Chick 306
by Cristae306
“Nngh……”
Chloe twisted in her bed, squirming restlessly.
She wanted to stay in her sweet slumber, but a ceaseless clatter kept intruding, pulling her from her hazy thoughts.
Crash!
“You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?”
“Nope.”
Clatter!
“Uncle, you can’t cook! You lied.”
“It’s not a lie, we’re just out of ingredients.”
“But a craftsman never blames his tools.”
“That’s a master craftsman!”
“That’s what I said, that’s what I said.”
Why is it so noisy? It shouldn’t be this noisy.
Clink, clank!
Chloe furrowed her brow, then abruptly sat up in bed.
Throwing on her robe, she left the room—and was momentarily stunned at the sight of a small child and a man, both wearing aprons, in her kitchen.
“……”
“Sis, you’re up?”
“Unnieee—”
On Groo bounced over and latched onto Chloe’s leg.
“What on earth is all this…?”
“Why don’t we have breakfast first, and talk things through after?”
Chloe let out a slow breath.
She was just about to order them out on the spot.
“Egg toast is yummy!”
Gru beamed brightly up at her, her face smeared with food scraps and flecks of eggshell, as if she’d been battling with her breakfast.
How could you let her get into such a state?
Chloe wiped the girl’s face clean with her sleeve and shot a sharp glare at On Ijo.
At that, On Ijo raised both hands with a guilty expression, as if willingly accepting his scolding.
From the look of his unchanged clothes since yesterday, he must have spent the night outside.
It had taken a month just to clear the 98th floor, and as soon as he’d finished, he’d come straight to her and spent the night outside her door?
Chloe ruffled her hair in frustration. Was he doing this on purpose to soften her resolve?
“There was nothing but frozen pizza and pasta in your fridge. It’s important to make sure the child eats well, isn’t it? Right?”
“Grown-ups need to eat well too.”
“That’s right. Grown-ups need to eat well, too.”
Regardless of Chloe’s own feelings, the two seemed to be perfectly in sync, grinning at each other as if nothing were amiss.
Standing firm for a moment, Chloe was finally led to the table by Gru’s small hand.
Egg toast.
Given the state of her fridge, it was quite a commendable effort.
In the end, only after she had eaten a substantial toast with oozing yolk did she finally move to dismiss On Ijo from her home.
“Drive safely, and I’ll see you later at the lab.”
On Ijo took the elevator down with them, then sent them off at the entrance to the parking lot, explaining he had an appointment with some higher-ups but would head to the lab as soon as he could.
“……?”
Chloe arched her eyebrow.
He was all smiles, as if it were impossible to believe he’d been rejected so completely just yesterday.
“Bye-bye!”
“Bye-bye!”
Gru bounced and waved enthusiastically, and On Ijo waved back in return.
Having just coldly dumped a man who wouldn’t let go, Chloe had expected nothing but discomfort, but his bright demeanor took her by surprise—and brought a faint sense of relief.
Or rather—
‘…Am I getting caught up in something here?’
Her brow creased tightly.
No, it’s fine. There won’t be any more of this from tomorrow onward.
Arriving at the lab with Chloe, Gru was led to a room with tables for a series of tests.
She was kept apart from Chloe for the duration.
A researcher explained that Chloe was in charge of On Ijo, not the children, so she wouldn’t see her again until all the tests were complete.
For now, the only people Gru could trust as caregivers—those without any disqualifications—were Chloe and On Ijo.
To see Chloe, Gru solved a word puzzle and answered math problems.
None of it was difficult for her; she finished easily and balanced her pen over her upper lip.
“If I finish all these, you’ll really let me see Chloe Unnie?”
“Of course. Absolutely.”
“…I’m done.”
The researcher glanced at the completed worksheets in astonishment, whispering the results to Bill.
Bill, too, nodded gravely as he listened.
Gru, bored, lay sprawled across the table until Bill approached; then she sat up straight.
He bowed slightly to meet her eyes.
“Ready to go see Chloe?”
“Yes!”
Gru’s whole face broke into a radiant smile.
Inside one of the lab’s examination rooms.
Having completed a simple test, On Ijo sat at the edge of the bed, gazing quietly at Chloe as she scrutinized his results.
No matter how intently he sought her eyes, she refused him even a glance.
As if to say the whole thing had been nothing more than a fleeting dream.
He clenched his fist quietly.
He’d assumed, albeit under the haze of drink, that things had ended on a good note.
Had it been a mistake, leaving for a month to clear the 98th floor right after that night?
Time passed so differently in the Tower and the outside world that he hadn’t even realized a month had gone by.
While On Ijo doggedly pursued her gaze—
“We’re done for today. Since you’ve only just come down from the Tower, you shouldn’t push yourself for a while.”
Chloe wrapped up in an official tone, removing the electrode pads from his torso.
On Ijo, watching Chloe’s hand as she moved, met her questioning gaze as he started tracing his bare chest.
“Did you feel any discomfort during the examination?”
“No. I was just checking to see if my body’s really that nice.”
He grinned with effortless ease.
“It makes my heart flutter when someone keeps staring at me like that.”
“……”
Even at such flirtatious, gentle teasing, Chloe held her lips in a stubborn line, quietly removing the last of the pads.
“Sis, if we meet eyes just one more time, you’ll have to buy me dinner.”
On Ijo watched Chloe intently as she avoided his gaze, tilting his head in close to whisper softly,
“Please look over here. I’d really like to buy you dinner.”
Chloe was just about to retort with a scowl when—
“We’re having dinner together again?!”
Those big, coral-hued eyes sparkled.
“How did you get in here…?”
Chloe hadn’t finished her sentence before she spotted the hasty retreating back of Bill fleeing the examination room.
‘Bill, that damn bald eagle!’
Chloe ground her teeth.
Did he not care at all what On Ijo would think about finding the child here? If On Ijo began to suspect the truth about the child’s identity…
However—
“Of course. Let’s eat together. Should we shop at the market today? Is there anything you want?”
By now On Ijo had settled on the floor, sitting cross-legged, and was casually slinging his arm around Gru’s shoulders.
Was he a fool? Apparently, he was nowhere near perceptive enough to suspect the real secret of the child.
All the easier for Chloe, as she’d been dreading finding some excuse about Gru.
She let out a secret sigh.
“Then let’s buy yogurt at the market!”
“Alright. I’ll get you ten yogurts.”
“Wow! Ten whole yogurts—!”
Gru stretched both arms wide, then spun around in delight.
Chloe bit her lip, troubled for an entirely different reason.
She knew On Ijo was fond of her.
But that night together had been nothing but the product of drink…
She thought of the pregnancy test and put her hand to her forehead.
There was no bond of responsibility between them. Especially not when she still had too many secrets from him.
And if that weren’t enough—
On Ijo’s child?
A researcher at the lab pregnant with On Ijo’s child—the repercussions would be unimaginable.
…So now, she was resolved to put some distance between herself and On Ijo.
“Yogurt!”
Groo, perched atop the shopping cart, flung both arms into the air.
As On Ijo pushed the cart, Chloe walked alongside, gazing up at the ceiling with a sigh.
‘Why does it feel like we’re closer now than before I broke things off with him?’