Episode 8
Knock knock! Coming in!
I finally woke up after being out sick for three days straight. The face I saw as soon as I opened my eyes was…
“Dad…?”
It was Dad.
“Byeol-ah, are you awake now?”
‘Dad really did find me.’
"I'll go get the doctor."
Even though he was clearly worried, when I called out to Dad, he immediately stopped and turned back to me.
"Yes?"
"I messed up, I'm sorry."
“……”
"You told me to stay home until you got back from the market, but I went up the mountain anyway, even though I promised I wouldn't."
‘You must've had a hard time finding me.’
Dad looked way more tired than he did a few days ago.
“And thank you, for finding me.”
As soon as I finished speaking, Dad strode back and hugged me tightly.
"I'm just thankful you're safe. That's all that matters."
When Dad hugged me, it finally hit me that I was home safe, and I almost started crying.
"Okay, you've been sick for three days straight, you need to eat something. What do you feel like eating, Byeol?"
‘What I want to eat most when I’m sick is…’
"I want some of your porridge!"
"Alright, I'll go make your favorite porridge. You just rest."
"Okay!"
Dad looked like he was in a hurry as he left.
‘Now I have a family that takes care of me when I'm sick.’
Just knowing that made me feel better already.
A little later, Dad returned with the doctor, carrying steaming porridge.
"Your fever's almost gone, and you're looking much better. Just take your medicine after you eat, and you'll be all better in no time."
"Byeol-ah, the doctor said you need to take your medicine after you eat, so let's get some food in you."
‘I hate the medicine here because it’s bitter…’
Back in my past life, I could just take a pill, but here, they make the medicine by hand, and it's all super bitter.
"Dad, I think I'm completely fine now. I don't think I need any medicine..."
"Let's see."
Thump.
Before I could stop him, Dad’s forehead touched my forehead.
"You've still got a bit of a fever. You need the medicine to get rid of it."
"But that stuff is so bitter!"
"How about this: if you take the medicine, I'll give you some of that sugar candy you like."
"That's not fair! You're bribing me with candy!"
I know what you're doing, but I can't say no to that.
"Okay… I’ll eat it."
"That's my girl."
I was annoyed that I fell for it, but when Dad stroked my head, I couldn't stay mad.
"Then let’s eat porridge now. Ah!”
As if he had been waiting, Dad brought a spoonful of porridge to my mouth.
I mean, I didn't think anything of it before, but now that I know this is my second life, it's kind of embarrassing to have Dad feed me.
“I, I can eat it myself.”
"Don't you want me to feed you?"
Dad looked really sad.
‘He’s going to cry if I don’t eat it.’
"No, it's not that! I love you!"
When I said that, Dad went right back to his normal, happy self.
"Alright, here comes the super-powered porridge! Open wide!"
"What? Is this some kind of martial arts airplane thing?"
I stared at the spoon tapping at my lips, then closed my eyes tight and opened my mouth.
‘Might as well get this over with.’
"Wow, you're really putting that away!"
Dad looked really happy, probably thinking I was just starving.
"Now that she's awake, you should get some rest too, sir. You haven't slept a wink since she's been sick, have you?"
"Dad, is that true?"
At my worried question, Dad glared at the doctor with sharper eyes.
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Haha, I'll let you two eat in peace."
The doctor, clearly intimidated by Dad's glare, opened the door to leave,
"Huh? What's this doing here...?"
"What is it?"
At Dad’s question, the doctor carefully picked something up from the wooden floor.
"There's a rare herb on the floor here. It's called Shinseoncho. It's super rare and really good for fever and energy. I can't imagine who would leave something like this, that you can barely find once a year on the cliffs of Sibman Mountain, right outside the door!"
I accidentally glanced at the herb in the doctor's hand and did a double-take.
‘Wait, are those feathers on the herb?’
The feathers were clear, like Bbibbi's, so I guess Dad and the doctor couldn't see them.
‘Did Bbibbi bring this?’
He probably kept coming by while I was sick, so he must've known something was up.
‘Maybe he's not a totally useless bird after all.’
"This is perfect! We can use this to make your medicine today."
The doctor, thrilled to have found such a rare herb, rushed off to make the medicine.
‘Being stuck in the mountains was terrifying, but I guess Bbibbi didn't mean to do it, so I'll let it slide.’
However, my good feelings towards Bbibbi didn’t last long.
"Ugh... this is awful!"
The medicine made with Shinseoncho was the most disgusting thing ever, way worse than the usual stuff. And Bbibbi kept bringing it every single day while I was stuck inside, then disappearing.
When I saw another bowl of that nasty medicine, I crawled out to the porch like a zombie and yelled at the sky,
"Stop it!! I can't take any more!!"
* * *
That Shinseoncho stuff was powerful.
‘The doctor said it'd take at least a week to recover, but I was up and running in four days. It tasted horrible, but it definitely worked.’
But Bbibbi, the one who brought it, hasn't been around lately.
He's probably feeling guilty.
‘Okay, now that I'm better, I need to figure out how to get to the Demonic Cult. How am I going to get away?’
Dad hasn't even gone to the market since I got sick.
‘I really screwed myself over.’
Since it looked like that wasn't happening anytime soon, I went out to the garden to clear my head.
"Dad, the carrots are getting huge!"
Dad came over from the porch and crouched down next to me.
"They're ready to be picked!"
"Let's make something with them for dinner!"
Dad, who usually does anything I ask, got really quiet.
"Sorry, sweetie, but we can't do that right now."
‘You always say yes, what's wrong?’
"Why?"
At my question, Dad carefully wiped my hands, which were covered in dirt from touching the carrots, with a handkerchief and continued speaking.
"I have to go away for a little while for work. You'll have to stay at Ikseon's place while I'm gone."
‘Wait a second, I know where this is going!’
"How long?"
"I'll be back in seven days."
"Seven days, that's cutting it close..."
But it was still hopeful news for me.
"Are you going to be okay without me for that long?"
"No, I'll be fine! Really! I can handle it!"
‘I’ve been waiting for this day!’
"…You sure you're okay with this?"
Dad somehow didn’t seem okay.
"I'll miss you, of course, but it's for work, so I'll be okay for seven days. But you have to promise we'll cook something with the carrots when you get back!"
"Let’s do that."
Dad seemed relieved after I acted a little sad, so I looked under the porch.
That's where I stashed my bag.
Finally, the time has come.
* * *
"Everyone's asleep, right?"
I checked on Ikseon again.
He was out cold.
I quietly grabbed my bag and slipped outside.
Dad left me at Ikseon's like he promised.
‘He's probably taken his sleeping medicine and passed out by now.’
In the original story, Dad's insomnia got worse and worse until he couldn't even function without stronger and stronger medicine.
And the stronger the medicine, the more time his body needed to recover.
So when he took the sleeping pills, he'd leave me at Ikseon's and sleep it off with a barrier around his place.
‘I feel bad that me getting sick probably made Dad's insomnia worse, but this is the perfect chance to sneak off to the Demonic Cult! I'll just find a way to cure him later, right?’
I stepped into the yard and tried to jump over the wall all cool and dramatic, like this was my big escape, but I'm too short, so it didn't exactly work out.
‘Not exactly the epic escape I pictured, but whatever.’
"Demonic Cult, here I come!"
I psyched myself up and stepped out of Ikseon's gate,
I felt someone behind me.
