Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Family (1)
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The day the Director finally returned to the Association, holding Lily's hand.
Lily saw a city more colorful and chaotic than she had ever imagined.
People bustling about,
speakers blaring noisily,
"Hello, let's live together from now on."
And,
people who reached out their hands to her first.
"Shall we go with Oppa and Unnie? I'll show you the new house first. You'll like it."
Lily stared at Crow's face, blinking her eyes exactly four times.
He looked like a prince. Just like the one illustrated on page 15 of a fairy tale book, he extended his hand with an awkward smile.
"..."
Lily placed her small, pale hand atop Crow's and quietly nodded.
Watching their first meeting from the side, the Director thought to himself.
Perhaps that little girl,
just a little,
had begun to hold some expectations toward the world.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Over there."
The word "Oppa" still felt awkward on Lily's tongue, but she always trailed after Crow, exploring the world together.
It was what Crow wanted, and what the Director had asked of him.
Crow already had too little time to even enjoy a proper rest, but he didn't mind the sacrifice. He didn't have any particular hobbies, nor any close friends to speak of, so for him, strolling the streets with Lily was actually preferable.
"...Oppa, can we go there too?"
And those brief outings,
were precisely what ended up having a profound impact on the fate of the world.
Lily's finger pointed toward a Ferris wheel in the distance. A massive wheel turning in slow circles.
The enormous structure, from which the whole city seemed visible at a glance, had captured Lily's curiosity. Crow paused to think for a moment, then gently took her hand and walked slowly toward it.
"But Oppa."
"Yeah."
The two shared all sorts of conversations as they walked.
Even before Lily fully understood her own feelings,
Crow consistently maintained his gentle demeanor during their walks together.
"Why do we always walk like this? You could just ask me."
And occasionally,
when she asked questions like that,
Crow would take ten more steps, think slowly, and then reply.
"Sometimes it's nice to take it slow like this."
It wasn't a particularly logical answer. Lily tilted her head, unconvinced.
But walking hand-in-hand with Crow wasn't unpleasant at all.
"Don't rely too much on your ability. Yours is incredibly powerful. There's no need to push yourself to use it."
The chirping of birds,
the sound of passing cars,
the voices of people on phone calls,
the cicadas' cries,
the flow of the river.
And the warmth felt at her fingertips.
Human body heat.
"Personally, I'd like for you to live like a normal kid without using your ability. See those kids over there?"
"Yes."
Becoming aware of it made her palms strangely sweaty.
"Just like them. Their uniforms are cute."
"Are they?"
"Yeah."
Even Lily, who didn't yet fully understand her own heart,
could tell that Crow's hand was fairly large,
and just as warm.
"..."
In her life up until now,
everyone had praised her ability and begged her to show even greater miracles.
But Oppa Crow and Auntie Director were different.
"I see."
The two hoped she wouldn't use her ability.
Perhaps,
that eased Lily's heart just a little.
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It wasn't just Crow who paid attention to Lily.
The Director, despite her busy daily routine, never took her eyes off the girl.
It would take quite some time for such a small, stoic girl to open her heart, after all.
"Oh my, Lily! What did you do for fun today?"
"I rode something called a Ferris wheel."
Once a day,
the Director made sure to meet Lily, seating her on her lap and chatting.
Even if she didn't come fetch her herself, Lily would seek out the Director. For now, she was still like a chick trailing after a hen.
"Crow took you there? That's surprising."
"Yes."
She was undoubtedly a dangerous girl.
But both Crow and the Director
couldn't help feeling sympathy when looking at this quiet, tiny soul.
"Anyway, you're getting along okay with that Oppa and Justice Unnie, right? Or do you want to live with Auntie?"
"No."
Even so, seeing the girl occasionally speak so sharply, the Director felt a quiet pride inside.
Lily was definitely brightening up. Like any child her age, she seemed to be gradually nurturing innocence and a girlish heart.
"Um, but..."
Leaning against the Director's chair,
Lily made her first request.
"Do you know how to do makeup, Auntie?"
"Huh?"
She hadn't expected her to warm up this quickly.
Lily seemed to have grown quite reliant on Crow.
"Why makeup all of a sudden?"
"It's nothing. Just curious."
It was the kind of thought a middle-schooler might have.
The fresh innocence of wanting to layer on makeup one by one, just in case she looked good to the boy she liked.
"Our Princess Lily doesn't need to do that stuff? You're prettiest just as you are."
"No."
With a slightly sulky face, Lily threw a little tantrum.
Even that process felt good to her. The Director nagging her not to do this or that had become a cozy warmth that tickled her heart.
"Auntie says the same things as Oppa Crow. But everyone else does it."
It felt like the heart of a pubescent girl was starting to blossom. In this new nest, there was nothing that annoyed Lily.
Seeing these new forms of family,
Lily began to fill out her expressions bit by bit.
"Really, I mean it? The other girls will be so jealous of you. You're so fair and pretty without any makeup."
"I don't know."
Lily let out a small chuckle.
It was a smile no one had seen before.
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"You're late."
"Sorry, there was another accident on the way."
"Yeah, figured as much."
Once Justice came home too,
the three of them would sit on the sofa like a family, eating dinner together.
Only Lily sat demurely, gazing at her rice bowl. Crow and Justice performed their roles as if everything had already been perfectly coordinated.
"It's hot, so be careful."
He always cautioned the girl who couldn't die, as he set down the plate. Surprisingly good at cooking, Crow had Lily hooked on the fun of anticipating each day's menu.
"Lily, what did you do today?"
"I rode the Ferris wheel."
She couldn't help being intrigued by this woman named Justice too. Lily took interest in her costume, the makeup on her face, or the faint perfume scent wafting from her.
"Good job. Was it fun?"
"It was interesting. So slow."
Amid these so-called heroes, Lily gazed at the world they faced together.
"I wanna try it too. Let's go as a trio next time."
"Okay."
Justice stroked Lily's hair. Even without fully understanding what it meant, Lily felt accepted.
The girl whom everyone had admired,
everyone had exalted,
might have simply wanted an ordinary relationship like this.
"Trade with me? I wanna hang out with Lily too."
"Hey now, how dare a punk like you steal the great Justice's duty."
The man and woman bickering as they set the dinner table,
and in the midst, the girl blinking as she started eating first.
"Um."
"Yeah?"
The girl was changing little by little.
"N-never mind."
She'd call out to Crow for no reason, then stop upon wondering what she even wanted,
or stare at Justice's face, thinking how pretty she was.
"It's delicious."
"Really? Good... This is my first time making hamburg steak, actually."
It felt like a scene straight out of a fairy tale book.
In her eyes, there was a princess and a prince.
"..."
Lily's face began to flush red. She couldn't understand why her blood rushed to her cheeks, or why her heart beat faster.
There was so much she didn't know. Every day spent in the outside world taught Lily more and more.
"Done already? Have some of Unnie's too."
"Okay."
The feeling of being loved.
The feeling of someone caring and worrying for her.
Lily stared at the half hamburger steak Justice had placed on her plate,
then gripped her fork and knife awkwardly, cutting it and putting it in her mouth.
"Good eater."
"She's at that age. Don't whine for more later when you're hungry—ask for seconds now if you need 'em."
"I'm good."
It was table manners Crow had taught her. She didn't know why she needed to learn them, but Lily followed as he instructed.
Eating like that brought a sense of belonging.
With the Director,
with Crow or Justice,
she felt a little closer.
That was all.
A little girl had gained a family.
"..."
Even when slipping out of her room half-asleep to use the bathroom,
Lily no longer complained of loneliness or fear.
Because Crow and Justice were always there.
But occasionally,
Lily would sense strange breaths and heat from Crow's bedroom.
Tiny breaths
in the dead of night when everyone should be asleep.