Chapter 50
Chapter 50
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Scrap-Picking Kids (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
‘What was that noise?'
Early in the morning, Yoo Ji-young perked up her ears at the sound coming from outside her room as she woke from sleep.
Still in a daze, the girl glanced to her side and instantly snapped awake.
'Who, who's there!?'
Her little brother was sleeping right next to her, so there was no reason for noise from the kitchen.
For a fleeting moment, she thought of her mom, but the unemployed woman who always slept late and woke up late would never be up at this hour, so she naturally concluded that a burglar had broken in.
'I, I need a weapon!'
Women had a high probability of awakening. That was why Yoo Ji-young was an awakener too, but awakening didn't make everyone strong.
You had to gain skills upon awakening, those skills had to be suited for combat, and your mana affinity had to be high to get strong. Unfortunately, though the girl had awakened, she hadn't gained any skills, and her affinity wasn't high, so she was only a bit stronger than a non-awakener.
'Bare hands won't cut it, huh?'
Yoo Ji-young inwardly cursed the thief for breaking into such a rundown place— what was there even worth stealing?
'First... let's check if they have a weapon.'
She tiptoed across the floor and reached the door. The door was as worn as the house itself, cracked in places from years of wear, and through the gaps, she could peek into the kitchen.
'Huh?'
The moment she checked the kitchen, Ji-young doubted her own eyes.
There was her mom, who absolutely should not be up at this hour, cooking.
'M-Mom cooking at this time?'
When was the last time Mom had cooked for them?
It was so far in the past that she couldn't even remember, so the girl pinched her thigh to check if she was still dreaming.
'Ugh! It, it hurts!'
The pain from pinching hard enough to bruise proved it wasn't a dream.
Yoo Ji-young cautiously opened the door and stepped out, making eye contact with her mom.
'...You're awake?'
Mom hesitated for a moment before asking in a gentle voice. It was filled with anxiety and trembling, but compared to the irritation and indifference that had colored her voice until yesterday, it sounded angelic.
'Just wait a bit. It's almost done. Go wake Ji-hwan and set the table.'
'......'
There was no reply. No, she couldn't reply.
For a second, she wondered if she had died and gone back in time, but that suspicion buried itself in the rundown, shabby reality of their current home.
So what the hell was going on? Even as she woke her brother and set the table, the girl's thoughts didn't stop.
'Sis? What the heck is this?'
Ji-young's little brother, Ji-hwan, also couldn't believe the situation and whispered to his sister.
Wasn't their mom always drunk, or when not drunk, lying there half-dead like a corpse, or squeezing money out of her kids to buy booze?
So what the hell had happened for her to suddenly make breakfast like it was some distant memory from ages ago!
'They say people die if they change suddenly. Did Mom...?'
'What got into Mom? No, could a person change this much just from a change of heart?'
The two stared at their mom with shocked and suspicious eyes as they sat down.
'I couldn't add the pork you like, Ji-hwan, but I put in some tuna, so it should be tasty.'
'......Thank you. I'll eat well.'
All they had was kimchi stew with half a can of tuna and fried eggs.
The half-fermented kimchi and rice were all there was, but even that modest fare made the rickety table creak like it was proclaiming a rare feast.
'The kimchi's pretty fermented, but it's still edible.'
Even as they ate, the siblings didn't stop observing their mom.
'Is that really Mom?'
'What if it's a thief with transformation skills in disguise?'
It was truly unbelievable.
Getting up early to cook was hard to believe already, but watching her mince the fermented kimchi was even harder.
'......'
Back in the happy days, their mom had always said kimchi should be eaten whole, not torn up.
They knew this was the way she used to prepare it often for them because they couldn't handle big bites, and the nostalgic feeling filled the siblings' hearts with emotion, like they'd gone back in time.
'Once you're done eating, just leave your bowls in the sink. Mom will do the dishes.'
'......Okay.'
Could Mom really be back to her old self?
But it was hard to believe a person could change so suddenly overnight, and even if she had, how long it would last was anyone's guess.
'We're off to school.'
'Alright. Don't forget to be careful around cars.'
Even so, the siblings harbored a sliver of hope.
If Mom had really returned to normal.
If she had truly become the kind, gentle mom from before.
Maybe when they got home from school, she'd hug them and say they'd done well, just like old times?
Clutching that hope, the siblings' school day ended.
Rushing home, what awaited them wasn't the mom from before, but an empty house with no one there.
'Mom's not here. Where'd she go?'
'Ha......'
Ji-hwan sounded genuinely curious, but Ji-young let out a hollow laugh like a sigh.
'No wonder she was so nice today.'
Was it because she planned to abandon them and leave the house?
Was it a final act of guilt before she left?
One morning's kindness wasn't enough to restore the trust they'd lost over time, so the girl naturally assumed they'd been abandoned.
'Whew, I'm home.'
'!??'
At that moment, the front door opened, and their mom came back home.
She was carrying a shopping bag and gave them a wry smile the moment she saw them.
'Why are you two just standing there like that?'
'Mom? Where'd you go?'
'Hm? Oh, that... wait, before that.'
She spread her arms toward the siblings and pulled them both into a hug at once.
'Did school go well?'
'......'
'No troubles?'
'......Why are you suddenly like this?'
She carefully released them from her embrace, her smile still wry and awkward.
Even she knew she had no face to show them; deep guilt was etched into that smile.
'Seeing you two sleeping so soundly this morning made me want to go back to how things were.'
'......'
'I'm sorry for everything up to now. I shouldn't have done that—it was so stupid. I won't ask you to forgive me. Instead... could you just believe in me a little, so I can change?'
She pulled something out of the small shopping bag she was carrying.
The translucent medicine packet was filled to the brim with pills.
'I went to the public health center for their free alcohol addiction counseling program. It'll be tough, but if you believe in me, I'll work hard at it.'
Yoo Jun-hyuk's hypnosis had forced her to quit drinking, but a brain soaked in alcohol for years hadn't recovered yet.
Fourth-stage hypnosis might have done it, but second-stage couldn't go that far.
'So... could you believe in Mom one more time?'
The siblings stared at their mom without a word.
Her son Ji-hwan teared up and threw himself into her arms.
'Yes! I believe you!'
And her daughter Ji-young, her mind gone blank, recalled someone's voice.
[Yeah. Pray. I believe in a god, and if you pray earnestly, he'll answer.]
It was impossible for a person to change overnight.
But if it was a god, maybe even that was possible.
'Novellia......'
The girl whispered the name of her god.
And quietly joined her brother in her mom's embrace.
'I'll believe.'
She was a little embarrassed to show her tears.
＊＊＊
'Hmm.'
Late afternoon, when there were fewer customers.
Taking a break in the staff room, he checked the news on his smartphone.
[Taepung Corporation's Dual Books and Slush Funds Exposed After Over 10 Years]
[Record-Breaking Falsified Accounting; Taepung Chairman Currently on the Run]
[Deep-Rooted Corruption from Chairman to Executives. Taepung's Collapse Impacts SMEs, KOSPI Enters Decline]
'Good riddance.'
He'd confirmed the news, so he turned off his smartphone.
The task he'd asked Seo-yeon to handle had been taken care of in less than a week, but he couldn't shake the lingering unease.
'Urgh, was I too direct with Seo-yeon?'
She had done as he asked, but...
She refused phone calls, saying it was embarrassing to talk to him, and now they only messaged on Only.
[How could a stinky thing like me talk to Jun-hyuk on the phone...]
[No, it's just a phone call—what stink?!]
It seemed the last incident had shocked her deeply.
'No helping it. Time will fix it.'
Because of that, Seo-yeon hadn't come to the cafe for a while.
Yu-ra was busy with the U.S. President's visit, so it was hard to see either of them, but the visit was this Friday, so he'd just hold out until then.
'The siblings' matter turned out well.'
Thanks to Seo-yeon digging up Taepung Corporation's corruption and handing it to the press.
If their mom could overcome her alcoholism, she could get a proper job.
'Fourth-stage, no, even third-stage hypnosis would cure her right away.'
But that was a bit...
That required at least a kiss, right? If it was to take down an evil villain, maybe, but with second-stage hypnosis helping, a bit of treatment would let her beat it quickly—no need to go that far.
'If it was a villain who absolutely had to be dealt with.'
She had her reasons, and the siblings didn't want punishment, so let's end it here.
'Owner? What're you doing?'
'Just resting.'
At that moment, Ji-young poked her head into the staff room.
Seeing he was alone, she quickly came in and closed the door.
'Owner, I'm really sorry for skipping work without notice last time. And about quitting...'
'No, it's fine. Is your mom okay now?'
'Yes! She's doing great!'
The girl chattered on proudly about her changed mom, from how she was steadily attending outpatient treatment at the health center,
to how she was diligently writing resumes to find a new job,
to how she was gradually returning to her old kind self.
'Mom will get a good job in no time. You have no idea how smart she is...'
He'd thought she was a tough kid, but she was a total mama's girl.
No, in this case, it was more like she admired her mom.
'But Owner, there's something I want to ask...'
'What is it?'
'Well...'
Ji-young hesitated.
Seeing her fidgeting, he had a hunch.
'Ah, no way...'
This felt like a confession?
Not that his hypnosis had been discovered, but maybe she'd developed feelings for him after he counseled her in her tough time?
'A high schooler is a bit...'
He was still in his early twenties, so the age gap wasn't huge.
But as someone with a strong sense of law-abiding, even if his harem allowed it, he couldn't accept.
How to turn her down?
'Owner.'
As he pondered, Ji-young asked with a determined look.
'Where do you worship Lord Novellia?'
'...Pardon?'
'I mean, since it's a god, is there a church or temple or something?'
It was a completely unexpected question.
He'd made it up on the spot, so there were no settings at all?
'...Nowhere.'
'No temple?'
'W-Well, it's totemism, you know? Not a personal god, but a nature god. Totemism? Worship based on animals?'
'So what's the animal it's based on?'
Seeing Ji-young's sparkling eyes, he couldn't dodge without answering.
'...Water deer?'
'Pardon? Water deer?'
'The water deer is Novelia's symbol.'
'Water deer... Thank you for telling me!'
The next day.
A small wooden water deer statue was added to the staff room.
Ji-young had carved it herself; her craftsmanship was excellent, capturing a lifelike cry toward the sky.
'Lord Novellia, thank you for granting my wish. Thanks to you, my family is doing well and...'
Whenever he went in, she'd be praying devoutly, and he couldn't bear to interrupt.