Episode 19
‘I don’t want to leave her alone.’
Unlike the carefree Hanin, Joon-wan’s worries began the moment he closed the door behind him.
‘Will she be alright?’
He felt like he had left a helpless baby animal unattended.
‘I turned off the gas valve. She’s probably too engrossed in the television to even go near the kitchen. She’ll probably just stay glued to the screen all day in the dark living room, like last night.’
She had her quirks, but she was surprisingly well-behaved and could communicate.
‘But…’
He couldn’t explain why his heart was pounding. He was so worried that he found himself chewing on his thumbnail as he reached for the steering wheel.
‘What if she gets hurt in some bizarre way, or can’t find anything to eat…’
He caught a glimpse of his anxious state in the rearview mirror, quickly pulled his thumb away from his teeth, and gripped the steering wheel.
‘It’s fine. It’s fine. I stocked the fridge with food. She won’t starve to death from missing a few meals.’
He had also trained her to avoid anything that didn’t look like food, even if it smelled like it.
But his worries lingered. He sighed deeply as he stopped at a red light.
‘It was easier when she was an earthworm. I could just carry her around in a tumbler.’
Back then, he could take her anywhere with him.
‘Is there… no way to do that now?’
Hanin had refused, citing personal reasons, but he wanted to persuade her to let him carry her around in a tumbler again, assuring her of her safety.
He had a television program scheduled in Seoul today, something he did a couple of times a week.
‘I want to go home.’
He had accepted the offer to raise public awareness of his fading field of study, but today, he desperately wanted to cancel his appearance.
He was so preoccupied with Hanin that it felt like he was in a relationship.
‘I miss her.’
He had always believed himself to be emotionally detached, but that wasn’t the case, apparently. Hanin’s face kept flashing in his mind throughout the broadcast, making him feel miserable.
‘I’ve never felt this way about anyone before…’
Well, she wasn’t an ordinary human.
A dragon.
A living relic, a fossil, a creature that had only existed as a mythical symbol in the academic world. And she could talk. Where else could he find someone like her?
‘Ugh…’
He couldn’t focus.
A creature he had believed to be extinct, a being he had considered a figment of imagination.
A dragon.
Or an earthworm, a Jiryong, claiming to be a dragon. And she was currently lounging in his home, in human form.
The longing to return home was so intense that he found himself doing things he normally wouldn’t, like chewing on his words, pausing mid-lecture, and staring blankly into space.
“Professor, we have a dinner gathering today…”
“I’m sorry, I have a prior engagement.”
He rushed to his car as soon as the broadcast ended.
“Joon-wan. I need to talk to you urgently. Come home as soon as you see this.”
He received numerous messages and calls that day, all hindering his return home.
“Joon-wan, where are you? Want to grab a coffee with your brother if you’re free?”
He ignored the calls from his parents, who knew his broadcast schedule, his mother’s text messages, and his brother’s invitation for dinner.
“Or, let’s have dinner. I have something to tell you.”
He hadn’t eaten anything since morning, but he wasn’t hungry at all.
‘If she had a phone, I wouldn’t be so worried…’
On his way home, he thought about buying Hanin a phone.
‘But whose name should I register it under? She doesn’t have an ID, obviously… Should I use my name…’
Even if he bought her a phone and explained how to use it, he wasn’t sure if she could manage. And teaching her would take time.
‘But maybe it’s worth a try? They say senior-friendly phones are quite user-friendly these days.’
At least he could contact her then, which would ease his worries.
‘She learned how to use the TV so quickly, she’ll probably pick it up fast.’
As if on cue, the rain started again as he entered Yongdam City. He pressed down on the accelerator, his anxiety growing.
‘She must be hungry.’
The thought, ‘She definitely hasn’t eaten anything,’ made him stop at a nearby supermarket to buy groceries, delaying his arrival.
He fumbled with the grocery bags and his shopping list, his heart racing as he opened the door.
“Ah! You’re finally home!”
Unlike yesterday, when she had been glued to the television, Hanin was waiting for him at the entrance. She must have heard him opening the door.
“I’ve been waiting for you forever.”
Joon-wan blinked, his hands full of groceries. The lights were on in the apartment.
“Don’t you think you’re a bit late?”
She grumbled.
“Were you hungry?”
“No, not really! I was waiting for you.”
“…”
A strange feeling washed over him. He briefly understood why single people kept dogs or cats as companions.
‘All you have to do is feed them, they’re potty trained, you teach them how to bathe and they clean themselves… They watch TV, but even dogs and cats watch pet-themed channels when they’re left alone, so…’
She would be furious if she knew what he was thinking, but she was actually much easier to handle than a dog, a cat, or even a real earthworm.
“But you still need to eat, right? Wait a moment, I’ll prepare dinner soon.”
Hanin hovered around him as he cooked. As soon as they sat down at the table, she asked,
“Oh, right. I have a question.”
“Yes?”
She had been waiting for him and hovering around him because she had something she wanted.
“Well, I was watching television, and… they mentioned something called Netflix? They said there are dramas and shows that are only available there. I’m curious, how can I watch it? Can you show me?”
Joon-wan stared at her, speechless. He usually only watched public broadcasting channels with news programs, leaving the television on for background noise.
“…”
He hesitated, contemplating her request.
“Why? Does it cost money or something?”
“I have plenty of money.”
He shut down her attempt to offer something in return.
Money wasn’t the issue.
‘Subscribing to OTT isn’t a big deal… It would be entertaining, and it could help her learn about the world.’
As a professor, he was somewhat aware of current trends, spending time with college students. With that service, she could watch whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted.
‘But is it okay to expose her… someone who’s practically a child, this dragon, to such content without any filters?’
He had heard it contained violent and sexually explicit material.
‘Should I restrict her access to age-appropriate content?’
Although, in terms of age, she was a creature that had lived for thousands of years.
He shook his head.
‘That’s probably not what she wants to watch.’
He finally replied,
“I can show you. But… let’s talk after dinner.”
Hanin’s entire body glowed as she ate, but her eyes were filled with anticipation.
“…”
“I’ll show you after dinner, so stop looking at me like that.”
He had no choice but to give in.
After the “offering,” as Joon-wan sat on the sofa, subscribing to the OTT service, Hanin sat beside him, comfortably munching on a large bag of chips he had bought.
“You can open chip bags?”
She raised an eyebrow.
“You taught me, didn’t you? Do you think I’m… stupid?”
He didn’t mind her watching television in general.
He had to leave the house for work and couldn’t spend much time with her. The thought of the dragon, who had requested to see the human world, being bored and lonely in his apartment made him feel uneasy. It was better for her to have something to occupy her time.
And if used properly, television could be a good source of information about human emotions and behavior.
‘But I don’t know what she’ll watch while I’m gone.’
There was definitely harmful content out there. He decided to allow her to watch OTT only when he was present.
‘She might develop prejudices against humans if she watches the wrong programs…’
That was how he ended up subscribing to an OTT service he had no interest in.
‘I’ll guide her, telling her what’s right and wrong.’
“Just so you know, the world you see on television isn’t everything. It’s often exaggerated and violent to attract viewers.”
“…”
“And if you think people in real life act like the characters on Netflix…”
“Alright, alright, I understand.”
“…”
He sighed and accessed the OTT service he had just subscribed to.
‘Am I doing the right thing?’
He didn’t need to look to know that the dragon beside him was beaming with excitement.
‘I’ll take her out tomorrow.’
Thankfully, the “drama” Hanin wanted to watch wasn’t violent or gory, as he had feared. It was an old, critically acclaimed drama with a strong “romance” element, known for its realistic portrayal of human relationships.
She must have stumbled upon it while channel surfing and wanted to watch it again, not knowing when it would be rebroadcast.
“…”
Hanin’s eyes sparkled from the very first episode.
‘What is this?’
It wasn’t his cup of tea. He cringed at the cheesy dialogue and glanced at Hanin, who was completely engrossed in the show.
‘But…’
He suddenly felt curious.
***
OTT (Over-the-Top) refers to a method of delivering TV shows and movies over the internet, tailored to each individual’s preferences and viewing habits. The term “over-the-top” suggests that content providers are bypassing traditional internet services to offer a more personalized and direct streaming experience.