Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Piercing Through the Rain
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Shwaaaah-
A gentle spring rain fell that morning.
"Ugh..."
A strange creature stirred under the blankets, as always.
Wriggle, wriggle.
Rustle.
Peek.
A small leaf poked its head out from the pile of blankets.
It was Su-hyeon.
Rubbing her eyes, Su-hyeon blinked awake and sensed something off, glancing around the room.
The room was dimmer than usual.
"Ugh... it's raining."
This meant no morning photosynthesis.
Skipping a single meal wouldn't be a big deal, but the routine had become such a habit that breaking it felt uncomfortable somehow.
Chomp, chomp, chomp.
She padded across the mat, now even stickier and clammier than usual, heading for the balcony.
Drip, plop, plop.
The rain hadn't picked up, but thick clouds blocked out the sunlight.
"Hmm, so what should I eat?"
Ramen?
Ramen seemed better for lunch.
On weekdays, she could grab cafeteria food for lunch, but weekends were different.
Usually, she cracked open a can of tuna or cooked some ramen.
'Eating the same thing two meals in a row sounds kinda meh.'
Ramen for breakfast and lunch? Nah...
And tuna didn't appeal right now either.
She'd tried cereal once because it was easy, but the milk spoiled too fast, so she quit.
A rookie solo-living mistake from her early days.
"...My tastes have gotten picky."
Eating cafeteria food every day and occasionally dining out with friends had spoiled her palate.
Her young body seemed to make her tongue even more sensitive to flavors.
Shwaaaah-
She pressed her palm against the balcony window, gazing quietly at the pouring rain outside.
'I want a hamburger.'
This was back before her body changed.
First year of high school—unusually, her class had more soccer fans than basketball ones.
She'd played futsal with those friends a few times on weekends.
Young and full of energy, rain in the morning never fazed her.
If anything, it cooled the sweat as they kicked the ball around excitedly in the downpour.
They'd shout silly names like Bald Eagle Shot or Lightning Thunder, of course.
And chug frozen ion drinks or sodas they'd brought along.
They'd towel off roughly by a faucet, feeling refreshed, grab burgers, and head home.
A fond memory from days she could never return to.
"...Should I go out?"
Compared to the days when even hitting the convenience store felt like a chore and she'd just scrounge whatever, this was a huge change.
Decision made, Su-hyeon started getting ready to head out.
She tugged on her shorts and grabbed her one umbrella, opening the front door.
Shwa-
The rain sounded louder as the door swung open.
Tingling in her ears, Su-hyeon stepped out lightly, excited.
**
"Ah."
Su-hyeon regretted leaving the house the moment she did.
She'd brought her only umbrella—a golf one—and it was way too big.
When her body was adult-sized, it blocked the rain perfectly... but now?
Child-sized problems.
It wasn't even a rainstorm, but the umbrella was just too heavy.
She wobbled like a kid who'd snuck out with Dad's umbrella.
Even gripping it as short as possible, it loomed too high.
Rain pelted in mercilessly.
Her feet were already soaked.
Unpleasant sensation—she curled and uncurled her toes a few times.
She'd known this might happen and worn slippers.
Splashing puddles were no joke either.
Her pant cuffs were drenched in seconds.
Whoooosh-
"Grk..."
A sudden gust hit, and Su-hyeon thrust the umbrella forward, fighting desperately to hold on.
She barely kept from being blown back.
But her body was too light.
Then the wind shifted direction in an instant.
Catching her off-guard, a strong blast came from behind, turning the forward-thrust umbrella into a sail that caught the full force.
"Eek."
Splat.
"Blech."
Su-hyeon tumbled right into the middle of a puddle.
Water splashed into her mouth—of all places.
Her clothes weren't too dirty, but kneeling in a street puddle crushed her spirit.
"......"
Su-hyeon gave up, tilting her head back to the sky.
'Sigh, feels refreshing.'
She spread her arms wide, savoring the pounding rain on her body.
Just like a scene from that movie Sink Escape.
"Oh dear, kiddo, get up."
A concerned voice came from beside her.
The supermarket lady who'd seen Su-hyeon's pitiful state hurried over and helped her up.
"Ah."
Embarrassed, Su-hyeon quickly dropped her arms.
"Come inside for a sec."
"Uh, okay?"
Su-hyeon let the lady lead her into the store.
Of course, she didn't forget to grab her tumbling umbrella.
Only one—she had to take care of it.
"Aigoo, you're soaked through."
"Th-thank you—mmph."
"Gotta be careful or you'll catch a cold."
The lady pulled out a towel and vigorously rubbed Su-hyeon's face and hair.
"Raining like this, where are you off to all alone?"
"Uh... just heading somewhere nearby."
"So diligent this early in the morning."
"H-ha... thank you."
Saying she was off for a burger breakfast would've earned a lecture on healthy eating, so she mumbled vaguely.
"Oh, right! That thing. Hold on?"
The lady turned to rummage through an old shelf in the back, searching for something.
"Where'd I put it... Ah, here it is."
Finally, with a crinkle, she pulled something out.
"Here, try this on. Bought it ages ago for my granddaughter..."
It was a green raincoat—brand new, still folded in its plastic wrap.
The packaging featured a cute frog character holding an umbrella.
A hood with frog eyes adorned the top.
"The kids all grew up... Granddaughter's in middle school now, says she won't wear stuff like this. Haven't seen her in years 'cause she's so busy—when did she get so big? Sigh..."
Her voice carried longing and regret.
Su-hyeon felt a slight pang of empathy.
"Thank you, ma'am. How much?"
The lady waved it off with a laugh.
"Money? Just take it. It was just collecting dust—feels good knowing it'll fit someone perfectly!"
"Still..."
"Take it. Cleared some space, and now I get to see it in action. Win-win!"
Su-hyeon hesitated.
An adult man's mind felt bad taking it for free, but the lady's sincere eyes made refusal impossible.
Next time, buy something here instead of the convenience store.
Su-hyeon accepted the raincoat.
"Then, thank you kindly."
The lady's eyes lit up with joy at Su-hyeon's polite bow.
"Right, you had somewhere to go? Put it on quick."
Su-hyeon tore open the packaging and slipped on the raincoat.
It unfurled with a rustle.
The crisp folds and fresh scent confirmed it was new.
Arms in, buttons done—amazingly, it fit perfectly.
"Wow, perfect fit! Hohoho! So adorable!"
Moments later, fully geared up, Su-hyeon stepped back out.
To the lady, her retreating figure looked just like a big frog.
"Bye now, watch for cars! Rain makes it extra dangerous!"
Su-hyeon turned at the voice and bowed deeply once more.
***
Right now, Su-hyeon felt like a medieval knight.
The raincoat was perfect armor hugging her body, and the umbrella—no longer a heavy burden—was now a trusty spear.
No need to open it; she held it horizontally, thrusting it forward.
Raindrops tapping the tip felt satisfying in her grip.
"Hee hee."
Honestly, she was pretty hyped.
This was fashion for the occasion.
Rain or wind—no more fears.
Su-hyeon strode forward confidently.
Exiting the alley led straight to the university district.
A famous chain burger joint sat right ahead.
Shake, shake, shaaa-
Before entering, Su-hyeon shook vigorously to fling water droplets from the raincoat.
Mats and boxes lined the floor, but dripping everywhere was rude.
Whirr-
The automatic door slid open, and the frog knight marched proudly inside.
Hm.
Regular burgers were still hours away, unfortunately.
But morning burgers weren't bad.
That crusty-outside, moist-inside muffin texture.
She crossed the quiet lobby to the kiosk.
Not the adult one—the shorter kid/wheelchair model beside it.
She tapped the black screen, waking the sleeping machine.
Like the magic mirror from the fairy tale.
Bacon Tomato Egg Muffin set. Hash browns included—nice.
Swapped the coffee for cola.
Paid and waited.
First floor was order-only—no seats. Had to go upstairs to sit.
With these short legs, up and down was a hassle—better wait and do it once.
Morning burgers came quick anyway.
**
🔔 Ding-dong
[122]
The display board flashed, updating to a new number.
The counter part-timer set the tray down and waited for the customer, but no one came.
'Ugh, probably glued to their phone again and missed it.'
Having come in early, she felt exhausted even by small things.
Rainy days meant more work, amplifying it.
The damp weather soured her mood too.
'Gotta go find them myself again?'
Usually, if no response after calling once, she'd have to climb up and call again.
"Number... huh?"
She was about to shout for confirmation when something green and round peeked over the counter.
'Eyes...?'
Up close, it looked like frog character eyes.
Then a tiny hand reached up, placing the ticket lightly on the counter.
[122]
She clapped a hand over her mouth.
What is this...?
For a second, she thought it was an assassination attempt via heart attack.
As she stayed silent, assuming it wasn't spotted, the little hand pushed the ticket further in.
'Gasp...!'
Oh god, too cute.
Still no response—the frog eyes retreated slightly.
Then a child's face popped up over the counter.
On tiptoes.
Like something out of a storybook.
Unusual hair color—mixed race? Awakener? Chubby cheeks.
Those big eyes brimmed with question marks.
Something melted inside her chest.
"Ah, ahem, sorry. Number 122? Bacon Tomato Egg Muffin set, drink changed to cola, for dine-in, right?"
Her voice came out refreshingly bright, naturally.
"Yes."
"Um, can you carry it okay?"
"Pardon? Oh... yes."
The frog girl eyed her like she'd said something weird, then nodded.
The part-timer watched the frog's back long after as she carried the tray up the stairs.
Umbrella hooked on her elbow—same height as her—clacked against the steps with each climb.
Looked so precarious—might she tumble?
Honestly, kinda hoped to see it...
'What am I thinking...'
She shook her head lightly, then smiled warmly again.
'This is the fun of the job.'