Chapter 12
I moved cautiously, muffling my footsteps. I could hear a faint clattering coming from the kitchen.
‘Why the kitchen?’
It’s not a place you’d logically find valuables.
‘Don’t tell me they’re getting a weapon…’
That would be a relief instead. It means they didn’t come armed originally, since the kitchen would at most have knives or rolling pins.
If it came to confrontation, the longer reach of the mop handle would give me the advantage.
As I took another step forward, I gasped when I noticed a red puddle at my feet.
If the culprit was injured, I could muster some courage and drive them out.
Any fear had dissipated after my precious sleep was disturbed.
‘Now’s my chance!’
I charged into the kitchen with a battle cry. As the kitchen curtain parted, the figure who made a mess of my cocktail bar came into view.
“Huh?”
And I, who had raised the mop handle high, stood dumbfounded on the spot.
It was a boy who couldn’t be older than 10, staring at me with a frightened expression.
Thud.
The boy dropped the bread and glass bottle he was holding. My gaze followed them to the floor.
That bottle contained cocktail cherries.
The cherries, dyed a brilliant crimson, glistened like jewels—perfect for decorations.
‘Was that red puddle just spilled cocktail cherries?’
An oddly sweet aroma wafted up. Feeling embarrassed, I scratched my nape and lowered the mop handle. Clearly this burglar had a story, so talking seemed the priority.
“Hey, how did you get in here?”
“Hic, huh. I, I, I…”
“It’s okay. I’m not mad. Don’t cry, just tell me what’s going on? Maybe I can help if something happened.”
I spoke gently, trying to soothe the boy.
Despite my efforts, he burst into tears.
“Waaahhhh!”
“Oh dear.”
How does one console a crying child? I’ve comforted many drunken adults, but never a child.
“Hey kid, want a snack? You’ll feel better if you eat something sweet.”
“Hic, Mommmyyyy!”
The boy didn’t seem to hear me, continuing to wail and cry out. He didn’t react even when I tried giving him chocolate.
‘His crying is ringing in my head…’
As troublesome as this situation was, as an adult, I had to handle it somehow.
Then a good idea popped into my mind.
“This Noona will make you a special cocktail. Watch closely, okay?”
Feigning composure, I took out a martini glass, the inverted cone shape.
I dipped the glass rim-first into a dish full of condensed milk. The sniffling boy glanced at me, his curiosity piqued.
“Next, we coat it with colorful sprinkles.”
I rolled the milk-rimmed glass over assorted sprinkles, decorating it vibrantly.
Red, yellow, green, blue—the tiny spheres blended together, adorning the upper portion of the glass.
“Ta-da! How’s that?”
“The…cup looks pretty.”
“Right? That’s just the decoration. You have to do the rest yourself.”
“M-Me?”
The boy fidgeted with his fingers, looking tense.
“It’s really simple. Just pour this milk into the glass. But make sure it doesn’t touch the rim, aim for the center.”
When I offered him the sprinkle-coated glass and milk, the boy looked puzzled.
He seemed skeptical, but silently poured the milk into the glass slowly.
“Don’t let it touch the rim, don’t let it touch…”
Glug glug.
The glass became full of milk.
“Huh?”
Where the milk met the sprinkles, the vibrant colors started bleeding into the white liquid.
Instead of mixing, the colors spread outwards in streaks, turning the plain milk into a palette.
“Wow! Wow! Rainbow milk! I made this!”
The boy exclaimed excitedly, as if he hadn’t been crying moments ago. Seeing his reaction brought a proud smile to my face. The little rascal looked adorable with his reddened nose.
“How about that, little bartender?”
“I love it! Can I drink this?”
“Sure, it’s yours.”
Without hesitation, the overjoyed boy chugged down the entire glass.
“So creamy and sweet! It’s making my mood all colorful too! Hehehe.”
“Right? I really like this one too.”
It’s not an amazing taste—just sweet mild milk, like slightly melted ice cream.
But seeing those vibrant colors must add to the enjoyment.
If I mixed in some vodka or rum, it would make a great cocktail, but milk is enough for our little bartender.
<Notice> Hidden Quest Complete!
You served a ‘non-alcoholic cocktail’ to an underage visitor for the first time.
Reward: 10 Bubble Gum Ice Cream
“Now, will you tell me what’s going on?”
I asked, patting the boy’s head.
“I was wandering the forest with my little sister…”
“The forest? Where are your parents?”
“My parents abandoned me and my sister in the forest.”
The cheerful smile on the milk-mustached boy instantly turned sullen.
Abandoning such young children in the forest…
“Like a ‘Hansel and Gretel’ story or something…”
I muttered absentmindedly, but the boy’s eyes widened.
“Noona. You know me?”
“Huh?”
“You just called me Hansel. That’s my name.”
I blinked dumbfoundedly, stunned despite knowing this dimension connects to familiar tales.
“Um, Noona?”
“Ah, sorry! I was just lost in thought for a bit. Um, it does seem like I know you somehow.”
“Wow, amazing!”
“Haha.”
To be precise, I’ve read the fairy tale they’re the protagonists of, but that would sound strange to explain.
So I kept it vague.
“But really, how did you get in here?”
“I saw the door and just went inside. I was hungry, you see. Noona, I ate that bread and those cherries. Sorry.”
“If you’re hungry, you have to eat something. I was surprised, but it’s okay.”
“I also ate chips, bananas, ham, peanuts, and corn.”
Hansel sniffled as he spoke. It was a relief to know he had found enough to eat. It made all the efforts I’d made to gather food from different dimensions worth it.
“At your age, you should eat a lot. Are you still hungry? I can make you something.”
“I’m full now.”
Hansel patted his round belly proudly as he answered.
“So where is your sister? Is she here by any chance?”
As I looked around and spoke, tears welled up again in Hansel’s large eyes.
“Sniff… I don’t know. I lost her. Because I just went into any place saying I was hungry…”
“It’s okay. Let’s go find your sister together.”
Although it was troublesome, I couldn’t ignore children who were starving.
I hurriedly packed some sandwiches and fruit juice.
“Alright, let’s go. Lead the way.”
“Yes, Noona!”
Hansel scurried out, opening the door. Before me, an unfamiliar forest landscape unfolded as I casually followed behind.
‘Could the front door lead to different dimensions?’
I recalled the notification that said to imagine the dimension you want to go to.
“Does it connect to one’s own dimension for outsiders not part of the system?”
I muttered to myself when a light notification sound rang out.
Ding!
<Notice>
Correct! Guests can return to their own dimension through the door they entered.
Please kindly inform any lost and wandering guests you encounter.
Turning back, the familiar door stood there.
“This is the door I mentioned! When I went through it, I ended up in your place.”
“I see.”
It was a simple structure. The door that appeared in Hansel and Gretel’s dimension was connected to my cocktail bar’s door.
<Notice> In rare cases, a ‘door’ may appear outside of a store.
I had already experienced this rare case.
‘The rich lord appeared in the forest.’
I wondered about the criteria, but the system’s explanation ended there. I wasn’t curious enough to pry further, though.
More importantly, we needed to find Gretel now.
“Gretel! Where are you!”
Hansel cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted. His voice boomed, having eaten his fill.
“Gretel! Where are you!”
I joined in without holding back. We thought we’d find her quickly, but it seemed she had wandered off from this area.
“Gretel! Your brother is here!”
“Gretel! Let’s eat! Food!”
How far could she have gone?
Just as I worried we might not find her, a girl who looked just like Hansel appeared across the way.
“Could that child be…”
“Gretel!”
Before I could even ask, Hansel ran forward first. His action was answered enough.
“Waaah, Gretel. Where did you go? I looked everywhere for you!”
Though it was difficult, it wasn’t bad to witness the warm reunion between the siblings.
“Who’s making such a fuss? Ugh! What is this sticky mess all over your clothes! I told you to eat properly without spilling.”
“But, but….”
“Where on earth did you go? You suddenly disappeared, and I was so worried.”
“I saw a door. I thought there might be something to eat…”
“But still, how could you just go in! You don’t know who might be inside.”
I had imagined a frail girl crying and searching frantically for her brother like Hansel, but in reality, Gretel was remarkably resilient girl.
“Who is this Unnie?”
“I’m the owner of the house your brother barged into.”
When I smiled and offered the sandwiches, a deep wariness crossed Gretel’s face.
“Why are you giving us food?”
“Hm?”
“Everyone is starving from hunger. They don’t just give food to anyone. It’s suspicious.”
Gretel’s cool-headed attitude was actually reassuring. When even parents abandon their children, how could she trust a stranger?
“But still, someone has to…”
I approached Gretel and continued speaking.
“Take care of hungry children.”
“……”
At my calm words, Gretel’s eyes flickered faintly.
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Thank you for reading! ♡
