Chapter 43: Until the Blue Sky Comes (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 43: Until the Blue Sky Comes (3)
Where do children play on rainy days?
I had the simple thought that they would just play at home, but kids these days were more mature than I expected. To be precise, Eunji was mature for her age, and Hoyoung, with his quiet personality, had a remarkably composed air for a young boy.
The two of them were sitting side by side in the comic cafe, reading books together. Meanwhile, I was sitting next to Blue, enduring an awkward silence.
I never imagined I’d run into her while picking up Eunji in Kirk’s stead.
When the two children first said they wanted to play, I had hesitated, unsure of what to do, and locked eyes with Blue. She said she didn't mind, so we asked the kids if there was anywhere they wanted to go.
Both of them seemed to like comics, as they said they wanted to look at comic books. That was how we ended up in this quiet, secluded comic cafe.
"This happened so suddenly. Are you sure you have the time?" I asked.
I had nothing but time, so it didn't matter to me, but I wondered if this was an inconvenient situation for Blue, whose occupation I didn't even know. She shook her head with a gentle smile and said it was fine, which allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief.
"I had no idea Hoyoung had a girlfriend. He never mentions things like that at home."
"Kids usually don't talk about those things at home."
I didn't have children of my own, but I understood to some extent. It wasn't like I hadn't been a child once. Kids that age might tell their friends, but they rarely tell their parents. As time passes, the secrets they keep from their parents only grow.
"I haven't even introduced myself properly because I was so focused on the kids. I'm Yoo Hayoung, Hoyoung's aunt."
Hearing her introduction—her name was quite similar to her nephew's—I bowed my head in return.
"I'm A, a colleague of Eunji's father. I'm out here today because my friend had something to take care of."
"Oh, so you're not her real uncle."
"No. I just play with Eunji often, so she finds it comfortable to call me 'Uncle.'"
I had often heard about the team members from Yubin and Yura, and lately, I’d heard the most about Green, whom I’d been talking to more frequently.
There hadn't been much talk about Blue or Yellow. I’d heard a bit more about Blue than Yellow, but even that wasn't very specific.
I’d heard that she rarely attended meetings because she was busy looking after her nephew, only showing up for duels. Of course, she didn't skip every meeting; the fact that she attended occasionally suggested she felt some level of responsibility as a member of Hunter Killer.
"Daddy and Mommy went on a date today because it's their wedding anniversary!"
"I see. So the two of them went out to have fun today."
Watching Blue respond to Eunji’s energetic remark with a relaxed voice and a smile, I could indirectly feel that she had quite a bit of experience looking after children.
"Since they went out just the two of them, are you okay with that, Eunji?"
"It's okay. Mommy and Daddy need to rest without me sometimes, too."
Blue had asked out of concern that Eunji might be feeling a hidden sense of disappointment, but the girl's response was so mature it was hard to believe it came from a six-year-old. Blue’s eyes widened for a moment before she flashed a proud smile.
"And since Uncle came instead, I get to play with Hoyoung!"
I knew that Kirk was usually the one who picked up Eunji. Therefore, even though Eunji had a boyfriend, she didn't usually have the environment to play with him separately. Her parents' special wedding anniversary had inadvertently created a special time for Eunji as well.
"Well, that's a relief then," Blue replied warmly to Eunji before turning to me and lowering her voice. "Eunji seems very mature for her age, doesn't she?"
"Yes. It's been a couple of months since I last saw her, but she's always been bright."
I didn't know how many nephews or nieces she had, but even to someone like her who looked after children regularly, Eunji seemed remarkably clever. She spoke to me with a sense of wonder, and even though she wasn't my child, I felt a strange sense of pride.
"By the way, you mentioned you're Hoyoung's aunt...?"
"Ah, he's my older brother's son. There are two others besides Hoyoung, but they're both in elementary school, so I don't have to stay glued to them."
Looking after three nephews... that couldn't be easy for someone so young.
I suddenly tried to imagine it. From a parent's perspective, looking after three versions of a young me.
It would be a nightmare.
Of course, even if she looked after three children, she had her brother and his wife—her sister-in-law—so it probably wasn't an entirely solo burden.
If I were to guess, her brother and his wife worked during the day, so she had to look after the kids. The mornings were likely especially chaotic, which was probably why she couldn't attend the meetings.
Furthermore, since elementary schools were on break right now but kindergartens weren't, the children's schedules were likely different, making every day feel like a repeating war.
Still, compared to Yubin, Yura, and Green, she seemed to have a relatively normal family. At least, that was my judgment based on the little I knew.
"Still, that's impressive. Three nephews. If someone told me to look after even one son like myself, I think I'd throw in the towel."
"You get used to it over time. To be honest, the kids are so energetic that there are still times when it gets really tough."
Looking at Hoyoung, it was hard to picture him as "energetic," but I accepted that not everyone with the same blood is the same. However, if a superhuman with transcendent physical abilities was getting exhausted, it really proved that childcare wasn't something you could do with just physical strength alone.
"How old are the others?"
"The oldest is ten, and the second is eight."
They were all two years apart, and both were in the lower grades of elementary school. It was a relief that Hoyoung, the youngest, seemed to have a gentle personality. If even Hoyoung had been hyperactive, she would have been drained trying to handle two lower-grade elementary students—the so-called "demon zone" of parenting—at the same time.
"I don't have kids or nephews, so I don't know exactly how hard it is... but it sounds like you have a lot on your plate."
"It'll get better once they grow up a little more."
Seeing her smile, it was clear that while it was difficult, it wasn't an unbearable situation. Was it because I had met a superhuman right after the incident with Green? I found myself unconsciously assuming that all Superhumans were in difficult circumstances, and that she must be in one too.
Was it because I’d spent the last few months navigating through several awkward situations and slowly finding breakthroughs? Without realizing it, I was acting as if I were some kind of apostle of justice. The moment I realized this, I felt a wave of embarrassment, as if I’d been caught naked.
That was just my nature. I didn't like standing out, and I felt ashamed of being overly self-conscious. My motto was to live life as it flows—if things are there, they're there; if not, they're not. In that moment, I felt like I’d forgotten my motto and let my ego run wild with useless thoughts.
Seeing me slap my own forehead, Blue tilted her head and leaned down to check my face.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
"?! No. I was just thinking about something for a second."
She met my eyes directly, even though we had just met. In that brief moment, she worried if something was wrong with me, and as soon as she heard I was fine, she smiled again. I wasn't trying to compare, but I got the feeling she was more balanced than the other Superhumans.
How should I put it? She seemed like someone who wouldn't be easily shaken.
"Still, thanks to the kids, I get to come to a place like this. I can't remember the last time I just went out to have fun."
Her case was different from Yubin, Yura, and Green, but she too was living such a busy life that she couldn't find time to play. No, all the Superhumans were busy in their own ways and weren't getting proper rest.
In my opinion, rest isn't just lying comfortably at home all day doing nothing.
I believe true rest is going somewhere or meeting someone to see different scenery and have different experiences than usual. Like traveling, for example.
But the Superhumans weren't getting that kind of rest.
"It's good to rest when you can, but I suppose you're too busy looking after the kids for that?"
"Yes."
"The children's parents must have a hard time too."
"They do."
For a split second, I felt an indescribable sense of dissonance and looked at Blue. She was still talking with that same gentle smile. Had I touched upon a subject I shouldn't have?
Come to think of it, just before Blue arrived at the kindergarten, I had asked Hoyoung when his parents were coming. Blue had arrived just as he was about to answer, cutting him off.
I didn't know the circumstances. But if the situation I was imagining was correct, I should probably watch my words.
I didn't know how to continue the conversation. Thinking about it, my thoughts about Hoyoung's parents were just my own guesses; Blue hadn't said a single word about her brother and his wife yet.
If the person involved wasn't talking, I should have kept my mouth shut. I might have been too thoughtless. I just hoped my suspicions were wrong.
"Do you like books?"
That was the best I could come up with. We were at a comic cafe with kids, so talking about books was the most natural pivot. I was a simple guy who didn't know the technicalities of conversation, so this was the best I could do to change the subject.
"Yes. I like looking at cookbooks."
They aren't typical literature, but cookbooks are still books, and reading them counts as reading.
Before I entered the training center, back when I was attending the academy, my instructor used to say this:
"Anyone who doesn't recognize reading comic books as 'reading' is an old-fashioned person who's fallen behind the times."
I wasn't much of a comic book reader myself, but those words had moved me deeply. I learned then that one shouldn't have prejudices against any activity; if it has literary or cultural value, it should be recognized as a genre.
"Cookbooks, huh? You must like cooking."
"Yes. If I get the chance, I'd like to become a chef later on."
She had a dream of becoming a chef. But to me, knowing she was a superhuman, the phrase "if I get the chance" felt incredibly heavy.
Yubin wanted to attend university properly and enjoy campus life, but she couldn't because of her activities with Hunter Killer.
Yura wanted to go to university, but she gave up on higher education to work because of her financial situation.
Green hadn't found what she wanted to do yet, but she too had lived her life unable to express her will in an oppressive environment.
I knew that the "chance" Blue spoke of would be difficult to come by. However, seeing her speak with such a bright voice, sincerely thinking about that future, I couldn't let my own assumptions dampen the mood.
"A chef... that's wonderful."
"Being a chef?"
"No. Having something you want to do."
To someone like me, whose motto was to just go with the flow, people with clear goals seemed amazing.
"I say that, but I haven't actually done anything toward it yet."
As we exchanged words, Eunji and Hoyoung, who had been reading, turned their gaze toward Blue and me.
"Hm? What is it?" I asked, noticing their stares.
"Aren't you and Big Sister going to read any books, Uncle?"
At the mention of books, we both looked at the table where a single cup of coffee sat.
"I'm fine, so you two read as much as you want."
It seemed Eunji had settled on calling Blue "Big Sister." Blue looked young enough that "Aunt" might have felt a bit off, and since Eunji couldn't call her "Gomo," "Big Sister" seemed just right.
Eunji and Hoyoung went back to their books, and our eyes met.
It was a chance encounter, but I had learned a few things about Blue. Of course, not all of it was confirmed information, and some were still in the stage of my own speculation, but it could still be considered a good result.
...That thought made me pause.
I was from Spacetro, and the more information I had on Hunter Killer, the better.
But at some point, I had started seeing these Superhumans as more than just information systems.
It was the same as usual. I was just a bit sensitive after the incident with Green.
"...Are you okay?"
I seemed to be having a lot of deep, solitary thoughts today.
I didn't know what kind of expression I was making, but it must not have been a very good one, as Blue checked on me once more.
"Yes. I'm fine."
I wasn't in pain, but even as I forced a smile, I knew it was hollow, and a sense of bitterness washed over me.