030 – My Lime Golden Apple Tree #1
One.
Two.
Three.
The kimchi containers were stacked on the floor by type.
They were my mother’s kimchi, which I had long missed.
“I’m leaving.”
As Lee Jin-A, who had neatly stacked the kimchi containers in front of the yard, adjusted her jacket and prepared to get into the car, Seo Ye-rim, who was watching the situation with slightly parted lips, reacted as if she were melting away.
“Wait a minute, who are you? What’s your relationship with our employee Haildo?”
Seo Ye-rim referred to me as an employee.
Since this well was owned by Telos Corporation and I was temporarily managing it, technically, I was indeed an employee.
Recently, journalists, led by Lee Joon-Hun, had been fiercely investigating the misconduct of the second and third-generation conglomerates, wandering around our neighborhood.
Perhaps because of this experience, Seo Ye-rim seemed wary of outsiders.
In fact, that was the reason why she hadn’t shown up at the well for the past few days.
“You don’t have to be so wary. Jin-A here is someone you can trust.”
“Someone I can trust?”
Seo Ye-rim raised one eyebrow.
As I admired how diverse a beauty’s expressions could be, Inoi spoke up.
“Inoi says that Jin-A, a gem of Core, is the girlfriend of the house owner…! And also that she gave a ride to this wonderful truck…! And that her hair is as yellow as the summer sun…!”
Inoi’s story was partly true.
However, it also contained facts that could lead to misunderstandings.
“Now, I’m leaving.”
Swoosh.
Clunk!
Lee Jin-A closed the door of the old truck and revved up the engine.
As the truck with its dual headlights drove along the neighborhood road, Seo Ye-rim, who had been dazed by the barking Squirrel Beasts, lightly tapped my shoulder with her palm.
“Hey, Haildo. You had a girlfriend? I didn’t hear anything about that! You’ve been out of touch these days, and it turns out you got a girlfriend? Where did you meet her? She doesn’t really suit you at all!”
A blonde delinquent girl.
And an ordinary me.
If it didn’t suit us, then it didn’t suit us at all.
The only place we could have met would be in the alley during middle and high school when I was getting bullied.
I explained lightly.
“I joined a few C-rank cracks together. And I said she’s my girlfriend, but she’s not really my girlfriend; there’s a reason for that.”
“There’s a reason?”
Seo Ye-rim’s face turned bright red, even in the night.
Flames.
Somehow, it felt like the surrounding temperature was rising.
Inoi liked the hot air.
“Ahh…! It feels like spring is getting closer…! If we can maintain this hot temperature, the Marmelo tree will surely grow magnificently…!”
As Inoi said that, sweat was flowing down its forehead.
It seemed Inoi liked hot weather like this summer.
At that moment, Seo Ye-rim shouted with a slightly angry face.
“Hey, Haildo. Didn’t I tell you to stay out of trouble for a while…! Why didn’t you listen to me…? Are you going to take responsibility if your girlfriend causes Telos Corporation’s stock to drop? No, it already dropped…!”
“Dropped? How much did it drop?”
“Over 100 million!”
Over 100 million?
I was dizzy at that large amount.
Did the main character’s eyes in the novel “Camellia Flower,” which I liked, feel as dizzy as I did when he heard the demand to pay back after killing the hen of the girl he liked?
Indeed, experiencing something once was much better for understanding the speaker’s feelings than hearing or seeing it a hundred times.
But I quickly regained my senses.
“What does me having a girlfriend have to do with stocks?”
“Well? That’s because, nominally, you’re an employee of Telos. And since I visit you often, you’re probably recognized as a key employee by the paparazzi?”
That seemed to be true.
Seo Ye-rim was an idol who drew attention from everyone, making them click their cameras.
If Seo Ye-rim often met me—that kind of story was likely known by everyone.
At that moment, Seo Ye-rim added.
“So if your girlfriend, who seems to be a key employee, has a history of school violence, it might cause rumors, and that risk could hurt Telos?”
At my words, Seo Ye-rim’s face brightened.
It was as if the process of spring flowers blooming from buds was fast-forwarded.
“Yes! That’s exactly it! Haildo, you really understand quickly! I usually don’t want to say things about other people’s romances, but, hmm.”
I could understand why Seo Ye-rim was worried about Telos Corporation. After all, it was the company where her father worked, so it was natural for her to be concerned.
To reassure her, I explained the situation lightly.
“She’s not really my girlfriend; she’s a fake girlfriend. My parents keep nagging me to get married. We agreed to pretend I have a girlfriend for now.”
“What? A fake girlfriend?”
After hearing my explanation, Seo Ye-rim’s expression changed color dramatically.
Then she let out a long sigh, saying, “What’s this? You’re scaring people.”
Now knowing the situation, she probably felt relieved that it was not a risk that would bring down the company’s stock.
“What’s this? If that’s the case, I could have helped you. Why didn’t you ask me for help?”
Seo Ye-rim questioned.
Of course, I was horrified.
“Hey, if you said you’re dating me, my mom would go crazy hanging banners around the neighborhood! It would spread rumors too widely! Can you handle that?”
“…What are you talking about? Why would I date you? I just meant I could introduce one of our employees as your girlfriend! Dating me? Do you think about that often?”
“Yikes…! I thought the weather was getting warmer and was happy, but now it’s too hot; I feel like I’m becoming a nymph of boiling water, not a nymph of the stream…!”
Whoa—.
The surrounding temperature rose further.
Seo Ye-rim’s anger had reached its limit when she started fanning her face with her hands.
I recalled having heard something like this before.
That women can get angry based on the confession from men. Feelings like, “Do you think I’m easy enough to be touched by you?”
Perhaps Seo Ye-rim was getting angry for the same reason.
I felt a sense of being rejected without even confessing.
“I can’t stay here any longer. Yu Ari sent a package, and I moved it into the yard, so do whatever you want with it!”
Whoosh—.
Seo Ye-rim, in an electric car whose price I couldn’t even guess, zoomed away from the neighborhood.
The electric car was quiet, so this time the Squirrel Beasts didn’t bark.
I do like electric cars.
But it felt unfair.
“Hey! I never imagined dating you, not even once!”
After all, we lived in different worlds.
Of course, Seo Ye-rim probably didn’t hear my last words.
# # #
“The owner of the house sees this…!”
Inoi was very happy while moving the kimchi containers into the yard.
What could this be about?
To match Inoi’s height, I bent my knees and noticed that a bud had formed on the sapling of the golden apple tree that Inoi had been diligently nurturing.
“It’s getting ready to bloom…! If we’re lucky, we might be able to eat the first fruits before this year ends…! It’s definitely reacting to the hot air from earlier…!”
Seo Ye-rim’s anger stimulated the growth of the golden apple tree?
How fascinating the world can be.
Woof woof…!
Kkungkkungi hopped around the tree or climbed the branches, seemingly pleased that the apple tree was growing.
I gently stroked Kkungkkungi’s fur.
“Did you guard the house well today?”
Woof woof…!
I couldn’t tell what he was saying, but it must mean he guarded it well.
His fur seemed to be disheveled.
Did he get into a fight with someone?
It was probably another Squirrel Beast.
This neighborhood was friendly to Squirrel Beasts, so squirrel warriors from all over would gather here, which often led to territorial disputes.
The top squirrel, Kkungkkungi, was fighting every day against other squirrels that aimed for that top spot.
Bang bang…!
Then, a loud cry echoed from afar, from the rice fields.
What kind of cry was that?
Was it really a Squirrel’s cry? It sounded so big and deep.
Grrrr…!
Kkungkkungi bristled its fur.
Soon, Kkungkkungi slipped from my palm and dashed off somewhere.
Kkungkkungi was really full of fighting spirit.
For him to maintain the top squirrel position, he had to do that much.
I also had to do my best to become a top Awakened one.
I turned my head towards the honey ant Emperor Angangi.
Szzzz…!
Emperor Ant Angangi was pulling out the weeds next to the apple tree or organizing stones. Thanks to Angangi, our flower bed looked beautifully kept.
Inoi gathered water infused with the well’s magical energy in its palm and sprinkled it under the apple tree, shouting,
“Marmelo’s nectar is extremely delicious…! Emperor Ant Angangi is waiting for the flowers to bloom…! Also, the honey ants’ nectar is a nutrient enjoyed even by heroes…! It enhances magical power…!”
Szzzzz…!
Oh.
I couldn’t tell if it was true or not, but it was a pleasant story to hear.
No Awakener would dislike the idea of enhanced magical power.
Especially, I had long dreamed of enhancing my magical power.
I had really done all kinds of things.
“Is there a way to make the flowers bloom quickly?”
I asked.
Then Inoi replied.
“There is…! If you bring an object containing the power of the Sun God nearby, the tree will surely grow even healthier…! It’s very good for nurturing plants…!”
An object containing the power of the Sun God.
I had no immediate idea what that was, but something suddenly came to mind.
There was a “Fixed Crack” where I could obtain an item called “Stone of the Sun.”
Only those who are C-rank or higher could enter that place.
As luck would have it, I had just recently reached C-rank, so I was fully qualified to enter.
“Then, shall I enter the Fixed Crack tomorrow? I think it’s best to apply for entry in advance since there might not be a spot available when I actually go.”
Hehe—.
Thinking like that, I was about to enter the house when I noticed a package at the door.
Is this the package Yu Ari sent?
By the way, I wondered what Yu Ari was up to.
Thinking about that, I picked up the package and entered the house.
Thunk—.
As I tried to open the package, a letter fell out.
“A letter in the smartphone era.”
