By Zephyria 
#Side Story 10
“Wow, look at that, Hyung! A long car! It’s super long!”
Ru marveled at the train speeding above ground. He was fascinated by the large electronic billboards displaying advertisements and the various cars running on the road.
Looking at the shops lined up on the street, he wondered what they were. The child, who couldn’t read, miraculously knew the ice cream shop and quickly drooled.
“Is this your first time here?”
“Yes.”
“Did you live there all the time?”
“No… I used to be somewhere else.”
Ru explained where he had been. Ire guessed that it might be area c. When asked how old he was, he only folded and counted his fingers, unable to answer easily. Who was the person who gave birth to the child? Was he abandoned? Or was he kidnapped by the old man? While having all sorts of thoughts, the child brought his face so close to the window that it was squashed.
“Hey! Hyung, hey!”
A sightseeing train was visible where the child was pointing. It was a place with a zoo and amusement park rides that Ire had been to once before. All the animals he had never seen while living were there.
Especially the tiger, Ire couldn’t leave its front for a long time because it was so cool. Kim Ha-yoon asked if he wanted to raise one as a pet if he wanted, but he didn’t want to do that at all. Looking at its mouth open to yawn, it didn’t seem strange even if one of his arms and legs disappeared while sleeping.
“Have you been there, Hyung?”
“Yeah. Once.”
“Is it good?”
When he nodded, Ru exclaimed, “Wow!” The child, who had been depressed for a while after his grandfather died, seemed to have regained some energy. Also, maybe because he came to a new place, he was particularly more lively today.
When asked if he would like to go to the amusement park later, his eyes sparkled.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Is that scary uncle going with us…?”
The child hesitated and corrected himself. He’s handsome but a scary uncle. Kim Ha-yoon is an uncle to the end. Ru seemed a little nervous talking about Kim Ha-yoon. When Ire smiled, telling him that he wasn’t as scary as he thought, his face changed to a slightly relaxed one.
The car soon arrived near Matteo’s house. After parking the car, Ire took Ru out, and his younger siblings who were in the yard rushed over. The children who had returned from their trip were still full of energy today. The children surrounded Ru.
“Hyung! Who is he?”
“Wow, he’s cute. Is he a boy?”
“What’s your name?”
When the children showed interest in him, Ru hid behind Ire with a nervous expression. Are you shy? Are you shy? It’s okay. Come here. Luca, who was quite mature now, held out his hand.
“Shall I show you this?” When he shot the plastic gun he was holding, a bubble the size of a person’s face appeared. Ru’s eyes widened and he exclaimed, “Wow!”
“Do you want to play together? Do you want to try it too?”
The child hesitated and looked at Ire. When Ire gestured to go, he joined them shyly. Ire watched the children moving away and went into the house. The smell of food wafted in first. In the kitchen, Matteo and Anna were busy cooking. Anna, who was preparing the ingredients, greeted Ire with a bright face first.
“You’re here?”
Matteo was now putting the freshly made food on a plate.
“You’re here early? I made your favorite stir-fry. How is it, I made it?”
Looking at the plate Matteo held out, Ire raised his thumb instead of answering. Then Matteo put the plate on the table and went to the window with his apron on. Matteo, who saw Ru running around, asked cautiously.
“Is that the child?”
Ire had told Matteo about the child in advance. He had experience taking care of his younger siblings, but he had no idea how to treat a child who was different from ordinary people. Ire thought Matteo would help him with anything because he had raised him well.
“I was going to leave him at the facility, but I quit because the risk was too great.”
“What are you worried about? I can take care of him.”
Ire hesitated for a moment. Matteo was married, and now he wasn’t alone, so he couldn’t just leave the child with him. Anna said it was okay, but Ire wanted them to live more comfortably than before. Because they had suffered all their lives raising children who didn’t share a drop of blood with him.
“I’m going to take care of him.”
“Are you okay with that?”
“Yeah.”
When Ire answered without hesitation, Matteo stroked his head. So I’m going to have a grandson. Ire frowned at what he meant, but Matteo even made a ridiculous joke asking if Kim Ha-yoon was his daughter-in-law. Ire imagined Kim Ha-yoon in a dress for a moment and shook his head in disgust.
He also remembered when he had asked him to wear a dress before. He was just as fed up with this. Then he wondered why he was having such silly imaginations by himself and let out a hollow laugh.
When the meal preparation was finished, the children came in one by one. Everyone sat down and prayed before the meal, but Ru only blinked. Ire put the child’s hands together and fixed his posture.
Ru was quiet throughout the meal. After it was over, he got along well with the children, so Ire was worried that he wouldn’t leave, but when he left, he politely greeted him and held Ire’s hand tightly again.
Matteo smiled at that and joked that he had become a real grandfather. As he was about to get in the car and leave, he received a call from Kim Ha-yoon. When he pressed the button, his face appeared on the dashboard screen.
-Honey, when are you coming?
“I’m going now. I was late because I was having dinner.”
-Where’s the kid?
Ru moved his face slightly to the side with a nervous expression. Kim Ha-yoon chuckled softly when his face appeared on the screen. He said he looked even more like him when he saw him on video. Was it that much?
Ire stared at the child’s face. Black eyes and black hair. He thought he looked more like Kim Ha-yoon. He finished the call and started, but the child couldn’t take his eyes off the night view the whole way.
\*
“Puppy! You were here!”
When he entered Kim Ha-yoon’s house, the first thing that greeted him was the dog he had rescued from the beach. With gray fur and blue eyes. The huge guy, who could be mistaken for a wolf at first glance, had amazing sociability, unlike his cold appearance.
The dog was wagging its tail and licking Ru’s face, but it was careful not to hurt him. It was amazing that an animal showed such consideration.
“Do you know how much I missed you? Huh?”
Kim Ha-yoon, who appeared soon after, hugged Ire and smeared saliva on his face. Why couldn’t this human do what even a dog could do? When Ire told him to stop, he made a sulky face, grabbed his cheeks, and pressed them hard from both sides.
When his lips protruded like a carp, he kissed them. Oh, really. Ire hit Kim Ha-yoon’s side. It meant to stop and pay attention to the child. He was already afraid of Kim Ha-yoon, but he was only holding on to him and expressing his affection as soon as he came, so it was embarrassing.
Kim Ha-yoon belatedly knelt down and met the child’s eyes.
“Kid.”
At that word, Ru hid behind Ire as if it was a habit. Kim Ha-yoon took out a small card from his shirt pocket and shook it. Do you know what this is? The child shook his head with only his head sticking out.
“Amusement park ticket.”
The child’s face changed as he remembered the amusement park he had seen when he came.
“Do you want to go tomorrow?”
Ru’s eyes widened. When he asked, “Really?” Kim Ha-yoon held out the card. He said let’s go together tomorrow, we can feed the animals we want, and we can see parades and fireworks at night.
The child’s mouth widened like a gourd. At that moment, a small pot near him trembled and floated in the air about a span high. Kim Ha-yoon put his hand on the child’s head.
“But, this is not allowed.”
When he warned him, the pot was placed back in its place with a thud. Unlike Ire, who had his awakening in an extreme situation, the child often emitted power when he was happy. Since it was not his will, Ire taught the child how to restrain himself every time that happened.
On the other hand, he understood why the old man had hidden and raised the child in a remote place. No one knew what kind of treatment he would be subjected to if he was caught by someone and dragged to the laboratory.
“Instead, you have to go to bed early today. That’s how you can go. Got it?”
Ru clenched his fists tightly and nodded. Ire couldn’t help but laugh because he thought he looked like a puppy. The child looked around Kim Ha-yoon’s house and his mouth widened more and more. Wow, the ceiling is so high! Ire was worried that his jaw would fall off.
Unlike his worries, Kim Ha-yoon had prepared several things that the child would like. Snacks, toys, and so on. Ire thought he had an unexpectedly meticulous side. He had no idea what his ulterior motive was.