159 – Epilogue, Soap is Still Soap Even When Covered in Dirt
The nymph of muddy water, Morales, was shivering.
He was being led through the dark and dingy basement of some building by a woman wearing a beak mask.
It was an abandoned building, a place where not a single sign of human presence could be felt, so Morales, unable to bear it, couldn’t help but ask:
“W-What do you intend to do with this Morales…? I’m curious!”
“……”
In this eerie silence, Morales recalled the tales of the “Nymph Hunter” he had heard during his days as a ditch water nymph.
Nymphs often teased mischief-makers like Morales, saying, “Mischievous nymphs get taken away by the terrifying ‘Nymph Hunter’!”
Morales had thought those stories were fake, made up to educate young nymphs.
But seeing the woman open a bag filled with sharp syringes, Morales could only acknowledge the reality as tears pricked at his eyes.
‘The Nymph Hunter really did exist…!’
Morales was an exiled nymph who had grown tired of the mundane forest and made all sorts of trouble. Now, however, he longed bitterly for the forest of his homeland, the ditches and streams murmuring with bird songs.
“Hiieek…!”
Pierce!
A sharp needle entered Morales’s upper arm and began to draw his bl**d.
Terrified and in pain, tears welled in Morales’s eyes, and he resolved to be a good nymph if he survived this ordeal.
At that moment:
“The health check seems fine.”
Doctor Yu Ara, wearing a bird-beak mask, stated.
Ara compared the bl**d samples of nymphs like Coris, Inoi, and Illinois with those of Morales.
Morales’s health appeared normal, with nothing particularly unusual.
“Morales, the Republic of Korea government will take charge of your security. And I will be your supervising officer and main physician.”
The South Korean government had taken note of Morales’s potential as the supplier of the “Whispering Coins” to Ma Wangjun.
With the value of the “Whispering Coins” now well-known worldwide, the government proposed a judicial deal: offering Morales a clean slate in return for cooperation in various matters.
‘An unplanned, bothersome task has fallen onto me.’
Ara, not understanding why she was chosen to supervise Morales, faintly felt weary.
Due to her being the Black Agent who had the most contact with nymphs, she suddenly found herself appointed as both guardian and supervisor.
“Muh heh, indeed, this Morales is a capable nymph…! Now, hurry and bring me the finest candy and honey-filled cakes…!”
Morales regained his usual bravado.
Nymphs of muddy water, upon realizing that humans couldn’t harm them, tend to quickly become arrogant.
Swish!
Instead of sweets and cake, Ara handed Morales a phone.
“This is your device. Your password is your codename, ‘Nymph.’ You shouldn’t ever part with this, as it’s also a tracking device for your location. If there’s anything, contact me immediately.”
Ara briefly explained how to operate the phone.
Goowwwww.
At that moment, Morales’s stomach grumbled loudly. It had been almost half a day since being brought to this mainland from the island, and he hadn’t eaten anything.
But Morales didn’t say anything about being hungry.
‘This Morales isn’t hungry! I’ll wait for the right moment to escape, then eventually return to the home of the spring stream…!’
Morales had once been a companion nymph who worshipped the minor deity of a small stream.
But due to prolonged drought and cold, the stream dried up, and the depleted deity disappeared. Morales had been wandering ever since.
Living amidst humans, eating things he stole and selling pilfered goods, Morales realized something:
Showing any weakness while living is akin to exposing a vulnerability.
And those who approach with kindness often simply sought to exploit Morales, looking for ways to make money off him or using his weaknesses against him.
‘This strange doctor is definitely the same…! Instead, I, Morales, will take the upper hand and exploit her weaknesses…! Muh heh…!’
Pretending to be nonchalant, Morales acted composed.
Ara, who had silently observed him, grabbed his hand and started leading him somewhere.
“Aah! Don’t touch me so casually…! Only the goddess can touch this Morales’s hand…!”
“It’s to prevent you from running away.”
Creeeak.
A basement room opened.
Inside, clothes were scattered everywhere, the floor hadn’t been cleaned in who-knows-how-long, and cosmetics and cup noodle containers were haphazardly strewn about.
“Sit anywhere.”
“This is the most disordered place this Morales has ever seen…!”
Even Morales, who had dirtied his own spirit with various mischievous acts, saw this room as rather messy and chaotic.
“I’ve been busy, so I haven’t had time to clean.”
Ara roughly kicked the scattered clothes aside, opened a drawer, and began pulling out ingredients to start cooking.
“Eat. Oi-noi and Coris also liked this, so it should suit nymph taste buds.”
It was a simple kimchi fried rice.
Morales cautiously lifted his spoon with the wariness of a wild raccoon or stray cat and took a bite.
“It’s delicious!”
Morales was impressed.
That such a seemingly hastily prepared food could taste this good was surprising.
“Cooking is my specialty. My senses are among the best here in Korea, and I’ve always cooked for myself since I was young. Homemade food is healthier than cup noodles and such.”
Recalling her impoverished middle school days, Ara drifted off to sleep, reminiscing about that rather innocent period of her life.
—
Ara woke up approximately twenty minutes later.
Worried that Morales might have fled while she was dozing off, she glanced around and was surprised.
“What…?”
Ara’s personal workspace was unrecognizably tidy, all the clothes washed and neatly put into the dryer.
“Muh heh, this Morales originally dreamed of becoming a soap water nymph…! Cleaning and laundry are my specialties…! You shouldn’t be surprised…!”
The room smelled refreshing and clean.
Ara was genuinely amazed at the unexpected side of this troublemaker nymph.
“By the way, I’ve kept Hyldo’s pictures all in this box…! Just a side note, there seem to be many women scheming around that man…! Your position, Jun, is weak…!”
“What?”
“But this Morales loves tales of love rivalries above all else…! I will help you make it an even bigger mess…! First, ‘Core’ must happen…!”
“Core…?”
Though dreaming of becoming a soap water nymph, Morales was also a nymph who loved conflicts.
“Your current state isn’t either soap water or muddy water—it’s in-between…! Your immediate concern is to escape this in-between ‘Jun Core’ condition…! I will pass on to you the Core techniques that have been passed down among muddy water nymphs…!”
The mud wrestling between Morales and Ara was just beginning.
# # #
“It’s unbearably hot…! This Coris feels as if they’ll turn into a boiling water nymph at this rate…! Hurry and turn on the air conditioning…!”
Coris was angrily shouting.
At the newly arrived home, the air conditioning was off.
“Sorry, the air conditioner’s broken!”
“What? The air conditioner’s broken while I’ve been away on my paradise trip?”
Jin-A’s frown deepened at her mother’s explanation.
Even though summer was drawing to a close, this season of abnormal temperatures meant September and sometimes even October could get sweat-inducingly hot.
With the situation of Coris turning into a boiling water nymph due to the broken air conditioning, Jin-A was understandably tense.
“Guaahk…! This Coris is ultimately becoming a boiling water nymph…! The boiling water nymph cannot be stopped…! This Coris is angry with Jun Core Jin-A’s frustrating actions…!”
Pfft!
Coris’s blue hair turned crimson, much like turning autumn leaves.
It meant Coris had already transformed into a boiling water nymph.
“Jun Core Jin-A must act hotter and more fervently to catch the house’s owner…! You can’t catch them just with cheek kisses…!”
The boiling water nymph Coris was blunt.
Coris’s patience was wearing thin, and her usually frozen mind was overheating like an overclocked CPU, making her extremely sharp.
It felt like the energy preserved during her days as an icy water nymph was exploding.
“In the battle where the traveler’s clothes were stripped, not the cool northern wind, but the hot sun won…! Cool ruffians are outdated…! Become a hot-blooded ruffian now…!”
With a mind spinning like a melting glacier returning to lush vegetation, Coris couldn’t help but see Jin-A as neither cool nor hot, but tepid.
“The current Jun Core Jin-A isn’t cold water, boiling water, or anything. Just warm…! And this Coris knows you will forever be in a Jun Core status this way…!”
Jin-A felt a dizzying sensation upon hearing Coris’s sharp criticism. Though she wasn’t sure what exactly Coris was trying to say, it was evident that Coris was extremely angry.
“This Coris believes the time has come to pass the ‘Boiling Water Core Techniques’ down to Jin-A, inherited through generations of boiling water nymphs…! Once successfully learned, Jin-A can become a passionate Core…!”
Meeeen—Meeeen—Meeeen—.
Even late into the summer, there were still cicadas singing.
Jin-A, feeling sweat trickling down her cleavage in the muggy heat, closed her eyes as the world swirled in her dizzy state.
—
