We Should Have Slept While Only Holding Hands, And Yet?! Volume 1 Chapter 2

2. Intensified

“Hey, baby daddy! Did you have a nice trip to Hong Ko······ Guaaaaaaak!”

Break time. A guy entered the cla.s.sroom while smiling refres.h.i.+ngly and sticking his hand out towards me. I also smiled refres.h.i.+ngly back at him and slammed the door shut as hard as I could. His hand became like a squid that was placed on top of a grill.

“Yeah, what brings you here? I’m all ears.”

“Huugyiriiiiyaaak!”

“Mhm, that’s good news. What happened next?”

“I-I’m sorry! It was my mistake! Spare me, Jjaro! Really!”

“······I see you haven’t repented enough.”

“Guek! Okay! Okay, I get it! My wrist is going to break!”

Thud. I stepped out into the hallway after opening the door and spoke down to the person who was rolling on the ground while holding onto his red and swollen wrist.

“Anyone who messes around with a person’s name is destined to receive their just deserts. They’ll really receive their just deserts! Oi, s.h.i.+n Nanda!”

“J-Jjaro, you’re also furtively messing around······.”
(TL note: The MC’s full name can be read as “Really” if you place a slight emphasis on the J in his first name. So, “Jin Jjaro”. This word play has been in constant use almost every time you see someone say “Really” in a slightly strange way. The daughter’s name is also similar since putting an emphasis on the J in her first name would make her full name mean “Seriously” or “is true”. “s.h.i.+n Nanda” doesn’t even need an emphasis change, since just flat out saying his full name, without context, means “Exciting”.)

It must have still hurt since Nanda’s hand was still shaking while he was glancing up at me.

s.h.i.+n Nanda. That was this fellow’s actual name. A cla.s.smate whose name had as much bad taste in it as mine did. He was also in the same cla.s.s as me last year. Although we were in different cla.s.ses this year, he’d visit my cla.s.s like this whenever something happens.

Last year, as a result of there being two people with names like Jin Jaro and s.h.i.+n Nanda in the same cla.s.s the day school started, we ended up being known as the ‘Really Exciting’ combo within the school since we hung out together.

It seems he didn’t have a hobby of staying laid down on the floor in the hallway as Nanda shook his wrist and stood up.

“Auh······. I’m suing you! What are you going to do if I’m no longer able to hold a mic?!”

“Do you only stir soup with that left hand of yours?”

Befitting of a guy who dreamed of being a trot singer in this day and age of the 21st century where that was no longer trending, it seems he was more worried about his future than he was about the pain in his wrist. How praiseworthy.

“Even though I came to visit since I heard something interesting······.”

“If you’re talking about Saeyeon, then I’ll make it so that you don’t have to worry about that future of yours.”

After I said that to him, a grin appeared on his unctuous and yet admittedly handsome face, displaying his sparkling white teeth to me.

“Yeah, I heard you finally said something like ‘You trust me, right? Let’s sleep while only holding hands.’ to Saeyeon.”

“Oh, want me to kill you?”

“I thought you’d get in trouble for being late, but after the teacher heard about what happened, he didn’t seem to care. Jjaro, you really are a man, huh? Even though you said something like ‘H-Hmph! Since Saeyeon is just like a little sister to me, she’s nothing more than that! D-Don’t misunderstand!’, the two of you, who have finally realized what your true desires are, embarked on your holy missions······.”

“Keep it down to a single line, okay?”

“I never thought that you would so faithfully uphold the old saying ‘oppas will become appas’······. You have my respect. Mhm, mhm.”

“Yeah, I’ll respectfully beat you up. Really, exciting.”

This guy doesn’t know how to stop his mouth even though he was warned. On a side note, why are you saying the exact same line as that kid?

Nanda chuckled in response to my words and spoke.

“Well, that’s enough jokes for now. So, what actually happened?”

“She said she’s my daughter from the future.”

“······If she said something like that, then she’s definitely your daughter.”

Yeah. I knew he wouldn’t believe me. Even if I spoke honestly, I’d just be treated as an insane person. Putting that aside,  this guy······. Nanda must have thought that that was a joke as he smiled pleasantly and spoke.

“You’re the biggest topic of interest in the school right now. There are even bounties going up for information.”

“······Really, this is why the untaught ma.s.ses are······.”

European SF novelist, Douglas Adams, once said ‘Nothing travels faster than the speed of light, with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special laws’. This was just like that.

The moment I came back to the cla.s.sroom with Jaim, the rumor that ‘I had a daughter’ had already spread throughout the entire school, so there were all sorts of people who had come to have a look.

Additionally, I gave the middle finger to the broadcasting club that asked if they could interview me, and I drew a nice picture for the newspaper club that came looking for an autograph. With my ability as a scientist, I dismantled every phone that was taken out in order to take pictures into 17 parts.

“I’ll buy you lunch, no, I’ll buy you lunch twice, so can’t you give me the details? I won’t tell anyone.”

“You planned to tell someone the instant bounties were put up.”

“As expected of Jjaro. You won’t be fooled by something like this.”

As I thought, should I deal with this guy first? The instant that thought went through my head, the back door to the cla.s.sroom opened.

“Jjaro? What are you doing out here······? Ah, Nanda, hi!”

“Hey. How’s it going, Saeyeon?”

Nanda smiled refres.h.i.+ngly towards Saeyeon who was raising her hand and smiling brightly.

“······H-h.e.l.lo······.”

“Oh, so you’re Jjaro and Saeyeon’s daughter, huh? Hi.”

And he also smiled towards the little devil that sprung out from behind Saeyeon. She’s really hiding her true nature. While ignoring me who was gnas.h.i.+ng my teeth, Jaim hid behind Saeyeon and acted bashfully.

“Haha, she’s hiding her face. What’s her name?”

“Mhm! Her name is Jin Jaim! My and Jjaro’s daughter!”

“······I see you have the same naming sense as his dad.”

As expected, it seems Nanda had a lot to say about Saeyeon’s naming sense as well, but he just lowered himself to match Jaim’s eye level and grinned.

“My name’s s.h.i.+n Nanda. I’m Jjaro’s friend. Let’s get along, okay?”

Once Jaim heard Nanda’s self-introduction, she opened her eyes wide as if she had just heard something unbelievable and mumbled.

“s.h.i.+n······ Nanda?”

“Yup. s.h.i.+n Nanda. It’s an interesting name, right?”

“Why are you introducing yourself amicably? It feels like you’re trying to hit on her.”

I felt annoyed for some reason and kicked Nanda’s b.u.t.t.

“Uuk······. Jjaro, you, I did expect you to become a doting dad once you got a daughter, but isn’t this too much?”

“I’ll kill you! I’ll really kill you this time!”

“Bad! You shouldn’t say something like that to your friend!”

I was. .h.i.t by Saeyeon. Though it didn’t hurt this time.

“But what brings you here, Nanda?”

“I came here to see Jjaro. Ah, am I perhaps interrupting your family meal time?”

Saeyeon smiled and shook her head at Nanda’s words.

“No, it’s okay. Ah, do you want to eat with us, Nanda?”

Yeah. We were eating together. With the little devil. I’m not sure whether the food was going in my mouth or in my nose.

It couldn’t be helped you know? I wasn’t particularly afraid of the watchful eyes of the untaught ma.s.ses, but be that as it may, if I try to bury this devil or get rid of her, then it’s obvious that the same will happen to me.

While I was grumbling that, I heard a voice near my ear.

“Then is that cute girl really Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro’s daughter?”

“Don’t talk like that all of a sudden, it’s annoy······. Huh?”

The moment I turned my head, there was another person’s face right in front of my own and was barely a nose length away from me. I became startled and backed away.

The face with sleepy-looking eyes blinked slowly and smiled slightly at me, making it emit a loose and warm atmosphere. Including the lacrimal point, the person had an intensely mature charm to them.

Her wavy hair was splendid as it brilliantly curved, and below those······.

“······Oh, oh······.”

Oh dear, why do I salivate whenever I see them?

That part of the body couldn’t be expressed by using just words, sizes, or comparisons. Those sorts of expressions would be an insult to those b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Watermelons? Basketb.a.l.l.s? Water balloons? How foolis.h.!.+ How could you compare these with those sorts of objects? That would be an insult to perfect beauty!

In times like this, big and beautiful, this was more than enough.

Furthermore, large and beautiful things have their own gravitational pull. I’m not sure if you know what universal gravitation is. That’s right, it’s like Newton’s law that involves an apple falling from an apple tree. That strength is directly proportional to the ma.s.s of the two objects multiplied together and is inversely proportional to the square of that distance.

Although my hand’s ma.s.s was small, the ma.s.s of the large and beautiful things was ma.s.sive.

Additionally, the distance between my hand and the large and beautiful things was small.

Then there’s no other choice but for a gravitational pull to occur, right?

That’s right, this hand was merely following that law. It was a force of nature that couldn’t be helped. There’s no way that I could defy it.

“Grawr!”

Due to the pain that traveled up from the ends of my fingers, through my cervical vertebrae, and to my brain, my hand was able to defy that force of nature. Once I gnashed my teeth and looked down, Jaim gnashed her teeth as well, with my fingers still held between her teeth. Oi, those are my fingers! Again, this again?!

“This girl is your daughter, right?”

In response to those words that were asked while poking at Jaim’s cheek, Jaim released my fingers. Ah, it hurts. There’s a mark. It’s swelling.

“······Dad? Do you know this person?”

The poking finger must have been bothersome, as Jaim was making a face as she asked that.

“My introduction was late. My name is Ha Nabom.”

Uppercla.s.sman Nabom smiled and answered Jaim before I could even reply.

Uppercla.s.sman Ha Nabom.

The uppercla.s.sman who had transferred to this school earlier this year and was the only other member of the ‘Creative Science Club’ alongside me.

If I were to summarize her using other people’s words, then⎯⎯⎯a charming person who emits a mature atmosphere and is always smiling, a kind person who speaks formally to everyone, a ladylike person who’s overflowing with an elegant aloofness.

“Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro, although it’s fine when we’re by ourselves in the club room, you mustn’t parade our relations.h.i.+p like that outside. People will misunderstand.”

“······Uppercla.s.sman Nabom is the one who shouldn’t say things that may cause misunderstandings.”

Moreover, she was severely eccentric.

“But big sis Nabom, what brings you here all of a sudden?”
(TL note” The ‘big sis’ used here is just the term used when talking to a female who’s older you. Nabom is not Saeyeon’s actual sister)

After Saeyeon asked that question, Nabom stopped poking Jaim’s cheek and stood up properly.

“I heard that Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro had abandoned me and made a family of his own, so I have arrived here in order to uncover the truth.”

“Jjaro, you, what have you been doing with Uppercla.s.sman Nabom while in the club room?”

“I merely advanced scientifically.”

“Mostly within the field of biology. To be more precise, about the difference between the male and female bodies······.”

“Can you stop with the silly jokes?”

Nanda is actually laughing over there. Really, that guy······.

“Therefore, Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro, can we talk for a moment? There’s something important we must discuss between the two of us.”

“······something important,”

“······you have to discuss,”

“······between the two of you?”

······Their timing was perfect. Is a dragoon being mobilized?
(TL note: Starcraft reference)

Uppercla.s.sman Nabom smiled and nodded at the combo play done by Nanda, Saeyeon, and Jaim.

“Yes. That’s why, Undercla.s.sman Ja Saeyeon, I’ll be borrowing Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro for a moment. We won’t be long. Now then, shall we go?”

I shrugged my shoulders in response.

“All right, I guess.”

“······Dad?”

“······Jjaro?”

It couldn’t be helped. She said it was ‘something important’. ‘Something important that must be discussed between the two of us’. For some reason, my instinct as a genius scientist was whispering to me that I have to agree here.

“T-Then I’ll go as well!”

“This is a talk for adults. Kids aren’t allowed to follow.”

Towards Jaim who quickly shouted and grabbed onto the edge of my clothes, Uppercla.s.sman Nabom told her sternly while still smiling.

“T-Then, I’ll······.”

“I apologize, Undercla.s.sman Ja Saeyeon. As I said, it’s something important that must be discussed between the two of us. Pardon us for a moment.”

Similarly, Uppercla.s.sman Nabom spoke sternly towards Saeyeon as well.

“B-But······.”

While Saeyeon and Jaim were unable to say anything more, Nabom turned towards me and smiled.

“Shall we go now?”

ÅÅÅ

“Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro, you followed me surprisingly obediently. It should have been rather abrupt for you.”

“This isn’t the first time Uppercla.s.sman Nabom has been abrupt.”

Once I answered like that when Uppercla.s.sman Nabom turned to look at me, she chuckled.

I’ve known her for about a week now.

If there’s one thing I was able to evidently learn during that time, then it’s the fact that this person is definitely eccentric and does things suddenly.

Our first meeting was like that as well.

Earlier this week, on the day of the opening ceremony, while I was spending my time by myself in the club room since it must have been lonely by itself throughout the break, the club room door was opened with a slam.

Then, along with a bag that was thrown into the room, a loud shout came in as well.

“Receive a new recruit!”

Even I, who wasn’t easily startled, ended up being caught off guard.

After looking at me, who had frozen in place, the invader of the single room tilted her head and corrected herself.

“Hm? Was this not it? Then······ come hither!”

“······.”

I took off my gla.s.ses. I adequately ma.s.saged my temples. I furtively cleaned my gla.s.ses with my s.h.i.+rt, and after putting my gla.s.ses back on, I sincerely questioned the person.

“Are you perhaps the Crazy X of this area?”

“Those are rather harsh words for one’s first meeting.”

With a tone that sounded as if she didn’t care, the person laughed and spoke.

“I came here since you had recruited me. Though you had never recruited me.”

“No, well······.”

It seems I was lacking in sincerity. With all of my heart, I questioned her once more.

“Who are you?”

The person smiled in response to my question.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Ha Nabom. You can refer to me as Uppercla.s.sman Nabom. You’re Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro, correct?”

“Yes. That is the case, but······. Ha Nabom?”

A lightbulb lit up in my head once I heard that name.

Although I disliked things like rumors, different to the uneducated ma.s.ses, even I had heard of that name. That there was a weird uppercla.s.sman among the third years.

“I see. Nice to meet you. Goodbye.”

So I decided to not care.

“I see you’re exactly as the rumors had described.”

Uppercla.s.sman Nabom sat down on a chair in the club room while coolly ignoring my blunt way of telling her to go away.

“I’ve taken a liking to you. I will join the club. Mm, let’s see······. ‘H-Hmph! I-It’s not like I particularly want to join the club! I-I’m joining because I just want to join······. D-Don’t misunderstand!’.”

“No, like I said······.”

This can’t go on. My words weren’t getting through to her at all. The world is vast and is filled with Crazy Xs so I ended up meeting a formidable rival. Uppercla.s.sman Nabom folded her arms and, while making her bre······chest, which had their own gravitational pull, stick out more, she spoke.

“Honestly speaking, I’m interested in you, Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro.”

“······I-Interested?”

I wasn’t particularly enticed by this. Uppercla.s.sman Nabom giggled and nodded. Due to that action, I was able to observe the principle of action and reaction in the large ma.s.ses.

“Yes. I heard that you were a similar type as me. Different from the regular, untaught ma.s.ses, I heard that you were a solitary, lonely, and elegant scientist who has a world of his own. That you were the greatest prodigy scientist of this age, an outstanding man.”

“W-Well, something obvious like that! Hu, huhahahahahaha!”

This person is more okay than I expected. Doesn’t she have a good eye for people?

Uppercla.s.sman Nabom stretched her hand out towards me who was laughing heartily.

“I wish to learn under that impressive Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro, so will you allow me to join?”

“Of course! When I conquer the world one day, I’ll give you half!”

I firmly grabbed Uppercla.s.sman Nabom’s hand and exclaimed.

······I know. If I think about it now, I was completely fooled at that time. Despite saying all that, she had negotiated with the school faculty at some point and, saying that she was the uppercla.s.sman, took my seat as the club president. I’ll get her back one day.

“In any case, what did you mean by something important that must be discussed between the two of us? Though I am grateful that you got me out of there.”

Putting my thoughts aside, Uppercla.s.sman Nabom must have thought that this spot was sufficient since she stopped at the back side of the school where people rarely came, so I took this opportunity to question her.

Yeah, it’s good that I was able to get away since, if I had stayed there, I would have definitely been teased since Nanda, Saeyeon, and even the kid were all there. I have no idea what this girl plans to tell me after creating this kind of atmosphere, but I’m not going to expect this person to do the cla.s.sic thing normal people would do in this sort of situation.

Uppercla.s.sman Nabom then spoke.

“Take off your pants.”

“······.”

“······.”

“······Pardon? What did you say?”

“If I smell it, then I can tell if you had truly slept while only holding hands or not.”

I didn’t even have a chance to react. No, I couldn’t react. The fact that I had grabbed Uppercla.s.sman Nabom’s hand, which was reaching out, was done entirely instinctively.

“W-What are you doing?!”

“I should be the one asking that. Do you intend to sleep while holding my hand as well?”

“No, that’s not it! W-Wait, for starters, let go of my pants!”

“Will you take it off if I let go?”

“No! Why would I?!”

“Then I won’t let go.”

“Kya! Kya! W-Why is this woman being so obscene?!”

“Obscene? I’m merely trying to take off your pants and smell it.”

“That’s what’s obscene! Uhiik?! W-Wait, where are you touchi, huak?!”

“I see that your flanks are your weakness, Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro. I shall keep that in mind.”

I, who was dancing an elegant dance while placing my hands on my waist, ended up facing my defeat after I was a.s.saulted by Uppercla.s.sman Nabom’s tickle attack on my sides.

Defeat meant, well, that my worn-out checkered pattern trunks, that was nearly frayed after having been washed many times now and was overflowing with life, was displayed, before the entire world······!

“Hmhm, hmhm. ······Mm? This scent!”

Uppercla.s.sman Nabom’s eyes opened wide as she spoke.”

“······It smells like you really did only sleep while holding hands.”

“Uuhuuk, uhuu······. I, I can’t get married anymore······.”

Uppercla.s.sman Nabom stood up without hesitation, completely ignoring me who had his pants around his ankles and weeping, and, while wiping her nose with a handkerchief as if there was something unpleasant on it, she spoke. It was an obvious course of action to take, but it hurt for some reason.

“As I thought, there’s no way a child could be made by just holding hands and sleeping. If that’s the case, then the other method······. Mm, at any rate, it doesn’t seem like you did something that would get you criticized if you did it while underage either.”

“Obviously! More than that, what exactly are you doing?!”

Towards my shout that I had uttered instinctively without even remembering to pull my pants back up, Uppercla.s.sman Nabom answered. Uh, this is the first time I’ve seen her open her eyes properly. Her eyes are big.

“I was confirming something. It was as I had expected.”

“What did you confirm?”

“If going through proper procedures, then there’s no way that a baby could be made by just holding hands and sleeping. I’m certain that there’s some sort of conspiracy hidden behind this.”

Uppercla.s.sman Nabom nodded as if she were saying something obvious. She kept nodding, seemingly proud of herself for having come to that conclusion.

I was about to also nod my head as well, but I was just barely able to regain my senses. That’s not right, I shouldn’t be nodding here!

Uppercla.s.sman Nabom must have been pleased as she clenched her fist, returned back to having half-closed, sleepy-looking eyes, and spoke confidently.

“As I thought, this is the deed of aliens.”

“······.”

No, what should I say, mm? Before anything else, I learned that you couldn’t feel any drive even if someone were to declare something confidently while their eyes were half-closed.

Uppercla.s.sman Nabom gave me a sidelong glance as if she wanted me to agree with her. I’m not sure how well my blank expression worked on her, but Uppercla.s.sman Nabom returned her gaze to her clenched fist and paused for a moment.

Shortly after, Uppercla.s.sman Nabom’s eyes sparkled again.

“As I thought, this is a conspiracy done by the Inst.i.tute.”

“······.”

“······.”

“No, even if you look at me with such genuinely disappointed eyes······.”

What does she expect me to do?”

“······Dimension, s.h.i.+fting?”

“Even if you ask that as a question······.”

It appears she was genuinely dejected now. I felt sorry for some reason.

“I’ve been waiting for this sort of special situation. I’ve read through all sorts of books and prepared myself while forming theories. The circ.u.mstantial judgment for the algothirm that I had made, is it wrong?”

For starters, it’s ‘algorithm’, not ‘algothirm’.

“Homunculus?”

“I told you earlier, even if you ask me that······.”

“Android?”

“Nope.”

“Another species?”

“That’s not······ is it?”

“Something from your imaginations?”

“It’d be great if it were!”

“Time travel?”

“Bingo!”

······Ah.

“······Bingo.”

Yeah. If you s.h.i.+ne your eyes like that while opening them properly and clenching your fists, then it feels plausible. ······No no, this isn’t the time to be feeling satisfied with Uppercla.s.sman Nabom’s growth, is it?

“No, when I said ‘bingo’, I was pretending to have traveled into the future to a time when you finally got the answer······.”

“I understand what Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro means.”

Uppercla.s.sman Nabom nodded her head and continued.

“In other words, the little girl named Jin Jaim claimed that she had come from the future in order to prevent Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro and Undercla.s.sman Ja Saeyeon from breaking up. It is just as I had predicted. It seems an abnormal life has finally come to me as well.”

“Would you listen to me······?”

She had gone completely into a delusional state. She was probably in her own little world and with that algothirm or whatever of hers.

······Hm? Wait. Now that I think about it, something is strange.

While glancing at Uppercla.s.sman Nabom who was clenching her fists and giving a long speech about her mission to search for an encounter with the abnormalities that existed in the world, I carefully asked her a question.

“Uhm, by the way, uppercla.s.sman.”

“What is it, Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro? I wish to fully enjoy this delight I feel for finally being able to experience what I have always wished for.”

“How do you know about that?”

I most definitely didn’t say a single word about the kid’s goal.

“······.”

She froze. She was completely frozen. Her half-closed, sleepy-looking eyes were vaguely trembling. The edges of her mouth were twitching. A cold sweat had formed on her forehead.

“I-It’s a misunderstanding. I wasn’t dispatched here in order to do something like monitor······.”

Monitor? Dispatched?

I unconsciously started to sweat just like Uppercla.s.sman Nabom.

No, it can’t be. Surely, surely it wasn’t······.

“······I’m not from the future.”

“You’re really just revealing everything by yourself!”

“I originally planned to reveal everything.”

That was a lie. She was going to lie to me until the very end. In response to my sharp reb.u.t.tal, Uppercla.s.sman Nabom snorted, stuck out her chest, and spoke.

“Anyway, Miss Jin Jaim is also quite hopeless. Because she had so casually revealed her ident.i.ty, I had no other choice but to reveal mine as well.”

“So you really did plan to hide it!”

“In any case, let me formally introduce myself.”

Uppercla.s.sman Nabom looked at me and lowered her head.

“My name is Ha Nabom, a Time Officer of the Time Management Department. I am currently surveying the unauthorized, illegal time travel that was done by Miss Jin Jaim, Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro’s daughter.”

ÅÅÅ

“······I knew it, it’s just as I had expected.”

At that moment, I heard a voice behind me so I turned around.

“I felt like I smelled something suspicious since earlier, but it’s just as I thought.”

“······Kid, why are you here?”

From the other side of the school building, Jaim was glaring this way. Even though she was a little kid, her ability to display murderous intent from her eyes was at an expert level. It’s scary if you do that. No matter how much Uppercla.s.sman Nabom was······.

“······Wait, how long have you been there?”

Her focal point was on something weird. Me.

In response to my words, Jaim’s face, which was already menacing, become even more contorted.

“A guy who makes a girl smell his underwear. Pervert.”

“Don’t summarize it!”

“Say that after you’ve pulled your pants back up. Disgusting. I’ll report you.”

“Dooooooon’t?!”

Now that I look at it, the situation had been dire so my pants had slipped my mind?!

“I’ll tell mom about dad’s exhibitionism later.”

Please don’t. I beg of you.

“Why are you approaching my dad?”

While no longer gazing at me who was lifting up his pants at the speed of light, Jaim stomped forward and stood in front of Uppercla.s.sman Nabom. Uppercla.s.sman Nabom answered.

To me.

“I currently have the task of supervising Miss Jin Jaim, your daughter. Protection of a minor, since my task is to supervise, it’d only be right for me to give an explanation of the situation to the guardian. ······Yes, this should be a good enough reason.”

She was nodding while convincing herself. This person’s self-justification was peerless. But I’m also a minor. No, rather than that.

“You really came from the future?”

“Yes. I really came from the future.”

“Then Jaim is?”

“Yes. She is Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro’s daughter.

“······W-Wait! Don’t ignore me! I asked you a question first!”

“Hey, the adults are talking right now so can you go somewhere else, little girl?”

······Wow, she cut her off just like that. She didn’t even turn to look at Jaim.

It seems the sight of Uppercla.s.sman Nabom solely looking at me and answering the questions while not even turning the gaze of her sleepy eyes must have flipped Jaim’s switch.

“You’re the one who should go away, you weird girl who pulls down a boy’s pants and smells his underwear! Don’t try to squeeze into our family business!”

Your eyes are completely turned. Your true nature is going to come out. The white part of your eyes is terrifying.

“You too, Dad! Move away from her!”

Due to Jaim’s action of grumbling as she increased the distance between Uppercla.s.sman Nabom and I by placing herself in between us and stretching out her arms, uppercla.s.sman Nabom finally let out a sigh and looked at Jaim.

······With a murderous gaze that didn’t seem possible with her half-closed eyes.

“Little girl, this big sis is going through all this hards.h.i.+p because a certain kid acted however she pleased, you know? She time traveled illegally, she went around spreading rumors about her ident.i.ty, and she manipulated memories······. Do you want to be scolded? Hm?”

“H-Hiik······.”

“H-Hiik······.”

This side is more terrifying. Jaim and I ended up unconsciously pulling each other into a hug. Uppercla.s.sman Nabom smiled once more and spoke. Like I said, this is more terrifying, you know?

“Well, for now, since Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro is the guardian, you decide. Whether you wish to discuss this while this little girl is present or if you’ll chase her away.”

I’m not her guardian. Jaim looked up at me with wet eyes while trembling. It wasn’t particularly because of this, but,

“······I’m not really sure what’s going on, but if it’s related to this kid, then wouldn’t it be better if she hears it as well······?”

“······Well, if that’s what you want.”

For some reason, Uppercla.s.sman Nabom made a reluctant face. Though I might have just been seeing things since her sleepy-looking eyes were still half-closed. Uppercla.s.sman Nabom glanced at Jaim and spoke.

“Then let’s follow procedures first.”

“Ow!”

“Ow!”

Tears came to my eyes for an instant. Uppercla.s.sman Nabom had suddenly plucked Jaim and my hair. A single strand from Jaim and several strands from me.

“What was that for?!”

“W-What are you doing all of a sudden?!”

“I plan to confirm your paternity with my work terminal. It’s possible to do so as long as I have a single strand of both of your hair.”

“Then take only a single strand! Give me back my hair!”

Uppercla.s.sman Nabom ignored my cry and took out something that looked similar to a cell phone from her pocket.

“Honestly, although I was able to retrieve a strand of hair from Miss Ja Saeyeon in the future, I was unable to retrieve Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro’s strand of hair.”

“Pardon?”

“Ah, sorry for the spoiler.”

······I’m not even sure what kind of expression I was making.

“Surely, I’m not······? It’s a joke, right?”

“······.”

Please don’t make an expression that looks like you don’t know what to say. Please don’t. No, it can’t be. My hair is strong. It’s strong, I say. Kid, why are you turning your head away? Kid. Hey.

“I apologize. I’m unsure as to what sort of face I should be making in this kind of situation.”

“······I think, you have to smile.” (Jaim)

“That’s right. Then let’s say that it was a joke.”

······You shouldn’t smile like that. Let’s just erase this from my brain for now. I don’t need this sort of unnecessary data.

Uppercla.s.sman Nabom put Jaim and my hair into the cell phone-like device

Target: Jin Jaim

Biological child percentage: 100%

“You’ve confirmed it now, right?”

Kid, don’t look at me with that confident ‘I told you so’ gaze.

No, rather than that.

“W-Wait a second! Even if that were the case, Uppercla.s.sman Nabom clearly transferred to this school at the beginning of this semester! But this kid appeared today!”

“As expected, Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro is as stupid as he appears.”

Wow, I was told that I looked stupid right in my face. Even though she had plucked a bunch of my hair. Even though she had taken off my pants and sniffed my underwear. You’re the first girl to do these kinds of things to me.

“The moment I traveled through time was after Miss Jaim had traveled back in time. So it was possible for me to travel further back than that. Do you understand?”

Ah, was that the case? Since she’s coming back to the past from the future anyway, she can arrive at a time before Jaim had arrived.

“Well, although there’s the method of memory manipulation like this little girl had done, the aftermath of that isn’t good. Really, what were you thinking······.”

“Huh? Memory manipulation?”

Uppercla.s.sman Nabom nodded in response to my question and glared at Jaim. Due to her giving another murderous gaze, Jaim hid behind my back.

“Logically speaking, there’s no way that people would believe that someone woke up and suddenly had a daughter, right? There’s no way that they would accept it that easy either.”

“······.”

“What’s the matter?”

“······No. Because of the usual reactions, I felt incongruous.”

Right? I didn’t do anything wrong, right? I was being slandered, right?

“Don’t cry.”

“I’m not crying! It’s merely the sweat of the innocent! Ah, then even Saeyeon······!”

“No. That isn’t the case for her. It doesn’t work on the people who know Miss Jaim in the future. In any case.”

Uppercla.s.sman Nabom smiled brightly and continued.

“For that reason, I’ve been constantly keeping a watch over Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro.”

“You’ve been constantly watching me······ until now?”

“To be exact, I haven’t done anything that’s even remotely close to violating the local laws like stalking, planting hidden cameras, wiretapping, or location tracking. Since the wiretap that’s in your desk drawer is definitely not used for that purpose, be at ease and leave it there.”

“You are doing all that! I’m going to tear that out the instant I return to the cla.s.sroom! You stalker!”

“Ah, then at the very least, please don’t remove the camera in your bathroom at home. That was expensive.”

“Kyaaa?!”

“All things considered, if it’s the thing that I saw in the video, then there was no actual need for me to have suspected whether you really did sleep while only holding hands or not. For someone like that to make me smell something weird, Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro, you’re a pervert, aren’t you?”

“I was called a pervert by the pants removing and sniffing person who took hidden videos and stalked me?! Moreover, I was even belittled as a male?!”

Ah, I want to die. Should I just die? My will to live is being bent for some reason······. Even my hair······. No, I need to forget that last tidbit.

“So, why are you getting close to my dad?”

“In any case, Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro, there’s something I wish to request.”

“Stop ignoring me!”

“⎯⎯⎯I wish to request for your cooperation in regard to Miss Jaim.”

Twitch, my ears reacted to her words.

“Huh? Cooperation? What kind?”

“Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro is also aware of what a ‘time paradox’ is, correct?”

“Well, yeah······.”

As a scientist, something like that was on the level of being common knowledge.

In short, it meant the contradiction that occurs when one travels back in time and intervenes with something. If I go back in time and accidentally get my grandfather killed at a young age, then would I have been born? Like that.

Traveling from the future and to the past doesn’t simply end as just a ‘trip’. Since it means that a person, who originally shouldn’t exist, is in that place, the smallest of actions could cause the largest of results.

“Then in order to prevent a problem like that from occurring because of Jaim?”

“Yes, something along those lines. Authorized time travels are dangerous as well, but unauthorized ones have an even higher chance to cause problems.”

Uppercla.s.sman Nabom nodded her head and looked at me.

“That’s why I require Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro’s cooperation.”

I immediately understood what she meant.

“I see. Then it can’t be helped.”

“Dad?!”

In response to my words, Jaim opened her eyes wide and shouted.

“Dad, you’re going to join hands with this weird girl? Even though you refused me like that when I asked you for help earlier?”

“As a scientist, I can’t overlook this sort of problem.”

It’s like the duty of a scientist. A man like me is overflowing with a sense of responsibility.

“I’ll say this now, but I certainly do prefer them bigger. I’m faithfully following the pa.s.sion I have as a ma.s.sive missiles enthusiast. However, I’d like to establish now that that’s completely unrelated to this.”

“······.”

I said this before, but please don’t look at me with cold eyes like that.

“Furthermore, I can’t trust someone who lies.”

“But I never lied before.”

“You said that you didn’t bring anything from the future! If you have something like a memory manipulator, then conquering the world would be as easy as pie!”

‘Memory Manipulator’? Isn’t this a pa.s.sionate technology?! But this kid······!

“T-That weird girl lied to you too, Dad!”

“Don’t blame others! If everyone dies, then are you going to follow along and die as well?!”

Before Jaim could say anything more, I declared.

“I don’t join hands with liars! Furthermore, I especially won’t join hands with a cheeky kid who keeps telling me to unite with Saeyeon!”

“······All right. If Dad is going to be like that, then I have a plan as well.”

Once I had made that declaration, Jaim, who had been looking at me with cold eyes until now, carefully distanced herself from me. I was worried since I thought she was going to bite me again.

“You’re going to regret this soon! Don’t think you’ve won with this!”

Jaim exclaimed and ran off.

“······What does she mean by win?”

What kind of parents did she have, really. I shook my head and turned back towards Uppercla.s.sman Nabom.

“Well, it can’t be helped since it has become like this. Keeping the peace and balance of the world is also a scientist’s job. I’ll a.s.sist you.”

Uppercla.s.sman Nabom smiled brightly after she heard my answer.

“Really? Thank you very much. I knew I could trust in Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro.”

“So, what can I do to help?”

“You have to unite with Undercla.s.sman Ja Saeyeon.”

“······Why is everyone hanging themselves on that uniting business?!”

Wait, isn’t this nothing different then?

“Well, let’s set that as the sub quest for now.”

“Be it a sub quest or whatever, I don’t need it! If it was illegal and unauthorized, then can’t you just take her away immediately?!”

“Uhm, it’s embarra.s.sing to admit, but it hasn’t been that long since time machines were invented, so the laws around them are vague. Although it may not be the case if Miss Jaim were to cause a problem in this era that’s impossible to correct, I currently do not have the authority to use force. Laws are always like that.”

“You don’t look even remotely embarra.s.sed.”

“I’m a civil servant, after all.”

“Then work! Work like a civil servant!”

“I’m currently performing my official duties, you know? Why? What do you want from me? Do you have a problem?”

“She got upset at me instead?!”

“That’s why, like a civil servant, the plan is to perform one’s official duties by keeping watch on the side until a problem slowly occurs. The person keeping watch being you, Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro.”

“That’s why I’m telling you to work! Why are you pa.s.sing it on to me?!”

“Don’t be like that Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro. I don’t intend to make you do something difficult anyway. If Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro a.s.sists me, then taking that little girl away will be faster for me as well.”

Uppercla.s.sman Nabom looked at me with sleepy eyes and continued.

“As I had said a second ago, I don’t have the authority to bring Miss Jin Jaim back immediately. However, if one of two conditions are met, then I can use force.”

“Two conditions?”

“If a problem occurs with Miss Jin Jaim as the cause, or if Miss Jin Jaim says that she wants to go back to the future first, one of these two conditions must be met. Additionally, these both require Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro’s a.s.sistance. Thus, Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro must act as a family with Undercla.s.sman Ja Saeyeon and Miss Jin Jaim.”

The instant I scowled when I heard that word, uppercla.s.sman spoke as if she were trying to appease me.

“There’s no need for you to think so much about this. Just think of it as playing house. You’ve been constantly doing so with Undercla.s.sman Ja Saeyeon until now, haven’t you?”

“······How do you know that?”

“I know at least that much about your circ.u.mstances. I also did some research before I was dispatched here and I’ve been monitoring you until now as well.”

This stalker. Uppercla.s.sman Nabom happily smiled at me who was baring his teeth and continued.

“For your main quest, you just have to behave like a family and, while you’re humoring Miss Jaim, observe all of her movements and report them to me. If you do so, then since my job will become easier, I’ll be able to fully enjoy this time as I please, Miss Jaim will be happy since she’ll finally be together with the parents she wanted to see, and Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro will have a pleasant time as you spend it with your doe-like wife and bunny-like daughter.”

Doe-like wife and bunny-like daughter, my a.s.s. Aren’t I the only one who’s getting the short end of the stick? Did you come here as a tourist?

“You’ll be lighting a cheongsachorong anyway, so you should just clear your sub quest while you’re taking care of your main quest. Of course, make sure you give a detailed report about what happened. Though I’ll be watching through a camera anyway.”
(TL note: Cheongsachorong – A traditional Korean lantern)

“Kyaa! Kyaa! I refuse! I won’t clear this quest!”

“You won’t be able to level up. As a man.”

“I didn’t plan to!”

“······Ah, my apologies. I didn’t know you had that sort of problem······. Well, I did think that may be the case when I saw it······.”

“What are you thinking?! Also, what did you see?!”

It isn’t in that much poor health! Ah, no. I can’t. I can’t get caught up in her pace. I have to sternly cut her off here and refuse like a man······.”

“Well, it’s okay to refuse.”

“······Huh?”

“Although, if you do, then I won’t be responsible for what will happen later on.”

What, is this? Is she threatening me? Regardless, I’m not a man who would get done in by a threat. I won’t listen even if you pour ox bone soup down my nose.

“Look, look! Mom! Dad is cheating!”

“······Jjaro?”

Ah, right. There was this.

I turned my head. I didn’t want to turn it, but I had no other choice. From the other side of the school building, Saeyeon and Jaim were standing at the corner of the building. The surprised Saeyeon, the triumphantly grinning Jaim, and,

“Why are there so many people?!”

Behind them was a gathering of a bunch of people. It wasn’t as small as a single cla.s.s. Isn’t that the entire grade? When I looked up, I saw a bunch of people looking down at us. Their gazes weren’t something to mess with either.

“Jjaro······. Don’t tell me, you’re really······?”

With a strangely trembling voice, Saeyeon asked me while stammering.

“Uh, you see, we absolutely weren’t doing anything suspsicious······.”

And with a strangely trembling voice, I answered while stammering. Wait, why am I stammering? There’s no need for me to be stammering. Well, I did hear this and that, but there wasn’t anything weird.

“Don’t furtively stick to my arm!”

Uppercla.s.sman Nabom spoke while linking her arm with mine and winking at me. It’s not cute if you do that with those sleepy eyes.

“Oh dear, Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro. Are you already bored of our relations.h.i.+p?”

“What sort of relations.h.i.+p is that?!”

“A relations.h.i.+p where things that should and shouldn’t be seen were all seen.”

“······.”

No, that’s not the truth. I haven’t seen anything. Although I’ve been enthusiastically looking at the large and beautiful things, in the end, I couldn’t see anything because of the clothes. Uppercla.s.sman Nabom may have seen everything that should and shouldn’t be seen, but I haven’t seen anything. Wait, isn’t this incredibly unfair?

“I see······. So it was like that······.”

“Wait, Saeyeon. I’m not sure what’s going through your head right now, but whatever it is, it’s completely wrong. In the first place, I don’t intend to judge someone by their physical characteristics. Yours are beautiful as they are. If anything, I believe that that size is the most beautiful. So don’t misunderstand and······.”

“Mm, it’s fine, Jjaro.”

Saeyeon shook her head and smiled.

That smile was so tender and beautiful that I had unconsciously held my breath. Was this girl always this pretty?

“Since I resolved myself to become a good wife.”

And, a single tear drop flowed down from one of Saeyeon’s eyes on her smiling face.

“So, since I’ll even understand, Jjaro for cheating······. Even if Jjaro······ does a one night stand with another girl······.”

While sniffing, Saeyeon continued.

“I’ll understand, as long as you don’t draw a map on your blanket, so······.”
(TL note: Another way of saying wet the bed)

“······.”

It was the first time I understood that those words could be heard with this sort of meaning as well.

Additionally, I also learned another thing for the first time,

That those words were going to call upon the end of a single person.

“How could you abandon such a good wife!”

“While you’re even in front of your daughter! You human tras.h.!.+”

“Don’t talk badly about tras.h.!.+ He’s like radioactive waste!”

“Don’t talk badly about radioactive waste!”

They were flying towards me. All sorts of things were flying towards me. Even objects that would make someone have to wear a coat made out of a royal foxglove wood and be buried underground were flying towards me. I didn’t expect that I would be treated like this two times in a single day.

“As I thought, criticism from the ma.s.ses is quite cruel. But it’s okay. Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro. If it’s with you, Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro, I can happily accept something like this.”

“This is all because of you, Uppercla.s.sman Nabom! Ow, ow! How are they able to hit only me?!”

With this sort of control, you guys should go to the Major League! While I was using only one arm in order to desperately protect my head since my other arm couldn’t move due to the universal gravitation, Uppercla.s.sman Nabom whispered into my ear.

“Now then, this is your last chance. If you promise me now that you’ll cooperate, then I’ll take care of this problem peacefully.”

“Fine! I’ll do whatever I can! I’ll do it! Please spare me!”

This wasn’t the time to be concerned about the aftermath. If I don’t do something immediately, then I might actually die here. After hearing my agreement, Uppercla.s.sman Nabom smiled and distanced herself from my arm.

“Everyone, it seems there is a misunderstanding so please wait a moment.”

Silence. Then, as if it were a lie, all of the verbal abuse and attacks stopped.

“Since the relations.h.i.+p between Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro is not like that, there is no need to misunderstand.”

Ooh, it feels like it might actually be resolved peacefully.

“More than anything else, there’s no girl who would like a man who’s going to lose all of his hair.”

“······.”

Ah, d.a.m.n it. I was barely able to forget about that. Rather, then does that mean I really······. Hey, don’t look at me with those sympathetic eyes. I said to stop looking at me with those pitying eyes. ······Please stop looking at me. I beg of you. Please, I’m begging here······.

“Furthermore, since Undercla.s.sman Jin Jaro and I merely have a physical relations.h.i.+p, you have no need to worry, Undercla.s.sman Ja Saeyeon.”

“······.”

Yeah, I’m the idiot for believing this person.

What is there to do in this sort of situation? I can only laugh. If you’re curious as to why you should laugh, then you should just laugh.

“Ha, hahaha, hahaha······.”

“That b.a.s.t.a.r.d is laughing!”

······So I can’t laugh either.

TL note: Thanks for reading this chapter.

It seems there was a misunderstanding in the last chapter. Apparently, some of you readers thought Jaro actually started a world war in the future, which isn’t the case. It was clearly stated that the cat ears were perked up and twitching throughout the entire time Jaim was saying that line, she even carried on to get upset at Jaro for falling for that kind of lie. I feel like this is the kind of thing that shouldn’t be skimmed over, especially if you’re going to comment about it.