episode_0003

“Because it’s something like that. What I’m saying is don’t stress too much. Because you and I are in the same situation.”

After speaking like that, Han Yu-seong turned his head towards the TV again.

“Then…”

“…”

I felt like I wanted to hear the detailed story.

However, when I looked at Han Yu-seong’s back, which was hidden from view by the sofa, I could barely speak.

As Han Yu-seong, there was nothing more to say here.

I didn’t think anyone would believe me if I told them everything that happened in the past.

After the entertainment program, which lasted about an hour, a commercial continued on TV.

Dang.

Since there wasn’t anything worth watching, I turned it on with the remote control.

“Now that I think about it, it’s almost lunch time, aren’t you hungry? Should I at least order delivery?”

“No. I’m fine.”

The conversation still doesn’t go anywhere.

Will this also get better over time?

It was different from previous cases, so I had no idea how to deal with it.

However, I can’t ask because I said earlier that I wasn’t going to ask about the situation.

“Hey, maybe…!”

“Why?”

“Can I do something like a part-time job?”

Meanwhile, Yuna suddenly spoke up.

“Part-time job?”

“Yes. As you know, facilities provide permission for part-time work. Because I cause a lot of accidents while working part-time. I want to make money.”

Actually, I wasn’t planning on bringing this up now.

If I brought up the topic of my part-time job as soon as I arrived, there was a risk of being misunderstood as if I had bad thoughts, and it was difficult to believe that I would be given the opportunity to do so.

Then, when she heard that the man in front of her, Han Yu-seong, was from the same background as her, she made up her mind.

It seemed like he would understand how she felt.

“Of course.”

Han Yu-seong’s answer was extremely simple.

Yuna Yuna, who had been waiting nervously, was finally able to relax.

“I told you before. I have no intention of forcing anything on you. However, if you say you run away from home, it would be a bit difficult.”

“Thank you.”

“There is just one condition.”

The tension that had been relieved for a moment rose again.

Are you planning to use this as an excuse to ask for something?

If that’s really the case, I may have made a huge mistake.

It was like exposing my own weaknesses.

“I went to high school.”

“…Yes?”

“Be sure to graduate from high school, and don’t think about passing the qualification exam.”

“…Are you going to send me to school?”

A word that shatters the complicated mind of Yuna Yuna.

And that was very unexpected.

“That’s right, from today onwards you are our family. When you tell your family that you don’t want to go to high school, doesn’t everyone usually try to stop you?”

Previously, Soojin Choi said something similar.

When I graduate from middle school, I will work part-time to help with the household budget.

Of course, I got slapped in return for my immature remarks.

Education is compulsory until middle school.

To interpret that again, it means that there is no need to spend a lot of money to send children to high school.

If you think about common sense, sending all six children to high school is close to impossible, no matter how much government support you think you have.

There are only a few cases where facilities provide academic support up to high school.

That’s why Yeon-ah also looks surprised like that.

“…Thank you for that.”

Yuna Yeon-ah got up from her seat and bowed.

“So what are you more curious about? Don’t say it’s not there like before, but I’ll answer most of what you can say. Because he is also a senior here.”

“Then…”

Unlike before, when she had declined, various questions poured out of Yuna’s mouth.

And most of them were really stories about bare minimum living.

For example, is it possible to use a cell phone, is there any time limit for watching TV, is there a set sleeping time, etc.

As expected, the facility seems to be operated under strict rules both in the past and now.

I think it was inevitable since most of the members were runaway teenagers, but on the other hand, it was sad to see them surprised by the rights they were supposed to enjoy.

“…Do you have any more questions?”

“I think this is enough for now.”

“Really? If you have any questions later, feel free to ask.”

About an hour passed like that.

Yuna’s mouth, which had been moving constantly, finally stopped.

‘Is this a good start?’

Asking questions first is a pretty good sign.

This means that the will to live is faithful.

Even though it still feels awkward, the conversation is not cut off as openly as before.

At this level, it would be fair to say that I have opened my mind to some extent.

Yuna also thought.

It’s a much better place than I thought.

As he said, there is no enforcement of rules and academic support is provided.

There is a requirement that you must graduate from high school, but you can also work part-time.

For her, who had nowhere to go after the facility closed, it had to be the best deal.

When I think back on the gender ratio between men and women, which I thought was a disadvantage, I come to the conclusion that it is much better than living in the same life with other men.

I don’t have a perfect understanding of what kind of person Han Yoo-seong is, but I don’t think he will try to deceive her like the old scammer did.

We can’t let down our guard yet, but we can let down our guard a little.

As these two people’s thoughts overlapped, the quiet house where they were alone began to become a little more lively.

**

That afternoon.

Yuna and I were out in the city.

It was to purchase necessary items and to inform people of the surrounding geography.

“…Can I really buy this much?”

“You’re a woman. This much is natural. My other younger sisters have similar things.”

Yeon-ah, holding a shopping bag filled with clothes and cosmetics in both hands, looked confused.

Well, the price is a bit high, but you should think of it as a bit of shock therapy.

In the facility, clothes previously worn by former inmates were often reused.

In a situation where even school uniforms are inherited, it is impossible to even dream of making something up.

It was safe to say that this shopping trip was planned to break her standards.

“No, still. This is why the money… Is it possible that the support money from the government is greater than expected?”

“No way, if that were the case, they would have fixed the old youth protection facilities first.”

Even if you say the subsidy provided by the government, it is around 200 to 300 per month.

It was also necessary to clearly state where the money would be used, so shopping at department stores like it is now was impossible.

There was a good reason why there were almost no candidates when I first applied for the government-supported share house system. Now and then, those in high positions have little interest in the welfare of the vulnerable.

Of course, I have no intention of conveying that fact as is.

If that were the case, I might have set out to make money like Choi Soo-jin did in the past.

The part-time job allowed for Yoo Ah-yeon was only allowed to earn pocket money and restore self-esteem, not to add to the family situation.

“Okay, then what should we eat?”

I took Yuna, who was still confused, and went to find a restaurant.

This was my first time eating out, and I wanted to make it at least memorable.

“Woman, I’ll return it as expected. I don’t need this many clothes.”

“You don’t have to.”

“But, all of this may come back as debt later…”

“Not really.”

It’s serious.

No matter how much I talk, I can’t hide my anxiety.

Could it be that the confident appearance he showed at first was a kind of effort to hide this weakness?

When I thought about what happened in the existing facility, my self-esteem could not have been higher.

I guess time will solve this as well.

“Let’s go.”

“…I’d like to decline.”

When I pointed to the nearby Ashley restaurant, Yuna leaned back.

I tried to persuade him a few times, but he seemed so reluctant that I had no choice but to give up.

“Then how about there? Is it okay over there?”

After all that compromise, we ended up going to a fast food restaurant.

It was also a place famous for its cheap hamburgers and good value for money.

“Yes. If that’s the case…”

Yuna, perhaps feeling sorry for refusing even this, barely nodded.

Well, you just have to get used to it.

“Is this your first time using a kiosk?”

“…In the past, I just ordered at the counter.”

Unmanned information terminals and kiosks began to be introduced in earnest about two years ago.

Saying this is your first time seeing it means you haven’t been to a store like this in the past two years.

The number of runaway teenagers was increasing, but the welfare budget was cut accordingly.

Thanks to this, I knew that the facilities’ environment was gradually getting worse, but I never thought it would be like this.

At this level, it was really just protection and not even the slightest help to become independent after becoming an adult.

If he had continued to be in the facility, there is a high probability that he would have fallen into a bad path as an adult.

‘Then I wish you could at least say something.’

It’s not like I’m picking up an abandoned cat.

Now I’m starting to feel scared opening my eyes in the morning.

I took my food from the counter and returned to my seat, secretly blaming someone who wasn’t here.

There was Yuna, looking pretty downcast.

“I’m sorry.”

“Up to an apology. You may not know. I was also very confused at first.”

I opened the hamburger wrapper.

Well, it was a familiar taste that I hadn’t had in a long time.

“…!”

It doesn’t seem like that much over there though.

What kind of life have you been living that makes you so happy with just a hamburger?

He must have noticed my gaze and lowers his head.

At the same time, the way his mouth puckers secretly is a bit cute.

“Does Mr. Han Yu-seong receive pocket money to live?”

“Maybe? I can make quite a bit of money by working part-time.”

“What kind of person is the lady? Not only is he responsible for the lives of 7 people, but he also gives them pocket money.”

“If you’re that curious, would you like to go see it?”

“Yes?”

Yuna, who was putting the leftover food she had eaten into the trash can, was momentarily startled.

“Where my mother works.”