Leona's Secret Hobby # 4
Leona's Secret Hobby # 4
I was so happy to see her that I accidentally yelled. I'd been really worried about the kid. Seeing all her limbs intact was a relief.
"This way."
She started walking, so I followed.
"Anyway. You little punk, how the hell did you disappear back then? I was literally carrying you."
"Mmm, about that."
The girl pressed a finger to her lips and stretched out the end of her sentence.
I already had her figured out. This girl was definitely an Awakened. Not sure if she's trying to hide her power or whatever, but I've already seen right through her.
"Hiding it won't work."
"...What?"
The girl flinched.
"'Cause I already figured it out."
"...You figured it out."
"Heh heh heh, yep. Got it all figured out."
—...
At that, the girl lowered her head.
Didn't like being found out, huh?
"You're an Awakened."
"Yeah. Then I guess it can't be helped... Huh? Wait. What? What did you just say?"
"Are you trying to dodge the question with me, you little rascal? You're an Awakened, aren't you?"
I've got you all figured out, kid.
"Huh? So you do know I'm an Awakened."
"Ah... an Awakened. Phew. So that's what you meant."
What the?
She looked kind of relieved.
Well, whatever. Not important.
"Yeah. That's exactly what I meant. You vanishing without a trace back then, no sound, nothing—and the way you were running around a battlefield. You're definitely an Awakened, kid. Come clean with me."
My deduction was flawless.
"Hey, Geun-cheol?"
The girl narrowed her eyes.
"Why are you suddenly interrogating me? That kind of pisses me off."
She even had a face that said she was seriously pissed! No!
"What? No! This isn't an interrogation!"
Damn, I was too rash!
I started grilling her the second we met!
"You're literally grilling me right now. If this isn't an interrogation, what is it?"
"Ah, shit. Did it come off that way? Hey, I'm sorry. But you disappeared without a word back then! I stayed out late looking for you with my friend because of it. Do you know how worried I was? So cut me some slack. I had a reason for grilling you."
I don't act like this to strangers. I was just happy to see her because we'd searched so hard.
"Huh?"
I let my real intent show.
"You were out looking for me late at night?"
"Yeah. You vanished in the middle of a battlefield—of course I went looking. Do you have any idea how worried I was?"
"You... were worried. About me."
Hearing that I'd been worried, her face flushed, maybe because she felt bad. So she does have a conscience.
"Yeah, you punk. Hey, how old are you anyway? Is it okay for a little kid to wander around a battlefield alone? That kind of behavior makes people worry, you know."
"Hmm... you're right. I'm sorry, Geun-cheol. For making you worry. So that's how it works?"
"What are you talking about? Of course I'd worry."
"Hee hee, it's nothing."
Does this kid not understand the concept of someone worrying about you? She's got a slightly exotic look, but at the end of the day, people share basic common sense.
Worrying about a neglected kid is just basic common sense.
"Anyway, hurry up and apologize to me too. I busted my ass looking for you until late at night. Who just disappears without a word?"
"Hee hee hee, yeah. Okay. I'm sorry about that. I disappeared without a word and made you worry. But you really went that far looking for me? You're actually really nice, Geun-cheol."
"It's just common sense. A kid went missing."
"Is it?"
Is she enjoying being worried about?
The girl seemed oddly pleased.
This isn't a great personality trait... She definitely said she didn't have parents back then. Maybe it's some kind of affection deficit. I've heard most kids who enjoy being worried about tend that way.
"So you are an Awakened, right?"
"Mhm, more or less. Hey, Geun-cheol. If you knew I was an Awakened, would you not have worried about me?"
"Nah. I still would've. Awakened or whatever the hell, a kid's a fucking kid. You think I wouldn't look for one who's on a goddamn battlefield? Age is the real boss, the boss. I worry no matter what."
That's just obvious.
Nobody doesn't worry about a kid.
"No matter how much you awakened or whatever, you're still a kid and that doesn't change. And you need to get chewed out. When the emergency alarm goes off, you think it's okay to wander around alone?"
"That... that's..."
"You think you're safe just 'cause you awakened, but you've got it all wrong. Being an Awakened doesn't make you invincible. You get hit by a monster, you die."
"Well, that's true, buuut..."
—Click.
The pieces click into place.
This kid. She awakened too young and ended up a bit divorced from normal common sense. If she's a superhuman child, controlling her would be hard even for a guardian. That's why she runs around even when the emergency bell rings.
Even so, a guardian is a guardian.
You have to do your duty.
"You're no good. A kid shouldn't be going into danger zones. Your parents... or did you say older sister? Gimme her phone number. I need to say something about your upbringing."
I can't let this slide. She's not some total stranger, and now that I know the situation, am I supposed to just ignore it?
"What?! My sister's phone number?! Geun-cheol, you have no fear at all!!"
"No fear, my ass. You're the one with no fear, kid."
"Do you have any idea what kind of being—no. What kind of person my sister is...!"
This is the sister's fault.
She didn't teach her the obvious stuff... Seeing a neglected kid like this makes my blood boil. If an educator abandons the duty they're supposed to fulfill, the kid ends up completely wrecked.
A friend of mine once went off the rails for similar reasons when we were kids. It's a trauma buried in my heart. Thinking about a friend who truly went off the rails, I know kids must never be neglected.
"But come to think of it, you're just a kid too!"
"Am I the same as you? I'm a cadet, damn it. I'm someone who's going to become a Hero. So when someone like me protects a child, it's only natural. Stop yapping and let me make one call. If I don't catch you here, you'll wander around with no sense of danger again and end up in deep shit."
"It's fine! I'm telling you, it's fine! What phone call?! Don't do it!"
Should I back off, then?
"And my sister cherishes me so much. I'll be careful from now on, so don't worry too much either."
"So next time the emergency alarm goes off, you run?"
"Okay. I'll do that."
"Good. Now I can rest easy. Oh, right. Gotta go eat."
The warning landed perfectly. If I've said this much, she should've come to her senses. There won't be any more wandering around alone when the emergency bell rings.
"You little punk, if I see you do that again next time, you're dead meat. A'ight, I'm off."
I turned around.
"Ah... Hey. Geun-cheol. Wait a sec."
The girl called out to me.
"Huh? What."
I looked back.
"Kitty."
"Mm?"
"Call me Kitty."
"Your name is Kitty?"
Like Hello Kitty? Eh, probably an alias if she's not a foreigner.
"More or less."
"Got it. Take care, then, Kitty. And don't forget my lesson."
"Geun-cheol, wait a sec. Your phone."
"Mm? Why?"
"I can't give you my sister's number, but my number is fine."
"Oh. Sure."
I handed over my phone, and Kitty punched in her number. She saved it under the name Kitty.
"Hee hee, all done. I'll see you next time, Geun-cheol. I have stuff to do, so I'm off."
"Yeah. Got it. Like I said, when the emergency alarm rings, you run somewhere safe."
"You nag a lot. But I think I like that. Bye, then."
"See ya."
And with that, we finished talking, and I headed back to the Schweinshaxe place. Now that I'd come to my senses, I realized I'd walked pretty far.
* * *
"What the—Kim Geun-cheol? Where on earth did you go?"
"Geun-cheol, did you go to the convenience store?"
When I went back in, all the side dishes were already laid out. The meat wasn't out yet. I mean, we hadn't talked for that long.
"Sorry, sorry. I suddenly ran into someone I know."
"Someone you know?"
"Yeah. Did I tell you, Leona? Si-hoo, you remember that, right? When the gate showed up and I said we should look for that kid?"
"Huh? Ah! Don't tell me you ran into that kid again! That's a relief! Is she hurt?"
"Seems like she's fine. Turns out she was an Awakened in the first place."
"I figured as much. That's a relief."
Si-hoo let out a sigh of relief, and I sat down next to her.
"Ahh, you mean back when you went out and a gate appeared? You definitely mentioned a girl then, right?"
"Yeah. That's exactly it. I ran into her around there and we talked for a bit."
This place wasn't far from that downtown area.
"That's a relief. Sounds like she lives nearby. But an Awakened girl... No matter if she awakened, if she's wandering around when a gate opens, things could get really bad."
"I gave her an earful about that. The little punk has way too much guts. Thinks she's invincible."
That was real combat.
An untrained kid could die if she gets involved. Honestly, me being there was dangerous too, but cadet or not, you can't just abandon a child.
"Good job. You've gotta drill that stuff in firmly."
"Heh heh, of course you do. Damn. But how does a kid awaken that early? I'm jealous."
"Usually a lot of people awaken when they're young. If anything, isn't Kim Geun-cheol a bit on the late side?"
"Guess so."
I've heard most people awaken around their early teens.
"Whatever the case, a minor shouldn't be entering combat."
"Right. But hey, Leona. When kids awaken young, do they go to some different school?"
"No? They just go to normal schools."
"Really?"
"Even if you're an Awakened, for children's human rights, admission as a cadet is prohibited for anyone under seventeen. They have to attend regular schools."
Human rights, huh.
But I have my doubts.
"If they have superpowers, is going to a regular school really fine?"
"What do you mean, Kim Geun-cheol? We can't discriminate against children."
"That's not the issue."
That's not it at all.
"Kids aren't used to superhuman strength. What if they accidentally swing their power and kill a friend?"
"Ah."
"Some petty schoolyard fight could turn into an accident. Elementary and middle school kids brawl a lot with their own kind. If Awakened children get into those brawls, the results would be beyond imagination. This looks like a problem. Just because a little kid awakens doesn't make them an adult. Their body is still a kid—they're just freakishly strong."
We chewed the fat like that while waiting for the food.
"Ohh... Geun-cheol, you've been thinking seriously about this, huh?"
"Right? Kim Geun-cheol, you're incredibly serious about children's issues?"
Si-hoo and Leona said it like they were surprised.
"I've always been someone who cares deeply about children's rights."
"Hee hee hee, trying to find that girl back then, and what you're saying now... As expected, Kim Geun-cheol is really kind to kids."
"Heh heh. Geun-cheol gets a perfect score. A perfect score. You've got a good heart."
Si-hoo gave me a thumbs-up.
"Ke ke ke, like you two are any different."
"Well, yeah. Because that's normal. Anyway, you punk, this is a qualification to be an Angel too. Angel Kim Geun-cheol?"
"Heh heh heh, an Angel no less. But it's a fair assessment."
As we were talking, the Schweinshaxe arrived.
"Whoa! It's here! It's here!"
Damn, why does it look so delicious? At this level, I'll officially recognize her as the Original Grandma Schweinshaxe!
"Original Grandma Schweinshaxe!"
"Stop fanboying and eat quietly. Come on."
—Clack.
It was the moment I lifted my chopsticks.
Suddenly.
—Ruuuuuuuuuumble!!!
"Kyaaak?!"
"Wh-whoa?!"
A massive roar from outside?!
"You motherfucker! What is it?!"
The Taliban invading?! The instant that thought crossed my mind, Leona and Si-hoo's faces turned dead serious. They kicked their seats back, stood up, and drew their swords.
"Lee Si-hoo! Kim Geun-cheol! It's a gate! A real gate!"
"Th-this can't be...! It's just like last time! A gate suddenly appeared!"
Oh, for fuck's sake!
"A gate on the weekend?! What the hell!"
I didn't even get to taste the Schweinshaxe!
At that moment!
—Ding!
A familiar notification rang out!
[Main Quest initiated]
It's triggering again!