Since that day, rumors began to spread about the monster from the recovery room.
Now, even conversation fails; abandon all hope.
Unbeknownst to them, the shadow of those rumors loomed over Magical Girl Moon, while the cries of peaceful protest aboard the ship grew louder.
Similarly, three people, completely oblivious to this fact, enjoyed their sushi peacefully.
“Is it just me, or does it feel like it’s been ages since we’ve heard a monster alert in Incheon?”
Ji-eun, with fish still partially in her mouth, spoke while slurping down the fish like it was noodles.
After finally stuffing the fish into her mouth, she muttered.
It had truly been ages since we’d heard a monster alert, especially in a foreign land.
As I was half-choking on sushi, I also expressed that it felt like a long time since we’d heard such an alert.
“Right? We only heard it once last year around New Year’s and again in America, so this is the first time since then…”
“Oh, is this really the first time since then?”
“Yep.”
Ji-eun’s expression showed surprise as she seemed to be recalling that moment with disbelief.
As I responded, I also found memories of that New Year’s alert flashing through my mind when I was with my sister.
Ji-eun, while chewing on sushi, squinted her eyes, as if she couldn’t believe it, and asked.
“But why does it have to show up today, right when we’re having dinner at home?”
“Exactly!”
After quietly listening to that question, I picked up sushi with my chopsticks, dipped it in soy sauce, and popped it into my mouth while responding.
I felt equally incredulous.
There are so few people we know, and when do we ever meet them? And yet, a monster shows up just as I pick up my chopsticks like a ghost.
Putting that grudge aside, Siyeon, who seemed to be craving compliments, raised her hand holding her chopsticks and smiled widely, bragging.
“I made all of this today!”
“Oh, really? You’ve grown so much, Siyeon!”
“It was a surprise attack, but it’s tough to hit that distance all at once.”
Ji-eun’s praise matched my honest compliment perfectly.
Of course, it would be more accurate to say she made a mess rather than hitting it perfectly…
Still, getting a direct hit on something that fell from that height onto the ground is pretty difficult objectively.
“Hehe…”
With compliments coming from two different people, even Siyeon, who was so hungry for praise, shyly let out a weird laugh.
Since sushi isn’t exactly a voluminous dish for its price, several disposable bowls quickly emptied after the three of us exchanged a few bites with our chopsticks.
Even if we were guests, it wouldn’t do to make a habit of just eating and not cleaning up afterward.
I stacked the empty bowls and took them to the kitchen, washing them clean under the refreshing running water and stacking them aside.
After finishing the dishes and shaking off the water from my hands into the sink,
I heard the sound of a baby crying from the inner room.
“Oh no, I think Juwon has woken up.”
Ji-eun, who had been comfortably sitting in the living room, stood up instinctively and headed to the bedroom with her adorable footsteps.
What could possibly be so unfair in this world that Juwon cried at the top of his lungs?
There are countless reasons why babies cry, but since their only means of expression is through crying, it’s normal for them to do it often.
The problem is, it’s impossible to gauge what he’s crying about.
Is he hungry, wanting to be held, or having a bad dream?
“We just fed him not long ago…”
“What about his diaper?”
“It seems clean…”
Even as Ji-eun speculated various reasons, she patted Juwon’s bottom over his clothes and murmured as if to say, “Nope.”
Sometimes, it really is impossible to tell why a baby is crying.
However, as I kept patting Juwon’s back, his crying subsided, and his tear-stained face turned to look around, lips pressed tight.
I wouldn’t care if it happened during the day, but if it were at night, it would be a bit dreadful.
‘It must be tough.’
Since babies don’t differentiate between day and night when they cry, Ji-eun’s struggles were painfully evident.
What adults say about how babies are only cute to look at is absolutely true.
When Siyeon had finished her food and was rolling on the floor, I started a conversation with Ji-eun.
Talking about the outside world, which Siyeon wouldn’t be much interested in yet.
Among those topics, we discussed the upcoming expiration of our office lease.
“When will the lease end, around next winter? You don’t plan to renew it, right?”
“Exactly, I need to either move to an apartment or something…”
Leaning back against the floor like Ji-eun, I answered her leisurely, infusing my thoughts into her question.
Considering the topic of conversation, it was definitely not something a fifth grader should be discussing, but Ji-eun had already become accustomed to it.
The discussion flowed smoothly, like a regular chat between adults.
“Besides, it’s free money, the deposit.”
There was a lot to say regarding the lease extension, and I subtly mentioned an incident that Ji-eun would likely be familiar with, making a circle with my thumb and index finger.
“Right, that time when you cashed in the gold bars?”
“Yes, if I get the deposit back here, it would be a triple win… so there’s really no reason not to move.”
Basically, it was like saying, ‘If you live in this house, your deposit will be inflated!’ Like winning a prize.
Even if I continued living here, I wasn’t losing any money since I’d already received some, but if I were to leave, I’d be getting back three times the amount.
With that money, there was truly no reason to cling to this office, and moving to a better place was very much possible.
Ji-eun nodded as if to say she would have done the same if she were in my position and continued with the next question.
“That said, do you have any specific places in mind?”
“Well, there aren’t any good places that I’ve noticed…”
I couldn’t give a straightforward answer to this question.
There was still about a year and seven months left until the end of sixth grade.
It was high time to decide on something, but as I weighed various factors, I couldn’t settle on any one place and found myself wandering.
If this was going to be my home throughout middle school and beyond, it made sense that I’d have serious concerns.
Whether it was this office or not, there could always be different kinds of fraud…
Especially with minor defects, addressing those would be quite a headache.
“How about our apartment? There are quite a few rooms, so I think it’d be fine.”
“Really? How much is the deposit here?”
“It varies by direction, but even south-facing apartments are around 380 million won.”
“Oh…”
I let out an exclamation at what seemed like a reasonable price.
Even adding the gold bars obtained from the landlord plus the deposit returned at the end of the lease, there’d still be about 70 million won left over.
Ji-eun would handle the gold bars expertly through dark routes, and she managed to negotiate the commission that we would have normally lost.
Even if it wasn’t near a subway station, there was a bus stop nearby, making the location quite decent.
There were also small hospitals and pharmacies close by, and various franchises along with large supermarkets within walking distance.
I wondered if it really was a good deal, or if I was just being naive and gullible.
Still, since the two people I already knew were living there, it was comforting, and I thought at least the issue of minor defects would be less troublesome.
After returning home, I kept seriously contemplating the moving issue, staring intently at my smartphone.
As time passed, by May I had almost decided in my heart to move into Ji-eun’s apartment.
At school, it was May 8th.
To celebrate Parent’s Day in this month of families, we began folding carnations, like we always did.
Even after folding beautifully with colorful red and green paper, I was left with the puzzling question of whom to give them to.
Having exchanged beautifully folded carnations with Siyeon every year without much meaning, I naturally expected we would do the same this year.
As if it were an annual event, Siyeon gazed thoughtfully at the carnations we had shared and was the first to speak up.
“…Shall we go give these to your sister?”
“Oh.”
I exclaimed with a finger snap, reacting with a burst of admiration, thinking ‘That’s a good idea.’
If we’re just sharing them for no reason, why not give them to someone who’s really become a mom?
Siyeon’s thoughtfulness has been steadily increasing lately.
“That sounds nice.”
“Right?”
After telling Aunty, who was operating the washing machine, that I would step out for a bit, I immediately executed Siyeon’s plan.
After taking a few bus stops, I knocked on Ji-eun’s door, presenting her with the carnations just in time for Parent’s Day.
Since Uncle Dae-han was out working, both went sweetly to Ji-eun.
And taking the chance, I subtly indulged in my own desires.
“Juwon!”
His once pitiful hair, now not even close to being called grass, had grown quite a bit.
The moment I called his name, his chubby cheeks lifted in a smile, wiggling his arms and legs while lying there.
This baby, who had seemed so fragile you could have sworn he’d shatter if touched, had grown hefty enough to be cradled in an elementary schooler’s arms.
Yet still, he was small and looked somewhat pitiful.
As I slid my finger into his tiny hand, gently shaking it, Ji-eun suddenly remembered and spoke to us.
“Are you guys coming to the first birthday party?”
“If you invite us, of course…”
I said positively while gently laying Juwon down as I sat with my legs crossed, responding that I would certainly come if invited.
“Urrrurrr…”
With each childish noise he made, Juwon’s laughter grew even louder, and today, too, I was filled with joy.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.