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A few days had passed.
“Hm? Is no one home?”
Once school was over and I had returned home, I noticed that no one else was home, which was a rare occurrence.
“W-Welcome home, Master.”
Jihye must have heard my voice as she came all the way out to the front door in order to greet me. It was a bit abrupt, but being welcomed home by a maid like this wasn’t that bad······. I’ve always wanted to be welcomed home like this at least once······. But.
“Where are Saeyeon and Jaim? Did they go out to play?”
Jihye answered while courteously receiving my school blazer and backpack from me.
“No, the Madam’s mother came by earlier and went out with the two of them.”
“Saeyeon’s mom came over?”
Now that I think about it, she hasn’t dropped by lately. Did her work end early today?
“Yes. She told me to pass a message on to Master. Today, the two ladies of this house and the Missus’ mother are going to have a girls-only pajama party at the home of the Missus’ mother and spend the night there, so Master shouldn’t come looking for them and sleep by yourself today.”
“A pajama party, huh······.”
In this day and age? And even though she’s an old lady······. No, is it because she’s an old lady that she’s doing this? More importantly, there’s something I should ask first.
“You didn’t say anything unnecessary, right?”
“Really, Master. Do I look like someone who would?”
Jihye answered as if she were complaining. I’m asking her that because she does look like someone who would. Rather, she has gotten really used to being around me now.
“Even though you prittle-prattled last time.”
“Uu······.’
Around the middle of last week, Jihye went out saying that she was going to buy groceries for dinner, but as expected, she got lost and ended up wandering around the neighborhood’s marketplace. And, the person who got caught within Jihye’s radar as she used her sociability to latch onto every single person she saw in order to ask for directions, was Saeyeon’s mom who was buying groceries on her way home from work.
Saeyeon’s mom heard that the place Jihye was trying to get to was my house, so I was seriously surprised when they both arrived together. Thankfully, Jihye told me that she didn’t say anything particular and only gave her the fabricated story that I had made, but after that, whenever I saw Saeyeon’s mom talk to me with an incomprehensible smile on her face, I couldn’t help but think that Jihye had said something.
“I-I really didn’t say anything this time.”
“‘This time’? Then that means you really did say something unnecessary last time.”
“······Ah! N-No, I didn’t say anything then either!”
Jihye waved her hands frantically once she realized she got caught in a leading question. I decided to just let out a sigh. Seriously, even if this girl wasn’t the one to slip up, there was also a high chance that Saeyeon would say something weird as well. It would be great if Jaim could handle that side, but due to recent events, it’s somewhat hard to trust in her as well······.
“Well, it should be fine······. Saeyeon’s mom didn’t say anything weird, right?”
“She didn’t say anything in particular. She simply said that Master should, at the very least, use this opportunity to get some proper rest today.”
“I see······. Then should I think of today as a vacation?”
It’s true that I wasn’t able to have that much time to myself for the past two months. I should relax and enjoy my free time today. I changed out of my school uniform and sat comfortably on the sofa. Mhm, this is nice.
“······.”
Though, the presence of a certain someone, who was watching me with a smile on her face while also standing slightly to the side of the sofa with her hands gathered in front of her, was bothering me. Maids might actually be a fairly bothersome existence.
“······What? Is there something you want to say?”
“No. Is there anything you may need, Master?”
Jihye spoke while beaming brightly.
“I’ll call for you if I need something, so you can go relax as well.”
“······Understood.”
Jihye bowed her head modestly. She faintly looked as if she was disappointed. As expected of a robot maid. Did she get bored if she had no work to do?
“······Mm.”
Additionally, I was also bored. Since I was just lazily sitting down and both Jihye and I weren’t talking, I could only hear the sound of the clock ticking.
“All right, let’s watch some TV.”
I unintentionally spoke to myself as I messed with the remote. Watching TV was the best option whenever you didn’t have anything to do.
However, the only programs that were currently airing were the uninteresting ones that only old people watched. Naturally, right now was around that time of day for these types of programs.
“Should I do the laundry that I’ve been putting on hold······.”
“I already did the laundry and dried them.”
“······Cleaning······.”
“I made sure that there isn’t even a single speck of dust left in the house.”
“······.”
As expected of a robot maid. She works hard. More importantly, for me to attempt to do housework just because I’m bored. The spirit of a homemaker must really be embedded into my bones now. I sat back down from the awkward posture I had because I was about to stand up.
“······.”
No. I couldn’t calm down for some reason.
Two months ago, this was definitely the norm. But for some reason, this situation where I couldn’t hear anything other than the discouraging sound of the TV made me bored and prevented me from calming down.
“······Yeah. In times like this, I should be true to my duties as a scientist.”
The fact that I was even talking to myself simply in order to make some noise felt incredibly awkward. Even though talking to yourself was a scientist’s privilege.
Still, I’ll most likely calm down if I’m together with my lover, my life, science.
Yup, definitely. I stood up and turned towards Jihye as I spoke.
“I’ll be in my room, so don’t come in unless I call for you. Okay?”
“Yes. I understand.”
I headed to my room after nodding at Jihye’s response.
The instant I opened the door, lying on top of my desk, Multi’s main body and parts, which Jaim and I were making improvements on together last night, entered my line of sight. I felt a bit calmer. Yeah, it’s also been a while since I last worked on something by myself.
After sitting down in front of my desk and cracking my fingers, I went to work while following the plans and blueprints that I had made beforehand.
My recent goal was to attach legs onto Multi’s body. Although the likes of legs were nothing more than decorations to me, they were actually the most vital part.
The hardest part of creating a robot maid was the legs, in other words, bipedalism. The act of ‘walking on two legs’ was actually an incredibly complicated task. Not only does the robot maid have to maintain its balance while supporting itself on one leg and stepping forward with its other leg, but it has to consider a whole bunch of other things such as the state of the surface, the resulting angular change between the foot and the surface, and much more.
However, this was absolutely necessary for robot maids. Human society was thoroughly created for bipedal humans, which meant the usage of stairs. Wheels aren’t capable of using stairs. They can’t move across steep surfaces or terrains with random drops. If robot maids have legs, then they can move around here and there and, besides doing only housework, they can go out and do things like go on errands. That’s what robot maids are, and that was one of the reasons why I wanted to make a humanoid robot.
I may be Jin Jaro, the greatest scientist of this era, but this wasn’t an easy task. The many studies carried out at numerous research institutes weren’t perfect even though they were being funded with hundreds of millions of dollars, so expecting a notable outcome from me when I’m carrying out this research by myself would be greedy.
Nevertheless, I’m not going to give up. Because I have assurance. Because a robot maid, which was supposedly invented by me and was capable of walking and thinking like a human was before me. Let’s work hard.
While keeping my gaze fixated on Multi, I stuck my hand out.
“Hey, brat, hand me that hex key over there······.”
······I’m an idiot.
Even though I knew no one was there.
I curled and uncurled my hand, which I had stretched out for no reason, before standing up and walking over to pick up the wrench that was within arms reach of the chair which Jaim always sat in before sitting back down.
Certainly, it might not only be Jaim who got used to this lifestyle.
Even though I should have been used to this sort of solitude, in merely two months.
In a house with no one else. Time spent by myself. Even though I was so accustomed to the fact of being alone, spending my time by myself, if anything, this was a natural thing ever since I was little. But why now?
I wound up inadvertently looking at the wall. I could hear a faint sound.
The sound of everyone laughing and chatting next door, at Saeyeon’s place.
A sound that was cordial enough to penetrate the wall. Different from this completely silent house, the sound over there had a warmness that was the complete opposite of here.
Even though I was that envious of this sound.
Even though I hated this sound that much.
Why do I feel like this now?
“······Haa.”
Looking at Multi sitting on top of my desk made me sigh.
Yeah, I had forgotten this recently. The reason why I wanted to create a robot maid. It was so that I wouldn’t feel like this.
“······.”
“······So why are you standing there?”
There’s been a constant gaze on the back of my head. Once I turned around, I saw Jihye opening the door slightly and peaking into the room slightly. She realized she got caught and quickly shook her hands.
“I-It’s nothing! I-I was just wondering if you really didn’t need anything······.”
“······Haa.”
All I could do was let out a sigh. Jihye brought her hands together with a clap and spoke.
“That’s right! Master, are you hungry? I’ve prepared dinner!”
“Come here.”
Jihye looked at me with nervous eyes the instant I gestured with my finger at her to come to me.
“A-Are you going to dismantle me if I come in?”
“I won’t, so come here.”
“Really? You aren’t lying, right? If the Missus sees you trying to dismantle me, then she might misunderstand again······.”
“I’ll dismantle you if you don’t come here.”
“I-I’m in!”
Jihye frantically entered the room and closed the door behind her before I could even finish my sentence. I tapped on the chair that Jaim would always sit in. Jihye seemed to have understood that I was telling her to sit down as she took the seat rather restlessly.
“You don’t have to be so nervous. I keep my word, after all.”
“Of course, Master is definitely that type of person, but······.”
“It’s just that I’ve had some things I’ve been wanting to ask you in private.”
“Something to ask me?”
Jihye, who was squirming around in her seat, changed her expression into a surprised one once she heard my words and raised her head. Is this girl really a robot?
“How do you, Jaim, and I spend our time in the future?”
“Huh? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”
Jihye tilted her head in confusion, uncertain as to what my intention was behind that question. It seems I’ll have to elaborate a bit.
“I want to know why Jaim dislikes you so much.”
“······.”
“Honestly, I didn’t even know that you were present in Jaim’s home.”
Jihye’s face became a bit darker once she heard those words.
Honestly speaking, I have my assumptions, so asking her this might be cruel. Even if she’s a robot, it would be cruel to anyone that’s capable of showing this sort of human-like response.
Regardless, I wanted to know what this girl’s thoughts were on this matter.
Moreover, I had the right to know. As her master and Jaim’s, well, her dad.
“I wonder······. I told you before, but the Miss didn’t show this sort of spiteful behavior towards me in the future.”
With a sullen look on her face, Jihye spoke while pondering.
“Of course, I may have treated the Miss a bit strictly. Like the time I turned the game console off.”
“Even I think that was going a bit too far.”
“But I didn’t do those kinds of things with malicious intent or because I wanted to hurt the Miss. Since future Master trusted me and left the Miss in my hands, I wanted to do my best to raise the Miss correctly.”
Although it seems Jihye became more depressed in response to my words, she was able to say that.
“Master is busy in various ways.”
Jihye looked straight at me and continued.
“You’re constantly busy because of your work at your company and you’re always devoting yourself to your research and development, the latter didn’t change even after you were fired.”
······It still hurts when I hear that I was fired.
Jihye must not have seen my bitter smile as she continued.
“Master, who declared that you would create the perfect robot maid and devoted yourself to your work without coming back home, trusted in me to take care of Miss Jaim. Of course, you didn’t particularly ask me to do this or anything, but you ordered me to handle the housework and do whatever I can so that nothing happens to the Miss.”
“······So the future me was showing concern in his own way.”
“He most likely did.”
A speculation. It was an assumption.
“Jaim told me before that I would never come home and that I practically lived at the research lab.”
“Yes, it is as she said. I actually haven’t seen you in person that much either.”
“You haven’t seen me much?”
Jihye nodded in response to my question and spoke.
“You handled your board and lodging at either the research lab or the company, and you also didn’t really like it when I came to see you in person. But I understand. Master has an important mission after all. A noble goal to take humanity a step forward.”
Jihye spoke as if she were humbled.
“That’s why, in order to let you focus on your work, I did whatever I could to be of assistance to you, Master. The Miss must have understood this as well since she used to listen to me well. When she was little, she would follow me around as if I were her big sister or mother······. Although she doesn’t even speak to me properly nowadays.”
Jihye’s expression became sullen again as she said that.
“I thought that this was because I was lacking, but······. As long as Master wasn’t around, I tried to do my best as her family.”
“······Future me sure is impressive.”
Jihye smiled happily at my words that were close to being self-deprecating.
“Yup! Master is amazing!”
No, even if you smile like that at this moment······.”
I couldn’t possibly say something towards that happy smile which looked as if she had just been praised, that smile, which I felt like I had, seen before.
“In any case, I have a vague grasp of things now. Please continue to look after Jaim.”
So, in response to my words which I had said while turning away, Jihye blinked once before smiling brightly.
“······Yes. Since I have been given a formal request now, I’ll do my best.”
“Then you can head out now. I’m starting to get hungry, so you can start preparing dinner now.”
“Uhm······. Master?”
Jihye responded hesitantly to me.
“Right now, you’re trying to make Miss Multi walk on two legs, right?”
“Well, yeah. This is harder than it looks.”
I attached legs and a walking system in my own way so I could do a trial and error, but regardless of whether it could walk properly or not, its appearance······.
“I see······. Then, if that’s the case······.”
What’s up with her now? Jihye squirmed around shyly before an expression of resolve appeared on her face and she nodded her head.
“Then, it’s embarrassing to say, but······.”
With a cautious voice, Jihye hesitantly grabbed the ends of her skirt and raised it slightly.
“If needed, you can, dismantle me, only a little bit, though······.”
“What? But, you······.”
Didn’t you hate being dismantled? Jihye’s cheek became slightly red at my question and spoke.
“If it means that I could be of assistance to Master······.”
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“······Then, I’m really going to, okay?”
“P-Please be gentle······.”
Jihye turned her head away out of embarrassment. Why was she acting so shyly? Even though she’s a robot. It’s making me feel awkward as well.
Jihye hesitantly sat down on the chair and stuck her foot out towards me. I knelt down in front of her and carefully grabbed her extended foot.
I undid her garter belt and started to pull down her stocking.
“W-Wait a second!”
“······As I thought, should I stop?”
Once I stopped moving my hands, which were in the midst of pulling down her stocking, Jihye’s mouth opened and closed as if she were about to say something hesitantly.
“N-No······. I-If I can be helpful, to Master······.”
“······Then I’m taking it off completely.”
“Ah, auu······.”
Once I finished taking her stocking off completely, skin as pearly white as a Greek sculpture and a foot that was shaped aesthetically perfectly were revealed. A snowy field that contrasted the black stocking. It was quite literally a work of art.
“Uu······.”
Her five lovely toes wiggled and this sensation of her calf and thigh, which were so slick and smooth that they almost felt slippery, made it hard to believe that they belonged to a robot. I poked it out of curiosity which resulted in Jihye letting out a sound and moving her leg a little. It felt as if I were touching human skin.
“How is it like this?”
“That’s······. It’s specially processed silicon. It’s capable of regenerating on its own, and, in order to provide ease of access to the interior for repairs, if you touch that spot······.”
Once I followed Jihye’s instruction and pushed down on the area slightly below her knee, the cover came off. This was most likely meant for maintenance purposes. An internal frame was revealed underneath the opened slide. This may be slightly grotesque, but······.
“P-Please don’t look so carefully.”
It must have been embarrassing as Jihye covered her face with her hands and shook her head.
If the exterior had a human, sculpture-like beauty, then the interior had a beauty unique to well-crafted machinery. Honestly, I felt reluctant due to her outer appearance, but I decided to endure it for my research.
“······How is it? Do you understand it a little?”
Jihye must have been similarly embarrassed as she kept hesitating and continued to sneak glances at me. Even while feeling that gaze, I carefully dismantled her with the mental attitude of definitely putting her back together afterward.
However, I’m really the one who made this, huh? I don’t know why, but it felt this way.
This complicated composition which my current self couldn’t understand or even grasp properly, however, even though I was moving my hands before letting my head think, it seemed to be right. I could clearly see my habits and aesthetics contained within this.
An internal frame that acted as the bones. Artificial muscles that made the leg move. Wires that sent electrical signals. The joint regions of the ankle and knee.
“Uhm, Master?”
While I was taking them apart one by one with delicate movements, Jihye opened her mouth. I responded to her while working.
“What. Ah, don’t move. You might mess something up if you do.”
“What do you think I have to do in order to convince the Miss to go back to the future?”
“That again······? Do you want to go back that badly?”
Once I said that with a small sigh, Jihye started swinging her other leg, the one I wasn’t working on, back and forth and spoke.
“Rather than wanting to go back······. It doesn’t feel right leaving the house empty for so long and I’m worried about the Miss. I also feel like she might be getting too used to being here.”
“That may be the case.”
Jihye spoke concededly after I gave her a nod
“Of course, it’s not like I’m completely clueless as to why the Miss ran away from home and doesn’t want to return. The Missus is here and Master is here as well, so, this may be the case, but······.”
As if she were worried, as if she were sulking, she simply swung her one leg with a vague look on her face.
“Still······. The more she does, when the Miss eventually goes back······.”
“······.”
I fully understood what she was trying to say even if she didn’t finish her sentence.
Saeyeon is here. She isn’t in the future.
I spend time with her here. I don’t in the future.
Similar to how I became accustomed to this ‘family experiment’, so the time I usually spent alone now feels awkward to me, the loneliness which Jaim will feel when she goes back will grow more immense the longer she stays here.
As expected of a robot maid, she’s worried about Jaim’s well-being.
“That name, ‘Jihye’, who gave it to you? Did I name you that?”
Jihye answered shyly to my question which I had asked in order to change the topic.
“······Uhm, no. Actually, I gave myself this name······.”
“······You did?”
“Yes. I did so while referencing Master and Miss’ names. Normally, robot maids are either referred to by their model name or their masters give them a nickname, but······.”
Jihye must have been feeling sheepish as she chuckled and scratched her cheek. I was wondering where that skewed name had come from.
More importantly, does that mean I didn’t even give her a name? Why not?
“Now that I think about it, Master, are you on friendly terms with Mr. Shin Nanda?”
“Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”
That was really random. Jihye smiled as if she were in awe and spoke.
“I didn’t know that Mr. Shin Nanda was Master’s friend. Albeit, there was no reason for you to tell me.”
“······Well, we are on friendly terms.”
Jihye stopped swinging her leg once I responded. It seems she didn’t notice my brief pause.
“Then, Master, do you think you could ask Mr. Shin Nanda to spend time with the Miss during the weekend?”
I couldn’t figure out what she was getting at, so I stopped my hands and looked up at her.
“The Miss is Mr. Shin Nanda’s fan, so I feel like she would be delighted if the two of them could go play somewhere. It might make for a good memory as well.”
“······Well, she certainly does like him.”
Until now, she would only play with Nanda during the short period of time she had after school. Her eyes sparkled whenever she saw him and she went on cloud nine when we went to a karaoke room together, so she’ll probably leap for joy if I tell her to play with him during the weekend.
“But didn’t you say that you were worried that Jaim was getting too accustomed to being here? Wouldn’t she want to go back even less?”
“That may be so, but······. Even if it stays like this, it doesn’t feel like she’d want to go back either way. So wouldn’t it be better if she had an enjoyable time instead?”
She moved her brows as she pondered, but her eyes and mouth were smiling as if she was happy as long as Jaim was happy. Your words and actions don’t match, girl.
Regardless, even that expression, I feel like I’ve seen it before······.
“······I’m putting you back together now. Stay still.”
“Are you fine with this? Was I helpful?”
“I realized that I don’t understand anything, so that’s at least an outcome.”
The technology of the future was profound and mysterious. This was on a different level from the time I took that portable game console apart.
I held onto Jihye’s foot carefully as I started to reassemble the parts that I had dismantled. My hands moved as if I had made her myself. Jihye was silently watching me with awe on her face. Naturally, it was probably intriguing since this was the same as watching herself be made.
“Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”
Once I finished and asked that after snapping my fingers, Jihye tried moving her knee and toes one at a time.
Her small and lovely toes moved up and down. She rotated her slim ankle and bobbed her foot up and down. Her elegant calf moved in accordance with the movement of her convex knee.
“No, there’s no problem. You were truly able to dismantle and reassemble me, huh?”
Jihye was smiling brightly as if she were amazed, no, as if I had fixed something that had been a problem for her.
Because of that smile, I ended up blurting out a question.
“You, are you really a robot?”
“What are you saying when you just took me apart a second ago?”
Jihye giggled as if I had said something weird. Naturally, it would seem that way.
“When did you say I made you?”
“Pardon? Why do you ask?”
Unable to grasp the intention behind my question, a puzzled look appeared on Jihye’s face. However, she at least answered my question.
“It was after Master parted ways with the Missus. I knew her name, but I only met her in person for the first time after I had come here.”
“······I see.”
Should I say that it was as I expected?
“So I’ve been looking after Miss Jaim ever since she was little.”
Jihye spoke in a longing voice.
“I still have the data. When Master created me at the research lab and first introduced me to the Miss, she stared at me and asked who I was, so when I explained that I would be taking care of her from then on, she looked up at me with her large eyes without a word.”
“······.”
“Master had told the Miss that from that day forth, I would be looking after her like her mom, so she should obediently listen to me. The Miss asked where her mom had gone, but Master didn’t answer that.”
Jihye spoke shyly while putting her stocking, the one which I had stripped off earlier, back on and attaching it to her garter belt.
“Honestly, it’s because I knew that the Miss yearned for her mother that I can understand why she had come here, and also the reason why she doesn’t want to go back. But still, since I intended to look after the Miss in my own way as a mother would, it’s a bit saddening.”
“······I see.”
I diligently tried to control my facial expression as I smacked my lips and spoke to Jihye.
“In any case, can you prepare dinner now? I’m going to have to eat by myself today, after all, so you can go recharge early today once you’re done.”
Although it’s possible for Jihye to consume food and digest it, she doesn’t obtain energy from doing so. She’s able to somewhat manage with her oxygen to hydrogen fuel cell, but she has to recharge her battery through her built-in cable at night. It may seem a bit sudden, but I’m worried about our electricity bill. Cumulative tax is scary.
In order to be more efficient while recharging, she powers down while only leaving on the least amount of systems she could. Until now, she would usually recharge after Saeyeon, Jaim, and I went to sleep, but since I was by myself today, I decided to let her rest a little. Even robots require rest after all. For their durability and metal fatigue.
“I understand. Uhm······.”
“Fine. I’ll ask Nanda tomorrow.”
“Really? Thank you very much!”
Jihye’s face instantly brightened up the instant I consented.
“Then I’ll prepare dinner immediately! Please wait a moment!”
Jihye hastily left the room, shutting the door behind her. Silence returned once I was left by myself in the room again. Even the sound of chatting coming through the wall from Saeyeon’s place.
······It’s probably because of that.
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“Oh, it’s been a long time since you came to visit me. What’s up?”
Break time. Once I went all the way to Nanda’s class, he spoke while chuckling. It definitely has been a long time since I last came looking for him first. This might actually be the first time I did so since we entered our second year of high school and were put into different classes.
“Hey, it’s that guy.”
“The guy who has an elementary school kid for a daughter?”
“He promised a slightly lacking girl that they’d only sleep while holding hands and forcefully······.”
······So these rumors were still going around outside of our class.
I decided to simply ignore the untaught masses who started talking noisily the instant I entered the classroom. On a side note, I’m going to remember the face of that last guy. I put your name on my purge list. Be careful when you walk around at night.
“Nothing much, there’s just a favor that I want to ask of you.”
“A favor? Is it perhaps about Jaim?”
······He’s incredibly straightforward. More importantly, it sounds like he already knows. Nanda displayed a troubled smile as he scratched the back of his head.
“Ah, I didn’t expect you to go out of your way to look for me. Still, it would be troubling if there were any misunderstandings. Jaim is thinking like that, but I’m not particularly thinking like that, so you don’t have to come······.”
“What are you talking about?”
Nanda was talking by himself as if he were embarrassed despite the fact that I haven’t said anything yet. Nanda blinked at my response.
“Huh? Didn’t you come here because I promised to go on a date with Jaim this weekend?”
“······What?”
The hell is he talking about? No wait, it’s similar to the reason why I came here.
“A date? With that brat?”
“Like I said, I don’t think of it as a date, but it seems Jaim wants to think it is.”
Nanda chuckled awkwardly. However, for some reason, there were clear signs of him being happy written all over his face. Nanda continued as if he were trying to give me an excuse.
“A few days ago, Jaim called me on the phone at night and asked me if I was free this weekend and if I could go on a date with her. Calling it a date would be a bit weird, so I asked if we could just say that we’re going to hang out together, but······. Jjaro, where are you going?”
“Dirty······. Lolicon······. Pedo······. I’m going to report you······.”
It was only natural for one’s aversion to also take form in the actual physical space between two people. I understood now. The reason why this guy wasn’t interested in other girls and would always brush off confessions, despite the fact that he was popular with girls, was because he was a sexual deviant who liked little kids······. I’m definitely going to report you······.
Nanda shouted after he saw that I was gradually distancing myself from him.
“I told you it’s not like that! I’m not trying to ignore Jaim’s feelings, but I don’t plan to steal your daughter away from you either.”
His choice of words itself was dangerous. Although Nanda smiled pleasantly and waved his hands as if it really weren’t the case, without erasing my suspicion, I asked him a question while staring at him.
“You aren’t thinking of something weird because you heard that Jaim is your fan in the future, right?”
Certainly, if it’s this guy, then Jaim would fall to his feet, and he could use her affection since hers is so high towards him, or, if he isn’t interested in little kids, then he could raise her before snatching her away. Now that I think about it, a long time ago, he definitely said that Jaim would grow up to resemble her mom and become curvy, right?
“Hahaha.”
However, Nanda let out an audible laugh in response to my words.
“What are you laughing about?”
You’re going to laugh in a situation like this? Is he trying to say something like ‘It can’t be helped since I’ve already been caught’? But the smile on his face doesn’t······.
How should I say it, it looked gleeful.
Nanda grinned at my questioning gaze.
“No, it’s just that you’ve also changed quite a lot, Jjaro. Are you that worried about Jaim?”
“······Not particularly.”
I had no other choice but to turn away in response to his words and because of the way he was looking at me.
“In any case, if that isn’t what you wanted to ask, then what’s the favor? Tell me.”
“······.”
Having to say something like this in this situation is awkward, but what else can I do? I let out a small sigh and spoke while averting my gaze.
“It’s, a similar goal, but······.”
“A similar goal?”
“I mean, mm, should I say it’s a part of making memories for Jaim? Well, it’s sort of like that······.”
“What, so it’s the same thing in the end.”
“It’s different, okay? It’s completely different! I’m not asking you a favor with that dangerous idea you had in mind, but to at least give Jaim a good memory······.”
“Yeah, in the end, you’re asking that because you’re worried, aren’t you?”
Nanda simply laughed and responded like that the instant I shouted at him in a fit of rage. This guy, seriously······.
“I know what you’re thinking, Jjaro. You told me the reason why Jihye is here, so you figured that it wouldn’t be so bad for Jaim to make some good memories with her favorite singer before she has to go back, right? Well, something along those lines.”
Nanda grinned as if he saw through me completely, and as if he were telling me to not worry.
His attitude that made it seem like he would listen to any favor I had without any ulterior motive, it made me think that right now was the only chance that I would ever get to say this.
However, it was more embarrassing to say something like this. But still,
“······Shin Nanda.”
Nanda nodded at me.
“Uhm······. It’s a bit weird for me to say something like this now of all times, but······.”
“What is it, Jjaro? What are you trying to say all of a sudden?”
His usual, never-changing pleasant smile. Although his words made me feel like it would be better to keep it hidden, it then made me much more resolved to say it.
“Do you consider me as your friend?”
“Of course you’re my friend.”
“······All right. Thanks.”
I expected Nanda would respond like this, but I ended up turning away and clenching my teeth tightly in response to his answer.
“But, I······.”
“I know. You never considered me as your friend, right?”
“······Huh?”
What did he say just now······?
I could only open my eyes wide and stare at Nanda. How? Nanda smirked and shrugged his shoulder at my reaction.
“Jjaro, it was the same earlier as well, but your thoughts appear too clearly on your face. Honestly, it’s like on the level of an elementary school student.”
I thought I’d been hiding it well until now. I believed that if I didn’t say anything, then I would have been able to hide it until that awaited day.
“Then why?”
My words came out before my thoughts. Nanda grinned at me.
“Being someone’s friend doesn’t mean you have to agree with each other, sign and seal a contract, and shout ‘We’re friends from now on!’, right? It’s embarrassing just imagining it.”
“No, that’s not what······.”
“Jjaro, no matter what you think about me, I consider you to be a good friend. Well, your personality is honestly a bit of a mess, but that’s been getting better lately.”
A good friend, huh······.
Nanda also smiled vaguely once he saw my bitter smile.
“I know. I know that you probably hate this side of me. You also disliked Saeyeon for a similar reason, right? You hate good people. You’re way too twisted.”
“You’re calling yourself a good person?”
“It’s the truth, isn’t it?”
······The fact that he could say something like this nonchalantly and not be taken as offensive or boasting was probably one of this guy’s strong points.
“In any case, it’s embarrassing. ‘Do you consider me as your friend?’, aaah, I’m getting goosebumps. You’re seriously someone to respect, Jjaro.”
Nanda simply grinned brightly as if the fact that I had deceived him until now and what I had said just now were all trivial matters.
This may have been the reason why I wanted to tell him.
“······At any rate, I’m supposedly Jaim’s dad.”
“Yup.”
“Honestly speaking, it doesn’t feel like we’re a family. I’m just pretending to be a part of one in order to understand what families are.”
“······Jjaro, you······.”
“But, there’s a big issue there. Even if I try to act like I’m a part of a family with the intention of playing house, if I’m going to play the role as the dad, then I have to know what a real ‘dad’ does and how they do it······.”
But since I’ve never had a father figure in my life.
I have no idea what I have to do as a dad.
This experiment was flawed from the beginning.
How could this be an experiment when I have no idea what to do?
“Regardless, since I’m the dad, I want to at least act like one. But I have no idea what I’m supposed to do.”
I couldn’t tell anyone this.
Be it Saeyeon, Jaim, Upperclassman Nabom, or Jihye, I couldn’t confess my thoughts to any of them. I had no other choice but to keep it a secret.
Or, at the very least, I could only tell a friend.
“Who knows? Wouldn’t thinking like that be both a method and a condition?”
So, in response to my concern, my one and only friend said that.
“······Isn’t that winging it too much?”
He honestly wasn’t that helpful, though.
“It can’t be helped. I have a dad, but I never had an adorable daughter like Jaim. So how am I supposed to give you an answer?”
“You’re calling her adorable as well? As expected.”
“You also think that on the inside.”
Nanda laughed in a teasing manner before showing a somewhat proud look on his face.
“Still, I’m a bit happy as your friend.”
“What?”
“You’re also changing a little bit at a time, Jjaro. The number of times you’d say weird things have decreased compared to a while back, you don’t pretend to be bright all the time, and you’ve stopped disregarding people and calling them untaught masses.”
“······Yeah.”
Since the need to do so has decreased now. Although it hasn’t disappeared completely.
I hated receiving sympathy. I hated being pitied. Because I knew that I would appear like that.
My situation where I was tossed aside by my family and was receiving help from my childhood friend who lived next door. However, I didn’t want other people to see me like this because I knew how I would look like to them.
That’s why I acted as if I were all right. I had no other choice but to believe that I was special. I believed that and behaved as such. In order to prevent my surroundings from discovering my weak side, I said and did weird things and acted as if I were a strong person who was okay and didn’t worry about things like this. An existence that was different compared to them. I acted like an existence not to be sympathized with, but an existence that was above all that.
“I don’t know about you, but I believe that this change of yours is a good sign, Jjaro. You started to worry about Saeyeon and Jaim now, right?”
Nanda’s pleased words.
A meaningless conversation with no grounds or basis. A simple encouragement.
However, at this moment, that was just enough to be comforting.
“······I’ve been thinking lately, but wouldn’t it have been better if you were the dad? I mean, Jaim would have liked it.”
Nanda then flicked my forehead the instant I said those self-deprecating words.
“Never say those words in front of Saeyeon or Jaim.”
He had a serious look on his face, different from his usual expression. Thus I averted my gaze and answered him.
“······I know.”
“Do you really? Seriously, you’re cruel, Jjaro.”
Nanda chuckled as if it couldn’t be helped and stood up.
“Then I’m going to the bathroom, so you should head back to your class before you’re late. Don’t worry about the thing regarding Jaim. Ah, don’t worry about something like a daughter thief either.”
“Like I said, I’m more worried about your choice of words.”
I let out a sigh and stood up as well.
“Shin Nanda.”
I spoke towards Nanda as he was walking out the back door of the classroom.
“Thanks.”
Nanda simply waved his hand at me without turning back.
Ο
Ο
“Aah, what should I do······. What should I do, Master······?”
“Did you call for me?”
“Kya!”
······I was wondering what the issue was since she was calling out to me. Jihye, who was restlessly muttering to herself, got startled by my voice and had to smooth down her dress before turning around to face me. Did that action mean something?
“Ah, Master······.”
“What are you doing there?”
After school, Saeyeon had left first because she was going to go hang out with her friends, so once I got home by myself, unusually, Jihye didn’t even realize I was home and was standing in front of a room while looking perplexed.
“What, do you need something from Jaim?”
The room Jihye was standing in front of was Jaim’s. From what I could remember, Jaim dislikes Jihye, so she had told her to not even come close to her room, so Jihye would only clean the house when Jaim wasn’t home. Jaim would be in her room around this time of the day.
“······Hm?”
The out of place feeling made me notice something. The room door was slightly open. Now that I think about it, Jihye was also peaking into the room. If it was only this, then I would have thought that the kid had done something needlessly, but······.
“······Ow.”
I heard a small groan coming from the inside of the room. When I peeked through the crevice of the door slightly, I couldn’t see anyone. The only noticeable thing I could see was the blanket bulging strangely on the bed. ······Really, this kid.
“Why exactly do you like dark and small places so much?”
So once I opened the door completely and walked in, sure enough, the blanket twitched in response. This was making me worried that she was going to grow up to be a corner-living NEET. I casually blocked out the memory that I was going to shut myself in my research lab and live there in the future.
“Ah?! D-Don’t enter your daughter’s room without knocking!”
How bothersome.
“A while back you hid inside the washing machine, but is it your blanket this time?”
Am I supposed to call this growth or something? I nonchalantly sat down at the edge of her bed.
“So what is it this time? What’s the issue?”
“······It’s nothing. I just want to be alone.”
She was completely inside her blanket and mumbling. Are you not uncomfortable like that? Once I grabbed her blanket, I could feel her holding onto it on her end as well and resisting.
“Stop being like that and come out. Are you sulking because Jihye told you to go home again?”
“It’s not like that.”
Her voice sounded too sulky for nothing to have happened. Although it felt like she truly did want to be left alone, the tone of her voice didn’t feel right. So I put strength into my grip for a split second and pulled her blanket off of her. Jaim tried to resist, but the difference between our strength was too large.
“······What’s up with that?”
“······It’s nothing.”
My expression then became rigid the instant Jaim’s face was revealed. A swollen cheek. I’m not saying that it was swollen because she was pouting. It was red and swelling. As if she had been hit.
Looking carefully, there was a bruise around her eye, her lips were torn, and her hand that wasn’t pulling on the blanket was holding onto an egg and pressing it against her eye.
“I just, rolled down some stairs.”
Jaim let out a sigh as if it couldn’t be helped now since her secret was revealed and said that, but······.
“Don’t underestimate me. Do you think your injuries would end with just that if you roll down some stairs?”
I was seriously shocked when Saeyeon rolled down some stairs a long time ago. No, that’s beside the point. Jaim turned her head away and changed her words.
“······I actually tripped.”
“Look at me.”
But it was obvious that that wasn’t it either. If she fell down and hit something, then what was up with that bruise? I grabbed Jaim by the chin and forced her to look at me. Jaim stubbornly did whatever she could to not show her face to me, but like I said, the difference between our strength was too large.
“······Are you happy now? Give me my blanket back.”
“Looking at the angle, they’re about 150cm tall. They’re right-handed. Considering the degree of the bruise, it’s most likely an elementary school student. Who beat you up?”
Although the bruise on her eye said otherwise.
“I didn’t get beat up. I was in a fight.”
She gave in with that. Thus, the complaining Jaim confessed as if it were unavoidable now.
“My friends and I promised to play at the playground after school, but when I got there, some boys were harassing Heyeong. They apparently told her to get out since they were going to play soccer in the playground, but it seems Heyeong refused.”
“So?”
“When I went up to them, we had an argument, but they suddenly shoved Heyeong and she fell on the ground. That’s why I got into a fight with them.”
That’s quite the impressive tale. I was expecting something more. Without hiding my pitying gaze whatsoever, I spoke.
“So, you came home after being beaten up by a bunch of elementary school kids?”
“Do I look like that kind of person, Dad?”
Jaim glared at me with a terrifyingly cold gaze.
“I beat up the boys and chased them out, but they came back with their older brothers who’re in middle school, so I got kicked out after getting into a fight with them.”
“So, in the end, it doesn’t change the fact that you got beat up and came home crying.”
“I didn’t cry!”
Jaim yelled at me. The corners of her eyes were red.
“Why are you only able to talk like that, Dad? Are you not worried about your daughter?”
“You reap what you sow. You should have run away if your opponent is stronger than you.”
“······.”
Jaim glared daggers at me while biting her lip. She must have been really upset as she was pouting her lips profusely. Without avoiding my gaze, Jaim stared right at me and spoke with a trembling voice.
“But my friend was being harassed. Shouldn’t you protect your friend whether you win or lose?”
I let out a deep sigh and shook my head.
“You have a great mentality, but if you’re going to fight anyway, then you should do so with the intention to win.”
“How was I supposed to win?! Not only were they boys, but they were also middle schoolers! Their bodies are much bigger than mine and they’re stronger than me!”
“That’s why I said you should’ve run away if you’re facing an opponent you can’t win against.”
“······Seriously, Dad, you’re······.”
Tears started to slowly gather in Jaim’s eyes as she trembled with rage. However, I didn’t stop talking there.
“In the first place, in this day and age of gender equality, there are no boys and girls when it comes to fights. If you’re going to put down the premise that you can’t win against a boy because you’re a girl, then you shouldn’t fight at all. If you say that your opponent didn’t go easy on you, then that means you’re admitting the fact that you’re a girl who doesn’t have the ability to fight unless someone is protecting you. Although saying that you’re doing it to protect your friends sounds nice, what are you going to do when you get beat up despite having said that?”
“······.”
“Furthermore, how could you fight normally when the world is so terrifying nowadays? Do you not know how scary middle school students are these days? If those guys were messed up in the head, then who knows what they could have done to you. You only have two choices in these situations, run away before something like that can even happen or, if you’re resolved to fight, win by fair means or foul. There’s something you’re good at, right? Kick them in their crotch. Don’t get beat up and come home crying only to hide underneath your blanket.”
“······Why, hk, are you, uu, only able, to talk like that, Dad······?”
And in response to my words, Jaim couldn’t take it any longer as frustrated tears ended up flowing down her cheeks. Jaim spoke as she wiped away her tears with her fist.
“I, was hit. It really hurt. Still, I fought to protect my friends, but, hk, why can’t you say something like, uu, good job, or, it must have hurt. Why are you telling me it’s my fault······?”
While weeping, her clenched fists shook.
“I can’t even go on my date with Nanda Oppa since I’m injured like this······. If I go all bruised, hkk, I wanted to look pretty······. Uuu.”
“······.”
“U-Uaaaaang······. Dummy, you’re an idiot, Dad!”
While her shoulders trembled, Jaim kept wiping away her unending tears with both of her hands as she cried. As if she were really sad, as if she hated me for not being on her side.
So I let out a sigh and stroked her head.
“That’s why you shouldn’t go around getting hit, you kid.”
Jaim raised her head because of my action.
“······Dad?”
If she had gone to someone else and told them that she got into a fight and got hurt, then they would probably do what she wants and comfort her by patting her back encouragingly. However, that would be it. It would end with that. At most, they’ll probably tell her to not get into fights.
“In any case, if something like this happens again, then either run away or, if you’re in a situation where you don’t want to run, then make sure you win at any cost. Bite them. Headbutt them. Kick them in their crotch. Life is a battle. Understood?”
Jaim looked up at me blankly as if she didn’t know whether she should get upset or not at my words which I had said while disheveling her hair. I stood up after giving one final pat on the head.
I see. So those adorable elementary and middle schoolers taught this shrewd and rude little girl a lesson, huh? Well done. Truly well done. I should go and offer them praise and a reward.
“Uhm······. Master? The Miss······.”
Jihye who was standing perplexed outside of Jaim’s room due to what Jaim had said and couldn’t enter. I simply shook my head and spoke.
“It’s nothing special. It seems she got into a fight with some neighborhood kids. People grow up by getting into fights. It’s nothing big.”
“But······.”
Jihye looked up at me with worry as if she wasn’t convinced. Yeah, this was something that would probably worry her. I headed towards my room without a word and Jihye looked back and forth between Jaim and me before following after me.
In any case, I have a rough grasp of the situation now. For her to get into a brawl with some local kids. She’s more of a kid than I thought. And here I thought she was a bit on the mature side.
At any rate, I’ll tease her about this later.
“I’m going to head out for a bit. Jihye, can you go out and buy some medicine and band-aids? You know where the pharmacy is, right?”
“Ah, yes. I’ve seen it a couple of times while buying groceries.”
Jihye nodded at my request. However, she then tilted her head quizzically.
“Uhm, but Master, why are you wearing a mask?”
“Spring is also a season where pollen, yellow dust, and all sorts of unhealthy substances fly around the air. Staying healthy is important.”
“It’s almost summer, though······. And the sunglasses?”
“Outside of visible rays, the sun emits all kinds of ultraviolet rays as well, and it’s bad for your vision if you receive those strong, direct rays of the sun. Ah, don’t worry. These are prescription sunglasses.”
“But it’s night time now······. And the hat?”
“A change of pace and a sense of fashion. In any case, I’m heading out for a bit.”
I have to praise them before they run away, after all.
Ο
Ο
“Ah, you idiot! Kick it properly! Seriously······.”
A sloppily kicked ball flew through the air and rolled out onto the street. An elementary school kid came chasing after the bouncing ball.
“Ah, old man! Can you pick the ball up for us?”
The ball rolled straight towards me. The kid must have thought that I was going to pick it up for him as he started to slow down. I stopped the soccer ball with my foot and lightly kicked it up to my hand and caught it. Mhm, it seems I’m not rusty.
“Thank······. Ah.”
The approaching kid’s feet stopped in place the instant he saw my face. He must have not been able to see my face properly until this moment because of the backlight.
A black baseball cap, black sunglasses, and a white mask. I most likely appeared incredibly dangerous since I was hiding my face entirely. He probably couldn’t see it, but I approached the frozen kid while grinning brightly. The frightened child also hesitantly drew closer to me in order to receive the ball.
“T-Thank you very much······.”
“No, I’m the one who should be thankful.”
“Huh?”
The kid blinked in response to my words which I had said while shaking my head.
“Here, the ball.”
Once I held the ball out, something must have felt off to the kid as he reached his hand out cautiously.
However, just before he could grab the ball, I took a screwdriver out from my tool belt and stabbed the ball. Instead of bursting with a ‘Pop!’, the ball slowly deflated while letting out a hissing sound as the air leaked out.
“H-Hiiik······.”
“Kid.”
“Y-Yes?”
A completely unknown person who was hiding their face. A wicked man who picked their ball up for them, but promptly popped it. I patted the head of the kid who was terrified by what he had witnessed. I’m praising him right now. I’m actually smiling underneath this pair of sunglasses and mask.
The kids who were waiting at the playground seemed to have noticed that the atmosphere was ominous as they looked at me with fearful eyes.
“I heard that earlier today, you got into a fistfight with a weird and rude girl who had a clothespin in her hair, right?”
“H-How did you······?”
“I have my ways. Don’t worry. I’m not a strange person.”
While smiling, I strengthened the grip on my hand that was patting his head. This was also known as an ‘iron claw’. Referentially, it’s a wrestling move.
“Ah, owowowowowow!”
It’ll trouble me if you underestimate a scientist’s grasping power. For starters, we have to really tighten and loosen screws, there are times where we have to move heavy objects, and our grasping power is also important in order to grab or fix certain parts in place. Mhm. It’s important. I’m glad I trained myself.
“I’m not a strange person, I’m really not, but······.”
I pressed down on his head by tightening my grip on the tip of my fingers and shook his head. Once I relaxed my grip and let his head go, it must have hurt as the kid fell to the ground while grasping his head. I’m not that cruel of a person. It was a reasonable degree of acupressure treatment. If anything, it was probably good for his head since the blood vessels around his brain were stimulated. Well, I did put some emotion in it, though.
“I heard that you took really good care of my daughter. You harassed her quite well, huh?”
“Kuuuh······. W-What······?”
“You kids over there, come here.”
I ignored the kid on the ground and called out to the other kids who were about to run away. Once they heard my voice and noticed I was gesturing for them to come to me, they flinched. Naturally, they would be filled with the desire to run away, but.
“Kiddies, do you guys think you’re faster at running or I’m faster at running? Don’t you think that even if you try to run away, at least one of you will most definitely also end up like this kid?”
Tap, I spoke while poking the kid on the ground with the tip of my shoe. I didn’t kick him. Seriously, it was only a tap. Due to my threat, the kids looked at each other with fear in their eyes before slowly approaching me. Good, good.
“Now then, stand in a line in front of me, that’s an order. You should stand up too now, kid.”
I herded the kids to a corner of the playground and made them stand in a single file.
“I-I’m sorry······.”
“Have mercy······.”
“I told you guys I’m not a weird person, so stop acting like I’m some criminal.”
Well, I did hide my face just in case I did get reported. The world has honestly become a scary place these days. But, more importantly,
“But, why are, a bunch of, young brats, already having, territory disputes, and, beating up, girls?!”
Between each word, I earnestly smacked their heads, which barely reached up to my chest, one at a time. I didn’t hit them that hard. About 1.5 times the amount of strength I use when I normally hit Jaim?
“Kuuh······.”
“Do you understand, you brats?! If you didn’t reserve the playground by paying money or writing a lease, then behave! Don’t chase out some girls just because you don’t want to play with them! If I catch you guys doing this again, then I won’t stay still!”
It feels a bit peculiar shouting at a bunch of sobbing elementary school students who were holding their heads in pain. This makes it seem like I’m actually the bad guy here. Nevertheless, what’s so bad about a bad guy doing bad things? They’re the ones who hit my daughter first.
Still, I should stop here. After one last word.
“Next time I hear about this······.”
“What are you going to do, old man?”
“······.”
A hand grabbed my shoulder. I turned around cautiously.
“Ah, big bro!”
The elementary school kids’ eyes sparkled the instant they saw that reinforcement had arrived. I see. Jaim did say that she got beat up after fighting some middle schoolers.
······But these guys, are they really middle school students? How many years were they held back?
His eyes were located higher than my head. His arms started where my shoulders ended. A shaved head. The middle schooler looked down at me as he spoke while chewing on gum. There were two kids behind him who looked the same as him.
“What are you doing right now, old man? Huh?”
People said that kids these days were spirited, but these guys looked way too spirited. Honestly, I’m a bit intimidated.
“N-No, it’s just that······.”
“Why is an adult getting involved in a fight between kids? Do you lack common sense, old man? Huh?”
Ptooey, he snarled as he spat out his gum. This exceeded my expectation. I thought that they would be in their first year of middle school since they were immature enough to get into a brawl with Jaim. More importantly, you guys also got involved in a fight between kids.
“What, do you have something to say?”
“N-No······.”
Naturally, there was no way I could say that. I said so before, didn’t I? Run away from opponents you can’t win against. On a side note, I’m seeing Jaim in a new light now. How could she even think about fighting something like this?
“Also, you’re hiding your face like this. What are you? A criminal? Should we go to a police station together?”
Tap tap, the middle schooler kept pushing my shoulder and shoving me into a corner. Once I stepped back a bit and averted my gaze because of his vigor, an unpleasant smile appeared on the middle schooler’s face as he placed his hand on my shoulder.
“You should educate your daughter properly as well, old man. A little kid is already going around starting fights. What would you have done if my little bro got hurt? I purposely didn’t hit her face because she’s a girl, but in any case, the rude brat kept trying to oppose me.”
Aha. I see. So he didn’t hit only her face.
“As a way to apologize, how about buying us some cigarettes, old man? Say hi every now and then whenever you see us on the street, you know? This is also a type of fate.”
“Uhm······. Can I, say, three things?”
“What? You aren’t going to tell us that you don’t have any money, are you? I can hear coins jingling in your pocket.”
He turned around to look at his other middle schooler friends behind him and snickered. You’re scary. Don’t be like that, you’ll make this old man cry. The other kids snickered as well. I knew this would happen. I grabbed the hand that was on my shoulder and spoke.
“······First, I’m the only one who’s allowed to tease and hit my daughter.”
“Huh? ······Ah.”
Crack, I gripped his hand tightly and twisted it upward.
“Second, I’m not an old man.”
With my other hand, I took out the item that I had brought with me from my pocket and placed it against the side of the middle schooler’s body before continuing.
“Third······. Everyone who laid their hands on my daughter is dead!”
“Kuuuah?!”
Along with a loud zap, the strength from the middle schooler’s body left him as he let out a scream. What are you getting so drained for? I set it so that it would only sting.
“A-A taser? That’s cowardl······. Aaaah!”
I grabbed onto his powerless arm and twisted it as I shouted. Cowardly?
“Only brute-like fellows who don’t know the strength of tools would call this cowardly! Have a taste of human intelligence!”
I brought this just in case, but I’m glad I did.
······Well, it really is like me to bring this when I’m only scolding some elementary and middle school students at most, but a person should always be prepared.
Once the other middle schoolers saw the uncommon weapon I had abruptly pulled out and their friend letting out a groan while his arm was being twisted, they hesitated.
“O-Old man, let’s calm down. Okay?”
“Let him go and we can settle this with our words.”
“The time to settle this with words is already over! I also originally intended to simply tell these kids to get along since it’s just a bunch of local kids that got into a fight, but you guys are the one who made me do this, you middle school delinquents! Young kids shouldn’t smoke! Also, I’m not an old man!”
“Owowowowow!”
Darn it, it seems I put too much emotion in my last line. But aren’t they going too far? I know I’m hiding my face and my face value underneath this mask is high, and I also feel all sorts of sorrow whenever I see some of my hair flow into the drain whenever I wash my hair, I’m still a high school student, you know?
“······All right, fine. It seems I got too excited as well.”
I made myself take a deep breath in order to calm my nerves. I breathed in twice and exhaled once. Breathe in, and out⎯⎯⎯. I relaxed my grip slightly and spoke.
“In any case, since it seems we got too excited about a bunch of kids getting into a fight, let’s forget this ever happened, like letting the rain wash everything away, apologize to each other appropriately, and let the kids get······.”
However, my head turned in the middle of my sentence. There was an impact on my cheek and my field of vision went black and white for a moment. The middle schooler who I was holding shouted while I was staggering in order to stand up straight.
“Stop messing around, you old man! We were going to end it on a good note, too!”
Once the kid let out an angry ‘Hey!’ the other kids were able to snap out of their hesitation. I brushed my fingers over my lips which tasted metallic and saw a red liquid. B-Blood! I’m bleeding!
“You pieces of trash!”
“Hit him!”
I’m not exactly sure what happened after that.
In any case, the elementary school kids must not have thought that this would go this far as they started to cry. I saw stars and occasionally sparks, some screams echoed throughout the playground, I momentarily forgot about my balding issue as some of my hair was pulled out, I pulled out some of their hair as well, I got some hits in, I was hit three times as much because I was fighting a 3:1 fight, I also realized that I still lacked exercise even though I started to go jogging after that previous incident, and more importantly, these guys are hitting me a bunch even though I’m wearing glasses. This is attempted murder.
“Stop right there!”
Right when I was about to be put on the defensive, everyone turned to face the loud voice.
“······.”
“······.”
No one could say anything about the surreal sight before them.
With the darkening evening sky behind her, a single maid was standing with an upset look on her face.
“What are you all doing right now?!”
She put her hands on her hips and spread her legs at the same width of her shoulders. Her skirt fluttered gently due to the evening wind. The pharmacy bag she was holding in her hand fluttered as well.
“You······. Why are you here?”
Once I was barely able to ask that while I was holding onto someone’s collar and my collar was also being held, Jihye spoke while still looking upset.
“It’s embarrassing, but on my way back from the pharmacy after buying ointment and band-aids for the Miss, I got lost, so I was wandering around. I figured I should be able to find my way back if I started from a place I was familiar with, so I came to the playground like this, but what is this?”
“······Did you get lost again even though you said you knew the way?”
Jihye shook her head and approached us.
“After Master left earlier, I heard about what happened from the Miss. I couldn’t have possibly imagined that something like this would happen when Master went out, but seeing as things have come this far, I can’t stand idly by.”
A confident pose. A seriously enraged gaze. Due to that pressure, even the middle schoolers ended up letting me go as they looked at Jihye and fixed their posture.
Don’t tell me this girl intends to fight as well?
Her confident attitude made me recall something. That’s right, if I think about it, one of my goals was to conquer the world through my robot maids. There’s a chance that future me had given her martial arts or combat capabilities. Maids are portrayed as powerful in things like manga and anime after all.
“W-Wait a second, Jihye, let’s calm down······.”
But using those sorts of weapons against middle school students would be excessive. Well, I did use a weapon myself first, but if I had given her combat abilities with the purpose of conquering the world, then she was definitely a ‘secret weapon’.
Jihye glared at me fiercely in response to my words.
“Do you think I could calm down right now?”
No. She’s definitely mad. This is my first time I’ve seen her this upset.
“What are you going to do, if we don’t stop?”
Despite the serious aura, the middle schooler did his best to assume composure. I’m saying assume because his fists and feet were twitching uneasily. Even though there was a difference between their physiques, Jihye didn’t look even remotely intimidated.
It felt like I could hear a snap.
While standing before everyone, Jihye took a deep breath and struck a pose.
With one hand on her hip, she extended her other arm outward with her hand open and spoke.
“Fighting is bad!”
······.
What did she say just now?
While waving her extended hand at the middle schoolers, who were unable to say anything at all and were staring at her blankly, she continued.
“Getting into a fight means that you’re harming others! That’s not a good thing to do! Moreover, harassing kids is even worse! You shouldn’t bully others simply because you’re strong!”
“······What?”
The middle schoolers muttered as if they were dumbfounded and as if they found this situation to be ridiculous.
What’s with this sermon that wouldn’t even work on preschoolers······?”
“What is this······? A lot of weird things keep happening today.”
It seems the middle school student was able to regain his senses as he shook his head. With big strides, he approached Jihye without getting rid of his tone of voice that sounded as if he found this situation to be absurd.
“Oi, I don’t know who you are, but you should get······.”
“Bad!”
Jihye then flicked the forehead of the approaching middle schooler and continued.
“You all don’t like being hurt as well, right? Everyone is the same. You should think about other people’s feelings as well. Wouldn’t you also feel frustrated if you’re playing with your friends but some other people came along and told you to go play somewhere else? You would obviously refuse, right?”
“Y-Yeah······.”
“Everyone should get along. You shouldn’t use your strength to injure others. And most importantly, do you know how worried your family would be if they found out that you were going around like this harassing others and getting into fights?”
Jihye spoke sternly, and yet, attentively. Before I knew it, the anger on her face was gone and only a concerned smile remained.
“Your little brothers are watching you right now. They’ll watch what you do and start imitating you. If your little brothers go off and get injured in a fight, then you would also feel bad, right? You’d be sad, wouldn’t you?”
“······Yes.”
“So be an example. If they do something bad, then teach them to apologize and instruct them so that everyone can smile and play together. You children as well, asking someone else to hurt others simply because there’s something you want is a bad thing to do. Playgrounds are a place for everyone to play together, isn’t it?”
“W-We’re sorry······.”
So, because of this sincere sermon, although I couldn’t believe it, both the elementary and middle schoolers lowered their heads with apologetic looks on their faces.
“These words are also being directed to you, Master. I fully understand that you did this because you were worried about the Miss, but even so, the Miss would be even sadder if she found out that you used a tool and acted violently.”
“······Forgive me.”
I also took the same pose as the kids.
Jihye smiled happily once she heard our replies.
“Now then, shake hands as a means to make up. No fighting from now on. If you all get along and play together, then you’ll be able to smile together as well.”
“······I’m sorry.”
“······I’m, well, also sorry.”
I shook hands with the middle schoolers, albeit hesitantly. It seems this was enough for Jihye as she nodded with a grin.
“Now then, since it’s getting late, everyone should return home before your families start to worry.”
The middle schoolers awkwardly left the playground with their little brothers. Jihye waved towards their backs and shouted.
“Be careful of cars and get home safely!”
They nodded lightly at her before disappearing into an alley.
I fixed the position of my cracked, prescription sunglasses and looked at Jihye.
Jihye was watching the kids leave until they were fully gone with a satisfied smile on her face. Her hair fluttered due to the evening breeze and she turned her head for a moment to tuck her hair behind her ear.
Because of this sight, because the resemblance felt uncanny, I ended up muttering involuntarily.
“······Saeyeon.”
“Pardon?”
·····Ah.
Jihye gave me a surprised look before giggling.
“Master, I’m not the Missus. I’m Jihye.”
“······Yeah. That’s right. My mistake.”
I was barely able to manage my expression and utter those words.
The feeling I’ve been getting for a while now. This peculiar feeling.
There probably weren’t a lot of people who would think they resembled one another when you only looked at their outer appearances. But for some reason, the thought would occasionally come to mind whenever I looked at Jihye.
Each of her thoughtless words, each of her meaningless actions, and even the sermon she gave those kids a second ago.
For some reason, I could feel something Saeyeon-like from them.
Jihye tilted her head curiously because of my gaze.
“······We should go home before it gets too late as well. Saeyeon should have returned home by now, so she might be worried. There’s also Jaim.”
Thus I shook my head and spoke after taking the pharmacy bag from Jihye’s hand. Her hand moved restlessly as if she wanted to hold the bag herself, but she eventually nodded and started to follow behind me.
But, if what I thought was true, then.
Ο
Ο
“Didn’t I already say that I went and beat them all up? Ow.”
Speaking and eating at the same time made my cheek sting, so I let out a groan.
Dinner time. After preparing a somewhat simple dinner, we all sat down together to eat. There was a concerned look on Saeyeon’s face as she spoke after hearing my groan.
“As I thought, I don’t think fighting is good······.”
Saeyeon mumbled while using her chopsticks to poke at the cooked grains of rice that were in her bowl. Jihye nodded her head and spoke.
“I agree, Madam. I was curious since Master said he was going out, but I never would have imagined that he would have gone there to fight them.”
Although Jihye would normally only watch us eat, Saeyeon suggested that we should eat together today, so there was a bowl of rice and some tableware placed in front of Jihye as well. While picking up some of the side dishes with her chopsticks, Jaim turned to me and asked a question.
“······Dad, did you perhaps go and fight them because of me?”
“Of course not. Do I look like someone who would do that? They simply tried to mug me while I was minding my own business, so I got into a fight with them. Middle school students these days are scary.”
Jihye giggled lightly at my response, but I decided to ignore her. I ordered her to not say anything unnecessary, so it should be fine.
“I see.”
With a band-aid on her cheek, Jaim smiled with her panda-like eyes. Why are you smiling as if you know something? Stop smiling, kid. I’ll get attached.
However, Saeyeon stuck her lips out as if she were worried and spoke.
“I know that Jjaro got into that fight because you were worried about Jaim, but don’t do that next time. If you get hurt then, we’ll all be sad.”
“I told you, I didn’t fight for Jaim’s sake.”
Why is she so good at figuring things out. Seriously, only when it comes to weird things.
I took a shower after dinner. I didn’t forget to give myself a scalp massage. I’m lamenting because it feels like a lot of my hair was pulled out today.
Jaim went to her room saying she was tired, so today’s game match was omitted. Jihye went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. I decided to relax in the living room by watching TV while laying down on the floor. I was also tired. My eyes weren’t good, so I couldn’t see well from the couch.
“Ow······.”
I rubbed my cheek which stung even more after being submerged in hot water. In any case, middle schoolers nowadays are scary. Fists are scary as well. I was bruised here and there, so there was no doubt that I was going to be sore tomorrow.
While laying down, I used one arm as a headrest while I picked my ear with my free arm. I wonder if those middle schoolers were talking behind my back. My ear felt itchy.
“Jjaro?”
“Hm?”
Once I turned my head towards the source of the voice, I saw Saeyeon looking down at me. Saeyeon was holding an ear pick with a bright smile on her face.
“If your ears are itchy, want me to clean them out for you?”
“······What?”
Why was she acting like this all of a sudden? Saeyeon seemed embarrassed because of my response as she sat down with a red face.
“Uhm, mom told me. She said that it’s the wife’s duty to clean her husband’s ears. It feels really good when someone cleans your ears.”
“Is that so? I don’t really know because no one has ever done it for me before.”
“How about it? ······Or do you not want me to?”
After seeing my blank expression, Saeyeon asked cautiously as if she was disappointed.
“No, I don’t particularly mind······.”
My ear definitely felt itchy. I could tell by instinct that I wouldn’t be able to do it properly by myself. I feel like there won’t be any earwax since I just came out of the shower, though.
“Really? Then is it fine if I clean your ears, Jjaro?”
Seriously, you recover way too quickly. Saeyeon smiled happily at my reply and sat crossed-legged next to me and patted her thigh. She was probably telling me to place my head there.
Honestly, I was worried about entrusting my ear to Saeyeon······.
A-And······. How should I say it? Using Saeyeon’s lap as a pillow was, uhm, it’s like, uh······.
“Now then, lay down, Jjaro.”
“······All right.”
Nevertheless, for starters, with caution, I laid my head down as softly as possible.
“You picked this ear just now, right, Jjaro? Then I’ll start here. Turn your head.”
“Ack, don’t turn my head! My head doesn’t turn 180 degrees!”
I complained towards Saeyeon’s hands which were pushing my head and flipped my body around. Honestly, rather than it being intentional, I did this because it hurt.
“······Ack.”
So my realization came after my action.
A short distance, a very short distance. No, I was in contact with Saeyeon’s lower abdomen.
I couldn’t see because it was dark, but beyond her thin pajamas, which were very slightly see-through, Saeyeon’s skin was definitely there.
Furthermore, this meant that, I mean, if I turn my head slightly, then something like her panties or even underneath······.
“E-Ehem!”
“T-That tickles, Jjaro······.”
The trembling and wind caused by me clearing my throat seemed to have tickled Saeyeon as she squirmed. I felt my face getting hotter due to that response. As I expected, I have to turn my body around. But once I tried to turn my head, it seems even that tickled her as Saeyeon squirmed again. W-What do I do? For now, I tried to raise my line of sight, but then either her brassiere or her perfect, beautifully-sized chest underneath were······.
“······.”
All right. Let’s close my eyes. Yup. It’s dark so I shouldn’t be able to see anything if I shut my eyes. Wait, no, I can’t see anyway if my eyes are closed.
This is bad. I can’t think properly. If I close my eyes, all of my senses excluding my vision become more sensitive, so the sweet fragrance of soap emanating from Saeyeon’s just showered body was stimulating my nose. My brain was melting in this sweetness. Why does she smell so nice? The sensation of her soft pajamas tickled my cheek.
“Okay, I’m going to start now.”
It seems Saeyeon was unaware of my predicament as she simply giggled. The sound of her happy giggle tickled my ear. The sensation of her putting the ear pick in my ear. The rustling sound caused by her lightly scraping the surface.
“A-All right. G-Get it over with quickly.”
Thus, I uttered those words and shut my eyes tightly. End it quickly. During that time, in order to not think of anything else, I filled my head with the strength of science. Quickly, end it quickly!
“Ei!”
And Saeyeon thrust into my ear.
“Why are you uttering a k’ihap when you’re only cleaning my······. Guaaaaaaah!”
(TL note: K’ihap, also known as Kiai in Japanese, is the sound people make when they do a move in martial arts. LINK)
The instant I opened my eyes due to a concerning sound, sparks appeared in my vision for some reason. I’m not joking. It hurt as if my ear were burning from the inside. My hips automatically extended and retracted. I felt like tears were about to come out.
“I-I told you that tickles, Jjaro. Don’t move!”
“Kuh, hu······. Even if, you tell me not to move······.”
“That’s weird······. I can definitely see it······. There!”
“Guuuh······. B-Be more geeeeentle!”
Before I could even utter a proper sentence, my vision sparkled again. This definitely wasn’t ‘cleaning’ my ear. This was something being thrust into my ear. I’m going to die. I’ll die at this rate. My natural instinct to avoid harm tried to get my body out of this torture, but······.
“Ah, I told you not to move!”
“Kuuuuuuuh⎯⎯⎯······.”
She was in the middle of cleaning out my ear, so it hurt twice as much. It seems Saeyeon couldn’t take my squirming any longer as she smiled and modestly pressed down on my shoulder with her arm so that I couldn’t move. The scraping sound felt like it was echoing now.
“Now then, Mr. Customer, is it itchy here~?”
“Kuak! Gaak! Giiaaak!”
“Really, Jjaro, you don’t have to make such a fuss.”
A fuss? You would definitely cry if I did this to you.
“A-Are you not, done yet······?”
Saeyeon answered my question which I was barely able to spit out.
“There’s still a lot left. It’s okay. I’ve figured it out. Ei!”
“Like I said, the very fact that you’re letting out a k’ihap is wro, owowowow!”
W-Why do I have to go through this?
Is it that? Is she doing this because I got into a fight? Is this the stern scolding of a wife? No, this is torture. I won’t be able to use my ears at this rate. Isn’t a future where I’m only in my twenties but I’m already bald and using hearing aids too cruel?
“I’m done with this side. Flip over, Jjaro.”
While I was mentally drawing out a blueprint for a fully automatic ear cleaner for the sake of the future in order to escape from the mind-boggling pain coming from my ear, Saeyeon uttered those words and took the ear pick out. All right, let’s run away like this. I tried to raise my upper body and make a dash for it, but······.
“······.”
Why does she look so happy?
“What are you doing? I said to flip over.”
Saeyeon patted her inner thigh. I don’t know what was so entertaining and fun that made her have such an unerasable smile on her face.
No. Don’t be deceived. This girl is the devil. She shoved a long stick into my ear just a second ago and violated it mercilessly. I was worried that I might be bleeding. Was my eardrum okay?
But······.
“······Did it perhaps hurt······?”
It seems she noticed my hesitation as the corners of Saeyeon’s mouth and brows went down along with her shoulders. Sullenly, her gaze changed into a disappointed and apologetic one.
“······Fine, I’ll turn around.”
It’s a big problem that I’ve become such a good person lately. I let out a sigh and laid my head on top of Saeyeon’s lap. In order for the same thing to not happen, I looked outward. Thanks to that, I couldn’t see Saeyeon’s face.
“Uhm, did it not hurt?”
Saeyeon spoke carefully. I should probably tell her that it didn’t hurt. That’s why I laid back down.
“Yeah. It hurt. It seriously hurt. You would have cried if you were on the receiving end.”
But that’s a choice for those untaught masses who simply want to score points. I’m always honest. I felt Saeyeon becoming sullen behind me, but it wasn’t my problem. It still stings, you know?
“So make sure you’re gentle this time. If you do it painfully again, then we’re never doing this again. Okay?”
“······Okay! I’ll be gentle this time!”
······It’s a big problem that I’ve become such a good person lately. Seriously.
I grumbled to myself as I folded my arms and closed my eyes. I couldn’t see anything this time, but I still did it anyway.
“······.”
My words must have spurred her to concentrate, as Saeyeon didn’t make any noise this time. The sensation in my ear felt clearly smoother this time. A weird sensation where I couldn’t tell whether it tickled or was relaxing.
“How is it? Is this good enough?”
“Yeah. It’s perfect. Keep it like this.”
“All right. Ehehe······.”
I heard a proud giggle once I gave my response, so I readjusted my position slightly.
She must have been telling the truth when she said she figured it out earlier because her hand movements were more proficient than before. She seemed to have also gained some leisure according to that as she started to hum instead of saying anything.
“~?”
······Are you even going to hum ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’? Just how much do you like that song?
A rustling sound that tickled the inner portion of my ear and the sound of rhythmical humming that I could hear in between. These noises felt relaxing.
This tender feeling of Saeyeon’s thigh pressing against my cheek, the soft sensation of her pajamas, her long hair flowing down and tickling me as it dangled above my nose, and the scent of soap and shampoo emitting from her body. For some reason, a warm feeling was filling my body.
“⎯⎯⎯······♪”
But, that snapping rhythm, doesn’t go well, with humming······.
While I was thinking that, I wound up humming along with her as well.
Due to this comfy feeling, my consciousness was······.
Yeah, it’s not like, I never had, a memory, like this.
A long time ago, at a time I can’t even remember anymore, when I still had hope in my family, when I tried hard for them,
There was a time when, a person cleaned my ears like this.
And, at some point, Saeyeon’s mom.
Saeyeon was sitting next to us and waiting for her turn while I fell asleep like this, because of this rustling feeling······.
Ο
Ο
“······Jjaro? Jjaro?”
“Hm······?”
I felt someone shaking my shoulder gently. There was a gentle voice. I was slowly roused from my sleep. I felt a bit lightheaded. I wonder if it was because of the smell.
“Are you awake?”
Once I raised my gaze, I saw a brightly smiling face.
“You were sleeping so pleasantly that I couldn’t wake you up.”
Beautiful······. She was like a goddess······ Simply those thoughts went through my head.
“Jjaro. Your mouth. Drool.”
“······Y-Yeah. I’m up.”
I quickly pulled myself up. I took my glasses off and rubbed my flushed face. My guard was down because I hadn’t woken up completely yet. The fact that I had drooled while sleeping must have been amusing as Saeyeon giggled.
It seems I had used her as a pillow for a fair amount of time since I could hear Saeyeon rubbing her thighs behind me. The sound of her pajamas rustling.
“H-How long was I asleep?”
“You didn’t sleep for that long. About an hour? You must have been tired, Jjaro.”
I averted my gaze from Saeyeon’s beaming face.
So I slept on her lap for an hour······. That’s more than enough. Her legs must be really numb. I smacked my lips and stood up.
“Then I’m going to bed first. Make sure you don’t sleep late either, Saeyeon.”
I must have seriously been tired without a doubt. My guard was lowered too much as well. In times like this, the best choice was to not push yourself and simply get some rest.
“Uhm······. Jjaro?”
However, the edge of my clothes was caught the instant I was about to head to my room.
Saeyeon’s fingers, which had grabbed my sleeve, were fidgeting.
“Uhm, h-how about sleeping together today? Jaim went to sleep first and Jihye said she was going to go recharge.”
I was wondering where she was. Once I looked around, I saw Jihye sitting in her usual recharging spot in the corner of the living room with her arms wrapped around her knees. Inside of a box that Jaim had prepared. Isn’t the kid being a bit mean? She’s not a pet.
“I wanted to sleep with Jjaro since it’s been a while······.”
Hesitantly, while twisting her body slightly, Saeyeon turned her gaze away.
Ever since we started to live together, although there were times we slept together along with Jaim, it has definitely been a long time since we slept with just the two of us.
“······Well, I don’t really mind.”
So I let out a sigh and gave her that response.
There was something I wanted to talk to Saeyeon about anyway.
However, instead of becoming happy because of my answer, her cheeks became even redder as her fingers fidgeted.
“Huh?”
Saeyeon turned her head, released the hand that was grabbing my sleeve, and spoke while stretching her palm out towards me.
“T-Today is, a safe day, s-so it’s fine, if we sleep, while holding hands······.”
“······What?”
“I-I said it’s okay if we sleep while holding hands today······.”
With a flushed face, both her brows and the corners of her mouth twitched. Her large eyes kept sneaking glances at me. As if she were nervous.
“······Do you not want to?”
“······Ah, jeez.”
In the end, I grumbled to myself as I carefully grabbed Saeyeon’s hand.
“Jjaro?”
It seems my action caught her off guard as her hand flinched as if it were trying to escape, but it soon relaxed again. She looked up at me with her large eyes.
Saeyeon knows how things work now. She knows that nothing will happen if we sleep while holding hands. So her telling me that it’s okay to hold hands and sleep simply means that she wants to sleep while holding hands.
So yeah, it’s fine. It’s all right. It should be fine.
······It’s fine, right?
I turned my head away so that she couldn’t see my red face and went to my room with Saeyeon in tow before lying down on my bed. It was a single-size bed so our shoulders touched. The part of my skin that was in contact with her felt hot.
“······E-Ehem.”
This doesn’t require emphasis, but this was embarrassing. Saeyeon’s fingers moved around a bit once I cleared my throat. My palm felt itchy.
“I was a bit surprised today.”
I turned my head once Saeyeon spoke. The room was dark because the lights were off. The moonlight pierced through the window and dyed the room a dark shade of blue.
“I-It’s not like I particularly wanted to sleep with you! It’s just······.”
“No, the fact that Jjaro got into a fight for Jaim.”
“······Like I said, I didn’t do that because of Jaim.”
How persistent, this girl. Saeyeon chuckled at my comment which I had muttered while turning away from her.
“When we were little, that’s what you would always say whenever you went to fight with the kids that made fun of me, right?”
“······.”
“That’s why I cleaned your ears in order to cheer you up.”
Childhood friends are really troublesome. Saeyeon giggled as if she were pleased, but she also raised her brows as if she were slightly upset before continuing.
“But, as I thought, you shouldn’t get into fights. Though I told you this back then as well.”
“······I’m sorry.”
“You won’t get into fights from now on, right? You’ll resolve things with your words, right?”
“I will.”
It wasn’t until I gave her a small nod that Saeyeon smiled gently.
“But Jaim clearly takes after you, Jjaro. She got into a fight in order to protect her friend, didn’t she?”
“Even though you told me to not get into fights.”
“I scolded her properly once I got home. I told her that fighting is bad.”
“Is that so?”
Well, Jaim did take after me without a doubt. Mainly her personality. Should I say that our fundamental thought processes were the same? Was it because we had similar experiences? Although this fact was worrying. I let out a small sigh.
“What’s wrong?”
Saeyeon didn’t miss my tiny reaction and asked that. The moonlight furtively reflected the side of her body, revealing her warm smile.
“Is it because of Jaim?”
“There’s Jaim, and there’s also Jihye.”
Once I nodded meekly and said that, Saeyeon simply looked at me with blinking eyes as she waited for me to continue.
“No, it’s just that it feels like those two really don’t get along.”
“Ah······. It certainly feels like Jaim doesn’t like Miss Jihye.”
It seems Saeyeon was thinking about something similar as she nodded her head.
Even today, Jaim would normally thank anyone who helps her, which Jihye did, and yet, she didn’t say anything to her.
Well, I have my assumptions as to why. I can think of two reasons.
First, it very likely has to do with Jihye being a robot. Outside of Saeyeon and I, other people aren’t able to tell for certain whether Jihye is a robot or not. Of course, this is partially because she behaves and reacts very human-like, but, more importantly, it’s probably because people aren’t used to the existences known as robot maids.
However, to Jaim, robots are things which she had already seen since she was little and thus had grown accustomed to them. Similar to how TVs are no longer fascinating to us, Jihye probably feels like a home appliance to her. No, without a doubt, Jihye feels like that to her.
And second, it’s because Jaim clearly takes after me.
In regard to both my fundamental thinking process and experiences.
“So, do you plan to make Jaim and Miss Jihye reconcile, Jjaro?”
“Well, that would be the best thing to do. Whether they stay here or go back to the future.”
Saeyeon laughed silently at my words.
“You’re really like a dad these days, Jjaro.”
“Not exactly. It’s just······.”
Because I had a similar experience. I muttered these words under my breath.
It seems Saeyeon didn’t notice as she simply smiled happily.
“I-In any case, do you have an idea, Saeyeon?”
“Hm? Me?”
“You’re better at dealing with other people than I am, after all. I’m wondering if you might’ve thought of something.”
Once those words were out of my mouth, Saeyeon blinked a couple of times before asking a question.
“Does that mean, you need me?”
“······Well, I guess that’s one way you could look at it.”
I scratched my cheek with one hand as I turned my gaze away from hers. The sound of Saeyeon giggling tickled my ears.
Saeyeon spoke while tapping her lips with the tip of her finger as if she were thinking.
“I wonder······. It seems like Miss Jihye is worried about Jaim a lot and wants to get along with her, so there’s no problem there. I think everything will work out if Jaim opens up a little more.”
Saeyeon tilted her head as she let out an audible ‘Hmm’ sound.
“In a way, Miss Jihye is Jaim’s second mom, right?”
“······.”
Was she saying that knowingly or unknowingly?
I know Saeyeon has been like this since a long time ago, and I was the one who made her like this, but I worry sometimes.
“······Saeyeon, do you not want to see auntie again?”
“······.”
Saeyeon’s face stiffened slightly once I said those words.
······How stupid. I’m being way too reckless today. I didn’t expect myself to go as far as to say this. I didn’t know what to say next, so I smacked my lips.
“Of course I want to see her again. Mom.”
Saeyeon’s face as she said that was the same lonesome expression which she would sometimes show.
“But······. I can’t see her anymore.”
I couldn’t say anything.
Saeyeon’s mom passed away before Saeyeon could even start attending elementary school. She was a person who truly cherished Saeyeon. I also, well, received my fair share of doting. Although it was a type of doting that I didn’t particularly want.
Once the person she had listened to so well had passed away, Saeyeon didn’t speak for a while, no, for a long time. She felt alone. She was lonely.
This is just my opinion, but that’s probably why Saeyeon’s dad got a new wife. Saeyeon’s current mother.
Her personality and the mood she gave off were completely different, but Saeyeon’s mother also cherished Saeyeon quite a lot. It shouldn’t have been a marriage for the sake of redeeming Saeyeon’s mom, but she treated Saeyeon as if she had given birth to her herself.
It took some time, but Saeyeon returned to normal. To be exact, she decided to only show her lonely and solitary side when she was alone. Is what I think she decided. It’s probably what she decided.
Saeyeon’s grip loosened a bit, so I strengthened my grip instead.
Saeyeon leaned her body closer to mine.
“But, Jaim has both me and Miss Jihye, doesn’t she?”
Saeyeon spoke while furtively pressing her cheek against my shoulder.
“That means she’s able to see both of her moms, so why is she upset?”
“······Who knows? Maybe it’s because she thinks I might cheat on you with Jihye?”
“······Jjaro, do you really like machines more?”
Saeyeon looked straight at me. I only said that to change the topic, but was that too far for a joke? I shook my head and spoke.
“It’s a joke, a joke. You don’t have to take it so seriously.”
“······I didn’t take it that seriously, mon.”
Saeyeon pouted and turned her head away. She stuck out her lips slightly before mumbling in a small voice.
“Jjaro doesn’t like it when I’m jealous and Jjaro already confessed his feelings to me, so I know you won’t, but······.”
Saeyeon kept sneaking glances at me.
She moved her fingers slowly and locked her fingers with mine.
Moist eyes reflected by the moonlight. Smooth lips.
Those lips moved steadily.
“I know you won’t, but······.”
Red cheeks that didn’t lose to the blue light. She rubbed her flowing hair against her shoulder like a spoiled child.
Her pajamas slid down slightly and revealed her slender neck, collarbone, and the shoulder strap of her brassiere. Her smooth, white skin glowed.
“Sometimes, I mean······. A little······.”
A fragrant scent tickled my nose. Saliva started to accumulate in my mouth.
N-No, this isn’t right. Don’t panic. This is a trap. I’m a wholesome man. I won’t lose to something like worldly desire. I have no interest in carnal desires. Having Jaim is something that happens in the distant future. In the first place, Saeyeon said that today is a safe day. So······.
“······.”
So, well. It’s okay since there’s no need to give birth to Jaim or I don’t have to worry about having Jaim now?
······What the heck is going on in my head?
“Jjaro?”
“I-It’s sort of hot today, isn’t it?”
I spoke while crossing my legs. If you’re a guy, then you’d understand. It’s not weird. It really isn’t. This little guy just does this sometimes.
But, what am I supposed to do at times like this?
Refuse? How? I’m tired today so let’s just sleep? Or do I say that I really am only interested in machines? No, that isn’t the truth.
Do I consent? How? Should I say that I’ll suffocate her to death like last time? Or, for starters, our clothes······. Nono, what’s wrong with my head?
While I was contemplating, Saeyeon carefully leaned her head forward and gently closed her eyes. She brought her lips together and inched towards me.
“······.”
My face inadvertently started moving forward as if I were being pulled. The grip in our hands that were locked together became stronger. We were at a distance where our breaths could tickle the other’s face. Taking off my glasses, I closed my eyes as well······.
Slam. The door opened.
“Hiik?!”
“Uah?!”
Saeyeon and I both let out a stifled cry at the same time and distanced ourselves from one another. The light from the hallway entered through the opened door. Our eyes had become accustomed to the dark, so we could only see an unrecognizable silhouette standing at the doorway.
“······I can’t sleep.”
The silhouette rushed towards us with hurried steps, threw the blanket aside, and squeezed between me and Saeyeon.
“J-Jaim?”
Saeyeon sounded alarmed. I also calmed down my beating chest.
“Knock before you enter the room! Also, go to your room and sleep!”
“This.”
Jaim pushed something towards me as I shouted. Right in front of my nose. I pulled my head back and put my glasses on to see what exactly she was holding.
“I can’t sleep, so read this storybook for me.”
“A storybook? Seriously, you······.”
Why would an elementary schooler want a storybook read for them? You aren’t a preschooler. No, even preschoolers these days can read by themselves.
“What? Is it that hard to read this for someone?”
Jaim stuck her lips out and pouted once I looked at her with a rather pitying gaze.
“It isn’t difficult. What I’m trying to say is······.”
“Would it kill you to read a storybook for your daughter who’s lonely because she can’t sleep?”
“I mean······.”
“It’s been such a long time since Jjaro read a storybook before bed.”
Jaim grumbled while Saeyeon simply giggled. Why are you recalling something that happened back in preschool? Forget about it already.
“······Ah, fine. I just have to read it, right?”
I let out a sigh and turned on the standing lamp next to the bed. Really, this kid likes these sort of family events too much.
“Eh, The Tale of Shimcheong. ······Of all things, why’d you pick The Tale of Shimcheong?”(TL note: The Tale of Shimcheong is about a girl named Shimcheong and her steadfast love and loyalty for her blind father. Read the story HERE.)
“Just because?”
Jaim blinked, making it seem as if she didn’t put much thought into this. Well, I feel like I know why. It hasn’t been that long since she claimed to be an adorable daughter, so she most likely intends to implant the ideology that daughters are hardworking and admirable into my head.
I sighed a couple of times before flipping the cover of the book. Jaim and Saeyeon were watching me with sparkling eyes. Do you two like having stories read to you that much?
“Ehem. Once upon a time, there was an old man named Shim Bongsa.”
“Jjaro, what does bongsa mean?”
(TL note: Bongsa(봉사) can also mean ‘service/volunteer’)
“Mom, bongsa refers to when you and dad uni······. Ububu!”
·····I may have overestimated Jaim.
Everyone probably already knows by now, but the plot of The Tale of Shimcheong goes like this: There was a blind man named Shim Bongsa who had lost his wife at a young age and thus lived with only his daughter, Shimcheong. One day, a Buddhist monk rescues him when he was about to fall in a river and, with that as his motive, he gets indoctrinated by an evil religion and prepares three hundred bags of rice as an offering to Buddha.
“······Dad, you’re way too twisted.”
“It’s the truth, isn’t it? Even though he offered all that, he wasn’t able to open his eyes.”
“The story hasn’t gotten that far yet. Stop spoiling the story.”
Three hundred bags is an insane number, you know? In today’s society, a bag of rice is 144kg. If he prepared three hundred bags, then in today’s economy, that would be over one hundred million won, but if you consider that the era Shim Bongsa was in, that would be over 1 billion won.
“It’s quite the massive scam. That’s the price of a house. Religion is scary.”
“Like I said, your head is too twisted, Dad.”
Since there’s no way that a blind man could prepare that much money, Shim Bongsa wickedly committed human trafficking with his daughter and accumulated that large sum of money. As I thought, families aren’t needed. How could he commit human trafficking?
“······Why are you looking at me as if I’m some golden calf?”
“No, I was just wondering if I could get a hundred won if I sold this······. Ow! Don’t bite me!”
In any case, after being sold off in the place of the bags of rice, Shimcheong resolves herself to drown in the Indangsoo Sea. No, if anything, she was forcefully made into a human sacrifice. But for her to not run away and really go into the sea.
“Can you stop adding your personal opinion to the story and just read it normally?”
From this point forth, the story turns into a fantasy. After having fallen into the Indangsoo Sea, Shimcheong receives the favor of a Dragon King who found her filial love to be admirable. Thus, he resurrects Shimcheong, allowing her to return to land. What exactly did she do in the Dragon’s Palace?
In any case, the resurrected Shimcheong was put inside of a lotus flower and delivered to shore. A king, having coincidentally witnessed this, chose her to be his queen. As I expected, life is all about luck. Even though Shimcheong was sold away, she foolishly stated that she wanted to see her father, so she gathered every single man in the country named Bongsa and held a banquet.
“In the end, she also knew that she was a part of an evil scam. She invited all of the Bongsas even though she knew that his blindness wouldn’t have been cured despite her service, right?”
“She probably wanted to see him just in case. If he’s able to see again, then her father would be able to live happily as well, and if he was still blind, then she could continue to take care of him.”
“Even though she was sold off and even made into a human sacrifice. She could have contacted him personally since she knows her home address, couldn’t she? How stupid.”
“······Really, Dad.”
I disregarded the brat who shook her head after letting out a sigh.
At any rate, the terrible parent, Shim Bongsa, who was scammed and forced to sell his daughter, participated in the banquet and was so surprised to meet his daughter there that his eyes miraculously opened. Quite lucky of him despite selling his daughter. More importantly, couldn’t he have opened his eyes sooner, but decided to deceive his daughter in order to get a free meal?
A certain someone has been quiet for a while now. Well, it’s only natural.
“Zzz······.”
“······.”
Saeyeon had fallen asleep in less than 5 minutes.
Even if I gave her a pitying look, Saeyeon simply moved her mouth as if she were chewing on something as she continued to sleep obliviously. It was like I was the pitiful one.
She must have been feeling quite unrestrained as she was stretching her arms and legs out however she pleased. How should I say it? Should I call this an open posture? Both of her arms were stretched out and one of her legs was resting on top of my legs. Not only did she kick the blanket to the side, but her pajamas had rolled up a bit as well, revealing her defenseless stomach and navel. She scratched her stomach with one hand. Hey, isn’t this a bit too unrestrained? Her pants were rolled up as well, making me turn my head away from her slender ankle bone and thigh.
Most importantly, despite all this, she didn’t let go of my hand.
“······So they lived happily ever after. The end. Are you happy now?”
I closed the book with one hand and turned to ask Jaim that.
“That’s weird······. This was really different to what I thought it would be like.”
“What’s different?”
Jaim folded her arms and tilted her head as she thought about it before answering.
“They say that when you’re little, your parents read you bedtime stories. I wanted to know what it’s like, so I asked you, but it’s not as great as I thought it would be. It’s not fun.”
“Obviously, that’s because this would be fun for little kids. Do you think bedtime stories would be fun at your age?”
“There’s that, but······. Did your parents read you bedtime stories when you were little, Dad?”
“······I don’t know. I can’t remember.”
I felt like they did, but I also felt like they didn’t.
If people besides my parents count, then I feel like Saeyeon’s mom had read me and Saeyeon bedtime stories a couple of times when the two of us would sleep together.
Jaim picked up the storybook and got up after I gave her that answer.
“You didn’t come here to sleep together?”
Once I asked her that, Jaim shook her head and spoke.
“I said I came here because I couldn’t sleep. This was boring, so I’m a bit sleepy now. Ah, maybe this is why parents read kids bedtime stories?”
That was quite the convincing hypothesis. Nevertheless, did this kid really only come here to ask me to read this storybook?
“More importantly, this is a surprise, Dad. You’re sleeping with Mom.”
“A-Ack!”
Jaim smirked as she glanced at me. She continued while putting one hand in front of her mouth, making it quite easy to tell that she was teasing me.
“Certainly, I said so last time, but even without my help, you and mom were in the middle of trying to unite even without my help, right? Sorry about that. I didn’t even know. Ah, did I perhaps interrupt?”
“N-No, of course not! We were just sleeping together because it’s been a while!”
“And yet, you continued to flip the pages of the book with only one hand, right?”
“U-uuugh······.”
This brat, she’s been feigning ignorance, hasn’t she?
My face felt like it was getting hotter. I didn’t have anything to say, so I smacked my lips and looked away. I could only hear Jaim’s voice.
“In any case, thanks for playing along. Now then, I’m going to quietly, really quietly go to sleep, so wake up mom and work hard just enough that the people downstairs don’t come up. Okay?”
“Shut up! Go wash your feet and go to bed!”
I wanted to throw something at her, but there was nothing within my reach, so I shooed her away with my hand. Jaim chuckled and closed the door.
“Dad?”
However, right before she shut the door completely, she turned back to look at me.
“By the way······. Thanks, for fighting them for me.”
“······Don’t go around getting hit by people. It’s troublesome.”
Jaim had already left by the time I averted my gaze and uttered those words. I let out a sigh and turned off the lamp.
“Mm······. Jjaro······.”
Saeyeon’s sleeping face glowed as it received the moonlight.
Her fingers wiggled as if she were making certain that I was still holding her hand properly. Her face loosened up once she was able to confirm it.
“Seriously······.”
I pulled the blanket over her with one hand before shaking my head at myself.
Recently, I’ve been unable to treat Saeyeon like I used to.
No, naturally I wouldn’t be able to treat her like I used to. I used to treat her like a complete child.
Above all else, I’m the one who forcefully made her stay innocent.
In order to not see her as a girl, in order to keep her from becoming a girl.
That’s why there was no problem even if I kissed her, if we bathed together, or even if we slept while holding hands.
But, lately······.
I can’t stop my heart from beating heavily whenever I see Saeyeon’s face.
The temperature of my head rise and I end up averting my gaze.
Even though nothing should have changed. The husband and wife thing is just playing house and the fact that we’re living together is simply us living in a single house, but I’ve become strangely conscious of the fact that Saeyeon is also a girl.
Another thought comes to mind at the same time.
Future me broke up with Saeyeon because he didn’t see Saeyeon as a girl.
Future me created Jihye. A robot that thought and acted like Saeyeon.
But, maybe, if that’s the case.
If I created a robot that resembled Saeyeon,
then what type of person is future me exactly?
A shiver went down my spine due to an unknown fear.
Ο
Ο
Ο
A few days had passed.
“Hm? Is no one home?”
Once school was over and I had returned home, I noticed that no one else was home, which was a rare occurrence.
“W-Welcome home, Master.”
Jihye must have heard my voice as she came all the way out to the front door in order to greet me. It was a bit abrupt, but being welcomed home by a maid like this wasn’t that bad······. I’ve always wanted to be welcomed home like this at least once······. But.
“Where are Saeyeon and Jaim? Did they go out to play?”
Jihye answered while courteously receiving my school blazer and backpack from me.
“No, the Madam’s mother came by earlier and went out with the two of them.”
“Saeyeon’s mom came over?”
Now that I think about it, she hasn’t dropped by lately. Did her work end early today?
“Yes. She told me to pass a message on to Master. Today, the two ladies of this house and the Missus’ mother are going to have a girls-only pajama party at the home of the Missus’ mother and spend the night there, so Master shouldn’t come looking for them and sleep by yourself today.”
“A pajama party, huh······.”
In this day and age? And even though she’s an old lady······. No, is it because she’s an old lady that she’s doing this? More importantly, there’s something I should ask first.
“You didn’t say anything unnecessary, right?”
“Really, Master. Do I look like someone who would?”
Jihye answered as if she were complaining. I’m asking her that because she does look like someone who would. Rather, she has gotten really used to being around me now.
“Even though you prittle-prattled last time.”
“Uu······.’
Around the middle of last week, Jihye went out saying that she was going to buy groceries for dinner, but as expected, she got lost and ended up wandering around the neighborhood’s marketplace. And, the person who got caught within Jihye’s radar as she used her sociability to latch onto every single person she saw in order to ask for directions, was Saeyeon’s mom who was buying groceries on her way home from work.
Saeyeon’s mom heard that the place Jihye was trying to get to was my house, so I was seriously surprised when they both arrived together. Thankfully, Jihye told me that she didn’t say anything particular and only gave her the fabricated story that I had made, but after that, whenever I saw Saeyeon’s mom talk to me with an incomprehensible smile on her face, I couldn’t help but think that Jihye had said something.
“I-I really didn’t say anything this time.”
“‘This time’? Then that means you really did say something unnecessary last time.”
“······Ah! N-No, I didn’t say anything then either!”
Jihye waved her hands frantically once she realized she got caught in a leading question. I decided to just let out a sigh. Seriously, even if this girl wasn’t the one to slip up, there was also a high chance that Saeyeon would say something weird as well. It would be great if Jaim could handle that side, but due to recent events, it’s somewhat hard to trust in her as well······.
“Well, it should be fine······. Saeyeon’s mom didn’t say anything weird, right?”
“She didn’t say anything in particular. She simply said that Master should, at the very least, use this opportunity to get some proper rest today.”
“I see······. Then should I think of today as a vacation?”
It’s true that I wasn’t able to have that much time to myself for the past two months. I should relax and enjoy my free time today. I changed out of my school uniform and sat comfortably on the sofa. Mhm, this is nice.
“······.”
Though, the presence of a certain someone, who was watching me with a smile on her face while also standing slightly to the side of the sofa with her hands gathered in front of her, was bothering me. Maids might actually be a fairly bothersome existence.
“······What? Is there something you want to say?”
“No. Is there anything you may need, Master?”
Jihye spoke while beaming brightly.
“I’ll call for you if I need something, so you can go relax as well.”
“······Understood.”
Jihye bowed her head modestly. She faintly looked as if she was disappointed. As expected of a robot maid. Did she get bored if she had no work to do?
“······Mm.”
Additionally, I was also bored. Since I was just lazily sitting down and both Jihye and I weren’t talking, I could only hear the sound of the clock ticking.
“All right, let’s watch some TV.”
I unintentionally spoke to myself as I messed with the remote. Watching TV was the best option whenever you didn’t have anything to do.
However, the only programs that were currently airing were the uninteresting ones that only old people watched. Naturally, right now was around that time of day for these types of programs.
“Should I do the laundry that I’ve been putting on hold······.”
“I already did the laundry and dried them.”
“······Cleaning······.”
“I made sure that there isn’t even a single speck of dust left in the house.”
“······.”
As expected of a robot maid. She works hard. More importantly, for me to attempt to do housework just because I’m bored. The spirit of a homemaker must really be embedded into my bones now. I sat back down from the awkward posture I had because I was about to stand up.
“······.”
No. I couldn’t calm down for some reason.
Two months ago, this was definitely the norm. But for some reason, this situation where I couldn’t hear anything other than the discouraging sound of the TV made me bored and prevented me from calming down.
“······Yeah. In times like this, I should be true to my duties as a scientist.”
The fact that I was even talking to myself simply in order to make some noise felt incredibly awkward. Even though talking to yourself was a scientist’s privilege.
Still, I’ll most likely calm down if I’m together with my lover, my life, science.
Yup, definitely. I stood up and turned towards Jihye as I spoke.
“I’ll be in my room, so don’t come in unless I call for you. Okay?”
“Yes. I understand.”
I headed to my room after nodding at Jihye’s response.
The instant I opened the door, lying on top of my desk, Multi’s main body and parts, which Jaim and I were making improvements on together last night, entered my line of sight. I felt a bit calmer. Yeah, it’s also been a while since I last worked on something by myself.
After sitting down in front of my desk and cracking my fingers, I went to work while following the plans and blueprints that I had made beforehand.
My recent goal was to attach legs onto Multi’s body. Although the likes of legs were nothing more than decorations to me, they were actually the most vital part.
The hardest part of creating a robot maid was the legs, in other words, bipedalism. The act of ‘walking on two legs’ was actually an incredibly complicated task. Not only does the robot maid have to maintain its balance while supporting itself on one leg and stepping forward with its other leg, but it has to consider a whole bunch of other things such as the state of the surface, the resulting angular change between the foot and the surface, and much more.
However, this was absolutely necessary for robot maids. Human society was thoroughly created for bipedal humans, which meant the usage of stairs. Wheels aren’t capable of using stairs. They can’t move across steep surfaces or terrains with random drops. If robot maids have legs, then they can move around here and there and, besides doing only housework, they can go out and do things like go on errands. That’s what robot maids are, and that was one of the reasons why I wanted to make a humanoid robot.
I may be Jin Jaro, the greatest scientist of this era, but this wasn’t an easy task. The many studies carried out at numerous research institutes weren’t perfect even though they were being funded with hundreds of millions of dollars, so expecting a notable outcome from me when I’m carrying out this research by myself would be greedy.
Nevertheless, I’m not going to give up. Because I have assurance. Because a robot maid, which was supposedly invented by me and was capable of walking and thinking like a human was before me. Let’s work hard.
While keeping my gaze fixated on Multi, I stuck my hand out.
“Hey, brat, hand me that hex key over there······.”
······I’m an idiot.
Even though I knew no one was there.
I curled and uncurled my hand, which I had stretched out for no reason, before standing up and walking over to pick up the wrench that was within arms reach of the chair which Jaim always sat in before sitting back down.
Certainly, it might not only be Jaim who got used to this lifestyle.
Even though I should have been used to this sort of solitude, in merely two months.
In a house with no one else. Time spent by myself. Even though I was so accustomed to the fact of being alone, spending my time by myself, if anything, this was a natural thing ever since I was little. But why now?
I wound up inadvertently looking at the wall. I could hear a faint sound.
The sound of everyone laughing and chatting next door, at Saeyeon’s place.
A sound that was cordial enough to penetrate the wall. Different from this completely silent house, the sound over there had a warmness that was the complete opposite of here.
Even though I was that envious of this sound.
Even though I hated this sound that much.
Why do I feel like this now?
“······Haa.”
Looking at Multi sitting on top of my desk made me sigh.
Yeah, I had forgotten this recently. The reason why I wanted to create a robot maid. It was so that I wouldn’t feel like this.
“······.”
“······So why are you standing there?”
There’s been a constant gaze on the back of my head. Once I turned around, I saw Jihye opening the door slightly and peaking into the room slightly. She realized she got caught and quickly shook her hands.
“I-It’s nothing! I-I was just wondering if you really didn’t need anything······.”
“······Haa.”
All I could do was let out a sigh. Jihye brought her hands together with a clap and spoke.
“That’s right! Master, are you hungry? I’ve prepared dinner!”
“Come here.”
Jihye looked at me with nervous eyes the instant I gestured with my finger at her to come to me.
“A-Are you going to dismantle me if I come in?”
“I won’t, so come here.”
“Really? You aren’t lying, right? If the Missus sees you trying to dismantle me, then she might misunderstand again······.”
“I’ll dismantle you if you don’t come here.”
“I-I’m in!”
Jihye frantically entered the room and closed the door behind her before I could even finish my sentence. I tapped on the chair that Jaim would always sit in. Jihye seemed to have understood that I was telling her to sit down as she took the seat rather restlessly.
“You don’t have to be so nervous. I keep my word, after all.”
“Of course, Master is definitely that type of person, but······.”
“It’s just that I’ve had some things I’ve been wanting to ask you in private.”
“Something to ask me?”
Jihye, who was squirming around in her seat, changed her expression into a surprised one once she heard my words and raised her head. Is this girl really a robot?
“How do you, Jaim, and I spend our time in the future?”
“Huh? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”
Jihye tilted her head in confusion, uncertain as to what my intention was behind that question. It seems I’ll have to elaborate a bit.
“I want to know why Jaim dislikes you so much.”
“······.”
“Honestly, I didn’t even know that you were present in Jaim’s home.”
Jihye’s face became a bit darker once she heard those words.
Honestly speaking, I have my assumptions, so asking her this might be cruel. Even if she’s a robot, it would be cruel to anyone that’s capable of showing this sort of human-like response.
Regardless, I wanted to know what this girl’s thoughts were on this matter.
Moreover, I had the right to know. As her master and Jaim’s, well, her dad.
“I wonder······. I told you before, but the Miss didn’t show this sort of spiteful behavior towards me in the future.”
With a sullen look on her face, Jihye spoke while pondering.
“Of course, I may have treated the Miss a bit strictly. Like the time I turned the game console off.”
“Even I think that was going a bit too far.”
“But I didn’t do those kinds of things with malicious intent or because I wanted to hurt the Miss. Since future Master trusted me and left the Miss in my hands, I wanted to do my best to raise the Miss correctly.”
Although it seems Jihye became more depressed in response to my words, she was able to say that.
“Master is busy in various ways.”
Jihye looked straight at me and continued.
“You’re constantly busy because of your work at your company and you’re always devoting yourself to your research and development, the latter didn’t change even after you were fired.”
······It still hurts when I hear that I was fired.
Jihye must not have seen my bitter smile as she continued.
“Master, who declared that you would create the perfect robot maid and devoted yourself to your work without coming back home, trusted in me to take care of Miss Jaim. Of course, you didn’t particularly ask me to do this or anything, but you ordered me to handle the housework and do whatever I can so that nothing happens to the Miss.”
“······So the future me was showing concern in his own way.”
“He most likely did.”
A speculation. It was an assumption.
“Jaim told me before that I would never come home and that I practically lived at the research lab.”
“Yes, it is as she said. I actually haven’t seen you in person that much either.”
“You haven’t seen me much?”
Jihye nodded in response to my question and spoke.
“You handled your board and lodging at either the research lab or the company, and you also didn’t really like it when I came to see you in person. But I understand. Master has an important mission after all. A noble goal to take humanity a step forward.”
Jihye spoke as if she were humbled.
“That’s why, in order to let you focus on your work, I did whatever I could to be of assistance to you, Master. The Miss must have understood this as well since she used to listen to me well. When she was little, she would follow me around as if I were her big sister or mother······. Although she doesn’t even speak to me properly nowadays.”
Jihye’s expression became sullen again as she said that.
“I thought that this was because I was lacking, but······. As long as Master wasn’t around, I tried to do my best as her family.”
“······Future me sure is impressive.”
Jihye smiled happily at my words that were close to being self-deprecating.
“Yup! Master is amazing!”
No, even if you smile like that at this moment······.”
I couldn’t possibly say something towards that happy smile which looked as if she had just been praised, that smile, which I felt like I had, seen before.
“In any case, I have a vague grasp of things now. Please continue to look after Jaim.”
So, in response to my words which I had said while turning away, Jihye blinked once before smiling brightly.
“······Yes. Since I have been given a formal request now, I’ll do my best.”
“Then you can head out now. I’m starting to get hungry, so you can start preparing dinner now.”
“Uhm······. Master?”
Jihye responded hesitantly to me.
“Right now, you’re trying to make Miss Multi walk on two legs, right?”
“Well, yeah. This is harder than it looks.”
I attached legs and a walking system in my own way so I could do a trial and error, but regardless of whether it could walk properly or not, its appearance······.
“I see······. Then, if that’s the case······.”
What’s up with her now? Jihye squirmed around shyly before an expression of resolve appeared on her face and she nodded her head.
“Then, it’s embarrassing to say, but······.”
With a cautious voice, Jihye hesitantly grabbed the ends of her skirt and raised it slightly.
“If needed, you can, dismantle me, only a little bit, though······.”
“What? But, you······.”
Didn’t you hate being dismantled? Jihye’s cheek became slightly red at my question and spoke.
“If it means that I could be of assistance to Master······.”
Ο
Ο
“······Then, I’m really going to, okay?”
“P-Please be gentle······.”
Jihye turned her head away out of embarrassment. Why was she acting so shyly? Even though she’s a robot. It’s making me feel awkward as well.
Jihye hesitantly sat down on the chair and stuck her foot out towards me. I knelt down in front of her and carefully grabbed her extended foot.
I undid her garter belt and started to pull down her stocking.
“W-Wait a second!”
“······As I thought, should I stop?”
Once I stopped moving my hands, which were in the midst of pulling down her stocking, Jihye’s mouth opened and closed as if she were about to say something hesitantly.
“N-No······. I-If I can be helpful, to Master······.”
“······Then I’m taking it off completely.”
“Ah, auu······.”
Once I finished taking her stocking off completely, skin as pearly white as a Greek sculpture and a foot that was shaped aesthetically perfectly were revealed. A snowy field that contrasted the black stocking. It was quite literally a work of art.
“Uu······.”
Her five lovely toes wiggled and this sensation of her calf and thigh, which were so slick and smooth that they almost felt slippery, made it hard to believe that they belonged to a robot. I poked it out of curiosity which resulted in Jihye letting out a sound and moving her leg a little. It felt as if I were touching human skin.
“How is it like this?”
“That’s······. It’s specially processed silicon. It’s capable of regenerating on its own, and, in order to provide ease of access to the interior for repairs, if you touch that spot······.”
Once I followed Jihye’s instruction and pushed down on the area slightly below her knee, the cover came off. This was most likely meant for maintenance purposes. An internal frame was revealed underneath the opened slide. This may be slightly grotesque, but······.
“P-Please don’t look so carefully.”
It must have been embarrassing as Jihye covered her face with her hands and shook her head.
If the exterior had a human, sculpture-like beauty, then the interior had a beauty unique to well-crafted machinery. Honestly, I felt reluctant due to her outer appearance, but I decided to endure it for my research.
“······How is it? Do you understand it a little?”
Jihye must have been similarly embarrassed as she kept hesitating and continued to sneak glances at me. Even while feeling that gaze, I carefully dismantled her with the mental attitude of definitely putting her back together afterward.
However, I’m really the one who made this, huh? I don’t know why, but it felt this way.
This complicated composition which my current self couldn’t understand or even grasp properly, however, even though I was moving my hands before letting my head think, it seemed to be right. I could clearly see my habits and aesthetics contained within this.
An internal frame that acted as the bones. Artificial muscles that made the leg move. Wires that sent electrical signals. The joint regions of the ankle and knee.
“Uhm, Master?”
While I was taking them apart one by one with delicate movements, Jihye opened her mouth. I responded to her while working.
“What. Ah, don’t move. You might mess something up if you do.”
“What do you think I have to do in order to convince the Miss to go back to the future?”
“That again······? Do you want to go back that badly?”
Once I said that with a small sigh, Jihye started swinging her other leg, the one I wasn’t working on, back and forth and spoke.
“Rather than wanting to go back······. It doesn’t feel right leaving the house empty for so long and I’m worried about the Miss. I also feel like she might be getting too used to being here.”
“That may be the case.”
Jihye spoke concededly after I gave her a nod
“Of course, it’s not like I’m completely clueless as to why the Miss ran away from home and doesn’t want to return. The Missus is here and Master is here as well, so, this may be the case, but······.”
As if she were worried, as if she were sulking, she simply swung her one leg with a vague look on her face.
“Still······. The more she does, when the Miss eventually goes back······.”
“······.”
I fully understood what she was trying to say even if she didn’t finish her sentence.
Saeyeon is here. She isn’t in the future.
I spend time with her here. I don’t in the future.
Similar to how I became accustomed to this ‘family experiment’, so the time I usually spent alone now feels awkward to me, the loneliness which Jaim will feel when she goes back will grow more immense the longer she stays here.
As expected of a robot maid, she’s worried about Jaim’s well-being.
“That name, ‘Jihye’, who gave it to you? Did I name you that?”
Jihye answered shyly to my question which I had asked in order to change the topic.
“······Uhm, no. Actually, I gave myself this name······.”
“······You did?”
“Yes. I did so while referencing Master and Miss’ names. Normally, robot maids are either referred to by their model name or their masters give them a nickname, but······.”
Jihye must have been feeling sheepish as she chuckled and scratched her cheek. I was wondering where that skewed name had come from.
More importantly, does that mean I didn’t even give her a name? Why not?
“Now that I think about it, Master, are you on friendly terms with Mr. Shin Nanda?”
“Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”
That was really random. Jihye smiled as if she were in awe and spoke.
“I didn’t know that Mr. Shin Nanda was Master’s friend. Albeit, there was no reason for you to tell me.”
“······Well, we are on friendly terms.”
Jihye stopped swinging her leg once I responded. It seems she didn’t notice my brief pause.
“Then, Master, do you think you could ask Mr. Shin Nanda to spend time with the Miss during the weekend?”
I couldn’t figure out what she was getting at, so I stopped my hands and looked up at her.
“The Miss is Mr. Shin Nanda’s fan, so I feel like she would be delighted if the two of them could go play somewhere. It might make for a good memory as well.”
“······Well, she certainly does like him.”
Until now, she would only play with Nanda during the short period of time she had after school. Her eyes sparkled whenever she saw him and she went on cloud nine when we went to a karaoke room together, so she’ll probably leap for joy if I tell her to play with him during the weekend.
“But didn’t you say that you were worried that Jaim was getting too accustomed to being here? Wouldn’t she want to go back even less?”
“That may be so, but······. Even if it stays like this, it doesn’t feel like she’d want to go back either way. So wouldn’t it be better if she had an enjoyable time instead?”
She moved her brows as she pondered, but her eyes and mouth were smiling as if she was happy as long as Jaim was happy. Your words and actions don’t match, girl.
Regardless, even that expression, I feel like I’ve seen it before······.
“······I’m putting you back together now. Stay still.”
“Are you fine with this? Was I helpful?”
“I realized that I don’t understand anything, so that’s at least an outcome.”
The technology of the future was profound and mysterious. This was on a different level from the time I took that portable game console apart.
I held onto Jihye’s foot carefully as I started to reassemble the parts that I had dismantled. My hands moved as if I had made her myself. Jihye was silently watching me with awe on her face. Naturally, it was probably intriguing since this was the same as watching herself be made.
“Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”
Once I finished and asked that after snapping my fingers, Jihye tried moving her knee and toes one at a time.
Her small and lovely toes moved up and down. She rotated her slim ankle and bobbed her foot up and down. Her elegant calf moved in accordance with the movement of her convex knee.
“No, there’s no problem. You were truly able to dismantle and reassemble me, huh?”
Jihye was smiling brightly as if she were amazed, no, as if I had fixed something that had been a problem for her.
Because of that smile, I ended up blurting out a question.
“You, are you really a robot?”
“What are you saying when you just took me apart a second ago?”
Jihye giggled as if I had said something weird. Naturally, it would seem that way.
“When did you say I made you?”
“Pardon? Why do you ask?”
Unable to grasp the intention behind my question, a puzzled look appeared on Jihye’s face. However, she at least answered my question.
“It was after Master parted ways with the Missus. I knew her name, but I only met her in person for the first time after I had come here.”
“······I see.”
Should I say that it was as I expected?
“So I’ve been looking after Miss Jaim ever since she was little.”
Jihye spoke in a longing voice.
“I still have the data. When Master created me at the research lab and first introduced me to the Miss, she stared at me and asked who I was, so when I explained that I would be taking care of her from then on, she looked up at me with her large eyes without a word.”
“······.”
“Master had told the Miss that from that day forth, I would be looking after her like her mom, so she should obediently listen to me. The Miss asked where her mom had gone, but Master didn’t answer that.”
Jihye spoke shyly while putting her stocking, the one which I had stripped off earlier, back on and attaching it to her garter belt.
“Honestly, it’s because I knew that the Miss yearned for her mother that I can understand why she had come here, and also the reason why she doesn’t want to go back. But still, since I intended to look after the Miss in my own way as a mother would, it’s a bit saddening.”
“······I see.”
I diligently tried to control my facial expression as I smacked my lips and spoke to Jihye.
“In any case, can you prepare dinner now? I’m going to have to eat by myself today, after all, so you can go recharge early today once you’re done.”
Although it’s possible for Jihye to consume food and digest it, she doesn’t obtain energy from doing so. She’s able to somewhat manage with her oxygen to hydrogen fuel cell, but she has to recharge her battery through her built-in cable at night. It may seem a bit sudden, but I’m worried about our electricity bill. Cumulative tax is scary.
In order to be more efficient while recharging, she powers down while only leaving on the least amount of systems she could. Until now, she would usually recharge after Saeyeon, Jaim, and I went to sleep, but since I was by myself today, I decided to let her rest a little. Even robots require rest after all. For their durability and metal fatigue.
“I understand. Uhm······.”
“Fine. I’ll ask Nanda tomorrow.”
“Really? Thank you very much!”
Jihye’s face instantly brightened up the instant I consented.
“Then I’ll prepare dinner immediately! Please wait a moment!”
Jihye hastily left the room, shutting the door behind her. Silence returned once I was left by myself in the room again. Even the sound of chatting coming through the wall from Saeyeon’s place.
······It’s probably because of that.
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Ο
“Oh, it’s been a long time since you came to visit me. What’s up?”
Break time. Once I went all the way to Nanda’s class, he spoke while chuckling. It definitely has been a long time since I last came looking for him first. This might actually be the first time I did so since we entered our second year of high school and were put into different classes.
“Hey, it’s that guy.”
“The guy who has an elementary school kid for a daughter?”
“He promised a slightly lacking girl that they’d only sleep while holding hands and forcefully······.”
······So these rumors were still going around outside of our class.
I decided to simply ignore the untaught masses who started talking noisily the instant I entered the classroom. On a side note, I’m going to remember the face of that last guy. I put your name on my purge list. Be careful when you walk around at night.
“Nothing much, there’s just a favor that I want to ask of you.”
“A favor? Is it perhaps about Jaim?”
······He’s incredibly straightforward. More importantly, it sounds like he already knows. Nanda displayed a troubled smile as he scratched the back of his head.
“Ah, I didn’t expect you to go out of your way to look for me. Still, it would be troubling if there were any misunderstandings. Jaim is thinking like that, but I’m not particularly thinking like that, so you don’t have to come······.”
“What are you talking about?”
Nanda was talking by himself as if he were embarrassed despite the fact that I haven’t said anything yet. Nanda blinked at my response.
“Huh? Didn’t you come here because I promised to go on a date with Jaim this weekend?”
“······What?”
The hell is he talking about? No wait, it’s similar to the reason why I came here.
“A date? With that brat?”
“Like I said, I don’t think of it as a date, but it seems Jaim wants to think it is.”
Nanda chuckled awkwardly. However, for some reason, there were clear signs of him being happy written all over his face. Nanda continued as if he were trying to give me an excuse.
“A few days ago, Jaim called me on the phone at night and asked me if I was free this weekend and if I could go on a date with her. Calling it a date would be a bit weird, so I asked if we could just say that we’re going to hang out together, but······. Jjaro, where are you going?”
“Dirty······. Lolicon······. Pedo······. I’m going to report you······.”
It was only natural for one’s aversion to also take form in the actual physical space between two people. I understood now. The reason why this guy wasn’t interested in other girls and would always brush off confessions, despite the fact that he was popular with girls, was because he was a sexual deviant who liked little kids······. I’m definitely going to report you······.
Nanda shouted after he saw that I was gradually distancing myself from him.
“I told you it’s not like that! I’m not trying to ignore Jaim’s feelings, but I don’t plan to steal your daughter away from you either.”
His choice of words itself was dangerous. Although Nanda smiled pleasantly and waved his hands as if it really weren’t the case, without erasing my suspicion, I asked him a question while staring at him.
“You aren’t thinking of something weird because you heard that Jaim is your fan in the future, right?”
Certainly, if it’s this guy, then Jaim would fall to his feet, and he could use her affection since hers is so high towards him, or, if he isn’t interested in little kids, then he could raise her before snatching her away. Now that I think about it, a long time ago, he definitely said that Jaim would grow up to resemble her mom and become curvy, right?
“Hahaha.”
However, Nanda let out an audible laugh in response to my words.
“What are you laughing about?”
You’re going to laugh in a situation like this? Is he trying to say something like ‘It can’t be helped since I’ve already been caught’? But the smile on his face doesn’t······.
How should I say it, it looked gleeful.
Nanda grinned at my questioning gaze.
“No, it’s just that you’ve also changed quite a lot, Jjaro. Are you that worried about Jaim?”
“······Not particularly.”
I had no other choice but to turn away in response to his words and because of the way he was looking at me.
“In any case, if that isn’t what you wanted to ask, then what’s the favor? Tell me.”
“······.”
Having to say something like this in this situation is awkward, but what else can I do? I let out a small sigh and spoke while averting my gaze.
“It’s, a similar goal, but······.”
“A similar goal?”
“I mean, mm, should I say it’s a part of making memories for Jaim? Well, it’s sort of like that······.”
“What, so it’s the same thing in the end.”
“It’s different, okay? It’s completely different! I’m not asking you a favor with that dangerous idea you had in mind, but to at least give Jaim a good memory······.”
“Yeah, in the end, you’re asking that because you’re worried, aren’t you?”
Nanda simply laughed and responded like that the instant I shouted at him in a fit of rage. This guy, seriously······.
“I know what you’re thinking, Jjaro. You told me the reason why Jihye is here, so you figured that it wouldn’t be so bad for Jaim to make some good memories with her favorite singer before she has to go back, right? Well, something along those lines.”
Nanda grinned as if he saw through me completely, and as if he were telling me to not worry.
His attitude that made it seem like he would listen to any favor I had without any ulterior motive, it made me think that right now was the only chance that I would ever get to say this.
However, it was more embarrassing to say something like this. But still,
“······Shin Nanda.”
Nanda nodded at me.
“Uhm······. It’s a bit weird for me to say something like this now of all times, but······.”
“What is it, Jjaro? What are you trying to say all of a sudden?”
His usual, never-changing pleasant smile. Although his words made me feel like it would be better to keep it hidden, it then made me much more resolved to say it.
“Do you consider me as your friend?”
“Of course you’re my friend.”
“······All right. Thanks.”
I expected Nanda would respond like this, but I ended up turning away and clenching my teeth tightly in response to his answer.
“But, I······.”
“I know. You never considered me as your friend, right?”
“······Huh?”
What did he say just now······?
I could only open my eyes wide and stare at Nanda. How? Nanda smirked and shrugged his shoulder at my reaction.
“Jjaro, it was the same earlier as well, but your thoughts appear too clearly on your face. Honestly, it’s like on the level of an elementary school student.”
I thought I’d been hiding it well until now. I believed that if I didn’t say anything, then I would have been able to hide it until that awaited day.
“Then why?”
My words came out before my thoughts. Nanda grinned at me.
“Being someone’s friend doesn’t mean you have to agree with each other, sign and seal a contract, and shout ‘We’re friends from now on!’, right? It’s embarrassing just imagining it.”
“No, that’s not what······.”
“Jjaro, no matter what you think about me, I consider you to be a good friend. Well, your personality is honestly a bit of a mess, but that’s been getting better lately.”
A good friend, huh······.
Nanda also smiled vaguely once he saw my bitter smile.
“I know. I know that you probably hate this side of me. You also disliked Saeyeon for a similar reason, right? You hate good people. You’re way too twisted.”
“You’re calling yourself a good person?”
“It’s the truth, isn’t it?”
······The fact that he could say something like this nonchalantly and not be taken as offensive or boasting was probably one of this guy’s strong points.
“In any case, it’s embarrassing. ‘Do you consider me as your friend?’, aaah, I’m getting goosebumps. You’re seriously someone to respect, Jjaro.”
Nanda simply grinned brightly as if the fact that I had deceived him until now and what I had said just now were all trivial matters.
This may have been the reason why I wanted to tell him.
“······At any rate, I’m supposedly Jaim’s dad.”
“Yup.”
“Honestly speaking, it doesn’t feel like we’re a family. I’m just pretending to be a part of one in order to understand what families are.”
“······Jjaro, you······.”
“But, there’s a big issue there. Even if I try to act like I’m a part of a family with the intention of playing house, if I’m going to play the role as the dad, then I have to know what a real ‘dad’ does and how they do it······.”
But since I’ve never had a father figure in my life.
I have no idea what I have to do as a dad.
This experiment was flawed from the beginning.
How could this be an experiment when I have no idea what to do?
“Regardless, since I’m the dad, I want to at least act like one. But I have no idea what I’m supposed to do.”
I couldn’t tell anyone this.
Be it Saeyeon, Jaim, Upperclassman Nabom, or Jihye, I couldn’t confess my thoughts to any of them. I had no other choice but to keep it a secret.
Or, at the very least, I could only tell a friend.
“Who knows? Wouldn’t thinking like that be both a method and a condition?”
So, in response to my concern, my one and only friend said that.
“······Isn’t that winging it too much?”
He honestly wasn’t that helpful, though.
“It can’t be helped. I have a dad, but I never had an adorable daughter like Jaim. So how am I supposed to give you an answer?”
“You’re calling her adorable as well? As expected.”
“You also think that on the inside.”
Nanda laughed in a teasing manner before showing a somewhat proud look on his face.
“Still, I’m a bit happy as your friend.”
“What?”
“You’re also changing a little bit at a time, Jjaro. The number of times you’d say weird things have decreased compared to a while back, you don’t pretend to be bright all the time, and you’ve stopped disregarding people and calling them untaught masses.”
“······Yeah.”
Since the need to do so has decreased now. Although it hasn’t disappeared completely.
I hated receiving sympathy. I hated being pitied. Because I knew that I would appear like that.
My situation where I was tossed aside by my family and was receiving help from my childhood friend who lived next door. However, I didn’t want other people to see me like this because I knew how I would look like to them.
That’s why I acted as if I were all right. I had no other choice but to believe that I was special. I believed that and behaved as such. In order to prevent my surroundings from discovering my weak side, I said and did weird things and acted as if I were a strong person who was okay and didn’t worry about things like this. An existence that was different compared to them. I acted like an existence not to be sympathized with, but an existence that was above all that.
“I don’t know about you, but I believe that this change of yours is a good sign, Jjaro. You started to worry about Saeyeon and Jaim now, right?”
Nanda’s pleased words.
A meaningless conversation with no grounds or basis. A simple encouragement.
However, at this moment, that was just enough to be comforting.
“······I’ve been thinking lately, but wouldn’t it have been better if you were the dad? I mean, Jaim would have liked it.”
Nanda then flicked my forehead the instant I said those self-deprecating words.
“Never say those words in front of Saeyeon or Jaim.”
He had a serious look on his face, different from his usual expression. Thus I averted my gaze and answered him.
“······I know.”
“Do you really? Seriously, you’re cruel, Jjaro.”
Nanda chuckled as if it couldn’t be helped and stood up.
“Then I’m going to the bathroom, so you should head back to your class before you’re late. Don’t worry about the thing regarding Jaim. Ah, don’t worry about something like a daughter thief either.”
“Like I said, I’m more worried about your choice of words.”
I let out a sigh and stood up as well.
“Shin Nanda.”
I spoke towards Nanda as he was walking out the back door of the classroom.
“Thanks.”
Nanda simply waved his hand at me without turning back.
Ο
Ο
“Aah, what should I do······. What should I do, Master······?”
“Did you call for me?”
“Kya!”
······I was wondering what the issue was since she was calling out to me. Jihye, who was restlessly muttering to herself, got startled by my voice and had to smooth down her dress before turning around to face me. Did that action mean something?
“Ah, Master······.”
“What are you doing there?”
After school, Saeyeon had left first because she was going to go hang out with her friends, so once I got home by myself, unusually, Jihye didn’t even realize I was home and was standing in front of a room while looking perplexed.
“What, do you need something from Jaim?”
The room Jihye was standing in front of was Jaim’s. From what I could remember, Jaim dislikes Jihye, so she had told her to not even come close to her room, so Jihye would only clean the house when Jaim wasn’t home. Jaim would be in her room around this time of the day.
“······Hm?”
The out of place feeling made me notice something. The room door was slightly open. Now that I think about it, Jihye was also peaking into the room. If it was only this, then I would have thought that the kid had done something needlessly, but······.
“······Ow.”
I heard a small groan coming from the inside of the room. When I peeked through the crevice of the door slightly, I couldn’t see anyone. The only noticeable thing I could see was the blanket bulging strangely on the bed. ······Really, this kid.
“Why exactly do you like dark and small places so much?”
So once I opened the door completely and walked in, sure enough, the blanket twitched in response. This was making me worried that she was going to grow up to be a corner-living NEET. I casually blocked out the memory that I was going to shut myself in my research lab and live there in the future.
“Ah?! D-Don’t enter your daughter’s room without knocking!”
How bothersome.
“A while back you hid inside the washing machine, but is it your blanket this time?”
Am I supposed to call this growth or something? I nonchalantly sat down at the edge of her bed.
“So what is it this time? What’s the issue?”
“······It’s nothing. I just want to be alone.”
She was completely inside her blanket and mumbling. Are you not uncomfortable like that? Once I grabbed her blanket, I could feel her holding onto it on her end as well and resisting.
“Stop being like that and come out. Are you sulking because Jihye told you to go home again?”
“It’s not like that.”
Her voice sounded too sulky for nothing to have happened. Although it felt like she truly did want to be left alone, the tone of her voice didn’t feel right. So I put strength into my grip for a split second and pulled her blanket off of her. Jaim tried to resist, but the difference between our strength was too large.
“······What’s up with that?”
“······It’s nothing.”
My expression then became rigid the instant Jaim’s face was revealed. A swollen cheek. I’m not saying that it was swollen because she was pouting. It was red and swelling. As if she had been hit.
Looking carefully, there was a bruise around her eye, her lips were torn, and her hand that wasn’t pulling on the blanket was holding onto an egg and pressing it against her eye.
“I just, rolled down some stairs.”
Jaim let out a sigh as if it couldn’t be helped now since her secret was revealed and said that, but······.
“Don’t underestimate me. Do you think your injuries would end with just that if you roll down some stairs?”
I was seriously shocked when Saeyeon rolled down some stairs a long time ago. No, that’s beside the point. Jaim turned her head away and changed her words.
“······I actually tripped.”
“Look at me.”
But it was obvious that that wasn’t it either. If she fell down and hit something, then what was up with that bruise? I grabbed Jaim by the chin and forced her to look at me. Jaim stubbornly did whatever she could to not show her face to me, but like I said, the difference between our strength was too large.
“······Are you happy now? Give me my blanket back.”
“Looking at the angle, they’re about 150cm tall. They’re right-handed. Considering the degree of the bruise, it’s most likely an elementary school student. Who beat you up?”
Although the bruise on her eye said otherwise.
“I didn’t get beat up. I was in a fight.”
She gave in with that. Thus, the complaining Jaim confessed as if it were unavoidable now.
“My friends and I promised to play at the playground after school, but when I got there, some boys were harassing Heyeong. They apparently told her to get out since they were going to play soccer in the playground, but it seems Heyeong refused.”
“So?”
“When I went up to them, we had an argument, but they suddenly shoved Heyeong and she fell on the ground. That’s why I got into a fight with them.”
That’s quite the impressive tale. I was expecting something more. Without hiding my pitying gaze whatsoever, I spoke.
“So, you came home after being beaten up by a bunch of elementary school kids?”
“Do I look like that kind of person, Dad?”
Jaim glared at me with a terrifyingly cold gaze.
“I beat up the boys and chased them out, but they came back with their older brothers who’re in middle school, so I got kicked out after getting into a fight with them.”
“So, in the end, it doesn’t change the fact that you got beat up and came home crying.”
“I didn’t cry!”
Jaim yelled at me. The corners of her eyes were red.
“Why are you only able to talk like that, Dad? Are you not worried about your daughter?”
“You reap what you sow. You should have run away if your opponent is stronger than you.”
“······.”
Jaim glared daggers at me while biting her lip. She must have been really upset as she was pouting her lips profusely. Without avoiding my gaze, Jaim stared right at me and spoke with a trembling voice.
“But my friend was being harassed. Shouldn’t you protect your friend whether you win or lose?”
I let out a deep sigh and shook my head.
“You have a great mentality, but if you’re going to fight anyway, then you should do so with the intention to win.”
“How was I supposed to win?! Not only were they boys, but they were also middle schoolers! Their bodies are much bigger than mine and they’re stronger than me!”
“That’s why I said you should’ve run away if you’re facing an opponent you can’t win against.”
“······Seriously, Dad, you’re······.”
Tears started to slowly gather in Jaim’s eyes as she trembled with rage. However, I didn’t stop talking there.
“In the first place, in this day and age of gender equality, there are no boys and girls when it comes to fights. If you’re going to put down the premise that you can’t win against a boy because you’re a girl, then you shouldn’t fight at all. If you say that your opponent didn’t go easy on you, then that means you’re admitting the fact that you’re a girl who doesn’t have the ability to fight unless someone is protecting you. Although saying that you’re doing it to protect your friends sounds nice, what are you going to do when you get beat up despite having said that?”
“······.”
“Furthermore, how could you fight normally when the world is so terrifying nowadays? Do you not know how scary middle school students are these days? If those guys were messed up in the head, then who knows what they could have done to you. You only have two choices in these situations, run away before something like that can even happen or, if you’re resolved to fight, win by fair means or foul. There’s something you’re good at, right? Kick them in their crotch. Don’t get beat up and come home crying only to hide underneath your blanket.”
“······Why, hk, are you, uu, only able, to talk like that, Dad······?”
And in response to my words, Jaim couldn’t take it any longer as frustrated tears ended up flowing down her cheeks. Jaim spoke as she wiped away her tears with her fist.
“I, was hit. It really hurt. Still, I fought to protect my friends, but, hk, why can’t you say something like, uu, good job, or, it must have hurt. Why are you telling me it’s my fault······?”
While weeping, her clenched fists shook.
“I can’t even go on my date with Nanda Oppa since I’m injured like this······. If I go all bruised, hkk, I wanted to look pretty······. Uuu.”
“······.”
“U-Uaaaaang······. Dummy, you’re an idiot, Dad!”
While her shoulders trembled, Jaim kept wiping away her unending tears with both of her hands as she cried. As if she were really sad, as if she hated me for not being on her side.
So I let out a sigh and stroked her head.
“That’s why you shouldn’t go around getting hit, you kid.”
Jaim raised her head because of my action.
“······Dad?”
If she had gone to someone else and told them that she got into a fight and got hurt, then they would probably do what she wants and comfort her by patting her back encouragingly. However, that would be it. It would end with that. At most, they’ll probably tell her to not get into fights.
“In any case, if something like this happens again, then either run away or, if you’re in a situation where you don’t want to run, then make sure you win at any cost. Bite them. Headbutt them. Kick them in their crotch. Life is a battle. Understood?”
Jaim looked up at me blankly as if she didn’t know whether she should get upset or not at my words which I had said while disheveling her hair. I stood up after giving one final pat on the head.
I see. So those adorable elementary and middle schoolers taught this shrewd and rude little girl a lesson, huh? Well done. Truly well done. I should go and offer them praise and a reward.
“Uhm······. Master? The Miss······.”
Jihye who was standing perplexed outside of Jaim’s room due to what Jaim had said and couldn’t enter. I simply shook my head and spoke.
“It’s nothing special. It seems she got into a fight with some neighborhood kids. People grow up by getting into fights. It’s nothing big.”
“But······.”
Jihye looked up at me with worry as if she wasn’t convinced. Yeah, this was something that would probably worry her. I headed towards my room without a word and Jihye looked back and forth between Jaim and me before following after me.
In any case, I have a rough grasp of the situation now. For her to get into a brawl with some local kids. She’s more of a kid than I thought. And here I thought she was a bit on the mature side.
At any rate, I’ll tease her about this later.
“I’m going to head out for a bit. Jihye, can you go out and buy some medicine and band-aids? You know where the pharmacy is, right?”
“Ah, yes. I’ve seen it a couple of times while buying groceries.”
Jihye nodded at my request. However, she then tilted her head quizzically.
“Uhm, but Master, why are you wearing a mask?”
“Spring is also a season where pollen, yellow dust, and all sorts of unhealthy substances fly around the air. Staying healthy is important.”
“It’s almost summer, though······. And the sunglasses?”
“Outside of visible rays, the sun emits all kinds of ultraviolet rays as well, and it’s bad for your vision if you receive those strong, direct rays of the sun. Ah, don’t worry. These are prescription sunglasses.”
“But it’s night time now······. And the hat?”
“A change of pace and a sense of fashion. In any case, I’m heading out for a bit.”
I have to praise them before they run away, after all.
Ο
Ο
“Ah, you idiot! Kick it properly! Seriously······.”
A sloppily kicked ball flew through the air and rolled out onto the street. An elementary school kid came chasing after the bouncing ball.
“Ah, old man! Can you pick the ball up for us?”
The ball rolled straight towards me. The kid must have thought that I was going to pick it up for him as he started to slow down. I stopped the soccer ball with my foot and lightly kicked it up to my hand and caught it. Mhm, it seems I’m not rusty.
“Thank······. Ah.”
The approaching kid’s feet stopped in place the instant he saw my face. He must have not been able to see my face properly until this moment because of the backlight.
A black baseball cap, black sunglasses, and a white mask. I most likely appeared incredibly dangerous since I was hiding my face entirely. He probably couldn’t see it, but I approached the frozen kid while grinning brightly. The frightened child also hesitantly drew closer to me in order to receive the ball.
“T-Thank you very much······.”
“No, I’m the one who should be thankful.”
“Huh?”
The kid blinked in response to my words which I had said while shaking my head.
“Here, the ball.”
Once I held the ball out, something must have felt off to the kid as he reached his hand out cautiously.
However, just before he could grab the ball, I took a screwdriver out from my tool belt and stabbed the ball. Instead of bursting with a ‘Pop!’, the ball slowly deflated while letting out a hissing sound as the air leaked out.
“H-Hiiik······.”
“Kid.”
“Y-Yes?”
A completely unknown person who was hiding their face. A wicked man who picked their ball up for them, but promptly popped it. I patted the head of the kid who was terrified by what he had witnessed. I’m praising him right now. I’m actually smiling underneath this pair of sunglasses and mask.
The kids who were waiting at the playground seemed to have noticed that the atmosphere was ominous as they looked at me with fearful eyes.
“I heard that earlier today, you got into a fistfight with a weird and rude girl who had a clothespin in her hair, right?”
“H-How did you······?”
“I have my ways. Don’t worry. I’m not a strange person.”
While smiling, I strengthened the grip on my hand that was patting his head. This was also known as an ‘iron claw’. Referentially, it’s a wrestling move.
“Ah, owowowowowow!”
It’ll trouble me if you underestimate a scientist’s grasping power. For starters, we have to really tighten and loosen screws, there are times where we have to move heavy objects, and our grasping power is also important in order to grab or fix certain parts in place. Mhm. It’s important. I’m glad I trained myself.
“I’m not a strange person, I’m really not, but······.”
I pressed down on his head by tightening my grip on the tip of my fingers and shook his head. Once I relaxed my grip and let his head go, it must have hurt as the kid fell to the ground while grasping his head. I’m not that cruel of a person. It was a reasonable degree of acupressure treatment. If anything, it was probably good for his head since the blood vessels around his brain were stimulated. Well, I did put some emotion in it, though.
“I heard that you took really good care of my daughter. You harassed her quite well, huh?”
“Kuuuh······. W-What······?”
“You kids over there, come here.”
I ignored the kid on the ground and called out to the other kids who were about to run away. Once they heard my voice and noticed I was gesturing for them to come to me, they flinched. Naturally, they would be filled with the desire to run away, but.
“Kiddies, do you guys think you’re faster at running or I’m faster at running? Don’t you think that even if you try to run away, at least one of you will most definitely also end up like this kid?”
Tap, I spoke while poking the kid on the ground with the tip of my shoe. I didn’t kick him. Seriously, it was only a tap. Due to my threat, the kids looked at each other with fear in their eyes before slowly approaching me. Good, good.
“Now then, stand in a line in front of me, that’s an order. You should stand up too now, kid.”
I herded the kids to a corner of the playground and made them stand in a single file.
“I-I’m sorry······.”
“Have mercy······.”
“I told you guys I’m not a weird person, so stop acting like I’m some criminal.”
Well, I did hide my face just in case I did get reported. The world has honestly become a scary place these days. But, more importantly,
“But, why are, a bunch of, young brats, already having, territory disputes, and, beating up, girls?!”
Between each word, I earnestly smacked their heads, which barely reached up to my chest, one at a time. I didn’t hit them that hard. About 1.5 times the amount of strength I use when I normally hit Jaim?
“Kuuh······.”
“Do you understand, you brats?! If you didn’t reserve the playground by paying money or writing a lease, then behave! Don’t chase out some girls just because you don’t want to play with them! If I catch you guys doing this again, then I won’t stay still!”
It feels a bit peculiar shouting at a bunch of sobbing elementary school students who were holding their heads in pain. This makes it seem like I’m actually the bad guy here. Nevertheless, what’s so bad about a bad guy doing bad things? They’re the ones who hit my daughter first.
Still, I should stop here. After one last word.
“Next time I hear about this······.”
“What are you going to do, old man?”
“······.”
A hand grabbed my shoulder. I turned around cautiously.
“Ah, big bro!”
The elementary school kids’ eyes sparkled the instant they saw that reinforcement had arrived. I see. Jaim did say that she got beat up after fighting some middle schoolers.
······But these guys, are they really middle school students? How many years were they held back?
His eyes were located higher than my head. His arms started where my shoulders ended. A shaved head. The middle schooler looked down at me as he spoke while chewing on gum. There were two kids behind him who looked the same as him.
“What are you doing right now, old man? Huh?”
People said that kids these days were spirited, but these guys looked way too spirited. Honestly, I’m a bit intimidated.
“N-No, it’s just that······.”
“Why is an adult getting involved in a fight between kids? Do you lack common sense, old man? Huh?”
Ptooey, he snarled as he spat out his gum. This exceeded my expectation. I thought that they would be in their first year of middle school since they were immature enough to get into a brawl with Jaim. More importantly, you guys also got involved in a fight between kids.
“What, do you have something to say?”
“N-No······.”
Naturally, there was no way I could say that. I said so before, didn’t I? Run away from opponents you can’t win against. On a side note, I’m seeing Jaim in a new light now. How could she even think about fighting something like this?
“Also, you’re hiding your face like this. What are you? A criminal? Should we go to a police station together?”
Tap tap, the middle schooler kept pushing my shoulder and shoving me into a corner. Once I stepped back a bit and averted my gaze because of his vigor, an unpleasant smile appeared on the middle schooler’s face as he placed his hand on my shoulder.
“You should educate your daughter properly as well, old man. A little kid is already going around starting fights. What would you have done if my little bro got hurt? I purposely didn’t hit her face because she’s a girl, but in any case, the rude brat kept trying to oppose me.”
Aha. I see. So he didn’t hit only her face.
“As a way to apologize, how about buying us some cigarettes, old man? Say hi every now and then whenever you see us on the street, you know? This is also a type of fate.”
“Uhm······. Can I, say, three things?”
“What? You aren’t going to tell us that you don’t have any money, are you? I can hear coins jingling in your pocket.”
He turned around to look at his other middle schooler friends behind him and snickered. You’re scary. Don’t be like that, you’ll make this old man cry. The other kids snickered as well. I knew this would happen. I grabbed the hand that was on my shoulder and spoke.
“······First, I’m the only one who’s allowed to tease and hit my daughter.”
“Huh? ······Ah.”
Crack, I gripped his hand tightly and twisted it upward.
“Second, I’m not an old man.”
With my other hand, I took out the item that I had brought with me from my pocket and placed it against the side of the middle schooler’s body before continuing.
“Third······. Everyone who laid their hands on my daughter is dead!”
“Kuuuah?!”
Along with a loud zap, the strength from the middle schooler’s body left him as he let out a scream. What are you getting so drained for? I set it so that it would only sting.
“A-A taser? That’s cowardl······. Aaaah!”
I grabbed onto his powerless arm and twisted it as I shouted. Cowardly?
“Only brute-like fellows who don’t know the strength of tools would call this cowardly! Have a taste of human intelligence!”
I brought this just in case, but I’m glad I did.
······Well, it really is like me to bring this when I’m only scolding some elementary and middle school students at most, but a person should always be prepared.
Once the other middle schoolers saw the uncommon weapon I had abruptly pulled out and their friend letting out a groan while his arm was being twisted, they hesitated.
“O-Old man, let’s calm down. Okay?”
“Let him go and we can settle this with our words.”
“The time to settle this with words is already over! I also originally intended to simply tell these kids to get along since it’s just a bunch of local kids that got into a fight, but you guys are the one who made me do this, you middle school delinquents! Young kids shouldn’t smoke! Also, I’m not an old man!”
“Owowowowow!”
Darn it, it seems I put too much emotion in my last line. But aren’t they going too far? I know I’m hiding my face and my face value underneath this mask is high, and I also feel all sorts of sorrow whenever I see some of my hair flow into the drain whenever I wash my hair, I’m still a high school student, you know?
“······All right, fine. It seems I got too excited as well.”
I made myself take a deep breath in order to calm my nerves. I breathed in twice and exhaled once. Breathe in, and out⎯⎯⎯. I relaxed my grip slightly and spoke.
“In any case, since it seems we got too excited about a bunch of kids getting into a fight, let’s forget this ever happened, like letting the rain wash everything away, apologize to each other appropriately, and let the kids get······.”
However, my head turned in the middle of my sentence. There was an impact on my cheek and my field of vision went black and white for a moment. The middle schooler who I was holding shouted while I was staggering in order to stand up straight.
“Stop messing around, you old man! We were going to end it on a good note, too!”
Once the kid let out an angry ‘Hey!’ the other kids were able to snap out of their hesitation. I brushed my fingers over my lips which tasted metallic and saw a red liquid. B-Blood! I’m bleeding!
“You pieces of trash!”
“Hit him!”
I’m not exactly sure what happened after that.
In any case, the elementary school kids must not have thought that this would go this far as they started to cry. I saw stars and occasionally sparks, some screams echoed throughout the playground, I momentarily forgot about my balding issue as some of my hair was pulled out, I pulled out some of their hair as well, I got some hits in, I was hit three times as much because I was fighting a 3:1 fight, I also realized that I still lacked exercise even though I started to go jogging after that previous incident, and more importantly, these guys are hitting me a bunch even though I’m wearing glasses. This is attempted murder.
“Stop right there!”
Right when I was about to be put on the defensive, everyone turned to face the loud voice.
“······.”
“······.”
No one could say anything about the surreal sight before them.
With the darkening evening sky behind her, a single maid was standing with an upset look on her face.
“What are you all doing right now?!”
She put her hands on her hips and spread her legs at the same width of her shoulders. Her skirt fluttered gently due to the evening wind. The pharmacy bag she was holding in her hand fluttered as well.
“You······. Why are you here?”
Once I was barely able to ask that while I was holding onto someone’s collar and my collar was also being held, Jihye spoke while still looking upset.
“It’s embarrassing, but on my way back from the pharmacy after buying ointment and band-aids for the Miss, I got lost, so I was wandering around. I figured I should be able to find my way back if I started from a place I was familiar with, so I came to the playground like this, but what is this?”
“······Did you get lost again even though you said you knew the way?”
Jihye shook her head and approached us.
“After Master left earlier, I heard about what happened from the Miss. I couldn’t have possibly imagined that something like this would happen when Master went out, but seeing as things have come this far, I can’t stand idly by.”
A confident pose. A seriously enraged gaze. Due to that pressure, even the middle schoolers ended up letting me go as they looked at Jihye and fixed their posture.
Don’t tell me this girl intends to fight as well?
Her confident attitude made me recall something. That’s right, if I think about it, one of my goals was to conquer the world through my robot maids. There’s a chance that future me had given her martial arts or combat capabilities. Maids are portrayed as powerful in things like manga and anime after all.
“W-Wait a second, Jihye, let’s calm down······.”
But using those sorts of weapons against middle school students would be excessive. Well, I did use a weapon myself first, but if I had given her combat abilities with the purpose of conquering the world, then she was definitely a ‘secret weapon’.
Jihye glared at me fiercely in response to my words.
“Do you think I could calm down right now?”
No. She’s definitely mad. This is my first time I’ve seen her this upset.
“What are you going to do, if we don’t stop?”
Despite the serious aura, the middle schooler did his best to assume composure. I’m saying assume because his fists and feet were twitching uneasily. Even though there was a difference between their physiques, Jihye didn’t look even remotely intimidated.
It felt like I could hear a snap.
While standing before everyone, Jihye took a deep breath and struck a pose.
With one hand on her hip, she extended her other arm outward with her hand open and spoke.
“Fighting is bad!”
······.
What did she say just now?
While waving her extended hand at the middle schoolers, who were unable to say anything at all and were staring at her blankly, she continued.
“Getting into a fight means that you’re harming others! That’s not a good thing to do! Moreover, harassing kids is even worse! You shouldn’t bully others simply because you’re strong!”
“······What?”
The middle schoolers muttered as if they were dumbfounded and as if they found this situation to be ridiculous.
What’s with this sermon that wouldn’t even work on preschoolers······?”
“What is this······? A lot of weird things keep happening today.”
It seems the middle school student was able to regain his senses as he shook his head. With big strides, he approached Jihye without getting rid of his tone of voice that sounded as if he found this situation to be absurd.
“Oi, I don’t know who you are, but you should get······.”
“Bad!”
Jihye then flicked the forehead of the approaching middle schooler and continued.
“You all don’t like being hurt as well, right? Everyone is the same. You should think about other people’s feelings as well. Wouldn’t you also feel frustrated if you’re playing with your friends but some other people came along and told you to go play somewhere else? You would obviously refuse, right?”
“Y-Yeah······.”
“Everyone should get along. You shouldn’t use your strength to injure others. And most importantly, do you know how worried your family would be if they found out that you were going around like this harassing others and getting into fights?”
Jihye spoke sternly, and yet, attentively. Before I knew it, the anger on her face was gone and only a concerned smile remained.
“Your little brothers are watching you right now. They’ll watch what you do and start imitating you. If your little brothers go off and get injured in a fight, then you would also feel bad, right? You’d be sad, wouldn’t you?”
“······Yes.”
“So be an example. If they do something bad, then teach them to apologize and instruct them so that everyone can smile and play together. You children as well, asking someone else to hurt others simply because there’s something you want is a bad thing to do. Playgrounds are a place for everyone to play together, isn’t it?”
“W-We’re sorry······.”
So, because of this sincere sermon, although I couldn’t believe it, both the elementary and middle schoolers lowered their heads with apologetic looks on their faces.
“These words are also being directed to you, Master. I fully understand that you did this because you were worried about the Miss, but even so, the Miss would be even sadder if she found out that you used a tool and acted violently.”
“······Forgive me.”
I also took the same pose as the kids.
Jihye smiled happily once she heard our replies.
“Now then, shake hands as a means to make up. No fighting from now on. If you all get along and play together, then you’ll be able to smile together as well.”
“······I’m sorry.”
“······I’m, well, also sorry.”
I shook hands with the middle schoolers, albeit hesitantly. It seems this was enough for Jihye as she nodded with a grin.
“Now then, since it’s getting late, everyone should return home before your families start to worry.”
The middle schoolers awkwardly left the playground with their little brothers. Jihye waved towards their backs and shouted.
“Be careful of cars and get home safely!”
They nodded lightly at her before disappearing into an alley.
I fixed the position of my cracked, prescription sunglasses and looked at Jihye.
Jihye was watching the kids leave until they were fully gone with a satisfied smile on her face. Her hair fluttered due to the evening breeze and she turned her head for a moment to tuck her hair behind her ear.
Because of this sight, because the resemblance felt uncanny, I ended up muttering involuntarily.
“······Saeyeon.”
“Pardon?”
·····Ah.
Jihye gave me a surprised look before giggling.
“Master, I’m not the Missus. I’m Jihye.”
“······Yeah. That’s right. My mistake.”
I was barely able to manage my expression and utter those words.
The feeling I’ve been getting for a while now. This peculiar feeling.
There probably weren’t a lot of people who would think they resembled one another when you only looked at their outer appearances. But for some reason, the thought would occasionally come to mind whenever I looked at Jihye.
Each of her thoughtless words, each of her meaningless actions, and even the sermon she gave those kids a second ago.
For some reason, I could feel something Saeyeon-like from them.
Jihye tilted her head curiously because of my gaze.
“······We should go home before it gets too late as well. Saeyeon should have returned home by now, so she might be worried. There’s also Jaim.”
Thus I shook my head and spoke after taking the pharmacy bag from Jihye’s hand. Her hand moved restlessly as if she wanted to hold the bag herself, but she eventually nodded and started to follow behind me.
But, if what I thought was true, then.
Ο
Ο
“Didn’t I already say that I went and beat them all up? Ow.”
Speaking and eating at the same time made my cheek sting, so I let out a groan.
Dinner time. After preparing a somewhat simple dinner, we all sat down together to eat. There was a concerned look on Saeyeon’s face as she spoke after hearing my groan.
“As I thought, I don’t think fighting is good······.”
Saeyeon mumbled while using her chopsticks to poke at the cooked grains of rice that were in her bowl. Jihye nodded her head and spoke.
“I agree, Madam. I was curious since Master said he was going out, but I never would have imagined that he would have gone there to fight them.”
Although Jihye would normally only watch us eat, Saeyeon suggested that we should eat together today, so there was a bowl of rice and some tableware placed in front of Jihye as well. While picking up some of the side dishes with her chopsticks, Jaim turned to me and asked a question.
“······Dad, did you perhaps go and fight them because of me?”
“Of course not. Do I look like someone who would do that? They simply tried to mug me while I was minding my own business, so I got into a fight with them. Middle school students these days are scary.”
Jihye giggled lightly at my response, but I decided to ignore her. I ordered her to not say anything unnecessary, so it should be fine.
“I see.”
With a band-aid on her cheek, Jaim smiled with her panda-like eyes. Why are you smiling as if you know something? Stop smiling, kid. I’ll get attached.
However, Saeyeon stuck her lips out as if she were worried and spoke.
“I know that Jjaro got into that fight because you were worried about Jaim, but don’t do that next time. If you get hurt then, we’ll all be sad.”
“I told you, I didn’t fight for Jaim’s sake.”
Why is she so good at figuring things out. Seriously, only when it comes to weird things.
I took a shower after dinner. I didn’t forget to give myself a scalp massage. I’m lamenting because it feels like a lot of my hair was pulled out today.
Jaim went to her room saying she was tired, so today’s game match was omitted. Jihye went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. I decided to relax in the living room by watching TV while laying down on the floor. I was also tired. My eyes weren’t good, so I couldn’t see well from the couch.
“Ow······.”
I rubbed my cheek which stung even more after being submerged in hot water. In any case, middle schoolers nowadays are scary. Fists are scary as well. I was bruised here and there, so there was no doubt that I was going to be sore tomorrow.
While laying down, I used one arm as a headrest while I picked my ear with my free arm. I wonder if those middle schoolers were talking behind my back. My ear felt itchy.
“Jjaro?”
“Hm?”
Once I turned my head towards the source of the voice, I saw Saeyeon looking down at me. Saeyeon was holding an ear pick with a bright smile on her face.
“If your ears are itchy, want me to clean them out for you?”
“······What?”
Why was she acting like this all of a sudden? Saeyeon seemed embarrassed because of my response as she sat down with a red face.
“Uhm, mom told me. She said that it’s the wife’s duty to clean her husband’s ears. It feels really good when someone cleans your ears.”
“Is that so? I don’t really know because no one has ever done it for me before.”
“How about it? ······Or do you not want me to?”
After seeing my blank expression, Saeyeon asked cautiously as if she was disappointed.
“No, I don’t particularly mind······.”
My ear definitely felt itchy. I could tell by instinct that I wouldn’t be able to do it properly by myself. I feel like there won’t be any earwax since I just came out of the shower, though.
“Really? Then is it fine if I clean your ears, Jjaro?”
Seriously, you recover way too quickly. Saeyeon smiled happily at my reply and sat crossed-legged next to me and patted her thigh. She was probably telling me to place my head there.
Honestly, I was worried about entrusting my ear to Saeyeon······.
A-And······. How should I say it? Using Saeyeon’s lap as a pillow was, uhm, it’s like, uh······.
“Now then, lay down, Jjaro.”
“······All right.”
Nevertheless, for starters, with caution, I laid my head down as softly as possible.
“You picked this ear just now, right, Jjaro? Then I’ll start here. Turn your head.”
“Ack, don’t turn my head! My head doesn’t turn 180 degrees!”
I complained towards Saeyeon’s hands which were pushing my head and flipped my body around. Honestly, rather than it being intentional, I did this because it hurt.
“······Ack.”
So my realization came after my action.
A short distance, a very short distance. No, I was in contact with Saeyeon’s lower abdomen.
I couldn’t see because it was dark, but beyond her thin pajamas, which were very slightly see-through, Saeyeon’s skin was definitely there.
Furthermore, this meant that, I mean, if I turn my head slightly, then something like her panties or even underneath······.
“E-Ehem!”
“T-That tickles, Jjaro······.”
The trembling and wind caused by me clearing my throat seemed to have tickled Saeyeon as she squirmed. I felt my face getting hotter due to that response. As I expected, I have to turn my body around. But once I tried to turn my head, it seems even that tickled her as Saeyeon squirmed again. W-What do I do? For now, I tried to raise my line of sight, but then either her brassiere or her perfect, beautifully-sized chest underneath were······.
“······.”
All right. Let’s close my eyes. Yup. It’s dark so I shouldn’t be able to see anything if I shut my eyes. Wait, no, I can’t see anyway if my eyes are closed.
This is bad. I can’t think properly. If I close my eyes, all of my senses excluding my vision become more sensitive, so the sweet fragrance of soap emanating from Saeyeon’s just showered body was stimulating my nose. My brain was melting in this sweetness. Why does she smell so nice? The sensation of her soft pajamas tickled my cheek.
“Okay, I’m going to start now.”
It seems Saeyeon was unaware of my predicament as she simply giggled. The sound of her happy giggle tickled my ear. The sensation of her putting the ear pick in my ear. The rustling sound caused by her lightly scraping the surface.
“A-All right. G-Get it over with quickly.”
Thus, I uttered those words and shut my eyes tightly. End it quickly. During that time, in order to not think of anything else, I filled my head with the strength of science. Quickly, end it quickly!
“Ei!”
And Saeyeon thrust into my ear.
“Why are you uttering a k’ihap when you’re only cleaning my······. Guaaaaaaah!”
(TL note: K’ihap, also known as Kiai in Japanese, is the sound people make when they do a move in martial arts. LINK)
The instant I opened my eyes due to a concerning sound, sparks appeared in my vision for some reason. I’m not joking. It hurt as if my ear were burning from the inside. My hips automatically extended and retracted. I felt like tears were about to come out.
“I-I told you that tickles, Jjaro. Don’t move!”
“Kuh, hu······. Even if, you tell me not to move······.”
“That’s weird······. I can definitely see it······. There!”
“Guuuh······. B-Be more geeeeentle!”
Before I could even utter a proper sentence, my vision sparkled again. This definitely wasn’t ‘cleaning’ my ear. This was something being thrust into my ear. I’m going to die. I’ll die at this rate. My natural instinct to avoid harm tried to get my body out of this torture, but······.
“Ah, I told you not to move!”
“Kuuuuuuuh⎯⎯⎯······.”
She was in the middle of cleaning out my ear, so it hurt twice as much. It seems Saeyeon couldn’t take my squirming any longer as she smiled and modestly pressed down on my shoulder with her arm so that I couldn’t move. The scraping sound felt like it was echoing now.
“Now then, Mr. Customer, is it itchy here~?”
“Kuak! Gaak! Giiaaak!”
“Really, Jjaro, you don’t have to make such a fuss.”
A fuss? You would definitely cry if I did this to you.
“A-Are you not, done yet······?”
Saeyeon answered my question which I was barely able to spit out.
“There’s still a lot left. It’s okay. I’ve figured it out. Ei!”
“Like I said, the very fact that you’re letting out a k’ihap is wro, owowowow!”
W-Why do I have to go through this?
Is it that? Is she doing this because I got into a fight? Is this the stern scolding of a wife? No, this is torture. I won’t be able to use my ears at this rate. Isn’t a future where I’m only in my twenties but I’m already bald and using hearing aids too cruel?
“I’m done with this side. Flip over, Jjaro.”
While I was mentally drawing out a blueprint for a fully automatic ear cleaner for the sake of the future in order to escape from the mind-boggling pain coming from my ear, Saeyeon uttered those words and took the ear pick out. All right, let’s run away like this. I tried to raise my upper body and make a dash for it, but······.
“······.”
Why does she look so happy?
“What are you doing? I said to flip over.”
Saeyeon patted her inner thigh. I don’t know what was so entertaining and fun that made her have such an unerasable smile on her face.
No. Don’t be deceived. This girl is the devil. She shoved a long stick into my ear just a second ago and violated it mercilessly. I was worried that I might be bleeding. Was my eardrum okay?
But······.
“······Did it perhaps hurt······?”
It seems she noticed my hesitation as the corners of Saeyeon’s mouth and brows went down along with her shoulders. Sullenly, her gaze changed into a disappointed and apologetic one.
“······Fine, I’ll turn around.”
It’s a big problem that I’ve become such a good person lately. I let out a sigh and laid my head on top of Saeyeon’s lap. In order for the same thing to not happen, I looked outward. Thanks to that, I couldn’t see Saeyeon’s face.
“Uhm, did it not hurt?”
Saeyeon spoke carefully. I should probably tell her that it didn’t hurt. That’s why I laid back down.
“Yeah. It hurt. It seriously hurt. You would have cried if you were on the receiving end.”
But that’s a choice for those untaught masses who simply want to score points. I’m always honest. I felt Saeyeon becoming sullen behind me, but it wasn’t my problem. It still stings, you know?
“So make sure you’re gentle this time. If you do it painfully again, then we’re never doing this again. Okay?”
“······Okay! I’ll be gentle this time!”
······It’s a big problem that I’ve become such a good person lately. Seriously.
I grumbled to myself as I folded my arms and closed my eyes. I couldn’t see anything this time, but I still did it anyway.
“······.”
My words must have spurred her to concentrate, as Saeyeon didn’t make any noise this time. The sensation in my ear felt clearly smoother this time. A weird sensation where I couldn’t tell whether it tickled or was relaxing.
“How is it? Is this good enough?”
“Yeah. It’s perfect. Keep it like this.”
“All right. Ehehe······.”
I heard a proud giggle once I gave my response, so I readjusted my position slightly.
She must have been telling the truth when she said she figured it out earlier because her hand movements were more proficient than before. She seemed to have also gained some leisure according to that as she started to hum instead of saying anything.
“~?”
······Are you even going to hum ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’? Just how much do you like that song?
A rustling sound that tickled the inner portion of my ear and the sound of rhythmical humming that I could hear in between. These noises felt relaxing.
This tender feeling of Saeyeon’s thigh pressing against my cheek, the soft sensation of her pajamas, her long hair flowing down and tickling me as it dangled above my nose, and the scent of soap and shampoo emitting from her body. For some reason, a warm feeling was filling my body.
“⎯⎯⎯······♪”
But, that snapping rhythm, doesn’t go well, with humming······.
While I was thinking that, I wound up humming along with her as well.
Due to this comfy feeling, my consciousness was······.
Yeah, it’s not like, I never had, a memory, like this.
A long time ago, at a time I can’t even remember anymore, when I still had hope in my family, when I tried hard for them,
There was a time when, a person cleaned my ears like this.
And, at some point, Saeyeon’s mom.
Saeyeon was sitting next to us and waiting for her turn while I fell asleep like this, because of this rustling feeling······.
Ο
Ο
“······Jjaro? Jjaro?”
“Hm······?”
I felt someone shaking my shoulder gently. There was a gentle voice. I was slowly roused from my sleep. I felt a bit lightheaded. I wonder if it was because of the smell.
“Are you awake?”
Once I raised my gaze, I saw a brightly smiling face.
“You were sleeping so pleasantly that I couldn’t wake you up.”
Beautiful······. She was like a goddess······ Simply those thoughts went through my head.
“Jjaro. Your mouth. Drool.”
“······Y-Yeah. I’m up.”
I quickly pulled myself up. I took my glasses off and rubbed my flushed face. My guard was down because I hadn’t woken up completely yet. The fact that I had drooled while sleeping must have been amusing as Saeyeon giggled.
It seems I had used her as a pillow for a fair amount of time since I could hear Saeyeon rubbing her thighs behind me. The sound of her pajamas rustling.
“H-How long was I asleep?”
“You didn’t sleep for that long. About an hour? You must have been tired, Jjaro.”
I averted my gaze from Saeyeon’s beaming face.
So I slept on her lap for an hour······. That’s more than enough. Her legs must be really numb. I smacked my lips and stood up.
“Then I’m going to bed first. Make sure you don’t sleep late either, Saeyeon.”
I must have seriously been tired without a doubt. My guard was lowered too much as well. In times like this, the best choice was to not push yourself and simply get some rest.
“Uhm······. Jjaro?”
However, the edge of my clothes was caught the instant I was about to head to my room.
Saeyeon’s fingers, which had grabbed my sleeve, were fidgeting.
“Uhm, h-how about sleeping together today? Jaim went to sleep first and Jihye said she was going to go recharge.”
I was wondering where she was. Once I looked around, I saw Jihye sitting in her usual recharging spot in the corner of the living room with her arms wrapped around her knees. Inside of a box that Jaim had prepared. Isn’t the kid being a bit mean? She’s not a pet.
“I wanted to sleep with Jjaro since it’s been a while······.”
Hesitantly, while twisting her body slightly, Saeyeon turned her gaze away.
Ever since we started to live together, although there were times we slept together along with Jaim, it has definitely been a long time since we slept with just the two of us.
“······Well, I don’t really mind.”
So I let out a sigh and gave her that response.
There was something I wanted to talk to Saeyeon about anyway.
However, instead of becoming happy because of my answer, her cheeks became even redder as her fingers fidgeted.
“Huh?”
Saeyeon turned her head, released the hand that was grabbing my sleeve, and spoke while stretching her palm out towards me.
“T-Today is, a safe day, s-so it’s fine, if we sleep, while holding hands······.”
“······What?”
“I-I said it’s okay if we sleep while holding hands today······.”
With a flushed face, both her brows and the corners of her mouth twitched. Her large eyes kept sneaking glances at me. As if she were nervous.
“······Do you not want to?”
“······Ah, jeez.”
In the end, I grumbled to myself as I carefully grabbed Saeyeon’s hand.
“Jjaro?”
It seems my action caught her off guard as her hand flinched as if it were trying to escape, but it soon relaxed again. She looked up at me with her large eyes.
Saeyeon knows how things work now. She knows that nothing will happen if we sleep while holding hands. So her telling me that it’s okay to hold hands and sleep simply means that she wants to sleep while holding hands.
So yeah, it’s fine. It’s all right. It should be fine.
······It’s fine, right?
I turned my head away so that she couldn’t see my red face and went to my room with Saeyeon in tow before lying down on my bed. It was a single-size bed so our shoulders touched. The part of my skin that was in contact with her felt hot.
“······E-Ehem.”
This doesn’t require emphasis, but this was embarrassing. Saeyeon’s fingers moved around a bit once I cleared my throat. My palm felt itchy.
“I was a bit surprised today.”
I turned my head once Saeyeon spoke. The room was dark because the lights were off. The moonlight pierced through the window and dyed the room a dark shade of blue.
“I-It’s not like I particularly wanted to sleep with you! It’s just······.”
“No, the fact that Jjaro got into a fight for Jaim.”
“······Like I said, I didn’t do that because of Jaim.”
How persistent, this girl. Saeyeon chuckled at my comment which I had muttered while turning away from her.
“When we were little, that’s what you would always say whenever you went to fight with the kids that made fun of me, right?”
“······.”
“That’s why I cleaned your ears in order to cheer you up.”
Childhood friends are really troublesome. Saeyeon giggled as if she were pleased, but she also raised her brows as if she were slightly upset before continuing.
“But, as I thought, you shouldn’t get into fights. Though I told you this back then as well.”
“······I’m sorry.”
“You won’t get into fights from now on, right? You’ll resolve things with your words, right?”
“I will.”
It wasn’t until I gave her a small nod that Saeyeon smiled gently.
“But Jaim clearly takes after you, Jjaro. She got into a fight in order to protect her friend, didn’t she?”
“Even though you told me to not get into fights.”
“I scolded her properly once I got home. I told her that fighting is bad.”
“Is that so?”
Well, Jaim did take after me without a doubt. Mainly her personality. Should I say that our fundamental thought processes were the same? Was it because we had similar experiences? Although this fact was worrying. I let out a small sigh.
“What’s wrong?”
Saeyeon didn’t miss my tiny reaction and asked that. The moonlight furtively reflected the side of her body, revealing her warm smile.
“Is it because of Jaim?”
“There’s Jaim, and there’s also Jihye.”
Once I nodded meekly and said that, Saeyeon simply looked at me with blinking eyes as she waited for me to continue.
“No, it’s just that it feels like those two really don’t get along.”
“Ah······. It certainly feels like Jaim doesn’t like Miss Jihye.”
It seems Saeyeon was thinking about something similar as she nodded her head.
Even today, Jaim would normally thank anyone who helps her, which Jihye did, and yet, she didn’t say anything to her.
Well, I have my assumptions as to why. I can think of two reasons.
First, it very likely has to do with Jihye being a robot. Outside of Saeyeon and I, other people aren’t able to tell for certain whether Jihye is a robot or not. Of course, this is partially because she behaves and reacts very human-like, but, more importantly, it’s probably because people aren’t used to the existences known as robot maids.
However, to Jaim, robots are things which she had already seen since she was little and thus had grown accustomed to them. Similar to how TVs are no longer fascinating to us, Jihye probably feels like a home appliance to her. No, without a doubt, Jihye feels like that to her.
And second, it’s because Jaim clearly takes after me.
In regard to both my fundamental thinking process and experiences.
“So, do you plan to make Jaim and Miss Jihye reconcile, Jjaro?”
“Well, that would be the best thing to do. Whether they stay here or go back to the future.”
Saeyeon laughed silently at my words.
“You’re really like a dad these days, Jjaro.”
“Not exactly. It’s just······.”
Because I had a similar experience. I muttered these words under my breath.
It seems Saeyeon didn’t notice as she simply smiled happily.
“I-In any case, do you have an idea, Saeyeon?”
“Hm? Me?”
“You’re better at dealing with other people than I am, after all. I’m wondering if you might’ve thought of something.”
Once those words were out of my mouth, Saeyeon blinked a couple of times before asking a question.
“Does that mean, you need me?”
“······Well, I guess that’s one way you could look at it.”
I scratched my cheek with one hand as I turned my gaze away from hers. The sound of Saeyeon giggling tickled my ears.
Saeyeon spoke while tapping her lips with the tip of her finger as if she were thinking.
“I wonder······. It seems like Miss Jihye is worried about Jaim a lot and wants to get along with her, so there’s no problem there. I think everything will work out if Jaim opens up a little more.”
Saeyeon tilted her head as she let out an audible ‘Hmm’ sound.
“In a way, Miss Jihye is Jaim’s second mom, right?”
“······.”
Was she saying that knowingly or unknowingly?
I know Saeyeon has been like this since a long time ago, and I was the one who made her like this, but I worry sometimes.
“······Saeyeon, do you not want to see auntie again?”
“······.”
Saeyeon’s face stiffened slightly once I said those words.
······How stupid. I’m being way too reckless today. I didn’t expect myself to go as far as to say this. I didn’t know what to say next, so I smacked my lips.
“Of course I want to see her again. Mom.”
Saeyeon’s face as she said that was the same lonesome expression which she would sometimes show.
“But······. I can’t see her anymore.”
I couldn’t say anything.
Saeyeon’s mom passed away before Saeyeon could even start attending elementary school. She was a person who truly cherished Saeyeon. I also, well, received my fair share of doting. Although it was a type of doting that I didn’t particularly want.
Once the person she had listened to so well had passed away, Saeyeon didn’t speak for a while, no, for a long time. She felt alone. She was lonely.
This is just my opinion, but that’s probably why Saeyeon’s dad got a new wife. Saeyeon’s current mother.
Her personality and the mood she gave off were completely different, but Saeyeon’s mother also cherished Saeyeon quite a lot. It shouldn’t have been a marriage for the sake of redeeming Saeyeon’s mom, but she treated Saeyeon as if she had given birth to her herself.
It took some time, but Saeyeon returned to normal. To be exact, she decided to only show her lonely and solitary side when she was alone. Is what I think she decided. It’s probably what she decided.
Saeyeon’s grip loosened a bit, so I strengthened my grip instead.
Saeyeon leaned her body closer to mine.
“But, Jaim has both me and Miss Jihye, doesn’t she?”
Saeyeon spoke while furtively pressing her cheek against my shoulder.
“That means she’s able to see both of her moms, so why is she upset?”
“······Who knows? Maybe it’s because she thinks I might cheat on you with Jihye?”
“······Jjaro, do you really like machines more?”
Saeyeon looked straight at me. I only said that to change the topic, but was that too far for a joke? I shook my head and spoke.
“It’s a joke, a joke. You don’t have to take it so seriously.”
“······I didn’t take it that seriously, mon.”
Saeyeon pouted and turned her head away. She stuck out her lips slightly before mumbling in a small voice.
“Jjaro doesn’t like it when I’m jealous and Jjaro already confessed his feelings to me, so I know you won’t, but······.”
Saeyeon kept sneaking glances at me.
She moved her fingers slowly and locked her fingers with mine.
Moist eyes reflected by the moonlight. Smooth lips.
Those lips moved steadily.
“I know you won’t, but······.”
Red cheeks that didn’t lose to the blue light. She rubbed her flowing hair against her shoulder like a spoiled child.
Her pajamas slid down slightly and revealed her slender neck, collarbone, and the shoulder strap of her brassiere. Her smooth, white skin glowed.
“Sometimes, I mean······. A little······.”
A fragrant scent tickled my nose. Saliva started to accumulate in my mouth.
N-No, this isn’t right. Don’t panic. This is a trap. I’m a wholesome man. I won’t lose to something like worldly desire. I have no interest in carnal desires. Having Jaim is something that happens in the distant future. In the first place, Saeyeon said that today is a safe day. So······.
“······.”
So, well. It’s okay since there’s no need to give birth to Jaim or I don’t have to worry about having Jaim now?
······What the heck is going on in my head?
“Jjaro?”
“I-It’s sort of hot today, isn’t it?”
I spoke while crossing my legs. If you’re a guy, then you’d understand. It’s not weird. It really isn’t. This little guy just does this sometimes.
But, what am I supposed to do at times like this?
Refuse? How? I’m tired today so let’s just sleep? Or do I say that I really am only interested in machines? No, that isn’t the truth.
Do I consent? How? Should I say that I’ll suffocate her to death like last time? Or, for starters, our clothes······. Nono, what’s wrong with my head?
While I was contemplating, Saeyeon carefully leaned her head forward and gently closed her eyes. She brought her lips together and inched towards me.
“······.”
My face inadvertently started moving forward as if I were being pulled. The grip in our hands that were locked together became stronger. We were at a distance where our breaths could tickle the other’s face. Taking off my glasses, I closed my eyes as well······.
Slam. The door opened.
“Hiik?!”
“Uah?!”
Saeyeon and I both let out a stifled cry at the same time and distanced ourselves from one another. The light from the hallway entered through the opened door. Our eyes had become accustomed to the dark, so we could only see an unrecognizable silhouette standing at the doorway.
“······I can’t sleep.”
The silhouette rushed towards us with hurried steps, threw the blanket aside, and squeezed between me and Saeyeon.
“J-Jaim?”
Saeyeon sounded alarmed. I also calmed down my beating chest.
“Knock before you enter the room! Also, go to your room and sleep!”
“This.”
Jaim pushed something towards me as I shouted. Right in front of my nose. I pulled my head back and put my glasses on to see what exactly she was holding.
“I can’t sleep, so read this storybook for me.”
“A storybook? Seriously, you······.”
Why would an elementary schooler want a storybook read for them? You aren’t a preschooler. No, even preschoolers these days can read by themselves.
“What? Is it that hard to read this for someone?”
Jaim stuck her lips out and pouted once I looked at her with a rather pitying gaze.
“It isn’t difficult. What I’m trying to say is······.”
“Would it kill you to read a storybook for your daughter who’s lonely because she can’t sleep?”
“I mean······.”
“It’s been such a long time since Jjaro read a storybook before bed.”
Jaim grumbled while Saeyeon simply giggled. Why are you recalling something that happened back in preschool? Forget about it already.
“······Ah, fine. I just have to read it, right?”
I let out a sigh and turned on the standing lamp next to the bed. Really, this kid likes these sort of family events too much.
“Eh, The Tale of Shimcheong. ······Of all things, why’d you pick The Tale of Shimcheong?”(TL note: The Tale of Shimcheong is about a girl named Shimcheong and her steadfast love and loyalty for her blind father. Read the story HERE.)
“Just because?”
Jaim blinked, making it seem as if she didn’t put much thought into this. Well, I feel like I know why. It hasn’t been that long since she claimed to be an adorable daughter, so she most likely intends to implant the ideology that daughters are hardworking and admirable into my head.
I sighed a couple of times before flipping the cover of the book. Jaim and Saeyeon were watching me with sparkling eyes. Do you two like having stories read to you that much?
“Ehem. Once upon a time, there was an old man named Shim Bongsa.”
“Jjaro, what does bongsa mean?”
(TL note: Bongsa(봉사) can also mean ‘service/volunteer’)
“Mom, bongsa refers to when you and dad uni······. Ububu!”
·····I may have overestimated Jaim.
Everyone probably already knows by now, but the plot of The Tale of Shimcheong goes like this: There was a blind man named Shim Bongsa who had lost his wife at a young age and thus lived with only his daughter, Shimcheong. One day, a Buddhist monk rescues him when he was about to fall in a river and, with that as his motive, he gets indoctrinated by an evil religion and prepares three hundred bags of rice as an offering to Buddha.
“······Dad, you’re way too twisted.”
“It’s the truth, isn’t it? Even though he offered all that, he wasn’t able to open his eyes.”
“The story hasn’t gotten that far yet. Stop spoiling the story.”
Three hundred bags is an insane number, you know? In today’s society, a bag of rice is 144kg. If he prepared three hundred bags, then in today’s economy, that would be over one hundred million won, but if you consider that the era Shim Bongsa was in, that would be over 1 billion won.
“It’s quite the massive scam. That’s the price of a house. Religion is scary.”
“Like I said, your head is too twisted, Dad.”
Since there’s no way that a blind man could prepare that much money, Shim Bongsa wickedly committed human trafficking with his daughter and accumulated that large sum of money. As I thought, families aren’t needed. How could he commit human trafficking?
“······Why are you looking at me as if I’m some golden calf?”
“No, I was just wondering if I could get a hundred won if I sold this······. Ow! Don’t bite me!”
In any case, after being sold off in the place of the bags of rice, Shimcheong resolves herself to drown in the Indangsoo Sea. No, if anything, she was forcefully made into a human sacrifice. But for her to not run away and really go into the sea.
“Can you stop adding your personal opinion to the story and just read it normally?”
From this point forth, the story turns into a fantasy. After having fallen into the Indangsoo Sea, Shimcheong receives the favor of a Dragon King who found her filial love to be admirable. Thus, he resurrects Shimcheong, allowing her to return to land. What exactly did she do in the Dragon’s Palace?
In any case, the resurrected Shimcheong was put inside of a lotus flower and delivered to shore. A king, having coincidentally witnessed this, chose her to be his queen. As I expected, life is all about luck. Even though Shimcheong was sold away, she foolishly stated that she wanted to see her father, so she gathered every single man in the country named Bongsa and held a banquet.
“In the end, she also knew that she was a part of an evil scam. She invited all of the Bongsas even though she knew that his blindness wouldn’t have been cured despite her service, right?”
“She probably wanted to see him just in case. If he’s able to see again, then her father would be able to live happily as well, and if he was still blind, then she could continue to take care of him.”
“Even though she was sold off and even made into a human sacrifice. She could have contacted him personally since she knows her home address, couldn’t she? How stupid.”
“······Really, Dad.”
I disregarded the brat who shook her head after letting out a sigh.
At any rate, the terrible parent, Shim Bongsa, who was scammed and forced to sell his daughter, participated in the banquet and was so surprised to meet his daughter there that his eyes miraculously opened. Quite lucky of him despite selling his daughter. More importantly, couldn’t he have opened his eyes sooner, but decided to deceive his daughter in order to get a free meal?
A certain someone has been quiet for a while now. Well, it’s only natural.
“Zzz······.”
“······.”
Saeyeon had fallen asleep in less than 5 minutes.
Even if I gave her a pitying look, Saeyeon simply moved her mouth as if she were chewing on something as she continued to sleep obliviously. It was like I was the pitiful one.
She must have been feeling quite unrestrained as she was stretching her arms and legs out however she pleased. How should I say it? Should I call this an open posture? Both of her arms were stretched out and one of her legs was resting on top of my legs. Not only did she kick the blanket to the side, but her pajamas had rolled up a bit as well, revealing her defenseless stomach and navel. She scratched her stomach with one hand. Hey, isn’t this a bit too unrestrained? Her pants were rolled up as well, making me turn my head away from her slender ankle bone and thigh.
Most importantly, despite all this, she didn’t let go of my hand.
“······So they lived happily ever after. The end. Are you happy now?”
I closed the book with one hand and turned to ask Jaim that.
“That’s weird······. This was really different to what I thought it would be like.”
“What’s different?”
Jaim folded her arms and tilted her head as she thought about it before answering.
“They say that when you’re little, your parents read you bedtime stories. I wanted to know what it’s like, so I asked you, but it’s not as great as I thought it would be. It’s not fun.”
“Obviously, that’s because this would be fun for little kids. Do you think bedtime stories would be fun at your age?”
“There’s that, but······. Did your parents read you bedtime stories when you were little, Dad?”
“······I don’t know. I can’t remember.”
I felt like they did, but I also felt like they didn’t.
If people besides my parents count, then I feel like Saeyeon’s mom had read me and Saeyeon bedtime stories a couple of times when the two of us would sleep together.
Jaim picked up the storybook and got up after I gave her that answer.
“You didn’t come here to sleep together?”
Once I asked her that, Jaim shook her head and spoke.
“I said I came here because I couldn’t sleep. This was boring, so I’m a bit sleepy now. Ah, maybe this is why parents read kids bedtime stories?”
That was quite the convincing hypothesis. Nevertheless, did this kid really only come here to ask me to read this storybook?
“More importantly, this is a surprise, Dad. You’re sleeping with Mom.”
“A-Ack!”
Jaim smirked as she glanced at me. She continued while putting one hand in front of her mouth, making it quite easy to tell that she was teasing me.
“Certainly, I said so last time, but even without my help, you and mom were in the middle of trying to unite even without my help, right? Sorry about that. I didn’t even know. Ah, did I perhaps interrupt?”
“N-No, of course not! We were just sleeping together because it’s been a while!”
“And yet, you continued to flip the pages of the book with only one hand, right?”
“U-uuugh······.”
This brat, she’s been feigning ignorance, hasn’t she?
My face felt like it was getting hotter. I didn’t have anything to say, so I smacked my lips and looked away. I could only hear Jaim’s voice.
“In any case, thanks for playing along. Now then, I’m going to quietly, really quietly go to sleep, so wake up mom and work hard just enough that the people downstairs don’t come up. Okay?”
“Shut up! Go wash your feet and go to bed!”
I wanted to throw something at her, but there was nothing within my reach, so I shooed her away with my hand. Jaim chuckled and closed the door.
“Dad?”
However, right before she shut the door completely, she turned back to look at me.
“By the way······. Thanks, for fighting them for me.”
“······Don’t go around getting hit by people. It’s troublesome.”
Jaim had already left by the time I averted my gaze and uttered those words. I let out a sigh and turned off the lamp.
“Mm······. Jjaro······.”
Saeyeon’s sleeping face glowed as it received the moonlight.
Her fingers wiggled as if she were making certain that I was still holding her hand properly. Her face loosened up once she was able to confirm it.
“Seriously······.”
I pulled the blanket over her with one hand before shaking my head at myself.
Recently, I’ve been unable to treat Saeyeon like I used to.
No, naturally I wouldn’t be able to treat her like I used to. I used to treat her like a complete child.
Above all else, I’m the one who forcefully made her stay innocent.
In order to not see her as a girl, in order to keep her from becoming a girl.
That’s why there was no problem even if I kissed her, if we bathed together, or even if we slept while holding hands.
But, lately······.
I can’t stop my heart from beating heavily whenever I see Saeyeon’s face.
The temperature of my head rise and I end up averting my gaze.
Even though nothing should have changed. The husband and wife thing is just playing house and the fact that we’re living together is simply us living in a single house, but I’ve become strangely conscious of the fact that Saeyeon is also a girl.
Another thought comes to mind at the same time.
Future me broke up with Saeyeon because he didn’t see Saeyeon as a girl.
Future me created Jihye. A robot that thought and acted like Saeyeon.
But, maybe, if that’s the case.
If I created a robot that resembled Saeyeon,
then what type of person is future me exactly?
A shiver went down my spine due to an unknown fear.
