“What did we do in Desire Land?”
“Life Four Cuts, busking, and watching fireworks.”
“What kind of problem occurred at the German Arterial Company?”
“Back then, I completely forgot to install the translation module, so it took a while to download it.”
“What are Ni-el’s measurements?”
“85-59-88.”
“Ugh… Adella, it’s you! Hwaaaang!”
Every time Yoon-seul asked, Adella answered effortlessly.
Yoon-seul, who confirmed the identity of Adella, hugged her tightly and burst into tears.
Adella, with an awkward expression, patted her back.
‘But how do they know Daniel’s measurements?’
I crossed my arms, admiring the touching reunion from a distance.
*
“I went to the cafe in front of the house, and there’s a foreigner who looks like Adella ordering honey Castella. Since she seemed to be friendly with the staff, I thought she must be a regular here.”
“So Yoon-seul unni was near Adella?”
“Yeah, right behind her. Honestly, I didn’t think much of it at that time. I wasn’t trying to spy, but yesterday she was applying for the Twish settlement at the cafe. But guess what, the Safari Dream banner was up?”
“Wait a second! It was a month ago, so that manager guy tricked me!”
“You were the one who tricked first, you thief cat!”
Yoon-seul slapped Adella’s forehead, who was lying with her head resting on Yoon-seul’s knees.
“Gwaek!”
Adella, who was trying to sit up, fell back down.
“At first, I thought you and Adella were planning something sneaky!”
“Me and Adella? With what?”
“Like seeing how long you or the viewers could fool us. At first, I got really mad because they seemed to treat the broadcast as a joke, but the more I thought about it, the weirder it seemed. Adella could do that, but you, Na-me, would never allow it.”
“That’s true.”
“Why am I…?”
Adella pouted her lower lip in a sulking manner.
“So I quickly snuck a peek at the laptop while she was in the bathroom.”
“You peeked at that? Oh, Manager, you’re shady.”
“The shady one is you, pretending to be a multiple account user.”
“Ah!”
“Did you think I wouldn’t know? Delete all the posts before problems arise.”
“Net…”
“Anyway, I had a lot of thoughts for a whole day. Should I tell Na-me right away? What if Na-me really allowed it? Who is the stand-in? She looked like a high schooler. So I thought, well, whatever, I’ll teach them a lesson just for fun and sent an email. But…”
“Oh no, not that pattern again! Please don’t pinch my cheeks anymore; it hurts!”
Adella’s hand, which was headed for her cheek, paused for a moment but ultimately switched to pinching Adella’s nose instead.
“Gwaaaah my nose!”
“Do you know how shocked I was? She kept saying she was someone unrelated to Na-me, and that she’d immediately arrange 200 million won to send over. I truly believed they were criminals. And what? Delete Adella?”
“Time-out! That wasn’t me who sent that! It was Na-me!”
Adella flailed like a baby, pointing an accusatory finger at me.
“Did you do that, Na-me?”
“I was setting a trap. Just in case they were friends or something.”
“Don’t do that again. You shouldn’t say things like that, even as a joke.”
“Fine.”
“I’m also sorry for causing trouble. From now on, I’ll definitely consult with you guys before taking any action.”
“That’s just unfair. You’re so sweet to Na-me. Tch.”
Adella turned her head away with a huff.
Yoon-seul, fascinated by Adella’s silver hair, kept stroking it with her fingers.
“You said you got your body in March? Then that’s already half a year ago. I’m a little upset that you kept it a secret from me.”
“At that time, unni was busy going to school and broadcasting. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but honestly, you can be a bit scatterbrained, can’t you?”
Yoon-seul was attending a broadcasting arts department and had taken a semester off.
That’s why she missed the chance to run into Adella by coincidence.
“Hmm, that’s not entirely wrong. It’s just so fascinating. You mean you’re not a robot but a person just like us? 100% human?”
“Ugh, how many times do I have to tell you? I am a person!”
“Do you eat and sleep just like us? Do you get ticklish?”
Yoon-seul’s hand stealthily moved toward Adella’s armpit.
Adella’s reaction was a step slower than expected since she had lost all the sharp senses of a Cat Beastman.
“Hey, what are you… Hahh! Kyaaaah!”
“Oh! Wow! You really are!”
“Cough… Manager, just wait. I won’t forget this humiliation.”
Adella glared while puffing out her cheeks.
“Na-me, are you some kind of creator god? How else could you produce such magic?”
“Ha. It would be funny if a creator god had to pay to use magic. Capitalism exists above the gods.”
“How much did it cost?”
“Adella, you say it directly.”
“Ugh. About 2,100.”
“2.1 billion won?”
“Nah, artificial hearts cost over 100 million, so it’s obviously 2.1 billion.”
“Gah.”
A thick silence filled the previously noisy room at Adella’s statement.
Upon hearing that jaw-dropping amount, Yoon-seul squeezed Adella’s cheeks tightly with both hands.
Adella’s lips puffed out like a duck’s bill.
“2.1 billion? You’re telling me that’s 2.1 billion? You wasted all that money at the Magic Power Plant because of Adella?”
“Whaaaa!”
“Oops, sorry Della! It’s not like I’ll damage it by touching like this, right? Hoo hoo.”
“You’re such a nuisance! Knock it off, Manager, come here!”
“Gyaaaah!”
Adella suddenly jumped up and overpowered Kariri’s wrist in return.
While the girls were horsing around, I sat in the chair, pondering deeply.
I can’t hide Adella forever. But I can’t just reveal her recklessly either.
I couldn’t come up with a solution.
Is it right to maintain the status quo like this?
“Be careful from now on, Cheon Saetbyeol. You’re really lucky today.”
I warned Cheon Saetbyeol sternly with a cold demeanor.
She merely nodded slightly without any further response.
“What happened?”
Noticing the subtle atmosphere between us, Seol Yoon-seul tilted her head and asked.
“Nothing specific. I’m just getting a drink.”
I walked to the kitchen and guzzled down cold water straight from the bottle.
About an hour later, Professor Cheon should be coming home.
I looked around casually, but there were no dishes to wash, and the trash can was neatly emptied.
Instead of returning to my room, I lay down on the living room sofa.
The cold leather touch crept up my back.
The light from the living room lamp was so bright that I had to shield my eyes with my arm.
“I want to go back to that time…”
When I close my eyes, a woman’s memory vividly fills the dark canvas.
Am I a being continuously tied from my past life, or am I a separate entity recalling the memories of the past life?
What’s certain is that I had to constantly chant ‘I am the latter’ like a mantra.
As long as I do-
*
“Did those two fight?”
“Yeah. They seem to be really upset.”
“What should we do… I shouldn’t have made this bigger.”
“No, in the end, it was my fault for speaking carelessly. It’s all my fault.”
Yoon-seul and Saetbyeol put their heads together, brainstorming ways to mend Na-me’s feelings.
“Ever since the beginning of my life, it’s been nothing but lies. What exactly was a lie?”
“Did Na-me say that?”
“Yeah. She said it word for word, exactly like that.”
“Lies…? What could Na-me have to lie about?”
“I know! She keeps hinting at something but then completely shuts her mouth! Do you know how frustrating it’s been for me?”
“Hmmm.”
“She keeps saying she’ll explain everything one day… ugh, does she really think I can’t be trusted?”
Adella pulled her knees up and buried her head in them.
Na-me definitely wouldn’t have forgotten that promise either.
There was a thin wall standing between what they thought was an unbreakable friendship.
She couldn’t hide her anxious heart, swaying her body back and forth.
“I’ve only known Na-me for two years, at most. I was rescued from the capsule last year.”
To tell a lie, you need someone to tell it to.
In other words, her lie likely started two years ago, Yoon-seul speculated.
“Really, it hasn’t been that long.”
“We always think of Na-me as amazing, but she’s still a kid with a horrible past. I think we need to show her more love to help her open the door of her heart.”
“Seven years… then again, seven years is a bit long. I met Na-me just over a year ago.”
“You and I both received help from Na-me, so let’s give her a little more time and wait. But where did Na-me go?”
“She said she was going to drink some water in the kitchen earlier.”
The girls, who stepped outside the room, spotted Na-me peacefully sleeping on the couch.
Her little belly puffed out and sank with each breath.
They say a child is prettiest when asleep, like an angel.
Na-me looked exactly like that now.
“She’s really cute…”
The long black hair that spilled over the sofa flowed like a night wave.
Saetbyeol absentmindedly reached out and stroked Na-me’s hair.
Since her hair was so long, the ends were quite damaged.
Her bright pink lips moved slightly, evoking the illusion of eating raspberries.
Eventually, Na-me opened her eyes slightly.
As her gaze focused, Saetbyeol’s silhouette reflected in her dark pupils.
Saetbyeol, still stroking Na-me’s hair, was suddenly startled.
“Oh! Sorry! I didn’t know you hated having your hair touched! I really forgot; I didn’t do it on purpose!”
Before Saetbyeol could retract her arm, Na-me’s hand grasped her wrist.
Na-me, overwhelmed by the pouring light, simply closed her eyes again.
“It’s okay. Just stay like this.”
The edges of her rosy lips curled up into a smile.
Seeing Na-me act differently than usual, Saetbyeol couldn’t help but fidget and spoke up.
“Do you want to do something today, unni? I’ll grant all your wishes.”
“Wishes? Out of nowhere?”
“Yeah. As an apology.”
A faint smile blossomed.
Na-me raised her long eyelashes and said,
“Let’s spar.”
“Okay! Then I’ll quickly turn on the capsule and make it comfy!”
“No, in reality.”
That day, for the first time, Saetbyeol’s animal instincts kicked in.
Her whole body warned her not to go, but she couldn’t refuse Na-me’s request.
“Na-me, Saetbyeol, have a great time…! I’ll just take my leave! Bye-bye!”
Yoon-seul ran off without looking back.
