Chapter 3

2. Garden

After spending some time in the cottage, the alarm signaling that the strawberries had fully grown went off. The tablet he bought from the store had a feature that notified him when crops or items were ready. If you bought a book and placed it on the bookshelf, you could check its contents on the tablet. It was quite expensive, as it could be used in the real world, but the price seemed justified considering its utility.

The field was filled with strawberry plants. Despite only 16 hours having passed, the strawberry plants had grown as tall as an adult man. The size of the fruits was unexpectedly large, bigger than two fists combined. The strawberries hanging from the trees were larger than apples.

He bought a bundle of strawberry packaging boxes from the store and started harvesting. The strawberries were so large that only ten could fit in one box. With about twenty strawberries per plant, he estimated that he would end up with around forty boxes. Even after deducting the cost of the seeds, packaging, and a 15% fee, he would still make a profit of about 340 DP.

"Wow! Just growing strawberries could make me rich."

After packaging all the strawberries, a few were left over. Tae-ju washed the apple-sized strawberries with well water and took a big bite. The sweet and tangy flavor that spread in his mouth was fantastic. The strawberries were sweeter and fresher than any fruit he had ever eaten. Tae-ju quickly finished one strawberry and immediately started washing another to eat.

"Ah, I should give some to Tae-woo. How much would it cost to bring them to the real world?"

Tae-ju remembered that he needed to build a mailbox to bring items to the real world, so he immediately installed one.

"Looking at these 'Yes/No' options makes me feel like I'm going to develop a trauma. Can't they change it to 'Yes/No'?"

Thinking back to the regression, he felt a bit down. The fee for sending items to the real world was the same as the selling price. He paid 15 DP to send a box of strawberries to the real world.

Enchanted by the taste of the strawberries, Tae-ju bought another bundle of strawberry seeds from the store and planted them in the field. He also applied the smooth skin cream he bought from the store, watered the rainbow seeds again, and spent some time.

Although it still felt like a dream, he really liked the garden. He planned to spend the full 48 hours allowed in the garden.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the tight schedule he had before returning, he was glad to have this moment of peace without anyone rushing him.

While browsing the store, he found an interesting item that could recreate books, music, or videos from his memories. He thought of the books that had left a deep impression on him, some of which had not even been published yet. Music could also be recreated if he had blank sheet music and recording equipment. After buying a few blank books, Tae-ju continued to explore the store.

There were various players in the store. Tae-ju chose a phonograph he had seen in an antique cafe he visited once and bought a few blank records. By linking the phonograph to his tablet, he could listen to music in the real world as well.

"I wish this wasn't just a game."

Although he felt that everything he was experiencing was real, Tae-ju couldn't be sure. He thought he might not be able to return to the garden after waking up from this dream.

When his time was up, he harvested the strawberries again and, following the advice to fertilize, spread some expensive fertilizer on the field before preparing to return to the real world. In fact, the preparation was simple. He had already sent all the items he wanted to bring to the real world via the mailbox. The mailbox also had a deposit function, allowing him to transfer cash directly to his account. After sending the high-end suit, strawberries, and documents, the only thing left to take was his tablet.

Tae-ju took one last look around the garden and slowly walked to the entrance. On the other side of the welcome sign, the sky was a clear blue. It seemed like the garden was an island floating in the sky. As he stepped out from under the sign, a familiar message window appeared.

"Phew. It's already in Korean."

Feeling good about the change, he selected 'Yes'.

*

12:30 PM.

The clock he saw before falling asleep read 11:20 PM. He had spent nearly 48 hours in the garden, but only one hour had passed in the real world.

"Am I living a longer time than others? How does aging work? Will I age faster than others?"

Instinctively, he felt that this wasn't the case. He was confident that spending time in the garden would be equivalent to spending one hour in the real world.

"I could study or practice in the garden. Maybe I could get 48 times the effect."

He had always been diligent in his acting practice. His capable manager, Yoon-seok, adjusted his schedule to ensure he didn't waste time. His ability to become a top actor at a relatively young age was due to his unwavering dedication to acting practice.

He was sure he had slept for an hour, but the fever he felt before falling asleep was still there. Tae-ju felt too lazy to get up and just lay there.

Ding-dong.

"Who is it?"

It wasn't time for his younger brother Tae-woo to return yet, and his parents, who both worked, wouldn't be home for a while.

When Tae-ju checked the visitor through the intercom and opened the door, a delivery person carrying several large boxes came in.

"Phew. They're heavy. Here are three boxes."

"Ah! Yes, thank you."

Seeing that the sender was the Gardener's Association, he realized these were the items he had sent from the garden. As expected, the boxes contained strawberries, a suit, and documents. It felt strangely realistic that they had arrived by delivery.

Tae-ju carefully put away the suit and documents and placed the strawberry box in the kitchen. It was a bit awkward to describe the apple-sized strawberries, but he wanted his family to taste them because they were so delicious. He especially wanted to give some to Tae-woo, who preferred fruit to snacks.

His younger brother Tae-woo, who was two years younger, had a completely different personality from Tae-ju. He was affectionate and family-oriented. Although it might seem unusual to describe a high school freshman as family-oriented, it was the most fitting description for Tae-woo.

Their parents had been effectively divorced since the brothers entered middle school. They each had their own rooms and spent weekends and holidays separately. Due to their parents' neglect, the brothers were used to taking care of themselves.

Tae-ju tried to take care of Tae-woo in place of their parents but had to give up early due to his poor housekeeping skills. After replacing the burnt oven and broken dishwasher, Tae-woo took over the household chores.

"Ah! Should I learn cooking from the skills tab? Tae-woo will be a second-year high school student soon, and I should at least provide him with nutritious meals."

While Tae-ju was lost in thought about becoming a cooking king, Tae-woo returned home after his after-school tutoring.

"Bro, what's this box on the dining table?"

"Strawberries."

"Why buy such perishable fruit online? You can buy them at the supermarket."

"These are super strawberries. They're hard to find."

He opened the box and showed Tae-woo a large strawberry. The sweet aroma filled the kitchen.

Swallow.

Tae-woo's swallowing sound was audible. He was known as the "fruit ghost" because he preferred fruit to snacks or even meals.

"Try it. It's really delicious."

"Let's wait for Mom and Dad to come home and eat it together."

"Just eat it. They'll be home late. Leave two and eat the rest."

After washing the strawberries in running water and handing them to Tae-woo, he took a careful bite.

"Wow."

"Is it good?"

Tae-woo's wide-eyed surprise showed that it was even better than he expected. Tae-ju felt much better seeing Tae-woo's reaction just as he had imagined.

The fatigue from the regression and the garden began to ease.

The last time he saw Tae-woo before returning was months ago. As a top actor, Tae-ju and Tae-woo, who worked a regular job, rarely saw each other unless they made a special effort. It was even harder after Tae-woo started his own family, considering his sister-in-law and nephew's schedules.

"Really delicious. I've never seen such large strawberries before. I've never tasted such delicious strawberries before."

"Don't be stingy. Eat them all. I'll order more when you finish."

After filling their bellies with strawberries, the two sat on the sofa and watched TV.

"Bro, do you have time on the 30th evening?"

"Why?"

"I have a ticket to the Entertainment Awards. Let's go see it."

"Entertainment Awards? Are you a comedian?"

"Whoa. A comedian? Who calls a comedian that?"

Tae-woo liked comedians. Unlike his peers who were fans of idols or actors, he was a fan of comedians. He went to see their performances at small theaters and participated in fan club activities. He was a big fan of female comedian Park Kyung-jin, often mentioning how much he liked her eating habits and using it to encourage Tae-ju to eat more varied foods.

"Is Park Kyung-jin performing?"

"She'll probably be there, but she probably won't win an award."

"It sounds fun."

The atmosphere was good. Although it wasn't the right time to bring up a sensitive topic, he thought it was better to mention it now, considering what would happen later.

"Do you know that Dad and Mom are thinking about getting a divorce?"

"Uh-huh."

Tae-woo tried to bring it up without hurting him or regretting it later, but it wasn't easy.

"I have a house in my name. If Mom and Dad get divorced, let's live together."

"House? Where did you get the money to rent a house?"

"It just happened. More importantly, what do you think? Do you want to live with me?"

There was no answer. Unlike Tae-ju, who had long given up on his parents, Tae-woo still hoped their relationship would improve. Tae-ju saw no hope for that.

A few days into the new year, a child from his father's extramarital affair came to visit. The boy was the same age as Tae-woo, with only a one-month difference in their birthdays. At first, his father was surprised, but later he lived with the boy, showing him a warm side he had never shown to Tae-woo.

His mother's hysteria reached its peak, and the divorce proceedings began. Tae-ju later learned that during this time, she had taken out her anger on Tae-woo. Tae-ju was almost never home, as he was busy with part-time jobs and preparing for his college entrance.

Later, he learned that both his parents had refused to take care of Tae-woo. His father was raising the child who had come to the house, and his mother had always disliked Tae-woo, who resembled his father. Tae-woo had been living in fear of his mother until Tae-ju, who had just started college, brought him to his apartment.

It took a long time for the wounded and timid Tae-woo to return to a normal life. Tae-ju regretted not paying more attention to Tae-woo, knowing his parents' selfish nature. Fortunately, he now had a chance to make things right.

"The house is a bit far, but you can get there by subway. You don't have to transfer schools, but if you want to, it's fine."

"Where is it?"

"Mapo."

"It's not that far. Okay, if Mom and Dad really get divorced, I'll do that."

"Okay."

Tae-woo also knew that their parents' divorce was inevitable. He understood that they wouldn't live like a normal family, but he still hoped and expected it.

He hoped that during the summer break, they could go on a family trip or have a meal together like a normal family. He hoped they could discuss his future and grades with his parents. Of course, none of that ever happened.

In Tae-ju's case, he had to decide everything on his own, from parent-teacher conferences to choosing his college and major. Tae-woo would probably have to do the same.

"Let's go see the house in Mapo tomorrow. We can do some shopping too."

Tae-woo's response made Tae-ju feel sorry for him. Although Tae-woo was only two years younger, Tae-ju, who had lived to 39 and returned, felt more like a father than a brother to the 17-year-old Tae-woo.