02. A visitor from the future (5)

After talking with Yoon Seo-hee on the phone, I returned to the room, and Ji-soo Baek was up with her hands on the wall.

I hurriedly ran at the precarious appearance even at a glance.

“Hey! Baeksoo!”

You said that if you force yourself to stand up, you will collapse.

She reached out her hand for support, but remembered her words not to touch it, and withdrew her hand in the middle.

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Jisoo Baek was looking at the sword and staff standing on the wall with a firm expression.

“No, I can’t do this….”

Her complexion turned pale, and the color of her already white face was gone.

A thin quivering jawline. Nervousness is evident in the way she bites her lower lip.

“The sword… If so, the future….”

It was difficult to understand what he was saying when he purred his lips and mumbled something alone, but the sentences were not put together properly.

But I could definitely feel the deep despair that hung over my shadowy face.

I wonder if it was a valuable item? This rusty, rotten sword and staff.

“This, after all, was Baek Ji-soo’s item.”

“… ….”

Baek Ji-soo only slightly turned her head to look at me. There was no light in her eyes.

“How did this happen?”

I don’t know about the staff, but several years are not enough for the sword to corrode this much.

I don’t know if it’s going to be like this until it’s been neglected and rusted for at least several decades.

Still, Baek Ji-soo’s reaction was that he knew for the first time that the sword had become like this. That was obviously not a normal situation.

But Baek Ji-soo shook his head slowly, as if he still had no intention of telling him.

“… I can’t tell.”

“Why?”

“It has nothing to do with you.”

My heart felt cramped at the way he spoke with a resolute degree of distance.

Yes, no matter how indebted you are, it must be difficult to confide your personal story to someone you have never met.

Looking at that serious expression, it seems that this is not normal.

Apart from being wary, I also felt that I literally didn’t want to involve innocent people.

“… ….”

I took a deep breath.

Let’s not be foolish, Kim Yi-jin.

Basically, I am not interested in others.

I don’t know if it’s a situation where I can help like Yoon Seo-hee, but it’s just a clumsy meddling to ask about something the other person doesn’t want.

So I decided to just skip it.

“Okay. Then… Would you like some more porridge?”

It was a word I brought up because I seemed to be regretting it even after emptying the bowl earlier.

It was not difficult to boil another bowl as they were proud of the delicious food they ate.

At those words, the eyes of Baek Ji-soo, who were filled with despair, returned at least a slight light.

“Ah….”

A deep conflict emanating from a slightly frowning expression and tightly pursed lips.

An uneasy gaze. He lowered his head, unable to make eye contact, and frowned.

After a moment of silence, Baek Ji-soo whispered in a small whisper, as if he had finally made up his mind.

“… Then, just one bowl.”

“Yes. Wait for a moment.”

I said, barely suppressing the laughter that leaked out.

I left the room and went to the kitchen, but only silence flowed in the living room, as if my grandfather had already entered the room.

I take out a new pot from the kitchen and boil a little more porridge than I did the first time.

I wonder if all of this will fit in that small body, but it’s better to have more than not enough.

It’s left over. I can eat it later.

Porridge with sesame oil and sesame seeds and a savory fragrance was transferred to a bowl.

I made it, but it smells really appetizing.

Smart-

“I’ll go in.”

When I opened the door and went inside, Baek Ji-soo’s gaze turned to me as if he had waited.

To be precise, it pierced the porridge bowl I was holding.

Knock. I could hear Baek Ji-soo swallowing quietly.

“It’s hot, so eat slowly. Understand?”

“…… Yes.”

She nods her head and raises her spoon.

My eyes are already fixed on the steaming porridge.

Put your lips together and blow- blow the wind to cool off the heat

As if it had cooled down enough, I opened my small lips and put a full spoonful in my mouth.

“…… !”

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Jisoo Baek has an expressionless face and only her pupils are gradually dilated.

Then he rolled his eyes and looked at me. ‘The taste is different from before… It was the gaze that revealed the thought of ‘?’.

“I think I have an appetite, so I seasoned it a little harder. Doesn’t it suit your taste?”

“… No.”

She shakes her head.

“It’s delicious.”

Make the porridge again, cool it down, and eat it one spoon at a time.

The hopelessness from before was no longer visible as he eagerly ate porridge like a kitten drinking hot milk.

As expected, rice is the best when you are depressed.

Come to think of it, I didn’t eat either. When I looked at the clock to check the time, it was already past 8 o’clock.

I need to feed him all the porridge and take something with him.

“It is very late. Shouldn’t you be contacting your parents?”

Her grandfather was also worried about it, so he became concerned about it belatedly.

“It’s okay. I have no parents.”

“… ….”

A chilly silence descended upon the sudden declaration of a bomb.

I was at a loss for what to say and kept my mouth shut, while Baek Ji-soo ate the porridge slowly, showing no signs of caring at all.

Feeling embarrassed, she tried to open her mouth thinking she should apologize.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t even know that.”

“… ? Are you okay. There are no parents, but there are guardians. But I can’t contact you because I’m overseas.”

Ah, that was it.

I was very surprised to find that there was no one to take care of my family.

“Then where do you live now?”

“Academy dormitory. It’s okay as long as you return before 10 o’clock.”

“What? Aren’t they pretty expensive there?”

“I don’t pay. Because he is the senior.”

“Ah….”

Academy has a student dormitory for students coming to school from distant provinces.

However, this dormitory is not free, but you have to pay an expensive dormitory fee to enter.

So, Yoon Seo-hee also heard that she did not use a dormitory and found a cheap one-room.

In fact, it is not so expensive that ordinary people cannot afford it.

Slightly more expensive than average university dormitory fees.

However, I was given the impression that Baek Ji-soo would be so poor that he couldn’t even eat proper food for months, so the words came out without my knowledge.

The dormitory fee is free for seniors.

If you think about it with common sense, it was natural. I just didn’t care because it had nothing to do with me.

So, from next semester, will Yoon Seo-hee also be using the dormitory?

‘Anyway, they eat really well.’

Baek Ji-soo had almost emptied a bowl of porridge before he knew it.

I wanted to eat it all with that little mouth, but it was thanks to the steady movement of my hands while talking to me.

“… Paha.”

She exhales a long breath, soaked in her lingering aftertaste, even after finishing her many deaths.

Then, as if I felt a bit ashamed of my reckless eating of porridge, I put the tray on her lap on the table.

“Thank you… I ate well.”

“Nothing.”

Originally, I like to cook, and it makes me happy to eat something I made so deliciously.

“Are you okay? Can you walk now?”

According to my words, Baek Ji-soo examines his body and checks his condition, such as lightly squeezing his fists.

After that, he nodded his head with an expressionless face.

“Running is impossible, but I think walking is fine.”

“Really? Then rest a little longer. You say you have to be back by 10? I’ll see you off later.”

The dormitory is just around the corner, so an hour or so of rest would be enough.

However, Baek Ji-soo seemed to have a different idea.

“You don’t have to. I will go back alone.”

“Hey, what if I fall down again?”

“It’s okay. I don’t want to cause more trouble.”

It’s just a short walk at night, it’s not much different from a walk anyway, but what a nuisance.

But Baek Ji-soo’s expression was very serious.

As if he were convinced that going out with him would be a huge nuisance.

She wondered if a monster was attacking her. She wanted to make a joke, but she swallowed the words that were about to come out because the expression on her face wasn’t in the mood to accept her joke.

“Okay. Then what are you going to do with that?”

I pointed to the cane and sword standing on the wall.

Even though they look like that, both of them are quite heavy, and it seemed quite difficult for a small child like Baek Ji-soo to carry them even though they are already in bad shape.

If you use a staff or sword as a walking stick, I don’t know if it will break in the middle.

Baek Ji-soo pondered for a moment before she slowly brought her words out.

“That… It’s only noticeable when I have it. I’m sorry, but can you handle it?”

“Me? Isn’t that an equipment item? It must be very expensive.”

“I have no value now. It’s just garbage.”

Baek Ji-soo looks at the two things with a gaze full of deep regret while saying so.

She shook her head slightly as if she was barely getting rid of her lingering feelings.

“I have some circumstances… If you throw it away instead, there will be no problem. It doesn’t matter if you take it.”

I don’t know what the circumstances were, but if you said that, there was no reason to refuse.

“Okay. It’s kind of a shame to throw it away, but I’ll keep it in storage in case you need it again later.”

The space is wide anyway, so it won’t be noticeable even if you put one or two more rusty swords and staffs in.

And, to be honest.

That rusty sword bothered me a lot.

I’ll have to take a closer look… I think I can fix it if I do well.

I’m still not sure, but I kept my mouth shut for now because I could feel embarrassed if I failed after making people look forward to it.

Once you try and succeed, you can tell me then.

That was the moment.

Ding Dong-

A ringtone that sounds through the speaker.

It was the ringtone on our front door.

“Who are you? No one is coming home at this hour.”

I got up from my chair and got ready to go out on the porch.

“Sorry. I’ll go outside for a while.”

The moment she asks her pardon and tries to get out of her.

Baek Ji-soo grabbed my sleeve with her small hand, her complexion turning pale.

“Joo Baek… ?”

“Go with me.”

Unable to understand the context of the sudden development, I expressed my doubts.

“Why?”

“… Perhaps. Maybe you came for me, not you.”

Thinking about it, it makes sense.

There are no guests coming to my house at this time.

In that case, couldn’t it be her acquaintance who heard the news that Baek Ji-soo had collapsed in front of her house?

“Okay. Shall I help you then?”

Baek Ji-soo seemed to be very hesitant at that comment, but he nodded his head as if he thought it was not the right time.

“Yes, please.”

I slowly supported her, holding only her forearms so as not to touch her as much as possible. Anyway, because of the height difference, it was ambiguous to find another place.

Ding Dong-

I opened my mouth wide at the sound of the ringing bell.

“Yes, let’s go!”

Supporting Baek Ji-soo, who was staggering and struggling, we moved to the front door together.

I felt someone’s presence outside the door.

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Just as he was about to open the door by holding the handle, Baek Ji-soo stood in front of the door and muttered quietly.

“No matter what comes out… Never be surprised.”

“… ?”

I was puzzled, but without any explanation, she quietly raised one hand as if aiming at her door.

Baek Ji-soo, who stared straight ahead with her tense eyes, pulled the handle backwards.

“Who are you? … What?”

Standing at the door was a very familiar person to me.

His breath and his forehead wet with sweat.

“Yoon Seo-hee?”

She must have stormed out of her house in the same outfit she was wearing, wearing her baggy T-shirt and shorts that left her thighs exposed.

“Ha ha ha… Lee Jin, ah?”

Yoon Seo-hee looks at me with a smile, then checks the blank Ji-soo behind her back and hardens her expression.

Baek Ji-soo also sees Yoon Seo-hee who suddenly appears, and her eyes shake slightly.

“The adversary… ?”