Gradually, it starts to appear.
What can be seen? I still can’t say for sure. I was just beginning to grasp the sensation.
I’ve been heavily influenced by Sara until now.
If you think about it, it wouldn’t be wrong to say we’ve ‘mixed.’
People learn, understand, and accept many things through conversations with others, but my relationship with Sara was closer than that.
Within Sara, I was able to see firsthand what she had been thinking and experiencing in her life.
What I can see is mostly just Sara’s past, but—
…in the end, memories are always just remnants of the past.
No matter how short the time—1 hour, 30 minutes, 5 minutes, or even 1 second—if a person accepts and remembers something, it ultimately becomes part of their memory.
So, the task I had to undertake to read Sara’s memories, or rather, her ‘thoughts,’ was surprisingly simple.
I just had to trace back through the past. Keep going back, endlessly, to a level similar to the present.
That wasn’t an easy task. Finding a way through Sara’s heart is difficult. Even though she is just a child who hasn’t lived for more than 20 years, and her life is filled with mundane repetitions, it took a lot of time to get past all those memories, all the past hidden beneath her subconscious.
It was similar to pulling out any random book from a library where everything was disorganized, trying to find the latest published work.
But thankfully, I had plenty of time.
As long as Sara was awake, it was always time to sleep. During that ‘sleeping time,’ I was able to keep tracing back through Sara’s past.
Sara wouldn’t easily open up her heart.
This was Sara’s consciousness, and since she was the original owner, I wasn’t sure if I could win if she decided not to show her thoughts.
…Lately, Sara had been a bit suspicious.
I know it sounds odd for me to say that.
But—
“I’m back.”
Sara, who had been sitting next to me, suddenly spoke up.
When we were talking, suddenly her words stopped, so I thought morning had already come. But it seems that wasn’t the case since she returned so quickly.
“I just went to drink some water.”
It seemed she took a little bit of time just to drink water…
Looking at Sara’s face, which was peering up at me with squinted eyes, it didn’t seem like a lie.
Yeah, it didn’t seem like a lie.
But just because it didn’t seem like a lie didn’t mean she couldn’t deceive me. By deliberately withholding information, I, who was merely inside Sara’s consciousness, couldn’t know anything.
Sara’s everyday life seemed so peaceful and joyful.
But how was that possible in the current situation?
If everything is peaceful and running smoothly as Sara said, then it’s a relief…
But there are police investigating Sara’s past, and officials worrying about her. Haven’t they touched Choi Na-kyung?
If they did, then Choi Na-kyung would definitely not just sit still.
Yet, how is it possible for Sara to lead such a ‘normal’ life?
“Hehe.”
As she said this, Sara snuggled into me.
Even within consciousness, I could feel the warmth of Sara’s body. Although it’s not exactly like I’d truly felt it, it’s more like I thought that way because I and Sara were overlapping.
It isn’t the delicate sensation like in reality.
But I could sense a somewhat dull feeling akin to feeling warmth from a distance. Plus, since I am practically part of Sara’s consciousness right now, I was probably sharing some of her sensations. Holding her like this brought that feeling even closer.
Perhaps Sara was clinging to me desperately for that reason.
“……”
It’s pitiful.
She has no one to embrace her like this and has never received such attention in her life.
That’s why she clings to me, I guess.
Silently, I brushed Sara’s hair.
“……”
Sara said nothing and nestled in my arms.
Every time Sara came here, she expressed it as ‘coming back.’
That might just be her way of saying it for me…
But then again, maybe she truly thinks this is the place she belongs.
If that’s the case…
“I want to stay here forever…”
Sara quietly said that.
“It’s natural to want to keep sleeping once you lie down.”
When I replied like that, Sara lifted her head and looked up at me.
Sara, gazing at me so closely, seemed very cute.
Then she said, pouting her lips:
“You know I’m not saying that for those reasons.”
“…I see.”
Seeing Sara say that sincerely made me think I must catch up with her memories.
*
Choi Na-kyung didn’t have the habit of biting her nails.
She might have had it in her childhood, but she stopped as she grew up. If she bit her nails, she’d end up having to deal with a not-so-good appearance for a while. And she knew how it left a bad impression on others.
Since becoming an adult, she never bit them again.
Even now, it’s the same.
She doesn’t bother with nail care.
There’s a reason for that. It’s a reason she can’t explain to others.
If her nails grew long and she polished them, it would make her unable to act carelessly when she truly needed to hurt someone.
She always keeps her nails trimmed and ready to gently touch others.
Especially since there are certain body parts that are unusually delicate.
…Always, Choi Na-kyung had been prepared to accept others, but.
“……”
Right now, she was staring intently at her own nails.
It wasn’t out of a desire to bite them again.
She was merely thinking how wonderful it would be if she could stick those nails into the throat of the person before her.
…Though she knows well that it’s a nonsensical fantasy.
“So, have you met Sara?”
“……”
The person sitting across from her quietly stared at Choi Na-kyung and spoke. She felt it in the corner of her sight, but Choi Na-kyung continued to look down at her own nails.
“If you can’t answer, can I say it instead?”
“What do you mean…?”
“Isn’t Sara currently not in the mansion that Chairwoman prepared for her? Of course, it’s more accurate to say that the mansion belongs to Sara herself.”
“……”
“I know that the mansion hasn’t had any lights on for a long time. The only room with light is one that isn’t Sara’s.”
Sara’s room was situated deep inside the mansion. It was a layout reflecting Choi Na-kyung’s desire to keep Sara as hidden from outsiders as possible.
“Most of the servants in the mansion have been fired, and the security is now working with a private security company rather than the original staff. This has raised concerns from the city. Although it’s private property, it is also registered as a cultural heritage.”
He spoke at length but didn’t even bother to lower his voice.
“You seem to know a lot.”
Choi Na-kyung lifted her gaze and shot him a sardonic look, yet he didn’t flinch at all.
“We have ways of finding things out.”
“Thanks to that nameless informant again?”
“That person helped, but we also got in touch with the remaining servants in the mansion.”
“……”
“What on earth happened between you and Sara?”
Is he trying to feel out for something?
…No, they don’t know. If they had known, they would’ve used it as leverage long before now.
So, these people were merely feigning concern for Sara’s well-being. They hadn’t shown any real interest before, but now that something had come up, they were rushing in.
“Whatever happened between me and Sara is a family matter.”
“Then can you bring her real family members?”
“…Real family?”
Choi Na-kyung almost lost her temper at that moment but forced herself to remain calm. Getting angry at every little thing this guy said wouldn’t be a smart move.
“Since the Chairwoman is Sara’s mother, there hasn’t been a discussion about it until now.”
He leaned slightly forward and continued speaking.
“Sara has many relatives.”
“Are you saying those relatives are closer to Sara than I am?”
“If necessary, there are plenty willing to take over.”
“……”
Choi Na-kyung glared at the man sitting before her, but he simply took her glare without a care.
“If the Chairwoman insists that she is Sara’s real family, then you should bring irrefutable evidence. If there’s undeniable proof, we’ll have to back down.”
“……”
With a grind, Choi Na-kyung clenched her teeth, producing a sound.
