Chick 303

303

Holding Groo’s hands tightly in his own, Mephisto spoke again for emphasis.

“G-r00. In this time, you don’t exist, so I made you a provisional identity. I’m sorry—this was the best I could do. Otherwise, you’d have been erased.”

At the urgency in his voice, Groo furrowed her brow in distress.

“I-I don’t understand.”

Mephisto leaned his forehead against Groo’s.

As their foreheads met, Mephisto’s meaning began to flow directly into Groo’s mind.

The explanation was instantly imparted to her.

‘Six years ago?!’

They had traveled into the past—six years ago.

But if it was six years ago, Groo hadn’t even been born yet. In the eyes of the world, her sudden appearance was as if an intruder had dropped in from nowhere.

When Groo was threatened with erasure by the laws of the world, Mephisto intervened.

He conjured a new identity for Groo, who did not exist in this past.

It had cost him all his strength.

“We have to go back after I recover. If not…”

As if his energy was spent, Mephisto’s words faded, and he transformed once more into the form of a tiny bird.

Groo, cradling the softly sleeping Mephisto, glanced back over her shoulder.

According to the knowledge Mephisto had imparted, this was a laboratory where a certain kind of research was underway—and Groo was one of its test subjects.

Beyond the glass wall, children’s hands could be seen.

What seemed like twenty children, confined to rooms less than a pyeong each, were gazing at Groo through the glass.

Their faces betrayed no expression, no emotion.

“…?”

On the small wall next to the glass hung a plaque.

G-r01, G-r02, G-r03… all the way to G-r20.

They were the names of the twenty or so children.

Twenty pairs of coral-colored eyes stared at Groo.

‘Scary!’

All the down on Groo’s body stood on end.

Shivering, she held Mephisto close, her lips trembling in fear.

‘W-what do I do now?’

Chapter: Caregiver of the Past

Chloe Han sat on the toilet, staring at a pregnancy test.

Two lines. Even narrowing her eyes, the result was clear.

Pregnant.

“Ha…”

The sigh she’d held in finally escaped.

Unbelievable. After just a single drunken night? How could her luck be this bad?

She tossed the test in the trash and went to wash her hands.

Touching her face, she studied her reflection in the mirror—dark circles, skin dull and drawn.

The face of an unhappy woman who couldn’t take care of herself, let alone another life.

But the conclusion was already set.

Even setting aside her personal circumstances—her desire not to have a child—as a researcher, she could not give birth to “that man’s” child. So there was no need even to tell him.

With her mind firmly made up, she stepped out of the bathroom.

[“C.C., there you are. I’ve been looking for you.”]

[“…Bill?”]

A worse ordeal awaited her.

Glancing at the child Bill had brought, Chloe sighed deeply, crossing her arms and staring at the ceiling.

Troubles always come in threes, they say. Bad luck sure does gang up at once.

[“I heard Double Zero tried to escape again.”]

[“Right. That makes it the fourth—no, now the fifth time.”]

[“I understand that, but why bring them to me? As you know, I’m not with the Company’s research division.”]

Chloe retorted, eyeing Bill and the Double Zero whose hand he gripped tightly.

Bill, chief of the Korea-US joint “Wilderness” project, grinned.

[“So cold, C.C.”]

[“Stop calling me C.C., please.”]

He only used that nickname when he wanted her to do something awful.

Chloe deliberately raised her voice, sharper than usual.

Bill, unfazed, continued smoothly.

[“You said it yourself: As long as the test subjects are children, their affection level could be a meaningful variable for the research.”]

[“Maybe I did…”]

Why bring that up now? Chloe shifted her gaze uneasily.

When the successful subjects who’d inherited On Ijo’s power began displaying emotional dullness—becoming near-vegetative—Chloe had made the offhand remark.

It seemed the lack of emotional response was leading to this vegetative state, so she’d suggested trying to compensate with some emotional exchange.

She had never meant to volunteer herself for the task.

After all, the research center was divided into two factions, and Chloe was government-affiliated, directly responsible for On Ijo. Experimenting on children was supposed to be the Company researchers’ job.

[“I’ve always respected your hypothesis. So I’m giving you the opportunity to help with this study.”]

[“…Excuse me? What the hell are you talking about?”]

[“Ha! Say hello.”]

Bill nudged Double Zero gently on the back.

“H-hello…”

G-r00 (a.k.a. Double Zero) placed her hand over her belly and gave a deep, polite bow.

Her voice was tiny and endearingly sweet.

Clearly, this was a greeting they’d rehearsed in advance.

A child with hair so light it could pass for beige lifted her head. Her large, pale coral eyes looked up at Chloe.

Those eyes—unmistakably frightened.

That pale blond was almost the same shade as Chloe’s own hair.

Chloe irritably raked her fingers through her hair.

She had never wanted to see the Company’s experiment subjects this way.

She’d grown up rough in the slums, but even so, the idea of experimenting on kids always made her uneasy.

Bill, taking no notice of her sour expression, continued blithely.

[“She’s completely fluent in Korean. Perfect for you, right?”]

Perfect, my ass. So what if I’m a quarter Korean? I’m just as American as anyone.

Chloe forced herself to swallow her irritation.

There was no sense snapping at the child, and she knew Bill would be unmoved no matter how much she raged.

Left with no choice, she crouched down on one knee.

G-r00.

The Company’s first test subject.

She’d heard the On Ijo power hadn’t fused well, making her the weakest of the lot.

With more successful subjects appearing, they were apparently considering disposing of her altogether.

This must be one final experiment before that—one last effort for the sake of the other successes.

So far, all sorts of approaches had failed with the children.

There were even rumors of clandestine embryonic research within the Company.

Of course, who knew if the Tower would wait for those embryos to grow to maturity.

‘Should I just refuse?’

As Chloe hesitated, the child kept gazing at her with a guileless face.

Did she know what these wretched adults intended for her? Was that why she’d tried to run so many times?

Chloe’s throat constricted with helpless frustration.

And suddenly, a reckless urge—an impulse to see this child smile.

So instead of refusing Bill’s request, she asked:

“Do you like frozen pasta?”

A fleeting whim.

“…?”

The child’s eyes darted round, as if trying to make sense of the question.

“Frozen pizza, then? I can’t live without it. Microwave it and it’s the best thing ever.”

“…”

“…”

A mortifying silence followed her offer to let the child eat all the frozen pizza she wanted.

Damn, so much for emotional connection.

Chloe glanced at Bill as if pleading for help—when suddenly, a small, soft hand touched hers.

The child had reached out and gripped Chloe’s hand.

“I… I like it.”

She smiled awkwardly.

No, Chloe wanted to see her smile even more freely—brightly.

Sweeping back her hair, Chloe closed her hand around the child’s.

That small, soft hand fit snugly into her own.

As she led the child away, she paused to look back.

[“Bill, why are you really putting me in charge? Is it because I’m a woman?”]

[“You look alike. Humans tend to feel affinity for those who resemble them.”]

“…”

Chloe looked down at the child.

That innocent face gazed back at her.

[“You agree, don’t you?”]

Chloe didn’t answer.