So! I’m back. After translating a crap ton of the manhwa, I have returned! And here’s a Korean culture lesson for you readers. The traditional Korean meal is composed of chopsticks, a spoon, a bowl of rice, and lots of side dishes. So side dishes in this case are basically entrees but smaller, so that everyone who is eating can try at least a little of everything.
Lol, that was how my Thanksgiving meal went.
Looking at how depressed Rangii was, I felt like a bastard but I really didn't do anything wrong?
"You truly are the son of my scumbag older brother."
I didn't do anything wrong!
"If you don't like it, then eat with your utensils."
At my words Rangii's shoulders drooped and her tail fell to the ground as she clumsily held her spoon, no wait. She held it in her fist like a kindergartener and started shoveling the rice. When she wanted to eat the side dishes, she picked up the chopsticks, stuck them through the food, and barely brought it to her mouth. But as grains of rice fell and side dishes dropped, her tears began to fall. She was totally crying.
……I can't watch this anymore.
"Hey, Rangii."
"Sniff, what is it? Sunghoon, the meanie who enjoys bullying me."
My name isn't that long.
"Bring your rice bowl and utensils and carry them over here to eat."
"Why?"
"Come over here and eat."
I spoke while patting the seat next to me, and Rangii moved cautiously towards me. It seems she remembers how I hit her before. When Rangii moved to the spot I indicated, I sneakily moved behind Rangii and sat.
"Hm? What are you doing all of a sudden?"
I crossed my legs and lifted her onto my legs. It's heavy.
"Hueek?!"
Her totally straight tail was tickling my chin. It'd be tough if she got the wrong idea so I spoke to her before that could happen.
"Don't think anything weird."
I spoke while picking up the spoon and putting it in Rangii's hand properly with my right hand.
"This is how you hold the spoon. Understand?"
"Y, yeah. I understand."
"Try and eat."
Rangii moved her spoon to eat the rice. It was sloppy, but she was eating her rice a lot better now that she was holding the spoon well. She was totally cute, going nyam nyam while eating.
"And this is how you hold chopsticks. It'll be tough at first, but this'll be the most comfortable as you get used to it so make sure to hold them like this. Okay?"
I held the chopsticks in Rangii's hand. Since holding chopsticks is complicated, I fiddled with her hand until I noticed something and stopped. Until I noticed how small and smooth Rangii's hand is, and her face turning red.
……right now I'm doing something that would be totally embarrassing in public. Even though the truth is all I did was teach a child how to hold her eating utensils. U, until I was a sixth-grader in elementary school (tn: Korean elementary school goes from grade 1 to 6), whenever my mom came home she'd put me on her knee and eat like this with me! I'm not the weird one!
"You are calmly doing incredibly embarrassing things, young master."
My face became red-hot at Saehee's words.
"Ah, no! I'm just teaching her proper etiquette!"
"I understand. If that is what the young master says, then it must be true."
In times like this, I can't tell if she's making fun of me or being serious because of her expressionless face.
"A, anyway! You get it now, right?"
"Y, yeah. I get it. Thank you, Sunghoon."
I suddenly felt embarrassed so I set Rangii down and I began to eat. I moved my chopsticks to pick up a vegetable, but then I saw Rangii reach her arm out to get the wrapped centipede.
……her arm is too short to reach. It's a tear-worthy sight. I don't know if she thought it was improper to get up during the meal, but her butt remained stuck to the ground.
"U—uk."
She groaned like this while and all I could think was so this is why stature is important (tn: not 100% sure). I tried to get the attention of those two with a 'you two should take care of your owner' stare, but Baduk was too busy eating, her butt moving up and down and her tail wagging. Saehee was staring expressionlessly at thin air, so she didn't notice my gaze.
"Uu—. I can't reach it. I want to eat it…… Unya—."
Ah, she's even beginning to cry. …..there's no helping it. I endured the strange food and grabbed the centipede wrap with my chopsticks.
"Ah—."
I heard Rangii's gasp. If I put it on my own rice bowl and ate it then it'd be the perfect way to bully her, but, ah, that's impossible. Like I said, my stomach isn't strong enough to eat a centipede wrap. I nimbly put it on top of Rangii's rice bowl.
"If there's a side dish you want to eat then tell me. I'll give it to you."
"……my eyes truly were correct!"
Looking at Rangii's big smile, I felt an inexplicable sense of guilt.
Sorry. I don't know if I did anything wrong, but sorry."
After eating dinner, the sky was beginning to darken.
I guess despite the weird side dishes, Saehee's actually a really good cook? One thought suddenly came to my attention. I accidentally overate a little. (tn: the grammar in the past two sentences is a little strange, but I got the general message across) Even though Rangii ate more than me. I have no idea how she could be putting all that in her tiny body.
As I was blanking out while digesting the food, I heard my cellphone's ringtone. Is it Narae? It's probably Narae? Does she want to forgive me? I quickly got up and checked my phone.
It's Dad.
My anger was surging within me. I shouted immediately after opening my phone.
"You sure called me well! What kind of parent tricks their son and sends him to a phantom den?!"
The receiving party didn't say anything. Hm? Why's he like that? If it were Dad, then he'd go 'hahaha, that's your dad for you, I guess if it's unfair, then your dad did it, hahaha'? It was then. I heard her voice. (tn: the dad's words part may not be 100% accurate)
[O—oh. Our son. So you've even learned how to yell at your mother? You've really grown up?]
I screwed up. It's Mom. My hands were shaking and a cold sweat chilled my back.
"M, m, m, mother?"
[Why're you like that, my son whom I love who also stabbed a dagger into my chest? You're not going to give me the excuse that you saw it was your dad calling you so you didn't know it was me, are you?]
"……but that's what happened."
[Your mother is sad. At how you bit your mother who worked to the bone to raise you. I was worried for my son so I came immediately from my work in China to Korea, half-killed my husband, and called you with his phone just to have you raise your voice at me…….]
Then mother deliberately stopped talking and took a deep breath.
[I'm so sad.]
"Ah, ha, ha, ha."
My mouth which moved so easily in front of the tiger was stuck.
[To thrust such a claw at me, my son who just screwed up, shall I use this opportunity and time to break you?] (tn: may not be 100% accurate)
He—ek!
"I'm sorry! I made a mistake! Please spare me!"
[Oh my, but there's no reason for me to kill the son who I went through great pains to give birth to?]
No, it seems like you're going to kill me. My hand was shaking so much that I had to struggle to hold onto my cellphone, and then I heard my mom give a small sigh.
[More importantly, has everything gone well?]
That's a relief. My affectionate and merciful mom seems to have decided to skip over my blunder.
"Yes."
[Really. This louse—kwajeek—without any explanation—uwaaak!!—sent you there, do you have any idea—pok!—how worried this mother was?—kyaaaak—]
I'll just ignore the noise in the background.
[Really, when will you grow up?—I'll die before that! I said I'm going to die!—will you get yourself together if you die?—I'm really dying!!—]
Ah, they really are a close couple. I'd better marry a gentle, completely non-violent woman.
[So did everything go well with Rangii?]
"Oh? Mom, you know about Rangii?"
[Isn't it obvious? Who do you think took you there before you were even weaned off your mother's milk?]
Ah, of course. Mom took me to Rangii and then…… created the engagement.
I totally forgot that the main culprit was my mother.
[Really, there was a girl who was so cute I wanted to take her as my daughter, and I think I remember making a promise but it's all a little hazy. Well, it can't have been that important.]
Am I solely surrounded by people who totally lack common sense?
"……you really didn't notice anything after seeing Rangii?"
[So what if she's a tiger phantom? When that's just her astral body?]
She's open-minded. Way too open. To the point where I have nothing else to say.
[So come back tomorrow.]
"What? Why?"
I was thinking about bringing Rangii to Seoul with me, but tomorrow? Isn't that too fast? Because I was thinking about teaching her about the human world at grandfather's estate before going back to Seoul. But, mom……
[Why? Are you talking back to me right now?]
She changed my thoughts in just one word.
"I shall obey."
[Then let's eat dinner together tomorrow. Okay?]
"……yes."
After saying that as if I would eat in hell if I didn't agree, Mom hung up the phone. Ah man, dear God. Please save me.
"Are you done with your call?"
Of course, it's not the time to find God, but deal with this. Seeing Rangii appear by opening the paper sliding door, I felt as if I still had a long ways to go before completing my 12 labors. But what did she just say?
"Oh, were you waiting?"
Rangii went "ahem" and stood proudly.
"Of course I did. I know it is improper to interrupt in your husband's phone call."
If she hadn't added the part about husbands, then I would've honestly wanted to compliment her.
"Ah, yeah. Thanks."
That's why I thanked her so curtly.
"So why did you come here? It's getting dark so a good kid should be going to sleep now, right?
"That's why I came here."
I had an ominous feeling so I'll just cut this at the bud.
"So you came to say goodnight before going to bed? Yeah, good night to you too. Okay, now leave. Right now."
"I came to sleep with you."
"He—y."
Are you just going to ignore me?
"It's okay. Even if you cannot stand your adolescent vigor and attack me, I shall accept you with my whole body."
Does she even understand what she's saying? And do you really think I'd attack a little kid like you if I couldn't stand my adolescent vigor?
I was worrying about how to send her back when,
"Excuse me."
Opening the door even more and carrying blankets, Saehee entered the room. ……how did she just open the door? She didn't use her foot and she was carrying blankets with both her hands.
"I shall prepare a place for you, young master."
"By whose decision?"
It seems like Saehee didn't have an appropriate response to what I said.
"Because if I do not prepare this, then a terrible situation will occur."
"Like I said, why?"
"It's because of me."
"This is your doing?!"
She ignored my words, but seeing her skillfully lay out the bed, I stopped thinking about stopping her. I guess you can call it despair. But after she prepared the bedding, she said,
"Then I shall go back. Please have a good night……"
I couldn't do anything but grab Saehee.
"Hey. Why did you set two pillows but only one blanket?"
"Ah, were you going to have her sleep on your arm?"