45 – Childhood story-2 (past side story)
got out of the water
As usual, all the fatigue in the body had disappeared, but something still bothered me.
I left my heart beating at any moment and went to have breakfast.
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No. 97, who would normally have come out first and was waiting, was nowhere to be seen. I waited with the mindset that he might be sleeping in, but I couldn’t see No. 97 even when I plucked my nose.
Why? The last time you almost got kicked out, you got over it safely. Is there any reason not to come out?
“Are you looking for Room 97? Unfortunately, she probably won’t come.”
“What? How do you know that?”
“Fell asleep. It seems that No. 97 has awakened.”
Awakening, a phenomenon in which humans awaken to mana and gain power beyond humans.
It was also the reason the facility was renovated.
“Awakening? hahahaha, nonsense.”
It was really nonsense. No. 97 was a kid who was far behind the other kids in terms of talent, effort, and determination, so it wasn’t once or twice that he managed to get hold of what he used to do when he didn’t want to do it and ordered him to do it.
A feeling of resentment passed by. Did I try harder than him? I’m more talented than him, but I’m doing well on my own without pressure from others?
Fortunately, the dark feelings quickly dissipated. If I had heard the news that another child had awakened, I might have been filled with envy, but No. 97 was my friend.
I didn’t even need to brainwash myself, my head was quickly filled with good feelings.
Since it was probably the first Awakener from the institution, I was worried that I might be dissected, but I thought that if the facility guys had an idea, they would keep them alive and do research, and they wouldn’t do anything that could cause them to die.
“No. 97 is really good at making friends. A child like you is a friend.”
“Why do you only say sorry to me?”
“Ahae is called ahae, what can I say?”
I wanted to throw a punch at No. 1’s smiling face, tilting my head, but the moment I thought I wanted to throw it, I was hit by the ground, so I couldn’t put my thoughts into action.
“Monster bitch…”
“I am a monster.”
I barely got up with my trembling body. I couldn’t even see it moving. I don’t know if I don’t know, but isn’t that year already much stronger than the assistant?
“Let’s have breakfast first, isn’t it impossible to practice on an empty stomach?”
I ignored No. 1 and went to have breakfast.
I spent almost 10 minutes waiting for No. 97, and I also had a quarrel with No. 1, so time was very tight.
After eating all the food like drinking, we moved to the training ground.
“There is a message. The bedroom where No. 97 was staying was broken last night, and No. 97 was seriously injured. For the time being, he will not be able to attend training due to treatment, so please know that.”
It was the opposite of what No. 1 said.
It was very clear who was lying.
The instructor was a person who spoke lies whenever he had a chance, but No. 1 had never lied.
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Number 1’s statement is true. Number 97 was not injured, but awakened.
As soon as the morning training was over, I went to the instructor’s office.
“What are you doing here?”
But maybe it’s because we’ve been together for about three years, we’ve become quite close with the instructors. Even though they couldn’t express their direct friendship, they maintained a relationship that was quite harmful compared to the beginning.
“I came here because I wanted to visit Room 97.”
At my words, all the instructors stiffened.
I looked at the faces of the instructors. It wasn’t a pitying look at No. 17, who couldn’t even visit his friend in the hospital. How do I convince him to return it? It was a look full of thoughts.
‘At this rate, he must have noticed that he wasn’t hurt even if he didn’t listen to No. 1’s words.’
The fact that I am quick-witted is well known to the instructors, so they won’t doubt that I heard the information from No. 1.
“No. 97, are you not hurt?”
The instructors’ faces were stained with bewilderment.
“No, you’re hurt. I have to recuperate, so I don’t think I’ll be able to visit you in the hospital. Stop going back and prepare for the afternoon training.”
Should I pay for the night?
“Lies! You’re not sick! But why can’t we meet? Surely it’s not something worse than getting hurt?”
As I cried and shouted, I heard the instructors whispering in bewilderment.
He’s still a friend, so shouldn’t he let you know? No. 17 has a heavy mouth. I heard a voice in my ears.
‘Okay, that’s enough.’
As far as I can tell, there is no way I couldn’t think of the two words awakening at this point.
“No way, have you awakened?”
“Hup!!”
I heard the youngest, most stupid instructor swallowing his breath.
Alright, now I can act with confidence.
“Did you really wake up? That’s why you were called away from the institution?”
“Stop it now, go back to the training room.”
At the firm words of the instructor, who is acting as the department head, he smiled as if he was relieved and stepped out of the instructor’s room.
“There are many times when I feel like Ahae is not like a child.”
“What are you saying, old man?”
I passed Number 1 standing in front of the instructor’s room and headed for the training room.
It made my heart tingle a little at the thought that I would never be able to call #97 again, but it was okay.
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Number 97 will live happily ever after…
***
A month passed quickly. The instructors already told me about the awakening of Unit 97 to all the children within 3 days, as if they had already known that I had discovered the awakening of Unit 97.
In order to determine whether it was a natural awakening or a facility awakening, he only repeated the words that he could not return for the time being.
‘I want to see No. 97…’
It’s been over a month since I haven’t seen her lively smile.
I was going to forget about it, but when I closed my eyes, her face came to mind.
“Ahahahaha, don’t get too attached to her, when #97 returns, she’ll be a completely different person from what you know, and I’m afraid the shock will break your heart.”
“shut up…”
Ignoring No. 1’s words, I headed for the training room.
Are you in the atmosphere of the training room, which is unusually cluttered? The thought came to mind.
I quickly opened the door and ran forward, and the number 97 I wanted to see so much was standing next to the instructor.
“No. 97!”
“Ah! Hello #17?”
The appearance of #97, which I hadn’t seen in a long time, was completely different from a month ago.
First of all, I was dressed in a pretty one-piece dress, and I kept my always bright appearance, but I felt a sense of composure that I didn’t have before.
To put it bluntly, is it the leisure of the strong? Although she didn’t say it directly, I could feel her confident appearance, as if nothing could harm me here.
“Instructor, can I talk to Number 17 alone?”
It was an interrogative sentence with a proper question mark, but the meaning was completely different in Korean.
I was just a notification that I would have a conversation with No. 17 alone, and soon the instructor led us to a room where I could talk with No. 17 alone.
What should I say? It’s been so long since we met, so I couldn’t think of what to say.
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Number 97’s gaze, which used to look at me as if it were trustworthy and dependent on me, seemed to be loving me, so it was hard to control my emotional fluctuations.
‘Let’s calm down and start with praise.’
“The clothes are pretty.”
“My sisters gave it to me! How is it?”
I just said you’re pretty
It was quite cute to see No. 97 spinning around after grabbing a dress.
“Don’t call me number 97 anymore, call me Lee Soo-ah.”
Soo-ah Lee…?
Yeah, since it’s number 97 that has already awakened, you can’t put it on the same level as the other kids, right?
My head understood it, but my heart didn’t. The fact that #97, who I always thought was equal to or below me, had awakened and had a name, made my heart ache.
“No way, No. 17, didn’t I get angry just because I had a name?”
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Number 97… No, Lee Soo-ah, who was jokingly teasing me, made me go crazy.
I’m not such a playful kid…
“Then I’ll name you. How about Lee Soo-hyun?”
Lee Soo-ah was definitely a good kid. A good child who listens well and relies on me,
But… but why…
“You named me similar to my name.”
Why are there greedy eyes in this child’s eyes that say, “You are now lower than me, you are mine?”