Chick SS11
by CristaeThe Chick Class Hunter Is Making Amends! Side Story 11
Side Story 6: Unmasking the Real Mom
After kissing her child several times, Chloe set Groo down when she met Wooju’s gaze.
Wooju’s eyes were sharp and searching.
Without delay, Wooju stepped quickly in front of Groo and said,
“Are you really Groo’s mother?”
“So you must be Groo’s friend. Hello, I’m Groo’s mom.”
“She’s my mom!” Groo shouted proudly.
But Wooju blocked Groo from running to Chloe, standing as firm as a wall.
“What brings you here?”
“I came because I missed Groo.”
“So suddenly? It didn’t seem like Groo was expecting you.”
“I wanted to surprise her.”
“…That’s allowed?”
At that, Chloe brought a hand to her lips and flashed a sly smile.
She met the child’s suspicious stare and bent down to look Wooju in the eyes.
“What is it that you’re curious about, friend?”
“I just…”
Wooju, caught off guard, trailed off.
After a moment’s pause, Wooju came up with an excuse.
“I, I just want to play with Groo!”
She took Groo’s hand tightly.
Groo glanced at Wooju, puzzled by her strange behavior. Wooju’s faintly furrowed brow betrayed her worry and awkwardness.
“Then Wooju, come with us. Where’s Huiyeon?”
“Huiyeon has to get to her after-school program…”
Huiyeon checked her watch. She was already late.
Feet shuffling in anxiety, Huiyeon looked at Groo, who nodded and waved.
“Yeah. Bye-bye!”
“Bye!”
Huiyeon waved back and bounced away.
All the while, Wooju continued to stare down Chloe.
Holding Groo’s hand tight, Wooju bit her lip.
She felt truly sorry to Groo, but she couldn’t let things go on like this.
‘Is this really Groo’s mom?’
First her dad had appeared, now her mom—both supposedly in prison, yet her mother had suddenly materialized before their eyes.
Everything was suspicious.
Who exactly was this person claiming to be Groo’s father, and who was this woman saying she was Groo’s mother?
‘She has no proof. She could just be someone who looks like her.’
At that moment, Wooju made up her mind.
“Groo, let’s go to the bathroom together.”
“…Huh?”
Wooju turned her head stiffly at Groo’s words.
Groo had to go to the girls’ bathroom. How were they supposed to go together?
But Groo was already pulling Wooju along by the hand.
“Mom, I’ll be right back from the bathroom!”
As they ran off, Wooju’s face blushed deep red.
Once inside the building, Groo let go of Wooju’s hand.
“…?”
Then, straightforward and direct, she asked,
“Wooju, what’s wrong? Why’re you acting strange?”
Wooju clenched her hands. It wasn’t easy to ask, but she had to know.
“That person… is she really your mom?”
“Hm?”
“It’s weird. You said she was in prison, but she just showed up out of nowhere…”
Groo blinked twice.
It wasn’t a wrong point.
Because…
“That’s true… That’s because my mom…”
“Yeah?”
“My mom’s a sand monster.”
“…What?”
“I brought my mom back with sand. Because of that, when her body gets too far from the beach, it falls apart into sand, so she couldn’t come see me before.”
Wooju stood agape.
She didn’t quite understand, but she did get one thing: Groo had done something incredible yet again.
“So, your mom’s body is made of sand right now?”
“Yup!”
“Then… if she left the beach, your mom might still be a fake?”
“Yup.”
Raising her eyebrows high, Groo nodded.
Wooju laid a hand on Groo’s shoulder.
“Let’s work together to drive out the fake mom.”
Her voice brimmed with emotion.
Having struggled with family issues herself, Wooju was even more absorbed in her role.
Groo met Wooju’s eyes.
Everything Wooju said made sense. And since Wooju had two moms, she might actually be better at telling real moms from fake than Groo.
Groo made a walnut shape with her chin and nodded vigorously.
“Let’s drive her out.”
Meanwhile, Chloe struggled to keep from grinning as she answered Joorim’s call.
“I just wanted to surprise her.”
This was the long-awaited time with her daughter. She didn’t want anyone else interfering. She could tolerate a certain little girl who seemed to like Groo, but no more than that.
“Ah, the kids are coming. I’ll hang up now.”
Chloe ended the call and greeted the children.
For some reason, both seemed especially determined as they faced her and spoke out in unison.
“Mom! Groo’s going to show you around the company!”
“Ma’am! Let’s go to Orchestra!”
Chloe smiled and blinked.
“Well, shall we? But don’t you go to Orchestra every day? Isn’t there anywhere else you’d like to go with me?”
“Nope.”
Groo shook her head vigorously. Then, in a dramatic voice, she said,
“By the way, Wooju, you know that thing we do at kindergarten? Want to try it with my mom while we go?”
“Yeah. Ma’am, do you want to do the ‘Mom and Daughter Quiz’? It’s a game where you answer questions to see how well you know each other.”
Wooju shot Chloe a sharp look.
Chloe smiled, though her expression showed a hint of discomfort.
“…Sure.”
Groo’s eyes sparkled and she clenched her fists. Great—she took the bait.
First method: the Mom Quiz.
They’d use it to determine whether she was the real mom or a fake.
The three strolled to the parking lot, with two men in sunglasses following at a distance.
As they crunched fallen leaves underfoot, Groo gave Wooju a knowing look, and Wooju gave a short nod.
“Ma’am. Do you know what Groo’s favorite thing is?”
“Hmm…”
As she fidgeted with Groo’s hand, Chloe thought for a moment and then teased,
“Mommy?”
“Ha!”
Groo looked helplessly at Wooju.
They whispered to each other.
“What do we do? That’s the right answer.”
Wooju clenched her fist in frustration. How did the fake mom get it right?
“She must have guessed.”
Chloe rolled her eyes, listening as the kids whispered, easily picking up every word. But what could she do? Was she not supposed to get answers right?
“Then, should I ask the next question?”
“Yeah!”
Groo clenched both fists in excitement.
“Then, what’s Mom’s favorite thing?”
“Killer taste!”
“…Wrong.”
Told she was wrong, Groo stared at Chloe with trembling eyes and whispered to Wooju.
“She’s not really the real one after all.”
“Told you so.”
Chloe, eager to smooth things over, quickly waved her hands.
“No, of course what I love most is Groo!”
But giving such an obvious answer, Groo just regarded Chloe up and down in disbelief—now uncertain that any answer could clear suspicion.
Why? What was the problem? Chloe couldn’t figure it out.
By the time they reached the parking lot, Chloe had gotten three answers right and two wrong, only to hear the kids whisper, “With a score this bad, there’s no way she’s the real one.”
Finally, Chloe realized:
‘The kids think I’m a fake.’