Chapter 15: Finding Comfort in Familiarity
3: Irresistible Instincts
“Mom, Dad! I’m here!”
“Hey, Garam’s here!”
The clatter of dishes and Mom’s voice drift from the kitchen.
The warm, familiar atmosphere of home lifts my spirits.
I tilt my head toward the living room and see Dad on the couch, watching TV with his usual stern posture.
“You’re here.”
“Yup.”
His gruff tone carries a father’s concern, and I answer with a bright smile.
“Hello.”
“Oh! Junseo, you came too. It’s been a while, kid!”
As expected, Mom’s delighted to see Junseo, even though he showed up unannounced.
“Junseo, have you eaten lunch? Want to join us?”
“Uh, yes. I’d love to, thank you…”
Before Junseo finishes, five sets of utensils are swiftly laid out on the table.
Doenjang jjigae, grilled mackerel, white rice.
The rich, hearty aroma of home-cooked food, something I can’t get while living alone, fills the air.
“Hehe…”
“Go ahead and eat, dear.”
With permission granted, I don’t hesitate. I grab my chopsticks, pick up a piece of mackerel, and place it on the steaming rice.
The white mackerel flesh blends perfectly with the white rice. I lift the combo and pop it into my mouth.
Nom nom.
The mackerel’s savory, slightly salty flavor has barely any fishiness, just the rich, toasty aroma of grilling. The warm rice balances the saltiness, and as I chew, they meld together, breaking apart softly in my mouth.
Delicious!
This home-cooked meal has a perfection I can’t find in my solo cooking.
My spoon keeps moving, clinking against the bowl.
Mid-meal, Mom speaks up.
“So, Garam, everything okay lately?”
Gulp.
I swallow my food and answer.
“Yup. No problems.”
It’s not a lie—nothing major’s happened. Just the stares from people, stirred up by that werewolf incident.
Of course, I keep quiet about slapping a demon.
“Good, that’s a relief. Still, stick with your friends when you go out. Junseo, or that chubby one, or the skinny one.”
“Kanghyuk and Min-jae?”
“Oh, right. Haha, I could only picture their looks, not their names.”
While we’re chatting, Dad, usually so reserved, speaks up in his deep, serious voice.
“Junseo, look after her. Keep her out of trouble.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Dad, I’m not a kid.”
“With that body?”
My brother’s annoying, smirking voice cuts in.
“… I’m growing. I’ve already grown two centimeters.”
“Sure, sure.”
He clearly doesn’t believe me.
Two centimeters!
For real.
“Need help?”
I approach Mom as she washes dishes.
“No, you must be tired from the trip. Go rest.”
“Okay.”
Her gentle refusal makes me smile awkwardly, and I turn back to the living room. I plop down next to Dad, who’s watching TV. A news report is on.
– Religious groups are increasingly rejecting transformed individuals…
The channel flips the moment those words come out.
I don’t need that kind of consideration.
I don’t say anything and watch as the TV lands on a random variety show. Then my phone pings—a message from Jisoo.
I didn’t expect her to message me.
Curious, I check it.
– Watch out for churches.
One sentence. What’s this about?
– Why?
The “1” disappears quickly, but her reply takes a while. After some time, it comes.
– Getting chased by church people right now.
– They’re calling me a child of Satan.
Oh.
I didn’t think of that.
That’s… startling. Completely unexpected. I don’t know how to reply.
…
There’s a church near my parents’ place, isn’t there?
I might need to be careful.
Lost in thought, I feel a strange gaze. I turn to meet Dad’s eyes.
“Dad, what’s up?”
“… Can’t you turn off that light? It’s hard to see the TV.”
Huh?
I got kicked off the couch.
I wasn’t really watching the TV anyway, so it’s fine.
As I shuffle along, the fridge catches my eye. A faint sweet scent draws me in, and before I know it, I’m standing in front of it.
Clunk.
I open the freezer door. And…
“Gasp!”
Ice cream!
Several ice creams sit in the freezer, the source of the sweet smell.
My mouth waters. My hand, beyond my control, grabs them all. They spill onto the table in a cascade.
Swish.
Swish.
“No Junseo…?”
Like a thief, I glance around. Confirming no one’s here, I grin and tear open an ice cream wrapper.
The sweet aroma hits me stronger as the wrapper opens. Just the smell makes my lips curl into a smirk.
Hap.
One big bite.
Munch, munch.
“Ehehehe…”
Happiness. My wings flutter. My legs bounce uncontrollably. A goofy laugh escapes, and my joy soars sky-high.
Lost in sweetness, I keep biting, even as the cold stings my head. I can’t stop.
One bite, two bites…
A symphony of sweetness fills my mouth.
After a few bites, I reach for another, but my hand grabs only an empty wrapper.
Then I see the scene around me.
Empty ice cream wrappers and sticks scattered across the table, some even on the floor—a total mess.
My brain buffers. What do I do?
…
“What’re you doing?”
“Eek!”
My brother appears out of nowhere.
He looks between me, the table, and the floor, his face screaming disbelief.
“… You ate all of these?”
“It… it was unavoidable…”
And then, a flick to my forehead.
“Ugh, I bought those today, and you ate them all?”
“Hng.”
I rub my forehead and mutter.
“Sorry. I’ll buy more.”
“Whatever. If you’re so sorry, call me ‘big brother.’”
“… That’s a bit much.”
“Why?!”
No matter how sorry I am, that’s a no.
Junseo found out and scolded me.
I ate way too much, so I had to take the lecture quietly.
Anyway.
I walk into the bathroom and lock the door. My reflection shows a child’s face. Even after all this time, it still feels weird.
And so small. Seeing my bare body feels oddly dangerous and sinful. Uncomfortable, I quickly look away and turn on the shower.
…
I wash carefully, as Jimin taught me. She drilled into me that washing like I did as a guy would ruin my skin.
… It doesn’t seem like rough washing hurts my skin, but still.
Since transforming, my skin’s softer and more sensitive, so I can’t wash like before.
I scrub my halo clean and wring out my wings like laundry.
And other stuff, then shower’s done.
They say girls spend ages on their hair, but I’m lucky—shampoo’s enough to keep mine perfect.
Wings, though, are another story.
I slip on clothes and head to my parents’ room where the hairdryer is. I sit at Mom’s vanity and start drying my hair.
Whirr.
My silver hair sways in the breeze. It’s long, so even without extra care, it takes a while to dry.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Drying my wings is way harder and takes forever.
The feathers are so dense they don’t dry easily, and since they’re on my shoulder blades, they’re hard to reach. Drying them leaves me exhausted.
If I don’t dry them properly, they stay damp and make me feel gross, so I’m the one who suffers.
“Ughhh…”
So boring.
“What’re you doing?”
“Huh?”
Junseo sits next to me as I dry my wings.
“Drying my wings, as you can see.”
“Oh… wings mean you’ve got to do that too.”
“Yup. Super annoying.”
Why’d I get stuck with feathered wings? I twist my body, struggling to dry them, when Junseo speaks.
“Want help?”
“Oh, really? That’d be great!”
I hand him the hairdryer. He moves behind me and starts drying my wings slowly.
Whirrrr.
…
Warm air, gentle noise, and the touch on my wings. I’m getting sleepy.
I always dry them alone at home, but with someone helping, it’s so much easier. The warm air wraps around me, so cozy.
Warm.
Comforting.
For a while, I sit there, letting Junseo dry my wings.