LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 213
There’s a saying that books are the food of the heart.
I never really looked up what that means, but I have my own guess.
There are all kinds of books in the world.
Some are solely meant for enjoyment, others for spreading personal philosophies, and some share useful information…
You can put them together like that, but if you wanted to nitpick, you’d be talking forever, right?
But still.
I think the essence of all those books is stories.
Whether it’s a book meant for pleasure or to convey knowledge, in the end, it’s all about the story the author wants to tell.
“Yeah.”
That’s what I think.
Of course, there’ll be people who disagree, but hey, that’s their opinion, and I’m not keen on butting in.
Suddenly, why am I spouting all this?
Well, it’s because something I saw online popped back into my head.
There was this saying: ‘Reading comics or novels isn’t real reading. So saying that you’re reading those is wrong.’
That got quite a stir, right?
And I remember there were all sorts of responses, heated ones.
“In this day and age, reading anything is better than nothing,” “What amazing books are you reading?” “I think the same way,” “How pitiful that you’re trying to bait with this…” and so on.
As you can guess by now, I was against that earlier statement.
A book is a book; do we really need to rank them?
Maybe I think that way because I’m not much of a studious person.
Anyway, my stance is that “reading comics counts as reading.”
So.
“Kana, what are you doing?”
“I’m filling up my heart’s food.”
I confidently answered Da-eun’s inquiry.
Through the comic book I was holding, I caught a glimpse of Da-eun with an expression that looked a bit displeased.
How dare she interrupt someone so deeply engrossed in reading?
It frowned me to think that, but the cultured me had to hold it in.
This is the power of reading, right?
I answered Da-eun’s question and resumed my reading.
However, the uninvited guest who interrupted my reading wasn’t leaving and kept circling around me.
“Kana, Kana.”
“…”
“Kaa~na~!”
“…”
“Excuse me, Lady Canaria? Tweet? Tweet-tweet?”
“That’s a sparrow sound, isn’t it?”
“They’re all birds, so shouldn’t it work? See, Kana replied.”
“What the…?”
Wait, could that actually be true?
If we look at dogs, different breeds can communicate too, right?
So shouldn’t birds be the same? If they’re the same species, minor differences might not matter…
“-No, that’s not it.”
Caught up in Da-eun’s pace, I shook my head vigorously.
“I’m not a bird.”
Why was I even thinking about that in the first place?
I wasn’t a bird, and what came out of Da-eun’s mouth wasn’t bird sounds but dog sounds anyway.
“Dog, dog sounds?! Kana, you…! You can’t use such bad words against your sister!”
“Why?”
“Um, well? It’s a moral issue…?”
“Saying bad words is morally problematic? What’s morality anyway?”
“Ugh! Just ignore what I just said!”
Da-eun crossed her arms in a big X.
“Even between close friends, cursing is not nice. It’s a small thing, but it can hurt feelings. So just speak pretty words to your sister, okay?”
“I don’t understand.”
You can’t possibly think that such words would convince me.
“…Hmph.”
Regardless, the moment I got caught up with Da-eun, my focus was lost.
It was already a situation where the text in the speech bubble looked more like a picture.
Still, I gathered what little concentration I had left to turn it back into letters.
“Um, Kana. It’s been several days like this… Can’t we go outside a bit?”
“I need to finish this before I go out. Stop talking and get the next volume.”
“You really plan on going out? You said the same yesterday…”
“Ugh.”
Just as I tried to get my concentration back, I shot an annoyed glance at Da-eun who wouldn’t stop bothering me.
“I said I’d go out once I finish. Stop distracting me and leave already.”
“…Wah! Our Kana’s changed…”
“Just get out already!”
With a pretentious sob, Da-eun dragged herself out and closed the door.
Finally, my room regained its serenity.
Feeling satisfied with the silence wrapping around me, I leaned back against the head of the bed again.
Rustle.
“…”
Rustle.
“…Sigh.”
You know, my reading speed is already slow, and Da-eun not only shattered it but also crushed it into a fine powder, so flipping through the pages was extremely slow.
Thud!
As I was slowly turning the pages, I ended up slamming the book shut and getting up from my spot.
Because it was clear that if I kept reading, nothing would actually go in.
When I grabbed the doorknob to go outside, I suddenly felt an odd sensation and let go.
‘…When was the last time I went out again?’
Well, it definitely wasn’t today.
Was it yesterday? But it feels so distant…
I’m not completely transcending humanity, but in trivial biological functions like eating or sleeping, my body’s half-transcended, so even going a few days without eating doesn’t really affect my condition.
I’m just doing it because I feel like it.
So, without a proper biological clock, I lost track of how long it’s been since I focused on my reading.
‘…Da-eun must’ve felt annoyed.’
Da-eun knows that about me.
But at the same time, she worries needlessly, so it was no wonder she’d be worried about me skipping meals and clinging to a book.
‘…’
So I guess I’ve turned away from someone who came out of concern, which left me feeling a bit heavy.
…But that’s a lie.
I felt a bit guilty, sure, but the one who recommended the comic book was Da-eun in the first place.
If there’s any fault on my part, it’s just following her recommendation to the letter.
“Yeah. I did nothing wrong.”
Conclusion reached, I turned the doorknob.
-Wah?!
As the door opened inwards, Da-eun, who had been leaning against the door, fell in a heap.
Of course, knowing she’d be in that position, I moved aside the moment I opened the door and avoided any awkward body contact.
Thump!
“Ouch…”
Da-eun whined after making a loud noise as she fell.
“What were you doing?”
“I was, um, eavesdropping…?”
Is it really okay to say that so casually?
That thought popped into my head for a moment, but since I knew Da-eun wasn’t a spy for the Empire and couldn’t have done it with bad intentions, I brushed it off.
It had almost always been the case that I had to look up at her.
This time, awkwardly grinning while lying on the ground, Da-eun looked up at me, and I shot her a quick remark.
“Let’s eat something.”
“Huh?”
“Koreans say it’s all about the rice.”
Sure, I wasn’t born in this life as a Korean.
But since I used to be one, it shouldn’t be a problem.
* * *
After a quick meal, Da-eun and I snuggled up on the sofa.
“…Huff.”
Deep breath in.
“Sigh…”
And out.
By the way, the breathing I was hearing wasn’t mine.
“This! This is what I wanted…”
It was Da-eun’s breath as she hugged me from behind, burying her face in my hair.
“You know, that’s really pervy, right?”
“I don’t care if I’m called pervy! I’m enjoying this moment!”
“…”
Da-eun said I’d locked myself up for three whole days.
In other words, I hadn’t showered for three days.
Of course, as I already mentioned, even going days without a shower doesn’t mean my body oozes oily grime, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel a bit grimy, yet Da-eun was happily hugging me.
“Sigh… This sweet scent… I feel alive again.”
“If you’re satisfied, let me go now.”
“Hmm, given that it’s been three whole days without touching Kana, it might still be a bit lacking…”
Da-eun trailed off as she let me down gently.
“If I do any more, Kana will hate it, so I guess I should be satisfied here?”
“It’s already too late.”
If you knew I’d dislike it, you shouldn’t have hugged me in the first place.
I grumbled a little and shook my head, tossing off any lingering hair.
Was that odd wetness I felt in my hair just a figment of my imagination? Surely it must be…
It had to be…
“By the way, seeing you so engrossed, it seems you liked the comic?”
“Uh…”
Faltering, I slightly nodded my head.
“It wasn’t bad.”
“Honestly, I didn’t expect you to get so into it. I thought you’d read a few volumes and throw it away, but you surprised me by taking it seriously.”
“…”
Truth be told, there were moments when I nearly tossed the book aside when I first started reading.
As I read slowly, I’d think, ‘Why am I doing this?’ and ‘What good does this do me?’
But when I intended to close the book, I was suddenly curious about what happened next.
After saying just a bit more, I ended up where I am now.
“I thought you’d like it, but I can’t believe you liked it this much.”
Da-eun’s voice was filled with an uncontainable cheer.
Presumably, she hadn’t even planned on hiding that joy.
“Once you finish what you’re reading, do you want me to recommend something else?”
“…Sure.”
“Alright! But remember, no staying up all night reading like last time. Got it?”
“…”
“If you don’t answer, I won’t lend it to you.”
“…No.”
“Come on…!”
Hearing my reply, Da-eun jumped up, but…
No matter what, I answered, didn’t I?
Building up the food of my heart is a good thing, so why the fuss?
I really couldn’t understand, so I simply shook my head.