Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
After Sihwa came to the pet shop, although she could only stay in the small bathroom, her ears were very sensitive. No matter what happened on the first floor or the second floor, she was able to hear everything––even the things happening on the streets outside. Nothing could escape her ears. She had heard the elfins talking and messing around, but she had never heard them cry. She, on the other hand, would cry whenever something didn’t go her way. Although sometimes she was just faking it, the sadness was never a lie.
She didn’t understand. How were they always so happy?
When the two cats and one man were made aware of why she was crying, they couldn’t help but feel both angry and amused.
As for her question, no one was more qualified to speak on the issue than Zhang Zian. He said, “You’re wrong. Most of the time, it isn’t that we’re not crying, but that we’re forcing ourselves to smile. You think that you’ve suffered a lot, but actually, everyone has their own different problems and experiences. Everyone is very strong, so you don’t see their sadness on their faces.”
Sihwa said with suspicion, “I don’t believe that. I can’t even get out of this shabby bathroom––it’s just like prisoners being sentenced to life imprisonment. I can only look at the outside world. Who else is worse off than me?”
“Is it very bad to be trapped in a bathroom? At the very least, you can still watch the scenery and play with your mobile phone.” Zhang Zian snorted. “What if you’re trapped in a dark, iron box, only to be revived and left to die, die and be revived again? What if you were forced to experience countless cycles of life and death, never catching a glimpse of the hope of freedom?”
Sihwa was shocked. There was such a thing?
She thought that being trapped in the bathtub was very miserable, but after the thought of being in a dark, iron box, forced to experience life and death repeatedly… It was really a life where one could neither live nor die… If she had to choose which one was worse, what Zian described was much worse than hers.
“And have you ever experienced the feeling of being locked in a narrow dog cage, surrounded by smelly waste, with only pig food to eat? Not to mention that you’d also get whipped if your owner was even the slightest bit unhappy? Then, when you’re finally out of the dog cage, you were forced to take on roles for your similar kind, and right until the end, you never once appeared in front of others with your real name, let alone talked about the splendor in the world?” Zhang Zian continued.
Sihwa was even more shocked. If she lived like that, she might as well die.
“At least you have a phone to play with and you can still look at the scenery. Can you imagine being forced to type on the keyboard 24 hours a day, just for the possibility of coincidentally typing letters that would make up a meaningful words?
Can you understand the feeling of being separated from your loved one because you were seriously ill, then when you were resurrected, you could never see each other again for various reasons?
Also, what if you were deeply in love with someone, but was then betrayed by him and turned into a scapegoat, only to be flung to your death on the steps? How is this compared to your life?”
Zhang Zian continued one by one, and each of them caused Sihwa to drop sweat like rain. She had always thought that she was the most miserable one and that the whole world should sympathize with her––everyone should give back to her––but what about the truth? Her life and experiences were much happier when compared to those situations.
Zian’s gaze landed on Fina, and he was about to continue to speak, but immediately swallowed his words because he saw Fina perk up its ears, reveal her teeth, and posture itself to strike.
Old Time Tea also smiled and shook its head slightly. Zhang Zian knew what it meant: “You don’t have to mention this old one’s story again. Let the past go with the wind.”
“They have experienced so much pain in their past, but today they’re still laughing at life. They’ve never blamed anyone, and none of them have attempted to seek vengeance on anyone, even though they definitely have the ability to do so… Don’t you think that they’re very admirable?” Zian concluded. He wasn’t only taking the opportunity to educate Sihwa, but he also took the opportunity to share his feelings.
Sihwa cried again.
Zhang Zian was shocked when he saw her tears drip into the bathtub, and both Old Time Tea and Fina took two steps back at the same time, thinking that she would cry with ultrasound again. Fortunately, she seemed to be crying silently, without making any sound.
That time, she didn’t cry because of herself, but because she was moved. She cried with guilt.
Zhang Zian waited for a moment before he asked, “You were doing fine this morning. Why did you suddenly cry?”
When he got up and washed his face in the morning, Zian saw that, although Sihwa wasn’t in a particularly good mood, she was still relatively calm. Why did she suddenly cry without warning? There had to be a reason, right?
Sihwa sniffed and pointed her finger to the wall, which was in the direction of the living room desk.
“I was playing with my phone when I suddenly heard a very, very sad whale song. Although I didn’t really understand it, it felt like it was strangling my neck, and I almost couldn’t breathe… The whole song, from the start until the end, seemed to be talking about loneliness. It was like they were alone in the world, unable to find the same kind even after searching to the ends of the earth… When I heard that song, I thought of myself…”
Sihwa choked a little and said, “Since I have appeared in this world, I have only had myself. I’ve tried numerous times to sing to the distant ends, in hopes of finding another one like me––another mermaid… I knew that it would take time for the song to go and come back, but it didn’t matter. I was willing to wait. But no matter how long I waited, there was never a response… Maybe my song wasn’t able to travel far enough, after all. The world is big, so I came to the other side of the world. From Germany, I came to China and continued to sing, but there was still no one here to respond to me… I’m probably the only one in this world. I was born alone, and maybe one day, I’ll die alone…”
There were intermittent pauses between her story––she sometimes stopped to wipe her eyes and rub her nose––but in general, she made things clear.
“So, when I heard the song about loneliness, I could no longer control my tears… I know that you’re outside, and I just wanted to cry a little… But the more I cried, the more I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want you to hear me, so I could only…”
Everyone knew the things that followed after. If she had continued to cry, even Meng Jiangnu would have to bow for her… Speaking of which, Meng Jiangnu cried the Great Wall down. Could her voice be…?
Zhang Zian, Old Time Tea, and Fina exchanged glances. They all felt that the issue was a little problematic.
Even among the elfins, Sihwa seemed to be unique. A second mermaid probably didn’t exist in the world. Even if it did, it wouldn’t be easy to find it.
The other elfins––dogs, cats, monkeys, birds––all had their own kind in the world.
“The same kind” didn’t sound very important, but imagine if all human beings in the world disappeared, leaving one single human, and they were locked in a small bathroom with no way to get out… It definitely wouldn’t feel good.
