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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: A Lifesaver’s Gift
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But they just smiled gently. I flailed with all my heart and soul.
“Bboobbe bbyabbyabbya! Bbajjyudyujjyoo!”
That’s not it! Change it!
No matter what I did, they paid me no mind. I was twisting my whole body in protest when it happened.
*Click—*
I heard the sound of a door opening. I stopped flailing and turned my head.
‘Ah, it’s you.’
Noah, was it? The precious customer who would occasionally come to pat me had arrived.
‘The poor customer with atopic dermatitis.’
I looked at his flaky white cheeks and spoke.
“Bbya, bboobboobya, bbya, bboobbabbanya.”
Hey, good to see you. But what can I do?
‘I’m leaving this place now.’
Noah looked back and forth between Ma Sujeong and the Sister, then, as if sensing something, ran straight to me.
“No! You said he was my little brother!”
Oh dear…
I reached out my small hand and patted Noah’s head.
Sorry.
“Bbyujjijjo, bbajjajjabbaba, bbyabbyubbijjajja jjyooah….”
Life is a series of goodbyes, my boy. Where there are meetings, there are also partings.
The Sister touched Noah’s cheek and said.
“Noah.”
“If he’s my brother, why are we separating! He’s Noah’s little brother!”
The child’s eyes filled to the brim with tears. Soon, a shower of tears streamed down his face.
“Bbyooah….”
Oh, no.
The Sister immediately held Noah and soothed him, but he wouldn’t stop crying.
“Sister, you’re a liar!”
“You’re right, Noah. I was wrong.”
“I was going to be so good to him!”
Noah tugged on Ma Sujeong’s skirt.
“Don’t take him!”
“Uh….”
“He’s my little brother!”
Ma Sujeong didn’t know what to do. The Sister tried to console Noah again.
“Noah, Gongja has found a good mother.”
“I still don’t want him to go! I won’t be able to see him anymore!”
Wow. This kid really liked me.
‘What do I do? I’m touched.’
Come to think of it, he saved my life.
‘There’s not much I can give my savior.’
“Bbyoobya….”
Sigh.
What does a baby have, money or rice? A sigh escaped me on its own.
It was then. A caption suddenly appeared.
Ah, right, I had this!
“Bbyoobbe!”
Use!
“Bbyoobbai, bboobboo, bbyahyabbibbi!”
Make Noah healthy for life!
“Bbyubbi!”
Proceed!
Huh, what a strange side effect.
I had no time to be impressed. Fat tears began to fall down the baby’s delicate skin.
“Gongja?”
“Bbyoobbabba, bbyoo, nyabbabbiya….”
My tears won’t stop.
“Why is he suddenly crying?”
Ma Sujeong sniffed my diaper.
“He didn’t make a mess.”
“Our Gongja isn’t one to cry easily….”
It’s just for three minutes. I’ll stop then.
‘It’s quite fascinating, now that I think about it.’
I stared intently at Noah.
‘Was he born with a healthy constitution? I thought not, because of his atopic dermatitis….’
Health is an incredibly difficult and important thing, yet it only costs 30 coins?
Noah was still shedding tears.
‘Noah, just crying as we part isn’t the best look.’
I gave you the gift of health because, in my experience, it’s the most important thing. You don’t like it?
‘Hmm, is there anything else I can give him?’
Should I raise his intelligence?
I decided to give it a try.
“Bbyoobbabba, bbabbyoo, bbijyoo, jjyabbyoo!”
Use Love & Peace Coin!
“Bbibboo, bbyoobbi, bbabbyoo!”
Increase Noah’s intelligence!
Wow.
I looked at Noah with teary eyes.
‘You’re not exactly a genius, are you.’
What’s with this huge difference? Health was only 30 coins!
‘You should definitely go into sports. You.’
It seems that’s your destiny.
As I worried about my savior’s future, three minutes flew by. Seeing that I had stopped crying, Noah spoke.
“Are you sad to be leaving me too?”
“Bboo! Bbooya.”
Yeah. Sure.
Well, honestly, it’s not exactly sadness, but let’s just say it is.
“I-I’m Noah. You have to remember me. I’m your big brother.”
“Bbooya.”
Okay.
“Hehe. We’re brothers even if we’re far apart!”
Wow.
‘You were really sincere with me.’
Noah’s innocence felt like it was melting away the dregs in my heart. I gasped for breath and made a decision.
‘Health alone isn’t enough.’
He’s my savior. I have to do more.
The child wiped his tears and scratched his cheek vigorously. The flaky white skin looked quite painful.
‘Well, that part is taken care of, at least.’
Is there anything else I can do for my savior?
What does he need most?
‘Hmm, if your head’s no good, your body has to work harder.’
That was it.
I immediately called for the coins.
“Bbyoobbabbabba, bbarabbabbabba!”
Use Love & Peace Coin!
“Bbooya, bbooyah-ah, bbyayoo, ahbboo!”
Make Noah’s physical strength stronger!
This was also a reasonable price.
“Kyoobba!”
Proceed!
Tears streamed down my face. Sniffling, I patted Noah’s cheek. The white, flaky skin hadn’t disappeared yet, but if you looked closely, you could tell.
‘He’s not scratching.’
The flaky skin would probably disappear soon, too.
‘That’s a relief.’
Now that you’re strong, life should be easier for you.
And you know what, Noah?
‘You may forget me, but I won’t forget you.’
At four years old… he’ll probably forget everything when he’s older.
But I won’t forget.
“Bbooya, bboojjyabbyoyajjyooyabboo!”
Because you are the one who saved my life.
“Bboobboobboo, bbiya! Bboobboobboo, bbyayaya!”
When I become a top star, I’ll find you and help you!
Whether he knew my feelings or not, Noah beamed.
“Gongja, you’re sad about us separating too, aren’t you? You keep crying.”
“Bbyoobbawoo!”
Let’s just say that’s it.
“It’s a promise! You have to remember me!”
“Bbyoobya, bbyabbyabbyabbya! Bbooyoong!”
Okay. But you can forget. I’ll be fine.
Noah wiped his tears and smiled brightly. Seeing this, the Sister took a small breath.
‘You’re holding back your tears, Sister.’
Sister Jeong Teresa hugged Noah and said.
“It was Noah who found Gongja.”
Ma Sujeong was startled and held me again.
“...I see.”
“That must be why he’s so attached. Noah, let’s say our goodbyes now.”
The four-year-old boy came up to me and waved his hand.
“Goodbye, Gongja.”
“Bbooya, babba.”
Right. Goodbye.
I waved my hand, patting Noah’s face. The child smiled a little, even as he cried.
‘Be happy, my savior.’
My savior even gave me a coin at the very end.
I kicked my legs. Thanks to that, the tears that had welled up in my eyes fell in large drops.
“Gongja.”
Sister Jeong Teresa wiped away my tears with her hand.
“Our Gongja, you must be happy,” she whispered in my ear.
“Lord, please bless these beautiful little lambs.”
Her touch was incredibly gentle. I looked at the Sister with my still-watery eyes.
The corners of the Sister’s eyes were wrinkled. I knew. Those wrinkles must have formed from caring for orphans.
‘This person is one hundred percent sincere.’
The Sister’s prayer continued.
“Lord, this body grows weary. That it breaks down piece by piece is Your providence, so I am not afraid. I only worry that these little lambs will suffer in the world.”
I blinked. I couldn’t say anything.
‘Sister. I know.’
A small laugh escaped me.
‘That there aren’t many good people in the world.’
Well, at least in the life I lived, they were hard to find.
‘I continued to volunteer and donate, but even the people who cared for children weren’t always purely good.’
I looked at the Sister again. Her earnest prayer went on.
“...Please protect these little lambs from harm.”
Sister.
You are a truly good person.
‘If there were more people like you, how many more children would be happy?’
But I also know there are very few people like that.
‘So, you must stay healthy for a long, long time.’
I immediately shouted.
“Bbyoobbabbabba, bbarabba!”
Use Love & Peace Coin!
“Bbooyayaya, bbooyah-ah, bbyayooyah-yang!”
Make Sister Jeong Teresa’s body healthy!
“Kyoobba!”
Proceed!
Huh.
‘I’ll fall down once every ten steps?’
I protested to the caption.
“Bbyoobba, babba bboobabbabbabbabba!”
Hey, isn’t that a bit harsh?
The caption at the very top moved down.
Jeez. So inflexible.
‘Well, I guess that’s normal for a baby.’
It was more important that Sister Jeong Teresa, who had saved my young life, was healthy.
‘Besides, it’s only for a year.’
I clenched and unclenched my short fingers.
‘A year passes quickly for a baby.’
A sigh escaped me on its own.
“Bbyoopah….”
Sigh.
I need to start practicing walking soon, but what am I going to do if I stumble every time?
‘Maybe it’ll be better if I build some leg strength.’
I wiggled my legs.
‘Well, let’s just be careful for a year.’
The Sister finished her prayer and gave me one tight hug.
‘The smell of formula….’
Sister Jeong Teresa patted my back for a moment before handing me over to Actress Ma.
“You should get going now.”
“Yes.”
Held in Ma Sujeong’s arms, I left the nursery.
Come to think of it, that was the first and last time I ever went outside of that room.
‘Thank you for everything.’
Sister Jeong Teresa came all the way out to the car to see me off. I bowed my short-haired head in farewell.
“Babba!”
Bye-bye, Sister.
‘I may be an atheist, but I suppose gods can make a living thanks to people like you.’
Please, stay healthy.
“Our Gongja, are you sad?”
“Babbawoo.”
A little.
“I know. But Gongja, look over there.”
Ma Sujeong lifted me up and pointed a finger at the car.
‘Whoa!’
I was honestly a bit surprised.
‘She really is rich.’
Is it because she’s the third daughter of the Seongjin Group? Or because she’s a successful actress?
“Bboobboobyaboobyabboo.”
You’re amazing.
I flailed my arms and legs.
‘How much is this thing worth?’
It was an imported car that looked expensive at a glance. But the truly surprising thing about the flashy car was something else. There was a car seat in the back.
‘Actress Ma, you really came prepared.’
Ah, I shouldn’t call her Actress Ma anymore.
‘Mom, or is it Mother…?’
A bitter smile formed on my lips.
‘What’s it like to have a mother?’
Maybe because I didn’t have one in my past life, I just couldn’t get used to it.
Ma Sujeong, no, Mom, placed me in the car seat. Then, gripping the steering wheel, she said.
“Gongja, Mom has a lot of money, you know?”
“Bbyabbyoo, bbyoobbaah. Bbooahbboo.”
So it seems, Mother.
“I’ll always give you the best when it comes to eating and sleeping. I’ll be a good mom.”
A laugh escaped me.
‘You’re already a good mom.’
Then, a caption appeared.
‘Happy because of me, huh….’
Is this what a mother’s love is like?
‘It’s joyful, but also a little heavy.’
Was a mother’s love this unconditional?
‘I wouldn’t know, having never experienced it….’
I looked at Actress Ma’s, no, Mom’s back. Whose mother was she? Even her back was beautiful.
‘Filial piety.’
How do you even do that?
I recalled that photo. I desperately wanted to prevent that incident from happening.
‘First, she needs to be healthy.’
That was the starting point.
‘How is my mom’s health? Surely it’s not worse than the Sister’s?’
I had to try using a coin to find out.
“Bboobbyoo bbyoobyabya byabyabya!”
Use Love & Peace Coin!
“Bbyoo bbyoobyabyabbyooyoo!”
Make Mom healthy!
A groan escaped my lips.
“Bbyooah….”
Mom, what’s wrong with your body? What have you been doing with your life?
‘Wait, 30,000 coins? You have all this money and you don’t even get health checkups?’
Where and how was she going to get sick?
‘This seems serious.’
How am I supposed to live without my mom!
‘We’re a family now!’
I couldn’t stop sighing.
“Bbyooah-ah.”
What do I do?
I squirmed in my car seat, desperately searching for a solution.
‘The solution is simple, though.’
I need to collect coins!
‘But how?’
I looked out the window. The way to collect coins was, as expected, through cuteness.
‘First, I need an audience.’
I needed people to appreciate my cuteness.
‘Mom, are there many people in the audience at the house we’re going to?’
I heard the house was big, so I hoped there were at least a lot of housekeepers.
‘This is complicated.’
I flailed my arms and legs, staring out the window. Perhaps because it was an expensive car, it moved forward very smoothly.
* * *
“So she ended up bringing him home after all, I hear?”
The second daughter-in-law of the Seongjin Group chairman’s household offered a cup of coffee.
Chairwoman Na Hwajin took a sip of the coffee her daughter-in-law gave her and frowned.
“My dear, you are ever so consistent.”
The second daughter-in-law, Lee Yugyeong, shrank back. She watched her mother-in-law’s expression as she brought up the topic again.
“Your sister is so ridiculous. I mean, adopting a child she’s not even related to by a single drop of blood just because she likes him.”
Na Hwajin remained silent. She was scrolling through an English newspaper on her tablet PC.
“It’s so rash. How sad will Mari be when she finds out later? The third young lady really is so thoughtless. Are we just some ordinary family? We’re the owners of the Seongjin Group.”
Na Hwajin let out a sigh.
“Yugyeong.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“You are truly noisy.”
Na Hwajin didn’t touch her coffee again.
“Mother, I may be noisy, but we have to talk about your youngest daughter. What on earth are you going to do? I heard that if things go wrong, the child could even get some of the stocks.”
Na Hwajin narrowed her eyes.
“So what you really want to talk about are the stocks?”
“Mother!”
“Well, I suppose that is important.”
Na Hwajin said, her eyes scanning the screen.
“The stocks I gave to Sujeong belong to Mari. Of course, if she marries and has another child, they could become that child’s.”
“With another mouth to feed, how is she supposed to get married again? She should be getting back out there while she’s still fresh.”
At those words, Na Hwajin closed her tablet PC. There was nothing worth reading.
“Your one virtue, my dear second daughter-in-law, is your consistency.”
“Oh, Mother.”
“Your foolishness is just as consistent.”
Na Hwajin rose from her seat.
“How did you ever end up in this family….”
She shook her head and walked away.
Once she was away from her daughter-in-law, Na Hwajin rubbed her legs.
‘These darn legs.’
For her, with her weak legs, there were chairs placed all over the house. She sat down on a nearby one, lost in thought.
‘I didn’t think she’d actually bring him home.’
Her third daughter, Ma Sujeong, could be a bit reckless, but she wasn’t fickle.
But this time, even Na Hwajin found it unexpected.
‘This is the third time she’s pushed forward like a bulldozer, I believe.’
Ma Sujeong had a history of charging ahead without a backward glance exactly three times so far.
The first was her decision to become an actress, and the second was her marriage.
The first was a great success, and the second was a great failure. A harsh tally.
‘What will the third be?’
Claiming she had felt a sense of destiny, Ma Sujeong had gone through the adoption process on her own whim. Honestly, Na Hwajin had thought she would get over it.
‘What kind of filthy bloodline has she brought into this house?’
