Crackle-
I gazed listlessly at the clothes torn by Yeoreum.
It felt empty to lose two of my favorite outfits like this.
It was odd to have preferences over mere clothes, but I couldn't help it.
The two outfits I lost today were special ones I had been wearing since my original world.
"Cough."
Losing one was one thing, but both at the same time was just too much.
My body, drained by despair, collapsed forward.
Splash-!
My lightweight body bobbed on the pond like a buoy.
Opening my eyes underwater, I saw a flounder sticking to the bottom.
You guys seem so peaceful.
I muttered my dissatisfaction internally, but deep down, I knew.
Clothes were consumable items that had to be discarded eventually.
Maybe my behavior was just a childish tantrum, a tantrum I could show because I had become comfortable with Yeoreum. If she had been a truly scary person, I wouldn't have been able to complain like this.
Gurgle-
To think I'd become so relaxed around someone.
Even losing my clothes didn't feel like a loss.
After all, they were items meant to be discarded eventually.
'I still have a few things from my original world.'
I shouldn't be too heartbroken.
As I gathered my thoughts and tried to stand up,
I felt someone's hand wrapping around my waist.
"Gy–Gyeoul..."
Upon hearing Yeoreum's voice, my body was jolted awake.
Rubbing my eyes and wiping away the water, I saw Yeoreum with an apologetic expression.
Did she enter the pond because of me?
I couldn't help but feel more sorry.
"Sorry, I must have shocked you by tearing your clothes so suddenly."
"No, I wasn't that shocked."
"Is–is that so...?"
"Yes. I was just sad to lose two outfits at once."
I said, crawling out of the pond.
Thanks to Yeoreum lifting me up, I could easily climb out without relying on the walls.
'How did it split perfectly in half?'
The top was divided exactly into left and right halves.
I wondered how wringing out water could do this.
Holding the two pieces of my split outfit, Yeoreum tapped my shoulder.
"I'll buy you new clothes."
"It's okay. They were all old clothes anyway."
"But I still feel bad. It's clearly my fault this time, so don't refuse and just accept it, okay?"
"Alright..."
Exchanging old clothes for new ones wasn't a bad deal.
I nodded at Yeoreum while holding the torn outfit, perhaps if I patched it up well, it could be used like the original.
"By the way, Sophia."
"Hmm...?"
"Did you see anyone stealing Gyeoul's clothes?"
At Yeoreum's question, Sophia, who had been quietly watching us, shrugged.
She seemed unsure as well.
"My physical abilities are lower than that of an average human. I won't be able to help in that aspect."
"…I see."
Are they trying to find the person who stole my clothes?
I agreed with the sentiment, but first, I needed to mend my torn clothes.
But before even that, I had to hang the laundry.
"I have urgent business, so I'll go ahead!"
✧✧✧✧✧
Back at the container house, I quickly hung the laundry and started patching up the clothes with thread and tape.
Around that time, Sophia entered the container house.
"Why did you rush off alone in such a hurry?"
"I'm trying to mend my clothes."
I showed Sophia the tattered top.
Though crudely connected with thread and tape, it still somewhat functioned as clothing.
"Are you seriously planning to wear that?"
"Yes. It's my favorite outfit."
"No matter how much you like it…"
Sophia sighed and took the clothes I offered.
There might be glimpses of skin through the torn parts, but I didn't really care.
"I'm sorry. A friend gave it to me as a gift."
"…A friend? You had friends?"
"Ye–yes…?"
What does she think of people?
Even I had friends.
Of course, that was in my previous life, not now.
"Right. I heard Gyeoul has friends."
Yeoreum entered the container.
In her hand was a black bag, emitting the distinct fishy smell of seafood.
"Ye–yes. I really do have friends…"
"Right. You said you'd introduce them to me."
Introducing friends from another world.
If dimensions were connected like in Sophia's world, it might be possible.
I thought of my friends comfortably living in another dimension and swiftly changed the subject.
"But, what's that in your hand? It smells like fish."
"Oh, this? It's flounder sashimi. Gyeoul was just looking at a flounder in the water."
How did she know I was looking at a flounder?
Where did she get the sashimi from?
As I pondered, Yeoreum placed the sashimi on a table set up in one corner of the container.
"Isn't flounder sashimi expensive?"
"Not really. We raise them in the pond."
"Ah…"
It was the same one I saw in the water.
Maybe she asked a chef in the building to prepare it.
"Gyeoul, let's eat this with me. Sophia, come over too."
"Hmm…"
If she had bought it herself, I might have hesitated, but since it was raised in the pond, there was no harm in eating it.
I sat down at the table, my salivary glands stimulated.
"But does Gyeoul know how to eat sashimi?"
"Yes. I've eaten a lot of raw fish before."
"Oh…"
Yeoreum sat down, glancing at me curiously.
I couldn't understand why she suddenly gave me that look.
"Eating it raw, just like that…?"
Do they see me as some kind of barbarian?
I wanted to deny it, but in reality, there were a few times I had done just that.
"Just a few times."
"Quite wild indeed."
Sophia, expressing her astonishment, took a seat beside me.
I was called a barbarian just because I had to eat raw because of my extreme hunger.
My lips pouted in dissatisfaction.
"But I mostly ate them cooked."
Especially freshwater fish, because of the risk of parasites, I only ate them cooked.
I mostly ate seawater fish raw.
I wanted to explain this to Sophia, but before I could, she patted my back, stopping me.
"That's good."
Pat-pat
Sophia's gesture was devoid of any malice.
Feeling somewhat stifled, I decided to focus on the flounder sashimi.
'It's been a long time since I had sashimi.'
Why does the unique fishy smell feel so good?
Feeling the tail swaying freely, I noticed something orange placed beside the sashimi.
'Huh?'
There were clusters of orange granules.
They had no smell when I sniffed them.
Just fish roe?
Unable to contain my curiosity, I scooped up a bunch of the orange beads with my chopsticks.
"Gyeoul, that's—Oh no—!"
Before she could finish her sentence, I shoved the orange beads into my mouth.
And immediately regretted my action.
"—!"
Spicy.
My nose stung, and tears welled up unwillingly.
"Uaaaah."
That's wasabi.
But why is the wasabi orange?
In unbearable pain, I grabbed my head and let out a small scream.
"Here, spit it out quickly."
Sophia reached out her hand towards my mouth.
But I couldn't just spit out the food into her hand.
I knew it was extremely rude to spit food into someone's hand.
"Uuuu…"
Don't chew, just swallow.
I closed my eyes tightly, clutched my nose, and swallowed the wasabi in one go.
"Gy-Gyeoul! If you swallow that…!"
Yeoreum handed me a cup of water.
Drinking it a few times made me feel a bit better.
Phew.
I thought I was going to die.
I gasped for air, clutching the empty cup.
"Sophia, is Gyeoul going to be okay?"
"She'll be fine. The stomachs of a beast-kin are tougher than humans."
"That's–that's a relief..."
Yeoreum caressed my cheek.
Her touch was gentle, like a doctor checking a patient.
"Gyeoul must be new to horseradish."
"..."
It goes without saying, but it wasn't my first time with wasabi.
It was just my first time with orange wasabi.
What kind of wasabi is orange?
Embarrassed at having hastily eaten something without knowing, I looked down at the floor.
My face burned with shame.
"I should have explained better, I'm sorry."
"No, it's okay..."
Yeoreum chuckled and pushed the flounder sashimi towards me.
"Gyeoul seems unfamiliar with a lot of foods. From now on, it would be better to ask me before eating something you haven't seen before."
"Ask you...?"
Treating me like an ignoramus?
I felt wronged, but it wasn't exactly incorrect.
I was indeed ignorant about the culinary culture of this world.
"Yes. There are quite a few foods that can be dangerous if eaten raw."
"Ah..."
I knew well that there were many such foods.
Yet, I had no choice but to nod in agreement.
I certainly didn't want to swallow wasabi like that again.
I just wallowed in my grievance, focusing only on the sashimi.
<+>
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