Ch.125125. Good Roles and Villain Roles (9)

“Kids! Come eat!”

Mother’s voice calling from outside.

“…Should we eat first and then continue watching?”

“Well… sure.”

For now.

For now, I can’t leave Mother uncomfortable.

As I leave the room, a middle-aged man is there.

“…Oh, right. That’s my dad.”

“…Is that really how you’re going to introduce me?”

He greets me while looking at the noisy room.

“Hello? You must be Bine. I’ve only seen you in photos, this is our first time meeting in person.”

“…Hello. I’m Bine.”

“Yes. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

I don’t sense any negative emotions in his words either.

What I do sense is interest and… affection?

“Honey, give her a big serving. She must be hungry. Didn’t you say she fell asleep right away earlier?”

“Yes. I will. Just wait.”

“Mom! Food for me too!”

“I know, I know. Do you think I don’t know how much you eat?”

Led by Blanc’s hand, I’m seated at the table.

As I fidget a bit uncomfortably, Blanc says:

“You’re a guest, so just sit still.”

“…Was it that obvious?”

“Wouldn’t it be stranger if I didn’t notice?”

“…You know me too well.”

“Are you complaining? Who made me that way?”

“…Sigh.”

Honestly, I was wondering if I should help even now.

“That’s right. Bine, just sit there. If you become our daughter, then you’d have to help. Right, Yunseul?”

“…Fine. Should I at least get some water?”

“No. Just set the utensils.”

Mother naturally calls Blanc by name and makes her move.

This makes me wonder if this is what family is like.

“Wow… you made a lot, honey…?”

“Yes. Since the kids are here, I bought more ribs besides what was in the fridge.”

“Wow… I didn’t know you could make ribs in that pot.”

“This isn’t a pot. Just eat.”

Both the father and mother of this house.

They don’t seem to think of me as a guest.

Are they already considering me family in their hearts…?

Yet whenever I try to move even a little, they tell me to stay still because I’m a guest…

This is…

“Umm…”

“Yes, Bine? What is it?”

“I think I should help too…”

“No, we’ve already finished everything.”

Indeed, the table was fully set.

Besides the braised ribs, there were so many side dishes.

This is… even more than what I make at the dormitory…?

Mother finished preparing and sat down, then said to me:

“There’s not much, but please eat a lot.”

“…What do you mean not much? It’s even more than what I prepare for Bl—I mean, Yunseul…”

“Oh, right. Yunseul said she uses you as a housekeeper?”

“She’s family.”

Blanc interjects at those words.

“For now, I am a housekeeper. Since Yunseul bought me.”

I told Mother without mixing in any lies.

“Huh? Bought you? Not hired?”

“Yes. Well… there were various circumstances… she dragged me home without paying me, and told me to sign a contract if I wanted to get paid…”

“Yunseul…?”

“Bine…! That’s not what happened!”

“…But you did buy my body, didn’t you?”

“W-well, that’s true, but…”

“Yes. I was purchased by Yunseul with money.”

“Yunseul…? Mom needs to have a little talk with you.”

“No, Mom, that’s not it…! Bine, how could you phrase it like that!”

“I only stated the facts. Ah, thank you for the meal.”

*Nom.*

The seasoning is perfect, and the meat is tender.

The bones come off easily.

This is real braised ribs.

Mmm… delicious.

One piece of kimchi too.

*Nom…*

“Yunseul. No matter what, people aren’t things to be bought and sold…”

“Mom, no, no…!”

*Munch munch…*

*Gulp.*

“Yunseul. It’s polite to refrain from talking while eating.”

“No…! Bine, how could you…”

“Well… I only told her the parts that were favorable to you, but should I tell her everything about that night?”

Back to the braised ribs.

*Nom…*

Mmm… so delicious…

“Yunseul… what do you mean ‘that night’? Tell Mom everything.”

“No. I, um, I went! To, um… to find Bine! At that time, I had no choice… Ah, that’s not it, I just meant it was nighttime! Yes, yes…!”

“Park Yunseul.”

“…Yes?”

“Speak clearly. What did you do to this young child?”

“I-I didn’t do anything! I just washed her and put her to bed…”

“Really?”

“I’m not some beast who would do such things! Really!”

Though it seems chaotic and like a scene is unfolding,

I’m just enjoying my delicious meal.

Mmm, how happy must Yunseul have been, eating food like this.

I had a family too.

I don’t remember exactly.

Sitting together, having ordinary conversations.

How the day went.

What we did, what happened, what was good.

Sharing yesterday, experiencing today together, talking about tomorrow.

Finishing the day and encouraging each other to live another day well, being each other’s strength.

…My head hurts again.

I shouldn’t think about their faces.

I shouldn’t think about those people.

It only hurts.

And there was never any gain from it.

That’s because…

The dimensional rift took everything away.

What’s been taken can’t be returned.

In exchange, I gained Boss.

No, not gained—I was allowed to meet Boss.

Boss isn’t someone you can “gain.”

You’re just Boss’s tool. If Boss commands…

Boss.

Boss and Eden are my family.

…Ah.

Aah…

Ugh.

These thoughts make my head hurt so much.

“Bine, is the food not to your liking…?”

Mother, who was about to fight with Blanc just a moment ago, asked me.

“No. It’s just… my head hurts for a moment.”

“Ah… is it because of what our Yunseul did? If that’s the case, would you accept this mother’s apology…?”

“No, that was really nothing. In fact, thinking about it now, Yunseul buying me might have been for the better.”

“Really…?”

“Yes. I can’t say I don’t have any negative feelings toward Yunseul, but it’s not enough to talk about killing or sparing. Well, if it were, would I be following Yunseul around now?”

“That’s a relief…”

“Yes. The headache just now was just… personal reasons. After all, my body is, well, this kind of body.”

I put down my utensils and clearly show my body.

The body of a monster.

This body that was once human but is no longer human, is just like that.

My thoughts aren’t free.

Well, humans’ thoughts depend on perspective too, but this body brings physical pain.

“I see… I understand. Eat plenty. Does it taste good?”

“Yes. It’s really delicious.”

I smile to show Mother.

A smile would look better to her than an expressionless face.

“…Father?”

For some reason, Father seems more shy.

Is it okay to look so fondly at someone who beat and tormented his daughter?

Is he really a father with a daughter?

“…Yunseul. Would you like a sibling?”

Father said.

“Huh…?”

Blanc is surprised and.

“Honey…! You say anything in front of the kids!”

Mother scolds Father, hitting his back repeatedly.

“Ah! No, that’s not what I meant…! No!”

“Oh my goodness! Really! Watch what you say in front of the kids!”

“No, it hurts! It hurts! Honey, Yunseul’s mom!”

Ugh, ugh…

Somehow it looks more painful than taking Blanc’s attacks…

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! That’s not what I meant, ouch! Ouch!”

The slap-slap sounds eventually changed to thud-thud, and

Father’s unconditional surrender finally stopped Mother’s violence.

“…Yunseul, that just now. It looked more painful than when you hit me…”

“Yeah. I think getting hit there would hurt more than getting hit by you.”

“We should never defy Mother.”

“I agree.”

A moment later, Mother realized we were staring at her and Father.

“I’m sorry, Bine. You had to see something unpleasant.”

“No… the violent scenes are rather between me and Yunseul…”

“Thinking about it now, that’s just kids fighting.”

“…It wasn’t exactly on the scale of kids fighting.”

“When Mom says so, you just say ‘yes.'”

“…Yes.”

In that awkward silence, Blanc adds a comment.

“Dad. What did you mean earlier? About a sibling.”

Trying to answer, Father glanced at Mother once.

“Adoption, I meant adoption…”

“Oh, was that it?”

“Yes…”

Apologetically, he gently rubs the area she hit earlier.

Yes, I wonder if this is what being a couple is like…

And Father seems a bit pitiful, living with being hit.

…If I hadn’t become this body, would I have become a husband like that?

Though now I think this body can’t be a husband or wife.

“Adoption… not yet.”

“Huh…?”

“…Give me a little more time to think.”

At that moment, Blanc steps in:

“Um… Yunseul? What about my opinion…?”

“Oh, right. Well… let’s put that aside for now. I need time to think too.”

“Um, Blanc…?”

“Anyway, that’s how it is. Let’s talk about something else.”

“Um…”

Well. What can I do?

“Is Yunseul eating properly these days?”

“Yes. I’m eating well.”

“Don’t even ask… When I first went there… mmph. Nom…”

“Bine, isn’t the braised rib delicious?”

“Munch munch…”

I was about to report what I saw to Mother.

But Blanc stops me.

“Yunseul?”

“Come on. She’s been eating really well since Bine came.”

Mother looks at me with pitying eyes.

“…How could she do this to such a child. Sigh… Well, maybe it’s better this way. Considering what I saw before.”

“Ah… Mother knew about it too?”

“A mother can’t help but visit when her daughter is living alone. I’ll come by unannounced again with the other mothers.”

“Other mothers…?”

“Yes. The mothers of the girls living together all keep in touch.”

Perhaps she was regretful about letting her daughters live separately, or curious about what kind of children they were living with.

That’s why they keep in contact.

“Ah…”

“If you’re still like that when I visit next time, you’ll be in trouble.”

“Come on… It’s fine. I keep things so clean.”

We spent the rest of the evening talking about such small things.

Simple, everyday conversations.

The kind of conversations normal families have.

Not the stories of magical girls and villains, but ordinary talk.

After finishing dinner, we sat on the sofa to digest and continued talking, then decided to go back to the dormitory.

We agreed to watch the anime we missed later at the dormitory.

Well. It’s natural she’d want to stay longer with her family.

I can’t interfere with that.

And then came the time for farewell.

“Stay the night.”

“I can’t. Tomorrow is the day Bine takes care of Arin.”

“Huh? You even have set days for that? You shouldn’t rely on Bine too much.”

“No… it’s like, a vacation. If that’s the case, I’d rather have her rest like this…”

“Making a child on vacation work this hard…”

“Not at all, Mother. It’s not hard work. I don’t mind.”

“If Yunseul bullies you, contact Mom right away. I’ll come to scold your big sister anytime. Okay?”

“Haha…”

“Get home safely. Call if anything happens.”

“Come on. We talk almost every day.”

“You’ve been less frequent lately.”

“No, that’s… because I’ve been busy.”

“Alright. That’s enough. Go on now.”

Though Mother seemed reluctant to end the conversation,

the elevator had arrived.

“I’m going.”

“Yes, get home safely.”

“I’ll be going, Mother.”

“I’d like it if you called me Mom, but… well. Take care, Bine.”

“…Yes, Mom.”

“Bine? Wait, what did you just s—”

The doors closed, so I couldn’t see Mother’s expression,

but I granted her wish.

“…Will you call me big sister too, Bine?”

“Be quiet, Blanc.”

And so, Blanc’s day came to an end.

…Now, it’s the final day.