My friend has a friend in their head...
My friend has a friend in their head...
The two people, who had been arguing in their own ways, seemed to realize that if they kept going like this, the argument would never end. They stopped fighting and looked at me at the same time.
As for me, I was busy enjoying my snack, so when their attention suddenly shifted to me, I stopped eating and looked up with a tense expression.
"We can't keep fighting like this, Eonni."
"Yeah... even if we keep fighting here like this, it doesn't seem like the conversation will ever end..."
The two of them looked back at me with determined expressions.
"Will you decide?"
"I'd like you to decide."
Ah, I guess it was going to end up like this, huh...
I mean, I expected it would come to this, but now that the situation is actually here, I have no idea what to say.
If I have to choose between these two, choosing the one with more money is definitely the most comfortable option for the future...
'But is it okay for me to choose this?'
I mean, both of them are S-rank and A-rank hunters, and they're incredibly pretty, so is it okay for me to make such an undeserved choice?
[It is not undeserved. Becoming the guardian of the Administrator-nim would be a great blessing.]
Even if you say that so suddenly...
Of course, I'm not an idiot, and I think being able to check other people's information so easily, not to mention finding out all sorts of information quickly without any effort, is a very useful element.
No, it goes beyond just being useful... I've heard there's no way to find out someone's status this easily and in such detail.
However...
'The two of them don't know I have that ability.'
They don't know anything, yet they want to take me in purely because I'm cute?
Isn't that even more absurd?
Of course, I also feel like wanting to do more for cute kids and wanting to dote on them... well, I do have those kinds of feelings...
But I can barely feed myself, so I don't think I'd ever make the decision to take someone in and live with them.
"It seems like it's really hard to choose..."
"Hmm..."
Gasp...
I must have been too deep in my own thoughts.
'If I'm going to choose, I'd prefer someone who gives me as much freedom as possible.'
Still, as someone who was an adult male just a short while ago, I don't really like being restricted just because I'm young.
And if I had to pick someone who would support me well and be less annoying in terms of personality, then definitely...
'Han Seol... I think she'd be the best.'
[...... I think your criteria are strange.]
Huh?
I think I've set my criteria really well, actually.
Honestly, isn't Han Seol the better choice?
Of course, I'm a bit upset that she tried to send me straight to an orphanage just a moment ago, but she did say she was doing it for my own good.
Since she's an S-rank hunter, she'd have more money than an A-rank hunter, and since she's working as a guild leader, she'd be busy, so she'd probably pay less attention to me relatively speaking...
And her personality feels introverted, so I get the feeling she won't bother me.
Conversely, Ju-yeon, who is right next to her, seems like she would take great care of me, but I have a strong feeling she'd be super annoying because she'd be meddling and worrying about this and that.
'...What on earth am I thinking...'
While agonizing over this internally, I wondered how this situation even happened. How did I end up in a position where such pretty and amazing people are volunteering to be my guardian, forcing me to choose between them?
I really don't know...
"Hmm..."
Anyway...
I couldn't just stay still without making a decision, so I had to choose eventually.
After making a thoughtful expression for a while, I lifted my head as if I had made up my mind, looked at the two of them, and fixed my gaze on one side.
"Then, um..."
The person I chose was, naturally...
"No, way...!"
It was Han Seol.
"...... Me?"
I nodded.
"Hmm... I'm grateful you chose me, but... there's something I need to tell you, for your own sake."
"Yes?"
"Personally, it would be much better for you to go with this Eonni instead of me. She's stiff and busy, so she probably won't be able to take good care of you."
"Suddenly doing some self-reflection?"
I'm a bit flustered too.
Just a moment ago, they were fighting over who would take me, and now she's suddenly saying, "I'm not confident I can raise you well, so follow the Eonni next to me."
However, it seemed like she was speaking sincerely from her perspective.
"...... Now that you're suddenly saying that, it makes it awkward for me to take her."
"...... Was I too oblivious?"
"Forget it, just let the kid decide. It's not like we'll never see each other if she goes to the other side; we can just go visit when we want to see her."
I nodded at Ju-yeon's words.
Even though she said that, I had no intention of changing my mind.
As if she noticed that I had already made a complete decision, Ju-yeon looked at Han Seol, looking disappointed but also dumbfounded, and said:
"It's really weird, isn't it? Unlike you, I took such good care of her, so I don't get why she wants to follow you. Did you use some kind of Hypnosis App or something?"
"...... I'm pretty sure I told you not to say weird things in front of the child."
"Gasp..."
A Hypnosis App, seriously...
Well, anyway...
That's how I ended up going to Han Seol's house for the time being.
Naturally, since she became my guardian, my surname also became Han.
"Looking at it like this, you two really do look like sisters. Both of you have white hair."
"Hmm..."
"Then, how about Han Seol-a?"
"My name is Han Seol?"
Wow.
If we keep going like this, it feels like we'll be naming me all day, so I looked through the name tags they showed me earlier to see if there were any decent names.
'What do you think?'
[I am merely the Administrator-nim's secretary, so it is not my place to name you, but...]
Oh, is that so?
After looking for a moment, I was able to find a decent name.
'Should I go with this?'
It looks reasonably normal and seems fine.
"Um... this one..."
"Jia? What do you think?"
At Han Seol's question, Ju-yeon, who had been calling the name a few times with a thoughtful expression, nodded.
"Han Jia... Han Jia... I think it's fine? They say that's how kids are named these days. Let's go with Jia. It seems like Jia likes it too."
"Then let's go with Jia."
Uh, uh...
[Saving Administrator-nim's name as 'Han Jia'.]
'Oh...'
So, where I would live was decided, and my name was decided.
Now, the things that needed to be done could be considered mostly finished.
What's left is...
'I suppose I have to talk about what happened at that laboratory...?'
Sure enough.
It wasn't long before the two of them started asking me about what happened at that laboratory.
"By any chance... could you tell us what happened there?"
"If you don't remember, you don't have to tell us. Jia's peace of mind is more important than hearing the story."
Of course, they were just asking simple questions, and they were being light and cautious, perhaps trying not to trigger me as much as possible.
They weren't pressuring me or forcing me to answer, and they were going that far...
'But I really don't know a single thing about what happened...'
All I remember is taking the medicine they gave me there, taking a nap, and waking up in this body...
So naturally, there was nothing for me to talk about.
Since I couldn't answer and was just rolling my eyes, they seemed to notice that I was having trouble answering, so they put aside the question about what happened at the laboratory for the moment.
However...
"By any chance... is there anything strange? Like, do you feel weird in your body... or does anything hurt?"
I was about to say... there's nothing like that either...
But if I say there's absolutely nothing, that wouldn't be right, would it?
Of course, they aren't the type of people to abandon me just because I have no abilities, but I felt uncomfortable.
I guess I wanted to show them that I could do something...
I remembered saying earlier that I would do anything, so please don't abandon me.
Since I said that, I felt I had to show them that I wasn't completely useless.
Maybe that's why.
"Um... well..."
"Hmm?"
"I have a friend I can talk to..."
"Hmm...?"
"What does that mean?"
Uh... how should I explain this with a child's vocabulary?
"I, I mean... a friend in my head? They're amazing. They know a lot... and they're always worried about me...?"
[...... Administrator-nim?]
Oh...
Wait a second...
Saying it like this makes it sound like I have some kind of mental illness...?
[If you say it like that, it will only cause more misunderstandings.]
Um.
Sure enough, the expressions on their faces as they looked at me were mixed with shock.
Of course, since I was right in front of them, they didn't show it outwardly, but I could feel their eyes getting misty as they looked at me.
[It is not technically incorrect, but...]
Ahh.
I want to go home...