*
They couldn’t have sent someone already, could they?
Chloe drove like a madwoman back home.
Baaaang—!
On Ijo and On Jurim were looking after the child, but what if someone had come saying they were there on her behalf to take her away?
Her heart grew frantic.
She had tried not to be swayed. So why did she keep growing attached to people?
This was exactly why she hated it.
The moment she got off the elevator, she practically tumbled as she ran to the front door.
Beep beep beep beep—beeeep—
Beep beep beep beep beep—beeeep—
Beep beep beep beep—beeeep—
Her slipping fingers kept pressing the wrong buttons on the keypad.
Just then, there was a click, and the door opened.
“Chloe-unnie?”
Chloe collapsed where she stood and pulled Geuru into a tight embrace.
“Cici?”
On Ijo, who had followed her out belatedly, knelt down and checked Chloe over.
“Did something happen?”
On Ijo brushed back Chloe’s sweat-damp hair.
Still holding Geuru tightly, Chloe met On Ijo’s eyes.
“Cici.”
In his expression, in his touch, in his voice, concern for her was melting through.
“What happened? It’s all right to tell me.”
At that gentleness, Chloe almost opened her mouth without thinking.
The research institute is deceiving you.
The Gwangya Project is proceeding along two tracks, and we are doing something horrible beyond anything you can imagine.
They’re going to continue the experiments on this child too.
Do you know? She might end up like those children who became idiots while they were trying to create you, then were disposed of.
The words inside her seemed about to burst out.
Just then, she spotted something dark inside the keypad at the entrance and clapped a hand over her mouth.
It was a smooth, black device.
A wiretap.
Her fingertips tingled.
The Company was watching her.
‘Since when?’
Dozens of scenarios flashed through her mind at once.
Was that really the only one, attached to the front door? How many wiretaps were there inside the house?
Was it only wiretaps?
What if there were surveillance cameras too?
Was there no one following her?
It couldn’t be simply because of Geuru.
Then the most likely reason was……
On Ijo.
If the Company had noticed her private relationship with On Ijo and was monitoring her.
Was it to stop her from revealing something to On Ijo?
Or to find out how far her private relationship with On Ijo had progressed?
It was possible.
‘Like whether I become pregnant with On Ijo’s child.’
Chloe clenched her fist so hard her nails dug into her palm.
“I think I overdid it a little. I’m tired.”
Chloe spoke as normally as possible so the Company wouldn’t realize she had noticed the wiretap.
“You did?”
The way On Ijo looked at her face with concern was laughable.
It’s all to deceive you and use you like a puppet. This isn’t the time to worry about me……
“Mr. On Ijo.”
“Yes.”
Chloe looked up at the ceiling once, then faced forward again.
“Go home safely.”
I won’t tell him.
If she told him everything, then everything she had achieved until now would turn to nothing.
Hadn’t she already once experienced how love could make life hollow?
Chloe wanted to go on living an ordinary life, with no highs or lows.
Love was unnecessary in such a life.
*
That night.
Lying in the same bed as Geuru, Chloe stared at the ceiling for a long time, lost in thought.
Geuru brushed Chloe’s hair back for her and patted her chest.
What was she thinking about so deeply?
When she opened the guardian registration window, On Ijo’s and Chloe Han’s names were written there.
“Unniee.”
“Mm?”
“Let’s say there’s someone you like, but you have to part with them.”
“Mm.”
“Then are you not supposed to like them?”
“……”
The little thing was asking a difficult question.
Chloe turned onto her side and pulled Geuru into her arms.
As soon as that warm little body touched her, a hot, stifling warmth spread through her chest.
“Did you start liking someone? You said you went to a kids’ café today—did you meet some good-for-nothing?”
At the word good-for-nothing, Geuru burst into giggles.
“What kind of good-for-nothing is he? How old is he, huh? Did that guy you only just met say you should break up already?”
“It’s not like thaaat.”
Geuru burrowed into her arms and wrapped her arms around Chloe’s neck as she continued.
“They said that even if you don’t want to part, you have to, so you shouldn’t like them.”
Jurim had said it.
Because they had to return to the time period they came from, she shouldn’t grow too attached.
That they were only people she would forget all the time she had spent with and then part from.
“Do you really have to do that?”
“……That’s a difficult question. What do you think, Geuru?”
“I don’t really know……”
Chloe toyed with Geuru’s soft hand as she answered.
“Right? I don’t really know either.”
Would it have been better to tell her that loving someone you would have to part with was indeed futile?
Wouldn’t it be better to tell her, as if reminding herself, that Chloe loving Geuru and loving On Ijo would only leave behind a hollow loss?
Just then, Geuru drew out a long “Umm,” then said,
“Can’t you just like them?”
“What if you have to part tomorrow?”
“Can’t you tell them you like them as much as you want until tomorrow comes?”
Chloe inhaled Geuru’s scent deeply.
She also thought of the eyes of the countless Geurus at the research institute.
“Unnie, after just two more nights, it’ll be Christmas.”
“Mm.”
“Let’s make a tree too.”
“Sure. Let’s do that.”
When was the last time she had made a tree……
“Let’s sleep now.”
We have to sleep if we’re going to go to work together again tomorrow.
She couldn’t bring herself to say that last part.
When would the experiment proceed? Would they even open up this little head for the neuron transplant?
To stop herself from thinking any further, Chloe forced her eyes shut and tried to sleep.
Just then, a tiny whisper rang through the quiet room.
“Unnie, Geuru likes you a whole lot.”
“……”
Feeling the child’s hand patting her body, Chloe’s heart ached as if it were being torn apart.
*
A day passed without her knowing how she got through it, and it was already Monday.
Perhaps they had gone to the training center today; neither of the On brothers was anywhere to be seen.
After spending several noisy mornings in a row, today’s silence felt unfamiliar.
Even though every morning had always been like this, and she had even wished for things to become quiet again.
Now that it had actually become quiet, she found herself wishing it were noisy. It was simply ridiculous.
After carefully tying Geuru’s scarf for her commute, Chloe looked anxiously at her wristwatch.
She had to take the child to the research institute, but her feet would not move.
She wished someone would stop her. She wished someone would tell her it was all right, that they could solve everything for her.
Why was that person nowhere to be seen today?
“Unnie, Geuru put on her shoes!”
The child stood before her wearing Ugg boots that came up to her ankles.
Chloe abruptly touched Geuru’s forehead, then deliberately raised her voice as if for someone to hear.
“Geuru, you have a fever.”
“Ye?”
“You have a high fever. You can’t go to the research institute today.”
How much time could she buy?
A month? A week? Or only a few days?
“I don’t have to go?”
Geuru’s eyes sparkled.
Had she hated going to a place like that after all?
Feeling sorry for her, Chloe answered with a bitter expression.
“You can’t go because you’re sick.”
“Okayyy.”
“I guess you’ll have to eat what I make for breakfast today.”
“Oh! Killer taste!”
“That’s right. Killer taste.”
Geuru and Chloe looked at each other and grinned, baring their teeth.
Out of habit, Chloe was about to open the freezer, but the refrigerator was full of side dishes and food.
“There’s something to eat.”
“Oh, right. Uncle told me to make you drink this.”
Geuru wriggled around and took out a shake bottle.
“Uncle said this is good to drink when you have indigestion.”
“……”
Chloe stared at the shake bottle, then set it down on the table.
Then, instead of frozen pizza, she took out a heap of side dishes.
“It’s good.”
When Chloe said that after scooping up a big spoonful of rice and eating it, Geuru giggled.