Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: A Name, My Very Own Name
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A Name, My Very Own Name
We decided to talk the next day.
It was too late to have a proper conversation, and Red was exhausted, saying she wanted to talk after a good night's sleep with a clear head.
It wasn't particularly urgent, so I agreed without complaint.
So, the next day, after breakfast.
Red and I went into the office and sat facing each other across a table.
With her chin resting on her hand, Red looked at me with curious eyes.
“Are you really that kid?”
I nodded.
Red narrowed her eyes, staring intently.
She must have heard from Rene, but her sharp gaze seemed to be judging for herself whether I was telling the truth or lying.
I hadn't done anything wrong, but I felt tense.
I worried that if I met those red eyes, my identity might be exposed, so I subtly avoided her gaze, trying not to make eye contact.
Perhaps her fierce expression made her seem even more intimidating.
*Gulp*.
Still, I understood Red's attitude.
After all, when I first met her, my face was completely covered. And since I couldn't speak, she didn't know my voice either.
It was only natural for her to doubt if I was the same person.
“I guess you are.”
Still, Red believed me soon enough.
My face was still covered, same as before, but Red seemed fascinated by my current appearance, as if it were unfamiliar.
“Hmm. The mask makes me curious about what's underneath. Mind taking it off for me?”
Startled, I clutched the mask with both hands. It was a clear sign of my fierce determination not to let her remove it.
Seeing my reaction, Red chuckled.
She waved her hand dismissively.
“Just kidding. Don't worry, I won't ever try to take off your mask, not even as a joke.”
My expression was hidden by the mask, but I gave her a suspicious look.
If she tried to take it by force, I wouldn't be able to stop her.
But considering her personality, I knew she wouldn't force it, so I quickly relaxed.
“Though, I can't say the same for those kids over there.”
I turned my head in the direction Red was pointing.
Through the slightly ajar door, I could see the children watching us.
At my glance, the children flinched and hid their faces.
*You've already been caught.*
Sighing inwardly, I reached for the jar full of candy on the table.
After unwrapping a piece, I slightly lifted the bottom of my mask and popped it into my mouth.
Grape flavor.
Lucky me.
I rolled the candy around with my tongue. The grape flavor spreading in my mouth lifted my spirits.
“Rene told me everything. I was hoping you'd come, but I never thought you actually would. And to stay for over a month, no less. You must like it here, huh?”
I neither confirmed nor denied Red's words.
Just as people sometimes don't understand their own feelings, I wasn't sure what had possessed me to wait here for Red for over a month.
It just... happened.
Like how you can become friends with a stranger after just a few conversations.
“I'll cut to the chase and be direct. Since things have turned out this way, why don't you come live with us?”
!
I had expected it to some extent, but hearing it out loud surprised me so much that the still-hard candy almost went down my throat.
I heard the children gasp.
Rene, who had been working diligently at her desk, also paused.
Red's offer changed the atmosphere in the room.
Red's expression was serious. She looked me straight in the eye and continued.
“The fact that you've stayed for over a month must mean you don't hate it here. In that case, I think living here wouldn't be a bad idea. The kids seem to want you to stay, too. So, if you're okay with it, you're welcome to stay.”
I lowered my head slightly, resting my arms on my knees.
I mulled over her words, lost in thought.
All other sounds faded away, and the clinking of the candy in my mouth became distinct.
I closed my eyes.
Logically, I should refuse.
Getting involved with Red wasn't good for me.
Staying here would naturally mean spending more time with her, which could lead to my identity being discovered.
That's why I refused her initial offer, and it's why I didn't want to come here even after getting the terminal.
This was supposed to be a brief encounter, nothing more.
I knew what the best choice for me was, yet here I was, hesitating.
I should have just achieved my goal, grabbed a handful of candy, and left.
What was I so reluctant to leave behind?
I felt truly pathetic.
“...”
I could feel the children's expectant stares.
It was as if they were waiting to see what I would say.
I felt Rene's gaze from her desk.
She seemed to be quietly awaiting my answer.
Red didn't rush me.
She just waited patiently, calmly, for my response.
I opened my eyes and lifted my head.
“So, what will it be? The choice is yours.”
Red held out her hand.
What kind of expression was I making right now? I was truly grateful my face was hidden by the mask.
I lifted my hand from my knee and lowered it again, repeating the motion more than ten times.
*Have I ever spent so long deliberating in my entire life?*
Looking back, I don't think so. In the beginning, I was too busy just trying to survive. Later, once I got used to my powers, the most I ever pondered was what dessert to have for the day.
I was just about to let out a long sigh.
“Alright. Starting today, you're part of our family. Welcome.”
What? When I came to my senses, my hand was already holding hers.
I was flustered.
When did I take her hand? I couldn't remember. Did I do it unconsciously?
As my mind reeled in confusion at my body's independent decision, the children watching from outside burst into the room.
“Waaaaah! You made the right choice! You're part of our family now!”
“I'm so glad.”
“Yes...”
Don't cling to me. My mask is going to fall off.
Unlike the brightly smiling children, I was protesting vehemently inside.
This is wrong. I need a do-over.
Of course, since I couldn't speak, the words only echoed within me.
In the midst of the chaos, Red clapped her hands to quiet the children.
“Everyone, quiet down!”
All the commotion subsided.
The children's gazes turned to Red.
Red looked at me.
“You said you don't have a name. You'll be living with us from now on, and it'd be awkward without one, right? So, we'll give you a name. Is that okay?”
Huh? Wait a minute. A name?
The children loved the idea, and names naturally started pouring out.
Ugh. My head hurts. Fine. Do whatever you want.
I listened silently to the names.
Blue, Skull, Whitey, Snow, Eisen, Evil, and so on. It felt like they were just throwing out whatever came to mind.
If you're going to do it, at least be serious about it.
“Lily...”
Hm?
The girl hugging a book, Bada, spoke again.
“Because your hair is white... Lily...”
Bada glanced at a white flower and then looked quietly at me. Ah, Lily, like a lily flower. Simple and clear.
The others seemed to think it was a pretty good name, too, as they all looked at me.
Their gazes asked what I thought.
Yeah. It's the best one so far.
It feels a bit like a girl's name, but my body is technically that of a young girl.
I didn't have a name anyway, and it's much better than being called 'that one' or 'this kid'.
Since I couldn't tell them my nickname, I nodded.
“Looks like you like it too. So it's decided, then?”
A satisfied smile appeared on Red's face.
“Welcome to our family, Lily.”
*Thump*.
For a moment, just for a moment, I thought I felt my heart skip a beat, and I placed a hand over my chest.
What was that? I wondered, tilting my head inwardly.
To be called by a proper name after waking up in this world...
It felt awkward and strange.
***
As the other children dragged their new family member, Lily, out of the room, Rene and Red were left alone.
Red sat on the sofa and reached for the candy jar on the table.
She took out a piece, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth.
Rolling the candy in her mouth, she spoke.
“You've spent over a month with her. What kind of kid do you think she is?”
“You're quick to ask.”
Rene said, a bit bluntly, as she recalled the past month.
She began to share her thoughts, recalling everything she'd seen of Lily so far.
“She's just like the other kids when they first came here.”
“How so, specifically?”
“She seems to think she's hiding it, but Lily always looks at us with fascination. When the kids play, when we eat together, during snack time, when we study. She seems awkward with everything that happens here.”
That's not all.
There's also her subtle guardedness and the fact that she can't speak. It's easy to feel sympathy when you imagine what kind of life she must have lived in this harsh world.
So we have to embrace her with love.
However.
“But unlike the other children, she's hiding something.”
That was why Rene hadn't completely let down her guard around Lily.
Feeling sorry for her was one thing, but if Lily's presence were to bring harm to the orphanage, she would do anything to protect the children.
“Is that so? Actually...”
Red shared the information she had gathered with Rene.
That Lily was on a list of people the Cult of the Grim Reaper was watching.
“Is that right. Then it makes a little more sense.”
*Tap, tap*.
Having finished organizing the documents, Rene looked at Red with a worried expression.
“...Will it be okay?”
Red knew the meaning behind those words.
If you associate with someone who has problems, you're bound to get caught up in them.
It was a question of whether she could handle whatever might happen.
“It's fine.”
A voice full of confidence.
Red's expression was composed.
If anyone else had said that, it would have been incredibly unsettling, but Rene knew Red well.
“Well, if you say so, Red, then I'm sure it will be.”
“Besides, you should just call me your big sister.”
“...It's fine. I'm more comfortable this way.”
“Don't be shy. Oh, right. I heard they're opening a new zoo in the neighboring outer city. I was thinking of taking the kids. What do you think?”
“The children would love that.”
“Right?”
The two of them began to bustle about, preparing for the zoo trip.
***
Isaac was in his room, looking at his phone.
He gave a bitter smile as he saw the missed calls and unanswered texts.
“Red is too much. I told her to just answer, but she's ignoring me...”
At first, their relationship was fine.
Isaac knew Red's character well, so raising her affinity was incredibly easy.
But one day, a distance suddenly began to grow between them.
He didn't know why. There hadn't been any problems.
He had definitely acted according to the information. The game's data couldn't be wrong.
*I need to at least meet her to get back on good terms or do anything else. What should I do... Hmm, wait a second.*
Looking at the date on his phone, a smile spread across Isaac's lips.
*It's about time for that event to happen. The timing is perfect. If I use this event...*
If she refuses to see me, I'll just have to force an encounter myself.
Isaac began to form a plan.