A Change of Heart
In the research lab in Eunpyeong-gu, I sat at the break room table reading the Bible when I heard a loud slurping sound from across the table. A small smile tugged at my lips. Adele, who had been happily eating her udon, looked up at me with curious eyes. After chewing and swallowing a mouthful of noodles, she asked, “Is there something you don’t understand?”
“No, there isn’t.”
“Then please focus.”
How am I supposed to focus when you keep making those noises?
“Understood.”
I obediently lowered my gaze back to the Bible. Adele cautiously suggested, “Would you like to take a break?” She seemed to think I wanted one.
“No, thank you.”
“Oh… all right…”
Perhaps embarrassed by the firm refusal, Adele pouted. She muttered something under her breath, then resumed eating her udon. Another loud slurp echoed across the table—this time she drank the broth with obvious satisfaction.
“Phew…!”
She let out a contented sigh, leaned back in her chair, and stretched her legs forward. Her indoor slippers brushed against my shin. Startled, Adele immediately sat up straight and apologized.
“I-I’m sorry…”
“It’s fine.”
Without looking up, I answered curtly and continued reading for about five minutes before reaching to turn the page. Adele cleared her throat and spoke.
“…Ahem! I should give you a quiz.”
“Right now? We’ve barely been reading for twenty minutes.”
“W-well… is that so…?”
“Do you have something you want to say to me?”
Adele flinched at the question. Anyone could see she wanted to speak, yet the words that came out were different.
“Not really…?”
She clearly wanted to ask about what happened yesterday and the day before… but she was afraid. Afraid that things between us might turn sour. That indecisiveness of hers wouldn’t help her at all… though it was extremely convenient for me.
I rested my elbows on the table, crossed my arms, leaned forward, and offered her a gentle smile.
“Adele.”
“Yes?”
“Shall we go out for some fresh air? I’m feeling a bit suffocated right now.”
“Really? That sounds good!”
Adele hadn’t noticed my consideration. She genuinely believed I was the one feeling stifled. Even when I made it so obvious… that in itself was a talent.
I gestured toward the udon with my chin. “Have you finished that? There’s still some left. Are you full?”
“Ah, just a moment…”
Adele buried her face in the bowl and finished the remaining noodles in one go. Chewing with her mouth full, she gave me a thumbs-up. Suppressing a laugh, I stood up with a pleasant smile. Adele rose as well. A drop of broth clung to the corner of her lips.
I pulled out a tissue and held it out to her. “You have broth on your mouth. Right side, lower lip.”
“Ah, thank you…”
She accepted the tissue with both hands and wiped her mouth while glancing at me nervously. Her eyes were filled with worry. After throwing the tissue away, she asked, “Shall we skip studying today?”
“Why?”
“I thought you might be tired from studying every day. Let’s rest. Rest.”
“Then shall I take you home?”
“You really have no tact, Jihyeok! I have a brilliant idea, so listen carefully.”
“An idea…?”
Adele puffed out her chest at my bewildered expression. “I told you I bring you good energy, didn’t I? So let’s go out and have fun! How about an amusement park?”
“I’m already receiving good energy right now. Are you the one who wants to go to the amusement park?”
“It’s not that I want to go! You said you were feeling suffocated, so I suggested somewhere open and fun! We can relieve stress too!”
“You could just say you want to go…”
“Seriously! If you keep ignoring your teacher like this, I might have to discipline you!”
Oh? She was trying to assert her authority? How adorable. Should I at least pretend to tremble?
I shrugged. “You just called it a suggestion a moment ago.”
Adele flinched. She quickly corrected herself. “It’s an order!”
“Well then… understood.”
I nodded reluctantly and went to fetch my coat. Adele watched me with a face full of regret, clearly sorry for forcing me. She had probably intended to speak gently and calmly, but things rarely go as planned. That’s just how life is.
After putting on my coat and tying my shoelaces, I brought Adele’s white sneakers and placed them in front of her.
“Let me know when you’re ready.”
“…Okay…”
Whoosh—!
A torrential downpour hammered the ground with terrifying force. Adele stood frozen at the entrance leading to the surface, her mouth hanging open. Her expression seemed to ask, When did it start raining? Standing beside her, I removed my coat and held it up to shield her from the raindrops.
“It’s raining.”
“Huh? When… did it start?”
“I don’t know. I should have checked the weather from the lab… This is my mistake. It looks like a passing shower, so let’s wait in the hallway for a bit.”
I reached out to turn Adele by the shoulder but hesitated. The motion reminded me of what had happened yesterday. Adele, who had noticed my awkward gesture, looked up at me. Her plump lips parted as she gazed at me with a complicated expression.
“You seem distant today, Jihyeok.”
“What do you mean…”
“You’re still conscious of what I said yesterday.”
“I’m only being careful because that’s what you wanted.”
“…Even your tone has become cold. I must have gotten angry for no reason…”
Adele leaned against the corridor wall and slowly sank down. Sitting with her knees drawn up and her hands resting on them, she let out sigh after sigh. I crouched down to meet her eyes and spoke with a warm smile.
“I was wrong. Because of the suffocating feeling I mentioned earlier, my voice came out lower without me realizing it.”
“Is that it…?”
“Of course. Even if I was scolded yesterday, why would I speak coldly to you, Adele, who gives me so much strength just by being beside me?”
“…Really?”
“Absolutely. However, there is one piece of advice I’d like to offer. It’s advice from your disciple, but… will you listen?”
Adele’s self-deprecating demeanor changed in an instant. She answered immediately.
“Yes! I may be your teacher, but I’m lacking! I desperately need my disciple’s help!”
Ah… I want to hold that round face against my chest and fall asleep. Barely suppressing the temptation, I spoke the words I had prepared.
“Understood. It seems you have a tendency to be swayed too easily by others. Even if it means lowering yourself or suffering losses, you try not to hurt the other person’s feelings. Am I right?”
“Y-you’re right… How did you know?”
“It’s obvious. It shows in your expressions and actions.”
“I see…”
“You’re kind. And honest too. Being kind and honest is a major weakness in this world. It makes you easy to take advantage of.”
Adele’s face grew gloomy. But my next words brought hope back to her expression.
“However, if you have good judgment—no, if you have good character—then this trait can become a great strength. And I believe you possess that kind of character.”
“Character?”
“Yes. Only good people surround you. First, the believers from the planet you lived on must be kind, since they believe in Lady Rosario.”
“That’s right! They’re all truly gentle people!”
“I thought so. Besides them, there’s Silvia, who came from another planet, Sehwa and the Doctor whom you met on Earth… and Yuria as well. Of course, I haven’t met Yuria yet, but as an Aether compatible, she’ll surely get along well with you.”
Adele, who had been listening attentively, tilted her head.
“Why did you leave yourself out, Jihyeok? You’re an incredibly good person too.”
No, I’m probably the worst person among everyone you’ve met.
“It would be embarrassing to include myself.”
Adele burst into laughter at my playful tone. That innocent, beautiful smile. No wonder Silvia cherished her so much. I shook my head a couple of times to clear my thoughts and continued.
“Anyway… the people around you accept whatever you say without any malice. For example, even if you told Silvia, ‘You’re a bad person!’ she would reflect on it rather than hold a grudge.”
“Aha…”
“It’s the same for everyone else around you. I’m no different. No matter what you say, I won’t dislike it, so act as you please. If you have something you want to say, then say it.”
Adele stared at me in silence for a while with her round, sparkling eyes. I moved to the opposite wall and sat in the same posture as her so she could think. As we sat there watching the rain, waiting for it to ease, Adele slowly stood up. She quietly came over and crouched down beside me.
“I had a question I wanted to ask… not something I wanted to say. But I think I’ll keep it to myself.”
A question? She had probably wanted to ask if I liked her. Even though she had listened to my advice and seemed to accept it deeply, she was still choosing not to ask? This was proof that Adele’s mindset had changed. And that change was definitely in my favor.
“Understood.”
“You’re not going to ask why?”
“I don’t want to pressure you. Tell me whenever you’re comfortable.”
“Okay… Thank you.”
I stood up and looked down at Adele with a grin.
“It doesn’t seem like the rain is stopping. Shall we go back inside and continue our Bible study? Or would you like to go to an indoor amusement park instead?”
“You’re not feeling suffocated anymore?”
“After having a serious conversation and listening to the sound of rain, it disappeared.”
“You must like rainy days.”
“The sound of rain calms the mind. It’s different for everyone, but that’s how it is for me.”
“I see…”
Adele nodded. She extended one hand toward me.
“Will you help me up?”
It was a natural gesture. It also meant she would set aside her questions about yesterday along with her inquiry. She wanted me to treat her as usual. I took Adele’s small hand, pulled her to her feet, and patted the dust off her back. Then I noticed her hair clip was slightly crooked. I didn’t intend to fix it myself, so I simply mentioned it.
“Your hair clip is a bit off.”
“Fix it for me. It’s hard to make it look pretty by myself.”
“Try doing it yourself. I’ll watch and tell you if it looks good.”
“…All right.”
Looking slightly disappointed, Adele weakly raised her hands and removed the hair clip. Her platinum-blonde hair, nearly golden, cascaded down. The shampoo scent… was it the baby powder one I bought her last time? It suited her. She gathered her hair at the back with both hands, turned her head a few times, and twisted it upward.
“How is it?”
“A little more turning would be better.”
“Like this?”
“Yes, just like that.”
“Is it done?”
“It’s done. Now, over there—”
Beep—! Beep—!
I closed my mouth at the loud, rapid beeping coming from my phone. Adele turned around in surprise.
“W-what is it?”
Looking at the situation board linked to my phone with a calm expression, I answered.
“Monsters. Location: Israel. The grade is B-class, but it’s rising rapidly. There are two of them.”