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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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Where do children play on rainy days?
I’d naively assumed they’d stay home, but children these days were more sophisticated than I’d imagined. Or rather, Eun-ji was more mature than other children her age, and even Ho-yeong, with his quiet demeanor, seemed unusually composed.
They were sitting side-by-side at a manga cafe, reading together, and I sat next to Blue, the atmosphere thick with awkwardness.
I hadn’t expected to run into her while picking up Eun-ji for Kirk.
After the children had asked to play a little longer, I’d looked at Blue, unsure what to do, and she’d said it was fine. We’d asked the children where they wanted to go.
They both liked manga, apparently, and had requested to read some, so we’d come to this quiet manga cafe.
“This is a bit unexpected, but is this okay with you?”
I had plenty of time, but I wasn’t sure about Blue, whose schedule I didn’t know, so I asked. She smiled gently and said it was fine, which put me at ease.
“I had no idea Ho-yeong had a girlfriend. He never mentioned it at home.”
“Children don’t usually talk about those things at home.”
While I didn’t have any children, I understood. I’d been a child once, and it was common for children that age to share things with their friends but not their parents. And the secrets only increased as they grew older.
“I haven’t properly introduced myself. I’m Yoo Ha-yeong, Ho-yeong’s aunt.”
I bowed my head slightly in response to her introduction. Her name was similar to her nephew’s.
“I’m A, a colleague of Eun-ji’s father. He had something to do today, so I came instead.”
“Oh, so you’re not really her uncle.”
“No, I just play with Eun-ji often, and she calls me ‘uncle.’”
I’d heard about the Hunter Killer team members from Yu-bin and Yu-ra, mostly about Green, with whom they’d been talking more lately.
They hadn’t mentioned Blue or Yellow much, and while I’d heard a little more about Blue than Yellow, it wasn’t much.
They’d said she often missed meetings because of childcare and only showed up for duels. Of course, she didn’t miss every meeting, so she clearly felt a sense of responsibility as a Hunter Killer member.
“My mom and dad went on a date because it’s their anniversary.”
“I see. They’re having a fun day together.”
Blue’s gentle tone and warm smile as she responded to Eun-ji’s cheerful chatter suggested she had experience with children.
“Are you okay with them going out alone, Eun-ji?”
“I’m okay. They need some time off without me sometimes.”
Blue had asked, worried Eun-ji might be feeling some unspoken resentment, but her mature response, unusual for a six-year-old, made Blue’s eyes widen, and she smiled, impressed.
“And uncle came to pick me up, so I can play with Ho-yeong.”
Kirk usually picked up Eun-ji, so she wouldn’t have been able to play with her boyfriend even if she had one. Her parents’ anniversary had given Eun-ji a special day, too.
“That’s good to hear.”
Blue responded warmly to Eun-ji, then spoke to me in a lower voice.
“Eun-ji seems very mature for her age.”
“Yes, it’s been a couple of months since I last saw her, but she’s always been bright.”
Eun-ji’s intelligence seemed to surprise even Blue, who took care of her nephews, and I felt a strange sense of pride, even though she wasn’t my child.
“You said you’re Ho-yeong’s aunt?”
“Yes, he’s my older brother’s son. I have two other nephews, but they’re both in elementary school, so I don’t have to watch them as closely.”
Taking care of three nephews couldn’t be easy, especially at her age.
I briefly imagined myself as a parent, responsible for three young children.
It was a nightmare.
Of course, she wasn’t alone because she had her brother and his wife, her sister-in-law, so it wouldn’t be as overwhelming.
I assumed she had to take care of her nephews during the day while her brother and sister-in-law worked, which probably made her mornings hectic, preventing her from attending meetings.
Moreover, elementary schools were currently on summer break, while kindergartens weren’t, so the children’s schedules were different, which probably made her days even more chaotic.
Still, compared to Yu-bin, Yu-ra, and Green, she seemed to have a relatively normal family life. It was just my assumption, though.
“That’s impressive. Three nephews. I think I’d give up if I had to take care of even one child like me.”
“You get used to it. Actually, they’re so energetic that it’s still challenging sometimes.”
Ho-yeong didn’t seem particularly energetic, but not all children were the same, even within the same family, so I could believe it. But for a superhuman with enhanced physical abilities to feel exhausted, childcare must be more than just physically demanding.
“How old are the other children?”
“The oldest is 10, and the second is 8.”
They were all two years apart, all in the lower grades of elementary school. It was fortunate that Ho-yeong, the youngest, seemed to have a calmer personality. If he were also energetic, she’d be exhausted, taking care of two young, active children.
“I don’t have children or nephews, so I don’t know how difficult it is, but it sounds challenging.”
“It’ll get easier as they grow older.”
Seeing her smile, it seemed like she was managing, even if it was difficult. Was it because I was meeting another superhuman right after Green’s incident? I’d unconsciously assumed all superhumans were struggling, including Blue.
Perhaps because I’d been through several difficult situations in the past few months and had found some semblance of resolution, I’d unknowingly adopted a sort of savior complex, which, upon realizing it, made me cringe.
I wasn’t the type to seek attention or be self-righteous. My motto was to go with the flow, and I felt embarrassed for having momentarily forgotten it and entertained such grandiose thoughts.
Blue, seeing me slap my forehead, tilted her head and looked at me, concerned.
“Are you okay?”
“?! Oh, no, I was just… thinking about something.”
She looked directly at me, a stranger, and even expressed concern for me, then smiled again when I reassured her I was fine. While it wasn’t a fair comparison, she seemed more balanced than the other superhumans I’d met.
More grounded, perhaps?
“At least I get to visit places like this thanks to the kids. I haven’t had much time for fun lately.”
While her situation was different from Yu-bin, Yu-ra, and Green, she also didn’t have much free time due to her busy life. Or rather, all the superhumans I’d met were busy and didn’t have much time to relax.
I believed that true relaxation wasn’t just lying around at home doing nothing.
It was about going somewhere, meeting someone, and experiencing something different, like traveling.
But superhumans didn’t have that luxury.
“It’s good to rest when you can, but I’m sure taking care of the children keeps you busy.”
“Yes.”
“It must be tough for their parents, too.”
“It is.”
I suddenly felt a sense of unease and looked at Blue. She was still smiling gently. Had I touched a nerve?
I’d asked Ho-yeong about his parents right before Blue arrived at the kindergarten, and he’d been about to answer when she interrupted him.
I didn’t know the circumstances, but if I was right about what I suspected, I needed to be careful with my words.
I wasn’t sure what to say since my assumptions about Ho-yeong’s parents were just that, assumptions. Blue hadn’t mentioned anything about her brother and sister-in-law.
I shouldn’t have spoken so carelessly without knowing the facts. I just hoped I was wrong.
“Do you like reading?”
That was the best I could come up with. We were at a manga cafe with the children, so talking about books… I was terrible at conversations. This was the best I could do to change the subject.
“Yes, I enjoy reading cookbooks.”
While not typical literature, cookbooks were still books, and reading them counted as reading.
My instructor at the academy, before I went to basic training, had said,
“Anyone who doesn’t consider reading comic books as reading is outdated and culturally ignorant.”
While I didn’t read comic books often, his words had resonated with me. I’d learned to appreciate all forms of literature and culture, regardless of personal preference.
“Cookbooks… you must enjoy cooking.”
“Yes, I’d like to become a chef someday.”
She had a dream of becoming a chef. But knowing she was a superhuman, her words, “someday,” felt heavy with unspoken struggles.
Yu-bin wanted to focus on her studies and enjoy university life, but her Hunter Killer duties prevented her from doing so.
Yu-ra had wanted to go to university but had to give up her dream and work to support herself.
Green hadn’t found her calling yet, but she, too, had lived a constrained life, unable to pursue her own desires.
I knew the “someday” Blue had spoken of would be difficult to achieve. But seeing her speak so enthusiastically about her dream, I couldn’t bring myself to dampen her spirits with my assumptions.
“A chef… that’s cool.”
“A chef?”
“No, I mean having a dream.”
Even to me, whose life motto was to go with the flow, having a clear goal seemed admirable.
“Well, I haven’t actually accomplished anything yet, though.”
As we talked, Eun-ji and Ho-yeong, who’d been reading, looked over at us.
“Yes? What is it?”
I asked, sensing their gaze.
“Aren’t you guys going to read?”
We both glanced at the table with our untouched coffee cups.
“It’s okay, uncle’s fine. You guys read.”
It seemed Eun-ji had settled on calling Blue “unni.” Blue looked too young to be called “aunt,” and “unni” was a more appropriate term for Eun-ji to use.
Eun-ji and Ho-yeong went back to reading, and Blue and I made eye contact.
This chance encounter had revealed a few things about Blue. While it wasn’t all concrete information, and some of it was still speculation, it was a good start.
…Then I hesitated.
As a Spacetroe soldier, any information about Hunter Killer was valuable.
But I felt like I was starting to see superhumans as nothing more than sources of information.
It was just like always. I was just being overly sensitive after Green’s incident.
“…Are you okay?”
I’d been unusually lost in thought today.
I wasn’t aware of my expression, but it must not have been good, since Blue checked on me again.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
While I wasn’t physically unwell, I knew my smile was forced, and I felt a pang of sadness.
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