Chapter 13
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 13. That's Not It, Actually...! (5)
But even so, I can't just literally not say anything at all.
At least I wasn't ignored, was I? Being able to converse like this was an opportunity.
No, and, more importantly.
"You can't eat candy because it's bad for your body...?"
I asked back carefully.
Nod, nod.
Chaeyi nods her head.
They won't even give a single piece of candy to a kid? Even at the orphanage, they regularly gave us snacks.
Besides things bought with the budget or donated, sometimes there were even snacks the teachers bought with their own salaries. Because for kids, eating well no matter what is important anyway.
Among overly zealous parents, they might forbid eating things that are too sweet saying it's bad for the body, but...
Suddenly, I remembered Blue Phosphor who came looking for her when we went to eat ice cream.
That aunt who got out of the car with a fierce glare, but whose mood completely brightened upon recognizing Soi.
"Do they tell you not to eat it at home?"
"..."
At my question, Chaeyi, with her head bowed, rolled her eyes up to steal a glance at me, then hurriedly looked at the ground again.
Eyes rolled up like that are often misunderstood as glaring, but Chaeyi's gaze was so innocent that I couldn't possibly be hurt or angry at that gaze.
"By any chance, do they make you go to academies and stuff? And study until late at night?"
"..."
Chaeyi deliberates, then weakly shakes her head.
It's a lie.
At the orphanage, Chaeyi had never lied in front of me. Actually, we were in a relationship where there was no reason itself to lie to each other. Above all, what would a five-year-old pipsqueak have to lie about.
And yet she shakes her head while visibly deliberating to the point where it's glaringly obvious.
Children are sometimes absurdly cruel, but that doesn't mean they completely lack morality.
Rather, because they don't know well, they sometimes feel a strong sense of guilt about things they shouldn't do. They might not even be able to tell a light lie properly, and might feel guilty over something trivial.
I wonder if the emotion Chaeyi is feeling isn't something like that. Tattling on what her mom does to someone else.
"Your mom is..."
There was so much more I wanted to say. With blood suddenly rushing to my head, I wanted to abruptly ask her this and that.
But I held it in firmly.
There is no reason for Chaeyi to bear the anger I'm feeling. Chaeyi isn't the one who did anything wrong, so why should she needlessly receive such stress.
Blue Phosphor.
After hearing the story, I later searched it on my smartphone and read the contents.
Her age is a few years older than Aunt Yujin. She is on the pretty side, but definitely gives off a slightly older impression than Aunt Yujin, who is blatantly baby-faced.
Her ability is strong and her fighting figure is beautiful, but they say her limits are also clear.
Categorizing heroes by something like grades and comparing who is stronger than whom is a highly disrespectful act in this society. Like categorizing a firefighter as A-grade because they saved two more people than someone else, and another as B-grade.
However, even so, you can't completely stop people from categorizing them unofficially.
Within the achievements arbitrarily categorized by people, 'Meteor' was typically compared as an S-grade, and 'Blue Phosphor' as about an A-grade. Even in contents divided into more detailed categorizations, Blue Phosphor was a half-grade to one grade below Aunt Yujin.
Both were famous for being pretty, and both were famous for being good people, so they were compared an incredible amount.
"..."
Fidget, fidget.
Chaeyi was nervously fiddling with the hem of her top with her hands.
This is a habit she had even in her childhood.
However, back then she didn't fidget while being this dispirited. She was a kid who would squirm not knowing what to do whenever she was praised by the kids or the teacher.
What... what can I do?
When we were young, there were many things I could do.
I could hug the terrified Chaeyi, and I could hold the hand of Chaeyi fidgeting next to me and roam all around the orphanage. When the kids praised me, I subtly slipped her in beside me so she could be praised together.
Things I can't do now.
My chest feels stifled.
I've definitely grown much more than back then. There are an incredible number of kids who know me at school, and an incredible number of kids who say they like me.
And yet, what I can actually do for Chaeyi has decreased far more than back then.
I was the one acting all high and mighty with my nose raised high, and I even told Chaeyi let's go to the same school, or that even if we live in different places we just have to go to the same school. I even said I would go visit her.
I hesitated and dawdled, and ended up being completely late. I made Chaeyi come looking instead of me going to find her.
And then I couldn't do a single thing for her.
The little kid who proudly raised her nose saying 'It can't be helped!' had now become a kid who truly couldn't help anything.
Grab.
"Huh?"
However, truly strangely.
Even while thinking like that, perhaps because I've been living among kids all along since being reborn, I was truly impulsive.
Without realizing it, I forcefully snatched Chaeyi's hand.
And I pulled her toward me and said.
"Come here."
"Uh-huh?"
Holding the hand of the bewildered Chaeyi, I dragged her toward Soi.
I don't really know if this is the right thing to do.
Even if Blue Phosphor doesn't get mad in front of us, wouldn't she definitely get mad in front of Chaeyi when she gets home?
Besides, this method relied on Soi's power, not mine. Because it's only possible because Soi's parents are Aunt Yujin and Mister Dohyun.
But.
Still.
"Uh-huhhh?"
Soi, who had been hiding behind the telephone pole watching, was startled when I suddenly approached together with Chaeyi.
"Are you done talking?"
"No."
At my answer, Chaeyi widened her eyes and looked at me. Yeah. This kind of gaze is much better than just fidgeting nervously.
"Chaeyi has so many things to talk about, she says she wants to go play at our house."
"Huh?"
As if she had forgotten how to speak since earlier, Chaeyi let out the exact same sound again.
"Wow, really!?"
Soi's eyes sparkled brightly.
It's a given, but Soi immensely loved having friends come over to play at her house.
Because the house is so spacious that it isn't cramped at all even with several friends over, and because she just incredibly loved playing with friends.
Wasn't she a child who, living alone in that large house anyway, was so bored she wished for a younger sibling?
"Let's go, let's go!"
Soi took Chaeyi's other hand, quickly pulled her, and said.
"Ah..."
Perhaps because she had already felt that there's no way to escape once caught like this when we went to the ice cream shop last time, Chaeyi followed us with a half-resigned expression.
Actually, I don't really know what to do after this.
There is circumstantial evidence that Chaeyi isn't treated well at home. But since I am a young child after all, I don't know if telling adults would be of any use.
Besides, even if I were to report it to the police alone, isn't the opponent the famous hero Blue Phosphor?
So, at the very least.
So that Chaeyi could have an enjoyable time somehow. I wanted to create a childhood memory she could remember later.
And, just maybe, by some chance.
If Soi's parents find out about Chaeyi's oddities, I thought maybe they would try to help.
...Ultimately, I do think I'm truly corrupted in that I have to borrow Soi's power for that too, though.
Naturally, Aunt Yujin and Mister Dohyun welcomed Chaeyi. They aren't the kind of people who have ever not welcomed a friend Soi brought over in the first place.
"Ah, is that so? So you're the daughter of Hero Blue Phosphor!"
Seeing as she attached the honorific 'Hero', it seems they aren't that close.
And whether she was controlling her facial expression because Chaeyi is a child, or if they really just don't have any particular contact normally. Aunt Yujin spoke with a bright smile on her face.
"Have fun playing. Ah, is there anything you want to eat? What should I order for you?"
"Right, Chaeyi! Is there anything you want to eat?"
"Uh."
When a question came in suddenly, Chaeyi, a bit flustered, rolled her eyes here and there before her face flushed red.
And then she deeply bowed her head.
"Th-Then, ice cream..."
She answered like that.
Soi and I met each other's eyes.
She liked the ice cream we ate last time, it seems.
"Please contact your parents."
"Yeah. Tell them you came to our house!"
Soi probably said that without aiming for anything in particular, though.
At those words, Chaeyi widened her eyes.
Right?
Because she was told to 'get along'.
Definitely, even if Chaeyi skips an academy. And even if she eats food that might make her gain weight.
If it's inside this house, I thought she would definitely have no choice but to permit it.
Because, Blue Phosphor is conscious of Meteor.
So, we played. And we ate.
We bought ice cream, in a cup even larger than the one we bought that time.
Chaeyi's face, even while eating the cold ice cream, was rather an expression that was melting.
Should I try seducing her with ice cream instead of candy next time?
To the point where I had that kind of thought.
"Thank you so much for taking care of Chaeyi."
"Not at all, the child is truly kind and polite. I hope she comes over to play often."
"Oh my, is that so?"
Blue Phosphor had a pleased expression.
The eyes looking at Chaeyi are different from last time.
If last time was an expression of having discovered a use for her, this time it was a truly surprised expression.
If that's the case, wouldn't it be rather a good thing? No, I wouldn't be able to say... it's a truly good thing.
I just thought, wouldn't she at least not be bullied for a while?
"Now, you should say goodbye before we head back."
Blue Phosphor says.
Chaeyi turned toward us.
And approaching me and Soi,
"...I-It was fun."
For some reason, she said goodbye to me like that.
This is Soi's house, and the ones who practically permitted it were Soi and Soi's parents.
"Yeah. Come again next time."
"Come again!"
At my words, Soi smiled brightly and nodded her head.
At those words, Chaeyi bowed her head slightly.
Though a smile lingered on her face.
"Yes. Because you're close friends. Right?"
At the voice of Blue Phosphor speaking with a smile full on her face, the smile disappeared from that face.
"..."
Chaeyi merely nods her head.
The way back.
Blue Phosphor got into the car, smiling and talking to Chaeyi. Chaeyi sat in the seat next to her.
Right before the car door closed, Chaeyi's gaze headed toward me, but it closed before I could properly judge her expression, so I couldn't know what kind of expression it was.
And the next day.
Chaeyi didn't come to school.
There was no need to specifically go into Chaeyi's class and ask either.
"Chaeyi didn't come to school?"
Because I ran into Blue Phosphor aggressively questioning the teacher in front of that class.