“Then what did you do last year for the festival?”
“Your mom has been a part of the Cross-stitch Club since last year, so our club put the cross-stitches we did last year on display. We’re going to display our cross-stitches this year as well.”
“You did something like that?”
It was Monday night. I decided to ask Mom about the festival.
Mom chuckled and took out her phone and showed me the accessory on it.
“I actually cross-stitched this as well.”
“Oh······. You’re really good, Mom!”
Until now, I naturally thought that she had bought that, but knowing that Mom made it herself made me see her in a completely new light. Mom shyly scratched her cheek.
“I’m not that great······. Right, do you want me to also teach you, Jaim?”
“Mm······. I do want to learn how, but I’m okay.”
Mom had a disappointed smile on her face once I said that, but it couldn’t be helped since these sort of things honestly didn’t suit me. Doll making is okay, but knitting with these sort of thin strings isn’t my style. I’d rather mess with some circuits. Come to think of it, this must be because I resemble Dad. It would have been better if I resembled Mom more.
“Are your preparations going well, Mom?”
Once I asked her that while handing the accessory back to her, Mom nodded.
“Yup. I’ve been doing my best to prepare for a long time now. That’s why, other than helping Jjaro, I don’t have much else to prepare. My friends said that they would handle the rest on their own.”
“I see······.”
No wonder. A couple of Mom’s friends asked me before how Mom’s relationship with Dad was going. They must have wanted Mom and Dad to have a heated time together preparing for the festival. Seriously, Mom is popular with the people around her. In one of my favorite manga, they usually tease the girl for having a boyfriend. Is this what being blessed with good people is like?
“Hm? Why are you smiling like that while looking at me?”
Oh. it seems I had a teasing look on my face. I shook my head in response and spoke.
“Then is it normal to hold an exhibition for festivals like you and Dad?”
“Mm······. Not really. It’s different for each club. There are clubs that participate, and there are clubs that skip it. Honestly, there aren’t a lot of clubs that take part in the festival. I have friends who ask why you would want to look around the festival when you can just go out on that day and hang out outside of school. Even though the festival is fun······.”
Mom had a slightly disappointed smile on her face as she continued.
“There are clubs that do exhibitions, operate something like a cafe, do tarot card readings, and, what was it called······. You know the camera that has a picture come out the instant you take a picture, right? What was it called······?”
“A Polaroid camera?”
“Ah, yeah, that. There are clubs that take your picture for you. There are also clubs that sell food like hotdogs or snacks. Ah, they also sell cotton candy in front of the school.”
“Do people not do performances or plays? Or maybe something like a ghost house or a beauty contest? They usually do a lot of fun things in manga.”
“Hmm······. We don’t do things like that······. Ah, but student-made bands will perform and the theater group will perform a play in the auditorium. I heard Nanda is going to do a performance this year as well.”
“Nanda Oppa is going to sing?!”
After hearing Mom’s explanation, I thought the festival would be more disappointing than I expected, but it’s a different story if Nanda Oppa is going to perform!
“Mom, do you think I’ll be able to order a banner with my allowance? Would I be too late if I start preparing now? How many balloons should I prepare? Where do they sell glow sticks?!”
“I-I don’t really know······.”
Mom’s troubled expression made me a bit sad, but I can’t hide my fan, no, my fanatic-like tendencies!
While I was contemplating how I should cheer for Nanda Oppa’s performance as his No. 1 fan to have good rumors about his performance circulate, Mom’s expression strangely became darker. I don’t think it’s because of my fan-like behavior.
“What’s wrong, Mom? Are you not looking forward to the festival? Is it because of me?”
“No, of course I’m looking forward to it, but······.”
A sad smile appeared on Mom’s face once I asked that with blinking eyes. Even I could tell what that expression meant. My excitement settled down slowly.
“Right······. Big Sis Nabom said she’s leaving after the festival······.”
On the weekend, it seemed like Dad and Big Sis Nabom’s relationship had become weird, so we decided to go visit Big Sis Nabom under Mom’s suggestion. It was then that Big Sis Nabom told us. She told us that she was returning to the future after the festival was over.
I did ask her why she was going to leave me on my own and go back even though her mission was clearly to watch over me, but Big Sis Nabom refused to tell us. She simply said that she had a fun time until now.
“······Yeah.”
With a regretful and sad look on her face, Mom looked towards Dad’s closed room. After Dad came back from visiting Big Sis Nabom because Mom and Jihye had urged him to, he shut himself in his room once more. He said he had to prepare and that he wanted to concentrate right now.
I wanted to complain or tell him that I could help, but Dad asked to be left alone for now. Mom also said that we should leave him be for now, but I’m honestly worried.
“······If you’re that worried, should I check in on him for a second?”
Jihye, who had been listening to our conversation since earlier while smiling, asked that carefully. Mom blinked a couple of times and asked back.
“You’re going to check in on him, Miss Jihye?”
“Yes. I can go in saying that I’ve prepared some late-night snacks. I can probably check on Master’s condition, too. I might be able to talk to him a little while I’m at it.”
“Then······ would you mind?”
Mom gave Jihye a nod. She must have thought it would be better if Jihye went instead of her. Dad has been strangely having a hard time being around Mom as of late. Jihye smiled gently and nodded before turning towards me. It seems she wanted to get my permission as well.
Honestly, I want to go in myself saying that I could help with his work. It would be nice if I could be the one to support him, after all, but······.
“Could you please?”
Jihye is also a part of our family. Jihye smiled more brightly this time before heading towards the kitchen.
······Just how much does Dad intend to make us worry?
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“Come to think of it, when are you going to head back?”
Jayeon let out a small sigh and turned towards me.
“Why? Are you gradually trying to kick me out?”
The same reaction, huh. That wasn’t particularly what I meant, so I shook my head.
“No, you came here by mistake while testing the time machine, didn’t you? Then shouldn’t you start making your way back? Didn’t you say my future self would be worried?”
It’s been 2 weeks since Jayeon had appeared. My future self should be extremely worried since Jaim had disappeared for 2 weeks since the experiment. It was to the point that I didn’t even want to imagine myself in that situation. Moreover, my future self probably doesn’t know whether she can come back or not. It didn’t feel nice knowing that my future self was in a situation which I didn’t even want to imagine.
“Well, I feel like you should have a vague idea why······.”
I questioned her once she said that with a shrug.
“I should know? Didn’t you say that your future self didn’t come to the past when you were little?”
“But you know in this timeline, don’t you? Then your future self should remember as well. Probably.”
Jayeon said that with a bitter smile. I understood what she was trying to say. Since I know that fact right now, my future self must naturally know as well. Since according to Upperclassman Nabom, you can change the past, but not the future.
Nevertheless, this didn’t happen in the future Jayeon is from, so the me in that time frame wouldn’t know, but since she said there are no parallel universes······.
“······This seems to be hurting your head a lot. You shouldn’t even have to think this much about it anyway. In any case, what I’m trying to say is that you don’t have to worry. Big Sis Nabom grew up like that and came to the past, didn’t she? You know that Big Sis Nabom is me, so even if you don’t consider the first thing, you still know that I safely return to the future.”
Once Jayeon saw me let out a groan due to my headache, she massaged my shoulders as she spoke. Yeah. She’s right. I decided to leave it like this since I felt like my head would blow up if I thought about it any further.
Future me is pretty amazing, huh? He was able to create a time machine after understanding all this, right? I have no idea how he accomplished this.
“Regardless, I definitely should start making my way back······.”
While smiling bitterly, Jaim took out the terminal which she had showed me before and tapped on it with her fingers.
“Can you not fix it here?”
Jaim shook her head.
“It’s not like I can’t fix it. It isn’t a major issue.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“The issue is the electrical power. It seems it doesn’t have enough output······.”
Jayeon tapped her lip with her finger as if she were troubled and continued.
“When I checked, the component that manages the output is broken. That’s why I wasn’t able to go back to the future back then. It’s not a big component, so it’d be simple if I have the part to replace it with, but if I don’t have that······.”
“You have to stay here until that component comes out?”
Jayeon shook her head in response to my question.
“No, there’s no need to do that. I can make a replacement here, after all. Similar to how you repaired my game console.”
That’s right. A long time ago, I was able to somewhat repair the game console that Jaim brought. There’s no way that I could properly repair a device from the future, so in the end, Jaim complained to me that its performance went down a lot. Wait, if that’s the case, then.
“The performance of the game console went down, so would it really be fine to create the component here and use it? You sure something won’t happen?”
“Seriously, you’re such a worrywart, Dad. The trip back is a lot simpler than the trip here, so it should be fine.”
Jayeon grinned brightly as she said that.
“Also, there’s no way that you would mess up, Dad. I believe in you, so it’ll definitely be all right.”
“······.”
I have no idea what to say in response to that smile and those words. Jayeon beamed once I scratched my cheek.
“Ah, you’re blushing. Ahaha.”
“Sh-shut it. So you’re saying that we have to make it here?”
“If I want to go back, then probably. Can you help me, Dad?”
“If it’s just that much, then it shouldn’t be an issue. But it’ll probably take some time.”
For starters, there are the preparations for the festival, and I’ll have to do all sorts of calculations for things like the output and make something. Furthermore, I can’t mess up. She told me that she believed in me, after all. This was different from the time I created a charger for her game console.
“But do you really have to go out of your way to do this when you can just ask Upperclassman Nabom? She has a time machine as well, doesn’t she?”
“I’m not sure. Things might turn out the same even if you ask her. I don’t remember that well, but I recall Big Sis Nabom had a problem as well when she was about to go back.”
“She had a problem going back?”
“My memory of it is a bit vague, so it’s not accurate, but I remember Big Sis Nabom asking you for help because she had some sort of problem. Ah, that’s right. That’s why the two of you cooperated······.”
Jayeon nodded to herself in the middle of her sentence. However, this makes things a bit strange. If there’s going to be a problem, then shouldn’t Upperclassman Nabom know about it already? But she hasn’t said anything about it. She only said she was going back. Is this also a trivial difference? Will there be no problems this time?
“Master, do you have a moment?”
I heard the sound of knocking at the door. It was Jihye.
“Late-night snacks?”
“Yes. I believed you’d start feeling slightly peckish around now. May I come in?”
Jihye sure likes preparing late-night snacks for me. Well, it’s been a while since we had dinner, so I was feeling a little hungry, and I also wanted to take a break because my head was starting to hurt, so I opened the door.
“Are your preparations for the festival going well?”
Jihye smiled brightly as she put down a sandwich and two cups of coffee. I shook my head honestly.
“Not really. It isn’t going as well as I want it to.”
One of the conclusions Upperclassman Nabom and I came to was to display not only my pre-existing inventions, but my undisclosed ones as well. However, inventions aren’t things that come out clearly. I took a sip of my coffee and joked.
“If possible, I want to display you, Jihye, as my invention.”
“You can’t. I’m not something that the current you had made, Master. It’s an exhibition, isn’t it? You can’t cheat.”
“How strict······.”
I chuckled in response to Jihye’s blunt response. This outcome was a given. All things aside, I’m not the one who had personally created her, after all. I took another sip from my coffee. It was then that I noticed something a bit late.
“Huh? Come to think of it, why are there two cups of coffee?”
Both Jaim and Jayeon should prefer drinking juice. Jayeon raised her hand slightly once I asked that. She held the cup with her other hand.
“Ah, I asked for it.”
“The older Miss asked me to prepare coffee for her today.”
“You drink coffee? Youngsters shouldn’t drink coffee.”
Jayeon, who had been blowing on her cup of coffee, pouted in response.
“Middle school students are at an age where they know how to enjoy the taste of coffee. More importantly, what do you mean youngsters shouldn’t drink coffee? I didn’t see you like that, but you’re a lot more worn out than you appear, huh, Dad?”
“What do you mean worn out······?”
As expected of Jaim. She has a foul tongue on her. Jayeon uttered an audible ‘hmph’ while baring her teeth before stirring her cup and bringing it to her nose. It seems she was enjoying the fragrance in her own way.
“Hoo······. As I thought, the scent of black coffee calms you down. This genuine, mellow fragrance······.”
“Are you not going to put sugar or milk in yours?”
“Fufufu. Coffee should be bitter like life······. Someone once said that coffee is black like demons, pure like angels, hot like Hell, and sweet like love······.”
“······.”
This girl’s chuunibyou is a lot worse than I thought, huh? No, well, I’m probably the one who said ‘coffee should be bitter like life’······. Yeah, I’m also a chuunibyou. What are you going to do about it?
“An elegant woman must be able to enjoy the leisure of this single cup.”
Jayeon stirred her cup with skilled movements before taking a sip of her hot coffee. With a profound gaze and while brushing her hair behind her ear, the black liquid touched her wet lips and flowed into her mouth.
“······Pbbt.”
And she spat it out while scowling.
“Keh, ehem, hbb, t-the coffee is a bit bitter, huh?”
She immediately put down her cup and stuck her lips out. She was biting her tongue a bit as well. Yeah, I knew this would happen.
“······You’ve never had coffee before, have you?”
“T-there’s always a first time for everything.”
Jayeon tried to wipe the taste off of her tongue with her hand. Jihye also let out a small sigh and poured some sugar and milk into Jayeon’s cup as if she had expected this.
“That’s why I told you it was too early for you, Miss.”
“Uu······. Adults drink black coffee.”
“The fact you think that means that you’re still a kid······.”
Jayeon glared at me sharply once I said that.
“What? You probably started drinking black coffee because you thought that as well.”
“······.”
I simply drank my coffee instead of answering her. How did she know? Jayeon nodded as if she had read through me before looking down at her lighter-toned cup of coffee with disappointment.
“I wanted to drink black coffee like Dad······.”
“······Well, you’ll probably be able to drink it over time.”
I wonder if Upperclassman Nabom started drinking coffee for the same reason.
Jihye giggled as she watched us before speaking up.
“In any case, you should handle your own problems yourself, Master. It may be difficult now, but you’ll definitely create me in the future.”
Yeah. I’ve only created half-baked things until now, but in the future, I’m going to create robot maids like Jihye and a time machine. It’s really hard to believe, though. No matter how many times I think about it, creating a robot that moves like a human, an artificial intelligence that thinks like a human, and a time machine that travels through time seems impossible to me.
“My future self sure is amazing. Robot maids and time machines, I can’t even start to grasp at these things right now······.”
Once I said those words mixed with bitterness, Jayeon, who had been drinking her coffee with a sulky look on her face, opened her eyes wide. What’s up with her all of a sudden?
“Ah, that’s right.”
Jayeon spoke as if my words had made her realize something. I don’t know how I should feel about her responding like that to those words. I smiled bitterly and asked.
“What’s up?”
“I know how to fix my time machine.”
What did she find out? Rather, how did she figure it out? Jihye seemed to also be confused as her eyes were also opened widely. Jayeon spoke while pointing at Jihye.
“You’re the one who made both the time machine and Jihye, right, Dad? If I use Jihye, then I should be able to activate the time machine.”
“What?”
“I’m saying that if I use the component attached to Jihye, then I should be able to reach the output needed to operate my time machine. You don’t have to go out of your way to start making the component yourself.”
“By using······ me?”
Jihye tilted her head and pointed at herself. Ah, I see. Jihye is a robot maid that came from the future. I’m not sure what the component is, but if it’s a common component, then there’s a high chance that it was used to create Jihye as well. Furthermore, I’m the one who made them both, so they might be compatible. But.
“No.”
I shook my head.
“I can’t allow you to disassemble Jihye. Jihye isn’t an object. Do you think I’d be able to just take a family member apart?”
“Master······.”
A happy expression appeared on Jihye’s face. Jayeon pouted and retorted.
“Wait a second, you’re making it sound like I think Jihye is an object. That’s not what I meant. We don’t have to take her apart either.”
“Didn’t you say you needed a component? Weren’t you going to take her apart and take it out?”
“No! Even I consider Jihye to be a part of our family. There’s no way I would do something so cruel. What kind of daughter do you think I am?”
“Miss······.”
Now Jihye looked so happy that she was on the brink of tears because of Jayeon’s words. I get why she’s reacting like this, but that reaction made me feel embarrassed. Jayeon went back and forth between pointing at her terminal and Jihye as she explained.
“Instead of going out of our way to do that, I can connect the time machine directly to Jihye. I’ll use Jihye’s power and travel back to the future with her. Well, at most, I’ll have to open her top and connect some wires.”
“‘Open her top’, you’re sneaking in some cruel words······.”
No matter how you think about it, that sounds like she’s treating her like a robot. Jayeon said one more thing once I muttered that.
“Big Sis Nabom went back to the future like that as well.”
“······Wait, what?”
What is she saying all of a sudden? Jayeon answered while blinking.
“Ah, now I remember. When Big Sis Nabom was going back to the future and her time machine broke, she did this with Jihye in order to go back. That’s why Jihye went back to the future as well. Why did I forget this?”
Jayeon tilted her head as she pondered about it. It seems like she sincerely didn’t know why she didn’t remember this until now, but is that what happens? But Upperclassman Nabom hasn’t shown any signs of······.
“In any case, there’s no problem if it’s like this, right?”
Jayeon’s words brought me out from my head.
“No, wait a moment. Let’s get Jihye’s opinion first······.”
“I don’t mind.”
My mouth fell agape as I turned to look at Jihye who had said that as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Jihye smiled almost exactly like Saeyeon.
“I’m truly happy about your thoughts, Master, since I can tell that you sincerely do cherish me like a part of your family. However, if I’m a part of the family, then as I thought, I believe that I should help the older Miss. Your future self must definitely be worried as well.”
Jihye continued with a joking tone.
“Furthermore, haven’t you also done something like ‘open my top’ before, Master? Please don’t reprimand the Miss about it too much.”
“No, that was······.”
Jihye must have found my reaction to be enjoyable as she giggled. She then continued with a slightly more serious gaze.
“Since the Miss has both you and the Missus with her, I believe that it should be fine if I leave for a brief moment. If anything, I can come back again, after all. You don’t have to worry like that.”
“See? Jihye said it’s fine as well.”
Jayeon grinned in response to Jihye’s remark.
“Ah, that’s right. You need to help as well, Dad. It’d be too much for me by myself. I’ll also help you in return, Dad! If you repair it with me and learn the fundamentals of robot maids and time machines, then that should make it easier for you in the future to develop them, right? It’s fine. You’re going to invent them anyway, so it should be fine for you to receive some hints, right?”
Jayeon furtively latched on to my arm and winked at me as an attempt to charm me. It seems she wanted to return to the me in the future who she got closer with. Regardless, something about this didn’t feel right······. More importantly, doesn’t this mean Upperclassman Nabom won’t be able to go back?
However, it wasn’t easy to refuse Jayeon’s hopeful gaze and Jihye’s smile which resembled Saeyeon’s. In the end, I let out a sigh and spoke.
“Let’s ask Upperclassman Nabom first.”
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Upperclassman Nabom gave a flat answer.
“Absolutely not.”
······Should I say that I expected this? Upperclassman Nabom shook her head and continued.
“Underclassman Jin Jaro, where did your previous vigor go? Instead of creating time machines and robot maids with your own two hands, you’re going to invent them with the help of future information? Before I’m your daughter, I’m a civil servant, so I cannot agree to this in order to prevent a Bootstrap Paradox from occurring.”
“······No, wait, that’s what you’re going to make a rebuttal about?”
“I’m starting with that for starters.”
Upperclassman Nabom let out a deep sigh and turned to look at me.
“The next thing is the fact that you’re using Miss Jihye. Do you not think that it’s okay to treat one’s family as a tool? Moreover, Miss Jihye has yet to be invented in the older Jaim’s time frame as well. I can’t overlook this as an agent of the Time Bureau.”
As expected of a civil servant who’s faithful to their work. However······.
“Weren’t you planning to go back to the future like that as well, Sis?”
Once Jayeon said that with a vacant expression, Upperclassman Nabom opened her mouth as if she were about to say something before stopping. Upperclassman Nabom’s mouth opened and closed as if she were selecting her words before slowly speaking.
“······So you even told him about that.”
That gentle smile and tone looked more like she was dejected about something that was already too late rather than thinking about how she should teach Jayeon a lesson.
“I see······. Miss Jin Jaim truly does cause a problem at all times. Should I say that my work has become easier or more bothersome?”
I spoke towards Upperclassman Nabom who was shaking her head while smiling bitterly.
“Why didn’t you tell me? Did it not break this time?”
“It never broke in the first place.”
Upperclassman Nabom scratched the back of her head as if she couldn’t avoid this anymore and spoke.
“It was simply one of my plans to retrieve Miss Jihye. I was going to say that my time machine had broken down as an excuse to use her power source and retrieve her like that. If the older Miss Jaim hadn’t appeared, then I would have told you around this time, but it seems things have been messed up.”
She was behaving as if she had just gotten caught while pulling a small prank, but this didn’t feel like a small issue to me.
“······Then, does that mean there’s no problem with you going back to the future?”
“Ah, did you perhaps think that you could only send either myself or the older Jaim back to the future after hearing that? You truly worry a lot, Underclassman Jin Jaro.”
Upperclassman Nabom chuckled a bit before letting out a small sigh.
“In any case, this is troubling. I was searching for different methods to do that until now, but for it to be exposed like this. Why is it that nothing seems to be going right for me this time around?”
“······Then, are there no problems?”
Once I asked that carefully, Upperclassman Nabom shook her head.
“There are obviously problems. Even if you put aside the fact that my plan has been messed up, the issue I mentioned earlier still exists. Miss Jihye cannot go to that time period. Time itself will become twisted.”
“Time will be twisted? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I can’t give you an exact explanation. However······.”
“No. I need to know this. By time itself being twisted, are you saying that the future you mentioned before can be changed?”
Upperclassman Nabom tried to brush it off nonchalantly, but I hastily stopped her. I finally heard the words I wanted to hear from Upperclassman Nabom, after all. It might be because I cut her off in the middle of her sentence as Upperclassman Nabom was giving me an annoyed look, but I continued with my question.
“Am I right? You said that time itself will get messed up, so, in other words, that means either an incident that shouldn’t happen or something completely unexpected can happen, right? The future can change as a result of that, so that’s why you’re trying to stop it, isn’t it?”
Finally, I didn’t think it would come now or that it would come so easily, but I obtained an opportunity to dig into one of Upperclassman Nabom’s inconsistencies.
“I always thought it was weird. You said that the future can’t be changed, but you came here to keep an eye on Jaim. Despite having said that, whenever an incident that can potentially influence the future is about to happen like now, you either try to get it to stop or prevent it from happening entirely. The future can actually be changed, can’t it? I’m not sure why, but you’re simply trying to prevent us from changing it.”
“······Underclassman Jin Jaro.”
“Jayeon told me that your goal is to also change the past, Upperclassman Nabom. In truth, that’s your plan, isn’t it? I’m not sure why you’re saying that the future can’t be changed, but······!”
Once I got that far, Upperclassman Nabom lowered her head and let out a deep sigh.
When she raised her head again, her face was filled with an annoyed look that was as deep as her sigh.
“Even though I told you all that, you continue to think of pointless things.”
Her cold gaze and tone made me forget about my excitement and flinch. Upperclassman Nabom continued while shaking her head.
“For starters, the older Miss Jaim over there. You sure are able to say things you shouldn’t with that open mouth of yours, huh? And here I thought that you had some manners.”
Upperclassman Nabom was glaring at Jayeon with the same murderous intent that could freeze you in place which she would sometimes use, however, Jayeon snorted and folded her arms.
“I didn’t reveal your identity, though, did I? I was at least respectful towards that. You aren’t going to scare me even if you look at me like that. Do you think you can intimidate everyone with that? Idiot.”
Once Jayeon curtly said that last word, the vein on Upperclassman Nabom’s forehead twitched. Her vein popped out just now, didn’t it?
“This impudent brat······!”
······Her true face came out. Even though she was calmly talking about a serious topic just now, she was currently baring her teeth like Jaim and looking at Jayeon with the most annoyed look she could possibly muster. Of course, Jayeon also behaved in her own way and was glaring back at Upperclassman Nabom with a ‘what are you going to do about it?’ type of look. So this is what happens when you put two Jaims together, huh?
“Don’t you know you’re cutting off your own nose to spite your face? I grow up to be you, you know?”
“It honestly irritates me three times as much because of that. I don’t think I was like this when I was young.”
“What are you going to do about it? Oh, if you play your cards right, then you might get information contamination, huh? You weren’t like this when you were young, right? Shouldn’t you immediately go back to the future?”
“Seriously, this brat······!”
“Of course I’m serious. Do you think this is a joke? What? What are you going to do about it?”
But this sight was also refreshing in its own way. Jaim used to always be on the defense when going against Upperclassman Nabom. It was a bit interesting to see the roles reversed.
After deliberately provoking Upperclassman Nabom, Jayeon put a more serious expression on her face and spoke.
“I’m not going to let things go your way, Big Sis Nabom.”
Once she uttered those words, Upperclassman Nabom, who was nearly at her boiling point, froze.
Jayeon spoke with a confident tone and expression.
“I know what you’re thinking, Big Sis. I’m not going to let that sort of future come. Dad and I are going to combine our strengths and stop it.”
“······You know what I’m thinking?”
Upperclassman Nabom then laughed at Jayeon’s comment.
Jayeon stiffened as well once Upperclassman Nabom laughed.
Her face was smiling, but it wasn’t a pleasant or bitter smile. How should I explain it? It was a cruel smile that looked as if she were looking forward to seeing the struggle which the other party was going to experience. A smile that looked as if she were watching a person walking towards a trap.
Upperclassman Nabom breathed deeply. Inhale, exhale. Once she raised her head once more, her expression wasn’t that of Jaim’s, but of Upperclassman Nabom’s again. She looked calm, emotionless, and as if she knew something but wasn’t going to say it.
“All right. If you two are going to go this far, then I’ll also cooperate. I’m okay with you using Miss Jihye to go back to the future. If you require the technology, then I’ll help you with that as well. If you can change that future, then that’s fine with me. I’ll cooperate.”
The fact that she was saying this immediately after laughing like that and the fact that she was able to change her response so easily made it hard to take in those words at face value. If anything, it was nerve-racking.
“However, I have one condition.”
Upperclassman Nabom said that towards the silent me and I barely managed to ask back.
“What is it?”
“Don’t tell Underclassman Ja Saeyeon, the younger Jaim, and Miss Jihye about my true identity.”
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“How about this?”
“Mm······. I don’t think people will really enjoy it that much. If anything, wouldn’t people have more fun playing a truth or dare game with the lie detector? I feel like it would be better to let people play with your inventions since it’s the festival.”
“That’s a good suggestion. Certainly, compared to Underclassman Jin Jaro’s exhibition of self-satisfaction, this would receive a much better response.”
“But isn’t that design a bit weird? No matter how you look at it, it’s seething with Dad’s bizarre taste······.”
“Why? It’s cute, isn’t it? You and I both have a fond memory with it, don’t we?”
“I agree with the older Jaim. Cat ears are cute, aren’t they? The others will enjoy it!”
“Jjaro, where should I move this?”
“Ah, we decided to put that in the natural sciences teacher’s office. Will you be fine by yourself?”
“This isn’t heavy at all.”
“Nanda Oppa, let’s carry it together! Dad, don’t make Nanda Oppa carry heavy things! He already has a lot on his plate preparing for his performance!”
“Does Nanda have a higher priority than me? You don’t care about your Dad?”
“It can’t be helped. Both the kid and I are Nanda Oppa’s no. 1 fan!”
“It’s sad if you say that while latching on to my arm, you know?”
“Hahaha, you two still get along, huh. It’s fine, you two. Despite my appearance, my body has been trained through all the part-time jobs I’ve done. This much is easy for me. ······But it’s a bit weird saying ‘you two’······.”
“It still looks difficult to move by yourself. Would you like my assistance?”
“Are you okay with that, Jihye? It doesn’t feel right asking a girl for help.”
“Don’t worry about me, Mr. Shin Nanda. I’m a robot maid. Moving this much luggage isn’t even a task for me. Ah, that’s right. Once we’re back, we should take a short break. We can have some snacks as well.”
It was after school, a few days after that conversation with Upperclassman Nabom.
There was barely a week left until the festival. Even though no one was looking forward to the festival, the school gradually entered a festive mood the closer the festival approached. To be exact, only the students who were preparing something for the festival were.
And naturally, since I was also fated to prepare something for the festival, I was enjoying the festive mood in my own way after gathering like this with everyone after school. No, enjoying might not be the right word. I’m not the type of person who enjoys festivals, after all.
“Underclassman Jin Jaro, stop being jealous and bring your attention back here. Is Underclassman Ja Saeyeon not offering a good suggestion for a change?”
“What do you mean ‘for a change’, Big Sis Nabom······.”
I averted my gaze from the loud Jaims and the sight of Nanda and Jihye leaving the club room and brought my attention back to the table once more.
While Upperclassman Nabom, Saeyeon, and I decided on which general direction we wanted to take the exhibition, Nanda, the two Jaims, and Jihye handled the miscellaneous work like moving things around. Upperclassman Nabom and I were going to decide on our own, but Saeyeon didn’t like that because that would be taking her job away. It seems she remembered what I said back when she asked if she could help.
Moreover, since Saeyeon was helping, the two Jaims naturally came along like a set meal. Jaim seemed to think that I was distancing myself from her lately and Jayeon was reminiscing about her childhood. Since the two of them were coming along, Jihye declared, ‘If it’s a family matter, then I’m coming as well!’ and obstinately came with them. Nanda also started helping us before I knew it, saying, ‘I said I would help you guys, but you never called for me’.
Thanks to this, the club room was bustling. The room which normally seemed big when it was just the two of us felt very crowded right now.
Well, I honestly didn’t mind it.
I was by myself last year, after all.
Saeyeon had either acknowledged my club room as my personal space, or she simply didn’t have much to do here, so she never came, and Nanda rarely came to the club room as well. No Upperclassman Nabom, Jaim, or Jayeon. I was by myself.
I liked that, but now I preferred this noise.
If this was also a changed result, then it wasn’t bad.
“In any case, do you have any other suggestion, Underclassman Ja Saeyeon?”
“Mm, I feel like it’d be fun if we let people actually try out Jjaro’s inventions like that. It might be nice to sell them stuff if they’re interested in buying something. That much should be fine since it’s the festival, right?”
“Wait a second, Ja Saeyeon. I can’t allow my prestigious inventions to be sold to untaught masses who don’t know the value of my······.”
“Something like a bazaar? That’s a good idea. The majority of the stuff here are pieces of junk that only take up space, after all.”
“Ehehe······. Jjaro has been bad at organizing his stuff and getting rid of things for a long time. He piles them up saying that they’ll definitely be useful later on. Even though he never uses any of them in the end.”
“I see. That does match Underclassman Jin Jaro’s personality.”
Saeyeon smiled as she talked about me. Upperclassman Nabom responded with a mellow smile on her face. Although it seemed like a normal conversation, it appeared differently to me.
Until now, I thought that warm smile she would show towards Saeyeon was like a friendly smile she would show towards her underclassman, but I knew what it actually meant now.
Upperclassman Nabom has yet to reveal her true identity to everyone.
She set that condition, so I expected her to immediately tell everyone herself, and I was also contemplating how I should follow up, but she has yet to tell anyone.
“I’ll be the one to tell them, so don’t say anything, Underclassman Jin Jaro.”
Those words made me feel more restless.
Every one of Upperclassman Nabom’s actions had a goal. In other words, even trivial things were done for a reason. Each word and action she did. It’s to the point where I’m starting to wonder if she had an ulterior motive with even the joking conversations we had in this club room.
When does Upperclassman Nabom intend to tell them?
At what timing and what method does she intend to reveal herself with?
Also, why did she accept our request so easily with a condition like this? Was it simply like how she wanted me to recognize her myself, she wanted me to acknowledge her as Nabom as well? Was this a part of her plan? Why did she tell me?
I couldn’t ask her. She wouldn’t tell me either way.
Also······. I had a hunch for some reason.
I don’t believe in unscientific and uncertain things like ‘one’s feeling’. However, there are still times I have a feeling about something despite that. I’m also human, after all.
I have a feeling that I shouldn’t discover what Upperclassman Nabom’s secret ‘plan’ is and what the circumstances Jayeon is hiding are.
To be exact, in order to preserve our current relationships and continue to live like this.
But I have to know. Because Saeyeon only has 2 years left. I have to do something before then.
Honestly, I want to have hope. Both Jayeon and Upperclassman Nabom said it wasn’t a lie, and they both said that the past changes little by little.
Therefore, the hope that there’s a chance that, at the very least, I won’t experience this.
Obviously, I know that this is a vain hope.
If it were as simple as this, then there’s no way that Jayeon and Upperclassman Nabom would be going through this much trouble. For Saeyeon······. Yeah. Changing Saeyeon’s death is most likely an issue that requires an immeasurable amount of effort.
“······Dad?”
“Dad? What are you thinking so hard about?”
“Underclassman Jin Jaro? Pay attention.”
I must have been lost in my thoughts a bit too much as three voices spoke out to me worriedly while I was blankly looking up towards nothing.
A young voice, an energetic voice, and a calm voice.
Her, their voices were similar, but also slightly different.
I shook my head and did my best to smile.
“It’s nothing. There’s just a lot more I have to worry about since the festival is approaching.”
I didn’t lie. However, it seems they thought I was lying as only worried gazes were directed towards me.
“It’s okay, Jjaro. Everyone’s helping, aren’t they?”
And among them all, Saeyeon was the only one smiling.
Saeyeon let out a small sigh as if it couldn’t be helped and smiled teasingly while placing her hands on her hip.
“Seriously, the two of you. Even though you two didn’t study for the exams and only prepared for this, look at how much you’ve gotten done. You haven’t prepared even a single thing. I’m grateful that you left some work for me, though.”
······Wow, I was told I did a bad job by Saeyeon of all people.
Upperclassman Nabom smiled bitterly in response.
“I see. I have no excuse. In the end, the only preparation I’ve done is create a list of all of Underclassman Jin Jaro’s pieces of junk.”
“Don’t try to discreetly pass the blame on to me while saying that. You haven’t made a single thing despite being the club leader.”
It’s always my fault with her. Saeyeon beamed happily once she heard me complain. As if she preferred this atmosphere more.
Certainly, my dampened mood has lifted a bit. I’m not sure if Saeyeon is aware of this or not, but I’m always saved by her consideration.
“In any case, the faster you finish your preparations, Dad, the sooner I can go prepare for Nanda Oppa’s performance.”
Jaim must have noticed that the mood had lightened as she then complained while looking at me. What kind of preparation does Jaim have to do for the performance······?
“Don’t tell me you’re actually planning to create that banner?”
“I already offered to help.”
Jayeon answered the question I asked Jaim while blinking. I could only let out a sigh because of how matter-of-factly she had answered.
“Jaim managed to ask you, huh······.”
“I-I didn’t ask for her help!”
“We’re his number 1 fans. Despite my looks, I’ve frequently prepared for his debut performance. I’m already fully prepared! I thought it’d be a good idea for Jaim to learn this sooner, so I taught her.”
“I never asked you to teach me!”
“Stop trying to act tough in front of Mom and Dad. You cried out, ‘Really? Seriously’ when I said I would help and started jumping for joy. You really are bad at being honest~. Though, that’s why you’re cute!”
“Ububububu?!”
The two of them have gotten closer, huh. Be it both Jaim who acted cold at first but was now having her cheeks pulled on by Jayeon in a similar fashion to how I would do it, and Jayeon who strangely looked like she was enjoying herself as if she thought her cheeks, when she was young, were adorable. Rather than the same person, they looked more like a pair of sisters who got along well.
“Oh, right. Big Sis Nabom, are you not interested in Nanda Oppa’s performance?”
While pulling on Jaim’s cheeks which the modifier ‘chewy’ wasn’t awkward to use on, Jayeon turned to look at Upperclassman Nabom.
“······Why are you bringing me up?”
Upperclassman Nabom answered calmly, but once she said that, Jaim spoke up while rubbing her cheeks.
“Come to think of it, you had a bunch of posters of Nanda Oppa on your walls······.”
“T-That’s······.”
“Ah, that’s right. Big Sis Nabom had a lot of posters. Ehehe······.”
Saeyeon giggled. She said she just put them up because everyone already knows she’s from the future, but she must have not expected this sort of development as she panicked.
“I-It’s a misunderstanding. I told you then as well, but I’m an adult. I don’t like such childish music like trot. I just felt like giving my room the future vibe which I’m used to living in······.”
“Really? Then you aren’t going to go watch Nanda Oppa’s performance, right, Big Sis? Dad, during the festival, leave the exhibition to Big Sis Nabom and let’s go watch the performance together! Big Sis Nabom doesn’t seem interested, after all.”
“······This damn brat······.”
“Hm? Did you say something, Big Sis Nabom?”
“It’s nothing. Well, it’s not like I’m particularly uninterested. It’s the performance of an underclassman I’m on friendly terms with, so it would only be polite for myself to go watch as well.”
She quickly responded like that once Saeyeon looked at Upperclassman Nabom curiously the instant she momentarily revealed her true face, but once Jayeon giggled at her, Upperclassman Nabom bared her teeth once more. The two of them are starting to get along with Jaim, but they’re still at each other’s necks. Depending on your point of view, they’re like a pair of sisters that don’t get along······.
“We’re back. It’s a good thing that Jihye came with me. It was a lot heavier than I expected.”
“Fufu, it’s a relief that I was able to be of service. In any case, what was everyone talking about?”
Upperclassman Nabom was surprised by Nanda and Jihye’s well-timed return and turned her head. Jayeon had a mischievous and wicked grin on her face.
“We were talking about how Big Sis Nabom thinks trot is for kids and that she wasn’t going to watch Nanda Oppa’s performance!”
“When did I······?!”
“Haha······. That’s unfortunate. I’ve actually been practicing a fair amount for this······.”
“N-No! I’m obviously going to come and watch Underclassman Shin Nanda’s performance!”
“Nanda Oppa! Big Sis Nabom is actually your fan! She has a bunch of posters of you in her room!”
“Ehehe······. You’re quite popular, Nanda. Everyone who came from the future turned out to be your fan. Well, that’s expected since you do sing well!”
“I said it was a misunderstanding······.”
“That’s because he’s a world star. I may be a robot maid, but I’m also a fan. Now then, since we’re back, we can continue this conversation while taking a short break. I’ve actually been waiting for this moment!”
“Why does it feel like you’ve only been preparing snacks for us lately, Jihye······.”
“Jjaro, I tried baking some of the cookies today. Tell me if they’re good, okay?”
Before I knew it, the two Jaims were both teasing Upperclassman Nabom, Nanda was smiling happily, Jihye had brought some snacks after preparing them beforehand at home, and Saeyeon was looking up at me with a smile while holding on to my arm. This sight was so warm and cozy that I probably wouldn’t have been able to picture this last year.
I never knew that the fact I wasn’t alone could be so pleasant.
“Hahaha······.”
And I didn’t know that the fact I couldn’t protect this small happiness could be so terrifying.
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“So she’s really going to go back?”
“That’s why I’m repairing the time machine like this.”
It was night time and Mom had already gone to sleep. Dad answered my question without even turning to look at me. Yeah, it was probably weird to ask that when I already knew the answer.
“You sure you won’t feel sad?”
I did ask that after thinking about it a bit, but I regretted it the instant I asked. Dad’s hands stopped as he thought about my question for a moment before answering.
“Well, I’d be lying if I said I won’t be sad. But what can I do? She said she’s going back.”
“······That’s true.”
“Are you sure you aren’t the one who’s going to be sad?”
“I don’t really care if that weird girl goes back or not, you know?
I answered curtly to Dad’s remark which he had said while giving me a side-glance, but I honestly did feel sad. Well, we did get closer, after all. It feels weird knowing that she’s the future me.
“······Still, I don’t know what to think about Jihye going back.”
I instead used Jihye, who was lying next to us, as an excuse.
Jihye’s face looked peaceful as if she were asleep. I didn’t notice back in the future, but when I look at her like this, she really does look like Mom. Well, I don’t remember seeing Mom’s face properly in the future, so there’s no way I would have noticed. If anything, the memory I have of Mom’s face was similar to Jihye’s.
“I’ve been with her since I was little, and, well, we made up now, too. Seeing her like this······ is a bit.”
“······I at least agree with you on that.”
It seems Dad didn’t really like seeing this as well as he furrowed his brows.
Jihye’s hands were peacefully placed over each other and she was lying down not on a bed, but on Dad’s worktable like Sleeping Beauty. The front of her maid uniform was open and the maintenance cover which was normally hidden under her clothes was open, revealing her insides as a result. I don’t want to say this, but this looked like a scene straight from a movie where a corpse was being dissected, so I didn’t like it. Her power was off, so her chest which used to move up and down like a human’s was frozen stiff, and the power which used to make her skin warm had been cut off, so I was able to immediately feel the cold sensation of a machine the instant I touched her. She didn’t even budge an inch. It was genuinely like she was dead.
“······Do you really have to go this far?”
With his brow still furrowed, Dad smiled bitterly in response to my question. Dad smacked his lips as he always would whenever he felt troubled, but at this moment, I really didn’t like this reaction.
“But she said that this is the only method we can use to help her go back. Jihye also agreed, and Jihye said that she would help me research how to make robot maids while I’m at it. I felt like Jihye would get upset if I refused.”
“Still······.”
“Moreover, if I really create robot maids in the future, then something like this will happen often. It’s fine. She assured us that there wouldn’t be a problem, didn’t she? She also said that she was able to go back without any issues in the past.”
I was going to say something more, but once Dad cut me off in the middle of my sentence, I decided to stay quiet because I could tell that Dad was trying to rationalize the situation with his words. So I let out a sigh instead and changed the topic.
“Seriously, instead of doing something like this, you should give both me and Mom more attention. You’ve only been spending time with her lately.”
I honestly had a lot I wanted to say.
I had a lot of things I wanted to ask, a lot of things I wanted to get mad about.
However, I could only change the topic like this because I was afraid.
“It can’t be helped. I have to fix the time machine.”
Dad must have also been relieved by the change of topic as he grinned.
“Fess up, you care more about the older me than the time machine, don’t you? You’re seriously gross. You only like your older daughter.”
“She’s better than an underdeveloped brat. The daughter next to me only knows how to complain. You would also be cuter if you stayed still.”
“······I don’t know if I should get mad or tease you.”
“Seeing that you’re not getting mad, then that must mean it’s true that you like your dad. That’s creepy, kid.”
“You know you’re creepier for saying something like that to your daughter, right?”
I bared my teeth and growled, but I actually didn’t hate this that much. I could tell that Dad had changed, after all.
He probably wouldn’t have said these sort of things in the past.
Even if he’s only saying it as a joke, he would have never called me cute or said I liked him with his own mouth. He may have thought it, though. Nevertheless, right now, he’s accepted me as his daughter and accepted the fact that he was a dad. This alone made me happy.
So I decided to hold back the words I wanted to say.
If I don’t bring it up, then we’ll be able to enjoy this moment and smile together for a little bit longer, after all. This much was enough for now.
“Well, isn’t it a relief? This means you’re able to escape from being underdeveloped once you grow up. Of course, you’re 10 years old right now, but you’re tiny, have a bad personality, zero charm, and you’re like a coin because I can’t tell which side is the front or back······. Ow!”
“Can you stop talking about breasts?! You pedophile!”
“Don’t hit me with a wrench! Do you intend to kill your dad?!”
Still, as I thought, it’d be great if he at least had some manners.
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“He always belittles me. Every time.”
Big Sis Nabom chuckled in response to my complaint. This person always responds like this as well. What’s so funny about my complaining?
“No, it’s just funny to see you come to my place every time something like this happens.”
“I have nowhere else to go and I can’t talk behind Dad’s back with anyone else.”
Mom is out of the question, Jihye is always on Dad’s side, I can’t talk to Heyeong about these sort of things, and Nanda Oppa is busy. Big Sis Nabom smiled bitterly in response as she spoke.
“Well, be that as it may, it’s a bit troubling if you come to visit me every time.”
“What’s the problem? This is actually my house as well, isn’t it?”
“······You’re not wrong.”
Once I said that while brazenly stretching my legs out, Big Sis Nabom paused for a moment before nodding. It feels weird if I think about it. Of course, well, I figured I would grow up to be a tall and beautiful girl with a nice body, but how should I put it······.
“I didn’t look at your chest, so wipe that teasing look off of your face.”
“I wasn’t really going to tease you about that.”
······Ouch. I gnashed my teeth because of the teasing grin that had appeared after my instinctual shout. I blame the weird things my piece of garbage Dad would say. At any rate, I don’t like the way she’s chuckling. I don’t laugh like that. Yup. I don’t. You’re imagining things if you think that we came out similarly when we took a picture.
“In any case, did you come here today just to talk about that?”
“Why? Are you busy today?”
I blinked a couple of times and asked back. Normally, she would either exchange jokes with me and play along, or just be on the side and keep watch over me regardless of what I spent my time doing here, but today she was telling me to leave if I didn’t have any other business with her. Big Sis Nabom chuckled and placed her hand on top of my head before stroking it.
“I have to put some stuff in order and I don’t have a lot of time left now.”
······She did say she was leaving after the festival.
Big Sis Nabom looked around her room and spoke in a calm tone.
“I have to pack up my things in this place as well, and I also have to think about how I should deal with the family register I had created. I also have to finish preparing for the festival.”
The room was nearly empty. If you excluded the several posters of Nanda Oppa on the wall, then the room was so empty that it would be hard to believe that someone had lived here for more than half a year. Thinking about it now, she probably kept it like this because she was going to go back.
She didn’t tell me why she was going back. Whether it was because she didn’t have to observe me anymore or another reason, she didn’t tell me anything. She simply told me that she probably won’t come back to this time.
I feel like she wouldn’t want to leave this place where Dad, Mom, Jihye, and Nanda Oppa are. I could tell just by looking at her face, so I decided to simply say it teasingly.
“······But you don’t have to prepare anything for the festival. Dad’s the one who made everything and you’re not setting up an exhibition.”
“It can’t be helped. Roles with the word ‘leader’ attached to it are······.”
“Work, Ha Nabom.”
“······Why does it feel like you’re also only learning bad things from Underclassman Jin Jaro after each passing day. You shouldn’t cut people off in the middle of their sentence.”
I looked at Big Sis Nabom as she let out a sigh and spoke triumphantly.
“You were also like this when you were little, right? What do you mean why when you know how Dad is like?”
“······You shouldn’t say those sort of things about your own parent.”
“You of all people shouldn’t say that, Sis.”
She’s happily belittled Dad as much as she wanted until now. Big Sis Nabom let out another sigh. I can’t always be on the losing side. This was refreshing.
Still, I preferred to see that bitter smile.
“Well, at any rate, should I go home now, then?”
Regardless, I should at least let her get back to her work. Once I said that while standing up, Big Sis Nabom blinked in surprise. I tilted my head in response.
“Aren’t you telling me to go since you have work to do?”
“Ah······. I didn’t mean it like that······.”
“······?”
What’s up with her today? Just earlier, she was talking as if she wanted me to leave since she was busy, but now that I said I’m going to go, she’s acting as if ‘there’s no need for you to leave······.’. Is she telling me to leave or stay? With my head still tilted, I examined Big Sis Nabom’s face.
“Did something happen?”
“No, nothing happened, but······.”
Big Sis Nabom opened and closed her mouth several times as if she were contemplating whether she should say something or not, but she eventually gave in.
“Kid······. Are you not bothered by the fact I had kept my identity a secret?”
Once I gave Big Sis Nabom a blank look, she averted her gaze as if she were a child who was being scolded.
“Is this all you wanted to ask?”
Big Sis Nabom opened her eyes wide once I let out a sigh and said that.
“You had your circumstances, didn’t you?”
“Still······. Like the time I tried to forcefully take you back to the future and made you go through information contamination, stuff like that······. Didn’t these things bother you?”
“Uhm, Sis. You’re also me, so you should know, right?”
It felt weird the instant those words came out of my mouth, but since I had already started talking, I decided to continue.
“I don’t know why you came to the past and why you hid your identity from me. You wouldn’t have told me even if I asked, right? I know that it has something to do with me coming to the past. That’s why you probably messed with me and teased me whenever you saw me. Just behave as you always have. Don’t act like this just because you’re going back to the future soon. That’ll make things weirder.”
There may be things that Dad and Big Sis Nabom are hiding from me, but I decided to not pry any further. I decided to follow Mom’s lead, after all. I decided to follow Mom’s example and believe in Dad. That’s why I couldn’t ask Dad earlier.
“But······.”
“More importantly, how long do you intend to let Dad think that I don’t know? Are you just doing this to mess with him?”
Once I put my hands on my hips and snorted, Big Sis Nabom finally went back to being herself slightly.
“······I intend to keep it a secret until an appropriate opportunity presents itself. Underclassman Ja Saeyeon mustn’t know either, after all.”
“It would have been great if Dad was as sharp as I was.”
Big Sis Nabom chuckled in response to my remark.
“You only found out a couple of days ago as well. Furthermore, that was after I gave you an obvious hint.”
“Then how am I supposed to believe that that weird girl is me from the future? If you aren’t as broad-minded as I am, then you wouldn’t have accepted it.
“Sure, sure.”
Her hand was a bit gentle as it brushed my head.
“I was going to tell you later, sorry.”
“If you know you’re going to be sorry for doing something, then don’t do it in the first place.”
“······That’s, a bit impossible.”
Big Sis Nabom continued with a sad expression on her face.
“I wouldn’t be able to do anything if I didn’t.”
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“What’s the matter? Calling me out this late at night.”
A certain thing happened one day.
“There’s something I have to tell Underclassman Jin Jaro about the future. That’s why I called you out.”
A certain thing that no one else knows, something that I perhaps shouldn’t have known either.
It was during a night where Saeyeon was asleep and Jaim and Jayeon had been helping me fix the time machine. I went to a nearby convenience store because Upperclassman Nabom had called for me. Upperclassman Nabom was waiting at a table in front of the convenience store in casual clothes. There was a single can of beer on the table.
“······Were you drinking?”
“I’m an adult. Drinking alcohol is the least I can do.”
“You’re a high school student, though. You made your family registration like that as well, didn’t you?”
“I must seem my actual age when wearing normal clothes. It feels a bit weird not being asked for my ID. Would you like a can? I’ll buy you one.”
“I don’t have a hobby of drinking. I’m also underage. Moreover, they also say that alcohol is the enemy of brain cells.”
“How unfortunate. I wanted to try drinking with my dad for once. I could have dragged a drunk Underclassman Jin Jaro to an empty room and made it a done deal.”
“······Please stop making these type of jokes.”
Upperclassman Nabom chuckled lightly and tipped her beer can. This person is acting really strange today. There’s the fact she called me out all of a sudden and she’s also drinking like this. My expression must have been weird as Upperclassman Nabom looked at me with her half-closed, sleepy eyes and spoke.
“What’s the matter? Do you not like that your daughter is drinking alcohol?”
“······Well, there’s that as well. Why’d you call me out?”
It’s a bit weird that my daughter is older than me, but, as I thought, these sort of things are······. In any case, as her dad, I’m worried. Upperclassman Nabom smiled bitterly.
“Have a seat. I don’t think you’d want to talk while standing.”
Upperclassman Nabom pointed towards the chair on the other side of her table. All right, this is definitely strange. I was starting to grow wary of whatever she wanted to talk to me about that was making her behave like this, but I couldn’t go back now since I was already here. An atmosphere that prevented me from leaving was floating around. I sat down.
“Putting alcohol aside, would you like something else to drink?”
“Is this going to take long? The other two Jaims are waiting for me.”
“As I thought, you were repairing the time machine, weren’t you?”
“It would make things easier if you took her back yourself, Upperclassman Nabom.”
“Like I said, time will get messed up, so I can’t. Why? Does taking Miss Jihye apart bother you?”
“······I’m not taking her apart.”
“Even though you had said that you’d take her apart and look at her insides a while back.”
I answered her with a slightly stiff tone, but Upperclassman Nabom nonchalantly took a sip of her beer and spoke. Her eyes normally look sleepy, but today they seemed hazy.
“How much have you drank?”
“Despite my appearance, I have a strong tolerance against alcohol. I won’t get drunk from beer cans alone.”
Her words were slurred. Now that I look at her again, her face was red.
After uttering those words, she tossed her empty can into the trash can. I think she took the lid of the trash can off beforehand so she could do this. There were several crumpled cans. How long has she been doing this for?
“So know that what I’m going to tell you from this point forth isn’t being said because I’m drunk. Although it’s something that’s hard to say without the influence of alcohol.”
Nevertheless, I could at least hear those words painfully clearly.
My fear increased.
“A long time ago, I told you that I had a plan. And that if needed, I would tell you it.”
“······Yeah, you did.”
“So, as I planned, since the time has come, there is something I have to tell you, Underclassman Jn Jaro. However······.”
Upperclassman Nabom paused for a second as if she were carefully selecting her words before continuing.
“This time, I don’t know how the previous ‘Ha Naboms’ did it, but I’ll give you a choice, Underclassman Jin Jaro.”
“A······choice?”
Upperclassman Nabom nodded.
“What I’m going to tell you, is the reason why, Underclassman Ja Saeyeon passes away in 2 years.”
I stood up. I stood up so roughly that my chair fell over.
“You don’t have to be so anxious. That’s why I’m giving you a choice. Sit back down.”
“······What are you planning?”
But I didn’t feel like sitting down. I questioned her while standing. Upperclassman Nabom smiled bitterly.
“I told you before that if Underclassman Jin Jaro becomes aware of what happens in the future, then the future will truly be set in stone.”
That’s right. That’s why, even though I wanted to know, even though I genuinely did want to know, I couldn’t possibly ask her.
“After prying me for information, Underclassman Jin Jaro, you already found out about the truth which is the fact that Underclassman Ja Saeyeon is going to die in 2 years, even though I refused to tell you at first.”
That’s right. That’s why I’ve continued to suffer.
My greed, my greed that made me think that I could change the future if I were to know the reason why Saeyeon and I break up in the future. I had discovered the exact reason why Saeyeon and I split up.
“You can’t change this truth. Even if the older Jaim, Miss Jihye, and I were to return to the future, you already know.”
“But······!”
“That’s why I told you.”
Upperclassman Nabom looked at me with her hazy eyes and spoke.
“Are you going to find out the reason why Underclassman Ja Saeyeon passes away after it happens? Everything will end while you remain blissfully unaware, the end will come, but you will be able to spend your days happily. Or, will you learn the reason now and suffer endlessly as you try to do whatever you can to change or avoid that future? I’ll let you decide.”
“······.”
I understood her intention.
Even if I don’t hear the reason, Saeyeon will still die in 2 years and I will only learn of the reason at that moment. ‘Ah, so this is why Saeyeon dies.’ I’ll probably say something like this. Since I don’t know the reason, I won’t be able to avoid it, however, until that day arrives, the knowledge that Saeyeon will die will be in my head, but I’ll spend my time with her normally.
However, if I learn the reason here, then I’ll most likely spend the next 2 years struggling to avoid that reason. I’ll probably work hard. If the future truly can be changed, then I’ll change it since I’ve learned both the cause and result. But the 2 years will be painful. I’ll probably suffer trying to figure out what I have to do in order to change the future.
“······Before that, I want to ask one question.”
“What is it?”
“My previous iterations······ what did they choose?”
Upperclassman Nabom smirked at me the instant I asked that.
“I told you, didn’t I? I told you that this has never happened before. The reason why I’m giving you this choice is due to the fact that my plan was messed up by the older Miss Jaim’s appearance. Originally, by this point, you wouldn’t have been able to endure the situation any longer and you would have come to me looking for answers once more. That was a part of my plan. However, due to the older Miss Jaim’s appearance, a lot of things have been tangled up. There’s a chance that this loop might actually be special.”
There was a hint of regret and envy in her eyes when she uttered that last part. Those words confirmed it for me. It confirmed that what Jayeon had said about Upperclassman Nabom failing was true. Upperclassman Nabom averted her gaze and spoke.
“······I even have a feeling that if I help Underclassman Jin Jaro this time, a different outcome might be achieved.”
“······Then how about doing that instead?”
If even this person were to help me, if this person who had failed were to help me as well, then the outcome will definitely be changed. I had this feeling.
However, Upperclassman Nabom shook her head.
“I can’t. At the very least, I can’t.”
Before I could even ask her why she couldn’t, Upperclassman Nabom turned to look at me once more. Her eyes which had been shining dully with a drunken haze until now were now clear.
“That’s why I’ll provide you with some expedient help instead. You decide, Underclassman Jin Jaro. I’ll oblige with whatever you choose.”
“······.”
Don’t hear the reason. Something inside of my head was whispering that to me.
This is a rare chance. Upperclassman Nabom giving me a chance like this must mean that I shouldn’t let it slip. Don’t hear the answer. Just live ignorantly. If I do, then I can be happy right now. People all die sooner or later. They’re able to live happily because they don’t know how it’ll happen. I can overcome it.
But. Despite that.
“Still, it can’t be avoided, can it?”
I knew. I knew that the cause of Saeyeon’s death was most likely not a coincidence. If it were simply an accident, then these sort of events wouldn’t have occurred.
“It’s an unavoidable reason, isn’t it?”
Upperclassman Nabom didn’t answer, but she nodded her head.
Until now, my belief that I could do anything had caused problems. My belief that I was amazing was always an issue.
However, nevertheless, despite this.
“Then I’ll hear it.”
If I can’t avoid Saeyeon’s death in the end.
I’d rather learn the reason and do whatever I can to stop it.
I’m not being greedy. I know this is a mistake. But it can’t be helped. I can’t give up here. There’s no way that I could laugh and live normally when I know that Saeyeon will die in 2 years and while also afraid of an unknown reason.
I can’t always look at Saeyeon with this current mindset.
“······You really are an idiot, Underclassman Jin Jaro.”
Upperclassman Nabom chuckled in response to my answer.
“Even though you regretted it immensely last time as well.”
It was a laugh that sounded as if all of her hopes were truly crushed.
“It would have probably been easier if you accepted the fact that the future can’t be changed.”
“There’s no way that I would accept that.”
I had a feeling that I’ll probably regret this, that I’ll regret it the instant I hear the reason. My anxiety was shouting at me to stop. It was wailing.
“If I’ve already made a mistake, then I have no other choice but to go until the very end.”
But I’ll regret it even if she doesn’t tell me and I’ll regret it even if she does tell me.
So regardless of my choice, the regret in my heart won’t stop. I’ve regretted and cried out of sight many times. Without anyone knowing so I wouldn’t make them worry. In order to appear as strong as possible and protect my family, I cried by myself.
Even if a larger despair is waiting for me, if I see even a thread of hope, I have to grab it. People say that the most dangerous thing about Pandora Box was the hope that remained inside of it. Because people refuse to lose hope no matter the situation, because people believe that things will work out somehow, they suffer even more. Humans are fundamentally cursed.
“Tell me the reason why Saeyeon dies.”
In response to my request, Upperclassman Nabom gave me the answer.
I flipped the table over.
I grabbed Upperclassman Nabom’s collar.
“······I knew you would react like this.”
“What, did, you say······?!”
“This is why I told you that you would regret it.”
Even though it should be difficult for her to even breathe properly because of how hard I was holding her collar, Upperclassman Nabom looked at me with pitying eyes. Her face looked calm. That calmness upset me even more. My hands inadvertently tightened around her collar. Upperclassman Nabom didn’t resist. She didn’t even let out a stifled sound.
Instead, Upperclassman Nabom spoke calmly.
“······That’s why you can’t change the future, Underclassman Jin Jaro.”
Once I heard those words,
I lost the strength in my hands. I fell to the floor. I heard the sound of the part-time worker working in the convenience store come outside because of the loud sound the table made as it fell over. Upperclassman Nabom simply looked down at me without a word.
Aah, so that’s why.
So, that’s why.
This is unfair.
This is way too unfair.
It was just as Upperclassman Nabom had said.
I can’t change the future.
I can’t protect this tiny happiness no matter what I do.
There is no future together with Saeyeon and Jaim.
“Then what did you do last year for the festival?”
“Your mom has been a part of the Cross-stitch Club since last year, so our club put the cross-stitches we did last year on display. We’re going to display our cross-stitches this year as well.”
“You did something like that?”
It was Monday night. I decided to ask Mom about the festival.
Mom chuckled and took out her phone and showed me the accessory on it.
“I actually cross-stitched this as well.”
“Oh······. You’re really good, Mom!”
Until now, I naturally thought that she had bought that, but knowing that Mom made it herself made me see her in a completely new light. Mom shyly scratched her cheek.
“I’m not that great······. Right, do you want me to also teach you, Jaim?”
“Mm······. I do want to learn how, but I’m okay.”
Mom had a disappointed smile on her face once I said that, but it couldn’t be helped since these sort of things honestly didn’t suit me. Doll making is okay, but knitting with these sort of thin strings isn’t my style. I’d rather mess with some circuits. Come to think of it, this must be because I resemble Dad. It would have been better if I resembled Mom more.
“Are your preparations going well, Mom?”
Once I asked her that while handing the accessory back to her, Mom nodded.
“Yup. I’ve been doing my best to prepare for a long time now. That’s why, other than helping Jjaro, I don’t have much else to prepare. My friends said that they would handle the rest on their own.”
“I see······.”
No wonder. A couple of Mom’s friends asked me before how Mom’s relationship with Dad was going. They must have wanted Mom and Dad to have a heated time together preparing for the festival. Seriously, Mom is popular with the people around her. In one of my favorite manga, they usually tease the girl for having a boyfriend. Is this what being blessed with good people is like?
“Hm? Why are you smiling like that while looking at me?”
Oh. it seems I had a teasing look on my face. I shook my head in response and spoke.
“Then is it normal to hold an exhibition for festivals like you and Dad?”
“Mm······. Not really. It’s different for each club. There are clubs that participate, and there are clubs that skip it. Honestly, there aren’t a lot of clubs that take part in the festival. I have friends who ask why you would want to look around the festival when you can just go out on that day and hang out outside of school. Even though the festival is fun······.”
Mom had a slightly disappointed smile on her face as she continued.
“There are clubs that do exhibitions, operate something like a cafe, do tarot card readings, and, what was it called······. You know the camera that has a picture come out the instant you take a picture, right? What was it called······?”
“A Polaroid camera?”
“Ah, yeah, that. There are clubs that take your picture for you. There are also clubs that sell food like hotdogs or snacks. Ah, they also sell cotton candy in front of the school.”
“Do people not do performances or plays? Or maybe something like a ghost house or a beauty contest? They usually do a lot of fun things in manga.”
“Hmm······. We don’t do things like that······. Ah, but student-made bands will perform and the theater group will perform a play in the auditorium. I heard Nanda is going to do a performance this year as well.”
“Nanda Oppa is going to sing?!”
After hearing Mom’s explanation, I thought the festival would be more disappointing than I expected, but it’s a different story if Nanda Oppa is going to perform!
“Mom, do you think I’ll be able to order a banner with my allowance? Would I be too late if I start preparing now? How many balloons should I prepare? Where do they sell glow sticks?!”
“I-I don’t really know······.”
Mom’s troubled expression made me a bit sad, but I can’t hide my fan, no, my fanatic-like tendencies!
While I was contemplating how I should cheer for Nanda Oppa’s performance as his No. 1 fan to have good rumors about his performance circulate, Mom’s expression strangely became darker. I don’t think it’s because of my fan-like behavior.
“What’s wrong, Mom? Are you not looking forward to the festival? Is it because of me?”
“No, of course I’m looking forward to it, but······.”
A sad smile appeared on Mom’s face once I asked that with blinking eyes. Even I could tell what that expression meant. My excitement settled down slowly.
“Right······. Big Sis Nabom said she’s leaving after the festival······.”
On the weekend, it seemed like Dad and Big Sis Nabom’s relationship had become weird, so we decided to go visit Big Sis Nabom under Mom’s suggestion. It was then that Big Sis Nabom told us. She told us that she was returning to the future after the festival was over.
I did ask her why she was going to leave me on my own and go back even though her mission was clearly to watch over me, but Big Sis Nabom refused to tell us. She simply said that she had a fun time until now.
“······Yeah.”
With a regretful and sad look on her face, Mom looked towards Dad’s closed room. After Dad came back from visiting Big Sis Nabom because Mom and Jihye had urged him to, he shut himself in his room once more. He said he had to prepare and that he wanted to concentrate right now.
I wanted to complain or tell him that I could help, but Dad asked to be left alone for now. Mom also said that we should leave him be for now, but I’m honestly worried.
“······If you’re that worried, should I check in on him for a second?”
Jihye, who had been listening to our conversation since earlier while smiling, asked that carefully. Mom blinked a couple of times and asked back.
“You’re going to check in on him, Miss Jihye?”
“Yes. I can go in saying that I’ve prepared some late-night snacks. I can probably check on Master’s condition, too. I might be able to talk to him a little while I’m at it.”
“Then······ would you mind?”
Mom gave Jihye a nod. She must have thought it would be better if Jihye went instead of her. Dad has been strangely having a hard time being around Mom as of late. Jihye smiled gently and nodded before turning towards me. It seems she wanted to get my permission as well.
Honestly, I want to go in myself saying that I could help with his work. It would be nice if I could be the one to support him, after all, but······.
“Could you please?”
Jihye is also a part of our family. Jihye smiled more brightly this time before heading towards the kitchen.
······Just how much does Dad intend to make us worry?
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“Come to think of it, when are you going to head back?”
Jayeon let out a small sigh and turned towards me.
“Why? Are you gradually trying to kick me out?”
The same reaction, huh. That wasn’t particularly what I meant, so I shook my head.
“No, you came here by mistake while testing the time machine, didn’t you? Then shouldn’t you start making your way back? Didn’t you say my future self would be worried?”
It’s been 2 weeks since Jayeon had appeared. My future self should be extremely worried since Jaim had disappeared for 2 weeks since the experiment. It was to the point that I didn’t even want to imagine myself in that situation. Moreover, my future self probably doesn’t know whether she can come back or not. It didn’t feel nice knowing that my future self was in a situation which I didn’t even want to imagine.
“Well, I feel like you should have a vague idea why······.”
I questioned her once she said that with a shrug.
“I should know? Didn’t you say that your future self didn’t come to the past when you were little?”
“But you know in this timeline, don’t you? Then your future self should remember as well. Probably.”
Jayeon said that with a bitter smile. I understood what she was trying to say. Since I know that fact right now, my future self must naturally know as well. Since according to Upperclassman Nabom, you can change the past, but not the future.
Nevertheless, this didn’t happen in the future Jayeon is from, so the me in that time frame wouldn’t know, but since she said there are no parallel universes······.
“······This seems to be hurting your head a lot. You shouldn’t even have to think this much about it anyway. In any case, what I’m trying to say is that you don’t have to worry. Big Sis Nabom grew up like that and came to the past, didn’t she? You know that Big Sis Nabom is me, so even if you don’t consider the first thing, you still know that I safely return to the future.”
Once Jayeon saw me let out a groan due to my headache, she massaged my shoulders as she spoke. Yeah. She’s right. I decided to leave it like this since I felt like my head would blow up if I thought about it any further.
Future me is pretty amazing, huh? He was able to create a time machine after understanding all this, right? I have no idea how he accomplished this.
“Regardless, I definitely should start making my way back······.”
While smiling bitterly, Jaim took out the terminal which she had showed me before and tapped on it with her fingers.
“Can you not fix it here?”
Jaim shook her head.
“It’s not like I can’t fix it. It isn’t a major issue.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“The issue is the electrical power. It seems it doesn’t have enough output······.”
Jayeon tapped her lip with her finger as if she were troubled and continued.
“When I checked, the component that manages the output is broken. That’s why I wasn’t able to go back to the future back then. It’s not a big component, so it’d be simple if I have the part to replace it with, but if I don’t have that······.”
“You have to stay here until that component comes out?”
Jayeon shook her head in response to my question.
“No, there’s no need to do that. I can make a replacement here, after all. Similar to how you repaired my game console.”
That’s right. A long time ago, I was able to somewhat repair the game console that Jaim brought. There’s no way that I could properly repair a device from the future, so in the end, Jaim complained to me that its performance went down a lot. Wait, if that’s the case, then.
“The performance of the game console went down, so would it really be fine to create the component here and use it? You sure something won’t happen?”
“Seriously, you’re such a worrywart, Dad. The trip back is a lot simpler than the trip here, so it should be fine.”
Jayeon grinned brightly as she said that.
“Also, there’s no way that you would mess up, Dad. I believe in you, so it’ll definitely be all right.”
“······.”
I have no idea what to say in response to that smile and those words. Jayeon beamed once I scratched my cheek.
“Ah, you’re blushing. Ahaha.”
“Sh-shut it. So you’re saying that we have to make it here?”
“If I want to go back, then probably. Can you help me, Dad?”
“If it’s just that much, then it shouldn’t be an issue. But it’ll probably take some time.”
For starters, there are the preparations for the festival, and I’ll have to do all sorts of calculations for things like the output and make something. Furthermore, I can’t mess up. She told me that she believed in me, after all. This was different from the time I created a charger for her game console.
“But do you really have to go out of your way to do this when you can just ask Upperclassman Nabom? She has a time machine as well, doesn’t she?”
“I’m not sure. Things might turn out the same even if you ask her. I don’t remember that well, but I recall Big Sis Nabom had a problem as well when she was about to go back.”
“She had a problem going back?”
“My memory of it is a bit vague, so it’s not accurate, but I remember Big Sis Nabom asking you for help because she had some sort of problem. Ah, that’s right. That’s why the two of you cooperated······.”
Jayeon nodded to herself in the middle of her sentence. However, this makes things a bit strange. If there’s going to be a problem, then shouldn’t Upperclassman Nabom know about it already? But she hasn’t said anything about it. She only said she was going back. Is this also a trivial difference? Will there be no problems this time?
“Master, do you have a moment?”
I heard the sound of knocking at the door. It was Jihye.
“Late-night snacks?”
“Yes. I believed you’d start feeling slightly peckish around now. May I come in?”
Jihye sure likes preparing late-night snacks for me. Well, it’s been a while since we had dinner, so I was feeling a little hungry, and I also wanted to take a break because my head was starting to hurt, so I opened the door.
“Are your preparations for the festival going well?”
Jihye smiled brightly as she put down a sandwich and two cups of coffee. I shook my head honestly.
“Not really. It isn’t going as well as I want it to.”
One of the conclusions Upperclassman Nabom and I came to was to display not only my pre-existing inventions, but my undisclosed ones as well. However, inventions aren’t things that come out clearly. I took a sip of my coffee and joked.
“If possible, I want to display you, Jihye, as my invention.”
“You can’t. I’m not something that the current you had made, Master. It’s an exhibition, isn’t it? You can’t cheat.”
“How strict······.”
I chuckled in response to Jihye’s blunt response. This outcome was a given. All things aside, I’m not the one who had personally created her, after all. I took another sip from my coffee. It was then that I noticed something a bit late.
“Huh? Come to think of it, why are there two cups of coffee?”
Both Jaim and Jayeon should prefer drinking juice. Jayeon raised her hand slightly once I asked that. She held the cup with her other hand.
“Ah, I asked for it.”
“The older Miss asked me to prepare coffee for her today.”
“You drink coffee? Youngsters shouldn’t drink coffee.”
Jayeon, who had been blowing on her cup of coffee, pouted in response.
“Middle school students are at an age where they know how to enjoy the taste of coffee. More importantly, what do you mean youngsters shouldn’t drink coffee? I didn’t see you like that, but you’re a lot more worn out than you appear, huh, Dad?”
“What do you mean worn out······?”
As expected of Jaim. She has a foul tongue on her. Jayeon uttered an audible ‘hmph’ while baring her teeth before stirring her cup and bringing it to her nose. It seems she was enjoying the fragrance in her own way.
“Hoo······. As I thought, the scent of black coffee calms you down. This genuine, mellow fragrance······.”
“Are you not going to put sugar or milk in yours?”
“Fufufu. Coffee should be bitter like life······. Someone once said that coffee is black like demons, pure like angels, hot like Hell, and sweet like love······.”
“······.”
This girl’s chuunibyou is a lot worse than I thought, huh? No, well, I’m probably the one who said ‘coffee should be bitter like life’······. Yeah, I’m also a chuunibyou. What are you going to do about it?
“An elegant woman must be able to enjoy the leisure of this single cup.”
Jayeon stirred her cup with skilled movements before taking a sip of her hot coffee. With a profound gaze and while brushing her hair behind her ear, the black liquid touched her wet lips and flowed into her mouth.
“······Pbbt.”
And she spat it out while scowling.
“Keh, ehem, hbb, t-the coffee is a bit bitter, huh?”
She immediately put down her cup and stuck her lips out. She was biting her tongue a bit as well. Yeah, I knew this would happen.
“······You’ve never had coffee before, have you?”
“T-there’s always a first time for everything.”
Jayeon tried to wipe the taste off of her tongue with her hand. Jihye also let out a small sigh and poured some sugar and milk into Jayeon’s cup as if she had expected this.
“That’s why I told you it was too early for you, Miss.”
“Uu······. Adults drink black coffee.”
“The fact you think that means that you’re still a kid······.”
Jayeon glared at me sharply once I said that.
“What? You probably started drinking black coffee because you thought that as well.”
“······.”
I simply drank my coffee instead of answering her. How did she know? Jayeon nodded as if she had read through me before looking down at her lighter-toned cup of coffee with disappointment.
“I wanted to drink black coffee like Dad······.”
“······Well, you’ll probably be able to drink it over time.”
I wonder if Upperclassman Nabom started drinking coffee for the same reason.
Jihye giggled as she watched us before speaking up.
“In any case, you should handle your own problems yourself, Master. It may be difficult now, but you’ll definitely create me in the future.”
Yeah. I’ve only created half-baked things until now, but in the future, I’m going to create robot maids like Jihye and a time machine. It’s really hard to believe, though. No matter how many times I think about it, creating a robot that moves like a human, an artificial intelligence that thinks like a human, and a time machine that travels through time seems impossible to me.
“My future self sure is amazing. Robot maids and time machines, I can’t even start to grasp at these things right now······.”
Once I said those words mixed with bitterness, Jayeon, who had been drinking her coffee with a sulky look on her face, opened her eyes wide. What’s up with her all of a sudden?
“Ah, that’s right.”
Jayeon spoke as if my words had made her realize something. I don’t know how I should feel about her responding like that to those words. I smiled bitterly and asked.
“What’s up?”
“I know how to fix my time machine.”
What did she find out? Rather, how did she figure it out? Jihye seemed to also be confused as her eyes were also opened widely. Jayeon spoke while pointing at Jihye.
“You’re the one who made both the time machine and Jihye, right, Dad? If I use Jihye, then I should be able to activate the time machine.”
“What?”
“I’m saying that if I use the component attached to Jihye, then I should be able to reach the output needed to operate my time machine. You don’t have to go out of your way to start making the component yourself.”
“By using······ me?”
Jihye tilted her head and pointed at herself. Ah, I see. Jihye is a robot maid that came from the future. I’m not sure what the component is, but if it’s a common component, then there’s a high chance that it was used to create Jihye as well. Furthermore, I’m the one who made them both, so they might be compatible. But.
“No.”
I shook my head.
“I can’t allow you to disassemble Jihye. Jihye isn’t an object. Do you think I’d be able to just take a family member apart?”
“Master······.”
A happy expression appeared on Jihye’s face. Jayeon pouted and retorted.
“Wait a second, you’re making it sound like I think Jihye is an object. That’s not what I meant. We don’t have to take her apart either.”
“Didn’t you say you needed a component? Weren’t you going to take her apart and take it out?”
“No! Even I consider Jihye to be a part of our family. There’s no way I would do something so cruel. What kind of daughter do you think I am?”
“Miss······.”
Now Jihye looked so happy that she was on the brink of tears because of Jayeon’s words. I get why she’s reacting like this, but that reaction made me feel embarrassed. Jayeon went back and forth between pointing at her terminal and Jihye as she explained.
“Instead of going out of our way to do that, I can connect the time machine directly to Jihye. I’ll use Jihye’s power and travel back to the future with her. Well, at most, I’ll have to open her top and connect some wires.”
“‘Open her top’, you’re sneaking in some cruel words······.”
No matter how you think about it, that sounds like she’s treating her like a robot. Jayeon said one more thing once I muttered that.
“Big Sis Nabom went back to the future like that as well.”
“······Wait, what?”
What is she saying all of a sudden? Jayeon answered while blinking.
“Ah, now I remember. When Big Sis Nabom was going back to the future and her time machine broke, she did this with Jihye in order to go back. That’s why Jihye went back to the future as well. Why did I forget this?”
Jayeon tilted her head as she pondered about it. It seems like she sincerely didn’t know why she didn’t remember this until now, but is that what happens? But Upperclassman Nabom hasn’t shown any signs of······.
“In any case, there’s no problem if it’s like this, right?”
Jayeon’s words brought me out from my head.
“No, wait a moment. Let’s get Jihye’s opinion first······.”
“I don’t mind.”
My mouth fell agape as I turned to look at Jihye who had said that as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Jihye smiled almost exactly like Saeyeon.
“I’m truly happy about your thoughts, Master, since I can tell that you sincerely do cherish me like a part of your family. However, if I’m a part of the family, then as I thought, I believe that I should help the older Miss. Your future self must definitely be worried as well.”
Jihye continued with a joking tone.
“Furthermore, haven’t you also done something like ‘open my top’ before, Master? Please don’t reprimand the Miss about it too much.”
“No, that was······.”
Jihye must have found my reaction to be enjoyable as she giggled. She then continued with a slightly more serious gaze.
“Since the Miss has both you and the Missus with her, I believe that it should be fine if I leave for a brief moment. If anything, I can come back again, after all. You don’t have to worry like that.”
“See? Jihye said it’s fine as well.”
Jayeon grinned in response to Jihye’s remark.
“Ah, that’s right. You need to help as well, Dad. It’d be too much for me by myself. I’ll also help you in return, Dad! If you repair it with me and learn the fundamentals of robot maids and time machines, then that should make it easier for you in the future to develop them, right? It’s fine. You’re going to invent them anyway, so it should be fine for you to receive some hints, right?”
Jayeon furtively latched on to my arm and winked at me as an attempt to charm me. It seems she wanted to return to the me in the future who she got closer with. Regardless, something about this didn’t feel right······. More importantly, doesn’t this mean Upperclassman Nabom won’t be able to go back?
However, it wasn’t easy to refuse Jayeon’s hopeful gaze and Jihye’s smile which resembled Saeyeon’s. In the end, I let out a sigh and spoke.
“Let’s ask Upperclassman Nabom first.”
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Upperclassman Nabom gave a flat answer.
“Absolutely not.”
······Should I say that I expected this? Upperclassman Nabom shook her head and continued.
“Underclassman Jin Jaro, where did your previous vigor go? Instead of creating time machines and robot maids with your own two hands, you’re going to invent them with the help of future information? Before I’m your daughter, I’m a civil servant, so I cannot agree to this in order to prevent a Bootstrap Paradox from occurring.”
“······No, wait, that’s what you’re going to make a rebuttal about?”
“I’m starting with that for starters.”
Upperclassman Nabom let out a deep sigh and turned to look at me.
“The next thing is the fact that you’re using Miss Jihye. Do you not think that it’s okay to treat one’s family as a tool? Moreover, Miss Jihye has yet to be invented in the older Jaim’s time frame as well. I can’t overlook this as an agent of the Time Bureau.”
As expected of a civil servant who’s faithful to their work. However······.
“Weren’t you planning to go back to the future like that as well, Sis?”
Once Jayeon said that with a vacant expression, Upperclassman Nabom opened her mouth as if she were about to say something before stopping. Upperclassman Nabom’s mouth opened and closed as if she were selecting her words before slowly speaking.
“······So you even told him about that.”
That gentle smile and tone looked more like she was dejected about something that was already too late rather than thinking about how she should teach Jayeon a lesson.
“I see······. Miss Jin Jaim truly does cause a problem at all times. Should I say that my work has become easier or more bothersome?”
I spoke towards Upperclassman Nabom who was shaking her head while smiling bitterly.
“Why didn’t you tell me? Did it not break this time?”
“It never broke in the first place.”
Upperclassman Nabom scratched the back of her head as if she couldn’t avoid this anymore and spoke.
“It was simply one of my plans to retrieve Miss Jihye. I was going to say that my time machine had broken down as an excuse to use her power source and retrieve her like that. If the older Miss Jaim hadn’t appeared, then I would have told you around this time, but it seems things have been messed up.”
She was behaving as if she had just gotten caught while pulling a small prank, but this didn’t feel like a small issue to me.
“······Then, does that mean there’s no problem with you going back to the future?”
“Ah, did you perhaps think that you could only send either myself or the older Jaim back to the future after hearing that? You truly worry a lot, Underclassman Jin Jaro.”
Upperclassman Nabom chuckled a bit before letting out a small sigh.
“In any case, this is troubling. I was searching for different methods to do that until now, but for it to be exposed like this. Why is it that nothing seems to be going right for me this time around?”
“······Then, are there no problems?”
Once I asked that carefully, Upperclassman Nabom shook her head.
“There are obviously problems. Even if you put aside the fact that my plan has been messed up, the issue I mentioned earlier still exists. Miss Jihye cannot go to that time period. Time itself will become twisted.”
“Time will be twisted? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I can’t give you an exact explanation. However······.”
“No. I need to know this. By time itself being twisted, are you saying that the future you mentioned before can be changed?”
Upperclassman Nabom tried to brush it off nonchalantly, but I hastily stopped her. I finally heard the words I wanted to hear from Upperclassman Nabom, after all. It might be because I cut her off in the middle of her sentence as Upperclassman Nabom was giving me an annoyed look, but I continued with my question.
“Am I right? You said that time itself will get messed up, so, in other words, that means either an incident that shouldn’t happen or something completely unexpected can happen, right? The future can change as a result of that, so that’s why you’re trying to stop it, isn’t it?”
Finally, I didn’t think it would come now or that it would come so easily, but I obtained an opportunity to dig into one of Upperclassman Nabom’s inconsistencies.
“I always thought it was weird. You said that the future can’t be changed, but you came here to keep an eye on Jaim. Despite having said that, whenever an incident that can potentially influence the future is about to happen like now, you either try to get it to stop or prevent it from happening entirely. The future can actually be changed, can’t it? I’m not sure why, but you’re simply trying to prevent us from changing it.”
“······Underclassman Jin Jaro.”
“Jayeon told me that your goal is to also change the past, Upperclassman Nabom. In truth, that’s your plan, isn’t it? I’m not sure why you’re saying that the future can’t be changed, but······!”
Once I got that far, Upperclassman Nabom lowered her head and let out a deep sigh.
When she raised her head again, her face was filled with an annoyed look that was as deep as her sigh.
“Even though I told you all that, you continue to think of pointless things.”
Her cold gaze and tone made me forget about my excitement and flinch. Upperclassman Nabom continued while shaking her head.
“For starters, the older Miss Jaim over there. You sure are able to say things you shouldn’t with that open mouth of yours, huh? And here I thought that you had some manners.”
Upperclassman Nabom was glaring at Jayeon with the same murderous intent that could freeze you in place which she would sometimes use, however, Jayeon snorted and folded her arms.
“I didn’t reveal your identity, though, did I? I was at least respectful towards that. You aren’t going to scare me even if you look at me like that. Do you think you can intimidate everyone with that? Idiot.”
Once Jayeon curtly said that last word, the vein on Upperclassman Nabom’s forehead twitched. Her vein popped out just now, didn’t it?
“This impudent brat······!”
······Her true face came out. Even though she was calmly talking about a serious topic just now, she was currently baring her teeth like Jaim and looking at Jayeon with the most annoyed look she could possibly muster. Of course, Jayeon also behaved in her own way and was glaring back at Upperclassman Nabom with a ‘what are you going to do about it?’ type of look. So this is what happens when you put two Jaims together, huh?
“Don’t you know you’re cutting off your own nose to spite your face? I grow up to be you, you know?”
“It honestly irritates me three times as much because of that. I don’t think I was like this when I was young.”
“What are you going to do about it? Oh, if you play your cards right, then you might get information contamination, huh? You weren’t like this when you were young, right? Shouldn’t you immediately go back to the future?”
“Seriously, this brat······!”
“Of course I’m serious. Do you think this is a joke? What? What are you going to do about it?”
But this sight was also refreshing in its own way. Jaim used to always be on the defense when going against Upperclassman Nabom. It was a bit interesting to see the roles reversed.
After deliberately provoking Upperclassman Nabom, Jayeon put a more serious expression on her face and spoke.
“I’m not going to let things go your way, Big Sis Nabom.”
Once she uttered those words, Upperclassman Nabom, who was nearly at her boiling point, froze.
Jayeon spoke with a confident tone and expression.
“I know what you’re thinking, Big Sis. I’m not going to let that sort of future come. Dad and I are going to combine our strengths and stop it.”
“······You know what I’m thinking?”
Upperclassman Nabom then laughed at Jayeon’s comment.
Jayeon stiffened as well once Upperclassman Nabom laughed.
Her face was smiling, but it wasn’t a pleasant or bitter smile. How should I explain it? It was a cruel smile that looked as if she were looking forward to seeing the struggle which the other party was going to experience. A smile that looked as if she were watching a person walking towards a trap.
Upperclassman Nabom breathed deeply. Inhale, exhale. Once she raised her head once more, her expression wasn’t that of Jaim’s, but of Upperclassman Nabom’s again. She looked calm, emotionless, and as if she knew something but wasn’t going to say it.
“All right. If you two are going to go this far, then I’ll also cooperate. I’m okay with you using Miss Jihye to go back to the future. If you require the technology, then I’ll help you with that as well. If you can change that future, then that’s fine with me. I’ll cooperate.”
The fact that she was saying this immediately after laughing like that and the fact that she was able to change her response so easily made it hard to take in those words at face value. If anything, it was nerve-racking.
“However, I have one condition.”
Upperclassman Nabom said that towards the silent me and I barely managed to ask back.
“What is it?”
“Don’t tell Underclassman Ja Saeyeon, the younger Jaim, and Miss Jihye about my true identity.”
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“How about this?”
“Mm······. I don’t think people will really enjoy it that much. If anything, wouldn’t people have more fun playing a truth or dare game with the lie detector? I feel like it would be better to let people play with your inventions since it’s the festival.”
“That’s a good suggestion. Certainly, compared to Underclassman Jin Jaro’s exhibition of self-satisfaction, this would receive a much better response.”
“But isn’t that design a bit weird? No matter how you look at it, it’s seething with Dad’s bizarre taste······.”
“Why? It’s cute, isn’t it? You and I both have a fond memory with it, don’t we?”
“I agree with the older Jaim. Cat ears are cute, aren’t they? The others will enjoy it!”
“Jjaro, where should I move this?”
“Ah, we decided to put that in the natural sciences teacher’s office. Will you be fine by yourself?”
“This isn’t heavy at all.”
“Nanda Oppa, let’s carry it together! Dad, don’t make Nanda Oppa carry heavy things! He already has a lot on his plate preparing for his performance!”
“Does Nanda have a higher priority than me? You don’t care about your Dad?”
“It can’t be helped. Both the kid and I are Nanda Oppa’s no. 1 fan!”
“It’s sad if you say that while latching on to my arm, you know?”
“Hahaha, you two still get along, huh. It’s fine, you two. Despite my appearance, my body has been trained through all the part-time jobs I’ve done. This much is easy for me. ······But it’s a bit weird saying ‘you two’······.”
“It still looks difficult to move by yourself. Would you like my assistance?”
“Are you okay with that, Jihye? It doesn’t feel right asking a girl for help.”
“Don’t worry about me, Mr. Shin Nanda. I’m a robot maid. Moving this much luggage isn’t even a task for me. Ah, that’s right. Once we’re back, we should take a short break. We can have some snacks as well.”
It was after school, a few days after that conversation with Upperclassman Nabom.
There was barely a week left until the festival. Even though no one was looking forward to the festival, the school gradually entered a festive mood the closer the festival approached. To be exact, only the students who were preparing something for the festival were.
And naturally, since I was also fated to prepare something for the festival, I was enjoying the festive mood in my own way after gathering like this with everyone after school. No, enjoying might not be the right word. I’m not the type of person who enjoys festivals, after all.
“Underclassman Jin Jaro, stop being jealous and bring your attention back here. Is Underclassman Ja Saeyeon not offering a good suggestion for a change?”
“What do you mean ‘for a change’, Big Sis Nabom······.”
I averted my gaze from the loud Jaims and the sight of Nanda and Jihye leaving the club room and brought my attention back to the table once more.
While Upperclassman Nabom, Saeyeon, and I decided on which general direction we wanted to take the exhibition, Nanda, the two Jaims, and Jihye handled the miscellaneous work like moving things around. Upperclassman Nabom and I were going to decide on our own, but Saeyeon didn’t like that because that would be taking her job away. It seems she remembered what I said back when she asked if she could help.
Moreover, since Saeyeon was helping, the two Jaims naturally came along like a set meal. Jaim seemed to think that I was distancing myself from her lately and Jayeon was reminiscing about her childhood. Since the two of them were coming along, Jihye declared, ‘If it’s a family matter, then I’m coming as well!’ and obstinately came with them. Nanda also started helping us before I knew it, saying, ‘I said I would help you guys, but you never called for me’.
Thanks to this, the club room was bustling. The room which normally seemed big when it was just the two of us felt very crowded right now.
Well, I honestly didn’t mind it.
I was by myself last year, after all.
Saeyeon had either acknowledged my club room as my personal space, or she simply didn’t have much to do here, so she never came, and Nanda rarely came to the club room as well. No Upperclassman Nabom, Jaim, or Jayeon. I was by myself.
I liked that, but now I preferred this noise.
If this was also a changed result, then it wasn’t bad.
“In any case, do you have any other suggestion, Underclassman Ja Saeyeon?”
“Mm, I feel like it’d be fun if we let people actually try out Jjaro’s inventions like that. It might be nice to sell them stuff if they’re interested in buying something. That much should be fine since it’s the festival, right?”
“Wait a second, Ja Saeyeon. I can’t allow my prestigious inventions to be sold to untaught masses who don’t know the value of my······.”
“Something like a bazaar? That’s a good idea. The majority of the stuff here are pieces of junk that only take up space, after all.”
“Ehehe······. Jjaro has been bad at organizing his stuff and getting rid of things for a long time. He piles them up saying that they’ll definitely be useful later on. Even though he never uses any of them in the end.”
“I see. That does match Underclassman Jin Jaro’s personality.”
Saeyeon smiled as she talked about me. Upperclassman Nabom responded with a mellow smile on her face. Although it seemed like a normal conversation, it appeared differently to me.
Until now, I thought that warm smile she would show towards Saeyeon was like a friendly smile she would show towards her underclassman, but I knew what it actually meant now.
Upperclassman Nabom has yet to reveal her true identity to everyone.
She set that condition, so I expected her to immediately tell everyone herself, and I was also contemplating how I should follow up, but she has yet to tell anyone.
“I’ll be the one to tell them, so don’t say anything, Underclassman Jin Jaro.”
Those words made me feel more restless.
Every one of Upperclassman Nabom’s actions had a goal. In other words, even trivial things were done for a reason. Each word and action she did. It’s to the point where I’m starting to wonder if she had an ulterior motive with even the joking conversations we had in this club room.
When does Upperclassman Nabom intend to tell them?
At what timing and what method does she intend to reveal herself with?
Also, why did she accept our request so easily with a condition like this? Was it simply like how she wanted me to recognize her myself, she wanted me to acknowledge her as Nabom as well? Was this a part of her plan? Why did she tell me?
I couldn’t ask her. She wouldn’t tell me either way.
Also······. I had a hunch for some reason.
I don’t believe in unscientific and uncertain things like ‘one’s feeling’. However, there are still times I have a feeling about something despite that. I’m also human, after all.
I have a feeling that I shouldn’t discover what Upperclassman Nabom’s secret ‘plan’ is and what the circumstances Jayeon is hiding are.
To be exact, in order to preserve our current relationships and continue to live like this.
But I have to know. Because Saeyeon only has 2 years left. I have to do something before then.
Honestly, I want to have hope. Both Jayeon and Upperclassman Nabom said it wasn’t a lie, and they both said that the past changes little by little.
Therefore, the hope that there’s a chance that, at the very least, I won’t experience this.
Obviously, I know that this is a vain hope.
If it were as simple as this, then there’s no way that Jayeon and Upperclassman Nabom would be going through this much trouble. For Saeyeon······. Yeah. Changing Saeyeon’s death is most likely an issue that requires an immeasurable amount of effort.
“······Dad?”
“Dad? What are you thinking so hard about?”
“Underclassman Jin Jaro? Pay attention.”
I must have been lost in my thoughts a bit too much as three voices spoke out to me worriedly while I was blankly looking up towards nothing.
A young voice, an energetic voice, and a calm voice.
Her, their voices were similar, but also slightly different.
I shook my head and did my best to smile.
“It’s nothing. There’s just a lot more I have to worry about since the festival is approaching.”
I didn’t lie. However, it seems they thought I was lying as only worried gazes were directed towards me.
“It’s okay, Jjaro. Everyone’s helping, aren’t they?”
And among them all, Saeyeon was the only one smiling.
Saeyeon let out a small sigh as if it couldn’t be helped and smiled teasingly while placing her hands on her hip.
“Seriously, the two of you. Even though you two didn’t study for the exams and only prepared for this, look at how much you’ve gotten done. You haven’t prepared even a single thing. I’m grateful that you left some work for me, though.”
······Wow, I was told I did a bad job by Saeyeon of all people.
Upperclassman Nabom smiled bitterly in response.
“I see. I have no excuse. In the end, the only preparation I’ve done is create a list of all of Underclassman Jin Jaro’s pieces of junk.”
“Don’t try to discreetly pass the blame on to me while saying that. You haven’t made a single thing despite being the club leader.”
It’s always my fault with her. Saeyeon beamed happily once she heard me complain. As if she preferred this atmosphere more.
Certainly, my dampened mood has lifted a bit. I’m not sure if Saeyeon is aware of this or not, but I’m always saved by her consideration.
“In any case, the faster you finish your preparations, Dad, the sooner I can go prepare for Nanda Oppa’s performance.”
Jaim must have noticed that the mood had lightened as she then complained while looking at me. What kind of preparation does Jaim have to do for the performance······?
“Don’t tell me you’re actually planning to create that banner?”
“I already offered to help.”
Jayeon answered the question I asked Jaim while blinking. I could only let out a sigh because of how matter-of-factly she had answered.
“Jaim managed to ask you, huh······.”
“I-I didn’t ask for her help!”
“We’re his number 1 fans. Despite my looks, I’ve frequently prepared for his debut performance. I’m already fully prepared! I thought it’d be a good idea for Jaim to learn this sooner, so I taught her.”
“I never asked you to teach me!”
“Stop trying to act tough in front of Mom and Dad. You cried out, ‘Really? Seriously’ when I said I would help and started jumping for joy. You really are bad at being honest~. Though, that’s why you’re cute!”
“Ububububu?!”
The two of them have gotten closer, huh. Be it both Jaim who acted cold at first but was now having her cheeks pulled on by Jayeon in a similar fashion to how I would do it, and Jayeon who strangely looked like she was enjoying herself as if she thought her cheeks, when she was young, were adorable. Rather than the same person, they looked more like a pair of sisters who got along well.
“Oh, right. Big Sis Nabom, are you not interested in Nanda Oppa’s performance?”
While pulling on Jaim’s cheeks which the modifier ‘chewy’ wasn’t awkward to use on, Jayeon turned to look at Upperclassman Nabom.
“······Why are you bringing me up?”
Upperclassman Nabom answered calmly, but once she said that, Jaim spoke up while rubbing her cheeks.
“Come to think of it, you had a bunch of posters of Nanda Oppa on your walls······.”
“T-That’s······.”
“Ah, that’s right. Big Sis Nabom had a lot of posters. Ehehe······.”
Saeyeon giggled. She said she just put them up because everyone already knows she’s from the future, but she must have not expected this sort of development as she panicked.
“I-It’s a misunderstanding. I told you then as well, but I’m an adult. I don’t like such childish music like trot. I just felt like giving my room the future vibe which I’m used to living in······.”
“Really? Then you aren’t going to go watch Nanda Oppa’s performance, right, Big Sis? Dad, during the festival, leave the exhibition to Big Sis Nabom and let’s go watch the performance together! Big Sis Nabom doesn’t seem interested, after all.”
“······This damn brat······.”
“Hm? Did you say something, Big Sis Nabom?”
“It’s nothing. Well, it’s not like I’m particularly uninterested. It’s the performance of an underclassman I’m on friendly terms with, so it would only be polite for myself to go watch as well.”
She quickly responded like that once Saeyeon looked at Upperclassman Nabom curiously the instant she momentarily revealed her true face, but once Jayeon giggled at her, Upperclassman Nabom bared her teeth once more. The two of them are starting to get along with Jaim, but they’re still at each other’s necks. Depending on your point of view, they’re like a pair of sisters that don’t get along······.
“We’re back. It’s a good thing that Jihye came with me. It was a lot heavier than I expected.”
“Fufu, it’s a relief that I was able to be of service. In any case, what was everyone talking about?”
Upperclassman Nabom was surprised by Nanda and Jihye’s well-timed return and turned her head. Jayeon had a mischievous and wicked grin on her face.
“We were talking about how Big Sis Nabom thinks trot is for kids and that she wasn’t going to watch Nanda Oppa’s performance!”
“When did I······?!”
“Haha······. That’s unfortunate. I’ve actually been practicing a fair amount for this······.”
“N-No! I’m obviously going to come and watch Underclassman Shin Nanda’s performance!”
“Nanda Oppa! Big Sis Nabom is actually your fan! She has a bunch of posters of you in her room!”
“Ehehe······. You’re quite popular, Nanda. Everyone who came from the future turned out to be your fan. Well, that’s expected since you do sing well!”
“I said it was a misunderstanding······.”
“That’s because he’s a world star. I may be a robot maid, but I’m also a fan. Now then, since we’re back, we can continue this conversation while taking a short break. I’ve actually been waiting for this moment!”
“Why does it feel like you’ve only been preparing snacks for us lately, Jihye······.”
“Jjaro, I tried baking some of the cookies today. Tell me if they’re good, okay?”
Before I knew it, the two Jaims were both teasing Upperclassman Nabom, Nanda was smiling happily, Jihye had brought some snacks after preparing them beforehand at home, and Saeyeon was looking up at me with a smile while holding on to my arm. This sight was so warm and cozy that I probably wouldn’t have been able to picture this last year.
I never knew that the fact I wasn’t alone could be so pleasant.
“Hahaha······.”
And I didn’t know that the fact I couldn’t protect this small happiness could be so terrifying.
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“So she’s really going to go back?”
“That’s why I’m repairing the time machine like this.”
It was night time and Mom had already gone to sleep. Dad answered my question without even turning to look at me. Yeah, it was probably weird to ask that when I already knew the answer.
“You sure you won’t feel sad?”
I did ask that after thinking about it a bit, but I regretted it the instant I asked. Dad’s hands stopped as he thought about my question for a moment before answering.
“Well, I’d be lying if I said I won’t be sad. But what can I do? She said she’s going back.”
“······That’s true.”
“Are you sure you aren’t the one who’s going to be sad?”
“I don’t really care if that weird girl goes back or not, you know?
I answered curtly to Dad’s remark which he had said while giving me a side-glance, but I honestly did feel sad. Well, we did get closer, after all. It feels weird knowing that she’s the future me.
“······Still, I don’t know what to think about Jihye going back.”
I instead used Jihye, who was lying next to us, as an excuse.
Jihye’s face looked peaceful as if she were asleep. I didn’t notice back in the future, but when I look at her like this, she really does look like Mom. Well, I don’t remember seeing Mom’s face properly in the future, so there’s no way I would have noticed. If anything, the memory I have of Mom’s face was similar to Jihye’s.
“I’ve been with her since I was little, and, well, we made up now, too. Seeing her like this······ is a bit.”
“······I at least agree with you on that.”
It seems Dad didn’t really like seeing this as well as he furrowed his brows.
Jihye’s hands were peacefully placed over each other and she was lying down not on a bed, but on Dad’s worktable like Sleeping Beauty. The front of her maid uniform was open and the maintenance cover which was normally hidden under her clothes was open, revealing her insides as a result. I don’t want to say this, but this looked like a scene straight from a movie where a corpse was being dissected, so I didn’t like it. Her power was off, so her chest which used to move up and down like a human’s was frozen stiff, and the power which used to make her skin warm had been cut off, so I was able to immediately feel the cold sensation of a machine the instant I touched her. She didn’t even budge an inch. It was genuinely like she was dead.
“······Do you really have to go this far?”
With his brow still furrowed, Dad smiled bitterly in response to my question. Dad smacked his lips as he always would whenever he felt troubled, but at this moment, I really didn’t like this reaction.
“But she said that this is the only method we can use to help her go back. Jihye also agreed, and Jihye said that she would help me research how to make robot maids while I’m at it. I felt like Jihye would get upset if I refused.”
“Still······.”
“Moreover, if I really create robot maids in the future, then something like this will happen often. It’s fine. She assured us that there wouldn’t be a problem, didn’t she? She also said that she was able to go back without any issues in the past.”
I was going to say something more, but once Dad cut me off in the middle of my sentence, I decided to stay quiet because I could tell that Dad was trying to rationalize the situation with his words. So I let out a sigh instead and changed the topic.
“Seriously, instead of doing something like this, you should give both me and Mom more attention. You’ve only been spending time with her lately.”
I honestly had a lot I wanted to say.
I had a lot of things I wanted to ask, a lot of things I wanted to get mad about.
However, I could only change the topic like this because I was afraid.
“It can’t be helped. I have to fix the time machine.”
Dad must have also been relieved by the change of topic as he grinned.
“Fess up, you care more about the older me than the time machine, don’t you? You’re seriously gross. You only like your older daughter.”
“She’s better than an underdeveloped brat. The daughter next to me only knows how to complain. You would also be cuter if you stayed still.”
“······I don’t know if I should get mad or tease you.”
“Seeing that you’re not getting mad, then that must mean it’s true that you like your dad. That’s creepy, kid.”
“You know you’re creepier for saying something like that to your daughter, right?”
I bared my teeth and growled, but I actually didn’t hate this that much. I could tell that Dad had changed, after all.
He probably wouldn’t have said these sort of things in the past.
Even if he’s only saying it as a joke, he would have never called me cute or said I liked him with his own mouth. He may have thought it, though. Nevertheless, right now, he’s accepted me as his daughter and accepted the fact that he was a dad. This alone made me happy.
So I decided to hold back the words I wanted to say.
If I don’t bring it up, then we’ll be able to enjoy this moment and smile together for a little bit longer, after all. This much was enough for now.
“Well, isn’t it a relief? This means you’re able to escape from being underdeveloped once you grow up. Of course, you’re 10 years old right now, but you’re tiny, have a bad personality, zero charm, and you’re like a coin because I can’t tell which side is the front or back······. Ow!”
“Can you stop talking about breasts?! You pedophile!”
“Don’t hit me with a wrench! Do you intend to kill your dad?!”
Still, as I thought, it’d be great if he at least had some manners.
Ο
Ο
“He always belittles me. Every time.”
Big Sis Nabom chuckled in response to my complaint. This person always responds like this as well. What’s so funny about my complaining?
“No, it’s just funny to see you come to my place every time something like this happens.”
“I have nowhere else to go and I can’t talk behind Dad’s back with anyone else.”
Mom is out of the question, Jihye is always on Dad’s side, I can’t talk to Heyeong about these sort of things, and Nanda Oppa is busy. Big Sis Nabom smiled bitterly in response as she spoke.
“Well, be that as it may, it’s a bit troubling if you come to visit me every time.”
“What’s the problem? This is actually my house as well, isn’t it?”
“······You’re not wrong.”
Once I said that while brazenly stretching my legs out, Big Sis Nabom paused for a moment before nodding. It feels weird if I think about it. Of course, well, I figured I would grow up to be a tall and beautiful girl with a nice body, but how should I put it······.
“I didn’t look at your chest, so wipe that teasing look off of your face.”
“I wasn’t really going to tease you about that.”
······Ouch. I gnashed my teeth because of the teasing grin that had appeared after my instinctual shout. I blame the weird things my piece of garbage Dad would say. At any rate, I don’t like the way she’s chuckling. I don’t laugh like that. Yup. I don’t. You’re imagining things if you think that we came out similarly when we took a picture.
“In any case, did you come here today just to talk about that?”
“Why? Are you busy today?”
I blinked a couple of times and asked back. Normally, she would either exchange jokes with me and play along, or just be on the side and keep watch over me regardless of what I spent my time doing here, but today she was telling me to leave if I didn’t have any other business with her. Big Sis Nabom chuckled and placed her hand on top of my head before stroking it.
“I have to put some stuff in order and I don’t have a lot of time left now.”
······She did say she was leaving after the festival.
Big Sis Nabom looked around her room and spoke in a calm tone.
“I have to pack up my things in this place as well, and I also have to think about how I should deal with the family register I had created. I also have to finish preparing for the festival.”
The room was nearly empty. If you excluded the several posters of Nanda Oppa on the wall, then the room was so empty that it would be hard to believe that someone had lived here for more than half a year. Thinking about it now, she probably kept it like this because she was going to go back.
She didn’t tell me why she was going back. Whether it was because she didn’t have to observe me anymore or another reason, she didn’t tell me anything. She simply told me that she probably won’t come back to this time.
I feel like she wouldn’t want to leave this place where Dad, Mom, Jihye, and Nanda Oppa are. I could tell just by looking at her face, so I decided to simply say it teasingly.
“······But you don’t have to prepare anything for the festival. Dad’s the one who made everything and you’re not setting up an exhibition.”
“It can’t be helped. Roles with the word ‘leader’ attached to it are······.”
“Work, Ha Nabom.”
“······Why does it feel like you’re also only learning bad things from Underclassman Jin Jaro after each passing day. You shouldn’t cut people off in the middle of their sentence.”
I looked at Big Sis Nabom as she let out a sigh and spoke triumphantly.
“You were also like this when you were little, right? What do you mean why when you know how Dad is like?”
“······You shouldn’t say those sort of things about your own parent.”
“You of all people shouldn’t say that, Sis.”
She’s happily belittled Dad as much as she wanted until now. Big Sis Nabom let out another sigh. I can’t always be on the losing side. This was refreshing.
Still, I preferred to see that bitter smile.
“Well, at any rate, should I go home now, then?”
Regardless, I should at least let her get back to her work. Once I said that while standing up, Big Sis Nabom blinked in surprise. I tilted my head in response.
“Aren’t you telling me to go since you have work to do?”
“Ah······. I didn’t mean it like that······.”
“······?”
What’s up with her today? Just earlier, she was talking as if she wanted me to leave since she was busy, but now that I said I’m going to go, she’s acting as if ‘there’s no need for you to leave······.’. Is she telling me to leave or stay? With my head still tilted, I examined Big Sis Nabom’s face.
“Did something happen?”
“No, nothing happened, but······.”
Big Sis Nabom opened and closed her mouth several times as if she were contemplating whether she should say something or not, but she eventually gave in.
“Kid······. Are you not bothered by the fact I had kept my identity a secret?”
Once I gave Big Sis Nabom a blank look, she averted her gaze as if she were a child who was being scolded.
“Is this all you wanted to ask?”
Big Sis Nabom opened her eyes wide once I let out a sigh and said that.
“You had your circumstances, didn’t you?”
“Still······. Like the time I tried to forcefully take you back to the future and made you go through information contamination, stuff like that······. Didn’t these things bother you?”
“Uhm, Sis. You’re also me, so you should know, right?”
It felt weird the instant those words came out of my mouth, but since I had already started talking, I decided to continue.
“I don’t know why you came to the past and why you hid your identity from me. You wouldn’t have told me even if I asked, right? I know that it has something to do with me coming to the past. That’s why you probably messed with me and teased me whenever you saw me. Just behave as you always have. Don’t act like this just because you’re going back to the future soon. That’ll make things weirder.”
There may be things that Dad and Big Sis Nabom are hiding from me, but I decided to not pry any further. I decided to follow Mom’s lead, after all. I decided to follow Mom’s example and believe in Dad. That’s why I couldn’t ask Dad earlier.
“But······.”
“More importantly, how long do you intend to let Dad think that I don’t know? Are you just doing this to mess with him?”
Once I put my hands on my hips and snorted, Big Sis Nabom finally went back to being herself slightly.
“······I intend to keep it a secret until an appropriate opportunity presents itself. Underclassman Ja Saeyeon mustn’t know either, after all.”
“It would have been great if Dad was as sharp as I was.”
Big Sis Nabom chuckled in response to my remark.
“You only found out a couple of days ago as well. Furthermore, that was after I gave you an obvious hint.”
“Then how am I supposed to believe that that weird girl is me from the future? If you aren’t as broad-minded as I am, then you wouldn’t have accepted it.
“Sure, sure.”
Her hand was a bit gentle as it brushed my head.
“I was going to tell you later, sorry.”
“If you know you’re going to be sorry for doing something, then don’t do it in the first place.”
“······That’s, a bit impossible.”
Big Sis Nabom continued with a sad expression on her face.
“I wouldn’t be able to do anything if I didn’t.”
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“What’s the matter? Calling me out this late at night.”
A certain thing happened one day.
“There’s something I have to tell Underclassman Jin Jaro about the future. That’s why I called you out.”
A certain thing that no one else knows, something that I perhaps shouldn’t have known either.
It was during a night where Saeyeon was asleep and Jaim and Jayeon had been helping me fix the time machine. I went to a nearby convenience store because Upperclassman Nabom had called for me. Upperclassman Nabom was waiting at a table in front of the convenience store in casual clothes. There was a single can of beer on the table.
“······Were you drinking?”
“I’m an adult. Drinking alcohol is the least I can do.”
“You’re a high school student, though. You made your family registration like that as well, didn’t you?”
“I must seem my actual age when wearing normal clothes. It feels a bit weird not being asked for my ID. Would you like a can? I’ll buy you one.”
“I don’t have a hobby of drinking. I’m also underage. Moreover, they also say that alcohol is the enemy of brain cells.”
“How unfortunate. I wanted to try drinking with my dad for once. I could have dragged a drunk Underclassman Jin Jaro to an empty room and made it a done deal.”
“······Please stop making these type of jokes.”
Upperclassman Nabom chuckled lightly and tipped her beer can. This person is acting really strange today. There’s the fact she called me out all of a sudden and she’s also drinking like this. My expression must have been weird as Upperclassman Nabom looked at me with her half-closed, sleepy eyes and spoke.
“What’s the matter? Do you not like that your daughter is drinking alcohol?”
“······Well, there’s that as well. Why’d you call me out?”
It’s a bit weird that my daughter is older than me, but, as I thought, these sort of things are······. In any case, as her dad, I’m worried. Upperclassman Nabom smiled bitterly.
“Have a seat. I don’t think you’d want to talk while standing.”
Upperclassman Nabom pointed towards the chair on the other side of her table. All right, this is definitely strange. I was starting to grow wary of whatever she wanted to talk to me about that was making her behave like this, but I couldn’t go back now since I was already here. An atmosphere that prevented me from leaving was floating around. I sat down.
“Putting alcohol aside, would you like something else to drink?”
“Is this going to take long? The other two Jaims are waiting for me.”
“As I thought, you were repairing the time machine, weren’t you?”
“It would make things easier if you took her back yourself, Upperclassman Nabom.”
“Like I said, time will get messed up, so I can’t. Why? Does taking Miss Jihye apart bother you?”
“······I’m not taking her apart.”
“Even though you had said that you’d take her apart and look at her insides a while back.”
I answered her with a slightly stiff tone, but Upperclassman Nabom nonchalantly took a sip of her beer and spoke. Her eyes normally look sleepy, but today they seemed hazy.
“How much have you drank?”
“Despite my appearance, I have a strong tolerance against alcohol. I won’t get drunk from beer cans alone.”
Her words were slurred. Now that I look at her again, her face was red.
After uttering those words, she tossed her empty can into the trash can. I think she took the lid of the trash can off beforehand so she could do this. There were several crumpled cans. How long has she been doing this for?
“So know that what I’m going to tell you from this point forth isn’t being said because I’m drunk. Although it’s something that’s hard to say without the influence of alcohol.”
Nevertheless, I could at least hear those words painfully clearly.
My fear increased.
“A long time ago, I told you that I had a plan. And that if needed, I would tell you it.”
“······Yeah, you did.”
“So, as I planned, since the time has come, there is something I have to tell you, Underclassman Jn Jaro. However······.”
Upperclassman Nabom paused for a second as if she were carefully selecting her words before continuing.
“This time, I don’t know how the previous ‘Ha Naboms’ did it, but I’ll give you a choice, Underclassman Jin Jaro.”
“A······choice?”
Upperclassman Nabom nodded.
“What I’m going to tell you, is the reason why, Underclassman Ja Saeyeon passes away in 2 years.”
I stood up. I stood up so roughly that my chair fell over.
“You don’t have to be so anxious. That’s why I’m giving you a choice. Sit back down.”
“······What are you planning?”
But I didn’t feel like sitting down. I questioned her while standing. Upperclassman Nabom smiled bitterly.
“I told you before that if Underclassman Jin Jaro becomes aware of what happens in the future, then the future will truly be set in stone.”
That’s right. That’s why, even though I wanted to know, even though I genuinely did want to know, I couldn’t possibly ask her.
“After prying me for information, Underclassman Jin Jaro, you already found out about the truth which is the fact that Underclassman Ja Saeyeon is going to die in 2 years, even though I refused to tell you at first.”
That’s right. That’s why I’ve continued to suffer.
My greed, my greed that made me think that I could change the future if I were to know the reason why Saeyeon and I break up in the future. I had discovered the exact reason why Saeyeon and I split up.
“You can’t change this truth. Even if the older Jaim, Miss Jihye, and I were to return to the future, you already know.”
“But······!”
“That’s why I told you.”
Upperclassman Nabom looked at me with her hazy eyes and spoke.
“Are you going to find out the reason why Underclassman Ja Saeyeon passes away after it happens? Everything will end while you remain blissfully unaware, the end will come, but you will be able to spend your days happily. Or, will you learn the reason now and suffer endlessly as you try to do whatever you can to change or avoid that future? I’ll let you decide.”
“······.”
I understood her intention.
Even if I don’t hear the reason, Saeyeon will still die in 2 years and I will only learn of the reason at that moment. ‘Ah, so this is why Saeyeon dies.’ I’ll probably say something like this. Since I don’t know the reason, I won’t be able to avoid it, however, until that day arrives, the knowledge that Saeyeon will die will be in my head, but I’ll spend my time with her normally.
However, if I learn the reason here, then I’ll most likely spend the next 2 years struggling to avoid that reason. I’ll probably work hard. If the future truly can be changed, then I’ll change it since I’ve learned both the cause and result. But the 2 years will be painful. I’ll probably suffer trying to figure out what I have to do in order to change the future.
“······Before that, I want to ask one question.”
“What is it?”
“My previous iterations······ what did they choose?”
Upperclassman Nabom smirked at me the instant I asked that.
“I told you, didn’t I? I told you that this has never happened before. The reason why I’m giving you this choice is due to the fact that my plan was messed up by the older Miss Jaim’s appearance. Originally, by this point, you wouldn’t have been able to endure the situation any longer and you would have come to me looking for answers once more. That was a part of my plan. However, due to the older Miss Jaim’s appearance, a lot of things have been tangled up. There’s a chance that this loop might actually be special.”
There was a hint of regret and envy in her eyes when she uttered that last part. Those words confirmed it for me. It confirmed that what Jayeon had said about Upperclassman Nabom failing was true. Upperclassman Nabom averted her gaze and spoke.
“······I even have a feeling that if I help Underclassman Jin Jaro this time, a different outcome might be achieved.”
“······Then how about doing that instead?”
If even this person were to help me, if this person who had failed were to help me as well, then the outcome will definitely be changed. I had this feeling.
However, Upperclassman Nabom shook her head.
“I can’t. At the very least, I can’t.”
Before I could even ask her why she couldn’t, Upperclassman Nabom turned to look at me once more. Her eyes which had been shining dully with a drunken haze until now were now clear.
“That’s why I’ll provide you with some expedient help instead. You decide, Underclassman Jin Jaro. I’ll oblige with whatever you choose.”
“······.”
Don’t hear the reason. Something inside of my head was whispering that to me.
This is a rare chance. Upperclassman Nabom giving me a chance like this must mean that I shouldn’t let it slip. Don’t hear the answer. Just live ignorantly. If I do, then I can be happy right now. People all die sooner or later. They’re able to live happily because they don’t know how it’ll happen. I can overcome it.
But. Despite that.
“Still, it can’t be avoided, can it?”
I knew. I knew that the cause of Saeyeon’s death was most likely not a coincidence. If it were simply an accident, then these sort of events wouldn’t have occurred.
“It’s an unavoidable reason, isn’t it?”
Upperclassman Nabom didn’t answer, but she nodded her head.
Until now, my belief that I could do anything had caused problems. My belief that I was amazing was always an issue.
However, nevertheless, despite this.
“Then I’ll hear it.”
If I can’t avoid Saeyeon’s death in the end.
I’d rather learn the reason and do whatever I can to stop it.
I’m not being greedy. I know this is a mistake. But it can’t be helped. I can’t give up here. There’s no way that I could laugh and live normally when I know that Saeyeon will die in 2 years and while also afraid of an unknown reason.
I can’t always look at Saeyeon with this current mindset.
“······You really are an idiot, Underclassman Jin Jaro.”
Upperclassman Nabom chuckled in response to my answer.
“Even though you regretted it immensely last time as well.”
It was a laugh that sounded as if all of her hopes were truly crushed.
“It would have probably been easier if you accepted the fact that the future can’t be changed.”
“There’s no way that I would accept that.”
I had a feeling that I’ll probably regret this, that I’ll regret it the instant I hear the reason. My anxiety was shouting at me to stop. It was wailing.
“If I’ve already made a mistake, then I have no other choice but to go until the very end.”
But I’ll regret it even if she doesn’t tell me and I’ll regret it even if she does tell me.
So regardless of my choice, the regret in my heart won’t stop. I’ve regretted and cried out of sight many times. Without anyone knowing so I wouldn’t make them worry. In order to appear as strong as possible and protect my family, I cried by myself.
Even if a larger despair is waiting for me, if I see even a thread of hope, I have to grab it. People say that the most dangerous thing about Pandora Box was the hope that remained inside of it. Because people refuse to lose hope no matter the situation, because people believe that things will work out somehow, they suffer even more. Humans are fundamentally cursed.
“Tell me the reason why Saeyeon dies.”
In response to my request, Upperclassman Nabom gave me the answer.
I flipped the table over.
I grabbed Upperclassman Nabom’s collar.
“······I knew you would react like this.”
“What, did, you say······?!”
“This is why I told you that you would regret it.”
Even though it should be difficult for her to even breathe properly because of how hard I was holding her collar, Upperclassman Nabom looked at me with pitying eyes. Her face looked calm. That calmness upset me even more. My hands inadvertently tightened around her collar. Upperclassman Nabom didn’t resist. She didn’t even let out a stifled sound.
Instead, Upperclassman Nabom spoke calmly.
“······That’s why you can’t change the future, Underclassman Jin Jaro.”
Once I heard those words,
I lost the strength in my hands. I fell to the floor. I heard the sound of the part-time worker working in the convenience store come outside because of the loud sound the table made as it fell over. Upperclassman Nabom simply looked down at me without a word.
Aah, so that’s why.
So, that’s why.
This is unfair.
This is way too unfair.
It was just as Upperclassman Nabom had said.
I can’t change the future.
I can’t protect this tiny happiness no matter what I do.
There is no future together with Saeyeon and Jaim.
