CBS Chapter 2

Even if one met the requirements for adoption, adopting a specific child wasn’t an easy matter, but the couple insisted very strongly on adopting Da-mi.

 

In the end, before the year was over, Da-mi legally became the couple’s child.

 

On the night she came to live in her new home, Da-mi lay down on the bed in the room the couple had prepared for her, her heart fluttering. The bedding was cozy, and it felt like she was floating on a cloud. Her heart thumped like it did before a field trip, but before she knew it, she had dozed off.

 

It often appeared in Da-mi’s dreams.

 

“I’m Jeong Da-mi now!”

 

Upon seeing It, Da-mi shouted with all her might. Da-mi no longer felt afraid even when seeing It in its true form.

 

“Thank you so much, snake!”

 

Da-mi threw her arms around It, who had taken the form of a snake, hugging tightly around its thick body—so thick she couldn’t wrap her arms all the way around it.

 

“What’s your name?”

 

Da-mi blushed, feeling sorry and embarrassed for only now asking for its name. On the other hand, It casually said its name.

 

“■■■.”

 

Da-mi’s face stiffened.

 

“In human terms, it’s ■■■?”

 

“……”

 

But its name was too difficult, too frightening, and too obscure for a child to comprehend.

 

“Aren’t you going to call me by my name?”

 

“What is that? I don’t want to say it. It’s weird. Scary…”

 

Saying someone’s name is weird was a rude thing to do. Even six-year-old Da-mi knew that. But the name It had spoken was so ominous that even an ignorant child couldn’t help but feel afraid, and she couldn’t hide her emotions.

 

“……”

 

With gleaming eyes, It stared intently at the frightened Da-mi, then made an impulsive decision.

 

“Just call me Snake.”

 

The human lifespan barely lasted a hundred years. For It, who had just awoken from a long slumber, ignoring its identity for a while couldn’t even be called neglect. It decided to set aside its true nature for now.

 

“‘Snake’ isn’t a name.”

 

“I’ve existed far longer than the Pachyrhachis creatures you humans believe to be the ancestors of snakes. I’m the first and only one, so there’s no reason I can’t be called by the name of the species.”

 

It—Snake—sometimes said things that six-year-old Da-mi couldn’t understand. As Da-mi tilted her head in confusion, unable to grasp the difficult words, the snake approached and affectionately rubbed its body against her, whispering.

 

“If you ever have another wish, tell me.”

 

To Da-mi, Snake was a magic lamp that could grant any wish. She would often make wishes.

 

“Ping-Ping is gone. I can’t find her anywhere. Can you find her?”

 

A six-year-old’s wishes were generally trivial.

 

“Pet me.”

 

The snake didn’t ask for much. Remembering how Da-mi looked when being petted by her adoptive parents, it lowered its head to match the child’s level.

 

In exchange for finding the missing bunny doll, Ping-Ping, Da-mi rubbed the snake’s huge head with her small hand. Maybe because it was a dream, the sensation didn’t feel vivid.

 

“What’s a black-haired beast? Auntie yelled at Mom, saying she shouldn’t take in black-haired beasts. If Auntie fights with Mom, Mom gets sad. I don’t want Mom to be sad.”

 

“Then all your new relatives just need to like you.”

 

“Can you do that?”

 

“Yeah. Then do that for me. What do I have to do for you?”

 

The snake, who never left Da-mi’s side and observed her daily life, wanted a different kind of payment that day.

 

“You have to love me as much as you’re loved because of me. That’s fair, right?”

 

“Yeah. Okay!”

 

Da-mi didn’t understand the power the snake’s words held. For the young Da-mi, the idea was too abstract and difficult. She interpreted it merely as a friend asking to be closer.

 

While Dami was making a cute resolution to treat the snake better, the snake was quietly satisfying its own greed.

  

“Dad’s wish is to win the lottery. Can you grant that too?”

  

“Hmm. That might be difficult for you to handle right now.”

  

The snake spoke curtly. It was the first time it had responded negatively to Dami’s wish.

  

“Maybe after you become an adult.”

  

After pausing for a moment, it whispered slyly.

  

“An adult…? What’s that?”

  

“It means you can repay me once you’ve grown up.”

  

If she became an adult and gained more strength, she’d be able to do much better than now. That would be better for the snake too. Dami happily nodded her head eagerly.

  

“Alright. From now on, I’ll take all the things I grant you once you’ve become an adult.”

  

“Okay!”

  

Dami’s adoptive father picked the same set of numbers five times and won the first prize in duplicate. The total prize money was about 13.7 billion won. Dami was happy because her parents were happy.

 

Dami moved into an apartment in Seoul with a view of the Han River. She wore prettier clothes and received many toys as gifts.

  

She attended a new kindergarten. There, Dami heard the story of the snake that handed over the forbidden fruit and caused mankind’s fall. The snake received divine punishment, losing its legs and crawling on its belly while pushing against the earth for eternity. The teacher said the snake in the old tale symbolized impurity and showed a frightening picture. Among the children, Dami was the only one who liked snakes.

  

When she looked at pictures of snakes eating humans, her chest tightened and her hands and feet became clammy. She felt so afraid, it seemed like she might pee herself.

  

Dami stopped making trivial wishes to the snake.

 

The snake also stopped coming to her dreams for a while. When it didn’t appear, Dami became anxious and worried.

  

“Snake, are you upset because of me? Is that why you’re not coming? Just like there are good people and bad people, if there are bad snakes, there must be good snakes too. I’m sorry. You’re a good snake.”

  

Dami held the stone tightly and called out to the snake, but the snake did not respond. Time passed, and Dami entered elementary school.

  

“I’m home!”

  

Crash!

  

There was a sound of something breaking and shattering from her parents’ room. She heard yelling and screaming for the first time. Dami saw her parents fighting for the first time.

  

Trembling in fear, Dami fell asleep—and the snake visited her dream again after a long while.

  

“Snake!”

  

Meeting someone she could rely on, Dami ran frantically to the snake and poured out everything that had happened that day.

  

“Mom and Dad keep fighting. Mom cried and said they should divorce right away… What should I do? What can I do?”

  

“Things will be okay once you go back.”

  

The snake gently comforted Dami, who was crying in fear. Under the warm sunlight, Dami played riding on the snake and then woke from the dream.

  

“Dami, are you awake?”

  

“Dad made your favorite beef radish soup.”