episode_0259

I sat across from him and watched Lane working hard with his fork.

It was quite cute to see him swing his fork around to eat the round cherry tomatoes.

Time spent alone with Rain.

Since this kind of thing rarely happens, I decided to enjoy the time.

“Rain over there.”

“Huh?”

Rain, who had been concentrating on the cherry tomatoes, raised his head and answered my question.

Her fork was successfully imprinted with cherry tomatoes.

“Shouldn’t you come to our office?”

“Why?”

Rain tilted his head at my words and put a cherry tomato in his mouth.

The tomato slips off the fork and into her small mouth.

I watched her lips move slightly, then looked around and said.

“There’s no Amy or Victor. So it’s okay if I don’t work.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. You and I are playing together.”

Rain seemed deeply troubled by my words, crossing his arms and closing his eyes.

I rested my chin on the table and watched her, waiting for an answer.

After some time, Rain nodded as if he had made up his mind.

“Okay!”

“I knew it, Rain. Let’s have a good time together today, just the two of us.”

“All of us… just the two of us… having a good time…”

The corners of Rain’s mouth slightly rise at my words.

I don’t know what Rain was thinking, but I was thinking about going outside.

Not the Forest of Allen, but the city beyond that space, in the upper district.

Of course, I couldn’t just go out, but that inability to go out only applied to me.

Lane would often go out alone to buy things he needed.

Even though she looked like this, she was an adult.

“Hey. Rain. We’ve been here for quite some time, haven’t we?”

“Yeah. Right.”

“Then, you also know that there aren’t many fun things to do here, right?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s right. What if we go outside?”

“Outside? Are you talking about Allen’s Forest?”

I shook my head at Rain’s words.

Rain jumped up in surprise and shook his head.

“No! Amy told me not to go out!”

I heard the expected answer.

But knowing Lane well, I also knew that if I pushed just a little harder, she would come over.

I got up from my seat, walked slowly, and sat down next to Rain.

Rain seemed taken aback by my sudden behavior and wiggled his fingers.

“Rain often went out alone, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Then you know there are a lot of fun things out there, right?”

“Uh… Really?”

“Rain. I’m frustrated. The fact that I can’t get out of here…”

As I muttered with a sullen expression, little Amy, who had been hiding above my head, grabbed my hair and shook it back and forth as if to say that it absolutely could not be done.

Two strands of white hair rise up like antennas, creating blue sparks.

I know, baby.

I know it’s dangerous outside.

But, if you have a bracelet and an adult named Rain by your side, wouldn’t it be okay?

Phagejik-

Little Amy shook her head as if to say no.

But I thought differently from her.

My abilities are excellent. I have the ability to escape from danger.

Phagejik-

Still, as if it were dangerous, little Amy let out a strong electric shock.

The tingling sensation near Jeongsu-ri was quite annoying.

“Jeff, there’s lightning going through my head…”

I nodded to Lane’s words, and held little Amy, who was hiding in my head, in my hand.

She was suddenly caught and started to struggle as if to be let go.

“Baby. Mommy is sick.”

Once upon a time, Shine sat little Amy down and made her promise to keep a few promises.

A good child makes a promise not to do anything that will hurt his mother.

At my words, little Amy, who remembered her promise with Shine, stroked my fingers with a surprised expression.

It wasn’t that part of her head that hurt, but her crown, but her cute appearance made me smile.

He said, holding Lane’s hand, hiding the quiet little Amy back in his hair.

“Hey Rain. I want to go outside…”

As if reluctant, he tightly holds onto Rain’s hand as he tries to pull away.

As I ran my fingers between hers, her small hand trembled and stopped pulling away.

“That, uh, but…”

“Are you afraid of getting scolded by Amy? If Amy doesn’t catch you, then you can have a really fun time…just the two of you…”

If only I could sneak out and come back before Amy comes back, if only I could do that.

As I gently moved my fingers and stroked the back of Rain’s hand, Rain flinched and opened his mouth.

“Okay, okay!”

I got permission from an adult to look after me.

I jumped up from my seat and hugged Rain.

“Thank you Rain!”

***

Rain, who could come and go as he pleased, was not a problem, but I was the problem.

Rain and I sat down and started thinking about how I could get out without being caught.

How can I sneak out?

How can I avoid getting caught?

The most important thing in this case was Shumain.

“Brain, how about giving a bribe?”

“To Mr. Shumain?”

“Yeah.”

I nodded to Lane’s opinion.

It was a pretty good opinion.

It’s a bribe.

First, I had to figure out what kind of gift she would like.

“Does Rain know what Mr. Shumain likes?”

“Ah… no.”

Rain shook his head at my question and made a sullen expression.

I took out my treasures that I always carried in my pocket and laid them out.

A few shiny stones, Lucy commemorative coins, a small iron bar, and a signal to prevent getting lost.

By the way, what would Shumain like?

As he was thinking about what to do with the items out, Rain also took out some items from his pockets and laid them out.

A little chick purse, a cute keychain and a little chocolate.

And then my picture popped up.

When I looked at the photo and made a strange expression, Rain answered flusteredly.

“Tch, it’s normal for friends to carry around photos!”

“Really?”

“Yeah!”

I nodded, since I also had a lot of pictures of Rain on my phone.

However, among the items we brought out, there didn’t seem to be anything that Shumain would like.

“Should I ask Jinhan?”

“Jin?”

“Yeah. You said Mr. Shumain was Jin’s friend.”

“Good idea!”

So the destination was decided.

We jumped up from our seats and headed straight to Jin’s office.

Rain, standing in front of the tightly closed door, swallowed dry saliva and knocked on the door.

dripping-

[Come in.]

At the sound of Jin’s voice coming from beyond the door, Rain opened the door.

“Rain? Jeff? Are you here because of Amy?”

Jin spoke as if he had a rough idea of why we came to see him.

But that’s not why I came here now.

I stepped forward and said to Rain.

“Jin!”

“Yeah.”

“What does Mr. Shumain like?”

“Shumain? Suddenly?”

“Yes! I’m really curious! I want to know!”

Jin, who was sitting at the desk, touched his chin and became lost in thought after hearing what I said.

“Um… What did Shumain like… But, why are you suddenly asking what Shumain likes?”

I looked at Rain’s expression without being able to answer Jin’s question.

She too seemed unable to think of an answer to the sudden question, and just muttered.

“Uh… Well, for us. You prepared such a wonderful place… So I thought it would be nice to give you a gift to express my gratitude…”

I desperately rolled my head, which wouldn’t turn, and came up with an answer.

Now that I actually said it, it turned out to be a pretty plausible answer.

When I nodded my head in satisfaction at my answer, Jin nodded with his eyes wide open.

“Oh, that’s a good idea. I should buy myself a gift while I’m at it.”

Rain and I exchanged glances at Jin’s answer.

This wasn’t planned…

Jin jumped up from his seat and came over to us, as if to say that he would prepare a gift together while he was at it.

“Shall we go prepare a gift together?”

“Hey, where are you?”

“To Shumain.”

“You’re deciding on a gift for Mr. Shumain, but it’s going to Mr. Shumain?”

“Yeah. I don’t know what Shumain likes. I’m going to go ask him myself. ”

Jin walked out of the office, passing us in confusion.

Then he turned to us and said:

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going together?”

Things got messed up.

But once words are spoken, they cannot be taken back.

I followed Jin, holding onto Rain’s hand tightly.

Since it was my first time going somewhere with Jin, an awkward silence fell between us.

But Jin didn’t seem uncomfortable with this situation, and he headed towards the elevator with a bright smile on his face.

So, together with Jin, we get on the elevator and head to the top floor, Allen’s Forest.

Ding – With a refreshing sound, the elevator door opens as it reaches the top floor.

As soon as the door opens, a cold wind blows past my cheek.

Fortunately, I was wearing fairly thick clothes, so I was able to withstand the cold.

Allen’s Forest was revealing its bare branches in preparation for the arrival of winter.

The tree seeds looked very cold, but Allen said they were in good health.

The cold winter forest had a different charm from the winter forest with red leaves.

Jin, who had been walking ahead, stopped when we didn’t follow him and waited for us without saying a word.

At the sight of him, I grabbed Rain’s hand and ran towards him.

“Does Mr. Shumain usually stay here, in the forest?”

“No. Usually, they stay inside the headquarters like us. Allen is the only one who lives in the forest.”

I nodded to Jin’s words.

Since I hadn’t encountered Mr. Shumain much inside the headquarters, I thought he might be living in the forest like Allen, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

Jin, who was walking towards the forest, stopped in front of a large tree and tapped the wood grain with his hand.

It’s like knocking on the door.

After knocking on the tree a few times and standing still, Allen appeared on a swaying branch.

He came down from high above the forest, sat on a tree branch and spoke to Jin.

“Hello.”

“Hi Allen. Do you happen to know where Shumain is?”

“Wait a minute.”

Allen waved his hand at Jin’s words.

Then a large entrance appeared on one side of the forest.

Beyond that, the forest was moving and squirming, continuing to make its way.

“If you go over there and walk along the road, you’ll meet Shumain.”

“Thank you~”

Allen’s gaze turned to the back as he heard Jin’s answer.

The way he looked at me and Rain seemed to be asking if we had something to say too.

“Hello Mr. Allen.”

“Hello. You didn’t come with me today?”

Those words were clearly spoken because Shine, who was always by his side, was no longer there.

I nodded to Allen’s words.

As soon as the greetings were over, Allen climbed down a tree branch and went deep into the forest.

What on earth is he doing in the forest?

While he was worrying like that, Jin was heading towards the entrance that Allen had created.

Rain and I also followed Jin.