Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: The Scrap-Picking Kids (2)
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“Thank you! This looks delicious!”
“Thank you. This looks delicious.”
From that day on, the kids visited the cafe every day to pick up scrap paper. They did come for the scrap, but they seemed more interested in the porridge I offered, just like they were more drawn to the food I gave them.
“Hee hee, this is good.”
The younger brother, in particular, had completely shed his initial wariness toward me. His face bloomed into a huge smile as he devoured the cupcakes—it was the kind of pure joy that could star in an eating show.
‘Meanwhile, the sister’s still on guard.’
The girl who looked like a high school student didn’t hold back on eating like her brother did, but she kept darting her eyes around, checking on me and scanning the surroundings. It was like a cat that hated being touched by humans.
‘Ji-hwan and Ji-young Yoo.’
Since they were wearing school uniforms, I could read their names from their name tags.
The boy was Ji-hwan Yoo, and the girl was Ji-young Yoo. Same last name, just as I’d guessed—they were siblings.
“Thank you! That was delicious!”
“Thank you. That was delicious.”
Today, too, they polished off the food I gave them and bowed in gratitude. There were still leftovers, so I packed them into containers and handed them over.
“Take this home and eat it.”
“......”
Ji-young reached out hesitantly, then pulled back, lost in thought.
“No, it’s okay. We’ll just gratefully accept the thought.”
She refused right away and bowed her head. Her brother beside her asked, ‘Sis, can’t we take it?’ but she shook her head firmly with a tiny nod, saying no.
“If we take it home......”
She whispered something into her brother’s ear, and he blinked before nodding in the same way.
What could their situation be? As they bowed deeply to me and left, I finished closing up the cafe while pondering.
‘What reason could there be for not taking food home?’
No matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with an answer. Instead, I mulled over what kind of circumstances the kids might be in.
‘High chance they’re like me.’
They’d lost their parents but chose to live independently out of their own will.
They were siblings who got along well, so they probably feared being separated if they went into an orphanage.
‘That might be why they said they couldn’t do part-time work.’
If they were in an orphanage, they could’ve done it easily, but as minors without parental consent, part-time jobs weren’t an option otherwise.
There wasn’t much else that explained their situation.
‘They clearly wanted to earn more money themselves. But they turned down my offer and stuck to picking up low-paying scrap paper. What else could they do?’
Unless it was something else.
Like if they were being abused by their parents, who didn’t work themselves and refused to sign consent forms for their kids’ jobs.
‘......I won’t know until we get closer.’
Still, thanks to my steady interactions, the kids finally started opening up to me.
A few days later, the sister spoke up at last.
“Boss, could we work here?”
I nodded with a smile.
“Of course.”
“Um...... We’re in a tough spot getting parental consent forms, so if we could somehow skip that part...... We really want to work.”
Ji-young’s expression looked grim as she said it.
She kept glancing around warily, like she was desperate not to be overheard by anyone.
“Got it. Then we’ll say you’re my relatives. That way, you can work without parental consent, right? If anyone asks, you have to say that.”
“......Yes!”
I’d have to gently probe more once we got closer.
That’s how I hired the two as part-timers, and they started working the next day.
Since they were still students, full-time was out of the question, so they only worked evenings after picking up scrap and on weekends. Luckily, they both adapted quickly.
“One cafe latte, coming up!”
Ji-hwan, the younger brother, handled serving. The customers clearly loved the cute boy waiting on them.
He was also great with people, quickly befriending the other staff and creating a warm atmosphere.
“Ji-hwan, you’re in middle school second year? So young, and already earning your own money. Impressive.”
“No, anyone can do part-time work.”
“Nah, at your age, I was whining to my parents for more allowance.”
Ji-young, the older sister, did dishes, cleaning, and took turns manning the counter with the other staff. She was incredibly diligent and efficient—practically an adult.
“Ji-young, can you handle the dishes?”
“Yes! Right away!”
She wasn’t as sociable as Ji-hwan, but watching the other staff acknowledge her hard work made me proud.
Then Sunday rolled around. As a gift for their efforts, I pulled out envelopes at closing time.
“You both did great. That’s three days total, right?”
“Uh...... Yes.”
“You two need money urgently, so I decided on weekly pay instead of monthly. Here you go.”
“!?”
The siblings took the envelopes with wide-eyed surprise. Ji-hwan opened his and shouted with joy.
“S-Sis! It’s yellow! There’s so much!”
“......Don’t make a fuss.”
She said that, but Ji-young’s lips were curving up too.
First time I’ve seen her smile. She looks pretty when she does.
“Keep up the good work.”
“Yes! Thank you, Boss! No, big bro!”
“We’ll work hard.”
I can’t save every unfortunate person.
But I can save those within my reach.
That’s what I thought, and I resolved to bring nothing but good fortune to these kids from here on.
“You little punks. Skipping evening study to work late? Is this a school? No wonder you’ve been acting suspicious lately.”
I hoped the smiles they showed today would bloom even brighter.
“Did I ever stop you from working? I told you to? Why sneak around lying to your mom?”
But a few days later, an unwelcome intruder showed up, and the siblings’ smiles vanished.
“Before that, Boss? I have something to say.”
The siblings weren’t orphans.
From early evening, reeking of booze.
“Please deposit their wages into my account, since the kids don’t have a good sense of money yet.”
They had a mother who was a drunken mess.
＊＊＊
“I’m sorry, but I hand the cash directly to the kids.”
I flatly refused her suggestion and sized up the woman.
Even from a slight distance, the stench of alcohol was overpowering, her face flushed red.
Her matted hair—who knew when she last washed it—and clothes wrinkled from not being changed properly.
Unemployed bum.
The term popped into my head unbidden.
“But are you really their mother?”
“Of course! Can’t you tell? We look alike, don’t we?”
She did look like them, sure. But I didn’t take her word for it.
“Really?”
I locked eyes with Ji-young and asked. The girl hesitated, then nodded as if forced.
“......Yes. She is.”
“See? Why don’t you believe people?”
The customers in the cafe turned to stare. Some staff gripped their smartphones, ready to call the police if things escalated.
“Let’s talk in the back.”
I led her to the staff room, and Ji-young followed.
“You stay here.”
“Sis......”
Ji-hwan tried to come too, but she stopped him, and he halted with an anxious look.
“Hmm, I get that you’re Ji-young’s mom, but isn’t it a bit much to take the money they earned through hard work? Does their father know about this?”
“Oh, I’m a single mom. Raising them alone.”
Single mom?
In this era, single moms weren’t just divorcees or widows raising kids solo.
It referred to women who applied to the state for artificial insemination to have children.
“You’re a single mom?”
“Yes. I used to be doing pretty well.”
Not just anyone could become a single mom. Only women with the finances and stable environment to raise a child could apply, and they had to pass a rigorous review.
And this drunken slob was claiming to be one?
I glanced at Ji-young, but she nodded again, forcing it.
“So as their guardian, you want to manage the money for these minors who lack financial sense. Give me your account number, and from now on—wait, no.”
Her mother’s hands trembled.
Tremens or booze withdrawal? My medical knowledge couldn’t tell.
“Could I maybe get an advance on a month’s wages?”
“Mom!”
“Shut it!”
Unable to hold back anymore, she snatched a pen from the desk, scribbled her account number, and bolted.
“Please advance it. We’re short on cash at home, need it urgently. I’m begging you.”
She appeared like the wind and vanished like the wind, leaving me stunned.
Ji-young snapped me out of it.
“......Boss, thank you for the short time we worked here. We’ll just finish out this week. So no need for the advance.”
“No, it’s not your fault. But......”
I’d waited for them to open up first.
But now, I had to ask.
“What’s going on? I won’t tell a soul, so won’t you tell me? About your mom, too. And why you were picking up scrap paper.”
“......”
After a long hesitation, Ji-young finally spoke.
“Mom...... doesn’t work.”
She didn’t share full family details.
But I learned why they’d refused my initial offer and what they feared.
“So we were working part-time to cover living expenses, but whenever Mom found out, she’d show up like today and take our wages instead.”
That part was fine.
Right up to there.
“But every time money went to Mom, she’d drink it all away, leaving us short for bills. And that wasn’t enough—she’d track us to our jobs, demanding advances over and over......”
Now I understood.
Why they adapted to part-time work so quickly, like pros.
They’d done it multiple times before.
“Bosses would apologize and tell us to stop coming...... That’s why we picked up scrap instead.”
And why they’d refused my first offer.
They were good, hardworking kids, but if their parent kept demanding advances, any boss would have to fire them.
‘They turned me down fearing the same thing would happen again.’
They hadn’t taken the snack food home to avoid questions about where they got money for food.
And they’d refused my job offer at first, worried their mom might show up and cause trouble at the cafe.
This time, they’d worked nights claiming study hall, but they’d been found out.
“Thanks for telling me.”
I wanted to help.
I wanted to save the siblings from this mother who stole their money in her drunken haze.
So I cast hypnosis. Hypnosis to make my words feel utterly sincere.
“I’ve got some connections, you know? I want to help however I can. Anything you want?”
For the actual help, I’d use Yu-ra’s influence or Seo-yeon’s info network.
Strip her single mom status and arrange something better for the siblings.
“Like adoption somewhere else, or letting you two live on your own. I’ll do what I can, so tell me honestly.”
“N-No......”
Even as my sincere words reached her, Ji-young shook her head vigorously.
If she didn’t want it, helping was tough.
So I layered on another hypnosis.
“Be honest. Living under that awful mom must be so hard now.”
Hypnosis to draw out her true feelings.
Meanwhile, I pondered adoption options if needed.
Or if they lived alone, keeping them at the cafe—what roles they could take.
“Um......”
Finally, Ji-young answered my unexpected question.
“I...... don’t want to leave Mom. I just......”
It hit me like a slap to the back of the head.
“I wish Mom would be gentle like she used to.”