The Child Welfare Facility
She looked to be in her late thirties. Long hair tied neatly back, a gentle set to her eyes — the overall impression was mature, composed, unhurried.
"Was the trip here hard on you?"
It was fine.
"I'wuz fine."
"Yeah? That's a relief."
The Facility Director reached for my bag as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I pulled it back on reflex.
I'll carry it myself.
"I'll cawwy it."
"...Huh?"
I can carry it.
"I can cawwy it."
"Alright. Tell me if it gets heavy."
She paused for a beat, then withdrew her hand with a smile.
"Shall we go in, then?"
I followed her inside.
The facility was more ordinary than I'd expected. Past the entryway a small living room opened up, and beyond it I could see the kitchen. One wall was crowded with drawings and photographs that looked like they'd been done by children.
"This is the living room, and that's the kitchen over there. We all eat together here."
I looked around as the Facility Director explained. A shared living room, a kitchen, dorm rooms, a bathroom, a laundry — they seemed to have most of what you'd need to get by.
"Snacks are in the kitchen, but if you want some, you have to tell a teacher first."
As I followed her into the hallway, kids started coming into view one by one. I'd figured the place would be packed with little children, but that wasn't quite how it was. A toddler sat on the floor playing with toys; a kid around middle-school age was sprawled on the sofa, staring at a phone. There were a few who looked like high schoolers, too.
"......"
I could feel someone watching me.
A girl was sitting on the sofa at the far end of the hall. She looked a little taller than I was — black hair falling past her shoulders. Our eyes met.
"......"
She'd been watching me this whole time, apparently. When I looked back, she dropped her gaze to her phone.
"...Huh?"
"Hayul?"
I turned. The Facility Director had gotten a few steps ahead and was waiting for me.
"What's wrong, Hayul?"
"Comin'."
I left the girl behind and followed the Facility Director.
The dorm rooms were on the second floor. Three to a room, she said. After that came the laundry, the showers, a playroom. The Facility Director walked me through the whole place, explaining each one as we went. It wasn't a complicated layout. Seeing it once was enough.
After the tour we came back down to the first floor. There were more kids out in the living room than before, and as I walked past, their eyes followed me as if pulled along on a string. A new face had shown up, so of course they were curious. I didn't particularly care. This was only a temporary stay anyway. There was no need to get friendly.
"Just rest up for today. I'll call you when it's dinner."
Yes.
"Yesh."
I nodded and headed for the stairs, figuring I might as well go take a look at the room.
"Hey."
I stopped and looked back.
It was the girl who'd been staring at me earlier. The one on the sofa had gotten up at some point.
"You."
She looked me over, unhurried.
"Come here a sec."
I regarded her for a moment, then walked over.
"How old are you?"
Seventeen.
"Theventeen."
She paused.
"...How old did you say?"
Seventeen, I said.
"Theventeen, I said."
Her eyes widened a little.
"......So you're older than me?"
How old are you?
"How owld are you?"
"Me? Third year of middle school."
She looked at me for a beat. Then the corner of her mouth ticked up.
"So how come Unnie's such an idiot?"
What?
"Wha?"
Heat rushed straight to my head.
I'm not an idiot!
"I'n not an idiot!"
"Pfft."
Don't laugh!
"Don' waugh!"
She finally turned her head and burst out laughing.
I have a high IQ, you know!
"I hab a high IQ!"
The more I talked, the harder she laughed. Damn it. I clenched my fists and glared at her. She looked at me and snorted.
"......Cute."
What's cute about it!
"Wha's cute about it!"
I decided I was done with her.
Forget it. I'm leaving.
"Fowget it. I'm weaving."
I was about to turn when her voice came again from behind.
"So what's Unnie's name?"
Seo Hayul.
"Sheo Hayuli."
Again.
Seo. Ha. Yul.
"Sheo. Ha. Yuli."
......
She probably got it.
What's your name.
"Wha's your name."
"I'm Shin Sena."
Shin Sena. I filed it away.
"Let's get along, okay~ Unnie with the high IQ."
......
You're making fun of me right now.
"You'we making fun of me wight now."
"No I'm not?"
Pretty sure she was. I shot her one more glare and turned on my heel. A small laugh followed me from behind.
......What a brat.
When dinnertime came, the kids drifted into the living room one by one. Meals were apparently a communal affair, with tables set up in the living room. I sat in an empty seat, and the people around me stared. A new face. Of course they were curious. I did my best to ignore it and ate.
I picked up a side dish with my chopsticks. Clack. It fell. I tried again. Clack. It fell again.
......
A teacher watched me for a moment, then went off somewhere. A little later, she set a pair of training chopsticks down in front of me — the kind with finger rings, a little cartoon penguin grinning up from the handle.
"Hayul. Want to try these?"
"......"
I don't need those.
"I don' need those."
"These'll be easier, though."
"......"
After I finished eating and got up, the Facility Director came over.
"Hayul, you haven't really seen your room yet, have you?"
I took a quick look earlier.
"I took a quick wook eawier."
"Then let's go up together. You can put your things away too."
I picked up the bag I'd left at the side of the living room and followed her to the second floor. She opened a door.
"This is the room you'll be staying in."
Inside were three beds, desks, and wardrobes. A room for three, by the look of it.
"You can use that bed over there. This wardrobe's empty."
She pointed to the empty bed and the empty wardrobe in turn. I set my bag down on the bed.
What about the girls I'll be sharing with?
"What about the giwls I'll be shawing with?"
"They'll be up in a bit."
A moment later, two girls came into the room. The Facility Director introduced me to them.
"This is Hayul. She'll be staying with you starting today. You'll be going to the same school, too."
Hi. I'm Seo Hayul.
"Hi. I'm Sheo Hayuli."
A brief silence. Then one of them went wide-eyed and came straight up to me.
"Whoa, hold on. You're actually super cute."
......What?
"Wha?"
"Your face is pretty, and the way you talk is totally cu—"
"Yoo Chaerin."
The girl beside her cut in, quietly.
"Don't come on that strong to someone you just met."
"Why? She's cute."
"You're making her uncomfortable."
The girl let out a sigh and looked at me.
"I'm Han Siyeon. She's always like that, so just ignore her."
Yeah....
"Yeah...."
"You two look after Hayul, okay? If she needs anything, tell a teacher."
"Yes—!"
The second the Facility Director shut the door behind her, Chaerin came right up to me like she'd been waiting for it.
"Hayul, where are you from?"
I lived nearby.
"I wived neawby."
"How old are you? What's your favorite food? Is your hair naturally that color?"
The questions came all at once.
Ask them one at a time.
"Ask them one at a time."
"Ah, sorry. I've just got so many questions."
She did not look sorry at all.
"How old are you?"
"Theven—"
"Favorite food?"
"Tiwami—"
"What's your hobby?"
"......"
"Do you play games?"
That's why I said one at a time......
"Tha's why I said one at a time......"
"Oh, right."
It went quiet for a second.
"But is your hair actually naturally pink?"
"......"
Siyeon, who'd been watching from the side, let out a sigh.
"Give it a rest. She just got here today."
"But I'm curious."
"At least let her breathe."
Once the interrogation was over, I opened my bag. I hadn't brought much. I'd figured this was just a temporary stop before I went back — a few changes of clothes, toiletries, a charger, the other things I might need right away. Once I'd put everything away in the wardrobe and on the desk, I felt... strange.
By the time I came back from washing up and looked out the window, it was already fully dark outside. I lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
"......"
An unfamiliar ceiling. As of yesterday, none of this had even existed as a possibility. I'd gotten a fever at school, come home, and gone to sleep. When I opened my eyes, I was a girl. My body had shrunk. I couldn't get a proper sentence out of my mouth. I couldn't even write the way I wanted.
And that hadn't been the end of it. I'd gone to the Community Service Center and come away with an entirely new identity. I'd left the house I'd been living in alone and walked into a facility. School wasn't going to be science high school anymore — it was going to be a regular high school.
"......"
Thinking about it plainly, far too much had happened in a single day.
I pulled the blanket all the way up over my head. But I couldn't stay like this forever. Why my body had changed. Why my speech and handwriting had ended up like this. Whether there was a way to go back. I needed to figure it out, one thing at a time. And then I needed to get back to my old life. Home. School.
I stared at the dark ceiling for a while. My eyelids grew slowly heavier.
Sleep first.
"Hayul, you asleep??"
Why is she calling me.
"So is that hair actually naturally pink??"
"......"