READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 273
I’ve never really thought about my parents in this world.
I know I was abandoned.
Sometimes I see the baby box. At least if you’re going to give up a child, don’t just throw them anywhere to die; place them there so they can at least receive some care.
And that’s where I was discarded.
Of course, I don’t have any memories from when I was born, and I hardly recall anything from that time. I have fleeting memories that come and go, but in the end, the clear memories of my childhood only begin from kindergarten.
It’s a strange story, especially since I retain memories from my previous life.
So I grew up thinking I didn’t have parents. It didn’t really matter. I didn’t even consider that the people of this world could be my real parents.
I could have been born out of thin air—so, I wouldn’t have been surprised if I was ‘created’ in that baby box.
From my perspective, even after living for over a decade, this place still seemed utterly bizarre.
“……”
So, even when I hear that there was once a being known as ‘Mom’, I can accept that quite indifferently.
“Ji-eun?”
Ji-hye called for me.
“Yeah?”
“Hey… aren’t you happy?”
“Happy?”
“Uh, that…”
Was I astonished by my response?
Well, no. I’m not particularly good at managing my emotions, but I’m sure it didn’t contain any feelings at all.
After all, I truly felt nothing.
“…Mom said she would come.”
That was what I heard.
Late Friday evening, the teacher came in suddenly with a troubled expression, struggling to get the words out.
The teacher handed me a letter.
It contained a drawn-out story.
It was the typical story.
An unwanted pregnancy. And giving up the surgery. Dad disappeared. She was too young to handle it. The world wasn’t kind enough to raise a child. So she gave up, but when she later came back to find me, the church had disappeared.
At least it’s true that the church didn’t just vanish into thin air. I heard that the pastor got old and financially strained, so in the end, he entrusted Ji-hye to this orphanage.
So—well.
I thought it was possible that such a story could exist.
“……”
After thinking for a moment, I said,
“What if she comes?”
“Huh?”
“Should I go with her?”
“Um…”
Ji-hye looked around nervously before speaking carefully.
“Maybe you should?”
Is that so?
I didn’t quite understand. There aren’t many things as disconcerting as someone you’ve never felt was your mother claiming to be just that.
Just giving birth doesn’t make one a parent. If someone wants to claim a ‘right’ over their child, they should naturally have some ‘responsibility’ as well.
Going by the letter, one might think she would never return… but is that really so? Could she not have found me if she really wanted?
It feels odd, especially since the letter arrived right after the mention of me living in the orphanage.
How could she remember the face of a newborn and be so sure she was my mother just by looking at my face?
“This is my home.”
“Ji-eun.”
Ji-hye seemed a bit flustered by my words.
“And, my family is you.”
I looked back at the letter still lying on the floor.
A letter painstakingly written. I still had no idea how to interpret it.
“…But still, I can’t just ignore this.”
When I murmured that, Ji-hye nodded.
Something felt irritating.
It wasn’t really a thought about the mother who came looking for me.
And the direction of that annoyance was misplaced. Ji-hye hadn’t done anything wrong.
If the person coming to find me is really my mother in this world, someone who isn’t problematic and just coincidentally came to find me just now, most people would probably think I should go with her.
Sure, I may be nearly an adult, but still a minor.
And even as an adult, whether or not there are parents will shape the support I have when starting my life.
But still.
“Do you want me to go?”
I accidentally responded sharply to Ji-hye.
“Huh?”
“If this person claims to be my mom. Then you want me to go with her?”
I wasn’t sure about the legal stuff. Can a child with parents stay in an orphanage? Do I even have the right to refuse?
“Ah….”
Upon receiving my question, Ji-hye lowered her head.
Then she lightly tapped the floor a few times before answering.
“I don’t know. If my mom comes looking…”
Our names are Jeong Ji-eun and Jeong Ji-hye.
We share the same surname and have almost identical names. And we grew up like twins.
How we ended up with these names, I still don’t know.
One thing I know for sure is that despite a rocky start, we ultimately became sisters.
This isn’t some metaphorical story. It was literal. We were sisters, no matter what anyone says.
“……”
I kept my mouth shut and let out a sigh.
“I’m sorry.”
It’s always like this.
Even in my past life, despite being an adult at times, I would sometimes get irritated or be short with Ji-hye. Well, it’s not that Ji-hye has never gotten upset at me… but still.
“I was too sensitive.”
“Ah, okay.”
“That….”
After thinking for a moment, I said,
“If, if it comes to that and I really have to leave, you’re still my sister, alright? You know that?”
“Ah, well.”
Hearing what I said, Ji-hye chuckled lightly.
“Well, there’s nothing you can do about it. We’ve grown up together.”
“Right?”
We both laughed.
A bit of the anxiety faded away.
Yeah. I only have to wait two more years to become an adult. No matter what that ‘mother’ has to say, I have savings.
If worse comes to worst, I can manage a temporary stay at the Magical Girl Headquarters. Cherry already gave me permission.
There’s no way I can’t find a room to rent. So when that time comes, it won’t matter if I stay with Ji-hye again, until either I get married or she does.
“Yeah, well, I’ll meet her.”
At present, there wasn’t really much I could do other than that.
“Yeah… um, I’m not sure what to say. Good luck.”
Good luck?
I’m not quite sure which side is luckier, but…
*
As the letter stated, it wasn’t long after lunch on Saturday that the woman called ‘Mom’ arrived.
She didn’t come by car but rather walked here.
The image I initially imagined was of a flashy con artist dressed in striking attire.
Someone pretending to be rich just to take me away.
No, I would have preferred if she were that kind of person. If so, I could just laugh in her face and send her packing.
But the person who appeared was just an ordinary person.
Not overly flashy, nor shabby. Not rich but somehow living fairly normally, giving off a somewhat awkward vibe as if dressed for an important occasion.
The woman with long flowing hair that arrived looked… well, maybe a bit similar to me.
She was impeccably dressed in a suit. Not quite the vibe of someone going for an interview, but rather someone dressed up for a formal event, looking a bit out of place.
“…Hello.”
Since she was an adult, I cautiously bowed my head in greeting.
“…Hello.”
She awkwardly returned my greeting. I was still a teenager, but she must have realized I wouldn’t be one for much longer.
That caught me a bit off guard.
If she were genuinely a con artist, she would’ve probably acted like she knew everything right from the get-go.
…..
Well, then again, you need to have some knowledge to act knowledgeable. It’s ironic.
“May I introduce myself first?”
The teacher, perhaps thinking of the possibility of an ill-timed situation, stood back and watched us from a distance.
That put my mind at ease.
At that moment, the more ‘mother-like’ person in this situation was the teacher.
“My name is Jeong So-yeon.”
The woman I was supposed to be calling ‘Mom’ spoke politely.
Her voice trembled a bit.
Whether she’s genuine or fake, she can’t help but feel that way in front of me.
It certainly seemed to be the case due to the timing.
“And I’m here to let you know that I’m Ji-eun’s mother.”
I stared intently at each word she spoke with emphasis.
I felt no emotions at all.
What should I say?
Mom feels too forward. Calling her by her name feels awkward, and saying ‘ma’am’ seems odd too.
So, I decided not to use any title.
“Why do you think I’m your daughter?”
I said.
“……”
The woman quietly rummaged through her handbag and pulled out a photograph.
And in the photo, there was a picture of a tiny baby.
…Is that me?
I tilted my head.