"...Ahhhh!"
Damn the morning. Recalling the events from the dawn, Jin Dallae grabbed her head in anguish.
'I've lost it. I've totally lost it!'
Tossing her blanket aside, she repeatedly flexed and straightened her legs. The bed vibrated, causing random items on it to roll off. Of all the reckless things she could have done, the words she blurted out in confession were the most embarrassing.
-It was special because of you.
Those words echoed in her mind. The current Jin Dallae was appalled at her past self.
-You're the first one to approach me like this… How can I push you away?
"Arghhhhhhhh!!!"
Perhaps she should just bite her tongue and end it all?
As shame flooded her, dark thoughts flitted through Jin Dallae's mind. And amidst her agony, another thought made her blush.
"Did we… kiss that time?"
She suddenly recalled their first kiss. It might have been a drunken accident, but it was incredibly shocking. She pressed her lower lip with her forefinger, almost feeling the warmth from that memory.
Their lips pressed together, their opened mouths. Even if their tongues didn't intertwine, the sensation was electrifying.
Giving such a precious memory in a drunken blunder weighed on her heart.
"…How will I face him now?"
Honestly, Jin Dallae never saw Lee Shiheon as a man. Up until now, she saw all her relationships as mere tools. How could she see someone of the opposite gender?
She truly respected him.
She wanted to get closer.
But she wasn't sure if what she felt could be called love.
However, the thought of that kiss didn't repulse her.
'I'll have to see him again… Maybe we should talk?'
With a deep sigh, Jin Dallae got up to get ready. After a quick shower, she spent 20 minutes drying her hair, which had grown from short to medium length.
"Sigh."
Even as she dressed, she sighed. Trying to compose herself, she took a piece of chocolate from the refrigerator. Savoring the sweet delight brought a smile to her face. Eating chocolate in the morning and evening had become her routine.
-Knock, knock, knock.
Hearing the knock made her jump. The chocolate she was holding slipped from her grasp, the precious treat falling away.
"Um, uh…"
Jin Dallae, momentarily flustered, slowly approached the door.
"Is it Shiheon?"
No answer came. Tentatively, she unlocked and opened the door. Before her stood a lone delivery box.
-SexyWood Summer Outfit.
…It was the dress she had ordered earlier.
"Ha."
Jin Dallae almost collapsed, leaning against the wall to steady herself. She needed to mentally prepare herself before seeing him.
-Steady footsteps.
Suddenly, familiar footsteps approached, followed by a familiar masked face. Dark hair oversized clothes, and their eyes met.
"Ah."
It was as if neither had expected to see each other like this. They both let out a short, surprised sigh. Quickly composing herself, Jin Dallae glanced at Shiheon's eyes behind the mask.
"Did you… get home okay last night?"
"Uh, um. Yes, I got home fine."
The air grew a bit tense, and Jin Dallae tightly closed her eyes.
Clearly, they needed to talk. To apologize for her drunken behavior the other night. And about the kiss… to agree to forget it.
Just as she was about to speak, her gaze shifted to Shiheon's right leg.
"...Huh?"
There, clutching Shiheon's leg, was a toddler with green hair. A cute sprout grew atop the child's head, making it look even more adorable. The child, while hugging Shiheon, glared at Jin Dallae defensively.
"Who is this child?"
"Uh… how should I explain?"
Shiheon, taken aback by the sudden question, scratched the back of his head and then gently stroked the child's hair. The child beamed at the touch.
"She's my daughter."
Daughter.
In English, "daughter."
"What?"
No.
"Excuse me???"
The revelation was utterly unexpected. For a while, Jin Dallae kept switching her gaze between Shiheon and the child. There didn't seem to be any resemblance between the two.
"But how? When?…"
"Isn't she pretty?"
Jin Dallae, lost for words, looked at the little girl with a complex expression.
"Pi."
As Jin Dallae observed, the child tightened her embrace on Shiheon as if to claim her father all for herself.
'Did she just say "Pi"?'
"… She's cute."
Jin Dallae managed to mumble with an awkward expression. The child was undeniably adorable.
But who could have imagined he had a daughter? This was a plot twist she hadn't expected. What kind of intricate circumstances led to this?
"…Is she your biological daughter?"
Aware that it might be a sensitive question, she asked anyway. Shiheon hesitated for a moment, scratching his chin beneath the mask, then responded with a slightly uneasy tone.
"Well."
It seemed that the story was more complicated than expected.
Jin Dallae kept looking at the child, who was still embracing Shiheon. Every time the child nestled into him, her vibrant green hair swayed gently.
Would it be intrusive to keep asking here? Maybe she should just go with the flow. After all, he was a kind person. There must be a reason for all this.
Taking a deep breath, Jin Dallae extended her hand toward the child.
"What's your name?"
The child looked up with big eyes and observed the hand. For some reason, the child's reaction reminded Jin Dallae of a puppy, making her smile unconsciously.
Like father, like daughter, they both had their quirks.
"Pi!"
…But the child wasn't so easy to approach.
-Slap!
The child swatted away Jin Dallae's approaching hand, pouted, and showed a defensive stance. Puffing up, the child looked quite intimidating.
"Shiba."
"…Shiba?"
"That's her name. She can't talk yet. She became sentient not too long ago."
"That's… a unique name."
While observing Shiba, Jin Dallae reflected on the situation.
The girl seemed to be a very young Tree Person. Given she couldn't talk but was already sentient, it seemed as though some method had been used to accelerate her growth.
Jin Dallae pondered.
'What to do? It doesn't feel like the right atmosphere to bring up yesterday's events.'
The shocking reality of the child hit her like a truck, making the drunken incident from the previous night seem insignificant. As she hesitated about bringing up the previous night, Shiheon, noticing her discomfort, subtly initiated the conversation.
"Do you feel okay? You drank quite a lot yesterday."
"Ah, I'm fine."
"Really? Then let's go."
"Excuse me?"
Lifting Shiba, who was clinging to his leg, Shiheon flashed a smile from beneath his mask.
"Let's go for a hangover cure, remember?"
Given the atmosphere, it wasn't the right moment to bring up the previous night's events. For now, she decided to lead him outside.
"Peep, beep!"
Evidently thrilled with her first outing, Shiba ran about with little steps. After realizing she had gone too far, her face clouded with anxiety, and she dashed back to Jin Dallae, hugging her leg.
Upon lifting her up, the elevated view seemed to excite Shiba, her eyes sparkling.
"Baah!"
"Do you like it?"
Shiba giggled. Jin Dallae felt a heartwarming sensation, understanding the saying "too precious for words."
As they entered a familiar local soup restaurant, they could feel the attention of the other customers. Most were people from the academy, their gazes filled with warmth and curiosity.
Even though Jin Dallae felt a strong urge to show off Shiba, like a proud parent showcasing the protagonist lion in a popular animation, she refrained because she felt my cautious gaze.
Once seated, Jin Dallae posed a question.
"But what will you do from now on?"
"Do about what?"
"Childcare… for instance."
"That's the real issue. We don't have a daycare here."
Despite being an educational city, it lacked childcare facilities. I contemplated seeking help from those who maintained the dorms. However, I was unsure if they would allow me to stay with my daughter.
"But she's my child. I want to provide for her the best I can."
"Beep?"
Shiba looked at the soup in front of her and Jin Dallae, tilting her head.
"Can she eat this?"
"If her personification has progressed this much, there shouldn't be a problem."
I decided to give it a try. Extracting some blood sausage from the soup, I cooled it down by blowing on it before feeding it to Shiba.
"Beep?"
She blinked a few times and then took the food into her mouth.
Beep. Peep.
Her cheeks puffed up as she chewed, making cute sounds with every bite.
"She's so adorable…"
Jin Dallae murmured to herself, a gentle smile forming on her lips.
"We need to buy clothes for her."
"Clothes? Oh, right."
The outfit Shiba was currently wearing was a makeshift one, hastily sewn from my shirt. It would occasionally slide off her shoulders, so proper attire was urgently needed.
"Is there a toddler clothing store in the academy?"
"There is one. It mainly has outfits for humanoid spirits, but there are a few for small children."
Ah, right.
"Could you help me choose? Not today, but I'll treat you to a drink later."
Jin Dallae's eyes widened in response.
"I'll help pick!"
Holding a spoon, she replied hastily, as if fearing I might take back my offer.
Our meal concluded shortly. Shiba gobbled up three blood sausages and then signaled she was full.
Afterward, they headed straight to the clothing store. Most of the outfits available were uniquely shaped, seemingly designed for spirits.
"How about this one?"
Jin Dallae excitedly presented a bright yellow outfit she'd found.
A chick-themed pajama. I alternately looked at Shiba and the pajama. It seemed like a perfect fit.
"Take it. This is also for the lion."
Upon arriving, a tree hoodie also caught my eye. A hoodie with wrinkles and a bumpy picture for children seemed to fit perfectly on Shiba's body.
After that, I bought a few sets of children's underwear and some regular clothes before leaving the clothing store.
It was lunchtime. After having a meal at a suitable place, I returned to the dormitory.
-Beep, Vibrate, Beep, Vibrate.
Shiba seemed tired from the long outing, and she fell asleep in my arms.
As I was walking, patting her back, Jin Dallae smiled contentedly at me.
"It looks good."
"Really?"
"Yes. It reminds me of my past… Ah, never mind. I shouldn't have said that."
Perhaps reminded of her past, Dallae apologized with a slightly awkward face.
We entered the dormitory without saying a word.
We couldn't drink alcohol, and since we had Shiba, we had to wrap it up for the day. Just before reaching Dallae's room, I started a conversation.
"Oh right, about what happened yesterday."
"That, that, that? Don't, don't worry about it! Yes."
Jin Dallae hurriedly responded, seemingly caught off guard by my sudden reference to that event.
It seemed she wasn't bothered by it. Not someone who lingered on a kiss. There were people like that sometimes.
"Well, I'll contact you later."
"…Okay."
After a brief farewell, I entered my room.
-Thud.
"Okay."
First, I laid Shiba down on the bed and stretched, then opened the contacts on my phone.
I had to plan for the remaining month.
"Three people."
Could I manage it?
A bitter smile formed on my lips.