Chapter 832 |
Moon Hyunah had heard from Han Yujin, too, that Han Byeol’s name came from the stars. So yes, obviously, that “star” had to mean her name.
“…Byeol, can you explain that to Auntie a little more slowly? Do you understand what Chirp is saying?”
She had a feeling the child wasn’t simply saying her name meant star. More than anything, the fact that she said Chirp had told her was loaded with meaning. Moon Hyunah looked at the baby bird perched on top of Han Byeol’s head.
A baby monster of unknown identity, one Han Yujin had supposedly found by chance. A white bird that had not only crossed worlds but also performed long–distance spatial movement, the kind of thing only something at least S–rank and with the right species traits should have been capable of. Han Yujin had also said Chirp seemed to have two personalities. That there was another side to him entirely unlike the little baby bird.
“Because I’m a star? Chirp and I have the same dad. Oh!”
Han Byeol startled and pointed toward the Puppeteer.
“He’s like Dad! A big Dad!”
“…There is a resemblance, I suppose.”
Looking somewhat reluctant, the Puppeteer waved back at Han Byeol. Moon Hyunah asked Han Byeol about Chirp again, and Chirp chirped at her. Han Byeol nodded along with a soft mm–hm.
“Why is Byeol a star?”
“Chirp says Byeol is the future.”
“If a star is the future… Are you talking about the fact that the stars we see are actually light from the distant past? Since we in the present are seeing that past light, would a star’s true form be something like the future to us?”
Han Byeol stared blankly at Moon Hyunah. It looked like she had not understood a word of that.
“…I’m hungry. Please give me something yummy.”
“Hm? You’re hungry? Does anyone have a snack?”
Moon Hyunah said, rummaging through her inventory. The Puppeteer created something like an oversized lollipop and handed it over. Han Byeol accepted the candy and tried to shove the whole thing into her mouth, but when it wouldn’t fit, she started licking and gnawing at the end instead.
– Chirp, chirp, chirp!
“Yeah. Byeol and Chirp did that.”
“Did what? Did Byeol do something?”
Moon Hyunah asked gently, coaxing the answer out of her bit by bit.
“A really big snake tried to bite Big Brother. So Chirp went chirp, and Byeol did this, and then Oppa got big. So Big Brother won.”
“…Big Brother is Han Seol, and Oppa is Hangyeol, right?”
“Yeah.”
Han Byeol answered while scraping the candy with her front teeth.
“Chirp said Byeol can make Oppa into a star.”
“Mm. You said a star was the future, right? When you say he got big, do you mean… he grew up? Into Hangyeol from the far future?”
– Chirp!
As if answering for Han Byeol, Chirp lifted one wing. Moon Hyunah looked back and forth between Han Byeol and Chirp.
Growth.
“Han Yujin has a nurturer title. A power that makes others grow. And Byeol takes after Han Yujin.”
“You mean she has something like the C–rank’s power?”
“Rather than making someone grow the way Hyungnim does… it seems closer to letting them temporarily take on their future form. I see.”
Moon Hyunah snapped her head toward the Puppeteer.
“Time. The future is the present with time added onto it.”
“She may be able to use my time. But whether a child can safely handle a transcendent’s time…”
– Chirp, chirp!
Chirp flapped his wings.
– Chirp, chiiiirp, chirp chirp!
“Chirp says it’ll work if Chirp helps.”
“Chirp will help? What exactly is Chirp?”
“Dad’s daughter.”
– Chirp.
“Two daughters.”
“…Two?”
“Yeah. Byeol is Dad’s daughter too.”
Was it not just a split personality, but truly two souls sharing a single body? Still, that was not what mattered right now.
“If she can receive time and make someone take on their far future form, and if the Puppeteer is transcendent–class… Then if we used it on Seong Hyunjae or Song Taewon.”
Seong Hyunjae, in particular, might be able to assimilate the power he had accumulated more completely. If that happened, perhaps he could gain power beyond a transcendent’s and kill the Gardener.
“Byeol, can you give the time of that Mister who looks like your dad to the Mister who looks like that Mister over there? The Mister you tried to eat before.”
At Moon Hyunah’s hopeful words, Han Byeol firmly shook her head.
“It doesn’t work on grown–ups.”
“…It doesn’t?”
“Only kids, Chirp says. Grown–ups are already the future.”
“So there’s an age restriction? Hyungnim had a skill that only worked on people younger than him, too…”
A deep crease formed between Moon Hyunah’s brows. There were no children younger than Han Byeol. Since she had used it on Hangyeol, maybe it worked up to children the same age as her.
“They just have to not be a grown–up.”
“Is there a clear standard? A condition, I mean. Age, or how people around them perceive them, or whether society or the law recognizes them as an adult.”
At Moon Hyunah’s question, Han Byeol tilted her head as if she found it strange.
“A grown–up is a grown–up? Dad says Dad is a grown–up, and Byeol says Byeol is a kid.”
“Mm… So if you think of yourself as a grown–up, you’re a grown–up, and if you think of yourself as a little kid, you’re a kid?”
Han Byeol nodded emphatically, as if it were obvious. It was an ambiguous condition. In some ways, though, it might be more accurate than age or official documents.
“Then maybe Dal would work.”
“I am an adult.”
Sigma made the claim with absolute confidence. Moon Hyunah glanced toward Hwang Rim, then immediately turned her head away again. That one obviously wouldn’t work.
“Anyway!”
Moon Hyunah clapped her hands loudly, changing the mood.
“If there’s something we can try, then we try it. Chirp, this really won’t cause any problems for Byeol, right?”
– Chirp!
“Byeol, if anything feels strange, you have to say so.”
“Okay.”
“All we have to do is destroy the garden. It’d be perfect if that punk Park Hayul thinks of himself as not fully grown.”
If it had been a bloody battle, she would have agonized over it more, hesitated more. But all they needed to do was wipe out an area filled with plants. The Puppeteer let out a short sigh before speaking.
“Even if we eliminate the garden, we still have no way to deal with the Gardener himself.”
“Until just a moment ago, we didn’t even have a way to clear the garden.”
The Puppeteer’s mouth hardened for a moment, but in the end, a smile touched it. His concern for Sigma had not disappeared. If he handed over his own time to Han Byeol, then if something went wrong, he would have no way left to protect Sigma. Which meant following the original plan would be safest, but.
“We cannot drag along a child who insists he’s already grown.”
The child they had thought could not grow had said that he had already received the time that was his. What could be done about that? It was not something that could be forced into his hands.
The Puppeteer began gathering up all the time he had accumulated until now. His gaze turned toward Sigma. The Puppeteer extended his hand.
“Come here.”
Sigma handed Han Byeol and Chirp, whom he had been holding, over to Moon Hyunah. Then he took the Puppeteer’s hand.
“This time, we’ll fall asleep together. So even in the unlikely event that Seong Hyunjae falls into the Gardener’s or Crescent Moon’s hands, they won’t be able to take you away. I’ll protect you until the day you’re safe.”
As a shield wrapped around him, layer by layer. The Puppeteer looked back at Moon Hyunah.
“I’ll leave it to you. When everything has been brought to a safe conclusion, please wake us.”
Moon Hyunah gave a heavy nod. Time gathered, and a path opened.
“I can see it over there!”
At the end of the garden, a familiar sight had spread out before them. Park Yerim teleported ahead. Solid asphalt road met the soles of her shoes.
“Let’s hurry up, grab whatever we need, and go save Mister Song!”
– Hello, Yerim.
As Park Yerim asked where the items were, a jellyfish appeared beside her. The King of Harmless spun in the air. Park Yerim looked at the jellyfish with relief in her eyes.
“I was worried when you suddenly disappeared!”
– I’m a fragment of a dream. I cannot exist in the garden.
Peace, Noah, and Liette also stepped into the city. Park Hayul, perched on top of Park Yerim’s head, rustled his leaves.
– The remaining dream world is growing weaker as well. The people’s dreams have left, so I’ll soon disappear too.
“Disappear?”
– Only for a while. Everyone dreams. So as long as dreams themselves don’t vanish, I can appear again.
“So we just have to beat the Gardener, right? Don’t worry!”
The jellyfish shimmered as though smiling. One of her tentacles lightly tapped Park Hayul’s flower petals. As if she knew what he was about to do.
– Beloved child. Enjoy your childhood.
“What?”
Ru Ga Pheya’s form melted away and vanished. Then Park Hayul spread his leaves wide.
– Get ready~ We’re going home now!
“Home? What are you—”
Park Yerim lifted a hand toward Park Hayul, toward the flower headband. But before she could touch him, a door opened. Space twisted, and Park Yerim’s body was pulled toward the world where she belonged.
“Mister!”
She tried to shout, to ask what was happening, but her surroundings soon went dark. In the sensation of being swept away somewhere by a violent current, Park Yerim lost consciousness.
When she woke again…
“Yerim!”
Kang Soyeong’s worried face was the first thing she saw. Mari was standing beside her. Park Yerim blinked dazedly, then shot upright.
“Mister! What about Mister?!”
“Director Han didn’t come. Neither did our Guild Leader.”
“What?”
Park Yerim quickly looked around. It was an unfamiliar room. Several beds stood inside it, and Noah and Liette were visible among them. Peace was growling, low and displeased, while an employee from Dodam Breeding Facility tried to soothe him.
“It’s been a day since I was thrown out of the dream world. Then all of a sudden, you, Mr. Noah, Liette unnie, and Peace appeared in front of Ms. Mari.”
“It startled me. I think Park Hayul linked you to me and sent you here.”
“A day…”
Park Yerim climbed down from the bed. Peace shifted into his juvenile form and came to her side. Since Han Yujin was not there, he seemed to have decided to protect Park Yerim for the time being. Noah, who had woken before Park Yerim, also approached and spoke to her.
“Mr. Yujin decided to send us back.”
“…What? Mister did?”
“Yes. He probably didn’t want us, especially Hunter Park Yerim, to be put in danger any longer. Since Noona had already died once, he must have been even more worried.”
“N–Noah? Liette unnie died?”
Kang Soyeong turned white with shock and rushed over to Liette, asking if she was all right. Park Yerim, who missed her chance to speak, bit down hard on her lower lip. The words that Liette had died struck her in the back of the head. Her head hurt. Her stomach burned. She felt dizzy, as if she were seasick.
“…But Mister clearly—”
“There was no time to convince you, Hunter Park Yerim. Besides, Mr. Yujin is an adult who has to protect you.”
“I said I’d protect Mister too!”
“Being a child doesn’t mean you can’t protect an adult. But Hunter Park Yerim, adults have to take care of their children. You’re an S–rank Awakened, so to a certain extent, you may be able to step forward like an adult. But there is still a line, and Mr. Yujin decided that he had crossed it. I think so as well.”
Noah soothed Park Yerim in a calm tone. Park Yerim’s shoulders shook hard.
“Still. I’m not weak. I’m stronger than most adults!”
“I know. It’s not as though we can never go back. It’s the dream world, after all.”
“Um, Lord Noah.”
Mari, who had been listening to their conversation, looked troubled.
“Right now, even if someone dreams, they can’t enter the dream world. My connection with Park Hayul has grown weaker too.”
“Is it completely blocked?”
“Yes. And Moon Hyunah still hasn’t woken up. We tried to wake her, but…”
Mari glanced at Park Yerim and trailed off. Noah’s expression also hardened.
“Hunter Park Yerim, go home for now.”
“No!”
“We’ll contact you immediately if we find a way.”
Noah turned away with Mari. Kang Soyeong approached Park Yerim and tried to persuade her to go home. Park Yerim said no, but it did not matter. She stood stubbornly for a long while among the grave–faced people, but in the end, she turned away. Only Peace followed after her.
She left the temporary Dream Management Center and headed for the Breeding Facility in a Haeyeon guild member’s car. Every person she ran into told Park Yerim the same thing: go home and get some rest. Don’t worry and just wait. The words repeated so many times she was sick of them.
“I’m sixteen now. In the old days, that would’ve made me an adult.”
Park Yerim grumbled as she walked down the Breeding Facility hallway with Peace.
“I’m S–rank, and I can live on my own just fine. That makes me an adult.”
She passed through the mini portal and reached home. When she opened the door and stepped inside, the children, who had been with a Breeding Facility employee, welcomed Park Yerim back.
“Auntie!”
Hangyeol was the first to run over. He greeted Park Yerim while peeking behind her. Park Yerim forced down the sudden surge of emotion in her throat.
“Mister isn’t back yet.”
“Auntie came first?”
“Dad’s not here?”
Han Byeol came toddling out and asked. Han Seol was beside her too. Park Yerim thanked the Breeding Facility employee for their hard work and told them they could leave now, then stepped inside. The familiar sight stung her nose for no reason. Chirp and Belare were on the sofa. Horang clung to Peace and whined.
“Mister is… going to be a little late. Auntie’s going to wash up for a second.”
Park Yerim went into the bathroom. She turned the water on hard, washed her face, and a few tears mixed into the stream.
She hated being young.
She hated it as much as she had before she met Han Yujin, before she Awakened.
She was sick to death of it.
–TL Notes–
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