Farming in the Tower Alone [EN]: Chapter 5

The fish, gripped tightly in Sejun’s hand, thrashed, opening and snapping its jaws in an attempt to attack him.

Snap! Snap!

Its sharp teeth clashed, making a crisp sound. With each snap, Sejun tightened his grip. If he wasn’t careful, one of his fingers might be bitten clean off.

Clutching the fish, Sejun hurried towards the hole in the ceiling, toward the fire. The violently resisting fish grew increasingly breathless, its body gradually slackening.

Reaching the fire, Sejun carefully laid a pa-leaf on the ground. He gently placed the fish on the leaf and covered it with another pa-leaf.

Rip.

He tore the pa-leaf into strips about the thickness of a finger, wrapping and tying the two pa-leaves encasing the fish in a crisscross pattern.

“Become delicious,” Sejun said to the fish.

Sejun carefully placed the pa-leaf-wrapped fish in the middle of the fire pit.

He waited and watched for a long time.

Sniff sniff.

“Ah, how fragrant,” Sejun exclaimed.

The savory, oily aroma, dissolved in the rising steam, spread around, filling the cave.

He was reminded of his childhood. When his mother prepared meals, the aroma of food would spread from the kitchen, taking over the entire house.

When he came home from school and the house was filled with the smell of his favorite side dish, he felt happy. Back then, even the time spent waiting before eating seemed joyful.

Grumble.

A sound interrupted Sejun’s thoughts. His stomach was growling, but he endured it, determined to fill his empty belly with something delicious.

Grumble.

“Just a little longer. I’ll give you something really tasty,” Sejun said, soothing his stomach.

He waited patiently, anticipating the perfect flavor.

And when the aroma deepened and intensified,

“That’s it! I can’t wait any longer!”

Sejun used a hardened pa-leaf to pull the pa-leaf-wrapped, roasted fish out of the fire.

He carefully untied the pa-leaf bindings.

Whoosh.

As he unwrapped the pa-leaves, the rich aroma of the fish, mingled with the scent of pa, wafted out.

“Wow!”

Sejun wore an expression of awe at the sight of the glistening, moist fish.

Munch.

Sejun folded the fish in half, tore off a protruding piece of flesh, and put it in his mouth.

“Mmm…!”

Perfectly roasted. No fishy taste at all, just a delightful firmness the moment he bit into it, and a savory flavor that spread throughout his mouth as he chewed.

‘This is insane!!!’ Sejun thought.

Munch munch.

Sejun devoured the fish ravenously.

“Huh! When did I eat it all?”

Sejun stared at the remaining bones with an expression of despair.

Peep…

Peep…

A sound of despair came from beside him. Sejun wasn’t the only one feeling despondent.

“Huh?”

Sejun looked towards the sound and saw the rabbit couple staring at the fish bones with forlorn expressions.

‘Could it be?!’

No way… rabbits don’t eat fish!

But thinking about it, the rabbit couple seemed to prefer cooked food, like the pa he roasted.

“You guys eat meat too?” Sejun asked.

Peep!

As if to say, ‘Did you only realize that now?’, the rabbit couple simultaneously turned their heads away. They seemed upset that Sejun had eaten it all himself.

“Sorry. I didn’t know you guys ate meat…”

Sejun scratched his head and got up, heading towards the pond. He planned to catch more fish. There seemed to be even more fish in the pond than before.

“But where are they coming from?”

Sejun held up the torch and examined the pond, noticing a hole about the size of his hand in one of the corners.

“Huh?”

Just then, a fish swam into the pond through the hole.

“Ah, they’re coming in through that hole.”

They seemed to be drawn to the light of the torch. Sejun finally understood where the fish were coming from.

Unconsciously, Sejun brought the torch closer to the pond to get a better look.

Splash!

A fish leaped out of the water towards the torch, its mouth open.

“Oh?!”

Whoosh.

Sejun quickly raised the torch to avoid the fish.

Snap!

The fish snapped at the air.

Splash.

The fish, having failed its hunt, returned to the water.

“What is going on?”

Sejun cautiously brought the torch closer to the water again.

Splash! Splash!

The fish leaped out, trying to catch the torch.

Whoosh.

Sejun raised the torch to avoid them.

Snap! Snap!

Splash. Splash.

Again, the fish failed and returned to the water.

“Aha! He understood,” Sejun exclaimed.

Sejun realized what the fish were reacting to. When something moved near the surface, the fish mistook it for food and jumped.

Now that he knew how to make the fish jump, catching them was easy.

Sejun waved the torch near the pond.

Splash!

A fish leaped towards the torch, mouth agape.

‘Here it comes!’

Sejun focused on the fish’s movement. And when the fish reached its highest point and began to fall,

‘Now!’

Thwack!

Sejun swung the torch at the leaping fish, knocking it out of the pond. The fish landed on the ground, struggling for breath.

Meanwhile,

Thwack! Thwack!

Sejun sent two more fish tumbling onto the ground.

As he approached the fire with the three breathless fish,

Peep peep!

Peep peep!

The rabbit couple, as if they had never been upset, cheered, gazing at Sejun with admiration.

“Ahem.”

Sejun straightened his shoulders. For this moment, he felt like a hero.

Peep!

Peep!

The husband rabbit brought pa-leaves, volunteering to assist with the cooking.

Rip. Rip.

Beside him, the wife rabbit finely shredded pa-leaves to make string.

“Done,” Sejun said as he placed the third fish into the fire.

The cooking was quick, as all he had to do was wrap the fish in pa-leaves and tie them up.

And then, another happy wait.

Day 11 here. Sejun and the rabbit couple filled their bellies with fish and fell asleep.

Beep beep. Beep beep.

[June 19th, 6:00 AM]

The morning of the 41st day here had arrived.

“Oof!”

Sejun, waking up from his sleep, approached the pond. But beside the pond, there was now another, smaller pond that hadn’t been there before.

It was a sort of tap, created by connecting a small stream to the pond to avoid the fish attacks. He washed his face and fetched water there.

Splash! Splash!

Sejun washed his face and headed to the field. In the field, centered around Sejun’s designated rock, were pa plants in front, tomato plants grown to about Sejun’s knee height on the left, and sweet potato sprouts on the right.

Finally, the long-awaited sweet potato sprouts had emerged. All the crops Sejun had planted on the first day here had finally taken root safely in the tower.

“I’m so proud,” Sejun said to himself.

A lot had happened in the meantime.

On the 32nd day here, the Blue Moon appeared once again. From that, Sejun learned that the Blue Moon cycle on his floor was 30 days.

And a few days ago, there had been a joyous event. The wife rabbit had given birth to six babies, increasing the family size.

Peep!

Peep!

As the baby rabbits’ energetic cries echoed from the burrow, the father rabbit diligently carried pa-leaves.

“I should prepare breakfast,” Sejun said.

Seeing the busy rabbit couple, he wanted to help them.

Snap. Snap.

He broke off ten pa-leaves, put some in the fire, and laid the rest on the ground to dry.

Then, he approached the pond and waved the torch from side to side over the water.

Splash! Splash!

Fish leaped up to hunt the torch. Sejun swung the torch at them.

Thwack!

Today, he was lucky enough to get two with one hit.

Flap flap.

He covered the two fish with pa-leaves, tied them with stems, and put them in the fire.

In the meantime, he took out the well-roasted pa and ate it.

“Having something warm going in makes me feel better,” Sejun mumbled.

After eating the roasted pa, Sejun watered the crops and spent some time spacing out.

Sniff sniff.

A delicious smell began to spread, indicating that the fish were done.

Thud. Thud.

Sejun took the fish out of the fire and began to cut the strings that tied the leaves. Just then, the husband rabbit trudged out of the burrow.

“Rabbit!” Sejun called out to the father rabbit.

Peep…

The husband rabbit seemed exhausted from childcare, his response lacking energy.

“Eat this with your wife,” Sejun said, offering the fish.

Peep.

The husband rabbit was touched. He quickly took the fish and went back into the burrow.

However,

Peep!

Peep!

The babies, who had barely been put to sleep, woke up, and the rabbit couple could only eat the fish much later.

Beep beep. Beep beep.

[June 19th, 5:00 AM]

Day 50 here. The smartphone rang and died.

Thankfully, the rabbits woke up at exactly 5:00 AM and slept at 7:00 PM. Following the rabbits’ rhythm, it seemed like the time difference wouldn’t collapse due to the constantly shining sun.

“Good work,” Sejun said to the dead phone.

Sejun put the dead smartphone in his bag along with the already dead laptop.

Peep!!

Peep!

Now that they were somewhat accustomed to childcare, the rabbit couple came out of the burrow and greeted him.

“Yeah. Good morning,” Sejun replied.

Swish.

Snip. Snip.

While the husband rabbit watered the crops with a watering can and the wife rabbit cut pa-leaves,

Thwack!

Thwack!

Sejun caught fish in the pond.

He took the caught fish to the fire, wrapped them in leaves, and put them in the fire. The wife rabbit took out the roasted pa, placed it neatly on a pa-leaf, gave it to Sejun, and went back into the burrow with the husband rabbit.

It was to take care of the babies’ breakfast while the fish were cooking.

Munch munch.

As he ate the pa and satisfied his hunger,

“Huh?!”

Sejun noticed a single yellow flower blooming at the end of a tomato plant.

He remembered something he had read online: without bees or wind, pollination wouldn’t occur.

Here in the cave, there was wind, but it was weak. To ensure pollination, Sejun carefully rubbed the flower with a fish bone he had used to eat the fish.

‘Please work. Please work,’ Sejun thought fervently.

Sejun artificially pollinated the flower with a fervent heart.

“Oof!”

As soon as Sejun woke up, he approached the rock wall of the cave.

Scratch.

Using a fish bone, he scratched a line on the rock wall.

Next to it, there were two sets of tally marks, and above them, there were ten marks.

It was the 61st day here. He had been recording the days like this since the smartphone had died.

‘Already the 61st day…’

Just as Sejun’s mood was about to sink, the cave became noisy.

Peep!

Peep!

Peep!

As morning arrived, the baby rabbits lined up and came out of the burrow, following their parents.

Peep!

Peep!

The rabbit couple greeted Sejun and asked for help.

“Okay. I’m going,” Sejun said.

These days, Sejun watched over the baby rabbits from time to time. It wasn’t anything grand, just preventing them from going to dangerous places.

While Sejun watched over the baby rabbits, the husband rabbit watered the field, and the wife rabbit cut leaves to prepare breakfast.

The baby rabbits ate well whatever they were given, so the meal was peaceful. After the meal, the rabbit couple took the babies back into the burrow.

Sejun washed his face and went to the tomato field. The tomato field, where flowers had been blooming one by one, was now a flower garden.

Sejun lightly shook the branches with the tomato flowers.

“Please work. Please work.”

Now that there were so many flowers, he didn’t pollinate them one by one but shook the branches lightly, chanting the pollination spell.

“Huh?”

Among the fallen petals, he saw a very tiny, green tomato, smaller than a bean.

On the 61st day here, the fruit had finally ripened.

It was the day before the Blue Moon.