Mephisto, clasping both of Gru’s hands tightly, said as if emphasizing it once more.
“G-r00. Since you don’t exist at this point in time, this is an identity I created temporarily. I’m sorry. It was the best I could do. Otherwise, you would be erased.”
At his urgent words, Gru lowered his brows with an awkward expression.
“I-I don’t know.”
Mephisto then pressed his forehead against Gru’s.
As their foreheads touched, the words Mephisto wished to convey began entering Gru’s mind directly.
The meaning of Mephisto’s words was implanted in him at once.
‘Six years ago?!’
They had traveled back six years into the past.
But six years ago, Gru had not even been born yet. From the perspective of the current world, his appearance was no different from an uninvited stranger suddenly showing up.
When Gru came under threat of being erased by the laws of the world, Mephisto intervened.
He had created a new identity for Gru, who had not existed in the past.
And in doing so, he had used up all his strength.
“We have to go back after I recover my strength. Otherwise…”
As though he had exhausted all his energy, Mephisto could not finish his sentence and transformed back into the shape of a small bird.
Holding the peacefully sleeping Mephisto in her arms, Gru absentmindedly turned around.
According to the knowledge Mephisto had passed on, this was a laboratory where some sort of research was being conducted, and Gru was one of its test subjects.
Children’s hands could be seen beyond the glass walls.
The children trapped inside rooms no larger than a single pyeong stared at Gru through the glass.
Their faces showed no expression, no emotion.
“…?”
A placard hung on the small wall beside the glass.
G-r01, G-r02, G-r03… all the way to G-r20.
They were the names of roughly twenty children.
All twenty pairs of eyes watching Gru were coral-colored.
‘Scary!’
The fine hairs all over Gru’s body stood on end.
Hiding Mephisto in her arms, Gru trembled, her lips quivering.
‘W-what should I do now?’
Chapter The Caregiver of the Past
Chloe Han sat on the toilet, glaring at the pregnancy test.
Two lines. No matter how much she narrowed her eyes, there were clearly two lines.
It meant she was pregnant.
“Ha…”
The sigh she had been holding back burst out at last.
How could this happen? After just one night spent together while drunk? Could she really have such terrible luck?
She shoved the pregnancy test into the trash and went out to wash her hands.
Then she stared at herself in the mirror and fiddled with her haggard face, dark circles hanging beneath her eyes.
It was the face of an unfortunate woman who could not even take proper care of herself, let alone a child.
The conclusion had already been decided.
Even without considering her personal circumstances—she did not want a child—she could not give birth to that man’s child as a researcher. So there was no need to tell him.
She had just made up her mind and stepped out of the bathroom.
[“C.C., I’ve been looking all over for you.”]
[“…Bill?”]
Something even more dreadful was waiting for her.
After stealing a glance at the child Bill had brought with him, Chloe folded her arms and stared at the ceiling, letting out a deep sigh.
They say troubles come in threes. When bad luck came, it really did come all at once.
[“I heard Double Zero tried to escape again.”]
[“That’s right. It’s already the fourth—no, this makes five times.”]
[“I know that, but why did you bring him to me? As you know, the Company’s research isn’t my responsibility.”]
Glaring at Bill, who stood holding Double Zero’s hand tightly, Chloe spoke sharply.
Bill, the research director of the Korean-American joint project “Wilderness,” flashed a grin.
[“How cold, C.C.”]
[“Please stop calling me C.C.”]
He only called her that when he wanted to make her do some goddamn awful job.
Chloe deliberately raised her voice, making it even sharper.
Whether she did or not, the smooth-talking Bill continued.
[“You said it yourself. As long as the subjects are children, their level of attachment could become a meaningful variable in the research.”]
[“I suppose I did say something like that…”]
Why was he bringing that up all of a sudden? Chloe subtly looked away.
It was something she had let slip when the successful subjects who had been implanted with On Ijo’s power began showing emotional dulling—a state in which they could not feel emotions—and eventually became idiots.
Since their lack of emotional response seemed to cause their mental deterioration, she had meant that perhaps they should try filling that absence through emotional interaction.
She had never meant that she would do it herself.
The laboratory had been divided into two factions from the beginning, and Chloe directly oversaw On Ijo on behalf of the government.
Conducting experiments with children was the job of the Company’s researchers.
[“I hold your hypothesis in high regard. That’s why I’m giving you the opportunity to assist with this research.”]
[“…Excuse me? What the fuck are you talking about?”]
[“Ha-ha! Say hello.”]
Bill gave Double Zero a light tap on the back.
“H-Hewwo…”
At that, G-r00—also known as Double Zero—placed a hand over his belly and bowed deeply.
His voice was tiny and adorable.
Judging by the automatic greeting, it seemed the child had been told about this beforehand.
The child, with pale blond hair that looked almost beige, lifted his head. Large, pale coral-colored eyes gazed at Chloe.
The child’s eyes were unmistakably filled with fear.
His pale blond hair looked rather similar to her own.
Irritably, Chloe ran a hand through her own pale blond hair.
She had not wanted to see one of the Company’s research subjects in person like this.
She had grown up in the slums and was not exactly tenderhearted, but experimenting on children was not something she was particularly eager to do, either.
Even after seeing her sour expression, Bill spoke casually.
[“He speaks Korean very fluently. He’s a perfect match for you, isn’t he?”]
A perfect match, my ass. Even if I’m one-quarter Korean, I’m still a full-fledged American.
Chloe desperately tamped down the anger rising inside her.
She knew that getting angry would only frighten the child, while it would have absolutely no effect on Bill.
With no other choice, she bent down on one knee.
G-r00.
The Company’s first test subject.
She had heard that although On Ijo’s power had been implanted in him, it had not fused properly, making him the weakest specimen.
She had also heard that, now that many other successful subjects had been produced, they were considering disposing of him.
This must be one last experiment before disposal. For the sake of the other successful subjects.
Until now, the researchers had tried and failed at all kinds of experiments.
Rumors had even circulated in secret within the Company that they had gone as far as conducting experiments on embryos.
Of course, no one knew whether the Tower would wait for humanity until those embryos grew up.
‘Should I just refuse?’
While Chloe was deliberating, the child continued to look at her with an innocent expression.
Do you know what these bad adults are doing to you? Is that why you tried to escape over and over?
For a moment, she felt as though her throat were being tightly constricted by a stifling emotion.
And then she had a truly impulsive thought.
She wanted to see the child smile.
So, instead of refusing Bill’s proposal, she asked this question out of…
“Do you like frozen pasta?”
A momentary whim.
“…?”
The child’s eyes rolled from side to side, as if trying to figure out what she was talking about.
“What about frozen pizza? I can’t live without it. Heat it up in the microwave, and it tastes killer.”
“…”
“…”
Even after she declared that she would feed him as much frozen pizza as he wanted, an awkward silence hung in the air.
Damn it. Emotional interaction, my ass.
Just as Chloe was looking at Bill as if to say, Do something, soft fingertips suddenly touched her hand.
The child had reached out and taken her hand.
“I-I wike it.”
The child gave her an awkward smile.
No, I want to see him smile more broadly than that.
As she brushed back her hair, Chloe clasped the child’s hand in return.
It was small and soft, fitting perfectly into one hand.
As she led the child away, she suddenly turned back.
[“Bill, why are you really leaving him with me? Is it because I’m a woman?”]
[“You look alike. Humans naturally feel an affinity for similar individuals.”]
[…]
Chloe looked down at the child.
She saw his clear, innocent face.
[“You admit it too, don’t you?”]
Chloe did not answer.