Episode 6
Rumble, crash!
"Chirp chirp. Chirp? What's with the face? You've never seen a talking bird or something?"
'Isn't this, like, everyone's first time seeing one?'
This see-through bird was so sure of itself, I almost thought I was the weird one.
But I didn't jump to argue.
'I've only seen it briefly, but this bird's personality doesn't seem very good. If I ticked it off, it wouldn't be a shock if it just dropped me.'
It wouldn't hurt to be careful.
"Chirp! Chirp. Chirp! (Get down! Whoa, heavy! I'm gonna break my back!)"
'How heavy could I possibly be?'
"My dad said I'm as light as a feather!"
'Even though his hands were trembling... but I know now that it wasn't because I was heavy!'
I couldn't take this bird's whining anymore, so I got down and snapped back. The bird just laughed, all hissy like air leaking out.
"Chirp chirp. (Your dad's a bit of a storyteller, huh?)"
"No, he's not! My dad doesn't exaggerate!"
"Chirp chirp chirp, chirp! (Sure, sure, whatever you say.)"
This bird was being such a pain, I really wanted to smack it, but I couldn't.
'If I hit this thing, it would be animal abuse.'
I'm the bigger person, so I decided to let it slide.
'Let's just give it the fruit and get rid of it.'
"Here, hong fruit."
I gave it the fruit, like it asked, but the bird just stared at it, looking all confused, not even touching it.
'I practically killed myself getting this fruit, and you're not gonna eat it?'
"Why aren't you eating?"
"Chirp. (I can't eat it like this.)"
"Why?"
'Do I have to peel it for you? Talk about high-maintenance.'
I was actually thinking about peeling it when the bird finally spoke up.
"Chirp chirp chirp. (I can only eat food if someone, like, prays over it for me.)"
'It can't eat food unless it's given with prayer? It's like some kind of ritual.'
"Then you can't just eat anything you want."
'So that's why it was just looking at the hong fruit.'
"Does it have something to do with you being see-through?"
"Chirp chirp. (It's better for you not to know.)"
"Why?"
At my question, the transparent messenger bird's expression darkened.
"Chirp chirp chirp chirp. Chirp. (If you knew everything, you'd be scared of me and ditch me. Like everyone else who ever knew the real me.)"
'Is it because its body is transparent? It seems to have suffered a lot of discrimination.'
I know that feeling well.
'I was always alone because I was from an orphanage. Even adults avoided me.'
It was a memory from a past life that was already over, but recalling those moments still left a bitter taste in my mouth.
"Don't worry. I wouldn't be scared, even if you were a ghost."
"Chirp chirp? (How can you be so sure about that?)"
"Ah, you know, right? You came to me as soon as I regained my memories. I'm already in my second life. I've experienced death once, and I've just seen a bird talking right in front of me, what else could even phase me?"
"......"
The transparent messenger bird, who had been chattering non-stop, fell silent with an expression I couldn't read.
'Is it going to cry?'
Having no experience in comforting crying birds, I quickly changed the subject before the transparent messenger bird started to cry.
"Anyway, for the prayer thing, don't you need a name? What's yours?"
"Chirp? (Bird?)"
"That's not a name, that's what you are."
It seemed the transparent messenger bird didn't have a name yet.
"Alright, since you saved my butt, I'll give you a name. Let's see... what's a good one?"
As I pondered while looking at the transparent messenger bird, I came up with a good name.
"Okay, you chirp making 'Bbi-bbi' sounds. How about Bbi-bbi?"
"Chirp? (Are you kidding me?)"
Bbi-bbi seemed pretty stoked about the name.
"You like it too, huh? Alright, let's do this prayer thing."
"Chirp! (Are you serious? You've gotta be the most shameless person ever.)"
"And I've never met a bird that talks as much smack as you."
"Ch... Chirp! (W-Well, I am a bit good at talking.)"
'Why's it taking that seriously? Wait, is it actually blushing?'
It wasn't my intention, but with just one compliment, Bbi-bbi, who had been angry, became quiet.
'Finally, we can get this prayer thing going.'
I placed the hong fruit in front of Bbi-bbi and put my hands together neatly.
"Please let Bbi-bbi really enjoy this fruit."
Then, as if my prayer worked, the hong fruit turned transparent.
'Amazing.'
"Chirp! (Hong fruit!)"
Bbi-bbi happily pecked at the hong fruit.
"I'm glad you like it."
"Byeol-ah, what are you up to?"
I was happily watching the transparent messenger bird eating the hong fruit when I heard my dad's voice.
"Ah, Dad!"
I jumped in front of the bird, trying to hide it.
"It sounded like you were talking to someone, but you were alone?"
"Yeah, I was looking at the hong fruit tree. The hong fruits looked so delicious."
Just then, Bbi-bbi flapped its wings and flew towards Dad.
'That bird...!'
I was mentally cursing at Bbi-bbi with my eyes, but Dad didn't seem to react in any special way.
"Chirp chirp! (Your face! Priceless! Anyway, nobody else can see or hear me.)"
'You could've mentioned that a little earlier!'
"Chirp chirp chirp chirp! (Heh heh heh!)"
Bbi-bbi laughed mischievously and suddenly flew away somewhere.
"Our little Byeol thought the fruit looked yummy? Then Daddy's gotta pick them for you."
I was blankly staring at Bbi-bbi disappearing into the distance when Dad lowered himself to my eye level.
'I feel a bit sorry for lying to Dad.'
But if I told Dad the truth, he wouldn't let me go near the front door, let alone the Demonic Cult.
"Dad, you're so cool!"
"...Should I just rip the whole tree out and bring it to you?"
I said it because I was grateful that Dad always thought of me first, but that one word seemed to make Dad very happy.
'Like, he could actually pull up a whole tree. No, seriously, he probably could.'
"No, then the tree will hurt. I don't want that."
"Okay, okay, my bad. I won't do anything you don't like."
'Phew, that's a relief.'
"You must be tired from all those books. Go inside and chill. I'll get the fruit."
"Okay!"
I was already exhausted from climbing the tree, so I obediently went into the bedroom.
"Wait a minute...."
But there was one thing that bothered me.
"Wait, didn't he just say I was tired from reading?"
* * *
Hwi surveyed his surroundings and approached the hong fruit tree.
'I need to get this done quickly when no one is watching. I should make it as weak as possible so Byeol-ie doesn't notice.'
"Light Force Dispersion!"
As Hwi spread his hand, countless purple needles that appeared from nowhere instantly covered the hong fruit tree.
With a BOOM, the fruit all came crashing down, piling up like a mountain under the tree.
"Dad, didn't you hear thunder in the yard just now?"
'Was that too loud?'
Cheon-seong's footsteps, sounding surprised by the loud noise, gradually approached Hwi.
Hwi spread his hand and quickly collected the needles stuck in the ground.
"Dad, didn't lightning strike our yard? Are you okay?"
Cheon-seong barely made it out to the yard in time.
"Looks like lightning hit the fruit tree. All the fruit's on the ground."
"But wouldn't lightning, like, fry the fruit?"
Cheon-seong questioned, looking at the brightly colored hong fruits.
'It's a pain when your kid's too smart for their own good.'
"The heavens must've heard you wanted some fruit. And since you're scared of lightning, let's eat some and you can cuddle up with Daddy tonight."
Hwi picked up a few hong fruits, handed them to Cheon-seong, and then hugged Cheon-seong and went back into the bedroom.
"Okay!"
Fortunately, it seemed he had succeeded in diverting Cheon-seong's attention.
'Phew, I think I got away with it somehow. I need to be more careful next time.'
But there was someone watching Hwi, who was relieved, with an unusual gaze.
It was Cheon-seong.
'How is he this obvious, and I never noticed? It's a miracle he hasn't been found out.'
The same situation, but father and daughter were thinking completely different things.
* * *
'I never got to ask Dad about the books, after all.'
But if he had noticed something, he would have tried to overprotect me more, but there was nothing particularly different from usual.
'He's actually been buying all these hard books at the market. No idea why he's suddenly so into them... is this, like, that 'early education' thing?'
Those books he got? Yeah, they're mostly good for pillows and propping up pots.
At that moment, a familiar chirping sound was heard.
"Chirp chirp! (What's eating you?)"
It was the transparent messenger bird. This bird had been visiting me often when Dad was away since I picked the hong fruits for it.
'It's probably coming to eat hong fruits, right?'
Thanks to Dad picking plenty of hong fruits, Bbi-bbi could feast to its heart's content every time it came.
"I can't figure out how to get to the Demonic Cult with Dad watching me like a hawk."
"Chirp chirp. Chirp chirp chirp. (Don't be in such a hurry. Everything happens when it's supposed to. For now, why not work on building up your strength?)"
"Even if I started training right now, it wouldn't be enough to get into the Cult."
"Chirp chirp chirp. Chirp. (I'm not talking about getting into the Cult, I'm talking about getting to it. You gotta be able to run if you run into some wild animals, right?)"
"...There are wild animals?"
"Dude, where else would wild animals live?"
'Wild animals... hadn't even crossed my mind.'
Getting to the Cult is way more hardcore than I thought.
'I can't get eaten by some beast before I even reach the Cult. Good thing Dad's gone to the market.'
"So, is there anywhere around here I can, like, train?"
At my question, the transparent messenger bird answered confidently.
"Chirp chirp. (I know the perfect place.)"
A little while later, I was lost.
"You didn't say it was gonna be a freakin' maze! You little..."
Lost in some mountain maze.
