“Ugh…”
I stretched in front of the computer, where the light was still leaking out. As I twisted my arms and neck around, I heard my bones pop.
Speaking of which, I’ve been feeling pretty stiff lately. Everything feels achy. Is this what they call my body breaking down?
Maybe I should start exercising, I thought. By the way, Riri mentioned she started Pilates. It’s not for any other reason but to take care of this precious body of mine.
I mean, considering I had a busted body before, I finally got this new one from Camilla… If I neglect it and end up frail, that’d be really sad.
Lost in thought, I sat idly in my chair. I had just finished a broadcast.
That’s how it goes after a show. There’s this feeling of deflation, like all my energy has drained away, and for a while, I just stay in that state.
In that state, I tried to get some things done. I checked how my VTube was growing, looked at the reactions to my latest video, and checked the gallery for any special issues on Twitter…
And then it happened. Something caught my eye.
– Kim Jae-jun: Boss, could you help me out?
It was a help request from my editor-manager, Kim Jae-jun.
*
Despite being quite a bit older, Jae-jun had never married.
There were various reasons. He had lost his job, and his situation had become much worse than before, and he was too old to feel that passionate love that makes you think he’d be lost without that one person.
But among those reasons, the biggest factor was his young nephew.
His nephew, who had lost his parents at a young age, grew up way too fast. Jae-jun, who wasn’t lacking in money—he had enough savings—was still living with his elderly mother and his young nephew, mostly due to that responsibility.
It’s not like he was living off his elderly mother’s back like some kind of parasite. He felt a deep sense of responsibility toward both his old mother and young nephew.
At an age where it’s not strange to be called “uncle,” Jae-jun looked fine, but he had family to support.
It was burdensome to start a new family. No woman would want to marry a man with a bunch of dependents.
However, Jae-jun wasn’t particularly unhappy about his situation. Since that day when his sister and brother-in-law passed away, leaving his nephew alone, he had vowed to take responsibility for him for life.
Since the day my brother died in an accident, my nephew has been alone. He vowed to take responsibility for him for life.
Recently, he even landed a position as an editor for the streamer he always wanted, earning a steady salary and leading a stable life.
My mother is still active, and although my nephew is a bit of a burden, he has become friends with the boss and local friends. There was no reason for discontent.
And so, they continued their peaceful life. Just when I thought things couldn’t get better,
a problem emerged.
“Parent observation class…?”
I accidentally saw the notice in my nephew’s bag. There it was, written in bold: “Parent Observation Class.”
And it was this Friday! Yet, I hadn’t received any heads-up from my nephew, Si Hyun.
This situation made Kim Jae-jun ponder deeply. Si Hyun, who had grown up fast and was usually cheerful, was still just a 10-year-old kid.
He probably kept it a secret, not wanting to burden his uncle or grandmother. Or maybe he was feeling down about not having parents and didn’t want to say anything.
Either way, it was heartbreaking for Jae-jun, who thought of his nephew like a daughter.
Thus, attending the parent observation class this Friday was non-negotiable.
Looking it up, it wasn’t unusual for relatives like an aunt or older brother to attend instead of parents.
‘It would be good to take someone else along…’
Rather than going alone, it would be better for someone to come with him to keep an eye on Si Hyun.
My mother, who works regularly during the week, unfortunately couldn’t join. It would be hard for her to find time, and if she found out Si Hyun had hidden this, it would be quite a shock.
I needed someone who was familiar with Si Hyun, and able to make time during the week…
“…”
Only one person came to mind. That’s why Kim Jae-jun reluctantly contacted his boss.
However, what kind of response Kayak would give was uncertain. Honestly, if she refused, Jae-jun wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.
Even though Si Hyun and he were friends in the neighborhood, it’s possible she could’ve only been playing with the kid like any other child. And being a proper adult, she must have her own schedule.
To put it bluntly, why would she care about the parent observation class of an employee’s nephew?
Even if Kayak doted on Si Hyun every time she saw her, and maintained a horizontal relationship with Jae-jun, they were still in a business relationship. Taking time out for personal matters was really a rare occurrence.
Even if they maintain a horizontal relationship rather than a superior-subordinate one, it’s a fact that Jae-jun and Kayak are indeed in a business relationship. It’s quite rare for them to make time for each other personally.
Because of this, Jae-jun didn’t have high expectations. When he called Kayak and brought up the topic, he was subtly observing her reaction as he spoke slowly.
But, Kayak’s reaction was unexpected.
“Wahhhh….”
Before he knew it, she was sniffing and tears were streaming from her big eyes. Jae-jun finished his story, flustered, and tried to comfort her.
*
Who would have thought there was such a backstory? He had called her out of the blue and thought it would be a casual chat, but it turned out to be a story that tugged at the heartstrings.
I’m not someone who doesn’t understand the feelings of children who grow up too quickly. I lost my parents in an accident too.
Of course, I wasn’t as young as Si Hyun; I was in high school, but my heart could relate.
“Use this to wipe your tears.”
“Yes….”
What surprised me was that I didn’t expect to tear up myself.
Normally, I wouldn’t cry even when watching a famously sad movie or experiencing something upsetting, but maybe Camilla’s body has sensitive tear ducts?
She’s definitely an artist who dances, so it makes sense. The arts and physical education types tend to be more emotional, right?
Anyway, I’m definitely leaning towards it. Kim Jae-jun probably contacted me to go along to the parents’ observation session.
What’s the big deal that he’s so anxious about this? If he just said, “Hey, Si Hyun has a parents’ observation session, want to come along?” it would have been an easy “okay” sign.
“When’s the date again?”
*
“Hey Yerin, is your mom coming or is your dad coming?”
“Both are coming!”
“Both Mom and Dad are coming?”
Wow, awesome – Yerin said both her mom and dad are coming!
Si Hyun tried to ignore the chatter coming from across the room. Just in case someone asked if her mom or dad was coming, she pretended to be unwell and slumped over the desk.
The break was over, and in just 10 minutes, the parents’ observation session would begin. Soon, her classmates’ families would arrive.
Si Hyun’s family had no reason to visit. They hadn’t even informed her about their whereabouts.
The reason for not sharing news was simple: Si Hyun didn’t have her parents.
Sure, she had her uncle and grandmother, but… for some reason, she didn’t want to call either of them. It was a complicated feeling that Si Hyun herself found hard to explain.
Still, seeing her friends chatting like that made her wonder if she should’ve just called her uncle after all.
But it was too late for that. The next period was supposed to be an observation class, and there was no way she could ask anyone to come over now.
‘Maybe I should just go to the health room instead.’
She was planning on lying down for an hour after telling the teacher she wasn’t feeling well.
“Alright, everyone, take your seats. Class is starting.”
She was running late because she had too many thoughts swirling in her head.
Si Hyun bit her lip slightly and opened her textbook.
As the teacher began the lesson, people started coming in through the back door one by one.
“Is that my mom…!”
“Dad!”
Some kids were whispering and enthusiastically waving to their parents.
“….”
Things she never had. Things she wasn’t born with.
Si Hyun lowered her head slightly before lifting it again. She just needed to concentrate on class. Just because she desperately longed for something didn’t mean she could have it.
Just then, as Si Hyun fixed her gaze on the textbook, trying to block out the outside world…
The kids began to whisper among themselves.
“Whoa, a foreigner? Whose mom is that?”
“She’s super pretty… like the white snow piled outside.”
“Is that a mom, or is it an older sister?”
The murmurs grew louder, but the teacher didn’t intervene.
It was strange, so Si Hyun looked over at the teacher only to find her staring wide-eyed toward the back.
What on earth had happened to make even the teacher react like that? It was a situation she couldn’t help but be curious about. This was the moment Si Hyun’s resolve to not look back crumbled.
Finally turning around, Si Hyun laid eyes on…
Her uncle awkwardly waving hello,
“…sister?”
And, notably unlike usual, the neighborhood older sister looking fabulous while making eye contact with her.
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