Eggs and Flour
The flour cost two thousand five hundred won per kilogram, and a carton of eggs ran about eight thousand won. If they had managed to take some flour and eggs home today, it would have been a huge help to their household. Feeling a pang of regret, Han Yeoreum trudged toward the school gate when the boy from earlier called out to them from behind.
"Hey, kids?"
"Yes…?"
"Could you lend me a hand for a second?"
A hand? Why so suddenly? Without a word, Han Yeoreum placed her hand on top of his.
"Not like that. I have something to give you."
"Something to give?"
"Yeah. Here, take this."
The boy handed her an egg. He was just giving it away with nothing in return? Han Yeoreum was about to refuse when he spread both arms wide.
"Want to throw it at me?"
"Huh…?"
"If you're going to get hit, you should know how to throw one too."
He had a point. Still, throwing an egg at someone? Could she really do that? Nervous, she glanced around and found many students watching her. Their raised fists looked like they were cheering her on.
"Mmm…"
Well, whatever. She had already been hit plenty of times. One more egg from her wouldn't change anything.
"Hyah…!"
She copied Levinas's battle cry on impulse, a small way to ease her guilt. Tap. The egg in her hand lightly struck the boy's forehead. A sticky stream of egg white began to drip from the small crack.
"A-are you okay…?"
She regretted the words the moment they left her mouth. How could she attack someone she had just met? As she trembled and stepped back, Levinas burst into laughter.
"Hehe, you cracked an egg on his head!"
"Hehe, pretty fun, right?"
"Yeah!"
Levinas bounced with delight, and the surrounding students smiled at the sight.
"Was that fun, Levinas?"
"Yeah!"
So this was supposed to be fun. Maybe she had been the only one fixating on the violent part.
"There's a whole bunch of eggs and flour over there. That's what everyone's playing with. Got it?"
"Whoa! Can Levinas do it too?"
"Of course. Festivals are for everyone to enjoy."
"Wow!"
Levinas dashed toward the spot the boy pointed at. Tables were piled high with flour and eggs. It seemed such a waste to just throw it all away for fun.
"King! You have to collect the broken eggs!"
"Oh…!"
Where could she put them? While she hesitated, she remembered the water bottles tied at their waists. Two bottles—one for Levinas and one for her—should hold plenty of eggs. First, though, they had to finish the corn water inside. It would be a shame to dump it on the ground.
Gulp, gulp.
Maybe she wasn't that thirsty after all. She had only drunk half the bottle, yet she already felt miserable.
"Ugh…"
Corn water trickled down her chin. Just as she worried about finishing it, her eyes met Saebyeok's blank stare.
"Saebyeok, drink the rest of this."
"I'm not thirsty yet…"
Before Saebyeok could finish, Han Yeoreum pressed the bottle to her lips. The thought of the eggs made her impatient.
"Just drink half, okay?"
"Okay…"
Gulp, gulp.
Saebyeok nodded and drank. Since Han Yeoreum held the bottle, Saebyeok simply tilted her head back. When it was empty, corn water ran down the corner of her mouth, exactly like what had just happened to Han Yeoreum.
"Done."
Now they had an empty bottle. Han Yeoreum dropped the cracked eggs, shells and all, inside. The wide-mouthed plastic bottle made it easy.
"We'll throw them like this, and the leftover flour and eggs—"
"Take this!"
Before she could finish explaining, Levinas dumped flour right onto Saebyeok's head. Saebyeok's deep black hair slowly turned white.
"……"
Saebyeok stood perfectly still despite the surprise attack, her tail swaying side to side with her usual expressionless face.
"King! Levinas did it!"
"D-did what…?"
"Levinas purified the King of Darkness into a white king!"
"Uh, yeah…"
Pat, pat, pat. Levinas kept pouring flour over Saebyeok's head until it piled up like a pyramid. Saebyeok remained motionless the entire time.
"Yeoreum unni's really good with the kids."
"Yeah. It's impressive how she just stands there and lets them play around."
The students chuckled as they watched. Did they really see Saebyeok as the most mature one here? She did have an oddly adult air, but Han Yeoreum was technically the oldest.
"Ahem…"
Han Yeoreum cleared her throat and stepped right in front of Saebyeok. She rose onto her tiptoes to look taller, but to her surprise, Saebyeok was still taller.
"I'm taller than Winter."
"Uh, yeah…"
What? They looked the same, so why was Saebyeok taller? A strange disappointment made her ears and tail droop.
"I'm taller."
Saebyeok's tail whipped back and forth. Her usual fierce blank expression somehow looked smug. It had to be her imagination. Nothing was more embarrassing than getting worked up over something so childish. For now, she decided to just play with the eggs and flour.
Han Yeoreum and Sofia sat on a park bench, deep in conversation. The main topic was the newly arrived Saebyeok.
"That child has been through something truly heartbreaking."
"Yes. I hope you'll look after her, Sofia."
"Of course… Though there is one thing that bothers me."
Sofia's tone was serious. Knowing how wise her judgments usually were, Han Yeoreum couldn't help swallowing nervously.
"What is it…?"
"It's strange that a child who went through all those experiments in the lab only ever talks about Winter."
"That's…"
It was true. Most children in her position would complain about how much they had suffered, yet Saebyeok spoke almost exclusively about Winter, as if nothing else mattered.
"She said Winter was a created personality, didn't she? And yet she also said Winter is real."
"Yes…"
"It's contradictory. If she truly believes Winter is real, there would be no reason to mention that she was created."
That was hard to argue with. If she had hidden the fact that Winter was made, then Winter could have simply remained "real."
"…Maybe it was too hard to keep the secret all to herself, so she confessed?"
"Even so, it feels like she's deliberately trying to stir up guilt."
"My guilt?"
"Yes. It feels like she's drawing out guilt so that Winter can receive more love."
"Why would Saebyeok do something like that…?"
The experiments the child had endured were too horrific to even speak of. Han Yeoreum had seen the records and knew exactly what had been done to her. And yet Saebyeok was ignoring her own pain to make sure Winter received love instead? It made no sense to Han Yeoreum. Most people would want love for themselves rather than give it away.
"She said she sometimes saw the world through Winter's eyes, right?"
"Yes. Not every day, but sometimes."
"…Then perhaps she saw something. Something so terrible that even the experiments seemed mild in comparison."
"Huh…?"
Did that mean Winter had suffered something even worse than what Saebyeok had gone through—so awful that Saebyeok wanted to shower her with everyone else's love? Han Yeoreum's mouth fell open. She didn't want to believe there was an even deeper layer to Winter's hellish life. They had said Winter was made brave and strong, with mental fortitude greater than anyone else's just to survive. For someone with that kind of strength to treat life so lightly… Han Yeoreum clenched her fists.
"Or perhaps…"
"Is there something else…?"
"…No, never mind. It's all just speculation anyway."
Tap, tap. Sofia tapped her cane thoughtfully. It was possible that the story about being "created" was a lie Saebyeok had told to provoke guilt. If that were true, then where had the Winter who now possessed Saebyeok's body come from? As she pondered, Sofia recalled something her human teacher had told her a hundred years ago about "possessors." The original owner of the body had read the possessor's past and ultimately won the fight for control. At least our children aren't fighting each other. Had Saebyeok read Winter's past? Was it so horrific that even someone who had been experimented on felt pity? Sofia let out a long sigh and shook her head. She realized she was thinking something completely absurd. This must be what it feels like to be an overprotective parent. It was all because she loved and cherished Winter so much. Smiling faintly, Sofia caught a familiar scent. She turned toward the source and froze at the shocking sight before her.
"Oh."
The children were covered head to toe in flour, their bodies soaked in something sticky. The thick liquid was dripping from Winter's hair all the way to the ground.
"My goodness."
"Good heavens."
Just look at those dazed expressions. They must have had a blast playing. Overwhelmed by the sight, Sofia clutched her head in disbelief.