FVN Chapter 96
Chapter 96
That evening, when I returned home, the Master ordered me to take some time off to rest. He insisted I stay home and relax after the rough day I’d had.
“Hey, Wang-ah, what’s that?” Levinas pointed the remote at the television, where a man and a woman were kissing each other’s cheeks.
“They’re kissing because they like each other.”
“Why do people kiss just because they like each other?”
“Hmm...”
Now, that was a deep question. I didn’t know the history behind kissing, so I wasn’t sure how to explain it to her.
How do I even explain this to a child? While I was pondering, a shadow loomed over my head.
“You two...”
*Bonk!*
I looked up just as Sophia lightly tapped Levinas and me on our heads with her cane. Judging by her stern expression, we must have done something wrong.
“Why are we in trouble...?”
“Did you not see the ‘15 and older’ sign on the screen?”
Sophia pointed her cane at the top right corner of the TV. A yellow label with the number 15 was there.
Oh. I wasn’t used to watching TV, so I hadn’t thought about the age rating. How could I have shown such a stimulating scene to a ten-year-old? This was a mistake with no excuses.
“Sophia, I’m really sorry...”
“As long as you understand. Leave those kinds of shows until you’re older.”
“Yes...”
I took the remote from Levinas and put on an animated show featuring animal characters. Yeoreum, who was working at the living room table, let out a chuckle.
“Sophia, they probably don’t even know what an age rating is. They just saw something on the screen and watched it.”
“...Then you, Yeoreum, should’ve told them.”
“It wasn’t that bad of a scene. It’s a movie I saw back in the day.”
“Oh, is that so...”
Sophia patted Levinas and me on our heads, seemingly feeling a bit guilty for the reprimand. It didn’t hurt, but it felt nice to have her gentle touch.@@@@
“Hmm...”
Even with her head being patted, Levinas was deep in thought, arms crossed, looking unusually serious. Just as everyone turned their attention to her, Levinas blurted out a question that caught us all off guard.
“Have any of you kissed someone you like?”
Levinas asked, her question directed at everyone. Yeoreum was the first to answer.
“When I was little, I used to kiss my family.”
“With your family?!”
“Yep. But I don’t really do it anymore because I’m an adult now.”
“Whoa...”
With her big, curious eyes, Levinas looked between Sophia and me, clearly wanting to know if we had similar experiences.
“I used to live with my family when I was young...”
“Gasp! Even you, Shark?! Then that means Wang has too!”
Levinas looked at me with an expectant sparkle in her eyes. But I could only shake my head.
I had another life, sure, but I didn’t have a family in this one. I couldn’t claim family experiences from a past life that didn’t exist in this one.
“I don’t have a family... so I’ve never tried it...”
“Oh...”
Yeoreum made an odd sound right after I spoke. When I turned to her, both she and Sophia had sad expressions.
“What’s wrong...?”
“Well, I mean... aren’t I and Yeoreum like family to you?”
“...We’re family?”
Since when? My tail curved into a question mark, reflecting my curiosity. Sophia sat down next to me.
“When people live together and care for each other, that’s family, isn’t it?”
“Really...?”
“Yes, so don’t go saying you don’t have a family.”
“No, they’re not that pricey.”
The price was only about a thousand won per pack. I bought her two packs, letting her pick them out herself.
We sat by a nearby pond and started opening the packs.
“Thank you for buying the cards, Wang.”
“Of course. Which card is the strongest?”
“The Silver Tiger! It’s the King of Animals! It has ten stars!”
Levinas sat on the bench, swinging her legs as she opened the packs. Out of around twenty cards, the best one was a two-star card.
“Oh...”
Even I, who didn’t know much about Animal King cards, could tell it was a bad draw.
She must be disappointed. Maybe I should buy her another pack?
I glanced at Levinas, but instead of looking upset, she was practically bouncing with excitement.
“I got two of the best cards!”
“The best cards?”
“Yep!”
Levinas held up two cards for me to see, featuring a horned rabbit and a white kitten. They only had one star each, but she was thrilled, kicking her feet back and forth.
“Isn’t the Silver Tiger supposed to be the best?”
“Just because it’s strong doesn’t mean it’s the best!”
“Oh...”
So in Animal King cards, strength isn’t everything. Embarrassed, I scratched my neck.
“Wang is amazing. How did you pick such good cards?”
“Guess I got lucky.”
Seeing Levinas so happy made me feel good, too. As she wagged her tail and admired the cards, she handed them all to me.
“Let’s play with these.”
“Sure, but how do we play?”
I’d heard you could battle with the cards, but neither of us knew the rules.
“We’re supposed to battle with them, but I don’t want to fight you.”
“I don’t want to fight you, either.”
“Then... how about we imitate the animals instead?”
“Imitate?”
“Yeah!”
The rules were simple: act like the animal on the card you drew. It was straightforward and fun.
“Okay, I’ll go first.”
“Alright!”
I pulled a card from the shuffled deck, which featured a seagull holding a sword. I flapped my arms up and down, making squawking sounds.
“Cat!”
Cat? That wasn’t even close. I showed Levinas the seagull card, shaking
my head.
“Wrong.”
“Huh? It’s a seagull?!”
“Yeah, a seagull.”
“Oh... Let me try next!”
Levinas picked a card and began hopping around. She’d drawn the horned rabbit, clearly.
“Is it... a horned rabbit?”
“Nope! It’s a frog!”
She held up her card, showing a frog dressed like a ninja.
‘Wow.’
With all her hopping, I thought it had to be the horned rabbit. Turns out, this game was harder than expected, and I couldn’t help but break into a sweat.