Chapter 6.1 - [Part 1]

Chapter 6 – [Part 1]

“Oh, hello.”

“…….”

“Do you live here?”

“…….”

“Since when have you been here?”

“…….”

However, the child kept looking at Min-ha with a frightened look on his face and did not answer her questions.

Min-ha, who couldn’t believe that a child saw her as a monster, was in tears. He seems to be suspicious of me because I was covered in dust.

Min-ha, who was wiping her dusty face, saw a spider web on the child’s head and reached out her hand. It seems as though she wanted to get rid of the spider web.

“………Ugh!”

But when she simply reached out her hand, the child was frightened and backed away from her even farther.

Min-ha was also surprised by his reaction and stopped her hand. She didn’t want to get any closer because she knew he was afraid of what she looked like now, but she became frightened upon seeing how far the child had stepped back away from her.

Right behind the child was a railing that had worn out pillars. Despite knowing that he’d be surprised, she strode towards him as she was afraid that he’d fall by mistake.

Squish──

‘……Squish?’

As she strode towards the child, she stepped on something soft. The moment the child stopped moving away from her, Min-ha snarled and picked up what she had stepped on.

“……..Huh?”

“…….T-This thing is!”

It was a lion-shaped doll that had stitches in many places, especially its eyes that seemed as though they’d fall off any second now. The doll, which seemed to be quite old, has a soft and subtle scent that the child has been cherishing.

However, since Min-ha stepped on it a little while ago, the lion doll’s stomach burst and the thread that connected the eyes to its face broke, making the lion doll’s left eye almost fall off.

‘Ack!’

Min-ha told the child, who looked at the doll, with eyes that were about to cry.

“…..N-No way. Is this yours?”

“……..”

The child nodded with teary eyes. Then, he reached out her hand. She was saddened by the child’s cute behavior as he asked for the doll even though it’s already broken and needs to be thrown right away.

‘Oh my god…..I’m so sorry.’

As Min-ha clasped the doll, she said.

“I’m so, so sorry! I stepped on it and it exploded…….Can I buy you a new one?”

“………”

However, the child shook his head.

Min-ha was deeply saddened when the child desperately shook his head. It seems like the doll was a precious possession of his, which made her even sadder at the thought that she stepped on it.

‘What should I do……..’

Min-ha, who hesitated to look at the doll, said.

“Oh…..You don’t want a new one? So what do I do? Do you want me to make a new one? It won’t be as good as the ones being sold in the market, but I’m confident in making dolls in my own way.”

“………”

“You don’t like that either? Sorry, I’m terribly sorry! I’m sorry!”

Min-ha put her hands together in front of the child and apologized.

At his age, having a doll is more precious than a friend, yet I stepped on it.

She had nothing to say even if the child would cry and hit her.

But, once Min-ha looked at the eyes of the child, she found it quite strange. The child hugged the broken doll tightly, snorted, and said.

“……Me?”

“Huh?”

The child spoke a little louder. Upon noticing the change in the child’s voice, Min-ha asked with a trembling voice.

“………Aren’t you angry?”

“Huh?!”

Min-ha, who was in front of the child with her forehead in front of her hands, raised her head at his words. It was surprising that the child, who had not said a word before, spoke to her for the first time because he found her words a little unusual.

‘……No way. Is she the same woman, Minase Persen, who treats me cruelly?’

Min-ha, who looked as if she knew what he was thinking, sighed and said to the child.

“Me? Why? Why should I be mad at such a cute little prince?”

“But before, you were always angry……whenever you stepped on Leo.”

“…….Eh?”

“You’d usually say it’s such a shitty thing……and throw it everywhere….”

Min-ha said as she waved her hand at the child who bowed his head in low spirits.

“No! No! ……I am not aware of how I was like before, but never ever will I be angry at you for such a reason!”

“Really?”

“Of course! I promise you! I’d never get angry at you!”

“……….”

“I promise.”

“……….”

Min-ha smiled affectionately, stroked the child’s head, and removed the spider web from his hair.

Then, the child’s face, which had a bewildered and wary look at first, began to change little by little. His lips were then pouting as if he would cry anytime soon.

“Oh? Huh? Why, what’s wrong? Did I say something wrong again?”

“Lies.”