You're My Dad

The Council Chair's office.

A fireplace burned in one corner of the wood-paneled room.

"…Remarkable. And I don't say that lightly. Well done, Special Task Force Yshin-ching-ui."

The Chair carefully examined the membership card Lee Shin had handed over.

The card had anti-forgery technology woven from anomalous properties — subtle enough that no one outside the Management Bureau would even notice it was there.

The Serpent Religion. As expected, their technology surpasses the Bureau's.

Humanity was on the back foot. It had been that way for centuries, ever since the Management Bureau was first founded. They hadn't even had a reliable way to locate the Serpent Religion — and now someone had just handed them a membership card on a silver platter.

The Chair smiled with genuine satisfaction.

"Director. Thank you. No Special Task Force has ever managed this before."

"Getting that membership card? Honestly, I barely did anything."

"Which only speaks to how rare your anomalous ability is… but never mind that."

By now, Cromwell had likely already informed the Serpent Religion's high clergy of Lee Shin's existence. The other cardinals would take an interest. That man who hated every anomalous being was a problem in his own right, but…

…The Cult Leader.

The Cult Leader of the Serpent Religion, SIN-003, would absolutely take an interest in Lee Shin.

"Director. You're quite the popular one."

"I'm not. I'm single."

"…Anyway. Is there anything you want? An achievement of this caliber — I can grant just about anything."

"A promotion."

"Pardon?"

Lee Shin shoved his face right up to the Chair's.

"I'm still Delta-class."

"Having your risk classification raised isn't exactly a good th—"

"Promotion."

"…I'll review it favorably."

Well, if that was what he wanted, they might as well grant it. The Chair shrugged.

"Is Tatiana all right? She looked rough last I saw her. Haven't seen her in days."

"Her physical injuries were nothing more than bruises. She appears to have taken an extended leave."

Of course she had. She'd found the objet that connected to her home world.

It had already been ten years since they'd taken that girl in.

Tatiana Karstein. Age thirteen. Female. Origin: unidentified regional-type anomalous entity.

I am from the Grand Duchy of Karstein.

Is that so. The contract is clear. Become an employee of the Management Bureau. In return, we will help you find the objet that leads to your world of origin.

I accept the contract, Chair.

The Chair shifted in the wheelchair, settling into a better position.

"Director. Do you know which children are even more pitiful than those born without parents?"

"The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ones who got abandoned."

"…Spoken like a true orphanage director. I feel the same way."

A child who once received enough love and then lost it all still knows what warmth feels like. And so they claw desperately for that warmth, thrashing and struggling to feel that heat again.

"Director. This isn't some backstory. Major Tatiana Karstein was torn from her parents at thirteen. The Management Bureau took in a child who had nowhere else to go."

"…I see. Mind if I head out? I should go check on Tatiana."

So he was going to look after her. Truly a good man. The perfect piece for the plan.

The Chair smiled faintly and caught Lee Shin before he could leave.

"Before that — you still need to give blood to Lael, don't you?"

"Ah, right. There's something else I wanted to ask. Lael seems like a good woman, but she doesn't seem happy with how she's treated at the attractions. Says people are too wary of her, or something."

The Chair's eyes narrowed.

Well, of course. She was a Beta-class anomalous entity. Anyone who looked at her containment failure records would treat her that way. How many had died in the initial containment failure? A million?

Lee Shin spoke with the easy goodwill of a man who meant every word.

"They're all just employees playing a part anyway, right? We eat from the same pot. How about treating her a little better?"

"…Fine. Whatever."

It wasn't just anyone asking. It was the Director's request.

They would honor it.

SIN-077 Lael's containment chamber.

I turned off my phone.

"Mmph… chupa…"

As always, Lael was straddling me, drinking my blood.

"Mmm… ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠nngh."

I had no idea why her eyes were going unfocused and her cheeks were flushing. Or why the warm puff of her breath against my neck was about to get a reaction out of me.

Grrrr…! …Arrrrgh!!

Magnum, you little shit, not again?

No choice. Breathing Technique for Enduring an Erection, Form Three!

"GAAAMMAAAAAAA!!!!"

"Ah! You scared me!"

At my thunderous roar, Lael clapped her hands over her ears.

"Gamma? …Look, Shin, I'm not complaining, but I'm a little sensitive to loud noises…"

"Sorry. You finished drinking?"

"Yeah. It was delicious. But the vibe's different today. How come?"

She was right — the blood-supply session had gotten considerably gentler. Under normal circumstances the Special Task Force agents would have been screaming at her with guns drawn, but today they were just standing there blankly.

"…"

When Lael shot them a glance, they did put their fingers back on the triggers. Still.

And the biggest difference of all!

"Ah, h-hello…"

Seoa was inside the containment chamber! Trembling like a leaf, scared out of her mind.

Lael gave her a little wave.

"What brings you here? Nice to see you. Yu Seoa, right?"

"Y-yes, ma'am! SIN-077. Today…"

"Name. Yu Seoa — I've got a name too, you know."

"Hello!! L-Lael-ssi!!"

"Mm. Good."

Seoa explained the changes to the containment protocols — that they wouldn't point guns at her anymore, that they'd call her by name whenever possible, and so on. In short, the Management Bureau was going to start treating Lael more gently. Seoa being here in person was part of that.

"…Why the sudden kindness?"

"I asked the Chair."

"Shin. Are you joking?"

"I'm serious."

Seoa nodded vigorously in confirmation, and the corners of Lael's mouth climbed higher and higher.

"…Thank you! Shin, I really like you so much."

Lael threw her arms wide and pulled me into a tight hug. Two extremely warm, soft masses squished gently against my chest. On top of that, a faint fragrance wafted up, and the whole situation was getting extremely something-something.

Right. I had more good news.

I announced it with pride.

"I got promoted. I'm Gamma-class now."

"What? …That's not a good thing."

"Hwaaaah… Oppa, what are we gonna dooo…"

And I had the proof right here!

Who was I? Gamma-class. Lore-wise, an existence capable of single-handedly leveling a city.

"…Why are you happy about this?"

"Oppaah— what if you're stuck as an anomalous entity foreverrr—"

Drink up!

I was laughing heartily when Lael tilted her head.

"No Tatiana?"

"Apparently she's on leave."

"Hmm. Well, I never liked her much anyway. Hard to put a finger on it — she just doesn't give you any warmth. Says only what's necessary, never even calls people by their names."

Now that she mentioned it, that was true. She called me 998. Claimed it was a nickname, supposedly.

Lael added, sounding unimpressed,

"I've lived a long time, and she has that exact vibe of an outsider who just arrived from somewhere else. She's the one putting up the walls first."

"Could be. She seems German — people from that culture tend to be blunt."

"That's not what I meant… Anyway, you're going to see her today?"

"Yeah. She lives next door anyway."

"………What?"

Lael's expression went dead serious. I had no idea why.

Dormitory Room 702.

"…"

Tatiana stared at the monitor like a husk of a person. Tear tracks ran down from under the dark circles beneath her eyes.

A precious, familiar voice drifted from the screen.

"At the end… I'm glad I was with you."

Today, her mother had died.

Or maybe yesterday. Both, perhaps.

The monitor went dark, then the game's main menu appeared.

Prompt Software's latest title. Whether it was an objet connecting to another world was still under investigation by the Phenomenology Department — but Tatiana already knew.

It is an objet. Because it's my home.

She'd taken leave immediately and played all day long.

The setting is the year 1136. One year before I was born — the year Mother and Father met.

That year, her homeland had stood on the brink of annihilation. True to that history, the difficulty was absurdly punishing. Tatiana, who had never played a game in her life, couldn't even clear the early bosses.

"…A guide? What's this?"

She'd found a guide that other players had spent a month slamming their heads against the wall to create. But the moment she read it, the despair only deepened.

But the hardest thing to endure was this: the moment her twenty-year-old mother died. A mother younger than Tatiana was now, coughing up blood, sobbing, exhaling her final breath.

"…"

Tatiana covered her face. A pained sound escaped her lips.

If I could possess someone, I might be able to save them. I know the entire history.

Unfortunately, no possession occurred. She tried the Management Bureau's certified possession methods — sending a 5,700-character message, firing off emails to the developer — but nothing happened. There were urban legends about people vanishing while playing this game, and yet…

"Why won't it work for me…!"

Mid-hair-tearing, Tatiana suddenly realized something.

"…Wait. Father isn't in this."

She frantically dug through the wiki, but he genuinely wasn't there. His name didn't appear even once. How? Father had achieved greatness worthy of every history book.

One possibility surfaced.

"What if… he's the player?"

Instinct kicked in — the instincts honed over ten years of working at the Management Bureau.

"…So this is it. Father's world of origin."

Father was one of the users. He was alive somewhere in this world. And before long, he would be possessed into Tatiana's homeland and meet Mother.

But how do I find him?

Prompt Software wasn't some no-name company — it had millions of dedicated fans alone. And more of them were men.

Tatiana nervously chewed on her fingernails.

But life had a way of changing in a single day. For better or for worse.

Ding-dong.

The doorbell rang. Someone was here.

"…I'm not in the mood to see anyone."

She opened the door with a lifeless face — and Lee Shin greeted her.

"Tatiana. I was worried, so I came by."

"…998."

"But why are you in your underwear."

"Huh?"

Focus snapped back into Tatiana's eyes. She caught herself in the mirror by the entrance, and the sight was catastrophic. A loosely worn camisole. Nothing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but a pair of black panties. Hair sticking up in every direction from not being washed.

She looked every bit the deadbeat shut-in woman.

"Th-this is!! I mean, that's—!!"

"Nah. My bad for showing up unannounced. As long as you're okay."

"No, it's not that I mind you coming over…"

He'd come because he was worried about her?

Her heart started pounding again. Tatiana fidgeted, then finally managed,

"…I'll shower and clean up a bit, so come back in thirty minutes."

It took two hours. The place had been that much of a disaster.

The scent of freshly washed shampoo wafted from Tatiana's hair. There was one slightly unwelcome detail, though.

"Chief! How have you been?"

"Mm. Yeah. Doing fine."

Why had Yu Seoa come along?

But watching her grin with pure, world-class innocence, any harsh words died in Tatiana's throat.

He came because he was worried about me in the first place.

The three of them sat on the couch in Room 702. Lee Shin glanced at the monitor and lit up with recognition.

"Hey, that blue-haired woman."

"…Yeah. Same last name as me, right?"

"Ohh. Isn't that wild? It's not even a common surname."

That's my mother.

That's my mother!!!

Tatiana screamed internally and forced herself to calm down.

Don't say a word. They'll think I'm insane.

How was she supposed to explain anything to a man who believed the entire Management Bureau was a theme park attraction, anyway?

Lee Shin crossed his arms, unbothered.

"I've played that game too. The kids are Prompt Software fans."

Tatiana's eyes went wide.

Was 998 the secret of her birth? Was he about to get possessed and meet Mother?

Hiding that hope carefully, she asked casually,

"…How was it?"

"Way too hard. Died about a hundred times on the first boss. People call him Newbie-Slayer Lajot. I quit."

"I see. Hmm… Well, at least I know you're not my father."

"What the hell kind of nonsense is that all of a sudden."

So finding Father really was going to be difficult. She'd wanted to see him again even before the possession happened.

Then, at a completely unexpected moment, Lee Shin said offhandedly,

"Ju Eunseong's been playing nothing but that game for a whole month."

"…What?"

"Look at this. He won't even answer DMs. Keeps staring at that blue-haired character calling her his wife, his lawful spouse…"

Tatiana shot to her feet. Her heart was already hammering.

"Do you know where Senior Researcher Ju Eunseong lives?"

"Of course I do. Seoa probably does too."

"Huh? Y-yeah."

"We're going. Now."

When Lee Shin raised an eyebrow, Tatiana found herself pleading before she could stop it.

"Please, let's just go. There's something I need to confirm. …Hurry."

On the way to Ju Eunseong's place.

In Lee Shin's car, Tatiana ran through the simulation again and again.

Where should she start? How was she supposed to explain this?

There was no guarantee Ju Eunseong was her father in the first place.

But still…

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

There were quite a few similarities to the father in her memories. The sly way of talking. The surprisingly meticulous kindness whenever he was teaching someone something. And above all else — she felt a powerful pull toward him.

It wasn't romantic attraction. Not even a little. Tatiana's heart was already falling deeper and deeper for Lee Shin.

She pressed a hand firmly against her chest.

This is… familial love.

The kind of warmth only blood could give.

"Tatiana. Opening it."

"Yeah. …Huh? What!?"

By the time she came to her senses, they were already standing in front of the front door. Tatiana bit her lip, completely lost.

W-what am I supposed to say!

— Excuse me, but are you my father?

: He'd tell me to get out.

— Thou must respect me for in one year I shall be born of thee and make thee a doting fool of a father and thou shalt frolic gaily with thy foxlike wife and rabbitlike children…

: He'd treat me like a lunatic.

— Y-yahoo! Hi Daddy☆ Should I act all cute the way I did when I was five!?

: I might never be able to show my face at work again…

What was she actually supposed to say? And what if he wasn't her father?

"…Ti… Chief?"

Then she'd still have to keep working at the Management Bureau — how was she supposed to look Senior Researcher Ju Eunseong in the eye after this… What if Lee Shin thought she was a crazy woman—

"Chief Tatiana?"

"Eh?"

Tatiana snapped back to reality. Lee Shin and Yu Seoa were shaking her. And Ju Eunseong was standing right in front of her in a cardigan.

"I heard you were looking for me. What's going on?"

"Ah!? Uh, y-yes. That's right. I called for you, yeah. I, I came to see you. Mm-hmm."

"…Why are you talking like that?"

"So, um, there's something I wanted to ask Senior Researcher Ju Eunseong!"

"There is?"

When Ju Eunseong echoed her with that sly little smile, Tatiana's mind went completely blank. And what tumbled out of her mouth was a completely unfiltered mess.

"Dad."

No one answered. Every eye locked onto her.

"…Hic!"

Tatiana turned bright red and started hiccupping.