After all the fireworks had exploded, only the dark night sky remained. The amount of chicken and pizza was too much for me to eat alone, so it was left untouched. Maru did help me eat some, but it was still too much for one adult woman and one child to finish a whole chicken and a pizza. Even my past self would have struggled to eat it all alone.
Most people get full from just one chicken, after all. As we were sitting on the mat, soaking in the afterglow of the fireworks, Maru spoke up beside me.
“Hana, will you come to the next fireworks festival?”
If there’s another spectacular fireworks display like this, of course, I’d attend. I’d drop everything else just to come. I nodded at Maru’s words and said,
“Yeah! Today’s fireworks were amazing!”
“Shall we head home now?”
I nodded again. Maru quickly made a call on her phone, then grabbed my hand and said,
“Let’s go!”
“Shouldn’t we clean this up?”
I looked at the mat and the leftover food. I wondered who would clean it up if we left it like this. But seeing my concern, Maru laughed and said,
“The staff will clean it up when they arrive. It’s better if we leave first.”
“Really?”
If someone else was going to clean it up, there was no need to worry. I held Maru’s hand and headed back to the parking lot. The parking lot wasn’t as crowded as before. We were a bit late leaving because we stayed on the mat chatting after the fireworks ended. If we hadn’t chatted, we might have been the first to leave. I was shocked to see the long line of cars after the festival ended.
“There are so many cars!”
It felt like everyone living in Seoul had gathered in this limited space. Well, with over half the population living in the metropolitan area, it’s no surprise that festivals in Seoul attract way more people than in other regional cities. It’s what happens when you have so many people in such a small area. If our country had a vast land like the U.S., would so many people gather like this? Probably not.
“It’s okay, Hana. We can just go out a different way.”
Earlier, when we came in for the festival, there was a separate exit with a barrier. It seemed like there was a different path for leaving too. Just as Maru said, the cars in this parking lot were heading to a different exit, not the festival entrance. It must have been on the opposite side, where there seemed to be another entrance.
“Let’s get in, Hana!”
“Okay!”
I got into the car, and instead of heading toward the crowded area, we went the opposite way. VIPs really do have it different. We could exit through a clear path, not the jam-packed one. This is why it’s important to secure a good spot.
—
*Buzz buzz buzz—*
The sound of cicadas echoed from outside. We were on the 10th floor, yet the cicadas were so loud. It gave me an idea of how loudly they must be chirping. Of course, it didn’t sound like they were right next to us—just the echoing noise.
“Hmm~”
Life felt leisurely since I didn’t have to go to school. School vacation really is the best. What working people envy the most is probably having a month or two off. Students might not realize it, but once you become a working adult, you start missing school vacations.
Even if you use your paid leave, unless you work at a good company, taking a week off is a struggle. Heck, even taking just Friday off can make people give you side-eye. I remember when I used to work, I’d always feel the pressure when using my leave.
It’s a legitimate worker’s right, but you still have to be careful. If you use your leave too freely, who knows what people might say behind your back. Today, I decided to go farming again. Growing crops in the plastic greenhouse was so much fun.
Seeing crops grow so easily, just by planting seeds in the ground, brought me so much joy. Real farmers would probably sigh if they saw how I farmed.
“Farming is so easy!”
Originally, farming is supposed to be backbreaking labor, sweating and toiling, but that didn’t apply to me. I just had to plant the seeds…
The plants grew on their own. They grew so well that I was actually taken aback. It was clear that I definitely had some kind of talent related to plants.
Of course, I had no idea what exactly that ability was or how to use it. I just knew that they grew on their own when I breathed, but I had no clue how to control it.
When I was changing into comfortable clothes to go farming, someone entered my room. It was Haru, whom I hadn’t seen in a while. Haru watched me change and said,
“Hana, are you going farming?”
“Yeah!”
The only reason I ever went outside was to farm. I rarely went out otherwise because there wasn’t much around. So, unless I was taking the car, there wasn’t much to do. I couldn’t help but wonder how kids in the countryside lived.
Nowadays, with the internet, it’s better, but back in the day when there were no computers or mobile phones, there really was nothing to do. As I put on my work clothes, Haru followed me. It seemed like she wanted to come farming with me.
“I’m coming too, Hana!”
I tried to shake her off, but I couldn’t escape Haru’s sight. Seeing her trailing behind me, I decided to let her come along. After all, the more hands, the better. I figured I’d give Haru some light work. Even though farming was easy for me, every helping hand was precious.
——————————————–
Linea decided to wait calmly. There was no reason to feel tense in a place so saturated with the energy of the World Tree. This place was practically the domain of the World Tree. As evidence, the researchers around her were completely at ease.
Linea observed the researchers, who had already been heavily influenced by the World Tree and had become its spiritual captives. It wasn’t a strong, brainwashing kind of allure, but it was close enough.
Soon, she would see the Avatar of the World Tree with her own eyes. She was so curious about what it would look like. Would it be a majestic man? Or a kind and charming woman? Linea didn’t know the World Tree’s gender, but she thought either would be fine.
In her world, people sometimes imagined and sculpted the appearance of their gods, but there was no fixed form. This made her even more excited. In her world, the World Tree’s appearance wasn’t specifically defined. This time, she would be the first to see it. It was fate.
As she was thinking this, Linea noticed an incredibly delicious smell wafting in from outside. How carefree were these researchers to let their guard down like this? Of course, it was the influence of the World Tree.
Those enchanted by the World Tree’s energy couldn’t help but lower their guard around Linea, the World Tree’s priestess. Linea wasn’t exactly the same, but she emitted a similar energy.
“Wow, the chicken is so tender.”
“Yeah, we’re working late today, so we might as well eat a lot.”
Two researchers were tearing into some chicken right in front of Linea. She was captivated by the delicious smell she had never experienced before. Having only eaten animals roasted over open flames, modern-style fried chicken was irresistibly appealing to her. Her world had spices, but there was no way they could compare to modern fried chicken.
Staring intently at the chicken, the researchers seemed to notice Linea’s gaze and quickly disappeared with the chicken. They probably thought it wasn’t appropriate to eat in front of her.
‘I want to eat it…’
Linea could only wistfully watch as the nameless dish disappeared. If the World Tree had been right beside her, her magic would have overflowed, and she would have used it to steal that food.
