Chick 311
by Cristae311
Surely they haven’t already sent someone, have they?
Chloe drove home at breakneck speed, as if possessed.
Beeeeeeep!
On Ijo and On Joorim were looking after the child, but what if someone tried to take her away using my name?
Her heart pounded with anxiety.
She had tried not to be swayed. Why did she keep growing attached to people?
This was exactly why she hated it all so much.
The moment she stepped out of the elevator, she all but tumbled toward the front door.
Beep, beep, beep, beep—beeep—
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep—beeep—
Beep, beep, beep, beep—beeep—
Her slippery fingers kept pressing the wrong buttons on the keypad.
Then, with a click, the door opened.
“Chloe, unni?”
Collapsed in place, Chloe threw her arms around Groo.
“Cici?”
Coming out belatedly, On Ijo knelt down and checked on Chloe.
“What happened?”
On Ijo brushed back Chloe’s sweat-dampened hair.
Still holding Groo, Chloe met On Ijo’s gaze.
“Cici.”
His expression, his gentle touch, and the cadence of his voice were filled with concern for her.
“What’s wrong? It’s all right to tell me.”
At such kindness, Chloe found herself about to speak involuntarily.
They’re deceiving you at the lab.
Project Wilderness is actually being conducted along two separate tracks, and we’re doing things you couldn’t even imagine.
They say they’ll continue experimenting on this child.
Do you know? She could end up like the discarded, mindless children made in attempts to create you.
The bitter truth threatened to burst from her lips.
But then, spotting something dark inside the keypad, she quickly covered her mouth.
It was a glossy, black device.
A listening bug.
Numbness tingled down her fingers.
The Company was watching her.
‘Since when?’
Dozens of scenarios flashed across her mind.
Was there really just one bug at the entrance? How many more were there, hidden throughout the house?
Or was it more than bugs?
What if there were surveillance cameras, too?
Were they being followed?
Surely it wasn’t only because of Groo.
Then who were they targeting…
On Ijo.
If the Company had noticed something about her private relationship with On Ijo and was monitoring them—
To prevent her from confiding something to On Ijo?
Or to gauge how far their relationship had gone?
It was possible.
‘If she were to become pregnant with On Ijo’s child.’
Chloe clenched her fist so tightly her nails dug into her palm.
“Maybe I overdid it a little. I’m just tired,” she said, keeping her tone as casual as possible so as not to let the Company know she’d discovered the bug.
“Is that so?”
The worried look On Ijo gave her was almost comical.
It was all to deceive you and use you like a puppet. This isn’t the time for you to worry about me…
“On Ijo-ssi.”
“Yes?”
Chloe glanced up at the ceiling, then looked him directly in the eyes.
“Take care.”
I won’t tell you anything.
Were I to let him know, everything I’ve worked for would vanish like smoke.
She’d already felt what it was like to have life hollowed out for the sake of love.
Chloe only wished to go on living a flat, unremarkable life.
Love had no place in such a life.
That night.
Lying in bed with Groo, Chloe stared at the ceiling for a long while, lost in thought.
Groo would gently brush Chloe’s hair aside, sometimes patting her chest.
What on earth was she thinking about so deeply?
She brought up the Caregiver Registration window, and there were On Ijo’s and Chloe Han’s names written there.
“Unniii.”
“Yes?”
“If you like someone, but you have to part with them…”
“Yes.”
“Does that mean you shouldn’t love them?”
“……”
What a difficult question for a child to ask.
Chloe turned on her side and pulled Groo into her arms.
At once, Groo’s warm body heat comforted her chest with a soothing warmth.
“Do you have a crush? Did you meet some brat at the kids’ café today?”
At the word ‘brat,’ Groo burst out laughing.
“What kind of brat? How old? Did you just meet him and he says you have to break up already?”
“It’s not like that…”
Nuzzling closer, Groo encircled Chloe’s neck with her arms and continued.
“Even if you don’t want to part, if you have to, should you not like them at all?”
Joorim had said so.
We have to return to our own time, so don’t get too attached.
That the people we spent time with here are just those we’ll forget and leave behind.
“Is it really supposed to be like that?”
“That’s… a tough question. What do you think, Groo?”
“I don’t know…”
Chloe stroked Groo’s soft hand as she replied.
“Right? I’m not sure either.”
Was it better to tell her that loving someone you’re destined to part from is a pointless endeavor?
Should she tell her that loving Groo, loving On Ijo, would leave her only with a hollow sense of loss?
Just then, Groo let out a long, drawn-out sound and spoke.
“Can’t we just love anyway?”
“What if you have to say goodbye tomorrow?”
“Can’t you say, love all you want until tomorrow comes?”
Chloe breathed in Groo’s scent deeply.
She remembered all the countless Groos in the lab, their eyes staring back at her.
“Unni, after two more nights, it’ll be Christmas.”
“Mm.”
“Let’s make a tree, too.”
“Sure. Let’s do that.”
When was the last time she made a Christmas tree…?
“Time for bed now.”
We need to sleep if we want to go to work again tomorrow.
She couldn’t bring herself to say anything more.
When would the experiment proceed? Would they really open up this small head for a neural transplant?
Forcing herself to stop thinking, Chloe closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep.
Just then, a tiny whisper spread through the hushed room.
“Unni, Groo really loves you a lot.”
“……”
She felt Groo’s small hand patting her, and her chest clenched with pain.
Without knowing how, another day somehow passed and it was already Monday.
Whether at the training center or not, all of the On brothers were nowhere to be seen.
After several noisy mornings, today’s silence felt unfamiliar.
It had always been quiet until now, and she’d even wished for the calm to return.
But now that it had, she found herself wishing it were noisy once again—how ridiculous.
Anxiously keeping one eye on her wristwatch, Chloe wrapped Groo’s scarf carefully for the trip to work.
She needed to take the child to the lab, but somehow her feet dragged.
She wished someone would stop her. Tell her it’s alright, that everything would be okay.
Why wasn’t he here today?
“Unni, Groo’s all done putting on her shoes!”
The child stood before her, wearing boots that came to her ankles.
Chloe pressed her palm to Groo’s forehead and, raising her voice slightly as though for someone unseen to hear, announced:
“Groo, you’re running a fever.”
“Huh?”
“A high fever. No way you can go to the lab today.”
How much time could this buy her?
A month? A week? Or only a few days?
“We don’t have to go?”
Groo’s eyes sparkled.
She must have hated the idea of going there.
Chloe, feeling a pang of pity, replied with a bitter smile.
“We’re not going because you’re sick.”
“Okaaay.”
“Looks like I’ll have to make your breakfast for you.”
“Oh! Delicious flavor!”
“Yes. It’ll be murderously good.”
Chloe and Groo faced each other and grinned broadly.
She reached for the freezer out of habit, but found the refrigerator already packed with side dishes and food.
“There’s plenty to eat.”
“Oh, right. Uncle told me to make sure you eat this.”
Groo fumbled out a shaker bottle.
“He said, if your stomach’s upset, this is really good for you.”
“……”
Chloe stared at the shaker bottle, then set it on the table.
Instead of frozen pizza, she pulled out a bounty of side dishes.
“This is tasty.”
When Chloe scooped up a big mouthful and said so, Groo giggled delightedly.