Chapter 17 Meeting at the Orphanage Volunteer 3
Chapter 17: {Encounter at the Orphanage Volunteer Event} 3
{Encounter at the Orphanage Volunteer Event}
"I should step out for a moment."
The orphanage director rose from her seat.
"I'll come with you."
Yu Ji-hu stood up as well. Rather than making her return to the director's office, it was better to accompany her, let her open the door for whoever had arrived, and then head to the children together.
"Director, it's me."
"Ah, Yu-rin. I'll open the door right away."
The voice belonged to a young woman. It seemed familiar to the director.
As the director approached the iron gate and opened the small side door, a stunning woman with waist-length black hair stepped inside. Her delicate features carried an air of quiet pride.
Dressed in skinny jeans that accentuated her legs and a plain white T-shirt, there was something oddly familiar about her.
"Huh?"
The woman called Yu-rin froze when she saw Ji-hu, her expression one of shock. Ji-hu, taking in her face, her name, and her reaction, quickly realized who she was.
"Seo Yu-rin?"
"J-Ji-hu? What are you doing here?"
Her reaction confirmed it—this was indeed the girl he knew. Ji-hu smiled.
"I'm here for volunteer work. It's been a while."
"Y-yeah. It has."
Yu-rin awkwardly returned the greeting.
Ji-hu could guess why she was acting so flustered.
Come to think of it, Yu-rin knows my sister.
Seo Yu-rin had been a childhood classmate of his—if only for a few years.
Children who awakened their abilities at a young age were required by government regulations to attend special schools. These schools gathered ability users together, though the curriculum was minimal—just basic lessons in the morning, with combat training in government facilities taking up most of their afternoons.
Back then, his sister, Yu Ha-rin, had already been hiding her true strength to avoid drawing too much attention. But even the talent she did display was extraordinary, earning her widespread recognition.
Since Yu-rin was the same age as Ji-hu, they had trained together for five years, from ages ten to fifteen. Naturally, she would have known about Ha-rin—and now that Ha-rin had become a global powerhouse, it made sense that Yu-rin would be stunned to see him here.
"Oh my, Yu-rin. You know him?"
The director looked at Yu-rin with keen interest.
"Ah, yes. We were classmates a long time ago."
"What a small world. Did you want to catch up with him?"
"D-director! Don't get the wrong idea. We were just classmates, and I was surprised to see him after so long."
Yu-rin's flustered reaction told Ji-hu that she had grown quite attached to this place.
"It is nice to see you again, and I was surprised, but... Director, shouldn't we ask the kids what they want to eat first?"
At Ji-hu's words, the director nodded.
"Oh dear, I got sidetracked."
With a slightly regretful expression, the director led the way. Ji-hu noticed Yu-rin stealing glances at him but pretended not to notice.
When they entered the playground, all the children—whether reading comics, drawing with crayons, or playing games—immediately jumped up.
"Wow, Yu-rin noona!"
"It's noona!"
"Unnie!"
All fourteen children cheered for Yu-rin in unison. Clearly, she was incredibly popular among them.
"Kids, we have a guest, so settle down."
The director tried to calm the excited children, but the mention of a guest only made them turn their attention to Ji-hu.
"Huh?"
"He's a handsome oppa!"
"Oppa, what's your name?"
Orphanage children were usually shy around strangers, but these kids seemed unusually open and curious, eagerly engaging with him.
Ji-hu smiled, knowing this was thanks to the care of the director and Yu-rin.
"My name is Yu Ji-hu. Nice to meet you all."
After introducing himself, he asked,
"Are you guys hungry? What do you want to eat?"
"Oppa, are you ordering for us?"
"Hyung, can we really say what we want?"
Seeing their eyes light up with excitement, Ji-hu pulled out his phone.
"Sure. What do you feel like? Pizza? Burgers? Chicken? Oh, there's also lunchbox sets."
With the rise of guilds in Nampo, a variety of restaurants had opened. Alongside famous pizza and burger chains, there were also lunchbox delivery services—including sets with breaded pork cutlets, a favorite among kids.
"Pizza?"
"Can we get burgers too?"
"What kind of lunchboxes are there?"
True to their age, the children immediately perked up at the mention of food.
"Alright, but not too much junk food, okay?"
Seo Yu-rin had been an orphan.
In the government-run training facilities, nearly all the children were orphans, so her background wasn't unusual. Some had lost their parents to accidents, but most—like Yu-rin—had lost theirs to monsters.
When her parents died and the monsters turned on her, she had one thought:
I don't want to die.
That desperate will to live triggered her awakening. At just ten years old, she unconsciously lashed out with her power—and killed the monsters.
The fact that the terrifying creatures who had taken her parents could die so easily left her in shock.
Were Mom and Dad really killed by something like this?
After her awakening was confirmed, the government placed her in a facility. Mornings were for classes, afternoons for training. Hating the monsters that hurt people, she trained relentlessly to hone her abilities.
It was during this time that she met the siblings.
How can someone be that strong?
Yu Ha-rin, three years older, was infamous for keeping everyone at a distance—except her younger brother, Ji-hu. But the power she displayed was overwhelming. Yu-rin knew that even if she had twice the time, she'd never catch up.
As the years passed, Ha-rin's strength grew at an unimaginable rate. Ji-hu, while not as monstrous as his sister, still showed exceptional talent.
Unlike his cold, aloof sister, Ji-hu was kind to everyone. With his delicate, almost pretty features, he quickly became popular—including with Yu-rin, who grew close to him.
Then, when she was fifteen, disaster struck.
She had stepped out to buy a drink when a Rift suddenly opened. Chaos erupted in the streets. Unarmed and unprepared, she still rushed toward the danger.
Monsters poured out of the Rift, rampaging unchecked. No ability users—not even soldiers—had arrived yet to contain the situation.
"Help!"
"Aaah!"
When she saw a child in danger, Yu-rin charged in without hesitation, reinforcing her body with Qi despite having no weapons.
"Run!"
She fought desperately against the grotesque creatures—long-armed, clawed horrors spilling from the Rift. But without gear, she was outmatched. This Rift's rank was too high, and the monsters too strong.
"Krrrk!"
Three fell to her attacks, but twenty remained.
And all twenty ignored everything else—focusing solely on her.
"Aaah!"
A monster's tongue, sharp as a spear, struck her shoulder. Though her Qi kept it from piercing through, the pain made her scream.
Am I going to die here?
As her stamina and Qi neared their limits, she felt the terror of death—and resentment.
Why is no one coming?
Where were the other ability users? The soldiers?
Then—
BOOM!
An explosion tore through the monsters, reducing ten to chunks of flesh in an instant.
"Yu-rin, are you okay?"
Standing between her and death, Ji-hu looked like salvation itself.
In that moment, she swore to herself:
I'll never forget this debt.
But she also knew—to him, she was just another trainee. Nothing special.
And that was fine.