Naturally Slipping into the Stepdad Role
As planned, we closed up the shop and headed out into New Seoul.
The kids had unburdened themselves of their worries, and since tomorrow was a day off, they wanted to hang out together. So, we left them to play at the shop.
The shop is in the Seocho District. Even though they renamed it New Seoul, the overall geography is identical to the world I used to live in.
The only differences were a lower population density and more parks. Sci-fi-looking robots walked dogs, and there was an overwhelming number of holographic advertisements. It was definitely the future, but not too far off—it felt like a slightly more advanced version of the era I had come from.
Another eye-catching detail was an advertisement for the City Tournament that the youth division had been preparing for. They seemed to be recruiting a lot of battlers, as the grand prize money was detailed in bold letters. Next to the text was a boy's face—he looked to be about Taeyang's age.
"He's our neighborhood's representative for the elementary division in the world championship," Yumi said. "Every local around here knows he's a prodigy."
Is he the rival character?
It was a common trope. A rival from abroad easily defeats the local hero, serving as the catalyst for the protagonist's growth.
Wondering if my theory would hold true, we arrived at the largest hospital in the area.
It was a massive facility that seemed to house everything from internal medicine and pediatrics to psychiatry, surgery, and ENT. But one department in particular caught my eye.
The Beyond Battler Department.
Ha... of course.
By now, I was starting to expect this kind of stuff, so I wasn't even surprised.
Not long after checking in, my examination began. Afterward, a doctor who looked like a textbook recurring character welcomed us.
"My name is Dr. Cool. I'm a Beyond Battle specialist affiliated with the Association. So, you're the one? I heard you lost your memories after an encounter with a notorious criminal group recently."
The doctor sat with his legs crossed, sporting blue eyes and matching blue hair. His long hair seemed like a hygiene hazard for a medical professional, but I was too tired to nitpick, so I just listened quietly.
"Lee Baek occasionally remembers his name or fragments of his past, but he has completely forgotten where he used to live," Yumi explained. "He also lost his identification, so he's currently in administrative limbo."
"Did the sheer intensity of a battle wipe his memory? That's a common occurrence among Beyond Battlers."
It's a common occurrence?!
"Fortunately, there's no physical damage to the brain, so it might just be temporary memory loss. I'll write you a medical opinion letter. Submit it when you apply for your new ID. I hear the registration centers have been processing these quickly lately since similar cases have been popping up. At the very least, you won't end up as an administrative orphan."
'Administrative orphan.' This doctor's choice of words is wild.
Despite his odd way of speaking, he was efficient. Maybe he lived his life trying to match the 'Cool' in his name, because he didn't waste time on small talk.
Afterward, we went to the community center to issue a new ID. Since registering an ace card was a standard requirement, I submitted Setauros the Impaler. That was where the trouble started.
"This is..."
Dr. Cool said they processed things quickly, but that was probably only when dealing with normal cards.
According to Yumi, my card was a unique piece that couldn't be found anywhere else in the world. It was only natural for the clerk to look at me with suspicion. And it was even worse since the clerk was a woman.
"No matter how you look at it, this card looks like it's linked to a crime..." she muttered.
"...Excuse me. Would you like me to file a formal complaint?"
"Gasp!"
Yumi growled at the clerk's slip of the tongue.
It was a side of her I had never seen before, despite spending the last week together.
"I-I'm sorry! But, well, we've been having a lot of trouble with recent incidents! In cases like this, we are required to conduct an interview and keep a record!"
"What do you mean, 'cases like this'? What is wrong with Lee Baek that warrants this kind of treatment?"
"From a professional standpoint, the card this gentleman holds is highly dangerous. We received an official directive to take separate measures on-site if we suspect the applicant might be a perpetrator rather than a victim. Apparently, many of the people who recently lost their memories turned out to be lackeys for the Locust organization, so this is a screening process."
Hearing that explanation, I realized the civil servant's concern was actually quite reasonable.
After all, the person who collapses during a battle isn't always the victim. If a battler is strong enough, they could easily turn the tables and defeat the aggressor.
"This is highly unpleasant," Yumi said, her voice cold. "I am Han Yumi, affiliated with the Beyond Battle Association. I will personally guarantee that this man is not a Locust lackey."
"Oh, you're with the Association. If a problem arises later, you could be penalized alongside him. Are you sure about this?"
Yumi's eyes narrowed slightly.
"...Understood. However, the interview is still mandatory. Could you provide his place of residence so a staff member can visit later?"
"TCG Beyond Factory Seocho Branch."
"Yes. Confirmed."
It seemed the Beyond Battle Association carried significant weight even in public administration, as the clerk broke out in a cold sweat, looking flustered.
More importantly, I didn't know Yumi had this side to her. It was actually a little scary.
"By the way, is it really okay to register my address there?" I asked.
"Huh? You don't have anywhere else to go, do you? I'm sure it won't happen, but if you ever find another place to stay, you can just change it then. Let's keep it like this for now."
Why did she emphasize the 'I'm sure it won't happen' part?
True to the spirit of Korea, the new ID was issued in no time. From there, we were incredibly busy. We got a personal seal carved, opened a new bank account, bought a phone, and headed to a supermarket for daily essentials—arranging for them to be delivered to the shop. Then, we went to a market to buy some clothes for me to wear immediately.
By the time we finished everything, the sun had long since set. Although our purchases were being delivered, both my body and mind were completely exhausted.
"We left Taeyang and the other kids at home. Is it really okay to leave them by themselves?"
"The parents all know each other, so I called them in advance. In fact, I just got a text from the kids saying they ordered pizza."
She showed me a photo sent to her phone. It showed the three children playing happily together in their pajamas.
It's definitely a heartwarming sight, but I feel weird. It's a mix of a good feeling and a bad one.
Seeing the three kids playing so well together brought a natural smile to my face, but that warmth quickly turned into guilt. Here I was, a strange man, keeping a mother out until late at night while her son was left without a parent, even if he wasn't technically alone. I knew Taeyang probably didn't care, but I still felt like I was doing something wrong.
"Is something wrong?" Yumi asked.
"No, it's just... my conscience is pricking me for dragging you out until late like this. Normally, you'd be having dinner with Taeyang and getting ready for bed."
"Ah, I see. I think I have a vague idea of what you're worried about."
As long as it didn't involve romance, Yumi was still quick on the uptake. She gave a gentle smile.
"But before I'm a mother, I'm still a person and a woman. Sometimes I need to spread my wings a little. Besides, Taeyang probably prefers hanging out with his friends over having his mom hovering around him all the time."
—That was true, but it sounded suspiciously like the classic opening line of a housewife about to stray.
To make matters worse, we didn't even head home. Instead, we took an autonomous taxi to a night market. The atmosphere was similar to the ones I remembered, but a bit more sophisticated. Holographic fireworks constantly burst overhead, lighting up the area, and stalls sold unfamiliar drinks and snacks.
"So your idea of spreading your wings is a night market? Since you're leaving your kid behind to have fun, I thought you'd go for a slightly deeper deviation."
"Do I look like the type who knows how to party, Lee Baek?"
"I didn't mean it like that... Wait, actually, does it sound like that?"
"Fufu. Unfortunately, I've never really had a wild phase, even after getting married. Honestly, I'm such a homebody that even places like this feel a bit overwhelming. I only started visiting these night markets after becoming a housewife. And even then, the first time I came was holding Taeyang's hand."
We sat down at a nearby plastic table and got some drinks. Yumi offered a shy smile as she popped open a canned highball, while I cracked open a bottle of soju.
She explained that she only came here to spend time alone when the stress of parenting got to be too much. She worried that drinking at home would set a bad example for her son. Seeing this side of her made me realize how deeply devoted she was to her family, while also giving me a clue as to why she didn't know how to let loose.
"Yumi, if you're twenty-nine now, then when you had Taeyang, you must have been..."
"Hehe. It was way too early," she said with a self-deprecating chuckle. "Because of that, I never really got to experience a proper school life. Naturally, bad rumors spread about me. Most of the girls I knew cut ties with me back then. The people I know now are all friends I made after becoming an adult."
"All of them?"
"Well, if not all, then most of them."
The only former classmates who ever sought her out were men. And even then, they had vanished after she got married, only to reappear once she became single again.
A young mother in a children's cartoon might look nice on the surface, but bringing that concept into reality made me realize just how dark the underlying story actually was.
"By the way, is it okay for me to talk about this?"
"About what?"
"When I asked you about Gracia today, I secretly thought I had messed up. I didn't want things to get awkward between us, so I was planning to take things slower."
"Ah, because we both knew things were a bit awkward after that incident?"
"Yes."
So we had spent a whole week testing the waters with each other.
It was ridiculous. We weren't even dating.
"I was actually trying to figure out how to bring it up myself. Especially since I did... that kind of thing to the savior who rescued me. Honestly, I was walking on eggshells way more than you were."
"I figured as much. That's why I tried to think of ways to make sure you wouldn't feel too uncomfortable, but..."
"And yet, here we are, right?"
"Exactly~."
As if on cue, we both burst out laughing. Since we were already drinking, it felt like the perfect opportunity to close the distance and talk about more personal matters.
However, since I was claiming to have amnesia, I didn't have any personal stories to share. I passed the conversational ball back to Yumi.
"Are you sure you want to hear it? I feel like I'll only end up talking about depressing things."
"Despite how I look, one of my specialties is acting as an emotional sounding board. Besides, I'm the one who was saved. I want to know what my savior has been through and what kind of person she is, so please, speak freely."
"Well... um..."
Yumi hesitated at first, choosing her words carefully, but that didn't last long. As is the case with anyone, alcohol loosened her tongue. Furthermore, since she was the type who rarely got angry at others, she didn't know how to vent her frustrations in a healthy way.
"After I got pregnant, the way everyone looked at me completely changed..."
"..."
As expected, most of what she shared was bleak. She talked about the horrific rumors and insults that the other girls had whispered behind her back when she got pregnant in school. I was no child; I could easily guess the kind of vile things they had said, and it made my heart ache for her.
"That's why I avoid school reunions. There are a few friends I'd like to see again, but it just reminds me of what happened... and besides, I don't have a husband now."
"You're worried it'll give them an excuse to target you again?"
"We're all adults now, so I don't think they'd go that far."
"Even after everything you went through?"
"I actually got invited to a reunion this time too. The friend organizing it said someone wanted to apologize to me for what happened back then, and that if I came, she'd set up the right atmosphere for it."
I took a sip of my soju.
Setting the atmosphere? Why would you need to set the stage just to apologize for talking trash?
It had "performative apology" written all over it. It probably wasn't out of genuine remorse, but rather for show.
"But what made it harder was that they said we need a partner for this reunion. We're supposed to bring a spouse or someone we're dating."
"Ah, fuck. What a joke."
I slammed my forehead onto the plastic table.
"...Lee Baek?"
"Sorry. I think the alcohol is getting to me. Hearing such nonsense just made me swear out loud."
The organizer's intentions were transparent. I decided to give her the answer she was too passive to reach herself.
"If it were me, I'd rather spend that time keeping the shop open and buying clothes or food for Taeyang instead of dealing with those people."
"But what if they really do want to apologize..."
"You already know the answer to that, Yumi. If they were truly sorry, they would have come directly to your shop, not invited you to a reunion. They wouldn't try to create a public stage where the victim is pressured to accept their apology. If they aren't even prepared to face rejection, it's not a real apology. I don't see a shred of sincerity in that."
"So that's how you see it."
"You're only agonizing over this because you already know it too. You're probably just worried that you're being too cynical or mean-spirited."
"Maybe you're right..."
She looked at me for a moment, then smiled brightly, as if her dilemma had suddenly been resolved.
I thought she would agonize over it a bit longer, but she reached a decision surprisingly fast.
"Thank you. I feel so much better now. Until now, even when I had worries like this, I didn't have anyone to talk to."
"What about your parents?"
"They disowned me and cut me out of the family register. We don't talk anymore."
"Ah, fuck."
I immediately downed the rest of my soju, grabbed a fresh bottle from nearby, and refilled my glass.
"Well, this is exactly what alcohol is for. Spill it all. Get it off your chest."
"Okay..."
As the night deepened, our drunken conversation flowed freely.
She vented about the struggles of parenting, her estranged family, and her worries about the future.
We kept drinking. I kept cursing on her behalf and agreeing with her. Before we knew it, going home was out of the question, and we ended up spending the entire night together.
And to make matters worse, it was with a mother, in a very dangerous place.