Chapter 11
The only sound filling the police station was the click-clacking of keyboard keys. Jiwoo Hyun sat there, waiting for her parents to arrive.
“Jiwoo!”
“Mom!”
Her mother, Sejeong, burst into the station, her hair disheveled, panting heavily as if she might collapse at any moment. She had rushed over from her office upon receiving the call that her daughter had been transferred to the police station due to a monster appearance. The police officers, caught between surprise and sentimentality, watched the tearful reunion unfold before them.
“Jiwoo, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No, I’m fine. A pretty lady saved me! She was so cool!”
Sejeong, feeling a deep gratitude for her daughter’s savior, wanted to offer even a small reward if she could. She asked one of the male officers if he knew who the woman might be. However, the officer replied that there were no CCTV cameras in the area, and when they arrived at the scene, only Jiwoo and the corpse of the monster were left. He speculated that she might have been a hunter passing by. Even though his guess was not certain, Sejeong expressed her deep appreciation—albeit silently—for whoever had saved her precious Jiwoo.
***
The day after the B-grade wolf monster appearance, Jiwoo, still carrying the lingering emotions from yesterday, headed to the playground in her apartment complex, hoping to see the woman who had saved her once more.
Hugging her great expectations close, she arrived at the playground, but was only greeted by fallen leaves, empty cans, and discarded plastic bags scattered around.
Would I really not get to see her again? I didn’t even get to properly thank her…
Just as the weight of disappointment settled in and she turned to leave—
“Huh?”
She saw the woman from yesterday, standing far off, waving her hand. Not wanting to lose sight of the beautiful and lingering presence, Jiwoo, though just a small child, ran towards her with all her might.
“Are you the sister who saved me yesterday?”
“···”
The woman gave a slight nod in response to Jiwoo’s question.
As expected, it was the same woman who had magnificently defeated the wolf monster before her eyes.
Overwhelmed with joy, Jiwoo bombarded the woman with questions—her name, her age, where she lived—questions that would have been off-putting to most adults. Yet the woman simply stood there in silence, her gaze fixed solely on Jiwoo. Jiwoo couldn’t help but feel a natural curiosity—why wasn’t the woman saying anything to her?
“Sister, why aren’t you talking?”
“···”
“Do you not like me? Is that why you don’t want to talk to me?”
- ·· Shake shake.
She shook her head. It’s not that she disliked her. Yet, the woman didn’t speak a word. For Jiwoo, who already felt a strong bond with her, the woman’s silence and lack of response filled her with a slight resentment.
“Hmph, you can talk, so why won’t you say a single word to me?”
“···”
It was a careless comment made without a second thought, not expecting the woman to be truly incapable of speech.
Nod.
“Huh? You really can’t talk?”
Nod.
Jiwoo was shocked by her unhesitating nod. Truly, she couldn’t speak? But how could that be? The woman was so much taller and bigger than her, a young elementary school student, and yet, Jiwoo couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity for her, like a small injured bird.
She had no idea that the black-haired woman before her was merely pretending to be mute.
“Uh… um… Oh, right! Sister, what’s your name? I didn’t get to ask you last time because you left so suddenly.”
“···.”
“Oh, sorry, I forgot you can’t talk. Wait, let me get some paper and a pencil from my bag!”
Jiwoo, who attended school, naturally had a notebook and a pencil in her backpack. She handed them to the woman. Even after taking the pencil, the woman remained motionless, simply standing there.
Why isn’t she answering me this time? Does she really dislike me? Or… no way, it can’t be what I’m thinking, right?
“Sister, why aren’t you writing your name down? Don’t tell me… you don’t know how to write?”
Her worried question was met with a response that wasn’t entirely reassuring. The mute woman wrote on the notebook,
[I know how to write..]
Reassuring Jiwoo, at least for now.
But when Jiwoo asked again,
“Okay, I’ll ask again. What’s your name?”
[None.]
Seeing the words on the notebook, Jiwoo’s hopeful anticipation shattered into disbelief. The revelation that the woman didn’t even have a name left her speechless.
“This is really bad…” Although she was only nine years old and hadn’t even reached double digits in age, Jiwoo could sense the awkwardness of the current situation.
Uh… what should I do? Oh, I know! I’ll just give her a name myself!
“Sister! Is it okay if I give you a name?”
Even though it was a bold suggestion that might come off as rude, the woman in front of her didn’t seem offended. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, seemingly contemplating, before nodding with a smile, as if to say she accepted the idea. Jiwoo’s face brightened up immediately.
“Hmm, what would be a good name? Hyunah? Sejeong? Wait, that’s my mom’s name. Hmm… Nothing really stands out or feels right.”
Sejeong… Hyunah… What if I combined the two? Se-Ah? Se-Ah?!
“Yes! Se-Ah! Sister, your name is Se-Ah from now on!”
The name popped into her head spontaneously, but the woman seemed to like it. She smiled softly and then reached out to gently pat Jiwoo’s head, as if praising her.
The warmth and gentleness of that touch brought Jiwoo an indescribable feeling of comfort—so much so that she felt she could get addicted and never want to let go. It was amazing that this woman, who didn’t have a name and couldn’t speak, could express such emotions through a single gesture.
Then Jiwoo suddenly remembered she hadn’t introduced herself yet.
“My name is Jiwoo! Jiwoo Hyun! Now that we know each other’s names, does that mean we’re friends now? Right?”
Scribble scribble.
[Yes.]
“Wow! Now that we’re friends, let’s have fun together!”
Having become friends with “Se-Ah” unnie, Jiwoo immediately started playing with her. They played tag, hide-and-seek, and even the Korean game “Mugunghwa Flower Has Bloomed” until it was time for her parents to pick her up.
When seven o’clock rolled around, Jiwoo saw a familiar face and heard a familiar voice calling her from down the path.
“Jiwoo.”
“It’s Mom! Mom, I was playing with Se-Ah unnie who saved me yesterday. Say hi to—huh?”
The sister who had been playing with her just moments ago had vanished without a trace. The only thing left where she had been standing was a single black feather drifting to the ground.
Just like yesterday when she disappeared as soon as the police arrived… Maybe she’s just really shy. Next time we meet, I have to take better care of her.
****
I wondered if I could see the child who was chosen as the main character of my new “play” again, so I headed to the playground.
There she was, looking around restlessly like an anxious little meerkat, clearly searching for someone. When she noticed me, her eyes widened in surprise. I waved at her, and she, probably delighted to see me, dashed over, narrowing the distance in an instant.
The child, who looked like she was in her early years of elementary school, bombarded me with questions.
“Sister, you’re the one who saved me yesterday, right?”
“What’s your name?”
“Where do you live?”
“How old are you?”
The flood of questions left me at a loss for a moment. Then, as the girl began to ask why I wasn’t answering, an idea flashed through my mind. For this life, I’ll play the role of a mute character. Thanks to this kid, I’ve come up with a much better plot for the story. How lucky!
“Do you not like me, Sister? Is that why you don’t want to talk to me?”
Oh my, how could I dislike you? You’re the symbol of the meaning of my existence, my very reason for being. How could I ever dislike you? I shook my head, denying her misunderstanding. But even that made her pout, as if angry that I hadn’t answered verbally.
“Hmph, you’re not really mute, so why won’t you say a single word to me?”
She was right, of course. Not only could I speak, but I could do so more fluently than anyone else in this world.
But just as an actor must stay in character and not insert themselves into the role, I, too, could only act the part of a mute character, unable to speak. It was a shame, really. Of course, I knew she’d be even more hurt later, but that wasn’t really my concern. Heehee.
After that, everything went smoothly. When she asked for my name, I simply conveyed that I had none. The girl, feeling sorry for me, introduced herself as Hyun Jiwoo and gave me the name “Se-Ah.”
She asked me to be her friend, and I readily accepted. I played with her until her parents arrived. And as soon as they did, I used my unique ability—my black wings—to disappear faster than anyone could see. I wanted to spend more time with her, but delicious things are best saved for last to make the flavor linger longer. I’m patient enough to wait.
Heehee.
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