Chapter 16
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 16. What About My Popularity!? (1)
I found out later, but actually, Chaeyi seemed to have been quite a famous child in her own right.
In this world, heroes are admired beings. Even if there aren't many cases where they are as popular as celebrities, they have a fairly thick enthusiast fanbase, and those with outstanding appearances even double as celebrities.
There are specialized magazines, specialized TV programs that only deal with stories about heroes, and quite a lot of channels from creators active on streaming sites too.
Naturally, interest is bound to gather around the second generation of heroes as well.
If there are heroes who hide their children's personal information as much as possible, conversely, there are also those who actively show them off to people. Soi's parents were the former, and Blue Phosphor was the latter.
Soi and I usually didn't have much interest in things like the news, and what we normally watched were mostly unnutritious funny short-form videos or cartoons, so it was inevitable we didn't know.
If you were to ask why no one monitored a heinous criminal to the point where they could chase after a hero's second generation and look for an opportunity to retaliate.
...Because they weren't a heinous criminal.
If the crime the opponent committed had been a sex crime, murder, assault, or terrorism, naturally separate management personnel would have been assigned, but the crime the villain who caused this incident committed was only home invasion and theft. It was their first offense too, and even though they used a superpower, they were caught by the owner and arrested while running away.
The time they spent in prison was less than 2 years.
Normally, a crime committed using a superpower would receive an aggravated punishment and they would have had to serve a few years, but because they suffered an irreversible injury during the process of Blue Phosphor arresting them. That probably became a reason for a reduced sentence.
"..."
Well, anyway.
That's a story I heard 'later'. When I was first admitted to the hospital, I naturally couldn't hear such things.
It's also not like they could just pour out such a story to a young child who had only just regained consciousness.
"..."
Aunt Yujin, who visited the hospital, truly didn't say a single word.
She just sat next to the hospital bed and held my hand tightly.
I had worried she might scold me for doing something unnecessary. Besides, because I needlessly suggested going to find her, Soi also fell into danger.
However, truly without a single word like that.
She merely guarded her spot, as if to let me know she was by my side.
It was the same for Mister Dohyun. Because my body still tended to stiffen whenever I was hugged deeply in someone's arms, for the time being, he merely checked my complexion from a slight distance away.
"..."
It wasn't just the adults who were speechless.
Similarly, Soi and Chaeyi came to the hospital room where I was admitted without a word, took a seat, and just slumped face-down onto the bed.
They couldn't bring themselves to climb onto the bed together, and spent the time holding onto my body, as if to feel that I was alive.
I feel like I would have felt a bit more at ease if someone had rather blamed me.
No one said such a thing.
I wasn't severely injured, but for the stability of my mind and body, and to prepare for any unforeseen problems, I decided to stay admitted in the hospital for this entire week for now.
"Lua, Lua!"
And as I lay in the hospital room like that, not long after school ended, the hospital room door swung open.
Soi, who invaded the hospital room holding hands full of snacks and ice cream she bought, would proudly spread those treats out on my bed.
Is it okay to do this? Is it okay to just eat snacks and stuff on the bed?
But since Soi had already torn open the snack bags before I could even have such a thought, what could I do. I had no choice but to clear away those things called snacks and ice cream into my mouth.
And every time she visited the hospital room like that, Soi appeared holding onto Chaeyi.
I don't really know if she received permission from Blue Phosphor. Seeing as she probably just dragged her along, it seems like she didn't particularly receive permission or anything.
As if doing so was the only way my health would improve quickly, she sat Chaeyi next to the bed too and threw a snack party every single day.
"...A-Ah, hello."
And Chaeyi, who entered the hospital room, had her words sharply decrease.
She probably thinks she showed me an unsightly side. I should have just taken her and run away. Stepping up pointlessly.
Seeing how quickly the hero arrived, it doesn't seem like it was something I needed to step up for to that extent either.
With her head deeply bowed, she would steal glances at me, and if our eyes met, she would startle and lower her gaze. Seeing as her face is a little red, could she have received some kind of shock?
I did feel my heart sink, wondering if she was feeling the same kind of thing I feel when I'm hugged by Mister Dohyun, though.
Still, when Chaeyi climbed onto the bed and sat, she subtly sat right next to me. Even if she didn't blatantly stick right onto me like Soi.
That means, she doesn't hate it emotionally, I suppose.
If that's the case, my mind is at ease.
"Thank you for saving Chaeyi."
I didn't know because Soi and Chaeyi visited so confidently, but it seems the hospital room I was staying in was a place strictly controlled so no one could enter carelessly.
Seeing as Blue Phosphor visited and offered her greetings matching my discharge time on the day I was discharged.
"The thing is..."
It seemed she was trying to add something, but Blue Phosphor didn't actually add any words after that.
Even if she did add something, what kind of words could she have added? Would she have had to make excuses about why Chaeyi ran away from home?
"..."
I deliberated for a moment too.
What should I say to her? Not saying anything at all might be for the best. Especially for Chaeyi, who has to continue living with this aunt.
Because if I meddle pointlessly and Blue Phosphor ends up hating Chaeyi, only Chaeyi will have a hard time.
But, wasn't the reason Chaeyi ended up running away ultimately because I pretended not to know too. I pretended not to know, acting like there was nothing I could do because I was a child, and ultimately Chaeyi, who had become too exhausted, ran away.
"Can I play with Chaeyi every day?"
So I asked like that.
I can't say my mind is pure. But at least having lived as a child, I know well what kind of words appear pure.
"Is it okay if I continue being friends with Chaeyi? Bringing her along when we go play somewhere."
The eyes of Chaeyi, who was standing next to Blue Phosphor, became completely round. Perhaps because she's a young child, opening her eyes wide really makes them look like coins.
"...Yes, of course."
Blue Phosphor answered like that.
Was Chaeyi scolded at home? It would be strange if she wasn't scolded, but I had worried a little about how Blue Phosphor might have scolded Chaeyi. If she scolded her too severely, that would be a bit.
However, I had confidence in my own way too.
Because they said it from that side anyway, didn't they. That I saved Chaeyi.
Besides, there definitely must have been some kind of investigation afterwards. Since it was an incident where a child ran away from home anyway, and also a crime committed again by a villain Blue Phosphor had put away.
A hand rested gently on my shoulder, and when I looked up, Aunt Yujin was looking down at me, smiling gently.
"Chaeyi, you heard her, right?"
"Uh, huh?"
At my words, Chaeyi opened her already round eyes even wider and asked back. She sure has a knack for that.
"Let's play today too!"
Saying that, I ran forward. And I grabbed Chaeyi's wrist.
Soi also hurriedly followed behind me and tightly linked her arm through mine.
"Is it okay if I come back after playing?"
"Yes. Just don't play until too late."
Because the hospital isn't that far from our house anyway.
A slightly relieved expression lingered on the face of Aunt Yujin as she answered.
Did she perhaps think I might fall into trauma and become unable to play outside.
...It was a little scary, though.
Even though I came to realize that this world is a much more dangerous world than the world I knew.
Even so, if I shut myself in my room, there are too many people who would worry.
So, I was able to show a smile somehow.
Because Soi and Chaeyi, who took their places on either side of me, also smiled brightly at me as if relieved.
I thought, maybe this is enough.
Children's time truly flows quickly.
Of course, I was a child in this world too, but.
Especially girls' time flowed much faster than I thought, and before I knew it, we had grown much taller.
...Not just height, but physical characteristics too.
You know, don't they call it 'secondary sex characteristics'.
Even during elementary school, around the end of 5th grade, we came to have body lines that were quite distinctly different from the boys, but by the time we entered middle school, an atmosphere truly like 'girls' started to emanate.
Kids who used to be indistinguishable if they cut their hair short back in the day.
"Hmm~? What's this, what's this, is our Lua shy? Are you shy in front of your older sister?"
And Soi's personality changed a little more too.
From a tomboyish personality, how should I put it.
If she used to be an eccentric pipsqueak who didn't really know she was popular, now she's in a position where she knows very well that she's a person admired by everyone.
I wonder if I should say I'm a little worried in many ways.
...No, that's not what's important right now.
"The skirt, is too short..."
"No, this much is normal, yeah. All our friends wear it the exact same way."
"It's too tight..."
"No, no, I'm telling you it's fine! It looks good on you, it looks good on you. This older sister guarantees it!"
Thwack.
Soi, raising her thumb with one hand and stroking my hair with the other.
No, is this something to be swayed this much over?
By the time I realized something was wrong, we had already become middle schoolers.