31) Chapter 6. Let’s Go Home. (4)
When I opened my eyes, I was in a hospital.
I didn’t need to look around to know—what I saw first was the clear IV drip hanging beside me.
Following the tube downward, I noticed that other medications were being administered as well. I had no medical knowledge, so I had no idea what they were.
My body felt dull. Even when I wiggled my fingers under the blanket, I could barely feel anything.
It didn’t hurt—more than anything, I felt cold.
Even though I was under a blanket, and the weather wasn’t particularly cold these days.
“Are you awake?”
“H-heh.”
A voice suddenly came from beside me, and I jumped in surprise.
Clink. The IV bottle swayed. My already cold body trembled even more…
But the owner of the voice wasn’t someone I needed to fear.
Auntie Yujin sat next to my bed, looking exhausted.
“S-Soi… where’s Soi?”
That was the first thing that came out of my mouth.
I regretted it immediately. Auntie Yujin must have had an incredibly difficult day. She must have seen far worse than what I saw. Even if Seo Arin wasn’t in her right mind, the people who planned simultaneous terror-like attacks weren’t normal either.
“Soi is fine. She’s actually less hurt than you.”
“……”
I couldn’t call that “fortunate.”
She was still a child, and she had already faced a villain. She awakened her ability and charged in without even having time to get used to it.
I saw her getting hurt everywhere. She took every blow, every object thrown at her, just to buy time against Seo Arin and protect me.
What if she ends up with scars? What if she carries wounds for the rest of her life because of me?
“…I’m sorry…”
“……”
When I mumbled while clutching the blanket, Auntie Yujin’s expression hardened.
She didn’t speak for a moment. She simply looked at me quietly.
“…There’s nothing for you to be sorry about, Rua.”
“But…”
“You weren’t trying to hurt anyone.”
Her voice was firm.
Even though her own daughter was injured. Even though she must have wanted to be by Soi’s side right now.
“If someone did wrong, it was that woman. Not you, who just happened to be there.”
“……”
Was that really true?
Maybe at first.
When I didn’t know anything, I could say I didn’t know people would get hurt because I was there.
But what about now?
If someone like that woman was chasing me, determined to take me no matter what—was it really okay for me to stay among normal kids?
Just by being there, I could put others in danger—
“Ah.”
Something suddenly came to mind.
“T-that woman… what… what happened to her?”
I had passed out right after Auntie Yujin arrived, so I didn’t see what happened afterward.
For me, that was the most important thing. If she was captured, then maybe I could be safe no matter where I was.
Though I wasn’t sure.
If she tried to take me simply because I was “her daughter,” because I was old enough not to cry, because she could “discipline” me into obedience…
If it was just something she did because the opportunity presented itself—then maybe she wouldn’t come after me again unless another opportunity arose.
“…I arrested her. It’s okay.”
I let out a small breath.
If so, then… that was good.
“……”
A brief silence.
I was lost in thought, and Auntie Yujin quietly watched me.
It felt like she was waiting—waiting for me to ask whatever I needed to ask.
Because she was worried I might be scared.
I bit my lower lip, swallowed hard, and finally spoke.
“…Um… so…”
“Yes. If you want to ask something, go ahead.”
“Ah, yes, um… that…”
I rolled my eyes around, struggling, and finally managed to say it.
“Is… is there a chance that she and I… are actually mother and daughter…?”
“……”
Auntie Yujin closed her eyes for a moment.
Then she reached out and held my hand.
“If you want to know, I can find out.”
Of course. Since the woman was arrested, they could do DNA tests or whatever else was needed. There were ways to confirm it.
“I…”
I opened my mouth, then shook my head.
“I see. Alright.”
Auntie Yujin smiled softly and nodded.
“No matter what anyone says, you’re our family. Don’t worry. If anyone asks, just say so. Didn’t Soi already say she’s your big sister?”
Then she paused, looking like she’d forgotten something.
Well, of course.
Soi proudly went around calling herself my big sister, but anyone who knew us both also knew our birthdays.
I was born in January of the same year, yet she acted like she was older. People often forgot, then remembered, and made strange faces.
“Well, anyway.”
Auntie Yujin brushed it off and reached toward my head—
“H-h-heh!?”
The moment her hand touched my hair, I practically leapt out of bed.
The IV stand rattled loudly, and she had to grab it quickly.
“Uh…?”
I had always panicked when hugged by someone bigger than me, but I’d never reacted this strongly to someone touching my head.
“Ah…”
Auntie Yujin awkwardly withdrew her hand.
“Hmm…”
She hesitated for a moment, then smiled again.
“For now, get some rest. It’s dinner time. Or do you want to eat? You probably won’t be hungry because of the IV nutrients.”
“Ah, no, I-I don’t think I need a meal…”
She nodded.
“Then I’ll stay until you fall asleep.”
“Y-yes… thank you.”
I lay back down carefully.
And squeezed my eyes shut.
A moment later, the sadness hit me.
I was already half-broken. I couldn’t even handle light hugs from the adults I lived with. I’d never called anyone Mom or Dad. I only caused trouble.
And now… even a hand on my head.
Did I… did I do something wrong? Did I make some huge mistake that made everything turn out like this?
I didn’t know why.
I just wanted to live a little happily in this life, since I was born this way anyway.
It took a long time to fall asleep.
Partly because I had just been unconscious earlier, partly because my head was full of thoughts.
Auntie Yujin stayed until I truly fell asleep.
I didn’t get to see Soi properly that day.
*
The next day.
I had to stay in the hospital a bit longer because I had many injuries.
There were ability users who could heal, but their powers were usually reserved for people in critical condition—those on the verge of death or suffering from severe illnesses. They couldn’t use their abilities on just anyone.
Still, even without such powers, Soi wouldn’t have any lasting scars.
She didn’t have super-regeneration, but her wounds healed quickly and cleanly—something she inherited from Auntie Yujin.
“Did you miss your big sister?”
Unlike me, Soi didn’t even need an IV. She walked into my room like she was visiting my bedroom at home.
Only after waking up did I realize I was in a private room. The bed was slightly bigger than a normal hospital bed.
Maybe that’s why Soi confidently climbed onto my bed.
“Move over a bit. I want to lie down too.”
“Uh…?”
As if nothing had happened at school, she acted completely normal.
She was wearing a hospital gown, though.
She lay beside me and grabbed my hand tightly.
“Mm, it really feels like I can sleep better when the bed feels full like this.”
“You… didn’t sleep well?”
“Nope. The bed here is way harder than the one I usually sleep on.”
She turned toward me and grinned.
“So I’m gonna take a nap here, okay?”
Yesterday, I had stayed with her mom until morning.
And yet, she didn’t show even a hint of resentment.
“…Okay.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I just answered that way.
Somehow, it felt like that was what she wanted.
Her hand gripping mine felt like she needed to confirm I was really here.
“Hurry up and get better so we can go home.”
“Mm.”
“Mom said she’ll buy a cake.”
At that, I couldn’t help but smile a little.
Home.
A home to return to.
…Is it okay for me to call it that?
At least for now.
- *
Tap, tap.
A man walked down a hallway, undoing the top button of his shirt. It had been washed cleanly, but not ironed, so wrinkles ran everywhere.
His dress shoes echoed through the corridor. There were no windows.
Well, there were window-like openings—but they were all on the doors lining both sides of the hallway.
Not windows, really—more like bars.
“That stupid woman… always acting like she’s so clever.”
The man stopped at the deepest door in the hallway and peered through the bars.
“Oh my, you’re here?”
A woman waved from inside. She had long black hair.
“Don’t ‘oh my’ me.”
“Why not? We used to be close, didn’t we?”
“……”
The man frowned.
“So, when are you getting me out?”
“…It’ll take a while. And I’m not the one getting you out.”
He sighed deeply.
“See? That’s why I call you ‘oppa.’”
“I told you, I’m not your oppa.”
“You’re older than me and we’re close, so you’re oppa. Simple.”
“……”
“Well, whether I listen or not, you need me, right? That’s why you’re getting me out.”
“…Just wait. That’s all I came to say. Don’t act like you know me outside. Not even in here.”
“Oh please, you think I don’t know that?”
“If you knew, you wouldn’t have walked into that place yourself.”
“I’m telling you, I really didn’t know! I heard Meteor had a daughter, but I didn’t know she’d awaken like that.”
“If you’re planning something, you should account for that.”
“Oh come on, if we planned for every possibility, we couldn’t do anything. Everyone’s a potential ability user anyway. Isn’t it weird to divide people into classes? Right? Isn’t it?”
He couldn’t reason with her.
The man shook his head and turned away.
“Just behave while you’re in here. They said they’ll get you out. Don’t ruin things by getting impatient.”
The woman only shrugged.
Tap, tap. His footsteps faded.
“Hm~”
The woman—Seo Arin—lay back on the hard cot and stared at the ceiling.
“So that’s how it is?”
A child who didn’t even know who her mother was had suddenly become Meteor’s daughter? And that daughter risked her life to protect her?
Hmm. Should she give up?
She didn’t want to die. Meteor wouldn’t kill her on the spot, but…
What about the daughter?
“Well, whatever. It’s not like I can go looking for her right now.”
She hummed, wiggling her toes.
Would she get out before the trial? Or after?
Before would be better. She didn’t want a criminal record.
- *
A word from the author (A/N):
Thank you for reading today!
Sorry it’s so late ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
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Thank you, eternalyg, for your support!
Thank you for reading this novel as well!
I’m always grateful! Thanks to you, I was able to enjoy writing again today! I’ve developed a habit of jotting down ideas whenever they come to mind, and things that would’ve just stayed as daydreams in the past are now becoming seeds for new stories thanks to all of you. It’s such a joy to record something every day. I’ll do my best so that the joy I feel while writing can reach all of you as well. Thank you so much! Please continue to enjoy this story!
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Thank you, LilaS2, for your support!
Since I always write with the intention of creating happy endings, I’ll do my best to ensure Rua finds happiness in this story too! She’s in a position of being protected and saved now, but I hope she becomes someone who can save others someday. I love characters who face hardships, overcome them, and always do their best in life. I want to create kids who struggle but keep fighting in this story as well! Thank you so much! I look forward to your continued support!