Chapter 7
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 7. You Can't Recognize Me...? (2)
The Christmases or New Years spent at the orphanage weren't bad.
The teachers would dress up as Santa and appear in their own earnest way, and hand out presents they had prepared with all their heart.
They weren't incredible presents. Not things like game consoles or smartphones, but usually things like small toys.
We would all play with those toys together, and eventually, it would become ambiguous to distinguish what was yours or mine, so in the end, they usually just all went into the orphanage toy bin together.
We also ate rice cake soup on New Year's. Of course, since we were kindergarteners, we didn't stay up all night saying we were going to spend the first day of the new year.
Still, on January 1st, we all wished each other a Happy New Year and celebrated.
However, even if it wasn't bad, since all those events were part of a group activity, the atmosphere was more like celebrating all together at a kindergarten rather than a family-like feeling.
"Merry Christmas!"
"Presents!"
That's why the family's 'Merry Christmas' I heard as soon as I woke up in the morning was a little refreshing.
I was already an adult in my past life too. It was around my early twenties that I started considering Christmas as just a day off, which means I hadn't heard such a sincere Merry Christmas in nearly 10 years.
Unless it was just exchanging messages with family or friends as a greeting.
"Oh."
There were more refreshing things besides hearing Merry Christmas at home.
First of all, it's fascinating that there's a Christmas tree in the house, but the numerous gift boxes under that Christmas tree were even more fascinating.
When I was young, my younger sibling and I only received one present each. Most other families besides mine were probably like that too, right?
To think I'd actually get to see a sight that seems like it would only appear in a Western Christmas family movie.
"Lua."
Aunt Yujin gestured to me from beside Soi, who had sat on the floor and started tearing into a large package.
The anticipation lingering on her face seems even greater than Soi's, who is actually opening the present. Well, presents naturally make the giver feel good too.
I sat down next to them hesitantly and looked at the presents.
Seeing as there's no telling me 'this is yours', can I really just open anything?
Are they just doing exactly what they did when Soi was an only child, or are they telling us to just use them together since the two of us are practically sisters?
Feeling somewhat pushed by the gazes of the two adults looking at me with sparkling, highly anticipatory eyes, I picked up one large present wrapped like a bag of candy, rather than a box.
The sensation felt even through the wrapping paper is fluffy. Could it be a teddy bear?
When I tore open the wrapping paper while gauging their reactions a little, what came out was a large rabbit doll almost the size of my body.
It was a rabbit doll that didn't look cheap at a glance, with incredibly soft fur.
Hmm.
What should I do with this.
As a former male in my past life, I actually didn't really have a hobby of playing with dolls. What I played with when I was young were usually transforming robots, and what I played with when I grew up weren't toys, but computers or game consoles.
I wondered what I should do to look like I liked it, and figured hugging a doll the size of my body would probably be best, so I did that.
As I buried my face in the doll and hugged it tightly, click. I heard the sound of a picture being taken and snapped my head up.
"Ah, sorry. Did I startle you? But it was so cute..."
Was it because Soi was right next to me, her face buried in a teddy bear?
Aunt Yujin was looking at us with eyes that seemed to be looking at the cutest beings in the world.
A little further away, Mister Dohyun was also smiling warmly.
This should be fine, right?
Let's not get greedy for other toys for no reason. They are things that Soi was originally supposed to receive anyway.
Umm, still, it is fluffy and feels good...
I can just leave it on the bed and use it instead of a cushion.
I feel like Soi's doll will always be up on the bed together too, for some reason.
"Now, now, please look this way~"
Aunt Yujin spoke again, so I turned my gaze.
This time, Soi reached out her hand from beside me, made a V sign, and then,
"Eit!"
She suddenly lunged and hugged me with one arm.
Was it because both her parents are heroes? Even though she's still at a young age, she's much stronger than me.
Soi, smiling happily while hugging a doll in one arm and me in the other.
Yeah, okay. As long as she's happy, that's what matters.
Because Soi's smiling face somehow has the power to make you think whatever the current situation is, is fine.
I ended up smiling slightly without realizing it.
For Christmas, we went to a fancy place and ate out.
The restaurant's name was in a cursive script that was hard to read even for me, who has memories of a past life. Seeing dots above the alphabet letters, it seemed to be some kind of French restaurant or something.
The steak that came out for kids was truly delicious. To the point where I felt a little guilty eating it.
Though it's not normal for a kid living in a foster family to feel guilty eating the food bought for them.
You know, originally a young child around my current age wouldn't care about such things... no, it's an age where they shouldn't be placed in a situation to care.
Isn't learning about shame something you can do as you grow a bit more?
Looking at the current situation, at least Aunt Yujin doesn't seem to have any intention of purposely sending me somewhere else. Since Mister Dohyun also called me his second daughter when he saw me at home, they must even be considering adoption.
In that situation, it would be okay to act a bit more confidently as if I were truly a daughter of this house, but—
"Delicious!"
"Yeah, it's delicious."
For some reason, even when eating something this delicious.
Even when going to the department store after the meal and roaming around looking at various things.
Even when buying snacks at the food court with money that could buy a whole meal if prepared cheaply.
I keep thinking of the orphanage.
For Soi, it's a given since she was originally born in this house, but I wonder if I can really receive this kind of goodwill.
And I also think a little bit about Chaeyi, who I haven't seen for almost a year now.
Still, I tried not to let it show if possible. Because it's Christmas. Isn't it the best day adults prepare for children? Since it's a Christmas Soi and I are welcoming together, they might have paid even more attention to it than previous years.
After roaming around like that all day and returning home at a somewhat late hour for young children, Soi was already limply slumped and held in Mister Dohyun's arms.
Though I played a bit more calmly than Soi, I was also tired from roaming around here and there.
So I wanted to sleep quickly, but—
"Um, Lua. Could we talk for a moment?"
Carefully, Aunt Yujin called me.
A slightly worried expression.
Did she notice what I was thinking about all day while we were out playing?
"Do you happen to have any worries? Or something a little uncomfortable."
"..."
To Aunt Yujin, who sat me on the sofa, sat close by, and asked seriously, I deliberated for a long time on what to say.
"It's okay to tell me."
Seeing Aunt Yujin gently stroking my shoulder while saying that, I finally opened my mouth.
"...The orphanage. I want to go visit again."
Right.
I have to see her at least once.
Because I'm really entering elementary school next year.
I thought Chaeyi wouldn't remember, but we still made a promise, didn't we?
To definitely go to the same school.
So, I wanted to at least share a little bit of that story.
"The orphanage? Ah, I see."
As if sensing something from my words, Aunt Yujin closed her eyes and sank into thought for a moment, then soon nodded her head.
"Okay. Then, shall we go together sometime soon?"
"Uh, really?"
"Yes. It's okay to go."
Without purposely adding this or that unnecessary detail to it, Aunt Yujin spoke like that and tried to hug me, but just reached out her hand and gently stroked my hair instead.
"It's late. Shall we go to sleep?"
"Yes."
And she soon stood up from her seat, held out her hand to take mine, and guided me to Soi's room.
As if it were a given.
Perhaps every single one of those actions was done because she truly wanted me to feel like they were family.
Before the New Year, having fortunately received permission, Aunt Yujin took me and left the house.
Only Soi went to kindergarten. Soi, who had to go to kindergarten alone for the first time in a really long time, had a slightly shocked expression, but Mister Dohyun coddled and soothed her and took her.
The reason wasn't that I didn't want to show Soi the orphanage.
It was just because I said I wanted to go alone.
I couldn't needlessly scrape at the insides of the kids at the orphanage, could I?
And, the orphanage I visited after a really long time— hadn't changed one bit.
That was a good thing. It's a pity it couldn't get better, but the last time I saw the orphanage, the ceiling had completely caved in.
"Teacher!"
As I called out in a loud voice and ran, the teacher who had come out to meet us in advance smiled brightly and hugged me.
"Lua is here. Have you been well?"
"Yes, I've been well."
When I spoke with a bright smile, the teacher nodded her head and stroked my hair.
"We've been well too."
"Is Chaeyi here?"
Oops.
Was it a bit much to ask abruptly like that?
Because it had been constantly bothering me.
But at my question, the teacher's expression clouded over a little.
Oh.
"Um, I'm sorry. Chaeyi is at a different place right now."
"Yes?"
"The thing is, Chaeyi is also like Lua..."
Ah.
Right. Because Chaeyi was also a superhuman in the original work.
"Ah..."
My strength drained.
Should I consider this a relief, or a misfortune?
At least, it means Chaeyi got a family too.
Doesn't it mean she got a place to lean on without any reason to purposely cling to me?
"Would it be possible to know where that child went?"
Aunt Yujin, who had approached at some point and was listening to the conversation, asked.
"Ah, I'm sorry. Being from an orphanage is sensitive personal information in itself, so... In principle..."
"No, if that's the case, it can't be helped."
Aunt Yujin kept her mouth firmly shut, looking troubled.
I feel weird.
There should definitely be no reason for me to worry anymore. If she got a family, she wouldn't even need to lean on a young child like me anymore.
Why am I so anxious?
Is it because of the Chaeyi in the original work? Since she was a kid who relied on Seo Lua to a strange extent.
If we separated in childhood like this, I was worried about exactly when they met, and what happened to make her rely on her like that again.
"Lua. Then would you like to go meet Lua's friends? Would that be okay?"
"Ah, yes. I'll be... waiting."
"Then, I'll guide you to the staff room."
"Thank you."
In the end, I couldn't dare to ask anything more. Because I also agree with the statement that it's sensitive personal information.
If a kid from the same orphanage needlessly intruded, it might interfere with her settling into that family.
Ultimately, led by the teacher's hand, I had no choice but to enter the orphanage without Chaeyi.