Chapter 132
Chapter 132: Poison Demon and Christmas (3)
One of the things that surprised me here was goldfish.
They were smaller than I expected.
I'd gone to the supermarket with Mom and spotted goldfish at the pet corner, and I was genuinely taken aback.
"Mom. They're selling baby goldfish."
"No, those are fully grown."
"They're only the size of a finger? Normally they'd easily clear the size of a palm."
The Gangho of my past life.
The pond at the Sacheondang Family's estate was filled with goldfish nearly the size of forearms. Sometimes Golden Poison would splash right into the pond, and the goldfish and carp would scatter in a panic.
And yet these finger-sized ones were fully grown?
I found it curious enough to look into.
‘Ah. Goldfish grow to match the size of their tank.’
How fascinating.
A large tank was essential for raising healthy goldfish. Goldfish growing in a small tank grow proportionally less. Their heads can also become relatively oversized, distorting their whole form.
‘So that's how it works.’
A sudden memory surfaced—the day I was dragged from the Sacheondang Family to Demon Wind Manor. The first day I'd truly felt, 'The world is this vast'.
* * *
I checked out of the hotel, gathered my things, and headed into the Poison Herb Field.
"Hey. Is everyone doing well?"
They were building a Christmas tree inside the Poison Herb Field.
Today was Christmas Eve.
"Boss!"
Omar, who had been supervising the human Cattle, bowed at the waist when he saw me.
A Christmas tree inside a Poison Herb Field.
It sounded like it wouldn't work, but the results turned out more impressive than expected. It was a simple task—hanging ornaments on a tree barely shoulder-height on an adult man. Yet with all those refrigerator-sized men crowding around it, the sight was quite comical.
"All that's left is to light it up."
Using an Artificial Dantian as a battery, they connected it, and Omar held out a switch to me.
"Ahem."
I took the switch.
Everyone's eyes turned to me.
They looked expectant.
"Let us begin. O God of Gangho, please look kindly upon me alone."
Click.
I pressed the button, and the lights hanging from the tree began to twinkle.
"It's beautiful."
"Omar, hand them out."
"Yes, sir."
It was time for the Christmas gift ceremony.
Omar distributed the pre-prepared Bungeoppang, one piece to each of them.
[The human Cattle tremble their lips, crying out, ‘A taste from the heavens!’ +50 Happiness]
The moved bunch.
The newcomer who had been racist toward me was even sobbing with tears.
Tears of emotion, right?
Quietly, they began to sing.
Solemn, weighty voices.
"Baby shark, doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo—."
I turned to Omar, baffled.
"……Is that a carol?"
"It's the only K-pop they all have memorized. They said they prepared a Korean song to sing for you."
Good grief.
I'd grown fond of these guys from seeing them so often.
‘I shouldn't have grown fond of them……’
"Give them each one more bungeoppang."
"Yes, Boss."
[The human Cattle bow their heads at their master's consideration. +50 Happiness]
Ahh.
A beautiful Christmas.
I had also gathered plenty of Green Soul Water, made using the Green Soul Vessel I had won at the French Black Market auction. I had used the Three-Extremes Refining Furnace to craft elixir pills, and the remaining Green Soul Water was sprinkled evenly over the herb garden. The expansion of the Poison Herb Field was progressing well.
Originally I had thought about having these guys help me make the secret red bean filling for Bungeoppang, but I changed my mind.
These were men who had never done a single good thing in their lives. So if herbs grew in the fields they had tilled, and those herbs became medicine to save the world—at the very least, wouldn't these men be spreading just a little happiness into the world?
Work hard.
My little umba-rumbas.
* * *
The newcomer to the Poison Herb Field who had been racist toward me—
I lightly fed him some Gu Poison and then released him.
"Live a good life. Forget about me."
"……."
The man stood there with a blank expression.
I gave him a couple of pats on the shoulder and headed to Min-jeong's place.
I met Bo-reum.
"Where's Min-jeong?"
"Looks like École de Cuisine is insanely busy with Christmas coming up."
Right, with it being peak season for chocolate demand.
Since École de Cuisine had made the news for some unpleasant business, apparently they were mass-producing chocolate and giving it away for free.
"A late regret, I see."
"She'll be here soon. We agreed to have dinner together this evening."
Tonight's dinner was the five of us—me, Bo-reum, Min-jeong, Chief Han, and Im Ye-rin. We had agreed to gather for dinner that Min-jeong's mother would prepare.
I hadn't wanted Chief Han to know about the people around me. And yet she had already grown quite close to Bo-reum, hadn't she? Apparently Bo-reum had invited her.
"Hey, what will Min-jeong's mother think? How could you invite someone she doesn't know?"
"Mom said she wanted it to be lively. And Director Hwang said yes right away too."
‘Of course she did.’
Chief Han was itching to investigate the people around me.
"By the way, Oppa, I passed 300,000!"
Bo-reum proudly showed me her NuTube subscriber count.
"That's because of me, isn't it?"
"It is. Thank you."
She admitted it without a fight.
My mouth, which had been bracing for a counterattack, felt embarrassed.
Bo-reum was wrapping something.
"What's that?"
"Don't look. It's a present."
"Hmph."
"Don't you have a present, Oppa?"
"I am the present. What more do you need?"
"You're so funny."
Bo-reum stuck out her lip.
"Ah, Mom called."
It was a video call.
Through the screen, Mom waved cheerfully with a wide smile.
—Bo-reum. Oh, Tae-yang is there too.
I had already let her know through Bo-reum's phone in a previous call that I was in France.
"Mom, Bo-reum is gaining weight well."
—Ha ha ha. This kid—what kind of older brother keeps teasing his little sister like that?
"Right! Mom, I genuinely wonder if he's really my oppa sometimes."
"It's because she's pretty. Since she's putting on weight."
Bo-reum shot me a glare at that.
—Doesn't it seem like there's trouble in France? Are you both alright?
"Yes. We're doing well."
—And Bo-reum's school?
"It still hasn't opened. I'm starting to think I should just quit."
—Just hold on a little longer.
"Hiiing! Mom, I want to eat doenjang jjigae."
"Mom, don't worry about Bo-reum. She's growing diligently."
—Alright. Listen to your oppa and study hard and cheerfully. Tae-yang, when are you coming back?
"I'll be home before the New Year."
—Okay. Take care.
"Yes. Please give my regards to Father."
‘It was a relief.’
My parents back in Korea were doing fine.
Suddenly, I felt a pang of wanting to see them.
[Kim Tae-yang says ‘Me too’. +1 Happiness]
When the time came, everyone gathered.
Chief Han came wearing a Human Skin Mask.
If Bo-reum, Min-jeong, and her mother knew Chief Han's real identity, they'd fall over in shock.
"Wow!"
"I set out a proper royal spread."
Min-jeong's mother had laid out a table that would buckle under the weight.
We all stuffed ourselves generously.
"It's truly delicious. Ma'am."
Chief Han rubbed her full belly and marveled.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it."
"It reminded me of my late mother's cooking."
Even though she was meeting Min-jeong's mother for the first time today, she smiled warmly and said it with complete ease.
Im Ye-rin. Chief Han.
They were completely different from the images I had of them normally.
‘Was this their true nature?’
It was definitely something to observe over time.
Bo-reum handed out the gifts she had prepared.
"Oh my, thank you."
Inside a neatly ribbon-tied box were photos Bo-reum had taken here and there over time, together with frames.
"When did you even take this?"
"Lovely, right, Unni Ye-rin?"
"Thank you, Bo-reum."
As for my photo—my expression was contorted.
It was a photo from just after we first met in Paris, when I had scrunched my face after hearing her say the word ‘shit’ during her live broadcast.
"Why do I look like this?"
"Show a bit more warmth to your one and only little sister."
"That's right. Kim Tae-yang."
"Agreed. Tae-yang-ssi."
‘Well, well. The Kim Bo-reum Virus apparently hasn't faded yet.’
Chief Han and Im Ye-rin handed out gifts they had bought from various places, one by one.
"We prepared them together."
"These are designer!"
They were cold-weather items—scarves, neck warmers, gloves and the like.
"My, something this expensive."
"The royal spread today was the finest I've had."
Everyone's eyes turned to me.
"Don't you have anything?"
"Our oppa says he himself is the present."
"Ugh! Are there still people who say things like that these days?"
I watched Im Ye-rin pretending to gag.
The message the Choi Brothers had secretly relayed to me,
[It seems like she might be a spy.]
The reason they had specifically sent Im Ye-rin to me wasn't simply because I was acquainted with her.
‘Keep friends close.’
‘Keep enemies closer’. I had taught them that myself.
"Why are you staring so hard?"
"Looks like he's about to confess."
"More pointless nonsense."
I waved my hand and distributed my gift.
It was the ‘Nameless Hero Doll’ I had seen in front of the Louvre.
"Ah! I said I didn't need this."
"Isn't it wonderful? And a gift is something you give because you want to."
"A gift should be something the other person wants to receive!"
"That's a bribe."
Last was Min-jeong's turn.
"Time for the dessert course I've prepared."
Min-jeong placed a single chocolate on each of the pretty plates and passed them around.
"Now, Min-jeong-style chocolate omakase begins."
I immediately popped mine into my mouth.
Mmm.
[It melts gently on the tongue. +5 Happiness]
The best!
Everyone was exclaiming in delight, but Chief Han alone hadn't eaten hers.
Min-jeong asked her.
"Director Hwang, aren't you eating?"
"Ah, I appreciate it, but I'm quite full."
"There's always a separate stomach for dessert."
"And I don't really care for sweet things. Ha ha."
At that, Min-jeong tilted her head and said,
"Oh my, that's surprising. You seem like someone who would absolutely love sweet things."
"Me?"
"Yes. The perfume you're wearing, Director Hwang—it's lilac, isn't it? That's quite a sweet fragrance."
Chief Han lifted her wrist and sniffed.
"Is it? So this was a sweet scent."
‘As they say, people don't know what it is they love.’
Min-jeong smiled and offered it again.
"You're worried about gaining weight, aren't you? From the way you carry yourself, you clearly exercise. Don't worry—my chocolate doesn't even make you gain weight."
‘As if that could be true.’
Gaslighted by Min-jeong's chocolate charm, Chief Han popped the chocolate into her mouth and her eyes flew wide open.
"Good heavens!"
And then she looked at me.
With a look of puzzled realization—it seemed she was being reminded of the chocolate I had fed her when she was locked up in the Poison Herb Field.
"What is it?"
"Ah, nothing."
Chief Han, marveling at the taste, quietly asked Min-jeong,
"Excuse me, Min-jeong. Do you happen to have mint chocolate?"
At those words, Min-jeong's expression turned gravely serious.
"Here at École de Cuisine, as an orthodox faction, we do not deal in mint."
Ohh.
……So mint chocolate was the unorthodox path?
Heh heh heh.
In true omakase fashion, chocolates kept coming out on the plates one after another.
Everyone devoured them ravenously.
Far better than I had expected.
It was an enjoyable time.
[Kim Tae-yang mutters, ‘Nice to see’. +10 Happiness]
The party came to an end.
Im Ye-rin said she had things to take care of and got up first, exchanging a warm farewell with Chief Han.
Chief Han was apparently flying back to Korea that evening.
"Director Han……."
"We'll meet again in Korea."
"Really? We can see each other again, right?"
"I gave you my number. Call me anytime."
"Sniff."
Im Ye-rin even welled up with tears before saying her goodbyes and heading out.
I waited for a gap in the moment and pulled Bo-reum aside to hand her the gift I had prepared.
"What's this?"
"Open it later. Congratulations on 300,000."
It was a camera.
The one all the successful NuTubers apparently had.
[Bo-reum.
My lovely little goldfish who grew in a small tank.
I'll let you grow in the wide river called the world.
Grow beautifully.
Unlike us, who have been warped—you alone should bloom fragrant and strong.]
[Kim Tae-yang smiles gently. +100 Happiness]
We exchanged farewells.
Min-jeong and her mother agreed to meet in Korea once graduation came around.
I was to drive Chief Han directly to the airport.
"I can just take a taxi."
"Would you like to do that?"
"I don't think I'll find one."
‘The level of nonchalance on this woman has risen considerably through all these incidents.’
"Why are you in such a hurry to leave?"
"Father's summons."
"The Minister?"
"There's a lot to do back in Korea. The Nameless Hero will be returning, so I need to go to Korea first and prepare."
"Master didn't say anything about going to Korea."
At that, Chief Han stared at me steadily as I drove.
"You'll be coming."
"……."
"I believe it."
I said nothing.
Chief Han broke the heaviness of the mood by bringing up something else.
"Isn't Bo-reum genuinely fun? When I'm with her, it feels like I've turned into a little kid myself—laughing and chatting all over the place."
"She is a little kid."
"Ha ha ha. She's someone who truly makes people happy. How does she radiate such bright and positive energy?"
"What you might call the Kim Bo-reum Viru—."
"It's all thanks to Tae-yang."
"……?"
Chief Han leaned her head lightly against the window and said,
"A caring, wonderful, reliable older brother. Bathed in Tae-yang's energy—just like the name—she shines like a full moon. In a word……you might say the Kim Tae-yang Virus?"
For a moment, I couldn't say anything.
We arrived at the airport.
She slung a single backpack over her shoulder and stepped out.
I followed her out and held out a paper bag.
"What's this?"
"For you. A gift."
Rustle.
"It's a baguette."
"A baguette suits Paris."
"I don't like hard things."
"You will."
"Oh? Says who?"
"I'll be going."
I got back in the car and drove off.
* * *
Chief Han stood there holding a single baguette, watching the departing car for a while—then parted her lips slightly and took a bite.
Crunch.
Inside the baguette was a generous filling of the sweet chocolate Min-jeong had made.
Pfft.
"……It's exactly like him."
This time, she bit off a full mouthful.
CRUNCH!
* * *
[Chief Han conveys, ‘Merry Christmas, Tae-yang-ssi’. +30 Happiness]
[Bo-reum cries out, ‘Brand new! This is expensive! Kyaah!’ +50 Happiness]
I looked at the messages and grinned.
Then I stretched myself out with a long groan.
"Ugh, I've been thinking way too many pointless thoughts lately."
Time to take it easy from here.
Time to shake off the tension and push forward again, full force.
"This is all your fault, Kim Tae-yang. Your pathetic man virus has infected me!"
[Kim Tae-yang says, ‘W, what did I do?’ in disbelief. +1 Happiness]
Heh heh heh.
[Kim Tae-yang asks, ‘What do you mean by taking it easy?’ +1 Happiness]
‘Curious? Watch and find out.’
"Now! Time to go home."
Christmas.
All the gifts had been delivered.
To the people I cherish.
To France as well.
"There's going to be another uproar in France tomorrow. Heh heh."
Only one place remained.
"I've already thought of the gift I'll bring to Korea."
[Tower Affiliation Transfer Ticket]
You may change your affiliated tower.
—Current Affiliated Tower: France.
[Please select the tower you wish to change to.]
"Japan."
Points to consume: 10,000,000 Happiness Points.
[This is a change outside the tower entry period. Your location will be moved to the vicinity of Japan's Murim Tower.]
Even after spending 10 million points, well over 100 million remained.
Whoosh.
For a moment I felt as though I were being pulled into a void—and then I was transported directly near Japan's Murim Tower.
"Konnichiwa. Japan."
Due to the time difference from France, it was the small hours of the morning in Japan.
The streets were deserted.
I raised my head and looked at the clock on the Murim Tower.
[1 Year : 3 Months : 8 Days……]
Cunning as ever—Japan had been climbing diligently, stopping the frozen month of time precisely whenever they successfully cleared one floor.
Compared to other nations, there was still some time to spare.
"I'll use the Tower Affiliation Transfer Ticket again."
[Tower Affiliation Transfer Ticket]
You may change your affiliated tower.
—Current Affiliated Tower: Japan.
[Please select the tower you wish to change to.]
"Republic of Korea."
[Please select one of the following two options to consume.]
1. Happiness Points 10,000,000
2. 1 year from the remaining time of your current affiliated tower
"1 year."
[The remaining time of Japan's Murim Tower decreases by 1 year.]
1 Year : 3 Months → 0 Years : 3 Months
"Sayonara. Japan."
This was more than enough as a gift for Korea.
‘Taking it easy.’
‘As befits the Poison Demon.’