A sizable shrimp patty was nestled between two thick buns. There were vegetables too, like cabbage, perhaps for a semblance of nutritional balance. But what truly caught my attention was the sauce, the pinnacle of culinary indulgence. The aroma of the sauce, concocted purely for its taste, was so overpowering it almost numbed my senses. Maybe my sense of smell had become more animal-like as well.

“Wow.”

Never did I imagine I’d live to see the day when I’d be devouring a hamburger. Spellbound, I stared at the impressive profile of the burger.

“Aren’t you going to eat, Gyeoul?”

“Yes. I’m about to.”

I carefully brought the hamburger closer. But the burger was too thick for my small mouth. Reluctantly, I decided to eat it in two bites.

Crunch—

Crunch—

The bread, cabbage, and freshly fried shrimp patty melded beautifully in my mouth.

“Mmm~”

How many years had it been since I last tasted a burger? I savored each bite as long as I could.

‘This is truly delicious.’

This was the most flavorful food I’d had in this life. My shoulders bounced with joy.

“Is it good, Gyeoul?”

“Yes. I want to save some for tomorrow, but I’ll just finish it today.”

“Why?”

Why, indeed. Did the witch not understand even something this simple? Feeling good, I decided to enlighten her.

“Last time, I tried to save a red bean bun, but it got moldy. So now, if I have something tasty, I eat it all right away.”

“Th-that’s so…”

Crunch—

The girl took a bite of her own hamburger. She didn’t seem as thrilled as I was, likely because she ate them frequently.

It seemed I needed to teach her the value of food.

“I felt so bad about the red bean bun that I only ate the parts without mold.”

“Y-you ate it—?!”

“Yes. I thought I was going to die that day.”

Though I knew it was wrong, I couldn’t help myself. For someone hungry, mold is no different from the chemical sauce on a hamburger.

“Gyeoul, you must never eat anything moldy again, alright?”

“Okay. I won’t eat mold anymore.”

Anyway, Food always tastes better when someone else pays for it. I averted my gaze from the girl and looked at the cola.

“Zero cola?”

“Yes. It’s calorie-free, so it’s healthier than regular cola.”

Of course, I knew what zero cola was. What surprised me was that she specifically chose a calorie-free option.

“If it has no calories, no matter how much you drink, you won’t get any energy…”

“Oh.”

The calories in regular cola are even more than my usual corn flour mixed with water. She knew this, yet she still opted for zero cola. She must be doing it just to see how I’d react.

‘She’s really mean.’

Is tormenting people really that amusing to her? Irritated, I sipped my cola. The intense sweetness and the fizz were more shocking than any drink I’d ever tasted in this life.

✱✱✱

Gyeoul took about an hour to finish her hamburger. Though she took her time savoring each bite, Yeoreum waited patiently, not wanting to disturb Gyeoul’s moment of joy.

“…Gyeoul, are you done eating?”

“Yes.”

Yeoreum grabbed a tissue as she watched Gyeoul, looking content as she patted her stomach. Because of her small mouth, burger sauce was smeared all around it.

“You’ve got sauce on your face. Want me to wipe it off for you?”

“No, no! I’ll do it myself—!”

Gyeoul hurriedly took the tissue. Her dirty, stained clothes contrasted sharply with the clean white tissue, catching Yeoreum’s eye.

‘I wish she’d at least get some new clothes,’ she thought.

But it felt wrong to push Gyeoul into buying clothes if she didn’t want to. Yeoreum tried a more gentle approach to guide her thoughts.

“Hey, Gyeoul?”

“Yes?”

“Now that you have a lot of money, what’s the first thing you want to buy?”

Given her age, Yeoreum thought Gyeoul might be interested in getting some new outfits. Just then, Gyeoul raised her index finger with a sudden look of alarm.

“Shh, shh!”

“Huh?”

Had she said something she shouldn’t have? Yeoreum instinctively went quiet.