episode_0025

The next morning, Shi-hyuk and Eun-ha met in the motel lobby.

“Hello! Good morning!”

Eunha, who greeted me cheerfully with a bright smile when we met, was as lively and fragrant as flower petals covered in morning dew.

The girl who had been through a hard time yesterday, but was smiling brightly today, looked like a strong rose that bloomed anywhere. Shihyuk responded to that lively greeting with a deep, deep voice.

“Good morning.”

At first glance, it sounded insincere and insensitive, but inside, it was a sincere answer with a subtle kindness, and Eunha smiled sadly.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes.”

In fact, Shihyuk couldn’t sleep until dawn because his head was filled with various thoughts about his sister’s work, [Daon Hammer]’s work, and his own desires.

But he didn’t want to worry Eunha by saying things he didn’t need to say, so he nodded with a very faint smile.

“What’s up, Sihyuk? You’re up pretty early?”

“Are you here?”

Woojoo, who had gone to return the room key, returned.

Her eyes were still red and her voice was hoarse from crying and making a fuss until past midnight, but unlike before, her tone of voice was filled with kindness. That would be the case, after all, she had apologized properly and been forgiven.

Galaxy, who was asleep and unaware of the world, had no way of knowing the detailed circumstances.

The girl, who had been blinking and looking back and forth between Sihyuk and Woojoo, smiled bashfully. Although she didn’t know what was going on, she guessed from the warm atmosphere that the two had reconciled.

“Hehehe.”

Eun-ha, who stretched out her arms and clung to Woo-joo and Si-hyuk with a bright laugh, looked like a younger sibling following her older sister and brother, or – since she was much smaller than the two tall ones – like a daughter clinging to her parents.

Starting the car that was parked, Woo-joo, who was wearing his seatbelt, turned his head and smiled at Si-hyuk sitting in the backseat.

“First, let’s stop by the mart.”

The large store was deserted in the morning.

It was a time zone thing, but it was also because all eyes were focused on the Superhuman Expo.

Except for a few employees and customers, the inside of the mart was filled with only crowded shelves and out-of-season pop music. Sihyuk carefully observed the sisters pushing carts here and there while shopping.

“This is good. I think you’ll like it. Oh my, this is on sale.”

Woo-joo, who was carefully examining laundry detergent, kitchenware, and canned goods that could be stored for a relatively long time, looked like a newlywed who was good at housekeeping.

In comparison, the galaxy.

“Hiyaap… !”

She was shivering and limping towards the cart, with her arms full of chocolate cookies, a box of donuts between her knees, and a set of mini chocolate bars on her head.

The sight of a hamster with its pockets full of nuts and a squirrel buried in black acorns was certainly unique and cute… .

It was natural that the universe’s eyebrows twitched at the sight of it and Shihyuk looked away for a moment at the actions that would soon follow.

“You idiot!”

Crunch! For a moment, you hear a sound like Styrofoam or plywood being pierced.

“Kkiang!”

The galaxy’s shrill scream was heard.

It was surprising that Eunha didn’t drop the bundle of chocolate bars she was carrying on her head, even as her white forehead, visible through the gaps in her dark green short hair, turned red.

Woo-joo sighed as if he couldn’t stop himself and scolded his younger brother.

“I was planning on stopping by the snack corner even if you didn’t do that. And even so, there’s too much. Just pick a few and bring them.”

While saying that, Woo-joo packed a set of chocolate bars that his younger brother liked the most into the cart.

Woo-joo, who was sighing as he watched Eun-ha, who was turning around again with her lips slightly pouting as if she was about to appear, was flustered by Si-hyuk’s clear gaze looking at them. Of course, it was quite a sweet sight.

“But where are you going to do all this shopping?”

Shihyuk, who had been watching Woojoo move the items that filled the cart to the self-checkout counter, asked.

A few items, such as detergent, canned goods, some fruit, and a box of ramen. Looking at the other snacks, snacks, snacks that Eunha had chosen, it was a purchase that was completely out of the question.

It’s too much for two sisters to spend, and moreover, buying daily necessities for the sisters is not something that is scheduled.

The universe chuckled.

“Orphanage. We’re going to the person who raised us when we came to Seoul.”

-.-.-

The space vehicle left Gangwon Province and headed towards the vicinity of Seoul.

The orphanage, located at the edge of Namyangju, was of a reasonable size and had a quiet atmosphere. As the three got out of the car and began to take out their luggage from the trunk, a kind voice, as if it had been waiting, was heard from the entrance of the orphanage.

“The universe, the galaxy.”

“Director!”

“You were waiting outside, right? You’re inside… .”

“I heard a sound from far away. I’m old and have no time to waste, so I just stood there for a while, not waiting for long.”

The person who came out to greet me was an old woman in her 70s, elegantly dressed in a hanbok.

The old woman, with her white hair neatly combed back and her thin body holding a cane, had, oddly enough, no irises in her eyes.

When they saw the blind old man, Eunha and Woojoo ran over to greet him. Sihyuk, who was about to help him with his luggage, stood and watched the meeting between the three people.

‘anything….’

He somehow felt strongly that the old man was like a teacher, or like an elder from Surak Mountain. It was a similar but slightly different feeling, difficult to describe.

“I am so happy to meet you, but you said you had something to do yesterday and would come the next day, so I told you that if you are busy, you don’t have to come this often.”

“How could that be? I just met an acquaintance at the exhibition yesterday, so I was a little late. Right, Sihyuk?”

“That’s right!”

The universe winked at him, and the galaxy shook its head vigorously beside him. It seemed as if it was asking for a kiss so as not to worry the old man.

Even the most insensitive Shihyuk is not completely oblivious.

“I’m sorry, sir. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you two sisters, so I was too happy to see you, so I was late.”

“You… .”

“My name is Lee Si-hyuk.”

The old man turned his head to face the direction where the sound came from, and his eyes, which were white only, opened slightly as if he was surprised, but then he smiled kindly.

The old man, So-gyeong, slowly walked towards Si-hyeok, who was slightly hesitating.

The old man, who had been walking straight as if he could see even though he couldn’t see ahead, stopped in front of him and slowly bowed his head.

“Nice to meet you. I would like to welcome you properly, but please forgive me for stopping at just a greeting because of my body condition.”

“No. How… .”

Si-hyuk was quite taken aback by the warm greeting and bowed his head to the old man in front of him, forgetting that he was blind. His sister also looked quite surprised.

“A mere old lady who has left the secular world and raises cute children. Just call me [Samsin].”

The old man, the three gods, smiled kindly.

“The nobleman has come, so it would be a shame to leave him outside. Come in quickly. Galaxy, universe, come in quickly.”

“Space Sister!”

“Sister Galaxy!”

As the sisters entered, the orphanage became noisy. The children, familiar with the galaxy and the universe, came running towards them, smiling brightly.

There must have been about 20 of them. They must have been very busy with the noise, but they smiled and responded to each child they hugged.

They were bright, energetic children without any worries.

No one seemed depressed or nervous, and no one looked around looking around. This was proof that this orphanage was a great place, and it must have been the virtue of the three adults who were in charge of managing it.

Galaxy, who lifted the children up and started to tease them, and Woo-joo, who carefully placed the items she had prepared in a corner and stroked their hair. And the sight of the children warmed the heart of Si-hyuk, who was silently watching from afar.

“You don’t like kids? You don’t get close to them.”

The old man Samshin, who had come before he knew it, asked him.

“I don’t even think about that.”

If you ask me if I dislike it, I don’t.

Shihyuk is the type of person who doesn’t like noisy things, but he thought that at least compared to the crowds at the expo, the innocent children without any rough edges were better.

“If I were to just be there, there would be kids who would be scared.”

Shihyuk also knew what I looked like.

He had a dark beanie that covered him up, and a long, unkempt hair that might have reached his cheekbones. He had a much larger body than the others, and his dark brown parka, already soaked from yesterday’s events, had red marks here and there, enough to instill a sense of grotesqueness.

Right now, he’s positioned himself so as not to be noticed, but if he were to suddenly reveal himself, some children would probably burst into tears.

However, if you look at that sight.

“Above all, it’s just a step away because it looks good.”

That was the sight of a flower garden that made his heart flutter to Si-hyuk.

Of course, there will be those who want to blend in with the crowd and become one, and there will be those who take pictures to create memories.

It was just a difference in approach, and it wasn’t considered right or wrong.

just….

“It’s a sight that makes you want to stop what you’re doing, stand still, and watch in silence. That’s why I did it.”

At Shihyuk’s words, the old man Samshin smiled brightly on his wrinkled face.

“I am glad to hear that, and I would like to let you do as you wish, but if you do not mind, would you mind talking to the old man for a bit?”

‘I feel like I’ve experienced this somewhere.’

Despite feeling a sense of awkwardness, Sihyuk obediently got up from his seat and began to follow the old man.