Chapter 18
Chapter 18
「Jiiing!」
"Welcome, how many are you?"
"Two people."
"Ah, then I'll guide you to a seat."
"Please, the most corner spot."
"Yes, understood."
Pass through the naturally opening automatic door and guided by the staff, I tried to head to the most corner spot, but I had to realize once again that my side felt empty.
"......"
So I glanced back.
「Jiiing, Jiiing, Jiiing!」
"Oh, ohhh......!"
A blonde little girl wearing only a T-shirt and pink slippers comes into view in front of the automatic door.
'I know what that feeling is. What that feeling is.'
For a child, encountering an automatic door for the first time can be quite magical.
However, aside from that.
'I don't want to pretend to be with her.'
Just as I was thinking of ignoring her and going in, moving a bit further away, Miho, who noticed me moving away like a ghost, quickly came over.
"Hyunu, go together!"
"......"
What is this feeling, really.
When I see a small animal running after its owner, do people all feel this way?
"Yeah......"
"Kyaaang! That's so amazing!"
Maybe that's why everyone keeps a pet.
[Please don't treat the child the same as a pet!]
That's just a metaphor!
"Please ring the bell when you decide your order."
"Yes."
It was morning so there weren't many people, and since we came all the way to the pizza place, just feeding her pizza felt a bit lacking.
[Menu]
[Pizza S(L) + 1 Pasta + 4 Wings or French Fries (choose 1) - 34,900 won]
Should I go with this?
"Hey."
"Eung!"
"What pizza do you like?"
I asked that and showed her the pictures on the menu. There were photos of delicious-looking pizzas lined up.
"Th-that, all......"
All?
Why is she suddenly using polite speech......
"......All of them!"
I thought for sure some irresponsible bastard had sent me a little glutton.
"Okay, just a standard combination pizza then."
"Then why did you ask me?"
"......Next, wings and fries. No, which do you prefer, vegetables or meat?"
[Of course, that would be vegetables.]
[I've been quiet, but elves are a race that lives with nature, and are called the race of beauty that originally only eats fruits and vegetables.]
Ah, is that so?
Considering how she was inhaling chicken yesterday.......
"Meat!"
[......!]
Looks like she was really surprised.
"I want mea-at!"
"Okay."
「Ding-dong!」
I definitely pressed the table bell only once.
Then, the bell rings in succession.
「Ding-dong, ding-dong!」
"Sir, sorry, but you only need to press the bell once."
"Ah, I'm so sorry... This child... No, sorry. I'll order."
I tightly held Miho's two hands with one hand as she tried to pound the table bell again in wonder, trembling.
I felt like I realized the greatness of all mothers across the country again.
I thought I understood why many mothers say that children are always angelically cute, but the cutest is when they're sleeping or quietly doing nothing.
"I'll go with Set No. 1."
"Yes."
"Pizza is combination pizza, size......"
I glanced at Miho.
"......Large, please."
"Yes."
"Pasta is tomato meatball pasta, and wings please."
"You need to order drinks separately, is that okay?"
"Ah, then please bring two large colas."
"Yes, understood. Let me confirm the order once more. Set No. 1, combination pizza large, tomato meatball pasta, wings, and two large colas, correct?"
"Yes, correct."
"Yes, understood. Please wait about 40 minutes. And I'm sorry, sir, but your child seems very young, so please take extra care of her. Thank you."
"Yes, I'm sorry......"
"Excuse me."
In another sense, this is fucking embarrassing.
I also understood why no-kids zones exist and why many parents prefer stores with playrooms when taking young children.
'She did wrong, but I'm the one apologizing.'
But I also knew there was no helping it.
"Hey, from now on, you only press this once."
"One?"
"Yes, once. If someone doesn't come after you press once, then you press many times. Got it?"
"If no one comes, many times... Eung! Got it!"
After teaching Miho that piece of knowledge, we sat quietly waiting, and just looking out the window together was nice.
But my mouth was too dry.
Thinking about it, I remembered that every time I tried to put a cigarette in my mouth since yesterday, Miho was on my mind so I couldn't smoke.
'Should I go smoke now?'
But if I left my seat here, there would be no one to watch Miho.
That was a bit worrying.
It seemed better to get up after the pizza arrived. If there's food in front of her, she'll quietly focus on it.
'But I can't just get up as soon as the pizza comes.'
Freshly made pizza was quite hot, and the wings and spaghetti were the same.
That glutton would surely try to devour everything in a hurry and burn her palate or get hurt, so I had to help her eat to some extent.
'Did I come to a pizza place for nothing?'
Still, when I was young, I also went to a pizza place with my eomma a few times.
Remembering that, I ended up coming here.
Back then, if you brought an empty cola cup, the store would refill it.
[Refill is only possible once.]
Ah, they still do that these days.
"Hyunu."
"Eung?"
"Pizza?"
"......Wait a bit, it'll come soon."
When I was young, was I also as impatient as her?
Ah, I think so.
「Eomma! Then me and hyung will go to the arcade for a bit until the pizza comes!」
'No, maybe I was even worse than Miho.......'
Recalling my childhood self, I could understand all of Miho's behaviors.
In the end, all children are the same.
Short-sighted, pure, and even if they seem fine on the outside, they need an adult by their side no matter what.......
"Your ordered pizza, pasta, and wings are here. The sauce is here, and for pickles, please use the self-service bar."
"Yes."
A little later, a combination pizza steaming on a wooden board and tomato meatball pasta on a large round glass plate.
And four wings on a small square wooden plate and two colas in huge cups were placed on the table.
"......"
This is way more than I thought?
'Maybe I should have ordered small size.'
Well, if we can't finish it, we can just leave it.
"First, wait."
"Eung...... tch."
Anyone watching would think I'm training a dog, but Miho was an elf with undeniable intelligence.
I looked at Miho drooling in front of the pizza and picked up the knife and fork.
Pizza is best eaten by hand, but when you come to the store, many people use knives and forks.
This wasn't bad either.
「Sseuk, sseuk」
I neatly cut it into bite-sized pieces and pushed the plate toward Miho.
"It might be hot, so blow on it and eat."
"Eung!"
"And don't forget to say 'I will eat well' before eating."
"......A greeting before eating?"
At my words, Miho flinched for a moment, then with a slightly different atmosphere, she put her hands together and offered a small prayer.
"Today as well, I thank for nature's blessing......"
"......"
At the unexpected prayer, I stared at Miho with a blank face.
I was a little surprised, and a little...... that kind of feeling.
'That's right. She's a child who has real appa and eomma.'
There must be circumstances, but in the end, I'm not this child's biological parent.
It's obvious, isn't it.
But that obvious fact left a bitter taste in my mouth for no reason.
"Eat that with the fork, hold it like this. And eat the pasta with the fork too. The wings, if they cool a bit more, it's better to just eat with your hands."
"Eung!"
"And if you feel like you're choking, drink some of this cola."
"Cola?"
When I offered the black liquid fizzing with carbonation in the glass, Miho flinched but then sucked on the straw.
"Uoooooeong!"
At that moment, Miho's body jumped, surprised by the taste of cola.
Exclamations of amazement kept coming out of her mouth.
「Pisik.」
Watching that, I chuckled quietly, took out a cigarette from my pocket, put it in my mouth, and quietly stood up.
I had already cut about four slices of pizza, and there was pasta too.
It wasn't easy to hold back the urge to smoke any longer.
"I'll be back soon, so stay here quietly."
"......Eung, okay!"
She'll be fine, right?
I glanced back, saw Miho sitting quietly eating pasta, and quickly moved my steps.
"Where is the smoking room here?"
"Go out through that entrance, turn right, and it's across from the restroom."
"Yes."
My steps toward the smoking room were urgent.
It's not easy to smoke even one cigarette with a child. I wish there was a smoking room inside. Nowadays, the trend is that smoking rooms are all outside the store, or there's a separate smoking area.
「Chik, chiik!」
I lit the cigarette and took a strong drag.
"Puheu!"
With nicotine filling my body, I finally felt like I could live.
I tapped off the quickly burned ash and opened my mouth.
"Hey, are Miho's parents still alive? No, can't you at least tell me the circumstances of why she came to me?"
The answer did come back, at least.
[I'm sorry, but you have to hear that from Miho herself. Once you become much closer, she will tell you everything herself.]
"You want that young child to speak directly? She's already traumatized enough."
[Still, there's no choice.]
[What I can tell you is that she is a pitiful child.]
"I know."
[.......]
"I think I understand a bit now too."
Just one day.
No, in fact, we've only been together for less than a day.
But I know that much.
[You are doing much better than I expected.]
"Bullshit."
I tapped the cigarette and completely put it out.
"Even hearing that compliment from you, I'm not happy at all."
Anyway, once I go back, I probably won't be able to touch a cigarette for a long time, so should I just smoke one more before going?
Sseuk.
They say the body is faster than the mind; my hand was already taking out another cigarette.
Then, clicking my tongue, I put the cigarette back in the pack and grabbed the smoking room door handle.
[.......]
"If I smoke one more, something might happen for no reason."
Considering the behavior Miho showed today, it was plausible enough, so I immediately returned to the store.
And when I saw several women gathered at our table, my heart sank.
"Wow, she's cute."
"Really cute. What is she? A foreigner? Where are your parents?"
"......"
「Badeul badeul......」
Miho, as if she were a different person from the cheeky and lively kid in front of me, had turned pale and couldn't even open her mouth.
She was just full of fear, pathetically feeling the table with her palms.
I had clearly said that if you press once and no one comes, press many times.
I had clearly said that.
"Little one, what's your name? Ah, should I do it in English? What's your......"
"Get out of the way."
"Kya, you scared me. What's with you all of a sudden?"
When I approached from behind, the startled women got angry in turn, so I grew more irritated and said.
"Can't you see the child is scared? Get lost!"