The Green Seed and the Orchard Worker

There are two kinds of seeds.

One is a Seed of Sin, created from the very first sin committed by the mouth; the other is a Seed of Repentance, created the first time one truly repents a sin.

Today, the Grim Reaper brought in another new seed.

Its surface is green, covered in moss, and slightly moist.

I flared my nostrils and took in its scent. Seeds of Sin and Seeds of Repentance carry different fragrances, after all.

This seed, with its pungent earthy smell, is unmistakably a Seed of Sin.

When this Seed of Sin grows into a tree and bears abundant fruit, the soul who created the seed will eventually be summoned to this orchard's field.

As the orchard worker, I took the seed and diligently hoed the tongue-field.

What kind of tree will grow from this seed? What fruit will it bear?

Full of anticipation, I lovingly planted the seed, sprinkled lava over it, and dusted it with bone ash.

When a green leaf finally poked through the ground after my patient wait, I couldn't contain my joy!

It's only a sprout so far, but like an expensive herb, its fragrance is exquisite.

"Oh my goodness!"

While I was tending to the sprout, it started growing at a terrifying speed! The stalk shot up toward the sky faster than bamboo. The roots spread so quickly across the tongue-field that they eventually burst through to the other side of the tongue!

Curious beyond measure about how this seed was created, I hammered a tap into the trunk and extracted its sap.

As the sap pooled in the bucket, the aroma of words and emotions contained in this seed rose up richly.

"It's not like I'm asking for something crazy. Just give me 50,000 won?"

"Sweetheart, I told you we need to save on living expenses... Did you already spend the allowance I gave you last time?"

"The house is falling apart, there's mold on the walls, my uniform smells like a rotting mop! I don't even have money to hang out with friends anymore! You know if I get bullied at school, it's all your fault, right?"

The old woman covered her face with calloused fingers so worn they could barely straighten, and wept aloud at those words.

"Ugh... Of course, at your age, all you can do is cry when you've got nothing to say. I'm sick of it."

The child rummaged through the old woman's worn bag sitting in the corner of the room.

"Oh my~! The Reaper brought in a premium-grade one!"

Sins that keep repeating even after the seed is created age the seed richly, like wine.

A Seed of Sin with no repentance.

The beauty of this fast-growing tree fills my heart to the brim.

What a bountiful harvest!