Basement-Dwelling Loser VTuber

[Seoha Orphanage]

Of course, I was already expecting this.

Not just one or two years, but a whopping 17 years. They say ten years can change a landscape, but that’s a mere flicker compared to the 17 years that have passed.

No matter how attached I was to Home, with this much time gone, I might have found myself in a situation where I had to leave.

Even if we were close, in the end, being neighbors means that it’s only natural to drift apart someday.

So why… even though I was prepared for it, do I feel this emptiness?

Even though I thought to not hold onto regrets if there was no Mother or Ha Yeon’s family, why am I standing still?

Turning around right now would probably be the best choice.

…Yeah. Honestly, I was hoping for something.

I became a girl… a Japanese girl, but I expected they would still be here, waiting for me.

Yeah. Even though I knew it was absurd, I held on to that hope.

I thought the people I loved were still here, cherishing the memories with me…

“Ugh…”

Hope has shattered. But it was a futile hope from the start.

I had no right to be sad while clinging to something like that.

…Yeah. It’s been 17 years without a problem. Our ties must have already ended.

So let’s go back. To the place I’m supposed to be now.

“Haaah…”

I was certain… that this would be enough. I believed it without a doubt.

“Hey… who are you?”

It was until she spoke to me that I realized.

“Eek…!”

Surprised by the sudden sensation of a tap on my back, I turned around.

“…Huh?”

Ha Yeon, you were standing there.

The navy hair was a bit longer than I remembered.

But your smiling expression and light brown eyes were just as comforting and pleasant as I recalled.

If I calculated her age, she should definitely be in her 40s, yet her skin showed no signs of even the common fine lines.

“Looking for something? You’ve been staring over here for a while.”

“Um, well… u, um…”

The fact that the person I wanted to see was right in front of me made me happy, yet I had no idea what to say.

“I… uh, well…”

“Okay. Calm down and speak slowly.”

“Um, it’s… ugh…”

“Uh? Did I do something wrong?!”

In the end, I couldn’t say anything, and I just sat on the floor and cried.

★

Thanks to Ha Yeon’s diligent comforting, I managed to stop my tears.

My heart was still pounding, but I could at least speak without losing my breath.

“I-I’m sorry. I was just surprised…”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. If a stranger suddenly talked to you in a foreign country, it’s understandable to be shocked. By the way, your Korean is really fluent! You must have studied hard, huh?”

“…Yes.”

At home, I often heard that my Korean was rough.

“Well then, can you tell me why you came here? If there’s anything I can help with, I’ll do my best.”

What should I say?

Various excuses popped into my head, but I decided to answer as truthfully as possible.

Hide what needed to be hidden, and share what could be shared.

“I heard… um, that a lady named Han Jiwoo lives here…”

“…Your aunt?”

At my words, Ha Yeon frowned for a moment.

As if the mere mention of that name made her sad.

“Can I ask what that’s about?”

“Well, when I visited Korea before, I received help from your aunt… so I came to thank her this time…”

“Ah, I see. That sounds just like your mother.”

“Um, is she… is she not here…?”

At my question, Ha Yeon smiled and gently patted my head.

She looked like she was about to cry at any moment.

“Yeah… she’s gone far away. To a place we can no longer reach…”

“…What?”

“Your mother… no, your aunt passed away last year.”

At those words, my mind went completely blank.

★

On the door was a sign that read, ‘Jiwoo Teacher’s Room!’ and below it hung another sign saying, ‘Feel free to come in anytime!’

…It’s smaller than I expected.

That was the first thought that crossed my mind upon entering the room.

Sure, it was a rather… no, an incredibly well-furnished orphanage, so why was the director’s room so cramped?

Surely she could have had a much larger room.

“Isn’t the room a bit small?”

Ha Yeon, noticing the meaning behind my glance, smiled faintly.

“Your mother liked this room. It reminded her of old memories.”

With that statement, I immediately realized.

The size of this room was similar to the room that my mother used to have.

Mother must have reminisced about our memories here…

“Oh…”

My gaze then landed on a small desk suitable for the little room.

On it was a nameplate with my mother’s name on it.

Gradually, I began to feel the reality of the situation.

This was truly the orphanage run by my mother.

And that my mother… had really passed away.

“Would you like something warm to drink?”

“U-Um, anything is fine…”

“Then I’ll get you a hot chocolate.”

Ha Yeon quickly prepared the hot chocolate and handed it to me.

“It’s warm…”

“I’m glad… So, what story are you curious about? You mentioned you wanted to hear something earlier, right?”

“Um, yes… well… how did your, ahem… aunt end up running the orphanage? Since you’re saying she looked after the kids… I thought she was, of course, a school teacher.”

Ha Yeon clapped her hands as if she understood my question and nodded.

“Ah, right, you’d think so. Hmm… but that’s going to be a bit of a long story, is that okay?”

“Ah, yes… that’s fine.”

The time was still only just past nine.

I had plenty of time to listen.

“Your mother had a son, you know.”

★

“She received help from so many people… and established the orphanage here.”

I see.

She hadn’t abandoned me.

Mother truly loved me and established this orphanage.

What I did… was truly not wrong.

“So the orphanage’s name is…”

“…Did you figure it out? Yes. Embarrassingly enough, it’s named Seoha Orphanage after Seo Jun and me.”

Tears threatened to pour from my eyes once again.

I was so grateful that my mother loved me and that Ha Yeon had supported her.

But I quietly swallowed my tears.

Both Mother and Ha Yeon had overcome that event, so I couldn’t cry here.

Therefore, I decided to change the topic and asked what I was curious about a bit more.

“So, um… how is that, um, son now, the one who saved her?”

“Ah, yes. That kid is living with me now.”

…Huh?

Living together?

Wasn’t that kid a girl?

Was he a boy?

And the fact that they were living together means the two of them…

I’m not trying to question anything.

After all, we weren’t in that kind of relationship.

I was just curious.

So, I casually glanced at Ha Yeon’s left hand.

On her ring finger….

“Hmm?”

There was nothing on it.

“Um, by living together, do you mean, like… a marriage story?”

“Huh? No way! It’s just that the kid is so kind, he’s worried I might be lonely.”

Ah, I see.

…But wait a minute.

Her saying that they’re living together because they’re worried about her being lonely means…

Ha Yeon has been…

“Marriage…?”

“Nope, not married.”

As if she already sensed my question, Ha Yeon immediately shook her head in denial.

But why?

Objectively speaking, Ha Yeon is incredibly beautiful, and her personality is really great.

No man would just leave her alone.

So, given Ha Yeon’s sociable nature, I thought she would definitely be married.

“He liked that kid… Seo Jun. Um, no, I mean, I still like him.”

“…Huh?”

Hearing what Ha Yeon continued to say, heat rushed to my head in an instant.

Wait a minute. What does that mean? We were clearly ordinary childhood friends. Ha Yeon couldn’t possibly like someone like me. I must have misheard. Yeah, I must have misheard. She probably meant she was saying there aren’t enough good men around. Don’t misunderstand, you fool.

“I liked Seo Jun’s upright nature. He always said he couldn’t trust people, but ultimately, he couldn’t ignore people who were struggling. I loved all of his kindness… every part of him…”

And then, tears streamed down Ha Yeon’s cheeks.

I had no words to respond to that sight.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cry. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more emotional…”

Ha Yeon slowly wiped her tears and smiled.

“Isn’t it silly? Still obsessing over the past like this… Even though that guy never told me he liked me, even once.”

And at that word.

“No!”

I vehemently denied it.

“I’m sure… I’m sure Seo Jun uncle liked you!”

It wasn’t a lie.

I believed until the very end that I would always be with you.

Not just because we were childhood friends.

I always thought someone like me didn’t match your shining self, so I turned my eyes away, but I truly liked you.

“Really… if it was Seo Jun uncle, he would really…! Be grateful to you, aunt…”

Of course, I could no longer convey it. No, I no longer had the right to convey it.

Someone might call it deceit or self-satisfaction.

Yet, I wanted to convey it to you.

That I was always grateful.

Thanks to you, I was able to change.

That I truly loved you.

That I really wanted to be with you.

“Maybe so…”

“Yes…”

To Ha Yeon, it must seem like the foolish comfort of a clueless child.

Yet she smiled brightly in response.

“Thank you for saying that. …Yeah! With how pretty and kind your childhood friend is, there’s no way he wouldn’t have liked me, right? He must have liked me.”

That resembled Ha Yeon’s youthful self that I remembered.

A smile that warms the surroundings like the sun.

And as I nodded in response to that remark, Ha Yeon gently patted my head.

“Thank you so much. Somehow, I feel like I’ve really heard this from Seo Jun. It makes me feel so relieved, like I’ve received the reward I’ve been waiting for.”

If that’s how you felt, I was really glad.

…Well, for the time being, I really am Seo Jun.

“So now…”

At my words, Ha Yeon slowly shook her head.

“Well, I mean, looking for someone new at this point seems like a stretch, right? I’m quite old now. I’ll probably never forget that guy. And if I meet someone new, it would be a burden on that person. I’ve gotten used to being alone.”

Then she clapped her hands as if she remembered something.

“Wait a minute, I’m not alone. All the kids here at the orphanage and Seol Ah are family to me. They’re all precious children I got to meet thanks to Seo Jun.”

“Is that so…”

“Yes. …It’s kind of funny, even though we just met, I’m saying things I usually never say. Is it because you resemble Seo Jun’s aura? Well, of course, you look a lot better than Seo Jun.”

“…I’m a girl, you know.”

At my reply, Ha Yeon let out a giggle.

And I couldn’t help but chuckle back.

With that, our conversation… came to a close.

“It might not take long to get to where I’m going, but are you okay with time?”

“Yes. I think there’s enough time.”

“Good. Then take care. I hope to see you again sometime.”

After exchanging our final farewells, Ha Yeon waved goodbye to me.

I also bowed my head and said.

“T-Thank you…!”

★

“Mother…”

In front of me was a photo of my mother, who was smiling brightly.

This place was the memorial hall for my mother that I found out through Ha Yeon.

Was it because of the time of day?

There were hardly any people around.

“You always said, right? No matter how tough it gets, trust people. No matter how painful it is, help people. Then, surely someday… you’ll be rewarded.”

Mother’s words were right.

The reason I got to meet so many precious people now is definitely because I followed what both my mother and Ha Yeon taught me till the end.

“I’ve met so many precious people. And there are so many who cherish me.”

Perhaps this would be the last time I come here, the last time I visit the orphanage.

I wouldn’t be chasing the past anymore.

If my mother was happy in the end, and if Ha Yeon was smiling, that would be enough.

And surely, my mother would want me to focus more on my current life.

She always wanted me to move forward without getting tied to the past.

“Thanks to my mother and Ha Yeon, I’ve been happy. And I’m still that happy. Really, thank you.”

With that final thought, I turned my back.

Now… it was time to return to my everyday life, where my precious people were waiting.

---