Memory (3)
Memory (3)
As Lee Ha-sol had expected, the situation was quickly resolved.
Superhumans deployed for emergency response exterminated the monsters, and in the process, Lee Ha-sol and Lee Ha-yul, who had been rescued, were transferred to a nearby hospital.
Treatment was uneventful.
Because Lee Ha-sol and Lee Ha-yul were perfectly fine.
'Why?'
Admitted to a spacious hospital room as a victim of the incident, Lee Ha-sol raised her hand.
The hand that had been torn from frantically ramming into the hillside and scraping against it was unblemished.
The light that had been crumbling from Lee Ha-yul's hand. Before it disappeared, it had squirmed onto Lee Ha-sol's body and wiped her wounds completely clean.
It had happened before any superhumans arrived at the scene.
Because of that, there had been an uproar at the hospital.
Children whose clothes were in rags and drenched in blood, yet without a single injury?
On top of that, at the scene, there was even a monster that had died with part of its head blown away.
The commotion was so great that complicated tests were conducted to see if someone had awakened and manifested a rare healing-type Unique Ability.
'.......'
Lee Ha-sol, who had been vacantly wiggling her own hand, let out a deep sigh.
Her mind was a mess.
Even yesterday's life-threatening events now felt like a dream—the sound of something tearing on the hill, the blood spilling out...
And the flash of light.
Lee Ha-sol did not know what that light had been. She did not know why the monster that had been chasing them lay dead, nor why Lee Ha-yul's wounds had vanished.
But fearing that it would not be good for Lee Ha-yul if the truth came to light, she kept her mouth shut.
He was already a child suffering mentally.
If it were revealed that he possessed a Unique Ability, mana, or some special supernatural power, people with shady intentions would approach.
'...Seeing that Ha-yul came looking for me on his own, his state of mind might change as he grows up, but...'
Time passed, the complicated matters subsided, and because there were no particular injuries, they soon returned to the orphanage.
Lee Ha-sol looked down steadily at Lee Ha-yul, who was seated in her arms.
"Ha-yul."
- Nod.
Lee Ha-yul nodded his head. His blinking was still regular, and his expression remained still. Lee Ha-sol stroked Lee Ha-yul's hair and asked:
"Back then, why did you come to find me?"
- ......
Lee Ha-yul, who had been bobbing his head like a roly-poly toy, stopped. He blinked once, then tilted his head to the side.
Meaning he didn't know.
"...You don't know?"
- Nod.
Only then did his head move up and down. With a subtle expression, Lee Ha-sol gently stroked Lee Ha-yul's cheek.
"When we faced the monster on the mountain, why did you push me?"
- ......
"You don't know that either?"
- Nod.
"What is that? All the things I really wanted to hear, you say you don't know. What am I supposed to do?"
Lee Ha-sol, her lips jutting out slightly, took hold of Lee Ha-yul's cheeks.
"...Haaah."
But as long as she had a human heart, she couldn't torment Lee Ha-yul.
After letting out a long sigh, Lee Ha-sol squished and kneaded the cheeks in her hands.
Lee Ha-yul had come to find her.
Even now, though she was angry at the danger—enough to make one's face turn pale—her heart also swelled with emotion.
A child who wouldn't act without instruction, whose body was frail and whose eyes could barely see, had moved on his own because she wasn't there and had come all the way to her.
For whatever reason, she couldn't help but hold complicated feelings.
'If it hadn't been for Ha-yul, I would have died.'
Lee Ha-sol had no confidence she could have evaded the monster on that mountain in the middle of the night. No matter how much she ran, she would have eventually been caught and devoured on the spot.
If it hadn't been for Lee Ha-yul.
"...Thank you."
Shuddering at the gruesome thought, Lee Ha-sol murmured.
Lee Ha-yul did not react to the quiet gratitude. Smiling bitterly, Lee Ha-sol hugged Lee Ha-yul tightly.
"I'm sorry."
Lee Ha-yul, snuggled docilely in her arms, didn't react to the apology either. That made her heart ache even more.
Neither gratitude nor apology seemed to reach Lee Ha-yul.
Lee Ha-yul had risked his life to save her, but there was nothing Lee Ha-sol could do for him.
At this point, not only did she have nothing, but she lacked the ability to help—she couldn't even properly convey an apology or thanks.
'If only I hadn't been caught up in this.'
If only she had been strong enough to kill a mere monster like that in an instant.
Then Lee Ha-yul wouldn't have had to come looking for her, wouldn't have been put in danger, wouldn't have had to face the monster in her place.
She could have helped heal a hurting Lee Ha-yul like this.
"...I'll definitely heal you."
Lee Ha-yul in her arms was very small and petite.
A child like this had crossed the mountain and faced monsters for her, throwing his life on the line. To forget that entirely and go on living wouldn't be human decency.
She had incurred a debt that was hard to repay, so naturally it was her duty to repay it.
"Promise."
She took Lee Ha-yul's unblemished left hand, hooked their pinkies together, and sealed the promise.
Not understanding, Lee Ha-yul quietly wiggled his fingers, then looked up at her.
Lee Ha-yul's eyesight was extremely poor. Still, if she held him in her arms and he looked up, he could at least make out her face.
Eyes devoid of light and reason, barren.
Someday, she would bring light into those eyes.
The young Lee Ha-sol resolved firmly.
.
.
.
"Wow! The sunlight today is amazing! Ha-yul, how about we go for a walk out front for the first time in a while?"
After that incident.
Lee Ha-sol began to look after and care for Lee Ha-yul even more devotedly.
"You shouldn't have nightmares; you need to sleep while having good dreams, right?"
Whenever Lee Ha-yul, whom she held and put to sleep, seemed to be having a nightmare, she didn't show a hint of irritation—she petted and patted him with sincerity, soothing him.
In the mornings she fed him and washed him; school, which she had no choice but to attend, she finished as fast as possible and returned to look after Lee Ha-yul again.
When she had free time, like on weekends, she would take his hand and go for short walks in the orphanage yard or nearby, letting him see the outside world.
Lee Ha-sol had already been extremely attentive to Lee Ha-yul.
Now, with even more devotion and affection poured in, she allocated nearly every possible moment to caring for Lee Ha-yul, as if she were practically his mother.
She didn't neglect other efforts either. On the contrary, she pushed herself far harder than before the incident, preparing for the future.
'It's not just my own life—I'll need money to feed Ha-yul too.'
They couldn't stay at the orphanage forever. Once they became adults, they would have to leave with a small stipend and become independent.
She didn't have the slightest thought of leaving Lee Ha-yul behind then. Though her own circumstances were hardly comfortable, Lee Ha-sol had to take responsibility for Lee Ha-yul for the rest of her life.
Every moment, she looked after Lee Ha-yul while also grinding through her studies for the future.
It was a schedule that would be overwhelming for someone of such a young age, but Lee Ha-sol repeated it without missing a single day until she awakened.
'Uh...'
Lee Ha-yul, who was in the middle of retrieving those childhood memories, was overcome by truly complicated feelings.
'So that's what happened...'
Lee Ha-sol, whom he had suddenly met earlier this year.
He knew they were from the same orphanage. He had wondered just what had happened for her to treat him so well, and it turned out he had dramatically become indebted to her with his life.
A life-saving benefactor.
Even though he'd lost his memories, it made perfect sense that she treated him so well.
"Don't worry, Director. I'll definitely take responsibility for Ha-yul."
The records fluttered and flipped forward.
After Lee Ha-sol awakened, before she ultimately accepted the Tower Faith's proposal and left, thinking of the future.
Having come to the Director's office, Lee Ha-sol held Lee Ha-yul in a back hug and rubbed her cheek against his hair.
"Uh... is that so?"
"Yes. Once I grow as a superhuman and get properly settled, money won't be a worry, and getting treatment for him will be much easier."
On the Director's face, worry, relief, and a hint of bemusement flickered.
Lee Ha-sol bowed her head deeply to the Director.
"Until then, please take good care of Ha-yul. As part of my sponsorship conditions, the support funds will increase, and a bodyguard and caretaker will be coming too, so it shouldn't be too hard on you."
"...That's right. This is all thanks to you, Ha-sol. Thank you so much."
"Not at all. This is the orphanage where I grew up, so of course I should look after it."
Lee Ha-sol smiled brightly.
"If you're grateful, just take good care of Ha-yul."
- Flutter!
Just then, the memories leapt forward. Though not intentional, the related memories of Lee Ha-sol unfurled.
Bang! The door to the Director's office flew open so hard it nearly came off.
- Rattle... Creeeak...
It had literally been ripped off.
The hinges dangled, emitting a spine-chilling noise. Leaving the guards, who had turned pale, behind her, Lee Ha-sol strode in boldly.
This was not the young Lee Ha-sol.
It was the grown Lee Ha-sol, the same as when they met at Siyoram. She was tall, her figure clearly defined, and she didn't smile lightly like she used to.
"Where is Ha-yul."
A cold, hardened face. Within those clear, pretty light-green eyes, hellfire flickered.
- ......
At the memory of Lee Ha-sol that had unwittingly been manifested, Lee Ha-yul shivered.
Of course, it wasn't exactly Lee Ha-yul's fault, but it was true that he had moved residences under hypnosis...
'...I think I'll wrap this up.'
He had retrieved all of his childhood memories.
In particular, he had recalled what had happened with Lee Ha-sol and how devotedly Lee Ha-sol had cared for Lee Ha-yul.
'The regeneration of the wound was the effect of the Curse of Beauty's Misfortune that I carried since birth. And that radiance...'
Most likely the influence of the 1st Iteration. He still didn't know the exact reason, but he had already received word from the Tower Master of Harmonization.
'In that case...'
The surrounding scenery scattered. Letting out a sigh, Lee Ha-yul swept away the fluttering fragments of memory and observed other memories.
Memories of his childhood. He observed further back than that.
'The moment this physical body was born.'
The soul was that of a fairy.
But the body's identity was still completely unknown. Of course, he had a guess as to what it was called, but it was best to observe it precisely before moving on.
'...To be honest, I also want to know my biological parents.'
The ones he had considered his biological parents in his original world weren't actually blood relatives.
If he had physical blood relatives, they would be in this world.
If they really existed, he would have very complicated feelings about it. Still, since he had already found out, he couldn't just close his eyes and ignore it. He would probably worry about it for a while and eventually go find them once...
'Manifest: Authority of Observation. Authority of Harmonization.'
His worries and the background both slid backward in a long sweep.
The fluttering memory fragments receded, and the background and viewpoint shifted backward.
Memories spent with Lee Ha-sol flickered past. The memory of first entering the orphanage passed by. Behind that, the moment I was bo—
...
'What.'
The observed memory was strange. Even when he checked again, the result didn't change. His eyes, which had been blinking vacantly, wavered.
For Lee Ha-yul, the entity that one would commonly imagine as a parent did not exist.
* * *
"........."
His consciousness, which had been submerged in dreams, bobbed back up to reality.
Blinking, his Observation reflexively spread out.
Beyond the window, the orange glow of dusk was slowly seeping in. It seemed quite a bit of time had passed while he was receiving the memories.
"Mm, hehe... Daddy... is it yummy...?"
"Coo..."
On either side of him, Seo-yul and Lee Ha-sol were sound asleep under the same blanket.
Thanks to that, it was toasty warm beneath the blanket that covered them up to their chests.
Supporting his head was Lee Ha-sol's arm, far more comfortable than any pillow.
Far more familiar than a mere pillow.
'It's familiar.'
He had retrieved his memories.
He had recalled the memory of being so devotedly cared for by Lee Ha-sol.
Maybe because of that, resting his head on Lee Ha-sol's arm felt incredibly, incredibly comfortable.
'Ugh...'
His head hurt from the confusion regarding his physical species. For now, he wanted to rest a little.
Wrapping his arms around Lee Ha-sol's waist, he buried his face firmly into the large, soft chest that his cheek had been rubbing against.
- Rustle.
He nestled deeper into Lee Ha-sol's embrace, pressing his stomach flush against her. Without so much as twitching an eyebrow in her sleep, Lee Ha-sol pulled him closer and patted his back.
The shock regarding his birth was soothed, covered over by coziness and stability.
As if he had returned to where he was always meant to be, his headache, fear, and worries were pushed aside.
'Nice...'
[Soft chest]
[It's cozy, I like it]
[Comfortable and easy]
[Gentle mom]
- Click-click.
The Confession Necklace hung around the physical body's neck sounded.
It was now hanging around my neck. In the process of reading the memories, the body and soul had naturally merged, and the bound artifact had returned along with him.
'Happiness.'
That wasn't something to concern myself with right now. I buried my face deep in the chest and inhaled.
A soft and warm embrace. But it was deeply regrettable that I couldn't catch her scent.
"...Mm... Ha-yul... you're awake...?"
Perhaps feeling ticklish, Lee Ha-sol's eyelids gently lifted.
"No nightmares...?"
- No, I didn't have any nightmares.
Smiling softly, Lee Ha-sol stroked his head.
Just like in the old days, he had just woken up in Lee Ha-sol's embrace and was being petted.
And just like in the old days, his body moved on its own.
- Smooch.
Lifting his face from her chest, he gave her soft cheek a brief kiss.
"...Uh."
Lee Ha-sol's eyes, which had been drowsy with sleep, flew wide open.
Simultaneously, a string of text surfaced in the corner of my vision.
- Ding!
[Player Correction System: Affection]
Lee Ha-yul → Lee Ha-sol
●●●●●●●●○○(89/100)
｢Affection｣ ｢Mom｣ ｢Warmth｣ ｢Cozy｣ ｢Stability｣ ｢Guardian｣