Chapter 1. Cabbage and Mini Cat (1)
Translator: Lili
Fresh green leaves and stems with rough little hairs.
Shushu lovingly gazed down at the tomato seedling that she had nurtured with care. The sight of a healthy plant was enough to move her, though she knew she might be exaggerating a bit.
It truly was a miraculous transformation. What had started as a seedling no taller than her palm had grown to nearly half her height, and its once fragile stem, which seemed like it might snap at any moment, had thickened to the size of her thumb. At this rate, it wouldn’t be impossible for it to bear fruit before the year was over.
Every day, Shushu cared for the seedling with an eager heart.
“… Isn’t it growing a bit too fast? It’s almost unsettling.”
One of the inmates who had first noticed the seedling had muttered uneasily, but Shushu paid no attention.
‘What did they know?’
The rapid growth was surely a sign that the tomato recognized her love and care. In this harsh prison environment, where even kindness could be exploited or mocked, this tomato seedling was the only thing that could accept her affection without ulterior motives. That’s why Shushu’s love for it was special.
“What’re you doing?”
Lost in her kindergarten-instilled farmer’s spirit, her serene afternoon was rudely interrupted by an intruder who broke into the world she shared with her seedling.
“… Isn’t it obvious? I’m watering Micky.”
Micky. The name Shushu had chosen for her tomato seedling. The sound of laughter, as if it were ridiculous even now, stung her pride. Shushu, who had deliberately answered curtly, felt her mood sink further at that laugh, but the person ruining her precious gardening moment didn’t seem to care.
“Twenty minutes of watering? I didn’t know tomatoes were hydroponic plants.”
The sarcastic tone only made her irritation worse. She considered ignoring the comment, but the intruder leaned closer, as if to prompt a response. Shushu, crouched on the ground, felt the person’s cheek rest against her head. The intruder’s long hair brushed against her prison uniform’s open collar.
Their silken hair shimmered faintly under the sunlight, resembling the quartz Shushu had mistaken for jewels as a child. Glossy, white, and smooth. Shushu was sure that if she looked up, she’d see a face with a bored expression.
Just imagining that face made her chest stir with an unwelcome flutter. No matter how cruel their words or actions were, her heart always betrayed her whenever they pulled stunts like this—like a mischievous cat.
When she cast a glance to the side in frustration, she regretted it immediately. That stunningly beautiful face was staring at her with a serious expression. The frosty lashes, winter-morning eyes, and pale lips stole her breath, leaving her heart pounding once again.
She knew all too well that behind those lips, as perfect as an old master’s painting, lay pristine teeth and even a tongue—decorated with a tiny black piercing that was oddly sensual in contrast to their elegant appearance.
Blushing at the thought, Shushu shook her head with forced irritation.
“… What are you even saying? And could you back off? Your hair is tickling me.”
“I didn’t see you during free time, so I came to look for you. I was worried you might be off crying somewhere after getting beaten up again.”
The utter lack of genuine concern in their tone stilled Shushu’s wildly beating heart in an instant. How foolish she felt. That cold, detached voice, so mismatched with their graceful face, irritated her more than the piercing did.
Feeling it wasn’t worth responding, Shushu clamped her mouth shut. Unbothered, the person continued.
“And here you were, hanging out with some ‘Micky’ behind my back.”
“It’s just a tomato seedling. What’s with that tone?”
“A tone of jealousy over my wife’s obsession with gardening.”
‘… Wife.’
Shushu, truly exasperated, found herself silenced at the word. Before she knew it, the intruder had shifted and was now completely in front of her. Beneath their teasing, their beauty practically glowed.
“I want to kiss you.”
The wheedling tone had become familiar. Shushu wasn’t sure when it started, but lately, this person had been demanding more and more from her.
Looking into their northern-ocean-blue eyes, Shushu remembered that they hadn’t always been like this. But she couldn’t recall when things had changed. She only knew it wasn’t the first time they kissed, or the first time they crawled into her bed after lights-out. It was somewhere in between.
Thinking of the moonlit gleam of those eyes on a dark night, Shushu swallowed dryly and turned her head.