The plump snake was struggling in my hands.
Squeak, squeak, even hiccupping, its head desperately twisting made me chuckle.
Seriously.
You told me to swallow you whole…
This is what they call hypocrisy, you pig snake.
Of course, I don’t know what it means exactly.
Well.
I can understand.
That free-spirited rooster with sharp features is quite tough, after all.
I know that much.
I don’t remember how many times, but even the so-called master, Heonwon, used to struggle with that bird, calling it a dangerous one.
It’s not surprising that it’s something to be afraid of.
I understand.
“Understand?”
When I sent my thoughts that way, the plump snake’s face lit up.
It looked like it thought maybe it could get away without eating…
“No, I’m not saying I understand.”
“I said, understand.”
“Kyah.”
Now that I’ve understood you, you should understand me too.
“You understand what I’m saying, right?”
The plump snake opened its mouth with a squeak, and at that moment, I swiftly inserted a piece of rooster meat into its mouth.
I was careful to wedge it perfectly between its fangs, knowing it would likely spit it out.
The plump snake, deeply impressed by my attention to detail, flapped around wildly.
Kweeng.
‘Ancestor. Bad. Bad!’
If someone saw, they’d think I’d been torturing it, turning it into a star in the lake after making it cry like that.
How unfair.
Both it and Nessho have no idea what’s beneath their tongues, do they?
I silently sent thoughts, asking it to focus quietly.
‘Death! What, important….’
The plump snake quieted down, as if it had been about to retort.
Of course, quiet didn’t mean it had become a star in the lake.
It had quieted down while eagerly swallowing the rooster meat.
I quietly watched the heat rising under its tongue.
‘Mmm, nice.’
The hellfire is really working hard.
That’s right.
Every time venom is added, it burns it up, so there’s no way it’ll get addicted.
The foolish Nessho still didn’t know any of this and was running off in the distance without looking back.
Squeak.
***
After swallowing the piece of meat I had put in its mouth, the plump snake looked up and met my eyes.
“How is it?”
“Is it tasty?”
“Positive!”
When I asked for its review, the plump snake nodded, responding that it was delicious.
I see. It really suits the plump snake’s taste.
But that’s all.
It doesn’t taste good to me.
Well, it’s raw meat…
I can’t eat it raw like the plump snake.
I took off one of the rooster’s wings.
At that, the plump snake looked at me with sparkling eyes, wondering if I was going to give it to it.
‘Ancestor. That. Wing. Eat? Or, donate?’
‘What’s a donation?’
‘You used to avoid it when I didn’t offer you food…’
I sent a thought to the plump snake, telling it to wait a bit.
‘I’ll show you exactly.’
‘If you cook something, it can taste even better, you know?’
‘Truth?’
It seemed like the plump snake didn’t know what cooking was.
‘Of course.’
‘It’s the truth.’
Although food is food in its own way, this was rooster meat.
Just grilling it would bring out some flavor—an ingredient that’s hard to fail with.
Confidently, I blew fire from my mouth.
Crackle.
The rooster wing turned to ash and disappeared before my eyes.
‘Huh…?’
‘This isn’t right.’
‘How could the two wings vanish so easily…!?’
This doesn’t make sense.
I was furious.
At that moment, the plump snake slithered up to my feet.
Surprisingly, the plump snake seemed convinced that it had just gotten even more delicious and dipped its tongue into the ash, swallowing a big handful.
The expected kweeng and flailing came three seconds later.
‘Ancestor! Taste, weird! False! Bad! Bad!’
What do you mean it’s not tasty? The plump snake glared at me, scolding me.
I slapped my forehead with my palm and sighed.
“Yaaah….”
Good grief.
I thought this would be easy!
‘Was this why Shim cheong would panic every time I got near the kitchen, telling me to go rest?’
I gently picked up the plump snake, still suffering from the bitter taste, and patted its back.
Spit it out.
‘Help….’
The plump snake, still hiccuping from the extreme taste shock, began to make squeaky sounds again as I looked at the rooster whose wing had vanished.
I made a resolve.
I swore I would never try cooking again.
Yeah.
Even though it’s hard to trust, cooking is something humans should handle.
I turned around.
Far off in the distance.
Splash, splash.
The human who was getting playfully smacked in the cheeks by Nessho’s fins, blushing red, was none other than Kang Hana, who was still fast asleep.
She seemed like she was running away earlier.
‘Now, why is she trying to wake Kang Hana up?’
Well.
‘Since things have turned out this way, maybe I should leave the cooking to Kang Hana.’
She looks like she has a face that might mess things up while cooking, but there’s no other choice.
Still, if I had to choose, I’d rather eat a dish made by Kang Hana than one made by that Giselle person.
Alright.
I’ve decided.
I headed towards Kang Hana with the plump snake.
***
“Aiya…”
Kang Hana had collapsed on the grass, completely drained of energy.
Even though there was a mat beside her, she didn’t have the strength to get to it.
She had spent all her remaining energy playing with the cute Flame Lulus.
“Hehe…”
Kang Hana laughed weakly.
In the end, she couldn’t catch the Flame Lulu, who had poked her cheek and ran away.
After a long chase, just before she was about to catch it,the Flame Lulu giggled and turned into an ember, slipping into Kang Hana’s heart.
‘How could she possibly get it out once it’s inside her heart?’
“In the end, I lost…”
Her determination not to lose made her so adorable that even though she was exhausted, Kang Hana couldn’t stop laughing.
Around her, the Flame Lulus gathered.
‘Did the ones playing together in a group also join in?’
There must be dozens already inside her heart, and still, dozens more were outside.
As she struggled, surrounded by Flame Lulus, Kang Hana’s thoughts drifted to Gulliver’s Travels.
Hot.
She turned her head as she felt the heat on her cheek.
As expected.
The Flame Lulu had poked her cheek and was running away, giggling.
It was such a cute, natural movement that Kang Hana almost followed, but she was so out of breath, she waved her hand in the air.
“Already? You want to play again…? Ugh, just a little rest…”
That was when it happened.
Hot, hot.
Four Flame Lulus suddenly rushed from all directions and crashed into Kang Hana’s face.
And then, they started bouncing around wildly.
It happened even before Kang Hana could finish her sentence.
“Ughhh…!”
Kang Hana looked startled, and the Flame Lulus seemed to find it amusing, or perhaps they had gathered to do just that.
They glanced at each other, nodded, and the Flame Lulus charged at Kang Hana together.
“Ah, hot!”
They bit her fingers, ran over her body, jumped around, and crawled under her clothes, popping out around her neck, making eye contact.
When Kang Hana didn’t react, it seemed like they got a bit stubborn.
Even though the sweat she had was already evaporated, so there was no discomfort, she felt an overwhelming drowsiness spreading from every direction, nearly losing consciousness.
“Hah, hah… so warm….”
Destruction!
Fear!
For a brief moment, I wondered ‘if they were just tormenting her by using playful words while stomping on her body.’
But that thought quickly faded as overwhelming happiness overtook Kang Hana, and it disappeared from her mind.
‘How much time passed?’
***
After playing around with her body for a long while, the Flame Lulus stopped their antics.
The Flame Lulu from inside her clothes also crawled out.
At the same time, Kang Hana, who had been lying down with a foolish smile, came back to her senses.
She rubbed her eyes and lifted her head.
“Ugh, okay. Guys, is it over…?”
Then, all at once, dozens of Flame Lulus made eye contact with Kang Hana.
It looked like a scene from a horror movie, and Kang Hana was a bit startled, but soon, she understood.
In their eyes, there was nothing but regret.
[Overflow.]
[1000 years!]
Then, one by one, the Flame Lulus waved their hands and quietly slipped into Kang Hana’s heart.
Somehow, the nuance of the words felt different.
Though she still didn’t understand the meaning.
The reason behind those words was clear.
Even the farewell seemed to be full of personality, and Kang Hana tried to get up to wave her hand.
But at that moment, everything in front of her blurred.
She hadn’t said her goodbye yet!
It felt like waking from a dream.
Kang Hana regained consciousness at the 4th Research Institute.
“Uh?”
The endless lake, the grassy fields, the sunshine, and the cute, lovable Flame Lulus were all gone.
All that remained was the ruins of the 4th Research Institute with a giant hole leading up to the sky.
“Ah… ah…”
There was nothing but the desolate view of the ruins.
“It was all a dream.”
Though it had felt too vivid to be a dream, she had no choice but to consider it as such.
From the fall in the IF-017 isolation room to holding the burning Lulu in her arms and falling asleep, the entire story was too clear in Kang Hana’s mind.
The strange woman who had appeared and talked about the master was much more reliable than any dream.
But the beautiful lake and the mischievous Flame Lulus being a dream was incredibly disappointing.
As Kang Hana tried to swallow her gloom, Slap.
“…?”
Kang Hana, who had been slapped right when she woke up, held her cheek in confusion.
And then, her face lit up.
“Wow, it’s a Penguin Lulu! So cute…!”
‘Was this a compensation for the fact that the Flame Lulu was an illusion?’
This time, a Penguin Lulu appeared in front of Kang Hana.
It looked about two or three years younger than the original Lulu, with a cute, almost sibling-like appearance.
Although it wasn’t quite at the level of the original Lulu, it was still around 40-60% as cute.
“Hehe… Come here!”
Kang Hana smiled widely and opened her arms to embrace it.
Slap, slap!
She was met with strong resistance, and as she held her cheeks, she took a step back.
Unlike the original Lulu, it seemed like this one didn’t like physical contact.
“Hmph…”
Right after that, Pat pat pat.
“Uh, what’s that sound…?”
The familiar footsteps approached.
At that, the Penguin Lulu quickly hid behind Kang Hana.
Kang Hana turned around.
“Wow…!!”
She forgot about the sting on her cheek and smiled widely once more.
That cute appearance and the way it walked were unmistakable.
This time, it was the real Lulu.
The Penguin Lulu resisted fiercely, but Kang Hana was sure the real Lulu would accept her embrace.
“Lulu… Ehh?”
This time, she tried to hug it tightly.
But she stopped again, because of a reason.
P-p-p-p-pat.
There was a plump snake wrapped around Lulu’s neck.
The plump snake slithered down to the floor and began to crawl.
It looked soft and squishy, quite adorable, though not quite on Lulu’s level.
“Oh, ohh. Wow…!!”
Kang Hana looked around.
Lulu, Penguin Lulu, and the plump snake.
Clutching her heart and letting out a stream of admiration, Kang Hana twirled around in place.
And then, she suddenly thought, “…Is today my birthday?”
Slap.
She was slapped on the cheek by the Penguin Lulu’s fin.