Children's Rights Center
When I came to…
A cool, damp sensation pressed against my forehead. Opening my eyes, I found Kang Jiye changing out a wet towel.
“You’re awake?”
I pushed myself up and asked,
“What happened? Where’s Kim Seojun?”
“He carried you here, so I treated him to a cup of tea.”
“Ah… he didn’t throw a fit, did he?”
Kang Jiye let out a hollow laugh.
“What fit?”
“I was supposed to head to the meeting place, but I bailed halfway. It was to save people, sure, but the guy’s a psychopath—he might just go off on my guardian without asking any questions.”
“There’s no way Hunter Kim Seojun would do something like that.”
“No way. I was bawling my eyes out from pure sadness, and he called me a cripple, you know?”
“……”
Kang Jiye stared at me fixedly.
Kim Seojun was finished. She believed every single word that came out of my mouth without a shred of doubt…
Thwack!
“Ow! Why?!”
I clutched my ringing crown.
I’d recovered a fair bit of strength, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt much—but a veteran A-class hunter’s fist was nothing to take lightly.
But why did she actually hit me?
Kang Jiye blew on her fist with a soft hoo and answered,
“Why do you think?”
I glared up at her, full of grievance.
“How should I know? Instead of comforting me, you assault me. I really am the ugly duckling after all. When a human and a monster fight, the monster’s always the perpetrator, right? That has to be the only reason.”
Well, there was no guarantee she’d treat me the same as Yena—the guy who couldn’t even protect his little sister and got her killed.
Sin was something you carried for the rest of your life like this.
Kang Jiye fixed me with a hard look.
“Did I say Hunter Kim Seojun came and left, or did I not? You’re the one who asked me to acknowledge it first, you little brat. Is it okay to chop off the front and back like that and make people misunderstand?”
“……!”
“Answer quickly. Is it okay or not?”
“……It’s not.”
Kang Jiye crossed her arms.
“You’re under special surveillance starting today.”
“Huh? Why? I answered, didn’t I?”
“Hunter Kim Seojun warned me before he left. He said the specialty of your amusement park is startling people and pranking them? He told me to keep an eye out so you don’t cross the line with your jokes. Even if your nature softens, it’s hard to abandon your instincts.”
…That fucking bastard. What all did he go and spill? Do they know my heart? Do they know the misery of being born this way and living with this nature? Telling a tiger to swear off meat—what absolute nonsense.
“Ah, okay. I’ll stay quiet.”
“Yeah, I don’t believe you. Even when you go out, bodyguards will stick to you and report every little thing.”
.....!
My legs trembled—tremble-tremble-tremble.
The sudden declaration that I couldn’t pull pranks made my heart start to thrash with anxiety. Monsters lived by feeding on people’s fear and stress, after all.
I could vent at the academy, but unfortunately Elaine had said there was a temporary school closure.
As I chewed my nails and rolled my eyes around, Kang Jiye slapped the back of my hand!
“It’s only been a few seconds. Stay still.”
I snapped a little sulkily.
“Ah, seriously. Why are you being so strict all of a sudden. What does Auntie even know.”
“That’s why I’ve been waiting like this to find out, right?”
“Huh?”
Kang Jiye crossed her arms again.
“You cried your eyes out during the rescue work, I hear. Why was that? A kid who handled other corpses so maturely. You even saw a newborn baby’s corpse, they said.”
“……”
Kang Jiye let out a sigh.
“Of course, if you don’t want to talk, there’s nothing I can do. But wouldn’t it be better to vent a little at least? If you bottle it up too tightly, it’ll fester someday. Our little one is human, after all.”
Even so, she was defining me as human—catching the harsh words I’d thrown out earlier. For all the snark, it meant she’d been worried about me collapsing.
Moreover, when she mixed in a nickname like that, I couldn’t refuse to answer.
I took my nails out of my mouth and lowered my gaze.
“It’s not really a secret or anything. Just… a bit embarrassing. And scary too.”
“It’s okay. Tell me.”
After a moment’s hesitation, I soon let out a long sigh and began calmly laying out the memories with my little sister from my past life.
“I was bullied a bit. We were always scruffy, after all.”
The story wasn’t long.
A common tale you’d hear once anywhere: Father left home unable to endure Mother’s nagging. Mentally unstable Mother neglected us siblings.
A thug approached my cute-looking little sister. She trusted that thug and became unhappy.
And finally, me—her only family—neglected her and caused her death.
Kang Jiye, listening intently, interjected.
“And so.”
“And so… I don’t know. Back then, I just hated my little sister. You’re not the only one having a hard time. Be satisfied with what you have. Why can’t you endure that shabbiness and make this whole mess. …Honestly, even now I can’t fully understand. Without comparing yourself to others, you can be plenty happy with just one piece of delicious bread, right?”
Before I knew it, I was wiping away the tears that had started flowing from my eyes.
“But that was a foolish thought.”
“Why?”
“Anyway, it means I turned my back on my one and only family. I neglected a death that could have been prevented with one warm word. My little sister didn’t need some great revenge or powerful backing. I was too ignorant to know.”
“……”
“I’m really an irredeemable, stupid, incompetent… Waaah—! Why are you suddenly asking this kind of question, damn it. Hwaaah—!”
The sudden surge of sorrow burst out like a dam breaking. I’d deliberately blocked it so I wouldn’t think too deeply, but once stimulated, it was unstoppable.
Then Kang Jiye, who had been gently patting the back of my hand, suddenly pulled me in. And hugged me very tightly.
“Kel-luk!”
“Little one.”
“Ah, Auntie! Arm! Arm!”
“Little one, be careful with your words from now on. What’s with the ‘damn it’ to your mom. You little punk.”
“.......”
Kang Jiye released the hug and gripped both my shoulders.
“Yeah. I roughly get what kind of circumstances you have. And why you particularly go berserk against villains. Though I don’t know how a Queen-class monster had such human experiences.”
To that, I blinked and replied.
“…Byu?”
Kang Jiye burst out laughing.
“It’s fine. I don’t plan to dig deep either, you brat. For now, just confirming how warm our little one’s heart is is enough. How about you, little one?”
“…What?”
“Doesn’t it feel refreshing to open up once? Our little one’s pure white chest was revealed as is.”
I looked Kang Jiye up and down, then fastened the front of my pajamas.
“Pervert.”
“…?”
“What did you do while I was sleeping. Tell me honestly.”
Thwack!
With the sound of a pot shattering, my vision spun round and round.
While I sat there dazed, I felt Kang Jiye pulling me in again.
“…Our little one. The path ahead for social life is going to be rough, huh?”
“Yes, yeshep-.”
“Let’s keep treating you steadily and become a proper person. While we’re at it, heal the wounds in your heart too. Got it, my daughter?”
At that, I suddenly thought of the hospital from earlier.
“Ah, actually, there’s a hospital I was going to go to because of this!”
“I know.”
“Huh?”
“How many watchers are stuck to you. I registered you myself. Just go tomorrow.”
“Huh? Already? It was all collapsed—repairs are pretty fast!”
“I didn’t repair it. I moved the hospital.”
“Moving is fast!”
Then Kang Jiye laughed “puhat!” and shook her shoulders.
“Well— a whole week has already passed.”
“…?”
The next day. The psychiatric hospital appointment was really booked.
I, who had no idea a week had been deleted, could only be dumbfounded. Since it was temporary school closure, I’d planned to rest without doing anything for at least a day. But the moment I closed and opened my eyes, I had to start the schedule?
“Yena, wrap it there.”
“Like this?”
“Yeah.”
“Both of you, wait a moment. Without a splint and plaster, will the doctor buy it? Move aside—I’ll wrap it myself.”
Eldrisa began wrapping a bandage around my ankle with fluid hand movements. As expected of a witch, she had all sorts of skills.
Looking at the exterior alone, there was no difference from what an actual hospital would do.
Satisfied with the result, I took a photo of my ankle and sent it to the psychiatrist.
A few seconds later the reply arrived. Content that he knew I’d volunteered at the disaster site, along with thanks as a citizen.
“Ahahahaha! He’s coming! He’s coming! Jackpot! How can a psychiatrist be so easily fooled, this guy. Ugh, really stupid. Right, guys?”
Excitedly lifting my head, I found Eldrisa and Yena’s gazes directed behind me.
“…Well. This is a first for me.”
A middle-aged man in a gown looked forward with open curiosity. There was a girl distractedly rubbing the bump on her head.
A mature human who would wail over a stranger’s death, yet in another aspect so full of playfulness.
More normal than I thought?
Not an adult, but a fifteen-year-old girl—it was something that could sufficiently happen. She’d done such physically hard work, so she might want to rest.
Rather… I was more worried about the guardian who hit her head hard enough to raise a bump over just this issue.
“Haha, anyway, be careful from next time. Does your forehead still hurt a lot?”
“It’s fine.”
“…But did you really only get hit for lying about being injured?”
“Yep.”
“Does your guardian hit you like this often?”
“Yes.”
The doctor’s smile faded.
“Often?”
Pecia nodded.
“…What did they hit you with, by any chance?”
“With a fist.”
“When was the time you got hit the worst.”
“Um… worst, well. A week ago I fainted from a back choke once.”
“…..!”
The doctor immediately reached for the receiver in front of him.