Chapter 17
Chapter 17
After washing Miho's body and drying her hair, I realized something again.
As expected, women have long hair, so it takes a long time to dry.
"Tell me if it's hot."
"Mm."
Not just her tongue is short—her words are short too.
"You should say 'Yes,' not 'Mm.'"
"Huh? Mm!"
One of these days, I'll definitely contact Strawberry Study and turn this idiot into at least a proper human being.
Since I can't make her study starting today,
I'll let it slide for now.
「Fwiiiiiiiiing!」
"The wind feels awesome......."
"Is that so?"
"Mm."
As I gently dried Miho's hair, I didn't even notice that the corners of my mouth were naturally creeping up to my ears.
"Oof, now that her hair and body are dry, the next issue is clothes......."
Ordering online would be the most convenient, but no matter how fast the delivery is, it'll take at least a few hours, maybe even a whole day.
I don't know about other things, but I want to get her a phone first, and besides, seeing the actual fit in person is better for choosing the prettiest clothes than buying online.
Plus, since I have 10 million won in hand, I felt like indulging in a little luxury for once.
[I think I'm starting to understand why you have no money despite earning so much. Do you have no sense of thrift?]
Yeah, whatever.
"The problem is clothes."
Of course, there's no way I have clothes that fit a little girl. And it's too much to let her go out wearing just one of my oversized T-shirts like this. Miho doesn't look like a 3- or 4-year-old baby.
Going to buy clothes at her age and getting dragged to the police station together for public indecency isn't impossible.
"Well, for now, something like this?"
I put on a white T-shirt that goes down to her knees and my boxer shorts, then tightened the waistband with a rubber band.
That way, even if the T-shirt flips up in the wind, at least the critical parts won't be exposed.
"We'll go to the department store right after we eat."
"Mmkay."
While we're out, I'll buy some blankets, and what else... get her a phone... [You also said you need to buy toothpaste.] Ah, toothpaste, toothpaste.
Sankyu, almost forgot.
And if there's time left, I'm thinking about going to the hospital. No matter how I think about it, a kid her age talking with such a short tongue is a bit worrying.
[Isn't it strange in the first place that an elf is speaking Korean?]
You probably handled that somehow.
[......You're a sharper thinker than I expected.]
That's ridiculous.
Miho might be an idiot, but I'm a solid average IQ holder.
"Ah, shoes are a problem too."
Luckily, there's a convenience store in front of my place, so I decided to buy pink three-stripe slippers there and put them on her.
"Hop on."
"Mm!"
「Jump!」
"Did you get on?"
I felt something touch my back, but the weight was so light like cotton candy that I asked again, but got no answer.
"Hey?"
"......Zzz, zzzz......"
Is this kid completely crazy?
Did she fall asleep the moment I put her on my back?
"If a pig were reincarnated as an elf, wouldn't it become this kid?"
[......You have no filter when it comes to kids.]
"Honestly, you thought that a little too."
[A little, is.......]
Anyway, I wonder how such a light little girl's body can hold so much food.
Judging by what she ate yesterday, even a whole chicken wasn't enough.
"Haa."
How should I put it... I feel exhausted even before stepping out the front door. Kids really are this much trouble.
I thought I was used to it from treating many women like princesses or queens during my host work.
But I realized I can never beat a kid.
Kids these ages constantly show unimaginable developments.
"That's why parents are so sensitive and never take their eyes off them when it comes to kids."
Was I like that too?
I think I was, but also not.
Because I remember sneaking out of the house alone as a kid and wandering around the neighborhood arcades, quietly watching and playing.
"If you wake up later and say you don't have an appetite, I'll force-feed you with your mouth wide open."
「Oof.」
I carried Miho on my back and left the studio apartment.
[SU Convenience Store]
「Jingle, jingle!」
"Uung, where is this? Who is Miho?"
At the sound of the bell at the convenience store entrance, Miho woke up again and mumbled on my back.
I took her around looking for slippers in the corner of the store.
But I felt a sharp gaze from behind.
"Ah, it stings......."
A gaze so sharp that Miho herself said something like that.
Wondering why, I boldly turned my head toward the counter, and the part-timer who met my eyes turned pale.
'What the hell, I can't believe this? Looking at me like I'm a criminal.'
I was about to call the part-timer and say something, but then I saw my reflection in the mirror on the convenience store ceiling and shut my mouth.
A man standing in the corner carrying a blond, green-eyed little girl wearing only a T-shirt and no shoes—that's practically the textbook image of a criminal.
'......Let's just buy the slippers and get out.'
I grabbed the smallest slippers and walked to the counter.
"Checkout, please."
Thud. I placed the slippers on the counter.
The part-timer carefully picked them up, scanned the barcode at the POS, and asked me.
"Excuse me, sir, but... may I ask what relation you are to the child on your back?"
"Hey, let's just pay."
I can't bring myself to say 'dad' embarrassingly here.
And I can't exactly say 'guardian' either, since Miho and I don't look alike at all. I understand what the part-timer is thinking and how much courage he mustered.
But there's no reason for me to accept that.
On the contrary, I'm the one who's annoyed and troubled.
"Still, just in case......."
"Haa, really."
Questions that put me in a spot just make the person answering annoyed.
I let out a big sigh and was about to say one more thing.
That is, if Miho hadn't spoken first.
"Don't bully!"
"......."
"Don't bully Hyunu! Bad human! Hyunu is a good human! Don't bully!"
Ah.......
At that moment, I let out a snort.
Then I looked at the part-timer with a triumphant expression. The part-timer realized his mistake and bowed his head.
"Ah! I'm really sorry for suspecting you. Truly sorry. Lately, there have been reports of child violence or abduction in this area."
"No, it's fine. As long as you understand."
「Beep! Rustle, rustle.」
As soon as I bought the 3,000 won slippers, I tore them open on the spot, threw the plastic in the trash, and put the pink slippers on Miho's feet.
"Wear these until we buy other shoes at the department store. Are they uncomfortable?"
"No, not uncomfortable at all......! Kyaa, so comfy!"
"Okay, then let's go eat. Thanks to you sleeping in so late, almost all the stores are open."
"Oong, is Miho amazing?"
"Yes, extremely amazing."
Let's try to refrain from using curse words or anything that might be considered bad in front of Miho.
"Next time, be careful, you bastard!"
"Excuse me? Ah, yes......."
......Let's really be careful.
As soon as I left the convenience store, I lifted Miho's arms and gave her a stern lecture.
"There are words in this world that kids should never use."
"U, ueung?"
Since I was making such a serious face, Miho also turned serious and focused on my mouth.
"'Fuck' and 'bastard' are words you should never use. If you use them, bad adults will take you away?"
At my words, Miho answered with a serious expression.
"Hyunu, is your head...... okay?"
I'm going to kill this little brat.
"And, see. 'Fuck', 'bastard'! They totally stick to your mouth!"
"......."
[What have you done!]
It's the sin of starting off on the wrong foot.
I had no choice but to put Miho down on the ground and scratch the back of my head.
'What's done is done. I'll be careful from now on.'
[No, but!]
"I'm hungry."
"Mm, Miho is hungry too! My tummy's growling."
"Let's go eat."
"Kyaaa! Awesome!"
So Miho and I walked side by side along the road toward the restaurant district. Should I say it's a similar scene to ours?
The difference is that over there, it's a mother and son.
Well, their outfits are a bit more proper than ours. On this side, the girl is wearing just a T-shirt and men's underwear.
Anyway, the mother and son seem to be in a pretty good mood.
"Son, what do you want to eat?"
"Hamburger! I want to eat a hamburger, Mom. I want a hamburger, fries, and ice cream!"
His pronunciation is clear—he's been educated well.
"Then, should we go to Dotteria up ahead?"
"I don't want Dotteria. I prefer WacDonald's."
"Okay, then let's go to WacDonald's. Here, hand."
"Okay!"
What a picture-perfect scene.
......I muttered to myself, and without thinking, I pulled out a cigarette from my pocket and put it in my mouth. Then I realized something felt empty beside me.
"Huh?"
I turned around, and saw Miho staring blankly at the scene I had been watching.
With eyes that looked somehow envious and longing.
「......D, Mom...... Dad, Mom.......」
Now that I think about it, she cried earlier this morning, calling for her parents.
'A kid is a kid.'
She has some mature sides, and she seems tough because she's silly, but no matter what, Miho is a child who needs a guardian.
That's why I agreed to take care of her, even receiving a 'blessing.'
So this is absolutely not for Miho's sake—it's for my own sake.
"Ah, tsk."
I carefully put the cigarette I had even put in my mouth back into the pack and approached Miho.
"Ah......."
Only after a shadow fell over her head did Miho realize she had been spacing out. She turned her head, checking my mood.
I knelt down to her eye level and said.
"Hey."
"......Mm."
"There's something even better than holding hands. How about it? Wanna try it?"
"Is there such a thing?"
"Yeah, wanna try it?"
I asked again, and Miho nodded vigorously.
"Okay!"
"Then, let's go."
"Let's go~."
I slipped my hands under Miho's armpits and lifted her up. She was so light, like a feather, that I almost threw her up.
Then I placed her on my shoulders.
"Is it too high? Are you scared?"
"Whoa, whoa!"
Doesn't seem scared.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaang! The cars look like bugs!"
"......."
I suddenly felt like I should call a Strawberry Study teacher quickly. Teach Korean and math, and if possible, science and English too. Oh, and don't forget ethics.
"Let's go eat!"
"Let's go~."
I carried Miho and headed toward the pizza place across from the hamburger joint where that mother and son had gone.
[Muchin Pizza]
And then.
「Thud!」
"Oof!"
I didn't account for Miho's height while riding on my shoulders, and slammed her face straight into the door frame.
"You... okay?"
I asked Miho, whose face was bright red. Her answer?
"......Bastard......."