The Birth of the Devil

G1P0: The Conception

Meet Taeyeon

Present Day

I stretched my arms upwards as far as I can, trying to wake my exhausted body. My thin worn quilt, patched with different scraps of fabrics to cover its holes, fell from the bench I slumped myself into.

How long was I asleep? An hour? Or two?

I blinked and glanced at the sky above me, trying to guess the time I woke on in. It was still dark but the hint of the coming morning sun was evident. It was the guess of a dawn hovering in my smart mind that made me jump up off the bench. I lightly slapped my pale cheeks and quickly folded my precious fabric to put in my sack, hastily preparing myself for a long walk towards home.

Another day, another hour to live.

I smiled and shook the tin can I held. The sound of clanking coins made my insides jittery happy. Last night, I was able to sell a ton of newspapers and some chunks of metals I got from the garbage dump I frequent to. I felt pride surging within me. An honest labor that produces income was everything my halmuni taught me with. And because of that, I was really ecstatic I had to go to the next town to make my profits a little better. The income from my side of the country is a little bit depressing. If I sold it in my hometown, I would probably be able to buy just a piece of bread. But I feel really proud and pleased of myself that I went an extra mile to sell those goodies. Now, I can buy two breads and guess what? A glass of milk can still be afforded. Halmuni will be very glad we can finally have a proper meal today.

Those grasses were seriously turning me into a goat.

Sometimes, I wish I was just born an herbivore. That way, I won’t yearn for something else other than those herbs we always eat. It’s not that I don’t like it. Ugggghhhh… hell yeah, I don’t like it. Imagine eating just leaves for most of your eighteen years in this Earth, wouldn’t you want something else?

Something different, something palatable, something nearer to a human’s food.

I mean, I’m thankful for the greens that helped me stay alive. It was what sustained me and my halmuni throughout these past years. And I know how hard my halmuni works to grow them. But if I can have something better, I would.

I mean, who in their right minds wouldn’t?

I bounced joyfully on the road like a child who just won the lottery and saw a 24 hour convenient store. I went inside and searched for the feast I’m bringing home.

“Hey, you need money for those items. They’re not for free.” The store clerk glared behind me.

I chuckled. This is not the first time this happened. I don’t blame them though. A bony lad wearing tattered clothes and a dirty sack on his back was a sight you don’t usually expect money to come out from.

I know, I know. I’m poor. People don’t need to shove it to my face every time I come near them.

I silently showed him the metal container I was holding and yanked it in front of his face. Again, the coins made its impact against the vessel. The clerk rolled his eyes.

“Just make it fast.” He muttered, turning away from me and towards his counter. I cheekily did my task, taking my time, against the man’s order.

It’s not like every day that I get to pick the food I’m going to ingest so I’m going to enjoy every single seconds of this delightful experience.

I picked two large freshly baked bread I can grab my hands with and the bottle of milk I daintily selected from its cartridge and paid sassily.

The lengthy walk under the heat of the sun towards home will be a very pleasant one.