Ch#193
Naturally, she couldn't call the police.
Seeing the father and daughter's disheveled appearance, she just couldn't bring herself to do it.
'Aigoo ya, this poor child... Where on earth is the mom?'
Tese tan was a pitiful and mysterious young man.
He never uttered a single word in response to questions about himself or the child's mother.
However, he readily gave the child's name.
'Astie.'
'What, Astie? What kind of name is that?'
She gradually grew closer to the father and daughter.
As she did, she began to vaguely piece together their circumstances.
'Aigoo ya, how tragic! No one in this world is without sorrow. Even the heavens and Buddha have their burdens.'
Eventually, she stopped asking questions outright.
Even when nosy neighbors pried, she shielded them.
It was she who found Tese tan a job.
It was she who helped him secure the vacant room 106.
Why go so far when she was busy scraping by herself?
The reason was obvious, of course...
Chae Bok-su's expression grew complicated as she looked at Tese tan.
'...He tried so hard for the child.'
Seeing him struggle to provide for his young daughter tugged at her heartstrings.
He was the kind of man whose efforts made onlookers' hearts ache.
That's why she warmed to him.
As the child grew, Bok-su came to cherish Tese tan just as much as Tie.
He worked day and night without rest.
He was the first to volunteer for dangerous jobs with good pay and rose earlier than the sleepless elderly.
One would think he'd be exhausted.
Yet in front of his child, he always wore a smiling face.
But time was not so forgiving.
It brought new trials whenever things seemed settled.
As Tie grew, the young father seemed to confront harsh realities bit by bit.
Even when she asked out of a desire to help, he gave no answers.
In the end, it was Bok-su and another neighbor upstairs who racked their brains over it.
'Unnie, shouldn't we contact an embassy or something? The apartment's even under your name.'
'What can we do when he won't say anything.'
'Still...'
'From what I see, he has no intention of settling in Korea.'
'...'
'He seems to have somewhere to return to with the child, but we can't help if we don't know where.'
So in the end, they had no choice but to let it be.
The one reason they endured was this:
When setting aside harsh reality, there was the child's innocent face.
As her father hoped, Tie was growing up bright and spirited.
Then one day,
"......"
Bok-su's face darkened.
It was because she recalled the notice that had arrived at Tie's empty home.
It was about claiming the ashes of an unclaimed deceased.
Receiving notice of the ashes before even the death report.
She didn't know how much she cried on the rainy way home that day.
It was heartbreaking that a young life had so easily become a star.
But the thought of Tie left alone was like a thorn she couldn't bear.
'If only, if only it had been me...'
As Bok-su thought that, she suddenly tensed at the urn before her.
"Urk!"
Unable to hold back, she retched, startling Astie who looked at her.
"Grandma!"
"Cough! Cough!"
She gasped for breath.
Bok-su wiped her mouth with her sleeve and quickly smiled at Tie.
"I-It's okay. Grandma just got something stuck."
The child's eyes widened round.
Bok-su hurriedly stood up.
"Anyway, sweetie, aren't you hungry?"
She bustled to the kitchen and rummaged for an empty pot.
"Of all times, no proper food... What to do? How about some egg fried rice with miso soup?"
No sooner had she spoken than a gurgle came from the child's stomach.
Tie looked down at her belly in embarrassment.
'My stomach growled!'
Truth be told, asking Grandma for food right away felt a bit rude.
But miso soup and egg fried rice!
Tie glanced at Bok-su and replied.
"Then... just a little...!"
A smile immediately spread across Bok-su's lips.
"Yes, yes."
Tie watched Grandma's busy back as she began cooking.
Then quietly sat next to Dad.
"......"
Aside from the clatter of dishes, the room was quiet.
Neither Tie nor Dad spoke.
Tie sank into thought.
'Dad must be a bit shocked too, right?'
Having suddenly learned from Grandma 107 that Tie was his daughter.
Tie fidgeted with her fingers.
'But it's okay. Dad doesn't believe it.'
This reaction was expected from the start.
'Even if he insists to the end that he's not Tie's dad, that's fine.'
Unless he recalled memories himself through mana.
He couldn't suddenly become affectionate again just from hearing someone else's story.
'Still...'
The child's cheeks flushed.
'It feels so good.'
Her heart pounded at the fact of calling him Dad in front of him.
It felt like frozen feelings melting in a warm hearth.
"Sweetie, one egg or two for the fried rice?"
At the question, Tie shot up a hand.
"Two!"
"Alright."
Meanwhile, Tese tan quietly gazed down at the giggling child's crown.
At the same time, another hallucination overlapped his vision.
'Dad's gonna live with Tie forever.'
Moonlight softly filled the room.
He gently stroked the hair of Tie, tucked under the blanket beside him.
Outside was pitch black, but the child's eyes sparkled brightly.
'Someday we'll go back home, to a much bigger, cleaner house where I can make our Tie smile.'
'This house is nice too?'
'...There's a better place. Where our daughter can run around freely, with lots of toys, a big bookshelf for a hundred, no, a thousand sticker books.'
A tinnitus rang with a beep-, and his eyes stung.
'Going with Dad, right?'
'Huh?'
'If not with Dad, Tie doesn't want to.'
The child's eyes slowly lowered.
Her thick lashes trembled faintly, then she wriggled into his arms.
'Tie likes Dad the best.'
'...'
'Loves Dad the most in the world, so.'
The breath Tese tan had held burst out.
Tie turned her head.
Tese tan quickly looked away to avoid her gaze.
Not wanting her to see the tears that had formed against his will.
* * *
"Sweetie, you comfortable?"
At Grandma's question, Tie shook her head quickly.
"Not uncomfortable at all! Super cozy!"
Grandma gave a faint smile.
Tie pulled the blanket up to her chin and glanced at Grandma on her left, then Dad on her right.
'Feels so good.'
All three lying side by side like old times!
A smile kept tugging at her lips.
But the giggling child soon widened her eyes.
"Huh?"
It was nearly bedtime, but Grandma still wore her hat.
"Grandma, sleeping with the hat on?"
Grandma looked flustered.
"Oh, this is... um."
Grandma stammered, then gently stroked Tie's head.
"Grandma's head gets cold. It's warmer and nicer to sleep with a hat on."
"Aha!"
Tie giggled and scooted closer to Dad.
Dad had been lying straight with eyes closed, staring at the ceiling.
"Aigoo, so tiring..."
Grandma groaned from the other side.
How much time passed.
Grandma began breathing evenly.
Tie, eyes still wide awake, stared at the dim bulb in the ceiling center.
'What to do tomorrow?'
She needed to return to the original world with Dad as soon as possible.
Yet at the same time, she savored this moment lying beside Grandma.
'First, go greet 203 tomorrow!'
As the child roughly planned, about to close her eyes.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, a white dot flickered in the center of the bulb.
Tie tilted her head.
At first, she was unsure.
But now, the dot was slowly growing larger.
'What's that?'
The moment Tie sensed something off and sat up.
[...Tie!]
A familiar voice came from beyond the dot.
Tie's eyes widened round.
Pumpkin-colored eyes appeared through the now pea-sized hole, then shifted sideways.
Soon another pair took its place.
[Kid! Can you hear us?! Hey?!]
Tie jumped in shock, mouth agape.
"Brother Veil?!"
