Chapter 248 – Buying Baby Stuff (2)
The store specializing in baby products we decided to visit was in a corner of an alley that was out of fashion. A picture of a woman wearing glasses and an old woman with a kind smile hung in the center of the store. The walls were worn out, but the inside was tidy and lit with cozy lights like light bulbs in a single room.
This place, which is famous on the Internet as a store for ’emotional’ baby products, sold wooden mobiles made by artisans and handkerchiefs with unique designs. Seong Ha-yeon sat in her car and fiddled with her cell phone to check her location once again.
Looking at the exterior of the baby store one more time, she said:
“This is just like a cafe.”
“The lighting is very unusual. It looks like something out of a fantasy novel.”
“I know. Isn’t that old lady who runs the store just using magic?”
We got out of the car exchanging such jokes. As soon as she got out of the car, she took a look at her list of things to buy. She had a wide variety of items, from things we are familiar with, such as swaddling jackets, to items with names and unfamiliar items, such as breastfeeding bras. I said while pointing at the Baenat Jeogori from the list that Seong Ha-yeon was looking at.
She said, “My mother said that this was made for me, and she said that the hospital basically puts it on for me. I don’t think she should buy this.”
Seong Ha-yeon nodded and replied to my words.
She said, “My mother also said that she would do all things baby socks and baby clothes. Then, except for this one, I think I can buy some things like baby wipes, baby detergent, and shampoo. Did you say you ordered a bed?”
She said, “She said the guild leader would send me one to congratulate.”
She said, “Where did you say she was sending you?”
“She said she would send Ichie home first,” She said. We are living there most of the time these days.”
Apart from the house where the Almighty lived, if they were to gather in Seoul, they gathered at the house in the widest sense. The location itself was good for transportation, and it was close to all the houses we lived in. Seong Ha-yeon looked through her phone list once more and said.
“Then, should I prepare something like a bed blanket?”
“Yes. Then. Bed quilt. A sleeping bag, and baby bath products, detergent, and a mobile. I just need to buy something like this in advance.”
“When I saw my baby’s shoes, I really wanted to buy them. There’s something like that. Something you can really wear on your little finger.”
“Oh, that’s right. It’s so small and cute that you could put it on a postcard. When I see it, I want to buy it.”
“Ah, since we’re here, shall we buy one? When I looked on the Internet, they said I didn’t really need it.”
“If you want to buy, you have to buy. You’re a c-class hunter, do you need to be afraid of every single baby item?”
“That’s right. You have to do very well.”
Seong Ha-yeon said that and looked at her stomach with satisfaction. I told her
“Oh, and when the shopping is over this time, why don’t we move to Ichie’s house together? In fact, even now, we live together halfway through. Don’t do that, but the monthly rent is 1/n, and you have to live together to raise a baby anyway. I am preparing for it step by step.”
“Do you think it will be okay? For now, let’s call Ichie one more time and decide.”
In fact, she had already talked to Ichie several times about just living together. Although we often go to sleep, the main reason was that if there were days when I slept alone, I felt very lonely and bored. I put my hand on Seong Ha-yeon’s back and said.
“Let’s go in.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
When I opened the door, I heard the sound of a music box that was clear and pleasant to listen to, as if showing off that it was a childcare store. The notification bell sounded so good that I pulled it once more to make the bell ring as I quietly closed the door. An older waitress standing at the counter smiled at us and said:
“Hey, come on. Beautiful guests have come.”
“Hello.”
At the same time as we greeted each other, we felt a mysterious speculation in the body of the employee. Seong Ha-yeon and I secretly exchanged glances, and the waitress smiled and said with her hands behind her back.
“Oops, the Hunters suck. Nice to meet you. I used to play on the front lines too.”
As expected, she wanted to feel an unusual energy, and she was also a hunter. I nodded her head and said.
“Ah, you are a senior. Nice to meet you. My name is Jung Soo-hyun.”
“Hello. My name is Seong Ha-yeon, the goddess of ice palace.”
It’s a new feeling, but the Ice Palace Goddess. It was a very embarrassing nickname to introduce anywhere. Of course, with the nickname Ada Bomber, I couldn’t say those words out of my mouth. Aunt Hunter heard our concise and polite greeting and nodded her head.
“Aigoo, yes. They are called ‘bloody’ conquerors.”
“…Yes?”
Seong Ha-yeon also lifted her head slightly and looked at the old woman, wondering if she had heard something wrong. The wrinkled face, which seemed to be in its 70s, was still smiling broadly. She saw us startled and covered her mouth and said with a big smile.
“Oops, people are surprised when they hear my nickname from my Hunter days. Is it because I’m a hunter who was a bit flingy at one time?”
“Because everyone thinks hunters are amazing. It’s not easy to see Hunter at a childcare store. President… Are you going to be?”
I said so with a smile. A bloody conqueror, what kind of abilities did he possess? How the hell did he fight so that he had a bloody nickname? The old woman nodded at my words and said:
“It was the store my mother ran. I’m retired as a hunter, and I’m going to run it here for generations. By the way, you two came here to look for clothes and baby items? Come on. I will recommend you something good.”
She led us to one side of the store before we had time to say no. And she said, naturally, showing her children’s bath products.
“The air is dry these days, so I tend to use a lot of products from this company B. Looking at my wife’s belly, it should come out soon, especially around this time, isn’t it the driest time? I recommend using this product.”
“Ah, yes.”
She was far more professional than I thought. She also felt warm as if she was learning something from her neighbor. After recommending some bath products, the old woman showed the children’s clothes. Seong Ha-yeon said before showing the clothes.
“Ah, over there. Do you have any blankets? I’d like to see some soft blankets for the kids.”
The old woman shook her head at her words, and she said:
“Kids just like to be covered in thin blankets or cloth diapers. If you use a blanket that is too thick, children may suffocate while turning over. And, these days, this duckbill pillow for the children’s heads. A pillow that holds the shape of the head is also sold, right?”
“A pillow that holds the shape of your head beautifully?”
“Is it so. If you put this on your child’s head like this to sleep, it prevents the child from sleeping wrongly and pressing the head strangely, and it’s great. Both her husband and her wife are beautiful, so the child will look pretty too. I need to get one of these.”
Seong Ha-yeon smiled shyly at her remark that she was a beauty and nodded her head. That’s how our shopping for baby products went smoothly. After the old woman put each of our purchases on the checkout counter, she reduced the price by another 20%. When a fairly large sum of money came out in bundles, I was surprised to not even hold out my card.
“No, can you shave it like this?”
“Oops, going to the gate and going through so much trouble, this much should be reduced. Hunters really suffer. Do we know?”
Sometimes, there was a time when I felt better just to be thanked by someone I didn’t know. I nodded her head at her words and said.
“Thank you. Which… Thank you so much for being active as a hunter before I was born.”
“Of course I had to do what I had to do. Thank you for noticing.”
The old woman said that with a laugh, and then she finished the bill. After leaving the store, I took the heavy envelope and walked to the trunk of the car. Seong Ha-yeon said.
“You are a wonderful person.”
“Iknow, right. But your nickname is bloody. What is the replacement ability?”
“…Is it rude to ask?”
She turned her head slightly, wondering if she was curious about the year of the Holy Family. I also thought it would be rude to ask, so I just moved on. As soon as Seong Ha-yeon sat in the driver’s seat, a text message arrived. It was a text message from senior Yoojung. It was a text message saying that we wouldn’t be able to eat together tonight.
“It looks like the gate is a bit big.”
“Iknow, right.”
“Should I text Ichie to ask if it’s over?”
“I will contact you.”
*****
The alley where the two Hunters left. The conqueror was looking out the window with a nonchalant gaze. A young student was walking cautiously down the street at sunset. After the student, several big thugs were carrying them.
They shoved the student into a dark corner and started giggling as he fell to the floor. Conqueror put a live cigarette in his mouth and watched it quietly. She rummaged under her counter and pulled out her leather gloves.
*****
“Why, why are you like this… !”
“Hey, would you like to borrow some money?”
“Oh, do you have any money?”
“Fuck. You say you’ll pay no money what hey. Give me your wallet I need to see if I have any money.”
“Sir, I don’t like it.”
“Hey, did you hear? I hate it. Ah…”
After looking back at the members standing behind him, the bully leader, who had been laughing, suddenly kicked the student who had collapsed on the floor. The student cowered in surprise, waiting for the pain to strike her body.
“Oops!”
But screams came from among the bullies. The bully, who had shifted his weight backwards to kick, was falling to the other side with one leg lifted. At the same time, three fist marks appeared on the stomach of one of the biggest boys in the gang.
They seemed to catch a glimpse of the old woman with a twinkle in her eyes.
“Uh? Uh? Uh?”
Wind noise. Another bully’s jaw turned with a faint sound of wind, like a whistle. And a beat later, a female member of the bullying group, who was leisurely watching the situation from behind, fell to the floor.
“Huh?”
The student looked around without knowing why. Feeling that it was time to run away, I quickly ran away from the scene.
The bloody conqueror took a deep breath and stopped in front of the shop.
“Oops, I’m old now so I can’t even do this.”
