* * *

“Our little Kongja is eating well~!”

I smiled broadly as I swallowed the baby food. To be honest, it was edible.

‘But it’s not the same.’

Ah, Auntie An.

I opened and closed my fist.

‘If I were a picky eater, I wouldn’t eat this.’

I sighed softly as I swallowed the baby food. I already missed Auntie An’s cooking.

‘It’s already been a month since the shoot.’

When I woke up the next day, Auntie An was gone.

When I asked the caretaker, I was told she had gone to the emergency room in the middle of the night.

‘I was worried it might be something serious.’

Later, Mom explained it to me.

‘She didn’t want to go to the hospital, so they took her to the emergency room and admitted her right away.’

As expected, my mom was quite decisive.

‘But what illness does Auntie An have?’

Mom didn’t say anything about that.

Well, if you don’t know, you have to ask.

“Auntie!”

“Yes, little Kongja. One more bite?”

“Where did she go?”

“Miss? She went to the shoot?”

I shook my head.

“No, Auntie. Where did Auntie go?”

“Auntie is right here.”

Wow, explaining this is hard.

‘I feel the limits of language.’

I’ve thought this for a while, but physical development is more ambiguous than I thought.

‘It seems a bit fast, but since I don’t know my exact age, well.’

Still, I felt different from an average child, though I couldn’t pinpoint how.

‘Well, in the end, we all grow up the same.’

What mattered was the explanation.

“No! Auntie is, um, young!”

“Oh my?”

No one on Earth dislikes being told they look young.

Auntie smiled brightly.

“Not that young.”

“Not Auntie! You’re a Noona!”

“Oh my goodness!”

Auntie was delighted, not knowing what to do with herself.

“Oh, even if you’re just saying it, it’s nice to hear.”

[Helper who was called ‘Noona’: Lee Jeonghyeon is pleased]

[Love and Peace Coins increase by 200]

She really liked it.

I tilted my head and said.

“It’s true!”

Babies don’t lie, you know.

Auntie Lee smiled broadly and wiped my chin.

“Oh, dear. I’m not really a sister.”

It was time to ask. Smiling sweetly, I said.

“Auntie An, what’s wrong with her?”

Maybe because she was in a good mood, Auntie answered smoothly.

“Oh, her heart isn’t good.”

I see.

‘She’ll have surgery, right?’

And I needed 100,000 coins.

‘What kind of illness requires 100,000 coins for surgery?’

Love and Peace Coins, indeed, are quite stingy.

Sighing deeply, I thought.

‘But it’s worth it.’

There’s no one like Auntie An. Honestly, she’s like family.

‘Well, the last episode of the emergency room drama is airing.’

I hope it gets a lot of coins.

As I swallowed more baby food, Auntie Lee’s expression suddenly hardened.

‘What is it?’

I glanced back slightly and saw a familiar figure.

Ah.

I bowed my head slightly and then looked up, speaking.

“Hello! Noona!”

“Gasp?”

Auntie Lee was startled, looking back and forth between Grandma and me.

‘Oh, calling her ‘Noona’ might be a bit odd.’

But if I call her Grandma, she gets mad.

Grandma approached me and spoke.

“Get away.”

“What? But little Kongja needs to eat.”

“One meal won’t kill him.”

“Oh, okay.”

Auntie Lee scurried away like a guilty person.

‘Grandma is in a bad mood, showing up after so long.’

She was a tough person.

Grandma leaned in and sniffed the top of my head.

Sniff—

Her eyes were still fierce as she sniffed. I smiled brightly, pretending to know nothing.

“You…”

“You’re becoming more famous.”

Well, a lot has happened. I’ve put in some effort.

“At this morning’s breakfast meeting, people were talking about you.”

I guess I’ve gotten somewhat famous.

‘But it didn’t seem like they were saying good things.’

Maybe that’s why her expression was so grim.

“They were asking how long you’d be around.”

I don’t really know, but that’s a gathering of the elite, right?

‘They must treat people like insects.’

I stared at my grandmother. Will I always be that kind of person to her?

‘Most would give up by now.’

But I’m not most people.

I smiled brightly.

“Anyway. Soo-jung does too many pointless things. Like spending money on a servant.”

Ah, she’s talking about Auntie An.

“She should just pay enough to hire a new person, not fix someone up.”

Wow.

‘Times like these remind me.’

Why my mom didn’t live long.

‘There must have been a deep rift between the two.’

But, Grandma.

‘I’m on Mom’s side.’

Is it always like this when you have money and status?

‘Let’s not live such a harsh life.’

You have so much.

And Auntie An isn’t just any servant.

Grandma kept sniffing the top of my head.

“Anyway, it’s useless. Why does she do that?”

“Mom is cool!”

“What?”

I smiled innocently, like a child who knew nothing.

“The sister who doesn’t know how cool Mom is, is pitiful!”

It was great being a kid. You could say anything.

Grandma’s expression soured, but I didn’t care.

“My mom is really good at hitting with a bat too!”

Just how good is she, to be famous for it?

“She even protects Kongja!”

She doesn’t just protect him. I’m really a lucky kid.

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t badmouth Mom!”

It’s time to have a debate with a two-year-old, ‘Grandma.’

“What?”

“Don’t badmouth! Bad!”

Grandma’s eyes twitched. I grinned.

‘Grandma, do you know? I’m surprisingly good at verbal fights.’

I know that in times like this, logical people lose.

“Bad mouth!”

“……”

“Bad mouths get hurt!”

“……”

“Might get hurt!”

This is a form of a syllogism.

‘It’s a polite way of saying ‘If you live like that, you’ll be in trouble’.’

Grandma was so dumbfounded she couldn’t speak. I blinked on purpose and said,

“If Sister gets hurt, Kongja gets hurt here!”

I pressed my chest with my hand.

“What?”

“Kongja likes Grandma! I don’t want her to get hurt!”

Trusting in my handsomeness that worked hard, I beamed brightly. Grandma took two steps back.

‘Even if you’re Grandma, you can’t talk rudely to a kid who says he likes you.’

Why act like this? You even gave me a doljanchi ring.

‘I know you secretly like me.’

So please, have a kinder heart.

‘Isn’t this why you don’t get along with Mom?’

Grandma opened and closed her mouth, then clenched her fist. Then she sighed and rubbed her forehead.

“I can’t argue with a kid.”

Is that so.

“Oh dear. Maybe it’s because we live together. Why does he resemble Soo-jung so much?”

Are you asking because you don’t know?

“Because I’m her son!”

Grandma’s eyes shook.

‘No matter what you say, I’m Mom’s son.’

Grandma took a deep breath and turned around. I called out to her retreating figure.

“See you tomorrow!”

She paused for a moment, then walked away.

I smiled brightly, savoring my victory.

‘Well, she might not come back…’

Addiction isn’t something you can easily quit.

‘I hope she resists just a little.’

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. Auntie Lee who had run away earlier cautiously approached.

“Ko-Kongja, are you okay?”

Were you worried?

I smiled brightly.

“I’m fine!”

“Madam is scary. Oh, my heart was pounding so hard.”

Is that so.

“But Kongja. I have something to say.”

I tilted my head.

“Did you call Madam ‘Noona’?”

Ah.

Just as I was about to make an excuse, the lady smiled and said,

“You called me Noona earlier, didn’t you? Kongja, what does ‘Noona’ mean to you?”

Oh no.

‘It’s an emergency.’

Cold sweat broke out on my back.

I awkwardly smiled and looked away.

“Kongja! Explain it to me.”

Ah. I’ve never lost a verbal fight before.

‘Time to change the win rate.’

This isn’t going to work.

‘It’s too late to pretend I don’t understand, isn’t it?’

Auntie Lee’s eyes were piercing.

I quietly hung my head.

* * *