episode_0013

“You’ve been waiting a long time, right?”

“No. It’s okay.”

The person who opened the door to the counseling room where Han Yu-seong was waiting and appeared was the twins’ homeroom teacher, Choi Yu-ra.

After safely dropping off his younger siblings at the elementary school, Yura Choi caught him as he was about to return because he had something to tell.

Since I could not ignore the words of the teacher who directly managed and guided the two children, I stayed at the school where the first period had started and waited for the interview.

“Even if there is something to talk about, it doesn’t mean there is a big problem or anything like that.”

She took out a glass of orange juice from the refrigerator provided in the counseling room, poured it into a glass, held it out to Han Yu-seong, and began the conversation.

“That’s a good thing.”

He, who had been anxious due to various negative thoughts while waiting for Choi Yu-ra’s words, internally breathed a sigh of relief.

“Hayun and Younha are actively participating in class and getting along well with their peers.”

“Then…?”

“The only thing that bothers me is that, even considering that they are twins, they seem to have a tendency to try to be together too much. Hayun and Younha too.”

“…”

“For example, when people pair up in gym class, they always pair up. No matter where and when I look, I have never seen the two of them apart.”

Han Yu-seong’s eyes calmed down.

Seeing him like that, Choi Yura explained the seriousness of the situation.

“As an educator, I can say this for sure. This is very undesirable for the future. At this point, we can understand the special circumstances and assign you to the same class, but we cannot be certain that we will be able to do this even when you go to middle school or high school.”

“I know.”

“I think I need to train in advance to be able to face strangers alone.”

“…I think this makes sense.

Han Yu-seong nodded.

Rather than empathizing with Choi Yu-ra’s story, it seemed like he was answering while preoccupied with something else.

“Excuse me, but how old are you?”

“I am now 21 years old.”

“Are you attending university?”

“Yes. I am currently on a leave of absence.”

I heard that the two children she is teaching, Hayun and Younha, are staying in a special facility called a government-supported share house.

It was a system created a few years ago to take children who had nowhere to go and raise them to become independent in the arms of warm families.

That means that this person, who was introduced as the twins’ older brother, also lives there.

‘Are you not interested?’

What’s hard to believe is that the relationship between him and the twins he saw on the way to school was real.

If someone who didn’t know the circumstances had seen them, they would have seemed like a really good brother and sister.

“Anyway, I wanted to say that it is very bad to continue the current situation. If things continue like this, there will definitely be a big problem when I go out into society alone someday.”

“…I think that is correct.”

“So, from now on, I think I would like to go in the direction of separating the two children when teaching classes, although it may be a bit forced. It may be very difficult and lonely at first, but with the cooperation of your family…”

“That’s not possible.”

“Yes?”

Just when I thought the story was going well, an unexpected surprise occurred.

Before we knew it, life had returned to Han Yu-seong’s eyes, which had been deeply sunken.

“I hope you don’t try too hard to separate the two.”

“Are you sure you didn’t understand what I was saying?”

“I understand. Also, the teacher really thought of Hayoon and Younha when she spoke.”

“…Then why are you against it?”

“Because I think that’s what those kids really need.”

Ever since this topic first came up, Han Yu-seong has been thinking about it.

Is it really okay to tell others the truth about the twins? do.

There is no need to conclude that way. It was.

Anyway, ordinary people cannot understand even if you tell them honestly.

Even if someone who understands appears, you should not talk about it.

Because the moment you hear about their situation, you will never be able to go back to how you were before.

I didn’t want to lose someone who truly cared about Hayun and Younha like Choi Yu-ra does now.

“I apologize for not being able to tell you the details. I felt reassured because there was someone by my side who truly cared for my children.”

As Choi Yu-ra said, the two of us can’t just stick together forever. I know that.

There will come a time in the remaining decades when you will have to make your own decisions.

However, that time was not something that others could arbitrarily decide.

“If you really care about Hayun and Younha, please let them continue to stick together. Please.”

I got up from my seat and bowed.

I hoped that the two children would not be hurt by someone’s ignorant kindness.

I wanted to prevent my life, which had barely gotten back on track, from spiraling into ruin.

“…Raise your head. I won’t force you either.”

Choi Yu-ra was embarrassed.

It was because I had no idea that he would come out with such a sincere attitude.

Even though they were not related by blood, they felt that they truly regarded each other as family.

Hayun and Younha can live happily because they have a person like this by their side.

“…This is my phone number.”

She took out the notebook she always carried, wrote down her phone number, and held it out.

“If anything happens to the two children in the future, please contact me right away. Let me help you.”

This was Choi Yu-ra’s personal contact information.

The homeroom teacher’s number is treated as a secret more than you might think.

The reason is that the moment the number is known to the parents, they will harass them day and night.

So, this was the first time this year that she had given someone her personal phone number in this way.

“Yes. I understand.”

Han Yu-seong, who did not know that fact, accepted it with a calm face.

“…Ah.”

“What’s going on?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Choi Yu-ra, who suddenly remembered a fact she had forgotten and made a noise, immediately waved her hand.

If you think about it, this was the first time she gave her personal contact information to a young man.

She is 26 years old and has always been single, having never dated a man.

When I was in middle school and high school, I focused only on studying to achieve my dream of becoming a teacher, and even when I entered college, I did not participate much in department meetings.

‘What are you thinking?’

This was, after all, for the benefit of the students she was teaching.

It would be difficult if I couldn’t help you when a problem arose.

‘No, but it might just be my taste…’

Although he is 5 years younger, he is polite and mature.

He looks pretty good there…

“Anyway! It doesn’t matter if it’s late at night, so please be sure to contact me when you need it.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you for your concern.”

Choi Yu-ra, who was somewhat flustered, kindly guided Han Yu-seong to the door of the counseling room.

“Would you like to see the children in class on your way there? Of course, you are not allowed to come into the classroom, but you can just look outside the window for a moment.”

“Can outsiders freely wander around the school?”

“In principle, it’s not possible, but I’m in the next class. I’ll give it a listen at least once. You need to see how things are going in the classroom at least once to feel at ease.”

“Then please excuse me for a moment.”

I was already curious.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to see what kids think at school at least once.

With that thought in mind, I followed behind Choi Yu-ra.

Perhaps because it was right after the class bell rang, the hallway leading to the classroom was extremely quiet.

“It’s here. I’m going to start class from now on. Please be careful not to be caught by children.”

Standing in front of a classroom door marked 6-4, Choi Yu-ra spoke to Han Yu-seong in a low voice.

He also nodded because he didn’t want to be caught by the twins.

There was nothing particularly special about the classroom scene after Yura Choi entered through the front door.

Hayun and Younha, who were sitting side by side in the back seat, seemed to be concentrating on the blackboard without looking away.

Aside from Younha, it was a bit surprising to see Hayun, who is synonymous with fussiness, participate in class with such a serious expression.

“Shall I go back?”

After looking in through the small window outside the classroom for several minutes, he turned his head.

“Hmm?”

Then, I suddenly noticed someone standing in the playground that seemed like a passing glance.

Because it was so far away from the 6th floor where I was and the window was dirty with dust, I couldn’t see his face in detail, but I felt like he was a man in very shabby clothes.

Is he a pervert?

That was my immediate thought.

If I had come to school because I had to run an errand, I would have come inside the building instead of standing far away like that. Then I suddenly realized one thing.

The direction the man is looking is towards the classroom where Hayun and Younha are in class.

**

“Hahaha, I found it. I found it.”

The man couldn’t stop laughing.

Is there an ungrateful bitch up there who ran away without even knowing the grace that raised her?

How dare they put their father through this situation and then go to school like they should?

This country is also wrong.

Isn’t it possible for parents to find children who have run away from home?

I wonder if it’s some kind of temporary injunction to prevent access and is doing something to prevent me from searching.

What do I need the law to do to find my daughter?

Because of that damn law, I couldn’t even get help from the police.

Thanks to this, it took a long time, and the house I was living in was taken over by debt collectors, so I was unable to return. I used to live a life that no one could envy, but now I’m wearing these crappy clothes.

The clothes I was wearing had a musty, trash-like smell.

“Look at all the bastards who ignored me. I’ll let you crawl under me.”

There is no use in regretting it later.

It was thrilling just to imagine the sight of those people begging until their hands and feet were worn out, with tears and snot pouring out.

“More than that, what is that bastard?”

By the way, the way people were looking at me from earlier was annoying.

From the moment she spotted the man, her eyes never left him.

I was reluctant because it felt like I was being watched.

“No, I have something to be afraid of.”

Anyway, as long as I can bring Hayun, it’s my world.

The man held out his middle finger as if showing off.

I don’t know what to do if you look at me like that, but children are bound to follow their parents anyway.

I won’t miss it again.

It was enough to be careless and miss the goose that lays the golden eggs.