19. An unexpected reunion?
It was just a walk to pass the time.
But by some coincidence, I met a neighbor who lives in the same neighborhood while taking a walk.
A coincidence that was created that way.
I am a complete outsider for the first time… I was meeting and talking with my neighbors and cousins.
“Okay. So, I’m sure most of the teachers who teach at the shelter are male, Papa?”
“Yes. However, most of them were voice recorded videos, and no one actually saw them face to face.”
“… Voice? … Oh, maybe.”
As expected, Eunjin is quick-witted.
She noticed something odd just by explaining it.
I went on in a whisper as if it were a secret.
“Actually, I haven’t told any of my other friends… It seemed like a video made by altering a female voice into a male one.”
“As expected.
But the other men didn’t seem to notice, but only Papa noticed. You are amazing, Papa.”
At the words of Mr. Eunjin, who gave me a ride, I shook my hand in embarrassment.
“Ah, it’s not that great.
It’s just that I noticed that there is such a thing as voice changer. Other kids don’t even know there’s such a thing? It preserves its untainted innocence.”
“Still, you are amazing.
Papa has such information and knowledge even though he lives in a space that is very disconnected from the outside world.”
I couldn’t help but smile bitterly at her words.
Certainly, as she said, the shelter was like a confined society severely cut off from the world.
Therefore, most of the men living in shelters were very insensitive to outside information.
Of course, I couldn’t say that I was completely out of touch with modern civilization thanks to a certain amount of education.
However, as a reincarnated person, I could feel the difference between knowledge and information.
“The interesting thing is that they periodically show you recordings of real male voices.
To avoid arousing suspicion from men.
But since I’m not a real lecturer, the recordings show too much. You talk about lectures as if you were just reading a Korean language book, but it’s hard to hold back your laughter while listening.”
“hehehe, you must have had a lot of trouble, Papa.”
“Haa, really. You have no idea how lucky I am to be out now.”
In response to my heartfelt complaint, Mr. Eunjin nodded and agreed with my words.
“I will. You have no idea how lucky Papa is to be out of the shelter.”
“Ahahahaha, is that so?”
“Of course. Because….”
Saying that, she leaned slightly and pressed her body closer to me.
“This is how I was able to meet Papa.”
Eunjin’s right shoulder touched my left shoulder, and I could feel the warmth.
When I looked away, slightly startled by the sudden warmth, Eunjin was looking at me with a very sticky gaze.
Feeling awkward at her strange atmosphere, I turned my eyes away and avoided her gaze. Then he hurriedly tried to change the topic.
As I looked away, what caught my eye was none other than Sujin.
It seems that the conversation with Eun-jin was quite boring to Su-jin, and she was soundly asleep in my arms.
I said carefully stroking Sujin’s hair.
“Soojin fell asleep quite deeply.”
“I will. She struggles to sleep, but she sleeps so hard. Papa’s arms must have liked her.”
“Ahahahaha, I’m glad you liked my arms.”
At my words, Eunjin looked at me and Sujin with a warm smile.
After staring at Sujin for a while, she opened her mouth with a worried face.
“Actually, Sujin recently suffered from pediatric insomnia and was not getting enough sleep.”
“Yes? Child insomnia?”
Upon hearing this unexpected fact, I looked at Sujin with a startled face.
Contrary to my worries, Sujin was soundly asleep with a very peaceful face.
Looking at Sujin’s face, who was sleeping soundly, I felt relieved. Perhaps Eunjin did the same.
“Even yesterday morning, I couldn’t sleep and complained.
I barely fell asleep at dawn, so I just let him sleep soundly because he didn’t want to send me to kindergarten in the morning.”
“Aha.”
Somehow, I wondered why there was no kindergarten at this time and why it was here, but there was a reason.
“My child was bored at home, so I went outside to get some fresh air. Then she met Papa.”
“Hey, that’s right.”
“As if… Like destiny.”
The moment I heard her words, goosebumps passed through my body for some reason.
When I glanced back, she was staring at me, just like before.
With a very sticky and dense gaze.
As I was at a loss as to how to respond to such a gaze, she smiled slightly at my hesitant appearance and opened her mouth.
“Huh. Looks like I was too hasty.
From now on, I will approach you calmly and not impatiently, Papa.”
I didn’t know how to react to this either, so I had no choice but to give a vague answer.
“Yes? Yes? Umm… Yes.”
“Ah, the mumbling papa is also very lovely.”
She was looking at me with an enraptured expression. After looking at me like that, she turned her gaze to Sujin and said.
“Papa, isn’t it very difficult? I will hold you now.”
“Oh, yes.”
When I didn’t specifically refuse her favor, she slowly reached out her hand to me.
For some reason, I felt that her hand was not directed at Sujin, but at me, so I was a little scared.
Fortunately, her hand went right to Sujin, who was soundly asleep, and she carefully pulled Sujin out of my arms and held her.
Fortunately, the misfortune of Sujin waking up in the middle did not happen. He seemed to be sleeping so hard.
“I fell asleep so deeply that I doubted if I was the one who suffered from insomnia. Thank you so much, Papa.”
She thanked me in a low voice so as not to wake Sujin.
I also answered in a low voice to her low voice.
“I’m glad it helped.”
After hearing my answer, she spoke in a voice full of regret.
“I want to be with Papa more, but… I guess I’ll have to step in. It’s too cold to keep sleeping outside….”
“It’s okay. I fully understand. The health of the child comes first.”
When I answered with the meaning of “Don’t worry,” She looked at me again with a moved face.
“Papa is really sweet.”
“Ahahahaha.”
Embarrassed by her praise, I just scratched the back of my head and laughed.
“Hmm, then I should go in soon.”
“Oh, then would you like to go with me?”
“Is that so? It’s the same as the neighborhood where you live. Hmm~!”
I got up first from the bench and started to loosen up by moving my rigid body around.
I caught a glimpse of her cheeks turning a little red when she was stretching, but I didn’t pay too much attention to it.
“Hmmm. I see Papa. Where are all the escorts hiding?”
“Yes? An escort?”
It was a very strange question for her, so I opened her mouth as if asking her back.
She looked around her slowly, as if looking around her, and then spoke to me again.
“Looks like a pretty competent escort. I’ve been looking around since a while ago, but I can’t find it no matter how much I look for it.”
“Eh? Around?”
“Yes. I’m still proud of my keen eye, but I haven’t been able to find one. They are really great escorts.”
“Eh… ….”
Hmm, something…
It was clear that there was a huge misunderstanding.
“Well, it’s natural for a man like Papa to be accompanied by such a first-class escort.”
“Hmm, you seem to be misunderstanding something over there.”
“Yes? What’s wrong?”
To her question full of pure curiosity, I answered while scratching my cheek.
“It’s only natural that you couldn’t find it. Because there is no escort.”
“…… I beg your pardon?”
Upon hearing my answer, she looked at me with her face full of consternation.
Uh… Is this such a surprise?
I tried to avoid her stare, the atmosphere had changed, and I spoke calmly.
“That’s because I was suddenly released yesterday, so the security guards haven’t arrived yet. I heard you’ll be assigned soon—”
Jump up.
“… What?”
Before I could finish my words, she jumped up from her seat and came towards me.
As if I couldn’t listen any longer.
She came right in front of me, bent her waist, met her gaze with me, and opened her mouth.
“Papa.”
“… Yes, yes?”
“Am I right now? You went out without an escort, is that true?”
“Uh… yes.”
“Papa.”
She said, glaring at me terribly with an infinitely serious face.
“I could fully understand that Papa was a bold man unlike most men.
But no matter how bold she is, she is too complacent to go out without a male escort.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. It’s not that the bold papa is bad. But Papa has too little of her guard.”
I had no objection to her point. For I, to some extent, was aware that I was frivolous.
“Papa, please be vigilant.
What would have happened if I had even the slightest bit of a bad mind?”
“Umm, Eunjin is not a bad woman.”
“Thank you so much for watching.
However, there are not only good women in the world.”
She spoke to me in a voice full of concern.
“Papa, please cherish my comfort.”
At her earnest words, I nodded and said.
“Yes, I understand. I will be careful.”
“Papa, can you promise me?
He said he would refrain from going out until security personnel arrive.”
She might not be relieved by my assurances, she was paying attention to me by mentioning her promise.
I could feel her genuine concern for me, so I nodded her head and promised her.
“Yes, I promise.”
“… Thank you for your promise, Papa.”
As if my answer was satisfactory enough, I could see her stiff expression gradually loosening.
Then, she returned to her usual friendly face and stood next to me.
“For now, I will escort you home as a temporary measure, Papa.”
“Uh… thank you.”
“Then, shall we go?”
After saying that, she started walking in front of her. Without saying a word, I followed her behind her and moved her steps.
She must have been quite sincere in escorting me, and was walking out while thoroughly examining the surroundings.
Until I arrived in front of the elevator in the apartment where I live.
From noble mtl dot com
She feels very sorry for her because she seems to have caused her trouble unintentionally.
Apart from my sorry feelings, she was still treating me with a worried face.
“Is it really okay if I don’t drive you to the front door, Papa?”
“It’s really good. Do not worry too much.”
Since I felt that I would have no face to see if I caused more trouble than this, she withheld her favor.
“I only need to go up five floors. I don’t have the shame to bother you any more than this—”
“I never thought it was a hassle, papa.”
She looked at me with her eyes full of sincerity and said.
“On the contrary, it was an honor to escort Papa.”
“Ahahahaha.”
At her heartfelt assurance that I couldn’t feel the slightest lie, I just let out an awkward laugh.
Before she knew it, the elevator arrived on the 12th floor where she lives and the door opened.
She said goodbye to me as she dismounted with a look of regret on her face.
“Papa. I will be sure to contact you later.”
“Yes. Please feel free to contact me.”
“See you next time, Papa.”
“Okay, see you later.”
Promising to meet her next time, I waved her hand at her.
She also waved at me until the elevator door closed.
Only after the door closed like that, I let out a sigh of relief at the fact that I was relieved of the burden.
Shortly thereafter, the elevator arrived at the floor number of our house.
Arriving at the front of the house, I unlocked the door using the door lock’s fingerprint recognition system, as I tested before leaving.
Tiriling―.
“I’m back~”
No one will be there, but I went into the house saying hello.
And then,
Follow Leureung― Follow Leureung―
As if the timing had been measured, the ringing of the phone rang throughout the house.
Hearing that, I hurriedly took off my shoes and ran into the living room.
Fortunately, the unfortunate accident that the phone was disconnected did not happen until I answered the phone.
“Yes, hello?”
「… Ha ha ha ha ha!”
As soon as I picked up the handset to answer the phone, I heard a woman’s pleasant laughter.
Unable to hide my embarrassment at the sudden laughter, I opened my mouth again.
“Uh… Hello there?”
「hahahahaha, I really didn’t expect to receive it….
Ah, dear. I’ve been acting very carelessly. Sorry.”
“Uh… it’s okay.”
Receiving the woman’s apology, I answered in a timid voice.
By the way, this voice.
I think I heard it somewhere.
「I’m really sorry. But more than that, from the first day he was discharged, he worked very hard.”
“… Yes?”
I was very taken aback by her words as if she knew me well.
Curious about her identity, I hurriedly put into the receiver and asked.
“Hey, do you know me? And who are you?”
「… This is a bit of a shock. They say it was a short meeting, but it’s only been a day and you forgot my voice.”
Huh? Day?
So, you mean we met yesterday?
…
……
………
Ah! What about this voice?
“Uh, maybe… Special examiner?”
「… Fufu, I almost felt a bit disappointed.”
「Hello, Choi Jin-hyo.
This is Lee Jae-hee, the special examiner. Did you have any problems last night?”
Why is this person contacting me…… ?