If you’re thinking of sharing my content, please give credit where credit is due! It takes a lot of time and effort to create something, so it’s always appreciated when people respect that and acknowledge the source. Thanks for being a responsible and considerate sharer!
BibellThank you for the coffee and your support John Buckingham!
[Seaweed Soup]
The days of hospitalization were filled with a sense of freedom.
When I woke up in the morning, I would undergo a health examination.
The attending physician would check if there were any complications from the surgery or if my mana was affecting my body.
After the health examination, it was time for breakfast.
«Seaweed soup again?»
Breakfast usually consisted of light foods that were easy on the stomach.
This morning, it was rice, kimchi, stir-fried fish cake, rolled omelet, and bean sprout side dish. And finally, there was seaweed soup, which had been served for three consecutive days.
«How am I supposed to eat this?»
I didn’t dislike seaweed soup.
However, the seaweed soup served in the hospital lacked flavor. It felt more like something to soothe the throat rather than a meal to enjoy the taste.
Having grown accustomed to hospital life, I wrapped the rice in the seaweed soup. By avoiding the broth and eating it with kimchi, it became somewhat palatable.
«…Ah, I’m hungry.»
After breakfast, there was usually nothing special to do until the evening check-up.
During this time, I would usually play video games, watch TV, read comics, or simply take a nap if there was nothing else to do.
Although it had been over a week since I was admitted, I hadn’t touched the homework in the drawer at all.
«I wonder if there’s anything to eat.»
As the days of hospitalization grew longer, I found myself talking to myself more often.
Feeling the hunger intensify, I tossed and turned in bed. Since I had been living in the hospital bed for a long time, I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to eat something.
I got up from the bed and rummaged through the refrigerator.
Inside the refrigerator were the cake that Julietta had brought, apples that my mother had cut yesterday, and gifts from friends.
From there, I took out a slice of cream cake and a PET bottle of coffee milk.
«Ha, I knew it. How can you snack when it hasn’t been that long since you had breakfast?»
«Then, what about seaweed soup for three days straight? You know the hospital seaweed soup is tasteless.»
«That’s not my job, that’s the nutritionist’s job, so there’s no point in telling me.»
With pursed lips, I complained to the nurse who entered the ward.
She was one of the nurses responsible for taking care of me, who was admitted to a private room. She had worked at Alice Hospital for several years and knew just how tasteless the seaweed soup served there was, so she avoided eye contact for no reason.
Dedicated nurses like her would come into the room at intervals to check on him, or to offer companionship.
«Noona, you’ve been running away from the head nurse again, haven’t you?»
«It’s not even lunch yet, and she’s been nagging me since morning. It’s so annoying, really.»
The nurse rambled on about how she’d been yelled at by the head nurse again today.
Indeed, this is the taste. People should live by eating delicious food, not just tasteless meals all the time.
Regardless of her complaints, Eunha savored the cake and coffee milk.
«Ha, I have to get back to work. Can you eat that and have lunch later? I’ll be in trouble if you don’t.»
«Just make sure it’s delicious.»
«Ah, I can’t live like this.»
With a stern expression, Eunha dismissed the nurse who had been cautioning him.
In addition to his doctor and charge nurse, there were hospital officials who often visited his room.
They were all kind to him. Sometimes their kindness was so excessive that it became burdensome.
At first, he couldn’t understand why they treated him so extraordinarily.
But soon enough, he discovered the reason behind their behavior and couldn’t help but chuckle.
The reason was…
He focused his mana to enhance his hearing.
Eavesdropping on a single conversation was nothing, and it didn’t strain his body.
«So, you were hanging out with Eunha again? You’re thrilled because you’ve been assigned as VVIP recently?»
«Come on. If you’re jealous, you can also take care of VVIP or secretly talk to Eunha.»
«Too bad. If I weren’t so old, I would’ve made a move.»
«But is that true? The Chairman of the Alice Group personally instructed us to take special care of him.»
«He must be living in a rich family somewhere, so he should take this opportunity to show off a little, right?»
Alice Hospital officials were thinking about whether he had a deep relationship with Alice Group or was descended from a famous chaebol family.
So people who had no connection to him would make up excuses to come and say hello.
In order to make a little headway, their behavior was too obvious in his eyes.
«No need to have any intentions or feel burdened.»
Was it necessary to correct them?
They were simply misunderstanding.
«Wait a moment. Why is breakfast like this? Wasn’t I a VVIP?»
A sudden doubt crossed his mind.
There was no answer.
Anyway, he decided to enjoy this situation. There was nothing to lose, and he could at least observe those who were trying to make jokes to impress him.
It was one of the little pleasures of his free hospital stay.
«Shall I go for a walk?»
There wasn’t much time left until lunch. It was an awkward time to sleep.
He decided to take a leisurely stroll to stretch his body.
The attending physician had allowed him to take walks, after all.
Today, he would go alone.
His dedicated nurses, as if sensing his departure, followed him closely.
It was understandable that they worried about something happening to him.
However, it was quite bothersome at times.
Sometimes he wanted to wander alone.
It’s a bit tiring.
Eunha manifested his mana to suppress his presence.
Even though it was a technique to weaken his presence when dealing with ordinary people, his body momentarily twitched.
The bullet wound in his leg had been treated by Shin Seo-young’s first aid and surgery at the hospital, leaving no sequelae.
But now that he tried to manifest his mana, the area where the wound had been throbbed.
Walking as usual was a challenge. In the end, Eunha had to narrow his stride and leave the ward.
«Oh, I shouldn’t have come out. It’s so hot.»
June was coming to an end.
July was just around the corner.
So it wasn’t even lunch yet, and it was still hot.
Sweat was dripping down my back even though I was only wearing a patient’s uniform.
Still, it was worth it.
Summer flowers were popping up along the walkway. It wasn’t a bad walk, with flowers on the left and right.
«Huh?»
I exclaimed as I turned off the trail.
Eunha found a large tent near the back gate.
People were gathered in front of the pure white tent.
It seemed like some kind of flea market.
He raised an eyebrow.
At first, he thought it might be a flea market or a bazaar.
But as he got closer to the tent, he realized that everyone in line were children.
The children all looked disheveled and pitiful, without a single exception.
Some wore torn clothes as their basic attire, while others wore ill-fitting school uniforms or wore their clothes inside out. Some even wore shoes with missing soles, and it wasn’t uncommon to see children walking barefoot.
Children with dirt stains stood in line, receiving meals. Others guarded the children who hadn’t received their meals yet, as if it was something they mustn’t lose, and guided them into another tent.
«Come to think of it, today is Wednesday.»
As Eunha watched the children receiving free meals, he realized what day it was.
Usually, on Wednesdays, hospitals, churches, charitable organizations, and the like provided free meals to wandering children, called «Wonder Runners» in Korean.
«Hey, you kids! Get in line, one by one!»
«You tried to touch my food, didn’t you? What’s this? Aren’t you looking at me?»
«Just shut up and eat your own.»
The children gathered around the prepared tables in the tent, giving each other wary glances as they ate their meals.
The older children threatened others to keep them from touching their food, while the younger ones hurriedly finished eating before anyone could reach for their meal.
Wonder Runners.
Even after the world had once faced destruction and more than 30 years had passed, wondernlings still existed.
Monsters hadn’t completely disappeared from this world.
Wonder runners were usually children who had lost their families to monsters, or those born in impoverished areas, or infants abandoned right after birth.
The Fairy Government tried to address the issue of W.R, but there were limitations to their support policies.
With some children who couldn’t be accounted for in statistics, the protective facilities couldn’t accommodate all the children. Furthermore, there was a shortage of hands to care for the children, and there were also financial constraints.
Even companies and private organizations conducted free meal programs on Wednesdays to address these issues, but it couldn’t provide a fundamental solution.
«Angel, hyung?»
As he heard himself being called, he turned his head towards the child.
The child was incredibly small.
The child held a piece of scrap metal or a kettle in their hand and pointed towards the tent, sniffling.
The child was barefoot. On their pitch-black feet, there were recent bruises here and there.
There were no calluses visible.
It seemed like a child who hadn’t been on the streets for long.
Above all, their act of speaking to him was genuinely innocent.
«An angel?» «My mom said angels wear white clothes!»
The child was innocent.
Eunha let out a bitter smile and lowered his head.
«Angel, aren’t you going to eat?»
The child was innocent.
Smiling bitterly, Eunha shook his head.
«I’m fine.»
Eunha replied to the snorting child, stepping out of the way for him to climb the stairs.
«I heard they’re serving seaweed soup today. The older hyungs/brothers I live with said the seaweed soup at Alice Hospital is the most delicious.
You don’t have to eat if you don’t want to, hyung»
«…Yeah, I already ate earlier. Hurry up and go eat. If you go late, you might not get any, right?»
«Oh, right!»
The child was pleasantly surprised.
He stomped his foot, and the coins in the scrap metal clinked.
«Hey! Why aren’t you coming? What are you doing over there?»
«I might not be able to eat if I don’t come, right?»
«Didn’t I tell you to follow me and not get distracted?»
A while ago, the children who had rushed to join the line at the tent had returned. They seemed worried since the child they were waiting for hadn’t come.
«»»Huh?»»»
The children who ran back spotted Eunha.
The children fell silent in unison.
If the child who was sniffing hadn’t appeared on the street recently, the children who were exchanging glances seemed accustomed to street life based on their worn-out appearance.
«Hey, you idiot! Weren’t you told not to talk to that kid?»
«Huh? Why? Can’t I talk to him? He’s a little angel, right? Our mom said so, angels are…»
«Hey, I told you not to mention my mom.»
«Look closely. He’s wearing hospital clothes. He’s clean. He’s different from us. He’s not the angel you’re talking about.»
«Is that so? You’re not an angel, Hyung?»
The child asked, shaking the piece of scrap metal in their hand.
Eunha didn’t say anything. He simply nodded slightly.
Upon seeing this, the children who were accustomed to street life immediately bowed their heads.
They even went as far as to push down the head of the child who was sniffing.
«We’re sorry. He doesn’t know yet.»
«We’re sorry?»
The child who added the ending was the one who was sniffing.
Eunha silently watched the children. When the children lifted their heads to check the situation, Eunha only pointed at the tent with his finger.
The children lowered their heads again and ran towards the direction of the tent, taking the child who was sniffing with them.
Not only them, but the children lining up in front of the tent and the children gathering around the table to eat also cast sidelong glances at Eunha.
The emotions captured in the children’s gazes were envy, tears, and jealousy.
Among them, there were children who looked down at their own condition and tried not to show their distorted faces by bowing their heads.
There were also children who forced themselves to swallow their food, their cheeks bulging, repeatedly chewing down the emotions that were about to burst out.
Eunha knew what those children were thinking.
«This way, I can’t throw a tantrum because the seaweed soup is either good or bad.»
It wasn’t that he pitied them. He didn’t feel sorry for them.
He, too, could have been in that line, getting his lunch.
He was just lucky.
Having lost his family before the regression, he was just lucky enough to be raised by his grandmother.
That’s why Eunha couldn’t sympathize with the Wonder Runners.
He had no right to sympathize with the children who lived ruthlessly. The only people who had the right to sympathize with them were those who could compare and find contentment in their own happiness and share it with others.
«Why are you ‘here’?»
«‘Here’? Or here?»
«On the streets, Binggu.»
«Whatever.»
«What’s the big deal. What? Do you think you’re the only one here who can’t talk about it?
Look at her. Her family was eaten by a monster, and half the time she looks like….»
«…Kraken. A kraken killed my family.»
«It’s not a big deal. My friend, and my friend’s friend, also came out because of the Kraken.»
…The Kraken.
He muttered inwardly.
He had grasped a future where he could save families from the Kraken. At the same time, compared to before regression, he produced results that significantly reduced the number of fatalities.
But the results were just numbers.
No matter what the numbers indicated, no matter how many people died, ultimately, they were people who died.
Above all, by changing the future, people who should have died might have lived, and people who should have lived might have died.
The passing conversation of the children was precisely the future he had changed.
…If he didn’t feel guilt, it would be a lie.
But that’s it. He had no regrets.
He would have made the same choice many times over.
So he had no right to sympathize with those children.
He had no intention of sharing his happiness with them.
Just alone, selfishly.
Pursuing his own happiness.
«Miss, we’ve run out of seaweed soup!»
«But where’s the cup ramen? I’m fine with cup ramen.»
«I still want to eat warm rice.»
«Hey, didn’t I tell you not to say that? Do you want to get hit again?»
This time, the passing Wonder Runners were girls. They pretended not to see him and ran off, chatting among themselves.
Did that child receive seaweed soup?
He suddenly became contemplative.
He lowered his head.
It didn’t suit him. It wasn’t the right answer.
He didn’t need to know what happened to the child.
For no reason, he got lost in deep thoughts and ended up sympathizing with others.
He berated himself and moved his heavy feet.
«Huh? Captain, is it okay to go outside?»
«You didn’t sneak out, did you?»
He met his friends on the way back.
They were staring at him curiously as he walked in from the back door.
«Hey, guys. Isn’t it time to be at school?»
«Captain, today is the school’s anniversary.»
«…That’s nice.»
«That doesn’t seem like something you, who’s hospitalized, should say.»
Minji retorted with a bewildered expression.
He nodded calmly. What she said made sense too.
«Yeah? Why are you like that?»
«What’s wrong?» «Why aren’t you retorting today?»
Minji smirked.
She was surprised to see that he didn’t respond as she expected.
There was something like that.
It was a day when he got sentimental for no reason.
Without answering, he looked at the food the kids brought and chuckled.
«You don’t have to bring it. There’s plenty in the fridge.»
«Why are you like this? I brought this for myself. This hamburger is mine.»
«I thought you might be bored. We came to eat together.»
Seona explained why she came to the hospital without resting even though it was the school’s anniversary.
The nonchalant Eunha scratched her cheek.
That’s when it happened.
«Huh? What’s that? There are a lot of people gathered there. Is there something happening?»
Eunhyuk pointed to a white tent behind Eunha.
«Yeah? Only kids are there?»
«Over there? Yeah. What are they doing?»
Minji and Hayang also showed interest. They could only see the children lined up in front of the tent, but they couldn’t see the appearance of the children far away.
That’s when the children who had eaten the free meals were coming down the stairs.
«Let’s come early next week. I thought I was going to starve standing in line.»
«Now that our stomachs are full, how about going to Cheongnyangni today?»
«Cheongnyangni? What’s there?»
«I heard there are a lot of odd jobs in the back alley there. Even though they’re older sisters, they say they make a lot of money.»
«How much can you make? Let’s go! Let’s go and see….»
Their eyes met with the children coming down.
The dirty-faced children flinched and lowered their heads as they passed by.
The child who was running far ahead was rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.
«Captain? What is this…?»
Eunhyuk had an expression that showed he didn’t know what to say as he watched the children moving away.
«Those kids earlier….»
«I-I was scared.»
Minji and Hayang quietly clung to Eunha.
They were surprised by the behavior of the Wonder Runners.
It was understandable.
Parents who would inform their children about the existence of Wonder Runners were nowhere to be found.
And Wonder Runners lived in the slums or on streets where people’s footsteps didn’t reach.
The children who only knew school and playgrounds had never come across Wonder Runners.
«So today is that day.»
On the other hand, Seona remained composed.
Eunha seemed to know the reason why she wasn’t scared.
She was an Ain.
She was abandoned by her parents as soon as she was born, but fortunately, she was able to grow up in a church. It wasn’t strange for her, who had seen children in similar situations at the church, to know about Wonder Runners.
«You don’t have to know.»
Not yet.
Eunha turned his gaze to the flower garden. He didn’t feel the need to add more words between the sentences.
Someday, these children would also come to know the hidden side of the destroyed world.
It was inevitable.
Even if they wanted to avoid it, they couldn’t, as the hidden side was melting right nearby.
«Seona.»
«Yeah.»
«Don’t bring the kids on Wednesday.»
«Yeah, got it.»
For now, they didn’t need to know.
About the cruel world that awaited them.
Eunha decided to take the speechless children to have lunch.
That day’s lunch also included seaweed soup.
As expected, it didn’t taste good.
If you’re thinking of sharing my content, please give credit where credit is due! It takes a lot of time and effort to create something, so it’s always appreciated when people respect that and acknowledge the source. Thanks for being a responsible and considerate sharer!
BibellThank you for the coffee and your support John Buckingham!
[Seaweed Soup]
The days of hospitalization were filled with a sense of freedom.
When I woke up in the morning, I would undergo a health examination.
The attending physician would check if there were any complications from the surgery or if my mana was affecting my body.
After the health examination, it was time for breakfast.
«Seaweed soup again?»
Breakfast usually consisted of light foods that were easy on the stomach.
This morning, it was rice, kimchi, stir-fried fish cake, rolled omelet, and bean sprout side dish. And finally, there was seaweed soup, which had been served for three consecutive days.
«How am I supposed to eat this?»
I didn’t dislike seaweed soup.
However, the seaweed soup served in the hospital lacked flavor. It felt more like something to soothe the throat rather than a meal to enjoy the taste.
Having grown accustomed to hospital life, I wrapped the rice in the seaweed soup. By avoiding the broth and eating it with kimchi, it became somewhat palatable.
«…Ah, I’m hungry.»
After breakfast, there was usually nothing special to do until the evening check-up.
During this time, I would usually play video games, watch TV, read comics, or simply take a nap if there was nothing else to do.
Although it had been over a week since I was admitted, I hadn’t touched the homework in the drawer at all.
«I wonder if there’s anything to eat.»
As the days of hospitalization grew longer, I found myself talking to myself more often.
Feeling the hunger intensify, I tossed and turned in bed. Since I had been living in the hospital bed for a long time, I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to eat something.
I got up from the bed and rummaged through the refrigerator.
Inside the refrigerator were the cake that Julietta had brought, apples that my mother had cut yesterday, and gifts from friends.
From there, I took out a slice of cream cake and a PET bottle of coffee milk.
«Ha, I knew it. How can you snack when it hasn’t been that long since you had breakfast?»
«Then, what about seaweed soup for three days straight? You know the hospital seaweed soup is tasteless.»
«That’s not my job, that’s the nutritionist’s job, so there’s no point in telling me.»
With pursed lips, I complained to the nurse who entered the ward.
She was one of the nurses responsible for taking care of me, who was admitted to a private room. She had worked at Alice Hospital for several years and knew just how tasteless the seaweed soup served there was, so she avoided eye contact for no reason.
Dedicated nurses like her would come into the room at intervals to check on him, or to offer companionship.
«Noona, you’ve been running away from the head nurse again, haven’t you?»
«It’s not even lunch yet, and she’s been nagging me since morning. It’s so annoying, really.»
The nurse rambled on about how she’d been yelled at by the head nurse again today.
Indeed, this is the taste. People should live by eating delicious food, not just tasteless meals all the time.
Regardless of her complaints, Eunha savored the cake and coffee milk.
«Ha, I have to get back to work. Can you eat that and have lunch later? I’ll be in trouble if you don’t.»
«Just make sure it’s delicious.»
«Ah, I can’t live like this.»
With a stern expression, Eunha dismissed the nurse who had been cautioning him.
In addition to his doctor and charge nurse, there were hospital officials who often visited his room.
They were all kind to him. Sometimes their kindness was so excessive that it became burdensome.
At first, he couldn’t understand why they treated him so extraordinarily.
But soon enough, he discovered the reason behind their behavior and couldn’t help but chuckle.
The reason was…
He focused his mana to enhance his hearing.
Eavesdropping on a single conversation was nothing, and it didn’t strain his body.
«So, you were hanging out with Eunha again? You’re thrilled because you’ve been assigned as VVIP recently?»
«Come on. If you’re jealous, you can also take care of VVIP or secretly talk to Eunha.»
«Too bad. If I weren’t so old, I would’ve made a move.»
«But is that true? The Chairman of the Alice Group personally instructed us to take special care of him.»
«He must be living in a rich family somewhere, so he should take this opportunity to show off a little, right?»
Alice Hospital officials were thinking about whether he had a deep relationship with Alice Group or was descended from a famous chaebol family.
So people who had no connection to him would make up excuses to come and say hello.
In order to make a little headway, their behavior was too obvious in his eyes.
«No need to have any intentions or feel burdened.»
Was it necessary to correct them?
They were simply misunderstanding.
«Wait a moment. Why is breakfast like this? Wasn’t I a VVIP?»
A sudden doubt crossed his mind.
There was no answer.
Anyway, he decided to enjoy this situation. There was nothing to lose, and he could at least observe those who were trying to make jokes to impress him.
It was one of the little pleasures of his free hospital stay.
«Shall I go for a walk?»
There wasn’t much time left until lunch. It was an awkward time to sleep.
He decided to take a leisurely stroll to stretch his body.
The attending physician had allowed him to take walks, after all.
Today, he would go alone.
His dedicated nurses, as if sensing his departure, followed him closely.
It was understandable that they worried about something happening to him.
However, it was quite bothersome at times.
Sometimes he wanted to wander alone.
It’s a bit tiring.
Eunha manifested his mana to suppress his presence.
Even though it was a technique to weaken his presence when dealing with ordinary people, his body momentarily twitched.
The bullet wound in his leg had been treated by Shin Seo-young’s first aid and surgery at the hospital, leaving no sequelae.
But now that he tried to manifest his mana, the area where the wound had been throbbed.
Walking as usual was a challenge. In the end, Eunha had to narrow his stride and leave the ward.
«Oh, I shouldn’t have come out. It’s so hot.»
June was coming to an end.
July was just around the corner.
So it wasn’t even lunch yet, and it was still hot.
Sweat was dripping down my back even though I was only wearing a patient’s uniform.
Still, it was worth it.
Summer flowers were popping up along the walkway. It wasn’t a bad walk, with flowers on the left and right.
«Huh?»
I exclaimed as I turned off the trail.
Eunha found a large tent near the back gate.
People were gathered in front of the pure white tent.
It seemed like some kind of flea market.
He raised an eyebrow.
At first, he thought it might be a flea market or a bazaar.
But as he got closer to the tent, he realized that everyone in line were children.
The children all looked disheveled and pitiful, without a single exception.
Some wore torn clothes as their basic attire, while others wore ill-fitting school uniforms or wore their clothes inside out. Some even wore shoes with missing soles, and it wasn’t uncommon to see children walking barefoot.
Children with dirt stains stood in line, receiving meals. Others guarded the children who hadn’t received their meals yet, as if it was something they mustn’t lose, and guided them into another tent.
«Come to think of it, today is Wednesday.»
As Eunha watched the children receiving free meals, he realized what day it was.
Usually, on Wednesdays, hospitals, churches, charitable organizations, and the like provided free meals to wandering children, called «Wonder Runners» in Korean.
«Hey, you kids! Get in line, one by one!»
«You tried to touch my food, didn’t you? What’s this? Aren’t you looking at me?»
«Just shut up and eat your own.»
The children gathered around the prepared tables in the tent, giving each other wary glances as they ate their meals.
The older children threatened others to keep them from touching their food, while the younger ones hurriedly finished eating before anyone could reach for their meal.
Wonder Runners.
Even after the world had once faced destruction and more than 30 years had passed, wondernlings still existed.
Monsters hadn’t completely disappeared from this world.
Wonder runners were usually children who had lost their families to monsters, or those born in impoverished areas, or infants abandoned right after birth.
The Fairy Government tried to address the issue of W.R, but there were limitations to their support policies.
With some children who couldn’t be accounted for in statistics, the protective facilities couldn’t accommodate all the children. Furthermore, there was a shortage of hands to care for the children, and there were also financial constraints.
Even companies and private organizations conducted free meal programs on Wednesdays to address these issues, but it couldn’t provide a fundamental solution.
«Angel, hyung?»
As he heard himself being called, he turned his head towards the child.
The child was incredibly small.
The child held a piece of scrap metal or a kettle in their hand and pointed towards the tent, sniffling.
The child was barefoot. On their pitch-black feet, there were recent bruises here and there.
There were no calluses visible.
It seemed like a child who hadn’t been on the streets for long.
Above all, their act of speaking to him was genuinely innocent.
«An angel?» «My mom said angels wear white clothes!»
The child was innocent.
Eunha let out a bitter smile and lowered his head.
«Angel, aren’t you going to eat?»
The child was innocent.
Smiling bitterly, Eunha shook his head.
«I’m fine.»
Eunha replied to the snorting child, stepping out of the way for him to climb the stairs.
«I heard they’re serving seaweed soup today. The older hyungs/brothers I live with said the seaweed soup at Alice Hospital is the most delicious.
You don’t have to eat if you don’t want to, hyung»
«…Yeah, I already ate earlier. Hurry up and go eat. If you go late, you might not get any, right?»
«Oh, right!»
The child was pleasantly surprised.
He stomped his foot, and the coins in the scrap metal clinked.
«Hey! Why aren’t you coming? What are you doing over there?»
«I might not be able to eat if I don’t come, right?»
«Didn’t I tell you to follow me and not get distracted?»
A while ago, the children who had rushed to join the line at the tent had returned. They seemed worried since the child they were waiting for hadn’t come.
«»»Huh?»»»
The children who ran back spotted Eunha.
The children fell silent in unison.
If the child who was sniffing hadn’t appeared on the street recently, the children who were exchanging glances seemed accustomed to street life based on their worn-out appearance.
«Hey, you idiot! Weren’t you told not to talk to that kid?»
«Huh? Why? Can’t I talk to him? He’s a little angel, right? Our mom said so, angels are…»
«Hey, I told you not to mention my mom.»
«Look closely. He’s wearing hospital clothes. He’s clean. He’s different from us. He’s not the angel you’re talking about.»
«Is that so? You’re not an angel, Hyung?»
The child asked, shaking the piece of scrap metal in their hand.
Eunha didn’t say anything. He simply nodded slightly.
Upon seeing this, the children who were accustomed to street life immediately bowed their heads.
They even went as far as to push down the head of the child who was sniffing.
«We’re sorry. He doesn’t know yet.»
«We’re sorry?»
The child who added the ending was the one who was sniffing.
Eunha silently watched the children. When the children lifted their heads to check the situation, Eunha only pointed at the tent with his finger.
The children lowered their heads again and ran towards the direction of the tent, taking the child who was sniffing with them.
Not only them, but the children lining up in front of the tent and the children gathering around the table to eat also cast sidelong glances at Eunha.
The emotions captured in the children’s gazes were envy, tears, and jealousy.
Among them, there were children who looked down at their own condition and tried not to show their distorted faces by bowing their heads.
There were also children who forced themselves to swallow their food, their cheeks bulging, repeatedly chewing down the emotions that were about to burst out.
Eunha knew what those children were thinking.
«This way, I can’t throw a tantrum because the seaweed soup is either good or bad.»
It wasn’t that he pitied them. He didn’t feel sorry for them.
He, too, could have been in that line, getting his lunch.
He was just lucky.
Having lost his family before the regression, he was just lucky enough to be raised by his grandmother.
That’s why Eunha couldn’t sympathize with the Wonder Runners.
He had no right to sympathize with the children who lived ruthlessly. The only people who had the right to sympathize with them were those who could compare and find contentment in their own happiness and share it with others.
«Why are you ‘here’?»
«‘Here’? Or here?»
«On the streets, Binggu.»
«Whatever.»
«What’s the big deal. What? Do you think you’re the only one here who can’t talk about it?
Look at her. Her family was eaten by a monster, and half the time she looks like….»
«…Kraken. A kraken killed my family.»
«It’s not a big deal. My friend, and my friend’s friend, also came out because of the Kraken.»
…The Kraken.
He muttered inwardly.
He had grasped a future where he could save families from the Kraken. At the same time, compared to before regression, he produced results that significantly reduced the number of fatalities.
But the results were just numbers.
No matter what the numbers indicated, no matter how many people died, ultimately, they were people who died.
Above all, by changing the future, people who should have died might have lived, and people who should have lived might have died.
The passing conversation of the children was precisely the future he had changed.
…If he didn’t feel guilt, it would be a lie.
But that’s it. He had no regrets.
He would have made the same choice many times over.
So he had no right to sympathize with those children.
He had no intention of sharing his happiness with them.
Just alone, selfishly.
Pursuing his own happiness.
«Miss, we’ve run out of seaweed soup!»
«But where’s the cup ramen? I’m fine with cup ramen.»
«I still want to eat warm rice.»
«Hey, didn’t I tell you not to say that? Do you want to get hit again?»
This time, the passing Wonder Runners were girls. They pretended not to see him and ran off, chatting among themselves.
Did that child receive seaweed soup?
He suddenly became contemplative.
He lowered his head.
It didn’t suit him. It wasn’t the right answer.
He didn’t need to know what happened to the child.
For no reason, he got lost in deep thoughts and ended up sympathizing with others.
He berated himself and moved his heavy feet.
«Huh? Captain, is it okay to go outside?»
«You didn’t sneak out, did you?»
He met his friends on the way back.
They were staring at him curiously as he walked in from the back door.
«Hey, guys. Isn’t it time to be at school?»
«Captain, today is the school’s anniversary.»
«…That’s nice.»
«That doesn’t seem like something you, who’s hospitalized, should say.»
Minji retorted with a bewildered expression.
He nodded calmly. What she said made sense too.
«Yeah? Why are you like that?»
«What’s wrong?» «Why aren’t you retorting today?»
Minji smirked.
She was surprised to see that he didn’t respond as she expected.
There was something like that.
It was a day when he got sentimental for no reason.
Without answering, he looked at the food the kids brought and chuckled.
«You don’t have to bring it. There’s plenty in the fridge.»
«Why are you like this? I brought this for myself. This hamburger is mine.»
«I thought you might be bored. We came to eat together.»
Seona explained why she came to the hospital without resting even though it was the school’s anniversary.
The nonchalant Eunha scratched her cheek.
That’s when it happened.
«Huh? What’s that? There are a lot of people gathered there. Is there something happening?»
Eunhyuk pointed to a white tent behind Eunha.
«Yeah? Only kids are there?»
«Over there? Yeah. What are they doing?»
Minji and Hayang also showed interest. They could only see the children lined up in front of the tent, but they couldn’t see the appearance of the children far away.
That’s when the children who had eaten the free meals were coming down the stairs.
«Let’s come early next week. I thought I was going to starve standing in line.»
«Now that our stomachs are full, how about going to Cheongnyangni today?»
«Cheongnyangni? What’s there?»
«I heard there are a lot of odd jobs in the back alley there. Even though they’re older sisters, they say they make a lot of money.»
«How much can you make? Let’s go! Let’s go and see….»
Their eyes met with the children coming down.
The dirty-faced children flinched and lowered their heads as they passed by.
The child who was running far ahead was rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.
«Captain? What is this…?»
Eunhyuk had an expression that showed he didn’t know what to say as he watched the children moving away.
«Those kids earlier….»
«I-I was scared.»
Minji and Hayang quietly clung to Eunha.
They were surprised by the behavior of the Wonder Runners.
It was understandable.
Parents who would inform their children about the existence of Wonder Runners were nowhere to be found.
And Wonder Runners lived in the slums or on streets where people’s footsteps didn’t reach.
The children who only knew school and playgrounds had never come across Wonder Runners.
«So today is that day.»
On the other hand, Seona remained composed.
Eunha seemed to know the reason why she wasn’t scared.
She was an Ain.
She was abandoned by her parents as soon as she was born, but fortunately, she was able to grow up in a church. It wasn’t strange for her, who had seen children in similar situations at the church, to know about Wonder Runners.
«You don’t have to know.»
Not yet.
Eunha turned his gaze to the flower garden. He didn’t feel the need to add more words between the sentences.
Someday, these children would also come to know the hidden side of the destroyed world.
It was inevitable.
Even if they wanted to avoid it, they couldn’t, as the hidden side was melting right nearby.
«Seona.»
«Yeah.»
«Don’t bring the kids on Wednesday.»
«Yeah, got it.»
For now, they didn’t need to know.
About the cruel world that awaited them.
Eunha decided to take the speechless children to have lunch.
That day’s lunch also included seaweed soup.
As expected, it didn’t taste good.
