episode_0036

“Let me go in first!”

“Oh, Mr. Haru, thank you for your hard work.”

The coworker sitting next to me greets me. Her name is Im Seul-gi. She is in her mid-30s this year, and is considered a veteran among the guild receptionists.

I heard that he always turns down promotions and transfers to other departments… He said that it’s because his current job is a good fit for him and rewarding. His warm impression and tone of voice were definitely something that could be called talent.

“Hmm… Let’s see… .”

I headed out, stamping my ID card proving that I was a guild member.

Is the future not over yet?

There was no separate contact. I thought Mirae would have to wait for me according to the schedule. Is it because she can’t come out because she’s chatting with her friends? If that’s true, I don’t think I’ll be disappointed no matter how long I wait.

I stopped in front of the academy, letting my imagination run wild. It was close enough to the guild that I could arrive there in no time.

At first glance, the school road looks like a garden. Around it, there are square stone floors that look like sparse yard spaces.

If you look up a little from there, you will see a gray building with an old-fashioned atmosphere. It is the main building of the Isty Academy, which is in no way inferior to the guild’s majesty.

It was past school time, so there weren’t many students near the entrance. So I peeked my head inside the school gate and saw two students standing in the training ground.

As they seemed to be facing each other, a small female student disappeared with her hair fluttering. At the same time, the training ground became silent, and a male student who had been standing there blankly suddenly sat down.

Although I have met many capable people while working at the guild, I could never keep up with them all.

Isn’t the skill gap too big?

I thought the match was over. I thought the female student who disappeared had knocked down the male student who had collapsed at an unseen speed, but my prediction was pleasantly wrong.

The female student who had disappeared stopped for a moment, gasped, and then collapsed on the training ground. On the other hand, the male student who had been sitting down got up with a leisurely smile and took the female student’s hand to help her up.

And soon, the smiles of the two people appearing on their lips sparkle under the reddish sunset.

Youth, huh?

If I had caught Hanna Yeon back then, would I have been able to enjoy my youth?

Well… isn’t it? Well, Hanna Yeon doesn’t really suit the youth.

I think it was right to let it go coolly. I was grateful that he was worried that I would be bullied, but he couldn’t hold me back just because I didn’t have any friends.

Well, even after Hanna Yeon left, school life wasn’t that bad. Since I was so quiet, I was able to naturally escape the attention of the kids, and after that, things weren’t much different from when I was in elementary school.

Wait, thinking about it makes me mad?

How did Hanna Yeon know that I could be alone? You might make some friends as you live. Why are you worried about me when you said you would postpone your studies in France until you graduated from high school?

Of course, I was so grateful that I cried, but I actually wished I hadn’t gone, and I sobbed, but now that I think about it, I almost made a ridiculous decision. I felt like praising the past Lee Haru who pretended everything was fine and let Hanna Yeon go.

“… Who do you think?”

“Who are you thinking of? It must be Hanna Yeon.”

“… … .”

Oh, I answered reflexively.

I said it without checking who it was, but luckily it was Mirae.

That’s fortunate… right?

Mirae stares at me with cold eyes. Did something bad happen at school? Mirae was silent for a moment, then wrapped her arms around mine tightly and muttered softly.

“Stop it.”

“What, what…?”

“Thinking of my sister.”

He doesn’t seem to be in a bad mood since he’s even crossing his arms, but his voice is really hoarse. He didn’t sleep in the classroom and come out late, did he? He looks very tired since morning, so that’s a possibility.

“Future, the bus is coming.”

But my questions couldn’t continue because Seo-hu was far ahead and urging me on. I had to move faster than usual so as not to be dragged along by Mirae.

* * *

When I got home, I sat on the sofa wearing a comfortable white T-shirt and black sweatpants.

It would be really refreshing to drink a can of beer in this state, but unfortunately, I can’t even feel that way because I have a weak constitution. It was the same in my previous life, and strangely, I have no affinity for alcohol.

“How was the Academy?”

Instead, I relieve my fatigue today with a glass of chocolate milk. It is an escape that I could not even imagine when Mirae was young because I was afraid of what she would see and learn. Chocolate milk before eating? Now, I turn a blind eye to my mother’s escape because Mirae knows.

“Just what… .”

“Hey, don’t be like that. Tell me more. Didn’t the teacher bring a demon and attack you, then give you points, and then the kid who came in second place declares he’s your rival? ”

The Academy. What an exciting place. I was so excited that I started to speak too quickly as I let my imagination run wild.

“… It wasn’t there? It wasn’t much different from middle school.”

“Hmm… Really?”

I felt a little sorry. But I decided to stop because I thought that if I delved further, the future would be upset. My mom was talking passionately about something she saw in an animation. Even I feel upset when I think about it.

I poured the remaining chocolate milk into my mouth and got up. Today was the day of my future school year, and I was just trying to feel fancy with some rump steak, but since I hadn’t prepared the food in advance, I couldn’t create a party atmosphere.

In the end, it’s dinner time as usual. Yes, it’s not about the atmosphere, it’s about the taste. It’s about capturing the stomach of the future!

“When will I get my Foot Rabbit payment? Will I get it all at once later?”

I bought meat from the mart, and seasoned it like the ones sold at the mart. Then I prepared the vegetables to be grilled with oil and garnish, and heated a frying pan over a high heat.

Since students are given hero status before they even enter school, it is not uncommon for Academy students to actually come to the guild during lunch or after school to receive their pay.

Actually, I was secretly waiting for the future to come during lunch today. It would have been nice to have lunch together at the guild. And to brag about my daughter while I was at it.

“I’ll go tomorrow. I couldn’t go today because I was cleaning up the student council room.”

“Student Council Room?”

Why is Mirae cleaning up the student council room? Did she get caught by the bad seniors and force them to clean up?

Surely not. The future is not mine. If it were our perfect future, we would never have been caught.

“Did you join the student council?”

“Yeah, first year president.”

“Really?”

He turned his head away from putting the meat in the frying pan.

“He’s the interim president. They said they’re selected based on grades.”

The future answered, setting down the butter I had forgotten to take out next to me.

They said they chose him in order of his grades… I knew that he passed the entrance exam in first place. And second place was definitely… .

“Then Seo-hu is the vice president?”

“That’s right. Min Seo-hoo is the vice president.”

It’s already a lot different from what I knew. The summary didn’t mention that Mirae and Seohu were active in the student council.

But this isn’t a bad thing in its own right. In fact, it might be better because we’ll be able to spend more time together.

“Mirae and Seohu are both in the student council… .”

“No, there’s two. There’s one more.”

You can’t take your eyes off the steak even for a second. The basic temperature of the frying pan is high, so a beginner like me could end up burning it while grilling it.

So I was staring at the meat, and Mirae came up behind me and hugged my waist.

“Who?”

“Tachibana… Serika? She came from Japan.”

If you’re in student council together, why is your name in question form?

Rather, my arms are not moving well because the future is holding me back. It’s time to start taking out the meat.

“Future, can you please leave Mom alone? The chairman is acting like a whiner today?”

“It’s a prize. It’s a prize for me. I’ll pack the meat. ”

I didn’t have time to be surprised at the Japanese exchange student. As I was fumbling around with the tongs, Mirae, who was behind me, took the tongs and moved the meat.

Every time Mirae moves her arm, her thin black hair brushes against her cheek. The part that touches it tickles, making her flinch.

“Let Mom do it. She said she was preparing to congratulate you on your admission.”

“You don’t have to do this.”

What did he mean by that? Depending on his subsequent actions, his mother might be very upset…

“Uh…?!”

Just as I was about to smile bitterly, wondering if I had done something wrong, my head suddenly turned and a warm breath blew through my slightly parted lips.

A finger touched my cheek, feeling somewhat cool.

A head bent by those fingers.

Lips gently covered from above.

If I push her away here, the atmosphere will definitely get weird. A mother consciously refusing to kiss her daughter. No matter how sudden it may be, it is extremely unnatural.

If you think about it, even though I said I was the chairman, I didn’t say a word of praise. In the first place, I was the one who made Mirae ask for the award.

“Phha… ! Haa, haa… .”

“… This is enough for me.”

After a kiss that felt a little longer than a morning greeting, Mirae let me go and sat down at the table.

“Still, I’ll eat it well because my mom made it for me.”

“Ugh, ugh… Enjoy your meal.”

I answered absentmindedly and went to the table with my plate. When I looked back, I realized I was so out of it that I didn’t even get to bake the garnish.

Mirae doesn’t really like vegetables, so it might not matter. Maybe that’s why she went on a surprise attack… .

“That’s right. I have something else prepared.”

I turned around on my way to the table and stopped by the refrigerator. I had bought some grape juice as a substitute for wine.

I poured grape juice into a wine glass I took out from the tea table.

“Getting into school, becoming the student body president, and also… being a mother and daughter? No, that’s not something to celebrate. Oh, anyway! Congratulations, Mirae.”

And as I sat down with the future, I pushed forward. Someday, there will come a day when we can toast with real wine. I can’t drink, but I’m secretly looking forward to it. I guess it’s okay to have a drink with the future.

“Yeah, thanks… .”

Ta-da!

The wine glasses clinked lightly, making a refreshing sound, and I cut the steak with as much elegance as I could muster.

Yum.

“Hmm… How is it? Are you okay? Did Mom choose the meat well?”

“I haven’t eaten yet… .”

“What were you doing not eating quickly! Okay, Mom will feed you.”

Feeling a little embarrassed, I quickly cut the meat and offered it to Mirae. Mirae took it, tilting her head to her ear. The meat, which was cooked just enough to show blood, disappeared into her mouth.

“… Delicious.”

The sentiment was concise, but the corners of Future’s lips that suddenly opened said it all.

Tonight was a success.

I ate the steak with much lighter hands. Even though I had already drank chocolate milk, the savory taste of the meat brought me ecstasy.

“Oh, right. I heard Hanna Yeon is coming tomorrow? Are you going to meet her together?”

As I was almost done eating, I remembered something important that I should have told you a long time ago.

“…Why are you coming?”

“No, why are you coming… .”

Future’s reaction was quite indifferent. Why would she do that when we’re so close that she calls me “sister”?

When Mirae started working out, she went to the gym that Hannayeon introduced her to. She seemed interested in Hannayeon and asked her many questions. Last time she came to Stella, she succeeded in getting her to call her “Unnie.” It was too hard for her to call her that, so I forced her to do it.

Anyway, isn’t this enough evidence? The relationship between Mirae and Hannayeon isn’t that bad.

“How much is there?”

“This time, I won’t go again. Hanna Yeon is at an age where she should be settling down, and I think Narin wants to graduate from Stella.”

Judging from the fact that he asked about the period, it seems like he doesn’t hate it after all.

“You’re not going back again…?”

“Huh… ?”

Probably, I wouldn’t hate it.