Chapter 28 Part 3: Jin

I got out of bed and ate a banana with Shine.

Shine sat next to me, looking up at Amy.

Amy was repeating the story she had told me.

“Nap?”

“Yeah. Now that I think about it, I think I took a lot of naps when I was little.”

Shine nodded. She didn’t seem to think much about naps. I was still dissatisfied.

“Then I’ll go.”

“Goodbye.”

“Yeah, if you have any pain, come by anytime.”

We said goodbye to Lavin and left the room.

The hallway we came out of when we opened the door seemed no different from any other hallway.

It felt familiar, yet unfamiliar.

If I wandered the hallway alone, it seemed like it would be easy to get lost.

As I walked back to our room, I looked around carefully.

The structure of the building was drawn in my head.

The small map that had started at the beginning gradually grew larger.

After walking for a while, we were able to arrive at a large circular staircase.

The wide open space, the hallway leading in all directions, showed the backs of many people heading to different places.

I stuck my head close to the railing and stuck my head out.

My eyes were spinning at the sight of the endless staircase.

My trembling legs and my hands gripping the railing tightened.

“Amy. Where is this?”

“It’s the 14th floor underground.”

“Underground…?”

This time, I raised my head and looked up at the top of the stairs.

The gigantic pillars rising endlessly, and the vague figures of people on top of them.

Just how gigantic was this building?

“Isn’t there an elevator?”

“Unfortunately, there isn’t.”

I frowned. Since there was no elevator, it sounded like I had to climb all those high stairs to get out of here.

“Why isn’t there an elevator…?”

“Well”

“Amy. Where is our room?”

“We have to go down one more floor from here.”

Shine seemed to be interested in the gigantic staircase as well, and she came over to me and stuck her head out over the railing,

“It’s big”

“Is it that amazing?”

Amy came over to us and leaned on the railing with her arms.

I looked at Amy’s long, stretched legs with envy and turned my head.

“Yeah. It’s really big.”

For her, who had lived her entire life in the laboratory, that narrow space must have been her entire world.

Shine takes in this space with her clear eyes.

Her mouth is slightly open, a smile rising from excitement.

“Amy. I want this, but how should I do it?”

“What do you want?”

“This.”

Shine extends her hand and points to a large pillar.

“You want that pillar?”

“No, all of this place.”

“Well, wouldn’t that be difficult?”

“Why?”

“Well..”

Sometimes, a child’s innocent question can make an adult feel awkward.

This situation would be like that right now. Amy looked embarrassed at Shine’s question.

“You’ll be able to have it later when you become a very high-ranking person.”

Eventually, Amy gave an ambiguous answer.

After meeting her gaze, she stroked Shine’s head and then turned her gaze to me.

“Do you want to be like Jeff?”

“No. I don’t want to.”

“Why?”

The words asking why came out of Shine.

I looked away with a puzzled expression.

Shine was looking at me with a curious expression.

“Well… I have to study a lot.”

“Jeff doesn’t like studying?”

“I don’t think there’s anyone who likes studying.”

He wasn’t the type of person to like studying, but the math problems that suddenly became difficult completely changed his perception of studying.

“Then I’ll do it for you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. If Jeff is having a hard time, I’ll take care of it for him.”

Shine’s words filled with affection moved my gaze to Amy.

“Did you hear that? Amy. I won’t study.”

I looked at Amy with hopeful eyes.

She, who had been listening to our conversation, answered with a small smile.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Nothing is impossible. Jeff. Shine. Studying won’t be done for you.”

Shine answered Amy, who shook her head firmly.

“I’m sorry, Jeff. I guess there’s nothing I can do.”

Shine spoke as if she was truly sorry.

I collapsed at Amy’s answer.

My shoulders slumped.

My head hung limply, and the witch’s hat on my head sagged.

Suddenly, I didn’t want to go back to my room.

It was natural, since I had to solve a difficult math problem if I did.

As I held on without getting up, Amy lifted my body and started down the stairs.

“Jeff. You have to listen to what I say to be a good boy.”

“I’m not a good boy.”

“Then. Are you an adult?”

“Of course. I’m an adult.”

“Hmm… Then I don’t get any Christmas presents?”

“Yes…?”

I shut my mouth at Amy’s sudden words.

Christmas? Why Christmas all of a sudden?

“Santa Claus only gives presents to good children.”

I desperately searched my memory and said.

“Christmas is coming soon…?”

“Yeah.”

I shut my mouth and groaned in Amy’s arms.

Christmas presents? Santa Claus?

Just like my birthday, I’ve never received any Christmas presents before.

“You get presents even though it’s not my birthday?”

“Yeah. Santa Claus gives presents to children who have been good throughout the year.”

“Who is Santa Claus?”

Amy started explaining to Shine’s question.

Shine, who heard the explanation about Santa, was already excited and ran up the stairs, stomping her feet.

“Shine. You’ll get hurt if you run.”

“I know there’s no Santa.”

I told Amy with a confident expression.

However, Amy looked puzzled as if she didn’t understand what I was saying.

“What are you talking about, Jeff? There is a Santa.”

“Huh?”

At this point, I began to wonder if I was being weird. Really? Does Santa really exist?

“What kind of present does Jeff want?”

“I… I…”

I stuttered, studying Amy’s expression.

She didn’t seem to be joking with me.

Does that mean there really is a Santa?

Confused, I turned my gaze to Shine. Shine, who was walking down the stairs next to Amy, lifted her head as if she felt my gaze.

I was wrong.

She didn’t know that Santa existed at all.

It wasn’t a good idea to ask Shine about the existence of Santa.

I kept my mouth shut. I should go back and ask Victor if Santa really exists.

“Jeff. If you don’t study hard, you won’t be a good kid.”

Amy whispered softly.

I nodded slowly as she gently stroked my back.

“Really?”

“Of course.”

I limply fell to her answer.

My arms and legs shook back and forth with Amy’s movements.

Amy, who was going down the stairs, looked at me, who was looking listless, and then smiled and said.

“Shall we go for a change of pace?”

“Change of pace?”

Amy nodded at Shine’s question, seemingly puzzled.

“There are places that make you feel better sometimes.”

In the end, we started climbing the stairs again.

Shine, who had been climbing stairs well, began to pant as time passed.

Amy held Shine in her arms and climbed the stairs again.

Amy didn’t seem tired, and maintained a calm breathing sound without even panting.

“Okay. We’re here.”

After climbing the stairs for a while, Amy dropped us off in a wide space.

Green grass.

A cool breeze.

The faint sound of water.

The chirping of unfamiliar birds coming from all directions.

I raised my hand at the dazzling light shining down from the sky.

“It’s a model park.”

I looked around with my mouth open.

The entire floor was a large park.

As she said, it was clearly fake, but it felt very similar to real life.

The warm sunlight shining down from the sky gave me a pleasant refreshing feeling.

“Wow…”

Shine, who was standing next to me, sparkled her eyes and ran forward.

She moved her short legs diligently, stopped in front of a large tree, and stroked it.

“Wow…”

Shine, who had been touching the tree, looked away and ran again.

Shine, who had been touching everything she could touch – a large rock, a tree, a fountain, flowers – lay down on the wide lawn.

The excited smile on her face didn’t seem to disappear.

I looked at Shine, then bent down and stroked the grass at my feet.

“How are you, Jeff?”

“Yes…?”

“Do you feel good?”

I stood up at Amy’s words.

I raised both hands and touched the corners of my mouth.

“No…”

I shook my head.

If I were to acknowledge her here, I somehow felt like I would lose.

“Jeff”

“Yes…”

“Should we not be solving the workbook today?”

” Really?”

“Of course.”

“Really…? You’re not lying, are you?”

“When have I ever lied to you?”

I lifted the brim of my hat that I had pulled down tightly and looked at Amy’s face.

She was looking down at me with a warm smile.

“Okay. Go play with Shine.”

I carefully turned around after observing Amy’s expression.

As if telling me to go play, Amy gently pushed my back, and I ran straight to Shine.

The sound of footsteps echoed everywhere.

A cool breeze brushed past my face. Shine, who was lying on the lawn, noticed me running towards her and jumped up from her seat.

The blades of grass that had been attached to her body fluttered in the wind.

“Jeff!”

Shine turned around and started running.

I kept running after her without knowing what was going on.

I just ran without thinking.

Neither Shine nor I stopped.

We ran until we collapsed from exhaustion and collapsed on the wide lawn, panting.

My small chest rose and fell rapidly.

“Jeff.”

Shine, who had been panting, opened her mouth when her breathing calmed down.

“Huh?”

“It’s fun.”

“I’m having fun too.”

We just ran without thinking. But it was fun. I felt a refreshing sense of liberation.

“Do you like the park?”

As we were lying on the wide lawn and feeling the cool breeze, we heard an unfamiliar voice.

Shine and I just turned our heads as we lay there, looking at the owner of the voice.

“Who is it?”

“Who are you?”

The voice belonged to an unfamiliar man. He looked quite young, and he waved at us while sitting on the lawn.

“Amy told me not to talk to strangers.”

Shine cut off the man’s words and turned her head away. I followed her lead.