34. Relief Concert (1)
Neoul, who came to Baek Yuri's house, was so absorbed in looking around the house that he didn't even realize his smartphone was off.
Baek Yuri's house was a high-rise apartment. Unlike palaces or pensions, there was no yard, but it had a cozy and warm atmosphere.
More than anything, the night view outside the window was amazing.
Car headlights, buildings with lights on, streetlights illuminating the night road. People were everywhere where those countless lights were shining.
The mermaids in the sea were all dead and there was only one Neoul, but there were countless humans as many as the countless lights. It was an enviable and beautiful sight.
"Aren't you all hungry? You worked hard preparing for the stage. You must have had a hard time filming all day today. Should I order a midnight snack?"
Baek Yuri's mother looked at her son, nephew, and Neoul happily and asked.
"No, Mom. It's late...."
Baek Yuri, who was about to refuse, noticed that Neoul eyes sparkled at the sound of a late-night snack and then suddenly became gloomy.
"Uh... how about ordering a whole chicken?"
I don't eat late at night to take care of my health, but... I've been working hard, so it wouldn't be bad to relieve stress and have a little fun.
"With three grown sons, would one be enough? It should be three."
"Will KeunMother eat with us?"
Baek Gi-yeom spoke gently. However, Baek Yu-ri's mother firmly refused with a smile.
"You guys eat well, clean up, and rest well. I have to go to bed early and go to work. I have a lecture in the morning. Ugh, I don't want to go to school!"
"Ahaha! What if the professor doesn't want to go to school?"
"I don't know~ My son took a leave of absence, but why doesn't the professor have a leave of absence? I want to take a leave of absence too."
She ordered chicken and side dishes by type and told them to enjoy their meal before going into the room.
Before the chicken arrived, the three of them took turns wiping off their stage makeup and washing. After removing his makeup as Baek Yu-ri had told him, Neoul felt refreshed, as if his face had been reborn.
"No matter how you look at it, I look better with a bare face. Why do I have to put on makeup?"
When Neoul, who had just washed up, complained, Baek Yuri showed him a video of a singer on stage whose facial features had disappeared due to the strong light's influence.
"Aha."
He understood right away.
The chicken arrived soon after. Baek Gi-yeom opened the package and set it on the table, asking.
"Do you like legs, Neoul? Do you like breast?"
Neoul, who had never seen or eaten chicken before, didn't know that he was talking about food, looked down at his legs and chest, then raised his head and spoke.
"I like faces the most."
"Face...? Eat the head too...?"
Baek Gi-yeom was shocked.
"Huh? Why are you eating my head?"
Neoul was also shocked. Baek Namoo, who had followed Neoul and been with him since earlier, burst out laughing on his own.
[Ah Pfft! You idiots! Why is the conversation like this?]
"Stop talking nonsense and eat quickly. Neoul ssi, eat too."
Baek Yuri spoke at the same time as Baek Namoo and handed Baek Gi-yeom a chicken breast and Neoul a chicken leg. Neoul began to eat excitedly without even knowing what was going on.
"It's delicious!"
"You shouldn't swallow the bones."
"Yes!"
Baek Yuri showed which piece was the leg, wing, or breast. Neoul ate each part and said.
"I like them all, but I think the legs are the most delicious."
"That's great. The legs are all eaten by Neoul. Baek Gi-yeom and I both eat only the breast meat, so there are always legs left over."
"Oh."
Thanks to that, all five remaining chicken legs were placed in front of Neoul.
[I want to eat them too.]
Baek Namoo licked his lips as if he was regretting it, floating around.
[The mermaid prince knows how to eat chicken. The legs are the best when it comes to chicken. Why don't they know?]
Neoul held out a chicken leg to Baek Namoo. But Baek Namoo waved his hand, saying he couldn't eat it. His long, white hand went right through the crispy chicken.
[I can only eat food that's on the ancestral rite table. Food served at a funeral.]
Neoul looked at Baek Namoo pitifully. So does that mean he can't eat when he's hungry and starves?
Baek Namoo kicked Neoul in shock at Neoul's sad expression. Of course, the attack went straight through Neoul's body.
[Don't look at me like that! I don't feel hungry. I eat it every once in a while when I'm on a business trip to a funeral.]
Neoul smiled as if he was glad that he wasn't hungry. Baek Gi-yeom and Baek Yu-ri looked at him strangely.
"Neoul. What's there?"
"It's nothing...!"
Neoul pretended not to see anything and focused on eating. Since Baek Namoo had asked him not to mention his existence.
In the meantime, Baek Yuri ate half-heartedly, washed his hands, and searched for something on his smartphone. He was looking for reviews of the audience for today's performance.
Baek Yuri, who had been looking through various internet sites to check the reviews, slumped his shoulders, which had been stiff the whole time.
There were a few mistakes, but fortunately, the response wasn't bad. Even if he lost, he consoled himself that it was okay if he left a strong impression.
—Idol Travel Review!!
The fourth team match legend.
—I really had a hard time choosing my vote because they're both so good!
—Seriously awesome
—They tore up Seo Se-im
└? Why, how did they tear up Seo Se-im on the idol survival?
—They also tore up Dunkiss. Baek Yuri tore it.
└Why didn't Baek Yuri join Dunkiss as the youngest? The song's firepower is perfect.
└└ㅋㅋㅋ When Dunkiss debuted, Baek Yuri was in the 5th grade of elementary school.
—Galneul's growth rate is crazy.
└Agreed. I'm looking forward to the future
└Why? Did Neoul do well?
└└No comment, watch the broadcast.
└└└Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | ㄹㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ I'm curiousㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
Baek Gi-yeom was looking around and looking at Baek Yu-ri's smartphone, and then he relayed the comment to Neoul.
"Oh! They said Neoul did well. He grew."
Neoul, who had been eating so hard that his cheeks were about to burst, opened his eyes wide.
"Who said that?"
"The audience who watched the stage today. Want to see the comments here?"
How did you know that the audience said I did well?
I was happy to hear the compliments, but also puzzled, so I swallowed what I was eating and looked at the smartphone screen that Baek Gi-yeom was showing me.
'I can't understand it at all. I want to read it too...'
Suddenly, I became gloomy, but Baek Namoo suddenly intervened and read.
[Gal Neoul's growth speed is crazy. I admit it. I'm looking forward to the future.]
"How do they know how fast I'm growing? Even though I eat a lot since I came to land, my body doesn't grow."
"They're not talking about height, it's about dancing skills."
Neoul's lips twitched in satisfaction at Baek Yuri's explanation.
"I guess I did pretty well."
"You did well."
"You grew a lot, didn't you?"
[Of course! Of course! Who taught you!]
Baek Namoo lifted his chin and carried his backpack, praising himself at Baek Gi-yeom and Baek Yuri's janggu [*praise]. His sleek and proud nose also grew even higher.
[Now, show your gratitude to your teacher, Mermaid Prince.]
Neoul held out the last remaining chicken leg to Baek Namoo with a regretful look, then remembered what he had said earlier that he could only eat ancestral rite food, and put it back in his mouth.
He had to express his gratitude, but he had nothing to give, which was difficult. Abamama would always give him something delicious or hold a feast to praise his subjects' achievements.
"Thank you, Baek..."
While trying to say thank you, Neoul almost mentioned Baek Namoo's name, but his eyes rolled and turned to Baek Yuri and Baek Gi-yeom.
"..?"
"...?"
The words that were about to burst out suddenly changed direction and came out loud.
"Baek Rabbit Lion [*Lion; it can also mean deceased person / emmisary]!"
"Pfft!"
"Yes...?"
"No no, not the Baek Rabbit Lion! Baek Rabbit and Baek Lion! No, I was saying thank you to Baek Yuri, Baek Gi-yeom, and everyone here...!"
[Poohahahahak! Euhahahahahhak!]
"Hahaha! What is with Baek Rabbit Lion? Hahaha!"
Baek Namoo and Baek Gi-yeom, who were hooked on the word, burst out laughing, holding their stomachs. As Baek Namoo patted Neoul's back, his arm, which couldn't reach him, passed through Neoul's body and moved back and forth.
When the grim reaper did that, Neoul felt a chill as if his heart was freezing, and dropped the chicken bone he was holding so preciously.
Even Baek Yuri laughed, shaking his shoulders slightly.
Neoul, who became the butt of the joke because of Baek Namoo, looked gloomy for a moment, but then the laughter spread and he laughed along.
"Oh, right. Shh! KeunMother is asleep...! We should laugh quietly."
Baek Gi-yeom quickly covered his mouth while laughing. Then he glanced at the bedroom door, whispered softly, and laughed quietly. Baek Namoo was the grim reaper, so even if he laughed comfortably, there was no way they would hear, but he also silenced his voice.
Neoul never made a sound when he laughed, and Baek Gi-yeom and Baek Namoo's laughter was the loudest and noisiest, but he followed their actions and laughed with his mouth covered.
***
Baek Yu-ri's room was originally a room he shared with Baek Namoo, so it was very spacious. Baek Namoo's bed, desk, and wardrobe were all taken out, leaving an empty space.
After organizing all the luggage, all that was left were a few medals, trophies, awards, picture frames, and photos in albums.
That desolate and lonely space was filled a little after a long time. Baek Yu-ri laid out a wide blanket that fit the wide floor.
After brushing his teeth, Neoul immediately fell on the blanket on the floor. He was so tired and full that he really didn't want to move a finger anymore.
[Hey. Hey. Mermaid Prince. Are you going to sleep already?]
"....."
[What the heck? You're ignoring what the teacher says? I didn't even charge you tuition and even gave you free tutoring?]
Neoul, who was trying to ignore it and sleep, opened his eyes, tossing and turning violently. It's true that Baek Namoo helped him a lot.
It's not right to pretend not to know someone who has done you a favor.
Neoul looked up at the empty space where Baek Namoo was. Baek Namoo smiled and pointed to the wall clock at the gaze telling him to hurry up and tell him what he wanted to say.
[Okay, the big hand will reach 12 o'clock, right? It's 11:45 right now, and there's going to be a performance at ○○ Land Amusement Park a little later at midnight.]
A performance...?
[It's called a relief concert, the last festival that ghosts enjoy in this world before they leave for the afterlife. Well, you can't relieve all your sorrows with just a concert! But let's just put down your heavy emotions for a moment and enjoy it before leaving!]
Baek Namoo looked out the window through the blinds. As he tilted his head to look at the road where cars were speeding by, his earrings made a clear sound as they clinked against each other.
[My stage is 70% of it. It's almost like a solo concert, okay?]
Neoul gave him a questioning look.
'Isn't the grim reaper only supposed to guide the dead?'
Baek Namoo shrugged his shoulders when he felt him staring at him blankly.
[I'm not on the Indo team, I'm on the Relief team. When I'm not busy, I often go out to help the Indo team and guide the dead, but my main job is performing.]
'It's a festival for ghosts...'
[Only the dead can get tickets, so I can't give them to you, but I'll take you to a good spot with a good view. It'll be fun, okay? Huh? You want to go see it? Are you curious?]
Neoul rolled his eyes here and there.
His limbs were heavy and he wanted to rest, and his curiosity was competing with each other like a tug of war. Baek Namoo confidently spoke to Neoul who was worried.
[I'll show you clearly what an idol is.]
Idol...
Neoul raised his heavy upper body and nodded. But then he thought about it, there wasn't much time left until the performance started.
'Is there an amusement park called ○○ Land nearby?'
Neoul looked outside the window and opened his mouth.
'How do I get there?'
Baek Namoo confidently held up five fingers.
[Ask Baek Yuri to lend you 50,000 won.]
"Sir Baek Yuri. Please lend me 50,000 won."
[Five ten-thousand won bills.]
"Five ten-thousand won bills."
Baek Yu-ri, who was about to put out the light with his arm out, stopped in surprise.
"...Suddenly?"
—