I am back – Chapter 63

“Oh, um, that’s…”

Hearing my older sister’s words, Seogayang couldn’t hide her flustered expression.

Looking at Seogayang, who was squirming with her hands under her bottom, it seemed like something was going on with her parents.

“…Ah.”

It seemed that my sister had just realized that Seogayang might not have her parents with her.

“Um… Is it a situation where you can’t get permission from your parents?”

Of course, I couldn’t directly ask if her parents were absent. No, it was unnecessary to assume that her parents weren’t around. There could be other reasons for not being able to get permission.

…For example, a situation similar to my sister’s childhood.

But if that were the case, I couldn’t just make her do things recklessly.

Thinking that way, a picture started to form in my mind.

She might have run away thinking she couldn’t stand listening to her parents fight at home, wandering aimlessly and ended up passing through this neighborhood.

Then she could have noticed the closed bakery and seen the sign that said ‘Part-time Job Available.’

However, the job listing at the bakery wasn’t detailed enough; it didn’t even have a phone number.

Confirming through a search that they hadn’t even posted the job on any recruitment sites and were only recruiting through the sign in front of the bakery, she probably thought that if she started working here, no one would find out.

And if she thought she would need to gather money quickly…

“……”

Of course, this was just an assumption I was making in my head, and I had no idea what her actual situation was. However, considering that she came all the way from such a distant place to look for a part-time job and had a note in her hand, it felt quite plausible.

But I’m sorry, I couldn’t just assume anything and make her do things. Who knows where she might go after gathering some money?

…Some might think it’s unnecessary meddling, but it could lead to an odd situation.

Still, I couldn’t do anything about the situation. In this world, I was just a regular citizen without any power. Moreover, there were four people in my house who had just recently gained some status, and I didn’t even have relations in this world, so I was just as lost.

No matter how much that status had legal implications, it wouldn’t be good to get involved in public power unnecessarily.

“……”

It seemed my sister was having similar thoughts.

But she didn’t speak first and just silently waited for Seogayang’s response. Until Seogayang decided to speak first.

“Um, my parents might not allow me…”

After thinking for quite a while, Seogayang finally came up with that answer.

“Then, working part-time is even less feasible. A minor can’t work here without permission from their parents.”

For once, my sister spoke firmly.

“Ah, but!”

Seogayang raised her head, met our gaze, and flinched her shoulders. Yet, it seemed she had no intention of backing down just yet.

“I need to work here, no matter what!”

“……”

A moment of silence passed between my sister and me.

“Here?”

My sister asked back.

“Yes!”

“What about other places? There must be plenty of bakeries looking for part-time workers.”

“I can’t work anywhere else. It has to be here.”

“……”

Seogayang was staring intently at my sister, not sparing a glance my way.

Not that she was ignoring me, but her attention seemed totally focused on my sister.

What could it be?

…Could she have some sort of feelings for my sister?

Hmm…

I desperately tried to keep my eyes from narrowing.

“Can you tell us why?”

My sister cautiously asked, and Seogayang’s head dipped again.

“……”

After a long pause, Seogayang finally lifted her head and nodded with a somewhat stiff expression.

“One day, I will definitely tell you.”

One day.

Both of them were responding in such an ambiguous manner.

“Is that really a good enough reason to need to work here?”

My sister asked calmly again.

“……”

At those words, Seogayang avoided her gaze.

“……No, that’s not it, but…”

“……”

This time my sister closed off her thoughts.

So, if I piece together what this girl is saying, it seems she’s more interested in my sister than in the bakery itself. What that interest is, I don’t know, but she can’t reveal it right now… Could that be it?

Once more, I struggled to keep my eyes from narrowing. That might not be the reason at all.

My sister is a kind person. She’s been consistently involved in volunteer activities. Perhaps there’s a connection from back then, but my sister might not remember it. Maybe it’s someone she helped a long time ago.

“Could it be…?”

My sister pondered for a moment. It seemed she was trying to recall Seogayang from her memories but ultimately couldn’t.

“It seems like we met before.”

At my sister’s question, Seogayang finally nodded.

“Yes…”

“And you have something you must tell me.”

“Yes…”

“……”

After hearing Seogayang’s answer, my sister closed her eyes for a moment, lost in thought.

“……Still, we need to get your parents’ permission.”

And thus, she answered.

“If you have something you need to tell me, and if you need to prepare yourself for it, I can let you work here for at least one hour a day. But you must get your parents’ permission. That’s the condition.”

“……”

It seemed my sister could not back down on this matter.

Seogayang bit her lip, pondering for a while, and finally nodded.

“Yes, I’ll make sure to do that.”

“Alright then.”

Upon hearing that response, my sister smiled.

*

Would that be okay?

I didn’t say the same words.

There were many reasons to be suspicious, but that didn’t mean she looked like a bad girl who I had to stop no matter what.

Moreover, this was my sister’s decision as the owner of the shop.

“Did I decide that too arbitrarily…?”

My sister handed Seogayang a few pieces of bread as she was leaving. At first, Seogayang refused, but later she tried to at least pay for them. After she reluctantly left, my sister turned to me and asked.

“So how are you going to run this place, since I’m the one making the decisions?”

“……”

At my response, my sister quietly stared at me.

“Um, Siyun.”

“Yes?”

“Are you, by any chance, mad?”

“Yes?”

For a moment, I almost burst out laughing but held it back.

“No, I’m not angry.”

That was the truth.

After all, I had just met that girl today. It was too short a time to have any real feelings, too brief to judge someone’s character.

The thoughts I could have about her were all made up in my mind. Doubting her unilaterally wouldn’t solve anything; for now, I would just observe.

Still, she didn’t seem like a bad kid at first glance.

However, after having seen many people over five years, I thought my discernment of character had improved. Though I couldn’t read everything about someone at once, I could at least gauge how much of a threat they might be.

At the very least, Seogayang physically couldn’t defeat me.

“I was just a little nervous since she’s a stranger.”

“Is that so?”

At my response, my sister seemed somewhat relieved.

“What did you think of her? That… Seogayang girl.”

It seemed my sister was at a loss for how to address her.

“Uh…”

Honestly, from seeing her just once today, I couldn’t know much.

If she’s a teenager, I can hardly assume anything more. The only thing I could guess is that she must be attending school. How many friends she has, what her family situation is… Those are things I wouldn’t know unless I asked directly.

In situations like this, it’s easier for an adult to assess it. Depending on what kind of work someone has done previously and how stable they were in their employment, I could make a better judgment. There was an undeniable difference between someone who has consistently worked with many people for a long time and someone who has jumped from job to job.

“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

“That’s true, right?”

My sister sighed a little.

“Even though I was willing to take her in after all that… it worries me.”

“Don’t you remember anyone like her?”

“Um…”

At my question, my sister frowned, thought for a long time, and then sighed deeply, shaking her head.

“Yeah, I really don’t remember. I think that girl came to see me. Maybe she just couldn’t find the words all at once and was trying to figure out how to say it over time.”

If that were the case, there would be no reason for her to need to work part-time.

The more I thought about it, the more unclear it became, and ultimately that day, my sister and I failed to find any conclusive answers.