A talisman that induces fever.
To categorize it, it belongs to the class of cursed divine objects (呪物).
However, isn’t it true that how we use any object defines its nature?
Just as a knife becomes a kitchen knife when used for cooking and a deadly weapon when used to kill someone.
*
The atmosphere of the mansion was rather subdued.
But in a good way, not a bad one.
The garden, which immediately upon entering through the gate had given off the sense of chaos, was now neatly arranged, and due to the passage of some time, it had seamlessly blended into the scenery and ambiance of the mansion, becoming part of the pleasant view.
Walking through the well-kept garden, one could feel one’s spirit calm down and peace settle in, forgetting all the busyness and clutter. Occasionally, one might even feel compelled to pause and take in the beauty of the scenery.
Turning one’s head to one side, there were vibrant flowers growing with life. The flowers had a fresh and lively appearance as if they had been watered recently, and standing upright under the sun, they proudly displayed their health. Behind these flowers, within the gaps, one could see beautiful stones and other, not yet fully grown, flowers.
Turning the head to another direction, a large tree, carefully pruned into a pleasing shape visible to humans, stood majestically. Through the dense leaves, sunlight filtered, showing off its beauty. Beneath the tree, there was a perfect amount of shade, and its trunk was clean and smooth, without the slightest scar on its surface.
By following the bark upward, one could spot thick branches extending beautifully in all directions, and between the gaps in the leaves, a girl peeping at Jinseong could also be noticed.
“Hmm? Iarin, what are you doing there?”
Jinseong asked when he spotted Iarin hiding among the dense leaves.
Upon being caught, Iarin made an awkward chuckle, “Heh,” and started moving slowly, her previously crossed hands opening up like a sitting cat ready to stand. Her arms raised, her upper body lifted, and then she stretched oddly like a cat yawning, before firmly gripping one of the thick branches and leaning her body sideways.
Squeeze.
In a very skilled manner, Iarin descended from the tree. It was as if she were imitating a monkey climbing, grabbing a branch with one hand and flinging her body into the air.
The direction her flight through the air took was toward Jinseong.
Iarin rushed down like a predator leaping from a tree to catch its prey, landing silently just in front of Jinseong. Then, with one fist clenched and touching the ground, and a knee bent, she landed.
It was the pose commonly known as a superhero landing.
Having landed so impressively, Iarin slightly raised her head to meet Jinseong’s eyes and smiled. Then she delivered the line that necessarily followed a superhero’s appearance.
“This body. Appearance.”
It was clear to anyone watching that this was a jest, both in expression and tone.
However, contrary to the playful attitude, Iarin’s entrance was surprisingly heroic.
A thin blanket, presumably used for covering while napping, flapped behind her like a cape while she “flew.” Her sportswear, likely worn during martial arts training, had an almost superhero suit-like quality in its vibrant colors and patterns.
The coincidences stacking up for such an effect were truly difficult.
“Did you watch a superhero movie?”
“Correct.”
Iarin cheerfully stated that she and her friends had tied their arms together and watched a superhero movie at the theater on the weekend. Then, twisting her body left to right, she stretched her muscles, unfolded the blanket she’d been using as a cape, rolled it up, tucked it under her arm, and looked at Jinseong. Her gaze was not casual but rather like a detailed scan, inspecting thoroughly from his face down to his feet.
“Hey, you’re all better now?”
What caught her interested attention was Jinseong’s skin.
More precisely, the skin that had reddened as if burned before.
According to Jinseong’s own remarks, it wasn’t a severe burn, though the state seemed like it could have left blisters or scars.
But now there was not a trace of the burn on him.
Rather, his skin looked so fresh, akin to a newborn baby’s, smooth and delicate. It was almost white to a point where one doubted if he had seen the sunlight, so pale, almost pure white.
It was almost like an illusion, the impression that his skin had improved since before the burn.
“Seemed like the redness of the skin was about the level of a blue-rare burn or something.”
Iarin laughed with relief at seeing Jinseong completely healed.
“Truly, by great fortune, not only did it heal quickly, but there wasn’t a single scar.”
“Fortune? What fortune. I’ve been thinking this for a while, but you, your physical recovery rate is really very good. I’ve seen you using your body carelessly while doing reckless things all the time, and still, your body is fine like this. Seeing that, it seems like you must have reached a pretty high level of martial arts.”
“Ho ho. How can one gauge the achievements of martial arts through mere things like that? Martial arts are indeed influenced by talent, but that talent is merely a starting point. To walk the long road ahead and leap over great walls…”
“Ah, I get it, I get it. Don’t take my random comment so seriously. I’ve been thinking this for a while, but you, you’re a strict older person in your own right, you know? Not quite as much as our strict ones, but occasionally, you give off that feeling of what the news calls a ‘young strict person.'”
Iarin looked aghast and shook her head when Jinseong started sounding like he was delivering a lecture about martial arts. She then adjusted the collar of her soaked sports clothes for some cool air and let out a small sigh.
“Really, the good thing is…? Yeah, it’s a real blessing your not actually practicing martial arts. Like, do you know how many seniors from similar martial styles or weapons behave like they have a dead ghost stuck to them when you can’t give them advice? Oh… It’s not that you’re the same as them, it’s just something you should know. You get it, right?”
Iarin said as much in a playful tone while nudging Jinseong.
While doing so, her hand was gripping something inside a pocket that looked shorter than dolphin pants, as if grasping something.
Iarin kept nudging Jinseong.
However, as he didn’t react as she wished after her repeated nudges, she pondered for a moment and then grabbed his hand firmly. Then, with his palm facing upward, she took something out of her pocket and placed it on his palm.
Bassak.
It was a candy.
Not just any ordinary candy, it was a candy wrapped in a vivid red wrapper with the word “Ginseng” prominently displayed.
Red Ginseng Candy.
What Iarin placed in Jinseong’s palm was none other than Red Ginseng Candy.
Jinseong looked at Iarin, curious as to why the candy had suddenly appeared and why she was handing it to him.
Iarin, receiving his puzzled gaze, grinned and said,
“I was going to pop it directly into your mouth when you open it, but you just wouldn’t.”
The poking she did was apparently a buildup to try and put the candy in his mouth.
But since he wouldn’t open his mouth, she just handed it over.
Jinseong nodded upon hearing her explanation.
It was exactly the kind of prank she would pull, so he understood it.
Still, he had a small question, regarding the material used for the prank.
Red Ginseng Candy…
Considering Iarin’s usual eating habits – while she wasn’t particularly picky and could eat bitter things well…
If you were to ask if she enjoyed things like red ginseng candies, it would have to be a no.
Isn’t eating something and wanting to eat it as different as heaven and earth?
Iarin routinely consumed spirit medicines in the past.
Of course, not extremely rare ones, but even so, they were still considered spirit medicines.
Eating them strengthened the body, helped accumulate internal energy, sometimes even directly transformed into internal energy in the body. They contributed to development, kept ailments at bay, and helped the body eliminate toxins and impure qi (濁氣), making them remarkably magical herbs.
But these spirit medicines had a specific trait.
It was their horrifying taste.
Unpleasantly bitter, unimaginably so.
At times, they made you feel nauseous just touching it, or brought about a terrible fishy taste, or a flavor so indescribable that it made your mind hazy.
Iarin ate these abominably tasting spirit medicines regularly.
She took spirit medicine brought by Yang-hoon Lee, obtained ones from school competitions and contests, and even got protein powder mixed with spirit medicines from an eccentric senior obsessed with body training.
Through this daily routine, Iarin’s palate became trained.
To the point that it could withstand almost any odd taste, making it extremely harsh and tough.
However, endurance always came with pain.
Our bodies inherently seek comfort.
To erase pain, it’s best to quickly forget it, and it’s best to cover something bad with something good.
Therefore, Iarin consumed things that opposed the taste of the spirit medicine.
Thus, her palate was refined through experiences akin to going back and forth between heaven and hell.
A sweet flavor behind a terrible one.
A sweet and sour flavor behind a revolting one.
…
…
Through this process…
Iarin came to prefer sweet desserts immensely.
Given this, her choice of red ginseng candy did not seem fitting at all.
