to think it was taking a while when the sound came.
"Take this with you."
"What's this?"
"What else? Something to eat."
A stack of side dish containers wrapped in golden cloth.
Kimchi, perilla leaves, and all sorts of banchan caught my eye.
"Th-thank you so much."
"Truth be told, I meant to give it to you a few days ago but held back. Felt like I'd just be enabling your drinking."
"...I'll make sure to eat it with some rice."
"Good. How long you planning to stick around?"
"Not sure yet."
"Whenever you run out, just let me know."
I thanked Grandma Choi profusely and headed home.
It had already been three days since I'd taken up my father's project and started building the rooftop bathhouse.
From early morning, it was like I was possessed, pouring all my focus into it, and time flew by.
Bzzzzt-!
The moment I got home, my phone started vibrating.
Checking the caller ID, it was Junseok, who'd stuck by me at the funeral home until the end.
-Hey, Junseok.
-You still in Gangwon-do?
-Yeah, haven't finished sorting the belongings, and there's still stuff to do.
-What kind of stuff?
If I said I'd suddenly started building a bathhouse on the roof, he'd call me nuts for sure.
I didn't even want to explain the whole story.
Junseok was the type who'd drop everything and rush down here to help if he heard.
-Gotta sort out the house itself too.
-It's in the middle of nowhere up in the mountains—no one's gonna buy it right away, right?
-Still, I figure I should at least tidy it up in case someone comes looking.
-Since you're already there, why not just live there? Air's fresh, views are killer, and you were always stressed about rent in Seoul.
-Save on rent, sure, but there's nothing to do here.
-Fair point.
-I'll hit you up when I'm done and heading back to Seoul.
-Uh, hey...
Just as I was about to hang up, Junseok trailed off in a rush of words, uncharacteristic for him.
I tilted my head at the odd tone.
-What's up?
-I saw Kang Jua.
-You saw Kang Jua...?
-Was gonna tell you later, but you sound better now than at the funeral.
There's that old saying:
"A woman has to come into the home for things to settle."
Before her, I'd dismissed it as some outdated nonsense from the elders.
But I had to admit it now.
Kang Jua had shown me how one connection could shatter a whole family's life.
It started with a tiny lie.
Back then, I brushed it off as couple stuff, nothing major.
Then twice, three times.
The lies piled up, growing out of control.
Said she got scammed and borrowed money from her dad?
Who knows...
I only heard that after the divorce—can it even be true?
Or did she gut her husband like a piggy bank and then turn eyes to my dad?
-Like I said at the funeral, we're divorced. It's over.
-S-still, you gotta get that money back. And Dad's money's in there too.
-That's exactly why I don't wanna get tangled up with her again.
-...Fine.
-Thanks for looking out. Anyway, I'll call when I head to Seoul.
Click-!
I hung up, skipped dinner entirely, and headed straight to the roof.
Felt like shoveling would clear my head of the mess.
Splat-! Splat-!
I dumped cement and water into a round plastic tub and mixed it meticulously with the shovel.
Once I dove back in, the stray thoughts vanished.
Splat-! Splat-!
The floor was already tiled from before Dad passed.
So three days of stacking bricks and plastering with cement, and the end was in sight.
"Outer and inner walls of a bathhouse gotta be tiled for that clean look, right? Better than paint."
If I was doing it, might as well do it right.
I spread the mix thin and even on the walls, then added tiles.
For the interior, no polisher machine would fit, so I treated it chemically and finished by hand.
Finally.
Whoosh-!
Whooshhhh-!
Hooked up the hose and rinsed the exterior and interior.
A pressure washer would've been ideal, but hard to get one quick in these Gangwon mountains.
Plus, high pressure risks damaging tiles, so wiping it down multiple times was the way, hassle or not.
After the divorce, I wandered a year without work.
Needed to eat, so I hustled construction sites everywhere—skills paying off now.
Guess even dung has its uses, like the saying goes.
Swoosh.
A beginner's bathhouse, but after polishing, it looked decent enough.
Lucky the hot water line reached the roof—no extra plumbing needed.
"Hm..."
Now what?
I'd charged ahead like a racehorse, but with it done, I was lost.
Hold a solo completion ceremony?
Gurgle-! Gurgle-!
Gurgle-! Gurgle-!
To test it, I turned on the water.
Cement set perfectly—no leaks, water filling right up.
"Maybe hop in?"
Just stripped off my top and bottoms, stepped inside.
Butt hit the bath floor, and a lazy warmth spread through me.
Felt like a real bathhouse.
"...Feels nice and cool."
Saying "cool" in hot water—guess I'm that age now.
It used to baffle me when Dad said it; I chuckled despite myself.
"Bigger than I thought."
Inside, plenty of room for five adults.
Built to Dad's sketch, but why so spacious?
Maybe for grandkids someday?
Gurgle-! Gurgle-!
Gurgle-! Gurgle-!
Soaking in the hot water, sweat beading on my forehead.
Pride mixed with a bittersweet pang.
Should've grabbed a cold beer.
"Hoo... This is the life!!"
If not for the roof, I'd still be drowning in booze, flailing.
Felt like Dad's gift for when I hit rock bottom.
Splashhh-!
Splashhhh-!
I rose from the bath.
Like a kid with a new toy, buzzing with excitement.
The kind you wanna brag to friends about.
Fumbled for my phone in the discarded pants and called Junseok.
-Hello?
-What now?
-Junseok, come down to the old house sometime.
-Why? Can't handle it alone?
-Nah, just come. Air's amazing, forgot how pretty the views are—missed that in Seoul.
-Why you suddenly so hyped?
"I built a bathhouse on the roof" nearly slipped out, but I swallowed it.
Why? The surprise factor.
Exhausted from funeral and burial—imagine soaking here, beer under the stars?
Paradise.
-Cut the chatter. When can you make it?
-Used all my leave for the funeral. Day after tomorrow's Friday, so weekend trip?
-Got it. Prepare to be blown away.
-You're freaking me out. Anyway, talk tomorrow.
-Sure.
Click-!
Hung up, lips curling into a grin I hadn't noticed.
Never dreamed I'd smile like this before the bathhouse.
Is this the quiet happiness of simple things?
"Hyah!"
Junseok coming the day after tomorrow lit a fire under me.
Been booze-bound till now, fixated on the bath—house was dust central.
Time for a quick clean. Stepped off the roof stairs and rushed inside.
"When am I gonna clean all this?"
No fancy vacuum in this rural joint—just broom and dustpan in hand.
Sorted soju bottles separately, dove into half a day of cleaning.
Not spotless, but guest-ready.
Letting out a relieved sigh—
"Oh! Gotta check the fridge!"
Rushed to peek inside.
Thanks to Grandma Choi's sides earlier, not empty, but zero drinking snacks in sight.
"Gotta hit the market in town at dawn."
Shook my head, chuckling.
Me, manufacturing my own chores? Hilarious.
Bathhouse on the roof got me bragging, cleaning, now shopping...
Whoosh-!
Whooshhh-!
Then, water sounds from above.
I flinched, looked up at the ceiling.
"Forgot to turn off the water?"
Perked my ears again.
While cleaning, I must've missed it—the roof water running steady.
Sighed short, headed out and up the stairs.
Worried the pipe might've burst.
But.
The higher I climbed, the weirder the vibe.
Water on should be steady flow, no fuss—but this felt off.
Like someone splashing in the bath?
Reached the roof, confirmed it wasn't my imagination.
Through rising steam, a woman with long straight hair swaying.
Couldn't see fully submerged, but upper body bare, naked, leaning back against the bath wall.
"Wh-what the hell? Is she nuts?"