…I woke up to a loud clang.
Frowning, I dragged myself to the kitchen where Penguin was halfway inside the cutlery drawer, transformed into what looked like a small metal hedgehog.
Spoons and forks had been tossed around as he experimentally shifted between metals—testing different metal compositions, by the look of it.
"What now?" I yawned.
Penguin froze, caught in the act, then slowly backed out of the drawer looking guilty. A spoon fell with a clatter.
Even though I'd have to put everything back, I really had to stop myself from laughing.
"Do you want a cuddle?" I asked instead.
Penguin, currently in his hedgehog form, immediately turned into a penguin—seemingly out of shock.
After a moment, he waddled closer, his little flippers going flap flap on the counter.
I guess that was a yes.
I picked him up and watched him nestle into the crook of my arm, his tiny body relaxing against mine. He was surprisingly soft, and when I stroked his head, he let out a contented little chirp.
The System pinged:
[Bond strength increased: 58%.]
Well. I suppose even Elementals loved cuddles.
"You're a weird little thing, aren't you?"
Penguin's tiny flippers swayed in the air, as he looked up at me.
Damn, he was really adorable.
I kept this up for a minute, then set him on the kitchen table with a final head scratch.
I hadn't been in an Elemental Café in at least a week, and I missed it.
However, first I wanted to visit Gran.
My muscles still ached horribly, though. Gran was going to notice at once. Maybe there was some Potion I could take?
The System Shop interface expanded before me. I took a glance and I immediately regretted opening it.
I scrolled down.
Categories split into sub-categories that split into even more sub-categories. Potions had seventeen sections: Recovery, Enhancement, Temporary Buffs, Status Ailments, Elemental Resistance, Physical Augmentation... The list kept going.
I clicked on Recovery.
Another wall of options: Minor Recovery Potion (5 coins), Standard Recovery Potion (15 coins), Greater Recovery Potion (50 coins), Full Recovery Elixir (200 coins), Blessed Recovery Tonic (500 coins), Divine Restoration Draught (2000 coins)...
Each had lengthy descriptions about how well they worked, how long they lasted, side effects, and usage restrictions. The Minor Recovery Potion alone had three paragraphs explaining how it "Relieves 15–20% of physical fatigue through accelerated Magic regeneration. May cause mild drowsiness in 3% of users…"
I kept scrolling.
There were specialized joint recovery potions, nerve recovery potions, bone recovery potions. Some targeted specific body parts. Left Shoulder Recovery Tincture? Who needed that?
"Search function?" I said.
A search bar appeared.
I searched for: "muscle pain relief cheap fast"
The results loaded. 847 items found.
I groaned and dropped my head on the table. How did I find the coat last time, especially while climbing a hill?
Maybe I should just endure the soreness. Gran had seen me worse. Though she'd definitely notice if I started moving like an old man.
I refined the search: "basic muscle recovery under 20 coins."
That narrowed it down to 73 options. Still too many, but it was at least a bit more manageable.
The first result caught my eye:
[Simple Muscle Soother (12 coins) – Relieves muscle soreness by 35% for 6 hours. Tastes like mint. No side effects.]
Good enough. I clicked 'Purchase'.
The potion materialized on my table in a small glass vial. I uncorked it and downed the contents in one gulp.
True to its description, it tasted exactly like mint toothpaste. Disgusting, but my muscles felt immediately less tense and when I got up, I could walk without looking like I'd been hit by a truck.
Penguin chirped approvingly.
"I need to go out," I told him. "I can't bring you to Gran, but I'll come and pick you up as soon as I'm done there. Is that okay? I promise I'll be back soon."
Penguin's small body deflated, and he let out a sad little warble.
"I know," I reached out to pat his head. "But nursing homes have rules about pets, and… well, you're technically an Elemental entity, not a pet, but I really wouldn't know how to explain your presence to Gran. Maybe we'll figure out something in the future."
Penguin chirped sadly again, but seemed to have understood.
***
On my way to Eunhwa Home, I stopped at the bookshop near Baekrang Station and headed straight for the mystery section, looking for something Gran might like that she hadn't read yet. She loved those cozy mysteries with ridiculous titles full of puns—the sillier the puns the better.
"Thyme to Confess" seemed to be a new release—according to the description, "a culinary mystery featuring a gardener turned detective".
The potion had thankfully done its job by the time I reached the nursing home and found Gran sitting at her usual table, absorbed in what looked like a game of solitaire.
"Brought you something," I said, placing the paper bag from the bookshop beside her cards.
She lit up and took out the book.
"Herbs and murder? You know me too well." She collected the cards, setting them aside, then gave me an assessing look. "You look more tired than usual."
I shrugged. "Weird hours this week." It wasn't a lie.
"Mmh. Nice coat, by the way. Looks handsome on you."
Oh, right. She hadn't seen it yet.
I thanked her awkwardly.
Gran studied me, then sighed. "You know that I love seeing you, Ryo, but you should be out with friends your age. Not spending all your free time here."
No… This again?
"I could take you home," I said, as I did every time. "The transfusions only need to happen once a week, we could—"
"No." Gran's tone was gentle but firm. "This is easier for everyone. They know what to do here, and I'm good."
"But—"
"You're in your thirties, Ryo. You should be out there bursting with energy and kicking everyone in the shins while building yourself an awesome life. Not worrying about mine. Besides, I just joined the Tai Chi club. Mrs. Park says it helps with circulation."
She was so much like Mom, sometimes it was hard not to want to shake her. However, at least she was getting proper treatment, so maybe that was a step forward.
I sighed.
"I don't have much else going on anyway—"
Okay, that wasn't exactly true now, but it had been until a few days ago.
"That's precisely my point." She reached over and patted my hand. "You need to live a little. Make some friends. Date someone. The nurses here are excellent and I'm not exactly bored. Did I tell you I won the Dungeons and Realms tournament last week?"
I left the nursing home with my hands in my pockets.
Gran was probably right, but I'd never been good with people.
In fact, I didn't think I even liked people. That was why my job and my nocturnal lifestyle suited me so well. I was already in my thirties; it's not like I was suddenly going to develop a better personality.
At least Elemental Cafés were open 24/7, so I could go whenever I wanted.
And I really wanted to go now. After yesterday's shift, I had too much pent-up energy to release.
First, however, I needed to check on Penguin.
***
When I got back home, I found Penguin sitting in the hallway in front of the entry door, just far enough back for it to open, his tiny flippers spread wide as he waited.
Oh. Wait—
"Have you been waiting there the whole time?!"
Penguin made a soft chirping sound, getting up and waddling closer to rub his head against my hand.
The System pinged:
[Bond strength increased: 63%. It's recommended to maintain closeness while the bond is in progress.]
Damn, it looked like I shouldn't have left him alone. But the System hadn't said that before.
"You could have found somewhere more comfortable to wait, you know." I scratched his head before scooping him up. "Want to come to an Elemental Café with me? You'll need to stay hidden, though. No shifting forms in public and definitely no fire. Actually, how do you feel about being a wristwatch again? Just until we get back. That would help us avoid the cameras too."
Penguin considered this, then chirped again, this time more enthusiastically before climbing onto my wrist and transforming into a silver watch.
Amazing, honestly.
"Great," I said. "We're going to an Elemental Café. Please don't use your powers there or you'll get us banned. Doesn't matter what it looks like—we'll be in no danger."
The wristwatch blinked a couple of times.
Relieved he seemed to have understood, I grabbed my keys and locked the door behind me.