She was no different from a beast

Chapter 22

—–CROW—– 

“Yuna, is there anything you want?”

“Huh? Something I want?”

What’s this? I was sprawled on the sofa, watching the news with Dad, thinking I’d just laze around today, when Mom came out of the bedroom and quietly asked me this.

Have I been that good lately to deserve a reward from Mom?

Not really. The only recent things I’ve done are slamming Jeongwoo down two weeks ago and still tutoring the kids every weekend.

I can’t really say the former is something good, even if I try.

“Yes. We made a promise, didn’t we? If you get first place in your class, Mom will grant you a wish. And your birthday is in a few days.”

“Ah.”

“Ah.”

I had completely forgotten.

And it seemed Dad had too, since he reacted the same way I did, then received a sharp look from Mom.

Well, fair enough. A daughter can forget her own birthday, but it’s definitely wrong for a dad to forget.

Now that I think about it, I remember making that promise with Mom before the elementary school entrance ceremony.

Come to think of it, was it this warm when I was born? Maybe?

‘But I don’t really want anything right now.’

Smartphones don’t exist yet, and it’s too early to get a computer.

Besides, even if I ask for a computer, they’ll definitely say, ‘Don’t you have the computer Dad uses for work?’  And I can’t just outright ask them to buy me a computer so I can blow people’s heads off in games…

“Then, a sibling.”

“Huh?”

“???”

So, yeah. I should ask for something reasonable.

“For my birthday present, make me a sibling! You kept ignoring me last year when you said you would!”

It’s a little weird to treat a sibling as a present, but I remembered how lonely Mom seemed when Dad and I weren’t home.

And I wouldn’t mind having a sibling either.

“No, Yuna. Besides a sibling…is there really nothing else you want?”

“No. I’ll save my reward for getting first place for later.”

Maybe around 6th grade? Wouldn’t it be better to ask for a smartphone then?

No, wait. Should I ask them to install Wi-Fi at home first?

Mom gave a wry smile at my firm answer and fidgeted nervously.

Dad put his hand on my shoulder, shook his head with a serious face, and said,

“Yuna, siblings don’t just pop out because you want them.”

No, Dad. I know that much.

I’m just asking you to start working on making a second child.

“Every night, you and Mom are making a baby in your room. I learned all about it at school, so I know now?!”

Of course, they haven’t taught little first-graders about adult love at school yet.

I only know because my mind is that of a forever-alone virgin who’s learned and experienced everything.

Still, going to school is convenient for things like this.

I can just use it as an excuse, saying I learned it at school, right?

I awkwardly got up and pretended to sway my hips in the air, causing Mom’s face to turn bright red, and Dad to clap like a seal, impressed by my excellent demonstration.

“Wow. Do they teach that kind of stuff at school these days? Well, that’s how sex education should be. Instead of teaching ‘No! I don’t want to! Don’t do that!’, they should teach how babies are made. That’s real sex education.”

As expected of Dad with his open mind, he spoke wise words ahead of his time, and I nodded vigorously in agreement.

Wow, this is fun.

Making sexual innuendos and swaying my hips in front of my parents, acting like a fire-elemental daughter, is fun, especially Mom’s reaction. I want to do more.

“Huh? But why isn’t there a sibling yet? Oh, don’t tell me you’re using condoms… Ouch!!”

*Thwack!*

“I’ll make you one! Stop! Stop it! Yuna! You can’t say things like that in front of other people!!”

“Hahaha! Yeah, yeah. Yuna wants one so badly, we should make a second child! Of course!”

Mom flicked my forehead, her face red as if it would explode.

Dad rolled on the floor, clutching his stomach, laughing as if this kind of everyday life was entertaining.

I pretended to collapse on the floor in pain, trembling, but the corners of my mouth lifted into a grin.

Yeah, what’s the big deal about a birthday?

Honestly, my birthday isn’t for me. Strictly speaking, it’s the day my parents suffered to give birth to me.

The day the fruit of their love came into the world.

So, wouldn’t the right way to celebrate my birthday be to spend it meaningfully and make this everyday occurrence, this peaceful daily life with them, more fun?

‘Telling them I’m grateful they gave birth to me on that day should be enough.’

And wouldn’t they be even happier if I personally made them seaweed soup and asked them to give birth to a healthy baby?

That sounds pretty good.

“Are you going straight home again today?”

“If I tutor on weekdays too, the Master keeps making me do kicks.”

“But you like that kind of stuff.”

Yeah, I do.

I like it when people clap and react, giving me attention.

But the Master’s intense, 100% pure, not-dangerous-but-slightly-creepy gaze as he tries to entice me is a bit much.

Be satisfied with me tutoring and showing off my cuteness every Saturday, you fool.

The school bell rang, and I folded the notice from the teacher into my notebook.  After a month of this, I’d left my backpack at home and stuffed everything I needed into my indoor shoe bag, the only bag I carried.

“I’m not going straight home. I have plans to hang out with someone.”

“?? You don’t have any friends.”

“…”

Hold on. Hold it in. Control yourself, my inner reason.

There was that incident where I almost turned Jeongwoo into Jeong/woo, and if I lose control and rampage like a gorani here, even Jeongwoo’s mom, who worships me as the Great Yuna, won’t be able to defend me.

Besides, as I’ve been in this ambiguous relationship with Jeongwoo, somewhere between friends and not-quite-friends, I’ve come to understand that he’s not really trying to provoke me.  He speaks with pure innocence, without malice.

“…You and I should study how to speak nicely later.”

“?? Speaking nicely?”

“Yeah. Let’s do it after I get permission from your mom.”

But just because he speaks without malice doesn’t mean it’s okay. Isn’t it more of a problem?

And since Yuri has a history of pointing fingers too, I can include her and teach them together.

If I ask his mom nicely, “Jeongwoo’s speech is a little rude, so I’d like to add a touch of my personal touch to help him learn some manners,” wouldn’t she give me permission?

Usually, kids learn this kind of thing naturally by getting beaten up by an older brother or a neighborhood hyung, but as far as I know, Jeongwoo only has older sisters.

“Dad said he’s nearby, so we’re going to the PC bang together.”

“Ah, that place where the ajeossis and hyungs go?”

“Yeah.”

Well, a first-grader doesn’t usually go to a PC bang to clickety-clack on a keyboard.

“What do you do there for fun?”

“Games.”

“Ah…”

What else is there to do at a PC bang besides games?

It’s too dark, noisy, and smells of cigarettes to be a place for studying.

Well, I was a chain smoker in my past life, and I’m not the type to have negative prejudices against cigarettes!

My heart pounded with anticipation at the thought of shooting guns with Dad after a long time. I grabbed my indoor shoe bag and stood up…

“I want to go too.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll just watch. I’m curious about what you do there.”

“What about Taekwondo?”

“It’s okay if I go at 4.”

Well, still…is it okay to show a young kid games where blood splatters and guns go bang bang, or where people get their throats slit with knives?

‘Come to think of it, my body is that of a child too.’

I played Thunder Attack with other kids a lot when I was an elementary school student in my past life.

…Hmm.

“Do what you want. But don’t bother the people around you.”

“Okay.”

She’s pretty calm and mature for her age, so maybe it’ll be alright?

Advanced studies and gifted education, and now I’m starting her on games.

You’re lucky to have met me. You’ll be taking two or three steps forward while other kids take just one.

So I took Jeongwoo to the PC bang Dad told me about, the place where Dad and I shot guns and filmed edgy assassin montages with basic knives before… Huh? There are other ajeossis besides Dad?

“Daughter! Over here! Here!”

“Oh, uh. Hello.”

Yuri’s dad, the one who got drunk with Dad in front of Turtle Rock last year, and another ajeossi I saw back then were there, so I bowed politely.

Wow, Dad.  It seems you’ve been keeping in touch with them since that drinking session. Now you’re even gaming buddies.

“Oh? Uh, yeah. Hey, you said you were bringing someone, but it’s your daughter?”

“Yeah, so? Are you looking down on my daughter now? I’m teaming up with Yuna, so let’s go.”

“Huh. Alright. I’m a bit worried about the game being too violent for a kid, but whatever. You didn’t forget about buying sashimi if you win, right? We’re eating till we burst today?”

‘Ah.’

So that’s it. He told me to play games before school this morning, even though it’s a weekday, not a weekend.

He made a bet with the ajeossis.

Well, that makes sense. Men are creatures who reveal their true selves and gain courage in the face of a wager.

Dad, really. Bringing out a wild card like me will embarrass the other ajeossis.

Well, well. Time to slaughter some noobs…

“…Huh? Jeongwoo? What are you doing here?”

“I came to watch Yuna play. But what are *you* doing here?”

“…”

Ah, so that ajeossi is Jeongwoo’s dad.

Jeongwoo’s dad avoided his gaze at the question.

Jeongwoo, who’s been quite calm lately, frowned slightly and glared at his dad with a suspicious look.

“You came out without telling Mom, didn’t you?”

“…Son, don’t you need some allowance?”

Oh dear.

It seems this ajeossi came out here, putting his life on the line for this bet.

—–CROW—– 

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