Volunteer Work with Baek A-young! (2)

Sunlight Orphanage was a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠home for children who had lost their parents to dungeons and gates.

And yet laughter never left the children's faces here. Whether that was thanks to the director's gift or the children's own resilience, it was a blessing either way. The caregivers had built such strong bonds with the kids that the whole place hummed with warmth — and I felt it too, every time I came to volunteer.

"Big brooo! Me too! Airplane!"

"Alright. Here we go...! Hup!"

"Hahaha! Higher!"

God, this was brutal.

The girls at the orphanage had formed a line, waiting their turn for my airplane ride. The ones I'd already flown would just scamper right back to the end of the line. There was no end in sight.

"M-miss, I-I want an air... airplane too..."

"Come here."

"Y-yes. Coming..."

The little boy's face went bright red as he waited in front of Elise. The sight of him squeezing his eyes shut as she lifted him into the sky made my blood boil.

Are you kidding me? This brat's still wet behind the ears and he's already chasing skirts...

I was so damn jealous.

I wanted Elise to give me an airplane ride too.

"Okay! The airplane scene looks great!"

The photographer who'd been snapping pictures of us gave the all-clear, so we decided to wrap up the airplane rides.

"Alright, kids. You've all had a turn, so let's play something else. Big bro's gonna show you eight-ball juggling."

"Eight-ball ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠juggling...?"

Elise, who'd been listening from the side, turned her head in surprise.

Lately, with my mana stats climbing and my control sharpening, I could juggle fireballs with my eyes closed.

"Here we go. You don't see this every day~."

Whoosh—!

"Ohh..."

As the fireballs danced and spun above my hands, every child's gaze locked onto me.

"Big bro, that's so cool!"

"Big bro! Teach me too!"

Adoring eyes poured over me from every direction. Even Elise was watching with a look of genuine curiosity.

"To waste talent like that on juggling..."

Do you have any idea how important juggling is?!

This was the fruit of my efforts to get close to the kids. Elise wouldn't understand — she'd become the children's favorite the second she walked in the door.

"Alright, kids. Come over here."

While everyone was still mesmerized by my juggling, Baek A-young approached with drinks for the children.

"Wow! Pocari!"

"That handsome big bro over there bought these, so make sure you say thank you, okay?"

"Yes! Thank you, handsome big bro!"

"Thanks, mister!"

"Yeah. Enjoy."

Liliana had been earning plenty of money, so my bank account was looking comfortable. That was why I always brought snacks when I came — and thanks to that, everyone at the orphanage liked me.

"Hoyeon really never changes. He never forgets to bring food for the kids every time he visits."

"Right, right. And he even brings some for us too. He's got a good heart."

"I knew it. I always said he'd be famous someday."

Before I knew it, the caregivers had gathered beside me, singing my praises. They were all a bit older, so they loved to chat.

What's the big deal? Opportunities to look this good for pocket change don't come around often. I'd be an idiot not to take them.

"Ah, come on. It's just basic courtesy."

"You'd be amazed how many people in this world can't even manage basic courtesy~."

While I was bantering with the caregivers, Baek A-young was talking with Elise.

"Miss Elise. You've worked hard. You look exhausted — go rest for a bit. I'll take over."

"I won't refuse. Thank you, Saintess."

"First time playing with children? You looked rather overwhelmed."

"...Yes. I am rather tired, actually."

Girl talk between beauties was always a treat. It just put you in a good mood.

Elise said she'd rest and headed into the limousine she'd arrived in.

Why was it a different car every time I saw her? Was she seriously that rich?

"Alright, what should we play?"

Baek A-young had just taken over, so she was bursting with energy.

Someone please take over for me too...

I shot the director a pleading look, but she just gazed at me with a warm, contented smile. Well — this was a PR department activity. Someone had to stay. With Elise gone, I had to step it up.

"Miss! Let's play house! House!"

"Play house? Sure, why not?"

Baek A-young slipped in among the children with practiced ease. She'd been volunteering here for a long time — her kid-entertaining skills were no joke. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠And yet she kept sneaking glances at me. I wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean.

"Yeah! You're the daddy, and that mister over there is the mommy!"

A cute little girl with blue hair clung to Baek A-young.

"It's the other way around, dummy!"

"Oh, is it? Then the other way!"

A couple of kids in particular kept gluing themselves to us — this blue-haired girl and a red-haired boy. Unusual hair colors like that usually meant they were the children of ability users.

"Okay. So I'm mommy, and that big bro over there is daddy, right?"

"He's not big bro! Mommy has to call Daddy 'darling'!"

"D-darling...?"

Baek A-young glanced at me, gauging my reaction.

This woman was insane. She was just a woman out of her mind with lust.

"Ah, alright. This is... well, it's just a game. Right... darling?"

"Yeah. Darling."

"Hnngh..."

Baek A-young's face went scarlet. Anyone watching would think she was blushing from embarrassment. I knew better. That was arousal.

Click, click!

The photographer was snapping away at us like he'd just won the lottery. I'd seen it last time too, but damn — this guy's work ethic was something else.

I decided to ignore him and focus on the kids.

"Mommy, I'm home! Food please!"

"Mommy! Hold me! Hold me too!"

"Daddy! Airplane! The high airplane!"

"Daddy. Show me the juggling!"

We were calling it playing house, but nothing had really changed except the titles. The kids, though, seemed perfectly satisfied with that much — they looked even happier than before.

I watched them and smiled, a little bitterly. These children had grown up without parents, and yet they'd grown up so strong. Something in my chest tightened.

I shook my head hard, throwing off the gloomy thoughts, and turned back to the kids — only to find Baek A-young staring straight at me.

What? You're supposed to be playing with the children. Why are you looking at me?

Baek A-young had heard from her friend Min Yeji that the student council's PR department would be active today. Before she quite realized what she was doing, she had already called Sunlight Orphanage. And she had already finished getting ready to leave.

"I'm going to volunteer. That's all. Nothing else. Yeah."

Repeating the words like a charm, Baek A-young headed for Sunlight Orphanage.

After a brief conversation with the director, she hid herself in the office — and when the voice she'd been waiting for finally arrived, she stepped outside. Lee Ho-yeon was in the yard, exchanging greetings with the director.

"What? A-young? What are you doing here?"

She'd nearly been caught coming to the orphanage specifically to see him, but a burst of improvisation carried her through. Even she had to admit that had been a pretty decent save.

After that, she watched Elise and Lee Ho-yeon play with the children, and when Elise started to look worn out, she took over and claimed the spot for herself.

But even with Baek A-young standing right beside him, Lee Ho-yeon barely paid her any attention. She kept sending him looks. He kept ignoring them.

Why... why is he ignoring me...?

She still remembered the way he had come after her even beside a dead ogre. That was why she'd been certain that the moment they met, he'd come at her cackling, "Ahaha, pussy. Pussy," and take her on the spot. Instead, she found herself growing flustered — because Lee Ho-yeon was completely absorbed in playing with the children.

"No! Mommy has to call Daddy 'darling'!"

"D-darling...?"

And then playing house began, and Lee Ho-yeon finally started paying attention to her.

"Ah, alright. This is... well, it's just a game. Right... darling?"

"Yeah. Darling."

"Hnngh..."

Baek A-young's underwear grew steadily damper. Calling the man who had forcibly taken her virginity "darling"... turned out to be unexpectedly exciting.

The game went on. The children called her Mommy and climbed into her arms, and a dull ache opened in one side of her chest.

What sin could these children have possibly committed, to be given a trial like this.

Not having parents didn't mean you couldn't live a life. But watching children go without things that everyone else took for granted made Baek A-young's heart hurt. The part of her that wanted to help them, to look after them, to give them something — that part of her nature rang like a bell.

And then, at the edge of her vision, she caught Lee Ho-yeon's face. He was watching the children with an expression in which too many feelings had been mixed together, his gaze distant and faintly aching. There was a faraway cast to his eyes... as if he were looking back on a past that had already receded far behind him.

"Ah..."

"Mommy, what's wrong?"

"Mm, it's nothing."

Baek A-young held the child close and thought, I have to help Lee Ho-yeon too.

He must have lived a hard life as well. The way he had looked at their first meeting was still vivid behind her eyes.

That's right. He must have been warped by whatever he went through. That's why he became a creature of instinct. I have to be the one to guide him. I can't let him pour that instinct out on anyone else...

Alone with her thoughts, Baek A-young spun the fantasy wider and wider. Inside her heart, plans for how she would help Lee Ho-yeon were already stacking themselves up, neat and determined.

"Alright, children. Snack time, then we'll play some more~."

The director appeared to announce that it was time to eat.

"Snacks!"

Thud-thud-thud—!

The children stampeded off toward their snacks. After that would come nap time, or indoor activities. The director and the caregivers went in with them, and that left only Baek A-young and Lee Ho-yeon standing in the yard.

Silence settled between them. Baek A-young wanted to speak first, but nothing came to mind.

Then Lee Ho-yeon broke the quiet.

"A-young. So why did you come find me."

"F-find you? I just came to volunteer, like I always—"

"Do you think I'm an idiot? You came here to see me."

H-how did he know?

Baek A-young panicked, but she held the best poker face she could manage, determined not to let it show.

"I-I have something to say to you. Follow me behind the building."

Baek A-young's pupils trembled like the tail of an abandoned puppy. And yet her mouth and nose stayed perfectly still, which only made the whole expression look slightly off.

Does she actually think that's a poker face?

"I-I have something to say to you. Follow me behind the building."

She left those words hanging and headed around the back. I didn't know what this was about, but she'd told me to follow, so I figured I might as well.

She wouldn't just come out and ask me to rape her.

...She wouldn't, right?

"...?"

What is she even talking about.

The current-state readout told me nothing useful about what was actually going on in Baek A-young's head, so I just followed her. The way her hips swayed with every step looked an awful lot like an invitation.

"You... what are you scheming."

Once we'd reached the sheltered rear of the building, hidden from every angle, Baek A-young opened her mouth.

"What's this about?"

"You took all those pictures, and then — no calls, no threats, you don't even come after me... What are you plotting?!"

"Uh..."

I turned that over slowly, trying to work out what it actually meant. Asking your rapist why he hasn't called, hasn't blackmailed you, and hasn't come after you again...

"So what you're saying is, you want me to threaten you and take you. Right now."

She's got a real talent for saying things the long way around.

"That's not it! Just tell me honestly what you're planning!"

A raw heat leaked from Baek A-young's eyes as she glared at me, trying her hardest to look vicious. She was thinking something genuinely terrifying. If the two of us went down together socially, then what? Just how desperate was she?

"You're right. I was actually planning to come after you today..."

I decided I had no choice but to play along. The truth was, there were too many people around today and it was too risky, so I'd been intending to hold back — but if she was going to come at me like this, I had to put in some effort too. Besides, it would be a good chance to check how much affection went up after sex.

"I knew it...! I knew you'd say that! You animal...!"

Only then did Baek A-young's expression ease, as if she'd finally been able to relax. The vicious glare softened back into something meek.

God, her acting is terrible.

I quietly swallowed the rest of that thought.