Building a house was not something that could be completed in a day or two.
First, the design process itself was slow and dragging.
Even though it was supposed to be my house, opinions were pouring in from all directions, and just gathering them would take days.
‘Well, I guess it’ll work out as I go.’
At this rate, I might end up building a whole castle.
‘Not a bad idea, maybe?’
“Slurp.”
Early morning.
We were all gathered together for tea time.
Kyler and his daughter, my parents, Jae-seong couple, the restaurant staff, and even a half-asleep Seon-ah.
Even the Seven Sins kids were all gathered, making it a rare occasion where everyone was present.
“This tea tastes amazing. It makes me feel relaxed.”
Kyler, who used to love coffee, now seemed to be shifting his preference toward tea, offering high praise. I was looking forward to the day we could harvest coffee beans.
My parents were so satisfied that they asked if they could drink it three times a day, while the restaurant staff spent the entire day discussing how to incorporate the tea leaves into their dishes.
Seon-ah? She was just out of it.
The only reason she woke up early today was because she had to leave for China.
The reason we had all gathered was also to bid her farewell before she left for China.
“Get yourself together.”
“Uwee…”
Seon-ah let out a weird noise, so I had no choice but to take drastic measures.
I signaled to Ara with my eyes!
“Okay!”
Receiving my gaze, Ara clenched her tiny fists with determination and stood up.
She then approached Seon-ah, who was wobbling in her chair, unable to even drink her tea properly.
“Seon-ah Seon-ah! Wake up!”
“Oh, it’s Araaa.”
“Pull yourself together!”
As Ara launched a full-body rubbing attack, Seon-ah’s face loosened into a dazed grin.
Thanks to that, she gradually started waking up.
“Hehe, I’m still not fully awake. Do it more, Ara.”
“Okay!”
She was already wide awake. What a sneaky move.
But I decided to let it slide for Seon-ah’s sake, since she wouldn’t be seeing Ara as often anymore.
Come to think of it, what would happen to Ara’s daily YouTube channel now?
“Seon-ah, what about your YouTube channel?”
“I can’t help it. I’ll just have to post occasional updates when you bring Ara to visit.”
“Are you pressuring me to visit often?”
“Well, if that’s how you took it, then maybe.”
I clicked my tongue at Seon-ah’s shameless response.
Still, I was slightly annoyed because I couldn’t argue against it.
The truth was, I was planning to visit the skyscraper frequently anyway.
After all, I couldn’t just send my little sister away and ignore her.
The skyscraper’s management wouldn’t mind my visits either, so it worked out for both sides.
‘Well, hiring Seon-ah was probably part of their plan in the first place.’
Of course, her abilities were genuinely useful, but I couldn’t deny that I was also part of their consideration.
There had to be some percentage of the decision that involved me.
“Wow, this tea is really good. Is this from the recent harvest?”
Seon-ah finally took a sip of the green tea, her eyes widening in surprise.
What had she been doing while everyone else had already tasted it?
“I was planning to take some with me to China as a gift. What do you think?”
“Sounds good. But aren’t they really proud of their tea? Wouldn’t it turn into some weird pride battle?”
“You think so?”
I had no idea.
Would they really turn a gift into a competition over pride?
However, my naive thoughts were shattered just a few hours later when we arrived in China.
“You brought tea with you.”
Yu Bihong looked slightly taken aback, as if she hadn’t expected it.
Meanwhile, Ryu Cheon, who had come with her, was happily greeting Ara with affectionate rubs without a care in the world.
“Me too, please.”
“Come here.”
Even Cheong had been won over.
Curious about their unexpected reaction, I discreetly asked Yu Bihong.
“Did I make a mistake by bringing this as a gift? I thought Chinese people loved tea, so…”
“Oh! No, not at all. It’s not a mistake. It’s just that I was a little surprised. I should have realized that Kyu-seong would cultivate tea leaves himself, but it completely slipped my mind… In fact, I should apologize for not considering it.”
As we bowed apologetically to each other, Seon-ah nudged my side.
“Hey, isn’t today supposed to be about me?”
“Ugh, you brat. We’re in the middle of a business conversation. And don’t you dare cause any trouble while you’re working here.”
“What are you talking about? I’m not a kid.”
“To me, you’re still just a kid. You’re barely older than Ara.”
“Oh? That sounds nice.”
“Ugh.”
After arriving at the skyscraper, Seon-ah immediately started working.
Literally, the moment she arrived, she was put to work.
Because of that, we didn’t even have time for a proper farewell.
“Our research team and livestock management team have been eagerly awaiting Miss Seon-ah’s arrival. The translation items only work for human speech, so they’ve been dying to communicate with the monsters.”
“That’s actually great for us. Work her hard. She needs to toughen up.”
“Ah, haha. We’ll make sure she has time to say goodbye before she returns.”
“Yes, thank you.”
I just hoped she wouldn’t cause any trouble and would adapt well.
At least she had been studying Chinese diligently, staying up late every night.
I really hoped she would see some results from her efforts.
“Kyu-seong.”
“Yes, Ryu Cheon?”
“My father is calling for you. Will you go?”
“Of course.”
“I actually just want to play with Ara instead.”
It seemed Ryu Wangjin had finally found some free time after being too busy to meet before.
Ignoring Ryu Cheon’s odd way of speaking, I headed off to see Ryu Wangjin.
“My dear friend! Hahaha!!”
“It’s been a while, Son Goku!”
The moment they met, Ryu Wangjin and Ara high-fived each other.
How were they so in sync?
Their friendship truly transcended age.
Of course, in this case, the older one was 3,001-year-old Ara.
“How have you been?”
“Thanks to you, I’ve been doing well. And you, Guild Leader?”
“I’ve been ridiculously busy. The higher-ups keep asking me to investigate something about a Demon King or Hero. It’s exhausting!”
“Haha…”
They were still looking into that?
I pretended not to hear and quickly changed the subject.
“Please take care of my sister.”
“Of course. But I won’t let her slack off. I draw a clear line between work and play.”
“That’s exactly what I want. Work her like a farm animal.”
“Hahaha! I’ll make sure she thoroughly learns everything she needs to know!”
Ryu Wangjin laughed heartily, then suddenly stopped as if something had come to mind.
He then looked at me intently.
“By the way, Lee Kyu-seong.”
“Yes?”
“I heard you gave us tea leaves as a gift.”
“Oh, yes. I just brought some from my recent harvest, not realizing it might be inappropriate. Did I offend you?”
“No, not at all. But there’s something we must make clear.”
“Make clear?”
“We need to compare the teas. Right now.”
What was this situation?
As soon as Ryu Wangjin finished speaking, we headed straight to the tea room.
There, Yu Bihong was already waiting with tea prepared.
“This is our Pu’er tea. It costs a whopping 1.3 billion won.”
“…Excuse me?”
What? How much?
Billion?
Not one or two, but 1.3 billion?!
The tea was soon steeped, and a fragrant aroma began to fill the entire room.
“Here, have a taste.”
“Ugh.”
Drink this expensive thing? How could something cost 1.3 billion won?
But I couldn’t refuse.
Ara and Cheong were also given teacups, and we all took a sip together.
Sip.
“Hmm?!”
It was good. No, it wasn’t just good—it was truly exceptional.
The aroma was mesmerizing.
It also gave a sense of deep relaxation.
I still couldn’t believe the price, but I could now understand why it was so expensive.
“Gulp, gulp. Ahhh! So refreshing!”
As expected, Ara downed it in one shot.
Then, as if she had seen it somewhere before, she flipped the teacup upside down over her head and shook it.
…She must have learned that from my father. I should mention this to him later—it wasn’t good for a child’s education.
“Ara, that’s not proper etiquette. You can do that at home, but when you’re around others, you should drink calmly…”
“Hahaha!! It’s fine! Truly, my dear friend is bold and fearless!”
Ryu Wangjin actually took it as a compliment.
I really couldn’t understand him.
Then, as I quietly sipped my tea, Ryu Wangjin and Yu Bihong looked at me with expectant eyes.
“So, what do you think?”
“How is it?”
Their faces were full of anticipation, so I honestly shared my thoughts.
“It’s incredibly fragrant. I’ve never experienced such an aroma in other teas before. It feels like I’m in the middle of a forest. And beyond that, the way it soothes the body and mind is amazing.”
“Hmm, is that all?”
“Uh… and also…”
I added more flowery descriptions, but Ryu Wangjin and Yu Bihong still seemed unsatisfied.
Eventually, Ryu Cheon stepped in.
“That’s enough. You did well, Kyu-seong.”
“Ahem.”
Realizing they had been pressuring me too much, Ryu Wangjin cleared his throat awkwardly and glanced at Yu Bihong.
“Prepare the next one.”
“Yes.”
By “next,” he must have meant my green tea.
For the gift, we had prepared both dried green tea and fresh tea leaves. They were probably going to brew the green tea.
“Did you know that the method of brewing tea varies?”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yes, each type of tea requires a slightly different approach. The depth of tea brewing is endless.”
Soon, the green tea leaves I had given them were steeped.
The subtle aroma of the Pu’er tea that had lingered in the room was now completely replaced.
A refreshing scent of green tea filled the air.
It felt as if I had stepped into a crisp, clean forest.
The most impressive part was that I wasn’t even drinking it yet—just steeping the leaves was enough to create this sensation.
“!!?”
“This… This is…”
Yu Bihong, who was brewing the tea, and Ryu Wangjin, who was waiting, were both frozen in shock.
At the same time, Ryu Cheon spoke.
“It feels like we’re in a forest.”
“It’s like standing in a bamboo grove!”
Ryu Wangjin sounded genuinely impressed.
However, Yu Bihong, still holding onto her pride, bit her lip as she continued brewing the tea.
“Here is the green tea.”
As the tea was brought closer, its rich aroma became even more pronounced.
“This is wonderful.”
Ryu Wangjin closed his eyes and nodded.
Seeing him savor the scent like that, I truly realized how much the Chinese people loved their tea.
“Shall we all taste it together?”
“Let’s do that.”
Each of us was given a cup.
And then, we took a sip together.
Sip.
Gulp, gulp.
I thought Ara would chug it again, but this time, it was Ryu Wangjin.
Without hesitation, he tilted the teacup and drank it all.
Then—
“Ha…”
His eyes grew unfocused, dazed.
He muttered something under his breath, but I couldn’t quite catch it.
“This… this is a true paradise.”
When I focused my hearing, I finally understood his words.
He seemed completely satisfied.
Yu Bihong and Ryu Cheon were no different.
Even Yu Bihong, who had seemed determined to maintain her pride, took one sip and instantly melted into a blissful expression, exuding pure happiness.
“It’s delicious.”
Ryu Cheon, too, spoke in a calm tone, but her slightly flushed face betrayed her satisfaction.
Surprisingly, Ara was drinking the tea with refined manners this time, probably because I had scolded her earlier.
But did she really have to lift her pinky like that?
“Hmm, this is truly exquisite.”
“Sister, you look so sophisticated.”
Ara spoke in a tone befitting a noblewoman.
Cheong, meanwhile, gazed at her in admiration.
Where had she learned that?
It must have been from Seon-ah this time.
“I concede.”
Suddenly, Yu Bihong spoke with teary eyes.
“Uh, what?”
Was she crying?
Was she really that frustrated about losing?
But contrary to my assumption, these were tears of joy.
Even as she raised her head, her face was still filled with happiness.
“I have never tasted tea like this before. Since before I even joined the skyscraper, tea ceremony had been a significant part of my life. Yet, I had never encountered a green tea like this. I always believed Pu’er tea was the only true tea. Thank you for opening my eyes. Why had I never realized that every type of tea has its own unique charm? I was truly arrogant.”
Her rapid speech made it clear how passionate she was about tea.
I spoke to her with a slight smile.
“By the way, the gift includes not just dried green tea leaves, but also fresh tea leaves. Why don’t you try making Pu’er tea with them? If you need help, Cheong is here, so you can significantly shorten the fermentation process.”
“…Kyu-seong’s fresh tea leaves… into Pu’er tea…?”
Uh-oh, Yu Bihong’s eyes were going blank.
Was she okay?
“Let’s make it immediately!!”
Even Ryu Wangjin, excited, finished his second cup in one gulp.
Well, I had been wondering about the process of making Pu’er tea, so this would be a good opportunity to learn.
“Shall we begin right away?”
“Absolutely!!”
Cliche Novel 