15. Imagination
It wasn't an unusually refreshing morning.
Beep beep beep, beep beep beep.
The alarm went off right on time, and I woke up properly.
"...Ugh."
I must've passed out the moment I sat on the sofa and closed my eyes.
I hadn't even pushed myself that hard yesterday...
Was it because I'd had a one-on-one chat with a magical girl that weighed on me more than I thought?
"...What time is it?"
I scratched my messy hair and stared blankly at the ceiling.
I barely dragged my aching body up and plopped it down at the kitchen table.
That's when I noticed the half-open door to the master bedroom.
"..."
Yuna sleeping soundly, and the doll placed right by her head.
I wondered how happy she'd be when she woke up and saw it.
I watched her little body rise and fall rhythmically.
"..."
Would she cheer like a kid, full of excitement?
Or maybe shed tears again. I hoped for the former, if possible.
My heart raced for no reason, chasing away any lingering sleepiness.
"..."
I rested my chin on the table.
And quietly gazed at the half-open bedroom door.
Wondering when she'd wake up.
I wondered if Yuna's parents felt like this on Christmas Eve evening.
While I waited, there was a bit of a commotion outside the window.
I went over to look.
—...!
I saw little kids heading to school, holding hands with who looked like their moms.
A sight I hadn't seen yesterday.
Looked like the school closure had already been lifted.
Of course, they couldn't just keep schools shut forever because of some monster...
But wasn't this a bit too soon?
Or was I being nosy?
As I stood there lost in such thoughts, staring out the window—
—Rattle.
A sound came from behind me.
The bedroom door opening.
"..."
"You up?"
I turned around and saw Yuna, looking all tousled.
"...Ung."
Uh...
Something felt off, empty somehow.
I'd been waiting for her to wake up, but why was I waiting again?
"Ah."
The doll—I remembered.
Yuna wasn't holding it.
What? Hadn't she found it?
Or had she found it but not brought it out?
"Uh... Yuna."
"Ung?"
"Did, uh, you see the doll when you woke up?"
I asked casually, like it wasn't a big deal.
"Doll?"
"Yeah. The one by your head. Daddy put it there yesterday..."
Truth be told, my impatience made me ask more directly than casually.
"Ah..."
Only then did Yuna make that face, glancing back at the bedroom.
"I saw it."
Shit. She doesn't like it.
The kid who'd jump for joy over a burger set was reacting like this...
'Fuck...'
I'd basically become just the guy who went out at 2 a.m. to counsel a magical girl.
"Doesn't suit your taste?"
"No, it's just..."
I wanted to add that Daddy had specially bought her favorite magical girl doll, but...
That would've sounded too pathetic, so I swallowed it down.
"...I saw kids heading to school earlier. Guess school's back on today."
Yuna, who had been staring at me with an ambiguous expression, nodded soon after.
And headed into the bathroom alone.
Left alone in the living room, I stared at the innocent Star Luminous doll.
Couldn't really complain since the person was dead...
Yuna came out washed and dressed by herself, back to being an ordinary little girl.
"Daddy, you gotta pick me up right after school today."
"Got it."
"Mommy always came to get me."
Yuna gripped my hand tightly the whole way to school.
Her cheeks and nose a bit red from the cold—adorable.
The unusual thing? She didn't mention magical girls at all.
"Study hard."
"Ung. See ya later."
I'd expected magical girl talk the whole walk.
Anyway, I successfully dropped Yuna off at school.
Getting more skilled with each passing day.
After sending Yuna to school, I returned home.
The house was wrapped in quiet silence.
Just the steady ticking of the analog clock, as always.
—Plop.
I slumped into a chair at the kitchen table.
Now what?
No funeral stand-in gigs booked, so nothing to do until picking up Yuna.
"..."
As I blankly scanned the living room—
Suddenly, my last phone call with Yuna's mom flashed through my mind.
Take whatever.
The box in the closet has all my savings.
Back then, in the chaos, I'd let it slide...
But I couldn't.
But now I realized—I'd forgotten something crucial.
Couldn't keep feeding and clothing Yuna on my dime forever...
"It's money she told me to use, after all."
Guilt over dipping into a single mom's savings kept nagging me.
But I whispered that to myself.
And stepped into the bedroom, standing before the closet.
"Damn, dusty..."
Should clean soon.
With that thought, I slowly opened the dusty closet door...
"Whoa."
First, Yuna's mom's clothes came into view. Sorry, but underwear too.
Yuna's stuff must be in the drawers by the bed.
No fancy outfits on display.
Just practical clothes for warding off cold or heat.
And below those, in the right corner of the closet—
I spotted a worn-out box.
"This it?"
I pulled it out and set it on the floor—heavy.
Really did feel like all her assets.
For a moment, I wondered if she'd rigged it to explode just to screw me over...
But realizing that was a ridiculous notion—
—Pop.
I opened the box.
Lifting the lid made a surprisingly crisp sound.
"..."
And inside—
Money. For real.
Bundles of fifty-thousand-won notes, ten-thousand, even one-thousand, tied tight with rubber bands.
No need to count—I could tell.
It wouldn't even reach five hundred thousand won.
I fell asleep playing board games with Uncle nonstop.
When I woke up, Uncle told me to get ready for school.
"...No school?"
"Ung. Resting a few days."
Uncle looked dumb.
Like there'd be school the day after a monster showed up.
I explained a bit, and he finally seemed to get it.
What to do today?
Yesterday was board games galore, so maybe watch magical girl anime together...
'Does Uncle like that stuff?'
I was deep in happy thoughts when—
"So Yuna, staying home all day?"
"Ung."
Of course. No academies for me.
Then Uncle made a kinda scary face. Like he was thinking something bad.
"Why...?"
Anxious, I asked, and he ruffled my hair wildly.
"Nothing. Daddy's gotta step out for a bit this morning."
My heart sank.
Suddenly why? Where was Uncle going?
"Back before lunch."
I wanted to ask. Where?
Can't you not go?
Scary being alone...
Suddenly worried—what if Uncle ran into a monster and didn't come back?
Did my face show how bummed I was? Uncle told me to wash up to wake fully.
Was I just looking tired?
Felt a bit hurt.
"Wanna come with, Yuna?"
"Uh, yeah? Where?!"
"To Daddy's work. Called earlier—they said it's okay to bring you."
He said that after I washed up.
Wanted to hug him tight.
I dressed like a princess.
Not super pretty, but Uncle said I looked like one, so I was happy.
Dummy. What princess bundles up like this?
"Time to head out."
"Hup, ung."
It was cold outside.
Uncle saw me shivering a bit and quickly hailed a taxi.
Warm inside the taxi.
Hugging Uncle's arm tight felt cozy and nice.
Answering Uncle's constant chatter absentmindedly—
The grandpa driver almost said we looked alike,
But changed his words after glancing at Uncle's face.
"..."
Did Uncle and I not look alike?
I stared hard at his face, and he looked down at me.
Embarrassed and tickled, I rubbed my face on his arm and giggled softly.
Uncle's arm smelled like the sofa.
We got out of the taxi with Uncle.
"Whoa, big."
A huge, fancy building loomed before us.
Looking around, tons of tall buildings everywhere. Not like around home.
Holding Uncle's hand tight as we entered—really...
"Don't let go. Stick close."
"U-Un."
Scary vibe, so I just clung to his hand.
Uncle would never know I'd spent the whole time staring only at his back.
A bit deeper inside the building, it looked just like wedding halls on TV sometimes.
I stayed quiet, as Uncle said.
Glancing at him now and then—
—Ding, dong.
Lights dimmed suddenly.
Then elegant music played, and a man in a sharp suit appeared slowly.
Followed by a woman in pure white—like a real princess.
Groom and bride.
Beauty on another level from pictures—I couldn't close my mouth.
School said grooms and brides love each other forever.
Were these two going to live happily ever after?
"..."
I let myself imagine something happy.
The happiest, most beautiful imagination I'd had lately.