I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 350

Chapter 350: Family (20)

As expected, he passed the trial run.

The manager, after observing his work, was thoroughly impressed, giving him a thumbs-up and expressing his satisfaction.

He was hired.

And, of course, he accepted.

A new part-time worker would be joining us tomorrow.

The rest of the day dragged on.

I wished he could have started today.

I even made a few careless mistakes, which wasn't like me.

The next day, I barely slept.

I was either too excited about seeing him at work, or too stressed about everything else, both at home and outside.

But as they say, hard work pays off. It was finally time for my shift.

I was trying to decide what to say to him when our eyes met. I felt flustered, but I figured I could just wave and acknowledge him as a fellow student.

But his reaction wasn't what I expected.

He seemed indifferent, almost ignoring me, focusing on his work.

Time flew by, and before I knew it, my shift was over.

I couldn’t even say a word to him before he finished his tasks and disappeared.

‘…Maybe he’s not feeling well.’

I could talk to him later, when we had more time.

But we didn't get a chance to talk during our shifts after that. The store was too busy.

The next day arrived.

I was determined to talk to him.

I could use the excuse of teaching him the ropes. After all, I had been working here the longest, and it was my duty to guide the new employee.

…But he was too perfect.

He remembered everything I taught him and executed it flawlessly. There were so many tasks, and the other part-timers often made mistakes, causing me to clean up after them, but he avoided all of that.

He remembered everything, fulfilling his duties perfectly. He handled all the tasks efficiently, just by glancing at the manual. Was it because he was a top student…?

The manager had told me to teach him, anticipating mistakes…

Mistakes? He didn’t make any. He even corrected some of the existing procedures, making me wonder if I should be learning from him.

This was… I couldn’t even teach him anything.

I silently resented the constant stream of customers, preventing me from talking to him.

The next day came, and then the next, and I still couldn’t talk to him.

My workload increased, making it even harder to see him.

This couldn’t continue.

I decided to initiate the conversation.

“Hey!”

“…”

“We’re in the same class, you know?”

Oh.

I wanted to disappear.

Why did I have to state the obvious, making the conversation even more awkward?

He had obviously seen the class roster…

“No. I didn’t know that.”

“…What?”

He really didn’t know?

The school had sent out the class assignments in advance…

“I don’t really care which class I’m in, or who’s in it.”

…Ah. Looking at his dull, lifeless eyes, I finally understood.

It was absurd for him to be working here in the first place.

Why would the adopted son of a wealthy family have a part-time job?

This wasn’t something to be happy about.

And the fact that he was taking on extra work, even with the reduced workload… I could guess why.

I understood why he had such a twisted personality.

Why he was so cold and distant, always prioritizing transactions.

Perhaps, if I had taken a slightly different path, I would have become like him.

We were in the same boat.

He was alone, just like me.

He couldn’t trust anyone.

With even his family turning their back on him, he couldn’t see the world in a positive light.

I understood his feelings.

He didn’t see anyone as special.

He didn’t have the capacity for such emotions.

For a cold, calculating person like him, who only cared about gains and losses, numbers and symbols, formulas and theories, such emotions were unnecessary.

Then… it was clear how he saw me.

I was just another girl in his class, Girl Number 1.

He didn’t care who was in his class.

Everyone was the same to him.

…Yes. We were just classmates. We happened to be in the same class, and that was all.

No matter how hard I tried to get closer, nothing would change.

It was a one-sided affection. I saw him as special because he had helped me.

But he didn’t care about me.

I was the only one who remembered that day, that moment.

To him, I was just another person.

Someone who would soon fade from his memory.

Realizing this, my excitement vanished.

As if on cue, the store started to get busy.

Right. I should focus on work.

…But I couldn’t.

My body wouldn’t obey me. It felt like lead.

My eyelids felt heavy, threatening to close.

As I was carrying some supplies, I stumbled.

I had been pulling all-nighters for days, and my body was exhausted. This was bound to happen.

Oh no. This was bad.

I was going to get hurt.

I would probably end up in the hospital.

I wouldn’t be able to work here anymore.

‘…What a terrible day.’

That was my last thought before my eyes closed and my body started to fall.

But…

-Thud.

Instead of hitting the floor, I landed in someone’s arms.

“I was wondering why you were stumbling… haah.”

Just before my eyes closed completely, I heard him sigh.

Some time later, I woke up groggily. I looked around and my heart sank. I had fallen asleep in the break room for hours…

‘Oh no…'

By the time I fixed my appearance and rushed out, he had already covered my shift.

He had done all my work.

“You’re finally awake?”

“I…”

I couldn’t speak. I had burdened him with all my work.

He had every right to be angry.

I had messed up and made him do my work, and I had even fallen asleep.

But he didn’t complain.

He just nodded, as if telling me to get back to work, and then went back to his own tasks.

He didn’t complain, not even once, for the rest of my shift.

…My heart started racing again.

I managed to finish my shift without any further incidents.

It seemed the manager and the other part-timers hadn’t noticed, as they didn’t mention anything.

He could have asked for extra pay, or complained about the extra work, but he didn’t.

It was an act of pure kindness.

…

Was I really supposed to just remain a stranger to him?

No. I didn’t want that.

“I… I’m going to leave a bit early today! Sorry!”

I started to feel greedy.

I was just another girl in his class, but I didn’t want to stay that way.

I didn’t want to give up.

Because I knew that beneath his cold exterior, he was a kind person.

While I might be the only one who remembered that day, we had something in common.

We both lacked support, trust.

We both believed we had to face the world alone.

So, I understood him.

I knew how he felt. Because I had experienced it myself, I knew how to approach him.

Yes. I would start from the beginning.

If I was just like everyone else, I would start by becoming his friend.

Maybe, just maybe, my feelings would reach him someday.

No. I would make them reach him.

“Wait… wait up!”

I was out of breath. He had finished his tasks and disappeared so quickly, so silently. I followed his footprints in the snow.

He turned around.

“Are you thinking of making the same ‘trade’ this year?”

“…”

“Oh, right! I should repay you for helping me today. Here.”

“What’s this…?”

“I made it myself. The definitions are on the back of each card. It should make memorizing easier, right?”

I handed him a set of English vocabulary flashcards I had made.

I had made them during my spare time, so they should be helpful.

The best part was that they were small enough to be easily concealed.

“If you need help, let’s work on group projects together again this year. I need good grades too. And if those bullies tear up your notes again, I’ll make copies for you. I can also share the workbooks I bought. It’ll save you money, right? It’s better than asking me to hold onto your things every evening.”

“If I can copy the important parts… and the workbooks, too…”

“And during our shifts… I have a lot of questions about my studies. Don’t you think it would be efficient to study and teach each other?”

He seemed to consider my proposal.

“…But I have one condition.”

“What is it?”

“I get a lot of unwanted attention from guys. So… how about we pretend to be dating?”

The conversation was over.

It had been a rather absurd exchange, but… the “trade” had been successfully negotiated.

I probably wasn’t a special person to him yet.

To him, I was probably just someone he had worked on a group project with… but I was relieved that his reaction wasn’t as indifferent as before.

“…You were the one who woke me up from my solitude.”

You were the one who taught me the meaning of kindness.

“So… this time, I’ll reach out to you, Min-hyeok.”

I wasn’t going to settle for just friendship.

Because I liked him. A lot.

***

“…”

The Duke of Bagrand’s tomb consisted of four inner chambers.

And each chamber contained a Hidden Memorial.

The status window indicated that there were more to be found, and I had no choice but to follow its instructions.

Indeed, a Memorial awaited me, emitting a bright light.

It was winter break, between my second and third year of high school.

I spent most of that break working my part-time job.

I was desperately saving money to escape from that house. I couldn't afford to lose this high-paying job.

I had gotten the job thanks to a stroke of luck… no, thanks to someone’s help.

That's where the story began.

But the contents were confusing.

Because it wasn't my perspective.

She made chocolates, over and over, until she finally succeeded, and then gave them to me.

She made me porridge when I had a cold.

She deliberately called the teacher when I was surrounded by bullies.

She went to the student council president and revealed the truth when the kendo club tried to frame me and get me suspended.

She found evidence to prove my innocence when the incident escalated, ensuring I received a fair judgment from the vice president.

When I collapsed, my body suddenly refusing to cooperate, she struggled to support me and took care of me.

She made sure my youngest sister, Eunji, didn’t see me while I was working my part-time job.

She covered for me when my second sister, Eunhye, became suspicious, saying we were studying together.

She diverted my eldest sister and adoptive mother’s attention when they almost saw me working at the convenience store.

And then there were the school trips, the after-parties, the hospital visits, the sports festivals, my family’s birthdays…

…All of it…

Flashed by in the form of Memorials.

The remaining two Memorials were the same.

These long, vivid memories weren’t mine. They were Jieun’s.

Even though they were the same events, they looked different from her perspective.

There were differences, details I hadn't been aware of.

“…”

I was confused.

It wasn't just showing me my past. It was showing me Jieun’s memories, vividly recreated.

The Memorial ended with a vague scene after we parted ways.

But it was a strange scene, one that reminded me of the Theresia and Bagrand Duchies.

“The notes… I knew it.”

Harnie muttered, her voice grave, biting her lip.

I had been so focused on the Memorials that Rossel’s message hadn't registered.

But she had been paying attention.

“…Listen, Carsein. Actually, after reading these notes, I realized something. And I need to tell you this now.”

She looked me in the eyes and said,

“Your relationship with your family… it didn’t just deteriorate on its own. It was sabotaged. By someone else.”

…What?

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