Esperanza decided to get up from her seat, humming a familiar carol.
"Weren't you planning to send me to the bookstore alone?"
"I just want to go together."
She had thought about sending Cider away and checking what had happened to the 'Golden Claw', but now it didn't matter. There was no reason to look into such news on a good day.
"How thoughtful of you."
Cider extended his arm. Esperanza lightly placed her hand on it. The warmth swept away even the remnants of her anxiety.
Right up until the moment he activated the machine, Cider had been somewhat anxious and restless. Since it was a promise, he hadn't shown it to Esperanza, but.
This was Esperanza's home ground. The ground where she had lived for twenty-seven years. The place she had loved for so long, where she had put down roots and lived. Although she had ultimately chosen the world where he existed, he knew that decision hadn't been made lightly. Still, a trace of anxiety remained.
The anxiety that once Esperanza arrived here, she might not want to return again. The restlessness that she might become immersed in all the familiarity and comfort she couldn't think of when she was there, and never look back. Those thoughts dominated his mind right up until the moment he operated the machine.
Though he had completely forgotten about it and enjoyed himself too much the moment he set foot in this city. Though he had been busy looking around at this and that while lamenting the fact that he hadn't been born into such a highly developed world...
Anyway, he had definitely had such thoughts.
"Let's go quickly."
Esperanza pulled Cider's arm. Cider switched the paper bag to his other hand and moved as Esperanza led him.
It seemed like such a thing wouldn't happen. Instead, he could just visit this city frequently.
The bookstore they reached by taking the escalator was spacious and bright. It used light gray plywood bookshelves instead of natural wood, and also sold things like toys and puzzles.
"What you want is probably over there."
Esperanza said, shaking her head as if just looking at it gave her a headache.
"Are you coming with me?"
"No. Choose on your own. I'll look around over here."
Cider headed toward the bookshelf packed with thick books. Books related to mechanical engineering caught his eye. Passing several men who had uniformly stuffed loud checkered shirts into their pants, Cider stacked books on one arm.
"Hello?"
One of the men he had passed earlier tapped him on the shoulder with his fingertip. Cider turned his head toward the man.
"What's the matt... er?"
He almost spoke down to him out of habit, but managed to be somewhat polite. The skinny man's face brightened at the familiar native language.
"There's a cart over there."
"I appreciate the kindness, but I'm fine."
"...Ah, okay."
The man nodded awkwardly. Only then did Cider realize that other people were staring at him. He wasn't one to care about others' gazes, but there was nothing good about drawing attention in an unfamiliar place where he couldn't tell what was wrong. He didn't think long and headed toward Esperanza.
"So you like this kind of thing?"
Esperanza's shoulders jumped at the sudden question from behind her.
"You startled me! ...Are you buying all of that?"
"For now. I can come back and buy more next time."
"How are you planning to carry all that?"
"You can have people deliver this stuff. It's not a gift anyway. Or do automatons deliver here too?"
"Delivery would be done by people. Unless that's changed in the meantime. It would be faster than there, though."
"That's too bad. So, are you buying that too?"
Esperanza, who had been hesitating, nodded. What she was holding in her arms was none other than comic books.
"These don't exist there. I used to read these, and several more volumes came out in the meantime."
"Are they interesting?"
"I like them."
"We've lived together for years, but I didn't know you liked this kind of thing."
Well, because they don't exist there. Esperanza, who was about to say that, squinted her eyes as she realized what Cider was saying.
"You'll find out if you come often. You might develop tastes too."
"I'm looking forward to it."
Taking advantage of a moment when no one was around, Cider kissed Esperanza's cheek and walked a few steps ahead, pretending nothing happened. Esperanza let out a chuckle and quickly followed him.
"Hey, I haven't finished choosing yet!"
"Don't choose, just buy everything."
Cider, who had been walking ahead, put down the books he had selected and was flipping through a book in the children's section. It was an alphabet learning book that made sounds when pressed.
"I used this kind of thing when I was little too."
Esperanza, who had approached quickly, pressed the alphabet section to show him. Cider flipped through a few pages of the book. There were also books that would read to you when you brought a pen to them.
"They make things like this too."
"Could you make something like this?"
"Technically, easily. But this kind of thing is more about ideas than technology."
He had never thought of it because he had never felt the need. Cider Claiborne's inventions were excellent, but they couldn't escape his small world.
Everyone is like that. It's nearly impossible to create something beyond what you can see. That's why countless perspectives are needed. That's also why not just one genius, but hundreds and thousands of ordinary researchers are needed.
He had once thought he could create everything in the world by himself, but...
Cider closed the book and said.
"I think I like this world."
"You seemed to from the beginning."
Esperanza smiled and placed the children's book Cider had been looking at on top of the pile of comic books.
"So now we've bought everything worth buying?"
They had all the books delivered. With both arms free, Esperanza came out cheerfully.
"Ugh, it's cold."
Since it was winter, the days were short. Yellow streetlights had turned on in the darkened outside, and a thin white carpet of snow lay on the sidewalk. Songs from various stores mixed together.
While crossing through the crowd with arms linked, Esperanza looked up at Cider.
"It's nice to come back after a long time, but it's not all good."
"Is that so?"
"It would be better to come only occasionally. First of all, it's too cold..."
Cider kissed her reddened nose and lifted his head as if nothing had happened.
"You're not usually sensitive to cold, are you?"
Esperanza's body was insensitive to temperature changes. She could perceive temperature but was less affected by it. However, even with such an efficient body, the winter wind was bitter.
"I didn't used to be this sensitive to cold. Oh, bungeoppang!"
Esperanza, who was about to add an excuse, suddenly ran to a street stall. It was just a canopy hung up, not even taking the form of a building. Cider, who approached leisurely, watched the vendor skillfully put batter into a machine and make fish-shaped bread.
"One bag, please!"
"You speak our language well?"
At those words, Esperanza made a subtle face and nodded a beat late. The vendor put six freshly baked bungeoppang into a paper bag and counted the money.
"I've lived here for a long time. I like it here."
"Our country is great! Is that your boyfriend next to you? He's handsome! Usually it's five per bag, but I put in one extra. So you and your boyfriend don't fight."
Esperanza smiled, puffing up her frozen cheeks into circles.
"I didn't think about being treated as a foreigner."
"Is that why people have been staring since earlier?"
"No, there are many foreigners. That's just because you stand out."
Esperanza, who had put a bungeoppang in Cider's mouth, hugged the bag. Cider nodded with a relieved expression. Standing out because of his face was something he had experienced his whole life. Even with his rarely clean and long blond hair added to it, there was nothing special about it.
Esperanza held the bungeoppang bag in one hand, and Cider held the paper bag containing gifts and the tablet. Their free hands held each other tightly.
As they entered the residential area, the bustling crowd gradually thinned out.
Green sidewalk blocks and ginkgo trees with fallen leaves. Round streetlights. An empty playground. Apartments densely surrounding the street. The sentiment that familiar things give was solidly gathered below her throat.
Probably Esperanza would feel a strange longing when looking at these things for the rest of her life. Leaving hadn't been her will, but staying in the place she had reached was purely Esperanza's will. Coming back was joyful, but it wasn't to stay here.
A hometown to stay briefly and then leave.
"Ah, that's the apartment. I used to go in and out often before I got a job."
Entering the entrance of a clean apartment that seemed to have been built not long ago, Esperanza suddenly asked.
"Will unni recognize me?"
"I don't think you need to worry about that. Though there's a very high possibility she'll disapprove of me."
The large diamond necklace and luxury watch were, well... bribes. However, Esperanza seemed to suddenly become anxious and gripped Cider's hand tightly. The trembling was noticeable.
While riding the elevator, Esperanza's heart pounded incessantly. Cider lightly touched her cheeks, which had stiffened with tension, with his fingertips to relax them.
"You know it'll be okay."
"It should be."
"You said it's the season for giving and receiving gifts? You yourself are the most wonderful gift."
If only I could speak. The tension eased a little. Esperanza smiled faintly.
"Am I that to you too?"
"Even more than that."
"You never thought you'd be that to me too?"
Cider, who was at a loss for words, groaned softly. Esperanza re-gripped his hand and said.
"You... have to help me."
"Don't worry."
The elevator stopped. When Cider nodded, Esperanza pressed the doorbell with trembling fingertips.
The door opened. Inside the house where soft light flowed out, the woman holding the door handle opened her eyes wide.
It was a breathtaking 3 seconds. The moment Esperanza, who had been standing with only an awkward smile, moved her lips, the woman pulled Esperanza into an embrace. Her shoulder became wet with warm liquid.
The diamond necklace, the luxury watch, and more wonderful than anything else, it was a Christmas gift.