Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Yearning Heart
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That evening,
As usual, the Director met with Lily.
Of course, today the atmosphere was markedly more serious than normal.
She was a girl who hadn't used her powers or caused even a single incident under the Director and Crow.
"Alright, Lily. I've heard all about it."
If something like this had happened, there was every chance it could happen again.
The Director had trusted Crow with her, but he was well aware that even Crow alone couldn't fully handle a broken girl like this.
That's why he had to step in personally.
Lily and the Director were close enough to be like friends, so she could even confide secrets she couldn't share with Crow.
"What's going on? Why'd you do that all of a sudden?"
"Just..."
"Come on, there has to be a reason. Did Crow upset our little princess lately?"
Squatting between the Director's legs as always, Lily fidgeted with her fingers and dodged the question.
"You can tell Auntie. I'll keep it secret from Crow and Justice."
"Really?"
"Sure. Want to pinky promise?"
It was only after they made their promise that she began to open up.
Finally, Lily started sharing bit by bit.
"...Um, Oppa and Justice unnie... are they dating?"
"Huh??"
Though she spoke in circles, the Director easily pieced together the girl's feelings.
"Well... they're really close. I guess you could call it dating."
The first love of a girl awakening to romance was directed at a mature man unlike the boys around her.
"What, you like Crow oppa?"
"...Yeah."
Her shy face,
her cheeks flushed bright red.
Lily fidgeted with her toes as she answered the Director, seemingly at a loss because this was her first time feeling so embarrassed.
"Yeah, that makes sense. He's good-looking, after all. But why'd you use your powers on that waitress?"
"I don't know. I was just mad."
To a girl who had already realized what love was, the well-being of the waitress she'd tried to kill that day meant nothing.
That was the key. The Director could subtly infer the girl's way of thinking.
"...Lily, Oppa was probably really angry that you tried to hurt the waitress. So we need to fix that first, right?"
"Yeah."
And so, he slipped in a new step between them.
For a child who didn't know what was wrong,
he had to give her a proper reason to be cautious.
"What if Oppa gets so mad he stops talking to our princess? Wouldn't that hurt your feelings?"
"Yeah."
Lily felt both shy and scared recalling Crow's intense reaction from earlier.
That was her education.
The fear that if she did something against social norms,
the people around her would slowly drift away.
"Auntie was disappointed in our Lily today, too. If you try to hurt other people like that, Crow oppa and Auntie will really be sad."
"..."
Lily looked up at the Director.
A face full of disappointment...
The Director's expression, brimming with typical human emotion.
"Then you need to apologize. Say you're sorry and promise never to do it again. That'll make them feel better."
"Really?"
Lily turned to face the Director as she sat there.
"I'm sorry."
Surprisingly, her words were filled with emotion.
It was unique. The Director clearly recognized the girl's adaptability.
"I won't do it again."
Her learning speed was extraordinary. Even as she caused trouble with her girlish sensitivity, she could switch attitudes in an instant, like a machine.
"Will you forgive me?"
With a touch of tears in her eyes, the girl kept apologizing. It was as if she'd learned the [emotional expressions of a pretty adult woman] from the Director's demeanor.
"..."
The Director,
watching the girl's rapid growth, could only nod.
"Yeah. Just never do it again."
Was this truly the innocent first love of a child?
Or should it be seen as the beginning of a clever little girl's [obsession], with judgment and action far beyond his expectations?
The Director swallowed hard at Lily's perfect emotional display and sent her home.
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The next day,
the Director had no choice but to call Crow in for a talk.
"Crow, how are things with Lily?"
"I thought I was done for yesterday, but once it was all over, our relationship actually got better."
"Really?"
It had been a while since the two had met face-to-face.
Crow sipped his coffee,
while the Director downed his tequila.
"...Crow, I need to tell you before things get worse. Lily likes you. More than just a simple crush."
Even as he said it, his throat felt parched, so the Director finished his tequila in one go.
The empty glass clinked onto the table. Their reflections distorted in the glass.
"You knew?"
"...No. But she's still a kid. Kids often confuse admiration with love."
Crow couldn't see Lily as a woman.
No, it was impossible from the start. Crow couldn't feel desire for a child so much younger than him.
"Right. So, what's your relationship with Justice?"
"...We're not officially dating."
"I see. A man and woman in their prime living together... it's bound to happen."
The two wet their parched mouths with their drinks at the same time.
"Let me ask one, too."
"Go ahead."
"Director, what kind of attitude do you want me to take with Lily?"
With a solid foundation of trust between them, they began sharing unfiltered truths.
"I wanted her to learn a lot from you and Justice. It'd be even better if you could restrain her in my place. But now that things are like this, we'll need to adjust a bit."
The Director pondered Lily's final expression from the day before. It might have been easier if she'd been the devilish girl twisting arms her way...
"Lily's learning too fast. I was worried about her mental growth when we first brought her in, but now she's growing so quickly it's scary."
The girl surprisingly knew how to control her own emotions.
The same girl who couldn't hold back in front of Crow had, right before the Director, shed tears on cue and adopted the [attitude that would soothe him the fastest].
"I'll try to manage it. She still listens to me more."
"I'll keep things at an appropriate distance."
"Tell Justice, too. Lily seems to be subtly jealous of her."
The two carefully pondered what their best options might be.
"That's what worries me. In case she causes another incident."
"No, you don't need to worry about that."
However, their conclusions took a different turn.
"...She won't cause trouble again. That's the feeling I got. She won't do anything she thinks you might hate."
The Director was looking a bit further into the future than Crow.
The story of what would happen when that girl, who could manipulate even her own heart and emotions at will, grew into an adult.
"You should prepare yourself. You can't keep walking that tightrope forever."
The story of when Lily decided to truly love Crow.
At the very least, the Director had to be ready.
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As the Director predicted, Lily began relying on him even more.
Or perhaps it would be better to say she started being more honest.
"Oppa, where should we go tomorrow?"
"Hmm?"
Lily had learned how to smile. At first, it was just an awkward imitation, but in front of Crow especially, she could show a more genuine smile.
"Let's go to our sea. We can play at the beach."
"The sea's pretty far, though..."
"Come on! Tomorrow, let me use my powers a little. We can get there quick."
The skinship had become more natural,
subtle expressions of a woman's ticklish affection that even Crow didn't fully notice.
"You two are already so close. Kinda jealous."
To Justice, they looked like affectionate siblings,
but sometimes she felt an ambiguous sense of discomfort.
"Justice unnie's always so busy. It'd be nice if you could come with us."
Was it probing?
Or mockery hidden in a kind tone?
Things too vague to pin as intentional, so she'd brush them off as just her imagination.
"Right, Oppa?"
"Yeah, totally."
Justice knew their improving relationship meant fewer risks,
but it still didn't sit right seeing a younger girl cozying up to the man who was like her lover.
"...Let's definitely go together next time."
Still, Justice smiled it off,
and Lily responded to her with a strange little smile.
"Definitely."
It had already been several weeks since she'd spent time alone with Crow.
Lily stuck to Crow's side, always acting cute.
"...Yeah, definitely."
The situation had grown ambiguous.
This was the point where the three of their relationships began to shift into something more delicate.