#009

 

Yoo-ah returned home in Jeong-hye’s arms. Jeong-hye sat the infant on the porch and took off her shoes.

 

“Yoo-ah yah. Dad is coming home late today. So would you like to go out for dinner with mom?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“Yes, let’s do that. Is there anything you want to eat?”

 

“Braised hairtail!”

 

For your information, braised hairtail was Jeong-hye’s favorite food. It was cumbersome to eat at home, and Joo-hyuk hated seafood, so it was not a food that we usually ate often.

 

“Then you should eat at times like this.”’

 

An opportunity is to seize it when it comes. Yoo-ah was determined to be a niche filial piety. Does it cost you a penny or two to raise a child? He had to pay as much as he received, but it was impossible because he was seven years old.

 

I don’t have money, so let’s do it with our bodies. Jeong-hye nodded to Yoo-ah’s confident answer, saying she understood.

 

Even though he said this, Yoo-ah ate everything well without being picky. It means that there is nothing bad about eating food that Jeong-hye likes because his taste of food was more like Jeong-hye than Joo-hyuk.

 

“Then go in and change your clothes. Let’s clean up, play for a while at the playground, and go eat.”

 

It means yesss

 

Yoo-ah went into the main room, leaving Jeong-hye organizing her shoes behind.

 

Sniffs sniffs.

 

As soon as he entered the room, Yoo-ah, who closed the door, pulled the robe to his chest and brought it to his nose.

 

“Is it lavender?”

 

It smelled like a fragrant fabric softener. Fortunately, the magic of squid radish soup did not seem to extend to the rustic yellow round peach.

 

Earlier, he took off his cardigan, so he had no choice but to wear it.

 

There was nothing he could do about it even if he felt uncomfortable, but now that he saw it, there was nothing on it and there was no smell. He had sweated a little, but his clothes were not wet enough. ‘I think I can wear it again tomorrow.’

 

Yoo-ah took off his original clothes and changed into his usual clothes.

 

And then he realized.

 

“Ah, the cardigan!”

 

Yoo-ah opened his eyes wide and looked at the clothes he had taken off.

 

It was just yellow, yellow, and yellow. There are forsythia fields all over.

 

“No wonder I felt something was missing!”’

 

I couldn’t find the white one anywhere.

 

I remember taking it off when I took a nap and using it as a pillow…?

 

The problem started there. From that moment, he hasn’t had a memory of taking it separately.

 

…I guess I forgot to take it because I was distracted by snacks.

 

Maybe it was the main shou’s hug when he woke up and faced him. The biggest reason was the lack of consciousness. Nevertheless, Yoo-ah was frustrated. The reason was that his pride was hurt.

 

In life, one can forget about a coat or two. I’m seven years old. Carelessness is a matter of course because you are still young.

 

Yoo-ah thought so, too.

 

‘But not me. Did you see KoXy not leaving the scene to eat snacks? Did you see that?’

 

I don’t think that was the metaphor. That was it, in the sense that it couldn’t happen.

 

Yoo-ah looked down at his body, changed into comfortable cotton trousers and a sweatshirt.

 

Fortunately, I hadn’t left it on the street. It was not technically lost because I forgot to take it while playing in kindergarten. I think I can take it back when I go to kindergarten tomorrow. That’s how Yoo-ah rationalized himself.

 

I don’t think I’ll get scolded this much anyway, so it’ll be okay. 

 

Yoo-ah thought that if Jeong-hye noticed and asked, he would answer the truth, or he would just keep his mouth shut. If he didn’t answer because she didn’t ask, she can’t say he hid it.

 

“Huh? Didn’t Yoo-ah wear a cardigan today?”

 

I should have known in advance that people call this a flag ^[1] When the conditions for triggering a specific event are satisfied, it is expressed as ‘a flag is raised’. .

 

Yoo-ah drooped his head. His pride was hurt, and it was because of the fact that he was in a situation where he had to tell Jung-hye honestly.

 

“I left it in kindergarten….”

 

Yoo-ah recalled the same story that he had heard at first glance in his previous life.

 

It was the story of a young individual without power or of some animals that could not be resisted by force. In order to increase their survival rate, they evolved in an advantageous and unique way.

 

That’s what cuteness is.

 

But he doesn’t think it’s right to act cute at this age. Yoo-ah squeezed out the round clothes in his hand for no reason.

 

Jeong-hye, who was watching the series of ctions, said.

 

“Why did you leave it behind?”

 

“I was going to eat snacks quickly….”

 

“The teacher would have given you the snacks if you waited.”

 

“I was hungry….”

 

“Didn’t you eat? Mom told you not to do that.”

 

Jeong-hye looked at him with her axe-like sharp eyes.

 

Jeong-hye was usually gentle, but she used to be relentless if it was harmful to Yoo-ah’s safety. This was long before Yoo-ah remembered his past life. It was a consistent action from the time he first remembered his past life.

 

Yoo-ah carefully looked at Jeong-hye’s countenance.

 

“That’s not it… It’s because the kids asked me to go play quickly….”

 

“You could have asked them to wait until you finish eating.”

 

“…….”

 

“Yoo-ah yah. You can lose a cardigan because we can buy a new one, but you can’t do that with your health. Yooo-ah knows that because you got sick last time.”

 

Yoo-ah chewed his lips. Not because he’s angry or annoyed. But because he had no idea how to react.

 

‘Is this worry?’

 

Reason and emotion play separately. He could understand that it was a parent’s mind to think about their children. Though he was not convinced separately.

 

This kind of feeling for Yoo-ah, how to put it? It was as if because the textbook said, ‘The answer is this,’ it was close to what he had learned. It was limited to receiving, not giving.

 

He ended up thinking the same as an adult. He couldn’t say that his previous life was full and normal, but he lived on his own.

 

But it was essential knowledge that was needed to survive. There was no such thing as a way of dealing with people and exchanging hearts. If you have to find it, wouldn’t it be like how a part-timer treats customers? It’s natural that all he’s seen and learned in his past life were sins.

 

Life wasn’t the kind of thing someone could live for you. So you shouldn’t want someone to take care of you. If there’s something you want, you get it on your own, and you take care of what you’ve got. He had lived that kind of life.

 

Affection.

 

Suddenly, Yoo-ah realized that this feeling that he was receiving now was like that.

 

He has felt similar feelings in his previous life. Even if it was more like a sense of duty or responsibility than affection.

 

He never thought it was particularly pitiful or upsetting. At that time, he thought that was enough reason to live. In fact, Yoo-ah lived.

 

Even if he had died so soon.

 

“…Son, are you crying? Is it because mom said something you don’t like?”

 

Shakes.

 

Yoo-ah shook his head. Before he knew it, his eyes were fixed on his toes.

 

What Yoo-ah in the past have been doing was a one-sided exchange. What other contradictory words are there in the world?

 

It was a series of relationships that were forced to hold onto alone. He didn’t want to admit it, so he pretended not to know, but he knew it. It’s this kind of world. It’s been a world where most people wear masks and treat people. So he didn’t believe he was unusual.

 

Somehow, whenever this situation occurs, it suddenly becomes unfair only after it has passed.

 

It would have been so natural for someone to exchange affection, but the reason why couldn’t Yoo-ah in a previous life do that? It was hard to tell.

 

‘…It’s all in the past. My parents won’t believe me if I say this anyway.’

 

Of course. He wasn’t confident enough to stand the reaction, even if they believed it. No parent would accept the fact that his child was actually an old man.

 

It’s actually in this way that he’s deceiving them. It’s funny how he felt wronged at first. Yoo-ah throat felt strained.

 

As if interpreting his behavior differently, Jeong-hye held Yoo-ah in her arms and said,

 

“I’m sorry if you’re upset. But if Yoo-ah is sick because he doesn’t take care of himself properly, mother is sad, too. You know that, don’t you?”

 

Nods.

 

“You didn’t know that today, so I will let it go. But can you really do that next time?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

“Promise.”

 

Jeong-hye held out her pinkie finger. Yoo-ah tied his pinkie finger to the big pinie finger.

 

‘I’m sure it’s smaller than mine in my previous life.’

 

I could only feel the firmness of my fingers. A small amount of warmth was transmitted from the contact area.

 

As expected. Would he be able to live without loving these people?

 

Yoo-ah thought carefully, feeling the warmth. He should never tell them this secret. He had no intention of doing it, but it was obvious that it would be Yoo-ah who would be hurt the moment he told them the truth.

 

Isn’t that enough of a reason why he shouldn’t be close to the main shou?

 

For Yoo-ah, the main shou was like a living token, reminding him that he did not belong to this world. It was only painful to look around with such a child.

 

‘Even if he’s not, humans are naturally selfish.’

 

One way or another, the most important thing is the person. Isn’t it just self-satisfaction in the end, even if it’s for others? It’s just different. After all, the roots were the same.

 

“Then mom is going to finish cleaning, so will Yoo-ah be watching TV? You’re going to be thirsty after you’ve cried, so here, drink some water.”

 

Yoo-ah took the cup of water handed over by Jeong-hye. He didn’t cry in particularly. Still, it is true that he was thirsty, so he drank without hesitation. 

 

The pretty ice that Yoo-ah likes was floating.

 

When Yoo-ah sat on the sofa in the living room, the sound of vacuum cleaner was heard softly. Was he sitting too quietly? There was also a situation where Jeong-hye returned from cleaning and opened Pororo as if she was worried.

 

“Pororo goes beyond the dimension….”

 

That’s right. It was surprising, but it wasn’t pleasant.

• 1. When the conditions for triggering a specific event are satisfied, it is expressed as ‘a flag is raised’.