Chapter 29 – Taking a Nap Together

The 177th day of being stranded.

Today, before the black rabbit called him, he went to the pond first, moved the piranhas, and prepared lunch.

As he raised his agility, his working speed increased, giving him a bit of leisure in his morning farming.

Although he could not make an accurate measurement because there was no clock, it was definitely faster based on his feelings.

Since there was a little leisure until lunchtime, Se-jun went to the green onion field he had planted by harvesting seeds from the green onion flowers, and cut off a few scallion leaves that had not grown thick yet.

And,

Chop, chop, chop.

He sliced the scallions thinly with a dagger and placed them as a garnish on top of the grilled fish.

While Se-jun and the black rabbit were preparing lunch, the white rabbits also finished their work and helped prepare the meal.

From today, the white rabbits ate their meals separately in the cave. The reason was that the wife rabbit’s belly had protruded to the point where she could no longer move her body properly. It seemed the babies would be born soon.

“Pull!”

Kku! Eng! Kku! Eng!

The baby bear pulled up Se-jun and the black rabbit, who had packed their lunch like that, and only the three of them ate lunch on the surface.

Se-jun took a bite of the grilled fish seasoned with salt and topped with scallions, put a dried roasted sweet potato chew into his mouth, and chewed them together. He wanted to recreate the feeling of eating rice as much as possible.

Munch, munch.

A familiar taste was indeed frightening. As the salty fish entered his mouth, his brain naturally recalled white rice. Although the dried roasted sweet potato chew was also a carbohydrate and gave a somewhat similar feeling, it could not mimic the texture and taste of rice.

“Ah, I want to eat rice.”

Se-jun ate the grilled fish and the dried roasted sweet potato chew together again while looking at the vast wasteland and imagining golden rice ripening, but it was only unsatisfying to Se-jun’s palate.

“Someday, I will eat rice.”

Although Se-jun was happy just to be able to eat sweet potatoes until not long ago, human greed was endless.

While Se-jun was setting a new farming goal like that,

Buzz.

Ten poison honeybees came up from the cave hole, scattered in pairs, and began patrolling about 300 meters around the area.

From the day Se-jun came up to the surface, the poison honeybees had also followed him up like this and patrolled whenever he came up to the surface. They were protecting Se-jun.

“Praiseworthy fellows.”

Se-jun finished his meal while watching the poison honeybees flying around.

And,

Pyak…

Kkueng…

As if it were natural, the black rabbit and the baby bear approached Se-jun, who was drinking coffee, to take a nap.

The black rabbit did not matter because his body was small, but the baby bear shoved his head in recklessly.

However, Se-jun’s lap was too narrow for the baby bear, who had grown even bigger in a few days.

Kkueng.

He wanted to sleep in Se-jun’s arms like before, but since it was not possible, he seemed displeased. The baby bear tossed and turned a few times like that, and then changed his method.

The baby bear lay on his side, curling up to sleep with his belly pressed against Se-jun’s back. It became as if Se-jun were inside the baby bear’s embrace.

Kkurorong.

The baby bear fell asleep quickly as soon as he lay down.

Slurp.

Se-jun drank a sip of coffee and leaned his body completely against the baby bear’s fluffy body.

“It’s fluffy.”

Feeling a cozy sensation as if covering himself with a blanket for the first time in a long time, Se-jun also fell into sleep.

How long had he slept like that?

Slap! Slap!

“Mmm…”

Se-jun woke up at the sound of something slapping his thigh.

Squeak!

The husband rabbit came up and woke Se-jun up because Se-jun did not come down. It seemed he fell asleep deeply without realizing it because the baby bear’s belly was so fluffy.

“Guys, let’s wake up.”

Pyaak…

Kkueng…

Se-jun woke up the black rabbit and the baby bear, who were grumbling in their sleep.

The black rabbit trained with the baby bear in the afternoons lately. Or, to be precise, the baby bear was playing, while only the black rabbit was fighting desperately.

Pyak!

Ppyok! Ppyok! Ppyok!

Although the black rabbit avoided the baby bear’s front paw and hit the baby bear diligently with his hammer,

Kkueng!

“Hyung, this is fun!” The baby bear excitedly rushed at the black rabbit.

He seemed to think it was tag.

While the two were playing and training, Se-jun planted the carrot tops he had brought up, went down to the cave, and began harvesting cherry tomatoes.

And,

Slash.

While he was busy cutting the cherry tomato branches,

Buzz.

He saw a poison honeybee carrying something the size of a fist, struggling to go out of the cave.

“What is it?”

Out of curiosity, Se-jun stopped harvesting cherry tomatoes and climbed up the rope to the surface, following the poison honeybee.

And,

“What is that?”

When Se-jun asked the poison honeybee, which was wandering around looking for something,

Drop.

Instead of answering, the poison honeybee carefully laid what it was holding on Se-jun’s hand and returned to the cave. It left the disposal to Se-jun.

“What is it?”

Se-jun carefully held the ivory-colored, caterpillar-like thing in his hand.

[You obtained the Cocoon of the Poison Honeybee Queen.]

“Cocoon of the Poison Honeybee Queen?”

The fact that a message popped up like this meant it was an item. Se-jun examined the cocoon closely.

[Cocoon of the Poison Honeybee Queen]

A poison honeybee larva coincidentally consumed only royal jelly and was preparing for emergence into a poison honeybee queen.

10 days remaining until emergence.

The first subject seen after emergence would be considered its master.

It was not yet time to swarm, but since a new poison honeybee queen was about to be born, the poison honeybees came out to discard it like this.

However, for Se-jun, it was an opportunity to obtain a second beehive.

Se-jun dug the ground in the shade near the rock where the rope was tied, and carefully laid down the poison honeybee queen cocoon.

And he brought green onion leaves up from the cave and covered it with them.

“Will this work?”

Because he did not know how to make the poison honeybee queen safely break out of the cocoon and emerge, Se-jun reduced external stress as much as possible for now.

And another day passed while he harvested cherry tomatoes again and helped the other white rabbits with their work.

***

The morning of the 178th day.

Kkueng!

The baby bear announced his arrival through the cave hole. As expected, the baby bear arrived early today as well.

“Right. Hello.”

Se-jun and the rabbits woke up and busily prepared for morning farming.

Munch, munch.

Crunch, crunch.

While Se-jun had his breakfast with the dried roasted sweet potato chews and the rabbits with carrots,

“I will take revenge, meow!”

Theo’s voice was heard.

“Huh? What revenge?”

Se-jun hurriedly climbed up the rope.

***

Theo had hurried his steps to claim Se-jun’s lap.

“Nya-nya-nyang. I am finally almost at Park Se-jun’s lap, meow!”

Theo moved toward the cave where Se-jun was, singing in happiness.

Then,

Dig, dig.

Above Se-jun’s cave, a Crimson Giant Bear was digging the ground.

“Was it this, meow…”

He had rushed over with the ominous feeling that something was targeting Se-jun’s lap. Se-jun had already died. Why was it that ominous thoughts were never wrong, meow?

Theo misunderstood that the Crimson Giant Bear was burying Se-jun’s bones.

If the Crimson Giant Bear had truly eaten Se-jun, she would not have left even bones, but the enraged Theo was not in a state to distinguish reason right now.

To think she killed Park Se-jun, meow!

To think she took away my comfortable lap, meow!

Representative Theo had not even used up all his remaining time yet, meow!

“I will take revenge, meow!”

Schwing!

Theo bared his hidden claws and rushed toward the baby bear.

Then,

“Theo, you’re back?”

Se-jun climbed up the rope from the cave and poked his head out.

“Huh?! Yes, meow! I am back, meow!”

Theo quickly changed direction and rushed toward Se-jun’s face.

Smack!

“Get off.”

Se-jun spoke to Theo, who was clinging tightly to his face.

“Puhuhu. I understand, meow.”

Smiling now that Se-jun was safe, Theo climbed up Se-jun’s face and jumped to the ground.

“But what is this Crimson Giant Bear, meow?”

“We accidentally fell into the cave and became friends. Now, in exchange for his mother protecting this area, I give honey to the baby bear.”

Se-jun answered as he climbed completely up to the surface.

“Is that so, meow?”

“More importantly, did the trip go well?”

“Yes, meow! I completed all missions and sold out everything this time too, meow!”

Theo answered loudly and climbed onto Se-jun’s lap.

And,

“This time, I sold 1,800 cherry tomatoes for 220 tower coins, meow!”

Theo took the money out of his bundle and handed it to Se-jun. Although the amount was smaller than last time, it did not matter. Because cherry tomatoes of a higher grade were waiting to be released.

“Good job. Here is your 5% incentive.”

Se-jun gave 11 tower coins to Theo. Because Theo was doing so well, Se-jun raised Theo’s incentive to 5%, which was representation-level.

“There is also this, meow!”

Theo took out the items Se-jun had requested, Churu, and the seasonings and coffee that Se-jun liked from his bundle.

“Representative Theo, how many hours is it possible, meow?”

Theo waited for Se-jun’s words with eyes full of expectation.

“If I add the last one, 38 hours?”

“Understood, meow! I will use it all up before I leave this time, meow!”

Theo, who had realized the preciousness of the lap, decided to enjoy the lap for a long time.

“Here, you worked hard.”

Se-jun stroked Theo’s head, tore open a Churu, and brought it to Theo’s mouth.

“That is right, meow! I worked extremely hard, meow!”

Chwap, chwap, chwap.

While Theo was licking the Churu diligently with an extremely arrogant posture like that,

Lick, lick.

An unfamiliar tongue slipped in.

“What is this, meow?”

Kkueng?

“By the way, who are you, Hyung?” The baby bear tilted his head and looked at Theo.

The baby bear fearlessly put his tongue on Theo’s Churu.

Hiss! Hiss!

Se-jun tightly grabbed the body of Theo, who was running wild, screaming that he would extend his claws and hit the baby bear, stopping Theo’s rampage.

However,

Kkuueeeng!

Startled by Theo, the baby bear began to scream.

And,

Kuuuong.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The mother Crimson Giant Bear, who had not gone far yet, heard the cry of the baby bear and rushed over.

Kkueng! Kkueng!

The baby bear ran to his mother Crimson Giant Bear, pointed his paw at Theo, and began to tell her what Theo had done.

“H… Hello! I am Theo, the cat wandering merchant!”

Theo hurriedly got down from Se-jun’s lap and bowed 90 degrees to greet the mother Crimson Giant Bear. Perhaps because he was flustered, Theo forgot his dialect and suddenly spoke in standard language.

Kuuuong.

The mother Crimson Giant Bear glared at Theo and growled.

“Yes! I was wrong. I will get along well with him in the future.”

Theo apologized earnestly as if they could communicate.

“It was just a small fight. Nothing happened.”

Se-jun also got nervous and hurriedly defended Theo. To think such an event took place as soon as Theo arrived after suffering from afar… He felt it was partly his responsibility.

Kuuuung.

The mother Crimson Giant Bear snorted strongly, warning Theo not to touch her cub, and went back to patrol.

“Hunyaang. Hic, meow. Hic, meow.”

Theo, who was relieved of tension, suddenly began to hiccup.

“There. It’s over. Calm down.”

“Thank you… hic… for speaking… hic… for me, meow.”

Theo expressed his gratitude to Se-jun while hiccuping.

“I’m sorry for not telling you in advance, too.”

Se-jun hugged Theo and patted Theo’s chest.

And,

Gororong.

Theo fell asleep quickly, perhaps calmed by Se-jun’s touch.

Kkueng.

When Theo fell asleep, the baby bear thought it was naptime, lay down hugging Se-jun’s back, and

Pyak!

The black rabbit also climbed onto Se-jun’s lap.

“Guys?”

Gororong.

Pyarorong.

Kkurorong.

Instead of an answer, only low snoring was heard. They had all fallen asleep in the meantime.

“Oh, whatever. Huh?”

Just as Se-jun gave up and tried to sleep together, he saw a straw hat next to him. It seemed to have blown over when the mother Crimson Giant Bear snorted earlier.

“This is great.”

Se-jun, who needed something to block the sun, put on the straw hat and fell into sleep.

The 178th day of being stranded. Theo realized that it would be trouble if he touched the baby bear.

“Baby bear, let’s get along well in the future, meow. But only a little bit of Churu…”

Theo muttered in his sleep.