Grocery Shopping and Alarm Fluffballs

"But prioritize your studies first. You said going to school is fun, right?"

"Is that all?"

"Yeah. Do that and I'll give you all the rights to the B-Tube channel. Revenue split around 80-20."

"Huh? No way, what kind of editor takes a percentage cut? If it were performance-based pay, maybe. Plus, twenty percent is way too big."

"I'm the twenty, you're the eighty."

Pointing at me with one finger, then at Malgeum, her eyes went wide as saucers.

"Uh… Sis."

"Yeah?"

"I’m saying this because it feels like you don’t really understand the current situation. If someone named Han Ga-eul starts a B-Tube channel, it’s going to be absolutely massive."

"That would be great."

"No…"

Malgeum, who was always smiling brightly, started stomping her feet in frustration.

"Sis, you don’t seem to get how big of an opportunity it is to be one of the founding contributors to a channel under your name! It could literally change someone’s life. And on top of that, an editor taking eighty percent of the revenue? What kind of math is that?"

"Founding contributor sounds way too grand. I just meant upload stuff whenever you have time between studying. Use whatever money comes out of it as pocket money or whatever."

Malgeum, who had been hanging off my waist chattering away, opened her mouth wide in disbelief.

"Sis, I’m telling you, it’s not on that scale at all!"

"I’m only taking twenty percent because it’s basically passive income. If the pie gets bigger and things get busy with you taking eighty, just hire more editors."

"So you’re basically telling me to start a Han Ga-eul Company."

"What company? Just treat it like a neighborhood ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠part-time job."

Malgeum kept stomping her feet, at a loss for words. It was nice that she was smart, but her dreams seemed a little too ambitious.

"If you’re that grateful, offer up your left butt cheek!"

"Kyaaah!"

I grabbed Malgeum’s butt with my left hand as she hung off my waist, and she let out a loud yelp.

"The soft butt isn’t mine, it’s over here."

"Uuuung…"

I kept kneading her butt and she pressed herself even closer.

"Sis…"

"What?"

"What about the right side…?"

"…If you do a good job."

"Really?"

Thud!

"Ow!"

I lightly flicked Malgeum’s forehead with one finger as she spouted nonsense, and she dramatically fell away.

"I’ll upload the recorded footage to the cloud right after the stream, so take your time studying while you edit."

"Got it!"

"It’s fine even if you’re not good at it."

"Okay!"

When I patted Malgeum’s head, she grinned again and wrapped her arms around my waist. She really was a friend worth learning a lot from, starting with her personality.

—Meow!

Right as we were talking, both Malgeum’s and my heads turned at the same time. Baek Seol and Dan-pung were walking over with an orange cat.

"Baek Seol, Dan-pung, good work."

"Eung!"

"Bbit!"

I spread my arms toward the kids trotting over, and they ran over on their short legs to hug me.

"Meow!"

The orange cat that arrived last came right up to my feet and started rubbing its cheek and body against my ankle. Maybe the animals really did like the fruity scent coming off me, just like Yoo Bit-na said.

"Smell!"

"Alright, alright."

Baek Seol, still in my arms, started squirming at the sight of the cat.

"Malgeum, want to carry the cat and take it back to its owner?"

"Okay!"

The house cat must have had a rough street experience, because it settled quietly into Malgeum’s arms.

"Thanks for helping, Sis!"

"Meow-nya."

Malgeum waved one hand like a fan while carrying the cat and walked away.

"Now let’s go shopping."

As I started walking to shop, the viewers started chattering cutely.

"Simple is best. The basics have to be delicious for everything else to taste good too. Send me one too."

"Who are you even talking to?"

While chatting with the lively viewers, a delicious smell wafted over before I knew it.

"Miss! Take this with you."

"Hello, shop owner."

The shop owner who was selling all kinds of food handed me a family-sized box of roasted potatoes again. It was enough that even an adult man couldn’t finish it.

"That’s too much."

"Oh my, you have to eat well to grow up strong. You’re still just a kid."

When I tried to refuse, the shop owner practically shoved the box of potatoes into my arms.

"Hehe, thank you. I’ll share it with my friend."

"No need to thank me, I should be thanking you. Thanks to you opening the festival, I don’t even know how much my sales went up."

"Wow, that’s great. I’ll enjoy it."

"Come back if you run out after eating it all."

I bowed my head politely to the shop owner, and he waved back.

"How am I supposed to eat all this?"

"One minute clear, confirmed."

While walking around munching on the potatoes, a viewer who seemed to be the one I mentioned earlier came running toward me.

"You came?"

"Huff…! Huff…! Yeah!"

She must have run so fast that her hair was a mess and she was still in slippers.

"Do you like potatoes?"

"I’m a potato ghost."

"Are all my kids potato ghosts? Here, say ah."

The viewer, who had been catching her breath with her hands on her knees, quickly looked up.

"Ah—"

I popped a potato into her wide-open mouth, and she started chewing right away.

"Wow, your mouth is huge."

"Mmm!"

She answered properly even while chewing hard.

"Miss!"

"Yes?"

While I was busy feeding the viewer, I heard an urgent voice calling me. When I turned toward the voice, the fish shop owner who was selling fish in a small stall was waving at me.

"Yes, what is it?"

"I salted some mackerel. Take a hand of dried mackerel with you."

"It’s okay. I’ll pay for it."

"Oh my! My arm’s gonna fall off. Just take it already."

The fish shop owner shook the bag vigorously while rubbing his shoulder like he was dying. I had no choice but to approach, and he quickly shoved two bags into my hands.

"Mackerel tastes best in the fall. It’s even better grilled on a wire rack."

"Wow, thank you. I’ll enjoy it."

"Hahaha. You’re the market mascot, so I should be the one thanking you."

"I’m the mascot?"

"Ah, saying it twice would hurt my mouth!"

The sign hanging above the market clearly showed the market mascot characters, a magpie and a gourd. I had no idea when I had overtaken those friends to become the market mascot.

"Shop owner."

"Yes, coming!"

When another customer arrived, he lightly bowed his head to me and went to greet them.

"Why am I the mascot?"

"Is that so?"

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠received two bags. One was definitely mackerel, but the other was clearly different in size and weight. Curious, I opened it to find plump blue crabs inside a white styrofoam box.

"Guys, look at this. Blue crabs."

"It would taste good in ramen too."

Steaming would be good too, but it was perfect for making broth. Blue crab was delicious in fish cake soup or stew. Even though it was because of that damn skill that made fish taste better, my mouth was watering.

"Pretty miss."

This time, the grandmother selling vegetables at her stall waved me over. From the cute drawings on the bags, it seemed Malgeum’s touch had already passed through.

"Yes, grandma."

"Take some vegetables. I’ve already trimmed them, so just blanch them at home, add soy sauce and sesame oil, and stir-fry."

"Wow, thank you!"

These kinds of people had lived through the years, so they all had strong personalities. It was obvious they wouldn’t accept money if I tried to hand it over directly, so while secretly slipping some money next to the stall, the grandmother handed me another black bag.

"These are chestnuts my husband picked up."

"I’ll enjoy them. Thank you, grandma!"

"Hehe, sure."

It must be the season of abundant harvest. Thanks to this, our fluffballs were going to get nice and plump.

"Dan-pung, these are chestnuts. Want one?"

"Bbit!"

Even though I picked the smallest one, when Dan-pung held it in his hand, the chestnut looked huge. Crack, crack.

"Bbit."

"Huh? You’re giving it to me?"

"Bbit!"

Dan-pung peeled the chestnut in an instant and placed it right on my palm.

"Thanks. I’ll eat it well."

"Bbit!"

When I stroked Dan-pung’s forehead, he wagged his tail.

Tap, tap.

When I applied pressure to the chestnut Dan-pung peeled, it split into four pieces.

"They say even a single bean should be shared. Here, this is for Dan-pung."

"Bbit!"

Crunch, crunch.

When I handed the split chestnut to Dan-pung on my shoulder, I heard crunching sounds from my ear.

"Here, this is for Baek Seol."

"Good!"

Since I split it into four, two pieces were left.

"Here, you eat too."

"Thank you."

The viewer who had been standing next to me munching on potatoes quickly accepted the chestnut.

"Host, did I get sugar on my mouth?"

"Wipe it."

"I don’t have hands."

The viewer who had been holding the large potato box with one hand suddenly grabbed it with both hands and shook it gently.

"Ugh. Come here."

The viewer stuck out their sugar-covered mouth. Maybe because it was sugar, it came off easily when I wiped it with my finger. Whether I liked them or not, they were my viewer.

"There."

"Thank you."

The viewer who had been smiling happily now wore a sly grin in front of the streaming phone.

"Yeah, you can’t find my house, right? If you’re upset, move here. I actually moved right in front of the potato shop."

I had only meant to do a bit of shopping, but thanks to the shop owners, I hadn’t spent a single cent and my hands were already full.

"No need to shop anymore. Let’s go home."

"The host’s real appearance is insanely cute. Seriously lost it. Anyone who hasn’t seen it, come down quick."

"Hey you bastard, why do you keep trying to cause division, want to die?"

Thud!

"Kuhk!"

I lightly kicked the butt of the viewer who kept being cheeky next to me, and they rubbed their butt while smiling again.

"Selling the pants the host kicked."

"Ah, I’m getting dizzy."

"Stop it."

"That’s great. Then I’ll end the stream here. I think I drank too much."

"Meow-nya. See you tomorrow, my kids. Bye-bye."

Buzz—! Buzz buzz—!

By the time the sun rose and light peeked through the curtains, Han Ga-eul’s phone finally rang. Baek Seol’s ears, curled up beside her, perked up. Eventually, Baek Seol got up groggily and swung her cotton-paw at the phone like usual.

Tap, tap, tap.

Buzz—!

The phone’s vibration let out its final cry and finally turned off. Baek Seol knew. No matter how long she left it like that, her owner would never get up.

"Bbit?"

Maybe because of the faint sound, Dan-pung, who had been curled up by Han Ga-eul’s bedside, also woke up.

"Wake her up."

"Bbit?"

At Dan-pung’s question, Baek Seol decided to demonstrate herself. Hop hop hop. Baek Seol trotted over to Han Ga-eul’s bedside on her short legs and raised her front paws to cover her owner’s nose.

"Kuh."

When her nose got blocked, Han Ga-eul started breathing through her mouth in her sleep and made a strange sound.

"Here."

Baek Seol, who had demonstrated, gestured toward her friend. The direction Baek Seol pointed was toward Han Ga-eul’s mouth.

"Bbit."

"Okay."

The viewers thought Han Ga-eul was unusually diligent, but it was all thanks to the little rabbit’s morning call every day. With a new friend recently, Baek Seol was able to prepare an even more perfect wake-up call.

"Good."

"Bbit!"

But there was a big problem here. Whenever she felt the warm breath, Baek Seol would fall asleep before Han Ga-eul even woke up. She was still a sleepy baby rabbit.

"Kuh—!"

When she sat up, two fluffballs rolled off her face. Her face felt warm.

"Why do they always sleep on my face?"

Baek Seol always did it, and now Dan-pung was doing it too.

"Baah…"

"Bbit…"

Thanks to that, or maybe not, her eyes opened right on time with the sunrise again today. She had set the alarm to vibrate so it wouldn’t bother Baek Seol’s sensitive ears, but since she had no memory of feeling any vibration, it seemed her body had remembered.