We Should Have Slept While Only Holding Hands, And Yet?! - Volume 1 Chapter 8

8. Experiment

 

 

 

“Huh, oh, isn’t it Jaim?”

“Hi, Jaim!”

“You came here with your dad today, huh?”

“Is it okay for you to come to school?”

“By the way······. What’s wrong with Jaim?”

My classmates welcomed Jaim, who they hadn’t seen for a while since Jaim had stopped coming to school, but their expressions soon changed into puzzlement once they saw Jaim’s state.

“It’s nothing. She’s just feeling a bit sick.”

“What happened to Jaim’s hand? It’s completely wrapped in bandages.”

“Her face as well······. Was there a problem or something?”

“Jaro, your face isn’t a joke either, you know?”

That’s obvious. I wasn’t able to get a wink of sleep last night.

“Jaim, what’s wrong? Does it hurt a lot?”

“Uu, uuu······. Uuuuu······.”

Jaim backed away from my classmates who were trying to approach her while talking to her in a friendly tone. However, she couldn’t possibly escape since I was holding onto her hand. Although she was also incredibly terrified of holding hands with me, it couldn’t be helped. I couldn’t leave her like this after all.

“Go away, you guys. You’re scaring Jaim.”

“Why would Jaim be afraid? We didn’t do anything.”

“If she’s scared, then wouldn’t it be of you?”

They chuckled as if they had said a good joke. Yeah, it’s exactly as you guys said. She’s probably more afraid of me. Regardless,

“I get it, so go away already!”

Because of my shout, all of my classmates shut their mouths.

“Uu, uuk······.”

Moreover, because of my shout, Jaim, who was already in a state of panic, became even more terrified and tried to pull her hand away from me in order to place even the slightest bit more distance between us.

“······Hiik.”

Because I had turned my head to look at her, she became so bewildered that it appeared as if she held her breath,

“I-I’m sorry······. I-I won’t do it again······.”

So while lowering her head, she trembled as if I were going to scold her at any moment.

“······No. It’s fine.”

I couldn’t even let out a proper sigh. The edges of my mouth were twitching.

Within one day, just how many things have changed within a single day?

The terrified Jaim became more nervous because it seems she was afraid of my action, but it couldn’t be helped. Regardless of whether this kid was the source of the problem or not, I couldn’t leave her like this.

At first, I thought that she was doing this on purpose.

Like the time I had tried to gain the attention of those two people, I thought that this kid must have been doing the same thing.

Because she was like me. Because she had a similar past as I did.

But that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t on purpose. I could at least tell that much. That’s why I couldn’t leave her be.

Also, throughout that entire night, Saeyeon didn’t return.

“Hi, everyone! Good morning!”

In that moment. The back door of the classroom opened and I heard an enthusiastic greeting. The same greeting and giggle which I’ve heard every single day until now.

Because of Saeyeon’s appearance, Jaim’s face became further consumed by fear.

However, everyone must have felt that something was out of place.

She hadn’t slept at all. I could tell. I’ve been watching over her until now after all.

Her large eyes were saturated in exhaustion, and her soft cheeks, which used to be perfect to pull on, appeared to be lacking any elasticity right now. If it were a normal girl, then she would most likely know how to cover all of that up with makeup, but the childish Saeyeon didn’t know how to.

Both her child-like face and her physique which didn’t suit her had no energy in them. Her shoulders were drooped and her clothes were wrinkled. Only her strengthless giggle that was trying to sound energetic, was doing its best to emanate her usual atmosphere.

However, I didn’t say anything.

Playing house was over.

In the end, everything has an opportunity. Even things like a childhood friend becoming just a person who lives next door and then becoming a stranger. Whether it’s because of the flow of time or an occurrence like this.

An existence which possesses, since the very beginning, a defect that will make it break down,

will have no other choice but to break down when the time comes.

It can’t be fixed, nor do I intend to fix it.

I was tired of being delusional.

So, even if Saeyeon is hurt, and no matter what expression she makes, I don’t care about what happens to Saeyeon since she had heard all that from me yesterday.

Once I turned away, I heard them talk behind me.

“Saeyeon, did Jaro bully you again?”

“Jaim’s state is weird as well. Don’t tell me he put his hands on you yesterday as well?”

“······What?”

Because of the weird sensation I felt at that moment, I turned my head around despite knowing that I shouldn’t pay attention to them.

Our classmates were surrounding Saeyeon. They looked at Saeyeon with worried expressions on their faces and spoke.

“No matter how you think about it, aren’t Saeyeon’s parents going too far? Just because he lives next door, they asked Jaro for a favor. Even though it’s clear that Saeyeon doesn’t like it.”

“Yeah. Saeyeon, as I thought, wouldn’t it be better to do something for Jaim’s sake? Although I’m not sure how you two even had a daughter when you don’t get along······.”

“Wait, what are you guys talking about?”

Once I stood up and asked that, different to their previous expressions, they gave me hostile looks and pointed at Saeyeon.

“That’s the case, isn’t it? Jaro, you, you did something to Saeyeon and Jaim yesterday as well, right?”

“Even if you dislike Saeyeon, isn’t putting your hands on Jaim as well going too far? You definitely did something severe, didn’t you?”

Their reaction this time was clearly different to back when I had entered the classroom with Jaim for the first time. They were responding as if I hated Saeyeon since the very beginning.

When I inadvertently turned to glance at Jaim, Jaim trembled in fear and avoided my gaze. I was somehow able to grasp the situation due to that action.

Information contamination, memory manipulation. That incomprehensible emotion I felt when Jaim appeared for the first time.

But, it was different to that time. In spite of myself, I felt relieved.

Yeah, I’m uncertain of the reasons, but if they all know that I dislike Saeyeon, if they believe that we’ve always had a bad relationship, then even Saeyeon, who was scarred by my words, wouldn’t be able to approach me.

I had thought that. I pleaded for that to be the case.

However,

“······Jjaro, what happened to Jaim?”

I know. Since it’s Saeyeon, since she’s a child, since she’s so kind-hearted.

I knew that Saeyeon would approach me because of their words.

But it would have been better if she didn’t come.

“Jaim, look at your mom.”

“······Uu, uuuu······.”

Because Saeyeon had drawn near and asked Jaim that while grabbing onto her shoulders, Jaim acted as if she had been caught for doing something bad and twisted her body in order to escape my hand.

“Jjaro, what’s wrong with Jaim? Hm?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know······? Did something happen after what happened yesterday? Hm? She was so bright up till yesterday, so isn’t it weird that she’s suddenly like this? Is she hurt somewhere? What can we do? What happened? Hm? Jjaro. ······Jjaro!”

“Shut up!”

Because of those words, I couldn’t hold back any longer.

“I’m sick and tired of it! That attitude of yours!”

Why did she approach me?

Despite having heard those words, having been scarred, having cried in front of me, having shouted that I was a dummy or whatever as loudly as you could, even though you must have shut yourself in your room and cried,

As if nothing happened, as if those things didn’t matter, as if you didn’t care about what happened, as if you had already forgotten about something like that.

Even though everyone was acting as if they knew that this was the case, even though they believed that our relationship was bad since the start, even though she should be smart enough to at least understand that.

As if she didn’t care about the gazes of the people around her, as if right now wasn’t the time to be concerned about that.

Even though she knew that I had played around with her however I pleased, even though she knew that I had lied to her, even though she knew everything, despite that.

Every time you’re like that, every time you show such a radiant appearance,

every time you show such an honest and upright appearance, do you know how miserable I feel?

Because it feels like you’re mocking the twisted and crooked me, because it feels like you’re making fun of me for still being bound by something like that, my shadow thickens.

Do you want to stay as such a good kid? How pathetic do you want to make me before you’re satisfied? Fine. Do what you want.

“If you’re that worried, then take her and ask her yourself!”

I pushed Jaim towards the hesitating Saeyeon and stood up.

“W-Wait! Jaro, isn’t that going too······.”

“······Get out of the way.”

I pushed aside my muttering classmates, who couldn’t possibly block my path, and slammed the door shut as I left. Because I wouldn’t be able to endure if I stayed there any longer.

My irritation didn’t stop.

ÅÅÅ

 

“Congratulations, Underclassman Jin Jaro.”

Upperclassman Nabom clapped as she said that.

“······What are you congratulating me for?”

“Hm? Didn’t everything end up as Underclassman Jin Jaro had desired?”

In my hideout, the ‘Creative Science Club’ club room, where I would always meet Upperclassman Nabom. I could hear her words clearly since there was no one else here.

“As Underclassman Jin Jaro wanted, a problem has occurred with Miss Jaim. Furthermore, everyone now believes that your relationship with Underclassman Ja Saeyeon has always been bad since the very beginning. Now, just as Underclassman Jin Jaro had intended, I’ll be taking Miss Jin Jaim away. Aren’t you happy?”

Upperclassman Nabom smiled and bowed her head.

“Well, I’ve been really indebted to you throughout this time, but still, Underclassman Jin Jaro, I see that you take care of your work with certainty. I expected you to take more time.”

There wasn’t even a single drop of emotion within Upperclassman Nabom’s face as she said those words while smiling. Thus, it was hard for me to say anything.

“Wait. Jaim ended up like that, but you’re congratulating me?”

I was barely able to squeeze out my words.

“Is there a problem?”

Upperclassman Nabom asked me that as if she were truly surprised.

“You intended to do this since the beginning, didn’t you?”

Yeah. I did. I planned to do this since the start.

The instant the bothersome kid caused a problem, I was going to report it to Upperclassman Nabom and have her take the kid back to the future. I was planning to do that, but······.

“What are you going to do about the problem that has occurred here?”

“That’s irrelevant to me. I absolutely hate bothersome things.”

Upperclassman Nabom answered so cleanly that it almost sounded refreshing. What is she saying despite having shoved people around however she pleased until now?

The moment I was about to get upset, Upperclassman Nabom added.

“There’s nothing more for me to do here.”

“What about the time paradox? If Jaim goes back like this, then······.”

“What are you talking about, Underclassman Jin Jaro?”

As she said that, the smile that Upperclassman Nabom made, was an expression that I was seeing for the first time. She has always been that type of person, but this smile was a first.

A mocking smile that bluntly appeared as if she were asking me if I were stupid.

“The type of time paradox which Underclassman Jin Jaro is thinking about doesn’t exist.”

“······What did you say?”

“I’m certain that I told you before. ‘I came here in order to prevent a problem from occurring because of Miss Jaim’. It seems that Underclassman Jin Jaro had misunderstood something.”

While chuckling to herself, Upperclassman Nabom walked towards me while brushing her fingers along the top of the table.

“It is indeed similar, however, the problem which Underclassman Jin Jaro is thinking about will not occur. The side where the problem will occur is on Miss Jaim’s side.”

“What is that supposed to······.”

Before I could even finish my sentence, I remembered.

At one point, I had asked her a question. I asked her if I ‘united’ with Saeyeon like Jaim wanted and Upperclassman Nabom had suggested, then wouldn’t a time paradox occur.

Upperclassman Nabom had told me back then as well. She had told me that if there’s a problem and Jaim is the reason, then she’ll have a reason to take her back.

At that time I believed that if I tried to unite with Saeyeon, then a reason to take Jaim away would be made since that would cause a time paradox.

But that wasn’t the case. Reality doesn’t change. The only thing that will change is Jaim’s memories. Only an ‘information contamination’ will occur. Like now.

“Isn’t it interesting? Even if the cause changes, the result will not change.”

“Then, in the end, that means······.”

“It means that everything Miss Jaim has done was in vain since the beginning.”

Even while speaking those cold-hearted words, Upperclassman Nabom smiled.

Yeah. That would be the case. I understood.

Eventually, I’ll most likely continue to look after Saeyeon just like before.

Since I had twisted her into a way that suited me.

A child who couldn’t properly become a woman would definitely choose the boy she likes who lives next door.

Then the aftermath is obvious.

Jin Jaro and Ja Saeyeon, will end up giving birth to Jin Jaim.

Jin Jaro and Ja Saeyeon, will end up fighting and breaking up.

Jin Jaro and Jin Jaim, will end up being incapable of getting along.

Because the past doesn’t change.

“Well, though I did hope that everything would turn out a bit better, things have already wound up like this so it shouldn’t matter now. There’s the saying that ‘the end justifies the means’.”

Upperclassman Nabom tapped on her lips as if she were thinking about something before continuing.

“Well, although it seems Miss Jin Jaim’s Memory Manipulator has malfunctioned due to the information contamination, that goes beyond my field of expertise. It doesn’t seem like it’ll cause any additional harm either.”

Upperclassman Nabom beamed and gave an explanation.

“The Memory Manipulator works by altering the perception of the people around them towards the direction the user desires. It seems that because of Miss Jaim’s information contamination, it has made everyone perceive your relationship with Underclassman Ja Saeyeon as having always been bad. Isn’t that great?”

Upperclassman Nabom then stood in front of me and gave me a military salute.

“Once again, thank you for your work, Underclassman Jin Jaro. Additionally, congratulations. Now you won’t have to see your daughter anymore.”

“Don’t tell me, you were planning this since the very beginning······?”

Due to a strange chill that went down my spine, I asked her that while mumbling.

How she would say nonsensical jokes, how she had tempted me while displaying a friendly appearance, how she had made Saeyeon jealous, how the conclusion had ended up like this,

⎯⎯⎯Big Sis Nabom told me. I asked her what I had to do in order to be more like a couple with Jjaro, and she said that I should tell Jjaro that I want to sleep together, and if you still refuse······. Then to do, this.

This was all, planned·····?

“Who knows·····?”

In response to my question, Upperclassman Nabom answered while tilting her head.

“You may think whatever you wish. As I told you before, I’m a government employee, I hold efficiency as my highest priority. You may accept whatever’s most convenient for you.”

“How, could you do such·····.”

“Rather, the one I’m unable to understand is you, Underclassman Jin Jaro.”

While continuing to tilt her head, Upperclassman Nabom asked.

“Underclassman Jin Jaro, you clearly said that you hated families, did you not? From the start, you tried to get rid of Miss Jaim and you merely forced yourself to stay with Underclassman Ja Saeyeon despite disliking her. Isn’t this a good thing? Why is your face like that even though everything has turned out how you wanted?”

Yeah. That was the case. Things have become like I wanted. Jaim will disappear and I’ll go back to my normal life. Although everyone now perceives my relationship with Saeyeon as having always been bad, that was good in its own way. I was finally able to get rid of my bothersome luggage and live by myself just as I have always wanted.

The maid robot that I had been aiming to make has been completed for now. Although it’s still in its initial stage, I’ve piled up a lot of research data. With this, I’ll be able to make something more advanced next time.

The backing from Saeyeon’s parents may come to a halt, but it’s not like my livelihood will come to a stop as well. I still have the royalties from my patents. I could also get a part-time job or whatever and maintain my livelihood with that. It’s already been a long time since I’ve become familiar with living by myself. If anything, I’ve been trying to live way too easily until now.

Even though everything has turned out how I wanted.

“Well, things have become slightly tiresome since I didn’t expect Underclassman Jin Jaro to bring Miss Jaim to school, but·····. I should be able to take care of it, so, Underclassman Jin Jaro, you don’t have to concern yourself that far. I’ll handle things from here.”

I didn’t know what she meant by that, but I had to at least ask her this much.

“Jaim, when she goes back to the future, will she be able to return back to normal?”

“No. That’s impossible.”

Without waiting to think for even a single second, Upperclassman Nabom answered flat out.

“In the future, you cannot fix a problem that has happened in the past. Once Miss Jaim returns to the future, she’ll receive a punishment for traveling through time illegally, and, although she will receive treatment there, due to the characteristics of information contamination, a full recovery will be impossible.”

“Then that means·····.”

“It’s fine, isn’t it?”

Upperclassman Nabom smiled and brushed past me.

“In any case, please coordinate the story properly. Because of what you had done, Underclassman Jin Jaro, I have to go through some hardship.”

“·····What? What is that supposed to·····.”

Right when I was about to turn around, Upperclassman Nabom had already left.

ÅÅÅ

 

“·····Saeyeon, didn’t I tell you several times to not bring her to school?”

“Ah, that’s·····. Uhm·····.”

Our homeroom teacher, who had a gorilla-like body, scratched his head with the end of his ballpoint pen and spoke in a troubled voice. The other teachers in the teachers’ room had perplexed looks on their faces.

“Ah, never mind. In any case, what’s wrong with the little missy?”

In response to those words that were said with a sigh, Jaim, who had been looking down while holding onto Saeyeon’s hand, became bewildered and shrunk back.

“T-This morning, it seems that she woke up not feeling well.”

“Is that so. Hm·····.”

Although our homeroom teacher glimpsed at me as if Saeyeon’s answer was suspicious, he shook his head as if it were fine and looked at me and Saeyeon.

“I heard your explanation before, but allow me to ask again.”

Our homeroom teacher took a strangely long breath before speaking. I felt a sense of dread and anxiety for some reason. This person only talked like this whenever something big had happened.

“That little girl, is she really your cousin?”

I didn’t reply. Saeyeon quickly answered instead.

“S-She’s really our cousin! So·····. Uu·····. I-In any case, she’s our cousin!”

“·····Haa.”

Our homeroom teacher let out a deep sigh and turned to look at me.

“Jaro, don’t get me wrong and listen to me. Although I did it knowing that you wouldn’t like it, it was something that I had to do as your teacher.”

What is he trying to say?

Our homeroom teacher tapped his ballpoint pen against his desk a couple of times.

“I called your parents.”

“·····What?”

Despite having prepared myself for what he had to say, waves of cold and hot electricity shot through my entire body.

“Why did you call them without asking me?!”

“Hiik·····.”

Because I had yelled while having forgotten that I was currently in the teachers’ room, Jaim panicked once more. The other teachers furrowed their brows, but our homeroom teacher simply nodded his head.

“Yeah. I knew you would say that, Jaro.”

“If you knew, then you shouldn’t have called them! Why did you contact those people?! Without saying a single thing to me, how could you·····!”

“Jin Jaro.”

Tap, our homeroom teacher lowered his pen and let out another sigh.

“It was weird no matter how much I thought about it, so I gave them a call and they both told me that they didn’t know anything about this. They weren’t aware of any relative like that, and even if they did, they said that they wouldn’t have asked you to handle it, Jaro, since there’s no reason for them to do that.”

Although my fists were shaking and my heart was pounding so furiously that it was difficult to breathe, I did my best to stand properly and listen to what our homeroom teacher had to say.

“So I called you both here in order to ask you again. Saeyeon, since I can’t contact your parents because they’re on vacation, I’ll ask you. Is that little girl perhaps your cousin?”

“T-That’s what I’ve been saying. She’s my cousin who I said I’d take care of for a while·····.”

“She isn’t.”

“Jjaro?”

In response to my words that had cut her off, Saeyeon looked at me.

“·····Jaro, what did you say just now?”

While clenching both my teeth and fists, I spoke as if I were spitting out my words.

“She isn’t my cousin or Saeyeon’s cousin. We’re simply keeping her around because she calls Saeyeon and me Mom and Dad.”

All right. Everyone’s going to be that way, huh?

Saeyeon, Upperclassman Nabom, our homeroom teacher, those two people, everyone.

⎯⎯⎯You intended to do this since the beginning, didn’t you?

⎯⎯⎯Be quiet! This is all your fault!

That’s right. I intended to do this from the beginning. That’s right. Everything was this brat’s fault from the beginning. We were simply keeping around a bothersome and annoying existence who would be better off gone.

If things have already come this far, and if the situation is going to help me, then there was absolutely no reason for me to go through any more hardships.

Our homeroom teacher let out a sigh because of my answer.

“·····No wonder I couldn’t find her family registration or anything else no matter how much I searched for them. Then who exactly is this little girl?”

“T-Teacher, that’s not it. Like I said·····.”

Although Saeyeon desperately tried to make up an excuse while panicking, there’s no way that she would be able to make a proper excuse with a kid’s brain.

Our homeroom teacher waved his hand at Saeyeon as if he no longer had a need to hear what she had to say and turned to talk to me.

“Then tell me the truth this time. Who is this little girl and why you’re looking after her. The other teachers are worried as well. The little girl is still, well, a little girl, and there are also weird rumors going around about you two among the other students.”

I didn’t answer. Our homeroom teacher turned his gaze.

“·····All right. Then I’ll ask the little girl first. Little girl?”

“Hiik·····.”

Due to the sight of me keeping my mouth shut, our homeroom teacher turned his head towards Jaim.

Although Jaim was terrified and trying to run away, it seems Saeyeon wasn’t able to adapt to the situation yet as she had put more strength into her hand and was anxiously looking at our homeroom teacher.

“I’m not a scary person. I’m not trying to scold you either. Now then, tell me. Can you tell me who you are, little girl? Where did you come from?”

“·····Ah, uu, so·····.”

Jaim looked around as if she were asking for help. However, the other teachers were still just looking this way with sharp eyes. There was no one here to help her.

“S-So, so, ah, uh, uu·····.”

Because of the sight of Jaim being unable to talk properly, our homeroom teacher forcefully smiled with his gorilla-like face before speaking in the gentlest voice that he could muster.

“That’s it. You can talk slowly, so take your time. Oh right. Do you want a piece of candy? Here, it’s good.”

However, Jaim backed away as if the piece of candy had been coated in poison. She desperately tried to pull her hand away from me as if she were pleading me to let her escape, but I didn’t release my grip.

“I-It’s, so, me, no, I, uu, am·····.”

“Okay, good. You’re what?”

Eventually, Jaim realized that the only way to escape from this situation was to talk, so she hesitantly opened her mouth.

“·····I, ca,me, fr,om, the fu, ture·····.”

Our homeroom teacher’s face slightly hardened because of that answer. Jaim must have thought that he was about to scold her so she then spoke quickly.

“M-Mom, and, Dad, that, since, I was, young, fought, eventually, Mom, left, home, D-Dad, said, i, it was, my fa, ult, s-so, if I, went back, to, the ti, me, when M-Mom, and Dad, were close, a, long, ti, me, ago, so, if I, can change, even, a little, bit·····.”

I involuntarily ended up turning towards Jaim with my mouth hanging agape.

Is this ‘information contamination’?

Was it all changed because I had fought with Saeyeon, because there was no way that we’d be able to become a harmonious family at this rate, because I had told her that I didn’t need her, because I had told her that it was her fault? Her memories, her remembrances. Everything.

Jaim must have believed that, at the very least, Saeyeon and I got along while she was little. That Saeyeon and my relationship only got worse because of that day on which we fought after she was born.

But that wasn’t the case. What she had witnessed was the sight of Saeyeon and I shouting at each other and fighting before she had even been born. The sight of me shouting that I had never seen Saeyeon as a woman and that I disliked her.

Since that was the case, there’s no way that my relationship with Saeyeon would be good.

Her memories of her harmonious childhood were all a delusion.

The fact that she was born was proof that the two of us had a relationship, however, there’s no way that we were living in harmony. We most likely fought constantly.

Adding to that, as I had shouted before, it was all her fault.

There’s no way that her parents, who disliked her and thought it was her fault, would simply ignore her. They most likely harassed her. They most likely scared her. They most likely scolded her. If that happened, then, of course she would be afraid.

Our homeroom teacher was quietly listening to all of that.

“·····Haa.”

As if he didn’t need to hear the rest, our homeroom teacher made Jaim stop by waving his hand before letting out a deep sigh.

“As I thought.”

“W-Wait, teacher. It’s not like that!”

“No. Saeyeon, I know what you’re trying to say. You did well up till now. It must have been hard looking after a little girl like this.”

As if he understood everything, our homeroom teacher patted Saeyeon’s shoulder.

“Teacher, what should we do? As I thought, should we contact the police?”

“That would be good. As you can tell, her mind seems a bit weird as well·····.”

“Do you think it’s because of abuse or something?”

“If we contact the police, then shouldn’t they be able to identify her?”

“We should contact places like missing children shelters as well.”

“No, that’s not. Wait·····.”

While ignoring Saeyeon’s words, our homeroom teacher was now focused on his conversation with the other teachers who had drawn closer to us before we knew it. What would be a good way to deal with the little girl who was saying weird things like being from the future, and among those methods, what would be optimal.

“Saeyeon, you did a good job.”

“Jaro, you did a good job as well. Honestly, I thought that you were a weird kid, but I guess you also have this kind of side to you.”

“You did well. Us teachers will handle it from here.”

“Yeah, good job. I see that even Jaro has this sort of side to his personality.”

While patting my shoulder, the teachers spoke as if they were proud of us.

Even though I didn’t do this to be praised. Even though I didn’t do this with that intention in mind. Even though I wasn’t trying to boast that ‘I had this sort of side to me’.

“Wait a moment! I said that’s not the case!”

I calmly spoke towards the teachers who weren’t listening to the crying Saeyeon’s words.

“Then I’ll be leaving first.”

“Jjaro!”

Although Saeyeon turned to look at me with pleading eyes, it didn’t matter to me. If you want to do something, then do it with your own strength from now on.

The instant I turned my body, squeeze, as if she were afraid of what the teachers were discussing, Jaim held my hand. Albeit she soon became startled and let go. I cast away her hand without any lingering attachment and left the teachers’ room by myself.

I didn’t know why, but I was gritting my teeth audibly.

ÅÅÅ

 

“Jjaro, do you have a minute?”

After school, Nanda called out to me and pointed behind him with his thumb. He’s most likely telling me to come outside.

In the end, it was concluded that people would come to take Jaim away tomorrow.

The teachers said that cases like this had to be dealt with quickly, so the conversation progressed as if they had already made preparations beforehand. Although it seems Saeyeon tried to persuade and stop the teachers however she could, it seems her efforts were wasted.

Saeyeon wordlessly turned to look at me each time that happened, but I ignored her.

I was sick and tired of this now.

“·····Is it something you have to tell me now?”

“A moment of your time is fine. It won’t take long.”

If he says so. I nodded my head.

The ‘Creative Science Club’ club room. My hideout.

Nanda locked the door behind him as he followed me into the room.

“Jjaro, take your glasses off for a bit.”

“·····All right.”

I knew what he was going to do. I took my glasses off.

I saw stars. This guy, he hit me seriously.

Nanda spoke while shaking his right hand.

“I honestly shouldn’t have done that since this is my mic hand.”

He then grinned and sat down on a chair.

“I told you yesterday, didn’t I? I told you to apologize to Saeyeon as soon as you got home. What are you thinking?”

The fact that he could smile coolly like that despite having hit me hard enough to see stars and the fact that I didn’t feel particularly upset about it was most likely Nanda’s charm.

“I’m not thinking of anything. It’s exactly as you heard.”

“Well, I didn’t believe that she was really your daughter anyway, but.”

As he said that, Nanda had a somewhat forlorn expression on his face.

“·····Still, seeing the little lady who told me that she was my number one fan behave like that all of a sudden is, as I thought, painful.”

“But it has nothing to do with you.”

In response to my words that I had said while rubbing my stinging cheek, Nanda nodded his head.

“Yeah. It probably has nothing to do with me.”

After saying that, Nanda looked straight at me.

“Then what about you, Jjaro?”

“·····.”

I missed my timing to respond. Nanda smiled.

“I don’t know the circumstances and I don’t really want to know either. Jjaro, your reason is your own reason after all. If you won’t say it, then I don’t plan to question you about it.”

And I have no plans to tell him.

Nanda gave me an earnest look as he saw that I was staying quiet before continuing.

“But at the very least, I have to tell you this. Jjaro, you really resemble someone right now. You know that, right?”

“·····I know.”

Among the untaught masses, the reason why Nanda and I are able to call each other ‘friends’, is because this guy knew my circumstances and understood it.

Last year, when we were in the same class, in response to when I had absentmindedly told him about my past, he displayed a forlorn smile and spoke these words, ‘That must have been difficult’.

I hated that. Even though he had a proper family, even though there’s no way that he would understand my situation, I absolutely hated it when he had patted my shoulder as if he understood.

That’s why I believed that if I was going to make friends, then it would only be this guy.

Because if it’s this guy, who’s capable of sympathizing with me because I’m able to live by myself, then I’d be able to spit in that smiling face of his one day.

When the time comes, I feel like the only way that my pitied self could feel better would be if I could see his face after he’s been betrayed by someone he trusts.

Regardless, while showing the same forlorn smile as before, Nanda spoke.

“I believe that someone else’s business is their own business, so I don’t plan to trespass into the safe zone that you had set up, Jjaro. However, since I’m your friend, I’ll tell you something from my position outside that zone.”

Nanda erased the pleasant smile from his face and looked straight, directly at me.

“There are times, when you have to know another person’s situation. Especially if it’s the situation of your family.”

“·····It’s not a concern of mine. She’s not even my family.”

She’s merely claiming to be my family. I have never perceived it as such.

Similar to how I have never sincerely perceived this guy as my friend.

“Is that so? Then I have nothing more to say.”

Nanda let out a chuckle as he got up.

“It’s your business, Jjaro, so I won’t say anything more. If you’re going to be like that, then so be it. I’m your friend and not your family after all.”

“If you have something to say, then say it properly.”

Nanda turned to look back at me as he opened the door.

“If you’re incapable of understanding something if it isn’t said properly, then you really are a child.”

Nanda spoke as if he were gazing at an unfortunate friend.

“And if you don’t try to listen, then you’ll continue to be a child.”

ÅÅÅ

 

“Ja Saeyeon.”

Because of the sight of me standing next to Saeyeon’s seat and speaking to her, our classmates turned their heads. As if they were staring at a bomb that was about to go off, they looked as if they would step forward at any moment in order to prevent it.

They were evidently raising their guards and whispering among one another. Don’t tell me he’s going to start something again? Shouldn’t we stop him right now? etc etc.

“·····Yeah, Jjaro.”

Between the whispers, Saeyeon quietly answered.

“I’ll be taking Jaim home.”

I wasn’t doing this specifically because of what Nanda had said. I merely wanted to confirm something. That was all.

Of course, she most likely won’t let me take Jaim. Saeyeon doesn’t even know what happened yesterday. Additionally, I had said those words to her yesterday. That I disliked her, that I was sick and tired of her. I even clearly refused when she was asking for my help earlier.

“Okay.”

But Saeyeon smiled brightly and answered like that.

“·····Eh?”

“Then I’ll go home by myself today. I’ll try to handle dinner by myself as well.”

Saeyeon displayed a confident look on her face as if she were telling me to not worry.

Why.

Although I couldn’t muster the strength to say what was on my mind, Saeyeon must have read my expression in some way as she continued to smile.

“If Jjaro is saying that, then that means he’ll definitely do something.”

Among all of the things that Saeyeon does, this was what I hated the most.

She holds expectations on her own and gets disappointed on her own.

Regardless, right now wasn’t the time to get upset about that.

I didn’t say anything more and left to pick up Jaim, who was being looked after by the school nurse, a nurse who was closer to being a grandma, at the infirmary.

“Take special care of that girl. It seems she has a lot of injuries in her heart.”

I couldn’t say anything in return to what the school nurse had said as I left.

“·····.”

Moreover, as I had expected, Jaim didn’t respond at all throughout the entire day.

No, it would be better to say that she was constantly trembling in the corner of the room.

Even after a considerable amount of time had passed since we got home, like an injured animal, like a scared cat, Jaim stayed in the corner with her back against the wall and kept watching me with fearful eyes that were dark and filled to the brim with anxiety.

She was unable to bite her nails because of the bandages that were wrapped around her hand, so I had to stop her several times since she would try to bite the bandages off. Every time I did, she would flinch and repeatedly say ‘I’m sorry’ once more.

She didn’t eat either. Even though I filled the plates with her favorite foods, she wouldn’t even take a glimpse at them. I did hear her stomach grumble, but it appeared as if she suspected that the food I made her was filled with poison.

She should be tired since she wasn’t able to sleep at all since yesterday, but it seems she was afraid that I might do something to her while she’s asleep.

“·····Kid.”

Time went by like that and the day had ended before I knew it. It was now today. Once morning arrives, I was going to have to say farewell to this kid.

Upperclassman Nabom had told me. She told me that she was going to have to go through some hardships because I had brought Jaim to school. I wonder what she meant by that. Did she mean that she has to now kidnap Jaim while she’s on her way to a child shelter or whatever in order to take her back to the future?

Or did she mean that she has to go through some hardships because she won’t be able to take her away now?

“·····Kid.”

Dark trembling eyes that made it clear that she had her guard up.

“Come here. Let’s talk for a bit. Okay?”

I wonder what this kid is thinking.

Is she relieved that she no longer has to face a scary person like me once morning arrives? What thoughts are going back and forth within those dark eyes?

“If you don’t come here, then I’ll come to you, you know?”

“·····Uu.”

Twitch, Jaim pushed her body against the wall even more. She was even eyeing the door behind me so she could avoid and get away from me if she had to.

Yeah, that’s right. Of course. Anyone would want to run away from something that scares them. Especially if it’s from the person who told her that she wasn’t needed and never wanted her. There’s no way that she would want to go near that person.

“All right. Then listen to me from there.”

No answer. She only looked at me with scared eyes and moved her head in a vague manner that made it so that I couldn’t tell if she were nodding or shaking her head.

There’s a chance that she was simply trembling.

Regardless, and in spite of that.

“You know, I thought that I didn’t need something like a family.”

Since this is the end anyway.

If it’s someone who I’m not sure was listening to me or not,

if it’s someone who won’t understand unless told properly,

then I’ll most likely be able to actually talk with ease.

 

I hate families.

Since they make you have false hope.

Since they make you work hard for nothing.

When I was young, I believed that I could change something if I worked hard.

If I helped my parents, if I did whatever I could, then I believed that it would work out somehow. Since we’re a family. Since we’re a precious existence that you only have one of. If there’s a difficult task, then we help each other. Since we’re an existence that shares each other’s happiness and pain. Since we’re an existence that everyone obviously has, and if they don’t, then it’d be painful.

 

Ever since she was little, Saeyeon has always been a dope.

If someone didn’t help her, then she really couldn’t do anything.

Every time I saw Saeyeon like that, it was pitiful.

During pre-school, there was a time when she had tried to eat mud while we were playing house. I hit her on the back of her head in order to stop her and went to fight with the kids who had made her do that.

During elementary school, there was a time when she had brought a doll, which she had cherished since she was a baby, to school, and ended up being teased for it and someone even threw her doll away. I comforted Saeyeon so she wouldn’t cry and, after picking the doll up from the river, I went after the guys who did it and beat them up.

Because Saeyeon was scolded by the teacher for being unable to properly learn Korean literature and simple mathematics, I had tutored her throughout the night at a young age. When she was crying because she had broken a window during cleaning time, I told the teacher that I had done it and got in trouble in her stead. There was a time she said she was going to copy me since I cooked for my parents and wound up almost starting a fire, so I ended up helping her.

And, every time I saw Saeyeon like that, I was jealous.

Because Saeyeon had a family that looked after her.

Because she had parents that would smile and comfort her whenever she went to them crying. I envied that.

I was jealous of the laughter I would hear next door whenever I was eating dinner by myself.

Whenever I went to visit Saeyeon, who had a weak constitution since she was little and would often fall sick, while she was ill, I would be jealous of the fact that her parents would take a day off from work and take care of her all day.

That’s why I felt miserable whenever Saeyeon approached me.

I was annoyed because of Saeyeon who would always stick close to me.

Why me? Even though she has a family. Even though she already has people who would comfort her and take care of her without something like me around, why me?

I would get irritated whenever I heard Saeyeon’s parents or any other adult say that we got along. Even though I’m not taking care of her because I want to. Even though I’m simply taking care of her because she felt like too much of a child.

Regardless, no one understood. Everyone thought that I was taking care of her because I liked her.

Saeyeon’s mother had a weak constitution like Saeyeon. When I was young, I thought that that was the reason why Saeyeon’s body was weak.

In the end, she had fallen sick due to a bad illness and passed away around the same time Saeyeon was about to start elementary school.

She was a good person. She would worry about me who was home alone often. She would occasionally invite me over to have dinner with them and she would even suggest that I should stay over for the night.

She would always tease me by calling me ‘Jjaro’.

During my last meeting with her, Saeyeon’s mother had said this to me,

“Since this old lady can no longer look after Saeyeon, I’ll leave her in your care, Jjaro.”

She smiled as if it were regrettable and stroked my hair.

“Saeyeon is kind, innocent, and dopey·····. Someone has to constantly be by her side, but it seems that’s going to be impossible for this old lady.”

So please stay beside Saeyeon in this old lady’s stead, Jjaro.

“I’m only asking you this because you’re like our son, Jjaro.”

Because she couldn’t do it herself. She arbitrarily expected me to do it.

Even while in front of death’s door, she asked me to carry out a lifelong request.

I envied that so much.

Even Saeyeon’s new mother, her current mother, who Saeyeon’s father had married several years later, was like that.

“Since it’s Jaro, who’s like our son, we’ll help you if you look after Saeyeon.”

She spoke as if she were coercing me once more with an unheard of promise.

I begrudged that so much.

That’s why, I hated families even more.

Because I wasn’t able to have one.

If I could choose, then I wanted to be born in a family like that as well.

Not a household that would ignore me as if I didn’t exist, no, as if I were a nuisance, but a family that would embrace me warmly.

I wished that I had parents who would say that for me.

But something like that didn’t exist. I didn’t have it.

An existence that everyone obviously has and would be painful if you didn’t, this was a lie.

If you don’t have a family, then you could live using your own strength just as I have.

An existence that helps each other if there’s a difficult task and shares each other’s happiness and struggles, this was a lie.

Because I have dealt with difficult tasks by myself. Because I have enjoyed happy occasions and overcome struggles all by myself.

The fact that it was a precious existence that you only had one of, this was also a lie.

Since I didn’t even have one.

So, I don’t need, a family.

 

“But, but I don’t get it!”

Because I had shouted unconsciously, Jaim reacted by flinching. But I had no time to pay attention to that.

“Even though I don’t need it, even though it’s a lie! Even though it’s an existence that’ll be tossed aside when you no longer need it! Even though it doesn’t matter if you have one or not since it’s the same thing anyway!”

At first, when this kid, Jaim appeared before me and called herself my daughter, I simply thought that she was bothersome. I was already busy with my own stuff, so I didn’t have the time to deal with her.

I tried to not pay attention to her. Family? How stupid. You don’t need something like that. You just have to live by yourself.

However, as we continued to spend our time together, I gradually became concerned.

What is she doing by herself at home?

What exactly is so good about this place that she would come here?

Do I have to ignore her? Or do I have to respond to her somehow?

Even though this kid came here with a goal anyway. Even though she had come here in order to use me so I would unite or whatever with Saeyeon. Even though that was it.

Even though she was trying to use me for her own gain.

Why am I concerned?

Even though, according to this generation’s genius scientist, Jin Jaro’s, my, theory, families aren’t necessary. Even though not having a family is the premise and the conclusion. I couldn’t understand. I don’t know. I don’t understand why I’m worried, why I’m concerned.

Additionally, the one thing I didn’t understand the most was, how exactly is this kid,

despite having had the same past as me, despite the fact that she should have sufficiently learned that she didn’t need something like a family, how.

How is she still able to have hope?

Does she still possess the hope that she’ll be able to change something if she works hard enough?

“Even though it’s impossible for me to not know something! Even now!”

I’m perfect. I’m capable of living on my own. I’m a genius. There’s nothing that I don’t know. I like science because the answer comes out right away. Only a single answer resides within a single question. Furthermore, if we use the principle of science and follow the procedure of problem posing, observation, experimentation, and result, then in order to find out the answer to the question of whether families are needed or not, you just have to look at my, the perfect genius’, experience to know that families aren’t needed.

I can do the experiment whenever I want, but the result is already out.

There is only a single answer. There should only be one. It can’t not be one.

But, but why am I still unable to get it?

There’s no way that something the great I doesn’t understand could exist.

Why, does this kid still have hope?

Why, am I jealous of families?

Why, am I so annoyed right now?

At myself.

“I-I’m·····sorry·····.”

“·····Hm?”

I raised my head in response to those words.

Because Jaim, was speaking to me.

She was apologizing.

Jaim’s voice was different from before. Although it still sounded as if she were holding back her sobbing, her tone was now boundlessly dark and cold.

“What’s wrong? What are you sorry about?”

I quickly asked back. That’s not what’s important right now. Jaim, had finally reacted to my presence here. I was happy about that.

⎯⎯⎯That’s why, you ‘reacting’ to me properly is enough to make me happy, Dad.

I finally understood what Jaim meant when she had said that at that time.

But it wasn’t just that. That wasn’t the only thing I wanted to know.

I had to get an answer. What is it that I don’t get.

I was able to slightly open the door of her closed mind. I had to open it all the way no matter what. What’s hidden inside that closed mind and what I’m going to do after I open it, is a problem for later.

No matter what she did wrong, regardless of what it was, I’ll forgive her.

I asked her while smiling. The edges of my mouth shook.

“Because you made that plastic model without my permission? That’s fine. It would have been knocked over by time anyway, so who knows when I would have made it myself, and I could just buy another one later.”

“Because you called me an idiot? That’s fine. That’s an easy misunderstanding to have. Geniuses occasionally do stupid things as well after all.”

“Or because you abruptly traveled through time in order to be here? That’s fine. Everything is fine, all of that is okay, so tell me. What did you do wrong?”

In the end, Jaim started to shed tears as she spoke.

And in that instant, the smile that I was forcefully making on my face hardened. I felt like all of the blood in my body was rushing through my blood vessels in reverse.

 

“I’m, sorry·····. It would, have been better if I weren’t born·····. Then, mom, and dad, wouldn’t have had, to fight·····. I’m sorry·····. I’m sorry·····. I’m sorry, for being born·····. I’m sorry·····.”

 

“·····You!”

I couldn’t hold back. I jumped up and walked towards Jaim. Jaim, who had been wiping her tears and continuously saying that she was sorry, was startled, but she must have been terrified of the expression on my face as she was unable to even run away.

I raised my hand. Jaim bit her lips tightly as she held her eyes shut.

While barely holding back my shaking arm, I shouted.

“Never, never say that you’re sorry for being born!”

 

Those words,

because those words were what I wanted to say to my parents.

Because that was what I wanted to say to my parents who wouldn’t take care of me, to tell them to take care of me, to please take care of me at least once.

Because those words were the very words I couldn’t say because of that, the words I couldn’t allow myself to say.

Because, out of all the things I could have seen, I had seen the one thing I didn’t want to see the most within her mind, I ended up seeing myself.

 

“H-Hiik!”

Jaim crawled on the floor because of my shout. With her hands and feet, she crawled away like a cat and opened the door before running out of the room.

I heard tumbling. She must have tripped because she was in such a hurry. She didn’t dare to open the front door, so she had run to the empty room that was the furthest away. I heard the door to my parent’s room being opened and closed before it was then locked. Starting from a whimper, I then soon heard crying.

“·····I see, so this is how it feels. When you hear those words.”

I could only laugh. I inadvertently laughed without a sound.

I didn’t say those words because I was afraid. I couldn’t.

During my birthday during my second year of middle school, I wanted to spit those words out in response to what my parents had told me over the phone.

But I was afraid.

In response to my words,

‘Yeah, it would have been better if you weren’t born.’

‘It would have been better if we didn’t have something like you.’

‘Then I would have been able to work faster.’

‘Then I would have been able to focus on my work.’

I was afraid, that I would hear these sorts of responses.

Because, that answer would mean that I had no value whatsoever.

I didn’t want that. Thus, I would tell myself this.

I’m a genius. I’m an existence that’s necessary to the world.

I’m not a needless existence.

If I didn’t tell myself this, if I didn’t endure everything on my own, then I wouldn’t have been able to survive.

And yet I had said those words to Jaim.

You’re something that I have never wanted even once in my life.

You’re a needless existence.

You’re an existence that’s worthless and better off gone.

“·····Hm?”

Jaim’s backpack that was sitting in the corner of the room came into my line of sight.

An inefficiently small and adorable bag.

Now that I think about it, every time we worked together at night, she would leave that there.

Moreover, the instant I saw that backpack, I remembered something.

I pulled the zipper open and poured the contents of the backpack onto the ground.

A notebook that you could feel the unique childishness of a little kid just by looking at the cover.

〈Happy Family Planning〉

I flipped the first page and flipped the page after that.

There were lines written here and there. Scribbles that were drawn in a childish manner. I flipped through the notebook one page at a time.

While engraving in my eyes the lines that seemed similar to wishes.

 

‘Watch TV as a family.’

‘Eat dinner as a family.’

‘Cook for mom and dad.’

‘Take a bath together as a family.’

‘Go on a family outing.’

 

“·····How childish.”

While I let out a snort and laughed, the pages became wet.

In the end, we’re merely the same human.

If you look at my belief that something like a family wasn’t necessary from another angle,

then it meant that I was just jealous.

Even these trivial things that were normally done routinely,

was something that I envied immensely.

But since I couldn’t grasp it within my hands, because I couldn’t have it,

I had turned my head away and disregarded them saying that those grapes were sour.

I finally obtained the answer of why I was so annoyed.

Because it was Jaim’s first family.

Because she had obtained the family that she had always wanted.

Because it was the family that I had hated until now and said that it was unnecessary.

Moreover, as if it were being reflected in a mirror, it was a family that was just like me.

Something I didn’t want to watch the most, something that had a part that I didn’t want to acknowledge.

I’ve come to a realization. I’m not a genius.

I didn’t discover the truth of the world nor do I know something that’s capable of treating others as untaught masses. I’m not an existence that’s absolutely necessary to the world either.

Those are merely things that I wanted to hear from someone that’s not myself.

That you’re needed. That you’re precious.

I didn’t know anything. Really, I knew nothing.

“·····All right.”

But that was a mistake.

I couldn’t accept this answer.

“Things are blackening(The Final Mode).”

ÅÅÅ

 

In the morning. Upperclassman Nabom, who had come outside after being contacted by me, looked more tired than usual. Her eyes weren’t half-open but a quarter-open right now.

“·····What is it, Underclassman Jin Jaro? During this early morning.”

I spoke bluntly towards Upperclassman Nabom who was looking at her watch and talking in an evidently annoyed tone.

“I forgot about one thing.”

“What is it? I’m tired beyond belief because you had complicated matters immensely yesterday, Underclassman Jin Jaro.”

So this person becomes like this if she’s tired. If her normal behavior was to act courteous, then right now, she sounded sincerely annoyed. Without even covering her mouth, Upperclassman Nabom let out a big yawn and rubbed her eyes.

“Seriously, I definitely told you to coordinate your story properly, but till the very end, you wound up dealing with things like that. My head hurts for several different reasons thanks to you. I have to deal with the government authority here and the timing to take the kid back to the future has now become vague.”

“That doesn’t concern me.”

“·····You talk well despite being the very person who made me go through all of this hardship in the first place.”

Wow, that’s a bit scary. Her murderous intent right now wasn’t a joke because her eyes were only a quarter-open. Nevertheless, I spoke imposingly.

“Upperclassman Nabom, you definitely promised me before, right? That if I guide you through modern society, then ‘you’d give me something that I’d need in the future’.”

“Do you mean the DLC content·····? You’re really amazing, Underclassman Jin Jaro.”

Upperclassman Nabom looked annoyed.

“You’re aiming for your own personal gain even in this situation, huh·····. Well, sure, you always have. All right. I’ll give you something, then. However, it won’t be a time machine or something from the future, but·····.”

“No. I’ll pick what I want.”

Because of my stern answer, Upperclassman Nabom’s eyes opened a bit wider. They were now half-open.

“·····Well, okay then. This is the end anyway, and since I was able to finish my task within a month thanks to you, I can offer you a certain amount of service. Although I do have some resentment since you made me go through a lot of trouble throughout the entire night and called me here even though the sun isn’t up yet, a promise is a promise.”

After letting out a long sigh, Upperclassman Nabom asked.

“So, what is it that you want? Should I tell you the superordinate concepts of the cell phones that’ll be all the rage in the future? If you’ll be satisfied with that, then·····.”

“I don’t need something like that.”

I looked straight at Upperclassman Nabom, who was going through her pockets, and told her what I needed the most in my future.

“⎯⎯⎯Give me my daughter.”

“·····Are you going make bad jokes even in a situation like this? I did say before that the only thing I could offer you was my body, but·····.”

“I’m not talking about that! Read the context, the context!”

Damn it, she’s going to release the valve because of that nonsense. Now that I think about it, there’s no reason to speak formally to her now. She’s someone who’s trying to take my daughter away. She’s an enemy,

“I want Jaim. Help me.”

And if need be, you have to ally with your enemy. I’m the genius scientist of this age, a mad scientist, so I’m not as narrow-minded as those foolish untaught masses.

Upperclassman Nabom blinked. She must have been bewildered since I had abruptly spoken to her informally and she couldn’t understand what my intentions were.

“·····Why, did you change your mind all of a sudden?”

While gazing at Upperclassman Nabom who had asked that while tilting her head, I answered.

“Yesterday, Jaim had said this to me. She said that she was sorry for having been born, that she was sorry for being here.”

“·····So?”

I unconsciously clenched my fists. I had no other choice but to grit my teeth as hard as I possibly could in order to calm my trembling jaw.

“At the very least, those words are the very words that a child should never say to their parents. Parents must never hear those words from their child. If, if by the slightest chance, they hear those words·····. If they make their child think that·····.”

As if I were struggling to spit a black lump out from my chest, I was barely able to force my mouth to continue.

“Then that child, and those parents, are the worst. They’re pieces of garbage.”

Upperclassman Nabom simply looked at me with wide eyes.

“If you’re from the future, then you can do something like information fabrication, right? In the first place, you should have had to make a family register or something in order to admit yourself to our school. If that’s the case, then can’t you make something like a family register for Jaim as well?”

“·····Well, of course it’s possible, but.”

Upperclassman Nabom snorted at my words and spoke.

“Why should I help you?”

With a mocking smile on her face, Upperclassman Nabom looked at me as if I were pathetic.

“A promise like that that doesn’t have any compulsion, it’s over if I just ignore it. Even if I could offer you a certain amount of service out of my own goodwill, there’s no reason for me to help you while enduring losses.”

While smiling with only her mouth, Upperclassman Nabom gave me a cold gaze.

“All of my goals have been achieved just as I wanted, which means I don’t have to stay in this sort of past any longer. If I help you, Underclassman Jin Jaro, and hand Miss Jin Jaim over to you, then I would have to continue my bothersome mission here. What reason do I have to endure that inconvenience?”

That’s right. I knew she would react like this.

Since everything has proceeded as she wanted.

A gamble against a person who had obtained everything she wanted. I had no card that I could put out. I had no weapons that I could currently use.

“I don’t care about something like that.”

If that’s the case, if I don’t have a weapon that I can use now.

“But if you’re like that, then it’ll become really bothersome for you, you know? In the future, that is.”

“·····What do you mean?”

Upperclassman Nabom knit her brows in response to my words and asked back.

“By the looks of it, it seems information contamination has occurred on my side as well. I’ve only said it through words so far, but at this point, I feel like I have no other choice but to take action. World domination.”

“·····Pardon?”

Upperclassman Nabom opened her eyes widely at the words I had spat out. And then,

“Ha·····. Hahaha. Ahahahahahahahaha!”

she held her sides with laughter. She laughed so hard that tears formed at the corner of her eyes.

“Aah, that was a good joke. For you to make me laugh in a situation like this, you may actually have a knack for being a comedian, Underclassman Jin Jaro.”

Upperclassman Nabom wiped away her tear and displayed her teeth as she smirked.

“Underclassman Jin Jaro, I’m not sure if the dumb Underclassman Jin Jaro remembers or not, but a threat like that doesn’t work. I told you before, didn’t I? There isn’t something like a time paradox. In the future, Underclassman Jin Jaro, you’re merely a bald old man who gets fired from his job. A worthless and small cogwheel that the world can continue to spin without. Do you think that kind of threat will work on me when I know that already?”

Upperclassman Nabom folded her arms as if she were waiting for my reply.

“What’s your plan to conquer the world? Your ways and means? Can you assure me that it’s possible? A bluff that’s simply words, you should throw this sort of nonsense aside.”

“Then I’d like to ask you as well.”

I pushed my glasses up and spoke.

“Where’s the evidence that it’s impossible?”

Upperclassman Nabom’s face slightly hardened because of my question.

“You saw the future? You already know? Where’s the proof? The assurance? Isn’t that just your memory? My plan, ways, and means, you said that you wanted to hear them, right? All right, then I’ll tell you.”

I stuck out my chest, took in a deep breath, and,

I shouted in a voice that was filled with certainty.

“I! The real man Jin Jaro! The genius scientist of this age! Mad scientist! Was able to prove my hypothesis that families aren’t needed through this incident! Therefore, with certainty, I had obtained the evidence that it would be fine to act in order to enlighten the untaught masses of the entire world!”

I’m not a genius? I’m a worthless and small cogwheel that the world can still spin without?

Don’t make me laugh. Something like that is obviously wrong.

I’m a necessary existence to the world. I’m someone who can change the world.

“I have already progressed in my development of robot maids for the purpose of conquering the world! If you put this genius’ ability into consideration, then I’ll be able to mass produce them within 5 years. If I utilize that technological prowess, then I’ll be able to make something like a combat android in an instant!”

I can create an enemy searching device by improving the ‘Coloring Radar’ which I had invented, I can create a weapon by improving the ‘Acht-Acht Antiaircraft gun’ which I had invented, and I can create a power source by improving the ‘Atomic Heater’ which I had invented!

“My tools are already completed! Furthermore, with the money that I could obtain by releasing a futuristic game console to the market first, I could prepare everything now!”

All of my preparations are finished. The only thing left for me to do is to act on it.

“Untaught masses who are bound by an outdated system like families will bow before my technical skills, and the era that you had come from, Ha Nabom, will be ruled by that technological prowess of mine!”

The instant I pointed at her, Upperclassman Nabom flinched.

However, that was also only for a moment. A ridiculing smile appeared on her face once more.

“·····Even if you say that, in the end, that’s still just empty words.”

Yeah, in the long run, I was simply saying things.

Words that I was spitting out without any assurance.

“I’m someone who always keeps his words. You know that as well, don’t you?”

However, I resolved myself. I erased my doubt. I held onto only confidence.

“Furthermore, I already know. The fact that information contamination can easily occur even by just saying a single line. If that’s the case, doesn’t that mean there’s no assurance that you won’t be contaminated by something I say?”

The mocking smile disappeared from Upperclassman Nabom’s face, and before I knew it, she was looking at me with blank eyes while her mouth was slightly agape.

Back when she had explained to me what information contamination was, I had asked her.

⎯⎯⎯First, is Upperclassman Nabom fine?

In response to that question, she had answered me like this.

⎯⎯⎯I’m fine. As I’m a dispatched officer, I’ve received training in order to be prepared for it.

The fact that she had received training, meant that she couldn’t block it perfectly

It was a gamble anyway. I didn’t have any assurance whatsoever.

I simply believed. I believed that I’m not some pathetic person in the future. That I’m a great person. That I’m a necessary person who possesses the strength to change the world.

I’m a terrible person anyway. I was a bastard who bossed around a girl who was taking care of him, told the girl who said she liked him that he disliked people like her, told his daughter that he didn’t need something like her, and was a mad scientist who dreamt of conquering the world, so there’s no way that I, that bastard, would be a good person.

If that’s the case, then I’d definitely become a terrible person. Instead of getting jealous of something that I couldn’t grasp within my hands, I’d get over it by breaking it apart.

“If you take that kid away, then I swear that I will carry this plan out! A world that disregards me and considers me to be a needless existence, I’ll destroy it all! I’ll get rid of it all!”

In response to those words, a dark glint brushed by Upperclassman Nabom’s eyes.

Fear then gradually spread across her face.

I’ll do it. I’ll accomplish it no matter what.

Honestly, I don’t want to do something like conquering the world. If anything, I want to destroy it. Something like a world that doesn’t need me, something like a world that says I’m worthless, it’d be better off gone.

“·····You’re saying that so indifferently. I thought that you were just all talk when you kept calling yourself a mad scientist, but you actually seem like one a bit right now.”

Upperclassman Nabom said that while trying to act strong, but a cold sweat was already going down the back of her neck and she had gulped.

“But how exactly is that a reason for me to help you?”

“Hu, hu, hu, how foolish. As expected of an untaught individual who doesn’t know science.”

I shook my finger side to side.

“Listen carefully. Science consists of 4 steps. Problem posing, observation, experimentation, and conclusion. You should know at least this much, right?”

“·····Although I’m uncertain if that defines science, what about it?”

“I have been doing something wrong until now. Well, though it’s because I have a tolerant attitude of not concerning myself with trivial matters since I’m a genius and all.”

I made a bold declaration.

“I forgot the experimentation, the experiment! That’s right! This is an experiment! An experiment for the development of all of mankind! Whether families are needed or not, I’m saying that I will personally do the experiment by spending time together with my daughter!”

“·····Wow. You’re so boldly declaring that you’ll use your daughter as a test subject.”

Upperclassman Nabom contorted her face as if she were sincerely perturbed.

“I am a mad scientist, I’ve already transcended something like the laws of the untaught masses. I’m saying that I’ll sacrifice myself for science!”

That’s right. Ultimately, every type of apprehension must be carried out personally and overcome.

Even if you’re a genius, something you don’t know is something you don’t know. That isn’t something you should be ashamed of.

A true genius doesn’t give up when faced with something they aren’t knowledgeable of, they endeavor in order to figure it out.

“Now then, Ha Nabom, choose! Will you momentarily stop my rampage until I’m able to figure out whether families are needed or not by presenting my daughter to me, or will you return to the future and live in an era that has turned to ashes!?”

Upperclassman Nabom’s lips vacantly opened halfway in response to my shout.

As if she were imagining it, as if she were truly worried that something like that would happen.

A dark glint glimmered in Upperclassman Nabom’s eyes for a moment because of those words.

Fear, spread gradually.

“·····.”

The moment her trembling lips were about to say something.

“·····Haa. I guess it can’t be helped then.”

At last, Upperclassman Nabom let out a sigh as she raised both of her hands.

“Fine. Let’s say I lost this time.”

Upperclassman Nabom continued as she lowered her raised hands.

“I’m telling you this now, but the only reason I’m raising a white flag right now is so I can prevent even the slightest chance of information contamination from occurring since it must not happen to me. That is all. In any case, no matter how much you endeavor, Underclassman Jin Jaro, in the end, you’ll wind up breaking up with Underclassman Ja Saeyeon, and your relationship with Miss Jin Jaim will become like that as well. Now that Miss Jin Jaim and I are here, the future has already been determined.”

There wasn’t even a spec of doubt in Upperclassman Nabom’s eyes as she said that.

“If you have any regrets later on, then know that this was your choice, Underclassman Jin Jaro.”

I answered Upperclassman Nabom who had said that to me while looking straight at my face.

“If that happens, then all I have to do is achieve my ambition.”

I had nothing to lose either way.

Upperclassman Nabom let out another sigh because of my answer.

“At any rate, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“What?”

Upperclassman Nabom looked right at me and asked.

“Didn’t you say that you’re no parent, Underclassman Jin Jaro?”

“What about it?”

I gazed at Upperclassman Nabom and grinned.

“I can’t be helped, can it? The peace of the family is⎯⎯⎯.”

ÅÅÅ

 

It would have been nice if everything wrapped up like that, but I still had one more thing left to handle.

“Haa·····. Haa·····.”

⎯⎯⎯Listen carefully, Underclassman Jin Jaro.

“Get out of the way, you untaught masses! Don’t block my way!”

⎯⎯⎯Since a promise is a promise, I can at least do that much, but I’m still a civil servant. I have to be faithful to my duties. If I don’t, then I’ll end up getting fired just like you did in the future, Underclassman Jin Jaro.

“Hey, you uneducated person over there! Lower your body! Yeah, lower your head! Hiyaah!”

⎯⎯⎯As long as Miss Jaim’s information contamination is severe, I cannot allow her to stay in this era. I have the task of taking Miss Jaim back to the future as long as she continues to be in this state.

“Haa·····. Haa·····. I said to get out of the way!”

⎯⎯⎯Information contamination cannot be treated in the future, but a single method to fix it does exist. You know what that is without me telling you, right?

I know.

Jaro, is off!

“Whoa, aaah! Punk, watch where you’re going! You want me to fix your eyes for you?!”

·····Jaro, is rolling.

I stood back up and ran down my morning path to school, but in reverse. I was heading home.

The students I passed by were looking at me as if I were some crazy person as I pushed and jumped over people who were blocking my path. But in the end, I wound up tripping over my own feet and rolling on the ground. What are you looking at?

Our homeroom teacher had told me yesterday, and he had informed Saeyeon as well. He said that he and some people were going to come to the front our houses in the morning in order to pick Jaim up. Regardless, Saeyeon is also an affectionate person, so she’ll most likely try to keep Jaim there.

If it was the Saeyeon I knew, then that would be the case.

And I was hoping that it was the Saeyeon I knew.

Then I won’t be too late.

“So, what are you going to do?”

In response to my answer, Upperclassman Nabom sighed deeply and spoke as she looked at the clock.

“I’m capable of helping you, but aren’t they taking Miss Jaim away today?”

“Yeah. They’re coming in the morning today.”

“Do you know what time it is right now?”

“I know. What of it?”

Coolly, I gazed at Upperclassman with a tilted glance that befitted this age’s cold-hearted, genius city-dwelling scientist.

“Use your time machine or something. I don’t care about the ways and means. If you can’t do it, then do something that’ll at least buy us a couple of more days. In order to take Jaim back to the future, you were going to go against the government authorities anyway, weren’t you?”

That was 2 hours ago.

There was no time machine. Upperclassman Nabom cracked her knuckles, stretched her neck, and took out her terminal before she started to type away like mad. Her typing was so fast that it almost felt like the reason why she would always go around looking tired was because she was reserving her strength for moments like this.

Though it still ended up taking this much time.

“If my higher ups find out about this, then it won’t end with just one or two written apologies·····.”

She could have been faster if she worked instead of complaining.

I could have been faster if I exercised regularly.

But it was fine. It was still better than being more late than this.

“W-Wait a moment! Jjaro will be here soon, so·····!”

“We’re already plenty late. Saeyeon, you have to go to school as well. I get that you must have gotten attached to the little girl because of the past couple of weeks, but for the little girl’s sake·····.”

“Haa·····. Haa·····. S-Safe·····.”

I was, at the very least, able to get here on time.

“·····Jjaro?”

Saeyeon looked at me with wide eyes. Because of that, the other people around her looked at me as well.

There was a car that looked like it belong to some children shelter, which our homeroom teacher and Saeyeon were arguing in front of, and besides that, there was a police officer and some other people, who must have come from a children protection group, standing on the side and watching Saeyeon and our teacher with worried eyes. It seems I had arrived just barely on time.

“Where’d you go off to? We’ve been waiting for you.”

Our gorilla-like homeroom teacher glanced at me. I was going to answer immediately, but it took me a moment because I had to catch my breath. Maybe I should actually start exercising.

“Jaim, where’s, haa, Jaim?”

“·····She’s over there.”

In the place he had pointed at in a tired manner, there was a terrified Jaim who was trying to conceal herself.

“Come here.”

“·····Uu·····.”

I sternly walked towards Jaim who was backing away in order to avoid me and grabbed her hand. Jaim’s pupils trembled. Did she get caught on purpose even though she could have run away, or·····?

No, that didn’t matter. That’s not something I need to be concerned about at this point.

“Uhm, who’s this·····?”

In response to the words spoken by the lady who seemed to be the oldest among the caretakers, our homeroom teacher answered while scratching his head.

“Uh, mm, he’s the other student who was taking care of this little girl. Jin Jaro, stop wasting time and let the kid go. We have to go now.”

“No. I won’t let her go.”

Our homeroom teacher simply raised one eyebrow because of my firm answer.

“·····Haa. I knew this would happen so I wanted to send the little girl yesterday.”

Because the police officer and the caretakers were looking at him with troubled looks on their faces, our homeroom teacher scratched the back of his head again and spoke. Your hair will fall out if you keep that up.

“Jaro, I get that you got attached to the kid as you took care of her as well, but still, if you act like this, then you’ll just be troubling everyone here. Saeyeon is·····. Well, she’s Saeyeon, but you’re supposed to know your stuff, how could you also behave like this?”

“That isn’t my problem.”

“Jin Jaro. I’m not joking around.”

It seems our homeroom teacher, who had been talking gently until now, didn’t like my answer as his tone then became sharp.

“You young kids won’t be able to keep her around anyway, and it won’t be good for the little girl either. I’m not sure where this little girl came from, but it’s apparent that she needs love and protection, so wouldn’t it be better to leave her in the hands of people who are more appropriate? We already concluded that we were going to do this yesterday.”

That’s right. That might be true. Instead of a person like me, someone who was trained to handle things like this might be better.

“Jaro, I don’t know if you’re acting like this because this girl is, in some ways, similar to you, but that’s just your greed. If you really want to help the girl, then shouldn’t you consider what might be the best option for her? You can’t look after a kid simply with your sympathy and vicarious satisfaction, right?”

That’s right. It was just as he said. It’s not like I can look after this kid simply because of my sympathy or because she was like me. I have to think about what’s best for this kid.

“That’s why I’m doing this.”

I boldly stared at our homeroom teacher and spoke.

“Because what this kid needs the most, is parents.”

“You·····.”

Instead of our homeroom teacher, who was at a loss for words, a caretaker stood forward with a pleasant smile on her face.

“Uhm, boy? I understand what you’re concerned about. You’re most likely worried whether this child will be able to grow up while properly receiving love or not. We have many children like this at our shelter. There are also a lot of experienced caretakers there. We’ll take care of her much better than the parents who had thrown her away. Yes, if you want, then you can come visit whenever you want. We’ll always welcome you with open arms, so can you stop this and·····.”

“That’s why I’m saying she doesn’t need something like that.”

“Jin Jaro! Are you going to keep making things complicated?!”

In the end, our homeroom teacher couldn’t hold back any longer and proceeded to shout.

“At any rate, everything has already been decided, so nothing will change even if you behave like this now! So stop messing around and let the little girl go. Do you know that this is an official government duty? Why do you think that police officer is over there?”

Although the police officer looked annoyed at our homeroom teacher for bringing him up all of a sudden, it seems he didn’t like tiresome things so he nodded his head with a hardened face and looked at me.

Of course that would be the case. The procedures were all over and government authorities were scary.

Also, the fundamentals of a mad scientist is to fight against government authorities.

Try coming at me. This is only the beginning.

Excluding Saeyeon, who was looking at me, I turned to yell at the other 7 people (The Round Table).

“Shut up! I know that better than anyone else!”

Because of my yell that didn’t have even a hint of formality in it, our homeroom teacher, the caretakers, and even the police officer shut their mouths. But this wasn’t the time to care about that.

These people have been scratching away at my nerves for a while now.

“Even I know what’s good for this kid! Yeah! There probably isn’t a single good thing about staying with me! I don’t want to stay with this kid either! Rather than being with a parent who doesn’t even pay attention to her, it would probably be better if she were with people who could love her properly!”

Because of my shout, Jaim, whose hand was held in mine, looked up at me with scared eyes. What? I’m not going to lie. I’m only saying my thoughts.

“Honestly, it’s bothersome! I don’t need something like a family and I don’t intend to care about it! I don’t care about what happens to them!”

But, despite that,

“Even if it’s a parent who’s better off gone, even if it’s a parent who doesn’t do anything for her, even if it’s a parent who won’t properly love and take care of her and would only cause her harm instead!”

⎯⎯⎯Families are something precious! You only have a single family!

If this kid, doesn’t believe I’m like that,

⎯⎯⎯You get upset if I mess around with you, you pull on my cheeks, we worked on Multi together, and you even worried about me for sleeping late. That’s more than enough for me. I’m glad I came here.

If she’ll smile like that,

“It can’t be helped!”

Although I honestly don’t want to do this⎯⎯⎯.

Since this is my first time having a family⎯⎯⎯.

“T-This kid is my daughter, so I’ll be the one to raise hyer!”

·····Damn it. I bit my tongue. What do you want? I’m nervous.

“·····What?”

Our homeroom teacher’s mouth fell open. He really does look like a gorilla when he’s like that.

“·····Jaro, what are you saying?”

“Look here!”

I spread the sweat-soaked and crinkled piece of paper that I had been holding in my hand since earlier. Our homeroom teacher received it.

“I-In truth, this child is my half-sibling that my reckless parents had given birth to! So obviously they would play dumb if you contact them in order to ask about her!  Regardless, I couldn’t bear the misconduct of those parents of mine, so I decided to protect her like this! Of course, we’re siblings if you consider our genealogy, but in order to prevent her from having to suffer because of our reckless parents again, I decided to raise her as if she were my own daughter! Look! It’s the confirmation document!”

·····Would they believe me? Probably not. Even I think this is completely far-fetched.

If she was going to make a forgery anyway, then it would have been nice if she made a story that was a bit more believable. She really doesn’t do her job properly. That’s why she even made me do her observation job for her. Outsourcing, my ass.

“·····What are you talking about?”

Look. Our homeroom teacher was looking at me with outright doubtful eyes. The gaze of a doubtful gorilla was scarier than I thought it would be. The other people’s gazes were scary as well, but I can’t lose here.

“L-Like I said, Jaim, who one of our parents had given birth to overseas and neglected in an orphanage because they didn’t acknowledge her, came here looking for me. So like this, as the duty of her brother, I decided that I’m going to properly raise her like a parent would! Here, I also have the confirmation documents from her orphanage!”

The gorilla’s eyes skimmed through the documents once he received it from me. ‘First Bom Orphanage’, isn’t this too obvious? For her to do a pun with her own name.
(TL note: The ‘bom’ in Nabom’s name can be read as ‘Spring’, so the name of the orphanage can be read as ‘First Spring Orphanage’.)

“·····What does this mean?”

Once our homeroom teacher showed the others the documents, the other teachers, the police officer, and the people from the children shelter gathered together and started to mutter among one another. Huh, it worked?

“In any case! Saeyeon and I will look after this child with our love!”

Several gazes returned to me once I had shouted that.

“·····Jjaro.”

Among those gazes, there was Saeyeon’s as well.

My resolve shook because of the next words I had to say.

It was something I had to say. I was aware of that. This part was the most important.

But, it was difficult to open my mouth. Rather than fighting against government authorities, this was incomparably more terrifying. My urge to run away grew stronger as Saeyeon approached me one step at a time.

I knew what kind of person Saeyeon was. I believe that I knew.

That’s why I’m more afraid. Because I had an experience like this a long time ago.

I thought I knew. Thus, I was more terrified of her response.

Even if I call it an experiment, if we become a family,

there’s the chance, that I could be betrayed.

Like that time, like that day.

“·····Ja Saeyeon.”

However, in spite of that,

I won’t know unless I try.

I won’t know unless I take a step forward.

I spoke.

“⎯⎯⎯Help. I need you.”

Uttering those two lines, was the hardest and scariest thing I had ever done until now.

I had told Saeyeon that I hated people like her.

I had asked her what a child like her could do to help.

That I didn’t need, something like a family.

But, if I say words like these,

then how will Saeyeon respond?

Saeyeon opened her eyes wide because of my words, and then,

“·····I’m sorry!”

she lowered her head, and answered like that.

“What·····.”

And everything was over, because of those words.

My vision was going dark. All of the strength from my body was leaving me.

Is it ultimately going to end up the same? Was I the same?

Did I hold expectations arbitrarily and arbitrarily hoped that she would do something?

Yeah. It’s obvious if you think about it. I had definitely told her that I disliked her. That I had never seen her as a woman. That I was sick and tired of her.

Of course she would hate me, loathe me. If I say something like that despite having said those other things before.

⎯⎯⎯If Jjaro is saying that, then that means he’ll definitely do something.

Are you telling me, that those words weren’t what I thought they meant?

Saeyeon’s mouth started to move once more.

No. Stop. If, if I clearly hear your refusal right now, then I really don’t think I’ll be able to bear it. Seriously, I’ll end up truly believing that things like families aren’t needed and that the world has no value whatsoever.

“Until now, I believed that you liked me, Jjaro.”

However, calmly, Saeyeon started to talk.

“Since I like Jjaro, Jjaro obviously likes me as well, every time you didn’t respond whenever I said this and would sometimes be grumpy instead, I selfishly thought that it was all because you were just shy.”

Although I wanted to shut my ears because I didn’t want to hear any more, I couldn’t do it. I had no other choice but to simply listen to what Saeyeon had to say.

However, in that moment, I opened my eyes widely.

“I, hk, didn’t try to understand you, Jjaro. I never thought, hkk, about your feelings, Jjaro.”

“You·····.”

I couldn’t believe it, so I could only ask.

“·····Why are you crying?”

As tears flowed down her face, Saeyeon cried.

“But·····. Sniff. Even though, I kept saying I liked you, I never thought about your feelings! I’m, sorry for that·····.”

No, that’s not right.

Aren’t I the bad guy? Aren’t I the bad guy for having responded like that to you even though you told me that you liked me? Instead of getting mad, annoyed, and telling me that you won’t listen to the request of a person like me,

Why, why are you the one crying?

“I, thought that families were unconditionally a good thing. I thought it was obvious. Because I had one. Because I had a mom and dad and they treated me kindly, even my current mom treats me nicely.”

Saeyeon spoke while sobbing.

“So, hk, I didn’t understand when you first got mad, Jjaro. I hated you. I thought Jjaro was my family as well, but, hkk, when I went home, uu, I thought about it while I was by myself, how Jjaro must have felt.”

If no one wanted me,

If no one loved me,

And if no one thought about me, then how would it feel.

“It was too sad. I couldn’t stop crying. So I realized what I had done to you, Jjaro.”

The words that she had thoughtlessly said.

What Mom made for dinner last night.

The amusement park I went to on the weekend was really fun.

The new clothes that Dad bought for me were pretty.

Although those were normal things, those were words that approached me like daggers.

“I also thought that I would hate me. I thought that if I were like that, hkk, and someone said those things to me, then there’s no way that I would like it. So, I realized how it must have felt when I selfishly told you that I liked you, even though I had never considered your feelings.”

And then, as if she couldn’t hold it back any longer, Saeyeon started to wail.

“·····Uu, uuuuuaaaaaaaah·····!”

While trying to wipe away her tears, Saeyeon spoke.

“I’m sorry, Jjaro·····. I’m sorry, that I told you that I liked you, hkk, I’m sorry. Yesterday, I was, hic, going to apologize, but I couldn’t say it. Because, sniff, if I apologize, then I felt like you’d think I was asking you to forgive me·····.”

Even though there’s no way that I could forgive her.

Even though there’s no way that I could forgive the person who I envied so much and was hurt by a countless number of times. Even though asking for forgiveness, would just hurt me again.

Because Saeyeon was crying much too beautifully as she said that while sobbing,

“·····So, why are you the one crying?”

I could only smile.

“B-but·····. Jjaro, you said that you needed me.”

In response to my question, Saeyeon spoke while wiping away her tears with both of her hands.

“Even though, honestly, I’m the one, hkk, who needs you, Jjaro. Jjaro, you said·····.”

I placed my hand on top of her head and stroked her hair as I spoke.

“Listen carefully. I’m only going to ask you this one more time.”

Saeyeon lifted her head. I looked straight into her eyes.

“Help me. I need you. Now then, your answer?”

In response to that question,

“·····Okay!”

Saeyeon smiled brightly.

Similar to the expression she made some time ago, no, on that day⎯⎯⎯the very day Jaim had appeared for the first time,

“I, was waiting, for Jjaro to say that to me.”

she was displaying the happiest expression in the world.

“And, I believed. I believed that Jjaro, would definitely do something.”

Tears were still in the corners of her large eyes, and there were tear marks left on both of her red cheeks.

But without hiding her happiness from her face,

She raised the corners of her smooth lips, and without even a touch of uneasiness, she smiled gorgeously, like a painting of a clear sky after a rainstorm that was drawn using clear watercolors.

Was this girl always this pretty? I couldn’t even have this sort of doubt.

With a face that looked as if she were a bride at a wedding,

Saeyeon grabbed Jaim’s other hand.

“This girl’s name is Jin Jaim.”

She then looked at everyone and boldly shouted.

“She’s Jjaro and my daughter who was born after we slept together while holding hands!”

Ah.

Really, how could this girl be so.

Yeah. She’s always been like this.

Before I knew it, I ended up smirking.

I lost.

I can’t win against Saeyeon.

That’s why I had hated this side of her the most.

Because she’s a precious existence that I only have one of. Because she’s an existence that will help me if something difficult happens and will share our happiness and struggles together. Because she was an obvious existence that would make things painful if she weren’t around.

Always honest, always straight,

the person(family) who needed me and told me that she needed me.

That’s why there was no way that I could have liked her.

That’s why I couldn’t hate her even if I tried.

There’s no way, that I could win against that sort of person.

Nevertheless,

“You’re really misunderstanding a single thing, but·····.”

I took in a deep breath, and shouted.

“Babies aren’t born if you go to sleep while holding hands, you have to have sex for them to be born!”

Because of my shout, my surroundings became evidently cold.

There’s no way that I could see someone I took care of as the opposite sex.

No matter how much she did, I couldn’t see her as anything more than my little sister.

There’s no way that I could have seen her as a woman. No matter how much her body has grown, no matter how much she tries to tempt me into seeing her as a woman, there’s no way that I would.

That’s only possible for people who are on equal standing.

It doesn’t work with that sort of desire to protect like fatherly and motherly love.

That’s why,

“Do you understand now, kid?! Babies are made when a man puts his phallus into woman’s genital area and·····. Damn it, they’re born if you unite properly!”

by becoming one body, by becoming one.

“Whether it’s a married couple or a wife, you have to start with that.”

If we’re a ‘father’, ‘mother’, and ‘daughter’.

If we want to start right, then as I thought, we have to get this part straight.

On that day, on the day we went to sleep holding hands.

At first, Saeyeon must have been nervous since she touched, squeezed, and turned my hand, but as I had expected of Saeyeon, she fell into a deep sleep before even 30 minutes could pass.

So I was going to furtively release her hand and go home to sleep, but Saeyeon was still holding onto my hand tightly. I tried pulling it. She didn’t let go. I tried releasing her hand one finger at a time. She didn’t let go. Ah, seriously. I was also tired beyond belief, so I was going to just throw a fit and make her let go, but in that instant, Saeyeon’s face entered my line of sight.

A face that looked happy that she was sleeping next to someone and holding their hand. A face that looked as if it had no worries whatsoever. While looking at Saeyeon who was smiling happily after having confirmed that my hand was still held in her own, I ended up chuckling.

I held her hand tightly, and laughed.

If she’s this happy about holding my hand, then I’m at least capable of holding onto her outstretched hand as much as she wants.

Like this. Like now.

“Jaim, you saw that, right?”

I looked at Jaim who was opening her eyes wide and spoke.

“I’ve said this several times already, but I repay my debts. I’ll fix the things I break. But what’s up with you, kid?”

Once I flicked Jaim’s forehead as I said that, she absentmindedly rubbed her forehead. I placed my hand on top of her head and grinned.

“The peace of the family⎯⎯⎯is protected by the family.”

“·····Yeah!”

In response to my words, Jaim grinned.

Good. Attagirl. That’s my daughter for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TL note: The next chapter is more like an epilogue, but yeah, this chapter was pretty sentimental. I will admit that I may or may not have shed some tears when I first read this chapter and while I was translating it. Although the latter part with Nabom was a slight bit unsatisfying for me in a sense, I really liked everything else. This chapter was basically the chapter that made me think “Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to translate this series”. I’ll definitely finish reading the rest of the series once I’m done translating this volume.