Retire 323

323 Guardian (3)

The white-haired foreign couple stood out conspicuously within the school.

The school’s regulars were always the same, and it was rare to see any new faces. So, a pair of elderly foreigners who spoke fluent Korean? And they were the grandparents of a classmate, no less?

But these were only high school students, after all. No matter how well the couple spoke Korean, it seemed difficult for the students to approach foreign grandparents, and so no one did.

Perhaps, in truth, there was something else that drew more attention.

“What’s your name?”

“Sophia! Sophia Kang Blake! Kang is my mom’s last name.”

“Sophia? That’s a pretty name. You use an English name, unlike your brother?”

“I have a Korean name too, but I like this one better.”

Kang Taewoo’s younger sister, Sophia Blake, was popular. Ever since word got out that Kang Taewoo was returning, people had been curious about his little sister.

Seungyeon Lee and Sunjin, who seemed to have fallen deep into conspiracy theories, had latched onto the fact that Kang Taewoo had never once mentioned his sister.

“There must be some secret about her bloodline…!”

They’d watched too many movies.

What were those two up to these days? Sometimes I wondered if I’d let them run wild for too long…

“There’s a crime syndicate after her, so she’s been hiding her true identity! And it’s all connected to some dark family secret…”

Given the attack by Alex Hope, it wasn’t entirely baseless speculation. Still, it wasn’t the kind of thing one should say out loud.

For all their playful antics, Seungyeon was actually a thoughtful kid. I’d been a little surprised by the unexpected comment, but it turned out Seungyeon had an ulterior motive.

“What a ridiculous idea.”

“Why? You said yourself they got caught up in some incident.”

“Getting caught up in something is just that. Why would anyone be after them?”

“Haven’t you seen movies? They witness something they shouldn’t have, and then…”

“You’ve watched too many movies!”

The kids burst into laughter.

Amazingly, Seungyeon’s story, which was remarkably close to the truth, was dismissed as a joke. Seungyeon, looking aggrieved, deliberately raised her voice.

“You never know! Right, teacher?”

“What nonsense.”

And only then did I realize why Seungyeon had said all that. She’d managed to turn all the complicated stories surrounding Kang Taewoo into a ridiculous joke.

I joined in, playfully pressing down on Seungyeon’s head.

“If that were true, why would kids from America come all the way to Korea?”

“But you said so yourself, teacher.”

“To be precise, it was their relatives who got caught up in the incident. There’s a Hunter in the family, and they got tangled up in a crime inside a dungeon.”

Just in case, I wanted to head off any curious questions that might be thrown at Kang Taewoo. Not that I thought any of these kids would ask such things, but still. Maybe I was worrying over nothing, but it was also endearing to see them looking out for each other.

“That’s why things got complicated. So don’t go asking them weird questions, all right?”

“We’re not that thoughtless.”

“You say that, but…”

I glanced at Seungyeon with new eyes.

Seungyeon, who always hung around with Kang Taewoo, might know more about him than I realized. I couldn’t possibly know everything those two talked about.

“Weren’t you tired from traveling so far?”

“Huh? No, I’m fine. How long has it been since we came to Korea, Grandma?”

“Four days, so it’s been four days.”

“That’s right! So, um, I went to the amusement park with Grandma, Grandpa, and my brother…”

Without the slightest hint of shyness, Sophia Blake fit right in with the other children.

Come to think of it, even back at the lab, she’d often talked to my brother. Even when the other kids were frightened by the pitch-black crow mask.

She’d spent some time in foster care in America, but compared to Uirok, who was about the same age, her attitude was completely different. Their early environments didn’t seem that different… Was Sophia born in the lab? I never really paid attention to her, so I wasn’t sure.

“Um, but, unni.”

“…Huh? Me? Are you talking to me?”

“Yeah!”

“W-what is it?”

Maybe because she was a girl, the other girls approached Sophia more easily than the boys did.

“What’s your name, unni?”

“Me?”

Yoo Jieun grinned widely.

“Yoo Jieun. Call me Jieun unni.”

Especially Yoo Jieun seemed delighted. She’d always said she wished she had a little sister.

It was a slightly different atmosphere from when I’d introduced Uirok.

Back at Imi-seon’s pension, we’d moved suddenly to avoid an attack. The adults had tried not to show it, but they were all on edge. But it was impossible for the kids not to pick up on that. Those were tense days, in stark contrast to now.

So it was only natural that the atmosphere around Uirok and Sophia Blake would be different.

And to be honest, Uirok was…

Even now, there were times I brought him to school, but objectively, he wasn’t exactly the kind of creature people found simply cute.

I’m only saying this because he’s my brother. Not just because it’s me.

Even so, the students had been kind to Uirok back then. They’d generously assumed his sullen face was just shyness due to lack of socialization.

But to say they’d really grown close would be a stretch. The whole time at the pension, Uirok had mostly run away whenever he saw the other students. Only after the attack by Sam Bloom and as we were leaving the pension did he finally get used to them enough to have a proper conversation.

Compared to Uirok, Sophia Blake was much easier to talk to. A girl who smiled brightly and clung to her grandmother was bound to be less intimidating than a boy who always glared with a sullen expression.

“Jieun unni?”

…No matter how much I thought about it, the conclusion was clear.

I needed to speed up Uirok’s socialization. Things were going better than I’d expected, but it still wasn’t enough.

To live comfortably, a person needs at least a minimum level of social skills. Especially if they want to become a Hunter. At the very least, they should avoid getting stabbed in the back by a fellow Hunter. As for Uirok now… as his brother, I have to be objective. He’s got a long way to go.

“So cute!”

While I was busy worrying about Uirok’s future, Yoo Jieun, thrilled to be called “unni,” began peppering Sophia with questions.

“Sophia, are you going to live with your brother now?”

“Yeah. With my brother, Grandma, and Grandpa!”

Wait a minute.

That was news to me.

Well… it would be stranger if I did know, since the Blakes’ arrival had been kept tightly under wraps.

“……”

I thought carefully about the cause.

There was only one answer.

It was all because of Hong Seokyeong.

“……”

No, blaming everything on Hong Seokyeong was too irresponsible. Even if it was the truth.

Even with his sister here, Kang Taewoo would have to live in the dormitory. There was no way I’d tell them to find another place and live together now. Back at the pilot school, the Yoo sisters had lived in a boarding arrangement, but under Hong Seokyeong’s supervision. Later, Kim Chaemin moved in to help as well.

But Sophia Blake was even younger than Yoo Jieun. There was no way an elementary school girl would be left to live alone while her brother stayed in the dorms, and she certainly couldn’t stay at the co-ed school…

What had I planned to do?

“………….”

Honestly, I’d just dumped the problem on Imi-seon. I’d figured she’d take good care of things.

I should have checked.

It was all my fault. This is what happens when you push your responsibilities onto others.

I looked at the Blake couple. When our eyes met, they smiled warmly, just as they had when we first met.

Startled, I quickly looked away. Kang Taewoo was busy introducing his sister to the other kids, his face relaxed in a way I’d never seen before, looking every bit his age.

Did he not find it strange to be called their grandchild? He used to be sharper, more wary…

I found myself looking at Kang Taewoo with suspicion.

But Kang Taewoo just kept smiling happily, his face so bright it was almost enviable.

---

Now, what I was worried about was Uirok.

While all this was happening in the middle of the co-ed school, where was Uirok?

Just days ago, he’d been at the center of an incident with Noah Michel’s magic running wild, so there was no way I’d just send him off to school as usual. Naturally, he’d been sticking with me.

But keeping him by my side meant I couldn’t get anything done. In the end, life had reverted to something like our winter at the pension. While I taught or worked, the Hunters from Dasun and Han Taekyung took care of Uirok.

The difference from the pension days was, first, that Hong Seokyeong was away.

Second—

“School was really noisy today.”

Kim Chaemin knew Uirok’s true identity.

“Yes, well…”

I didn’t want to explain the Blakes myself. As I trailed off, Kim Chaemin, who had been showing Uirok a kidney bean and filling a pot with soil, looked up. Uirok looked at me as well.

“Taewoo’s back, right? I should go say hi. Irok, want to come?”

“……”

“You know Taewoo’s little sister too, right? You’ll be seeing her often, so let’s go say hello.”

“Ugh…”

Uirok scowled at the mention of Kang Taewoo and his sister. But he couldn’t bring himself to refuse Kim Chaemin’s outstretched hand. He brushed the dirt off his clothes and went to wash his hands.

Ever since I suppressed Noah Michel’s magic, Uirok had been oddly well-behaved around Kim Chaemin.

…Should I be glad he wasn’t making a fuss about becoming a mage?

Well, I didn’t stop Kim Chaemin. It wasn’t a lie to say they’d be seeing each other often. In fact, I was certain they’d be seeing each other all the time.

With Kang Taewoo’s new identity, we—Uirok and I—were supposed to be his distant relatives or something.

No, that doesn’t mean I’m that man’s son…

……

…As for Uirok, judging by his actions, he didn’t seem to hate it all that much.

“Irok.”

“…Yeah?”

Uirok looked at me with a lukewarm expression.

Like me, he’d never had anything to do with the word “grandparents.” Our birth parents were old enough to be considered elderly, but they weren’t quite like the Blakes. If I remembered right, he’d never spoken to anyone with hair that white.

“Never mind. Don’t be too harsh on Taewoo. Or on Sohi.”

“…Do I have to call her by her name now?”

Uirok grumbled. I knew he wouldn’t actually call her by a number, though. If anything, he’d just avoid calling her at all.

As I watched his sullen face, I swallowed the warning I’d meant to give about the Blakes. Instead, I followed Kim Chaemin and Uirok toward the main building.

Ah, so this is why Father and my sister always teased me like that.

I couldn’t help but wonder how Uirok would react when caught between Isabella and Robert. Was this why Hong Seokyeong hadn’t said anything to me?

I guess I’m in no position to complain, either.