Early the next morning, before the sun had even risen, Han Yeoreum was watching a horror movie while the kids were still asleep.

‘Good thing they’re sleeping at home.’

She’d been worried, thinking they might be staying out overnight for training, but the kids had decided to sleep at home since it was a rest day.

How would she convince them to stay home tomorrow, though? Just as Yeoreum was pondering, a ghastly apparition appeared on the TV screen, moaning ominously.

— “Groooan…”

In the climactic standoff between the protagonist and the ghost, Yeoreum held her breath, only for the door to Gyeoul’s room to slowly open.

“Gyeoul, you’re up already?”

Before Gyeoul’s gaze could reach the television, Yeoreum quickly changed the channel to one showing a cute children’s cartoon.

“Yeah…”

Gyeoul, rubbing her eyes, waddled over and sat down right next to her, just close enough that their bodies didn’t touch.

“Looks like you woke up extra early today, Gyeoul.”

“Yes, I went to bed early last night.”

She responded, casting a glance at the television. The children’s program on-screen was promoting a positive message about how friends shouldn’t fight.

Gyeoul should find this interesting, right? After all, she’s still the right age for these things.

Yeoreum watched her for signs of interest, but Gyeoul showed none.

‘Is she bored?’

If she were intrigued, her ears and tail would perk up. But her tail was displaying nothing but indifference.

“Gyeoul, is it boring?”

“Um… yes.”

Right, this was a kids’ channel. How could an adult find this entertaining? Gyeoul gazed at the television with a blank expression.

“I thought you’d like it because the penguin character is on.”

“Oh, no, I don’t really like it… It’s just too optimistic and doesn’t reflect reality at all…”

Gyeoul shook her head firmly. What had Yeoreum assumed about her to think she’d enjoy a children’s show? Gyeoul couldn’t fathom it.

“Not realistic?”

“Yes. The world isn’t that easy… It’s far more terrible than that.”

“Uh, yeah…”

Here was a child criticizing a children’s show for being unrealistic. It was something that might make sense coming from a mature kid, but knowing Gyeoul’s past, Yeoreum couldn’t simply brush it off.

It wasn’t that the show was too childish; it was that Gyeoul had seen enough horrors in real life to recognize the show’s unreality. Yeoreum decided to change the subject.

“So, what kind of shows do you like, Gyeoul?”

“I like violent ones.”

“Huh…?”

“The ones where people are bleeding or there’s a war.”

Especially zombie apocalypse genres. Gyeoul’s tail wagged slightly.

“What… um, what do you like about those kinds of shows?”

Yeoreum’s tone suggested she was trying to understand why. Gyeoul tilted her head, slightly puzzled.

“Because they’re realistic?”

“R-realistic?”

Stories where people die and blood splatters are… realistic? Yeoreum’s eyes widened, her pupils trembling slightly.

She wanted to tell Gyeoul that the real world wasn’t like that, but she knew Gyeoul’s life had been far more horrific than any movie. She couldn’t dismiss Gyeoul’s experiences with a few words—doing so would have meant belittling the life she’d fought through each day.

‘So that’s Gyeoul’s reality…’

Through movies, Yeoreum had gained a small glimpse into Gyeoul’s life, one filled with despair and hopeless days spent surviving in a world without a shred of hope. For Gyeoul, the concept of “hope” itself must have seemed unrealistic, which explained why she found children’s shows so unappealing.

‘The world is indeed harsh…’

But still, Yeoreum wanted to show Gyeoul that there was hope. She forced a gentle smile.

“So, Gyeoul, you like realistic things, huh?”

“Yes. Want to watch a war movie together?”

“Sure, I like realistic stuff too.”

Perhaps Gyeoul liked brutal genres to feel a sense of relief. Watching characters suffer through tough times might have made her feel less alone. Maybe what seemed like despair in these movies was “hope” to Gyeoul.

“But are you okay with violent scenes, Yeoreum?”

“Well, actually… I’m not very good with violent stuff.”

Yeoreum scratched her cheek, chuckling awkwardly. She could barely watch Gyeoul’s video clips, let alone a full movie. It was a bit embarrassing to admit she was more squeamish than an eight-year-old.

“Shall we watch something less intense, then?”

“Oh, would that be okay?”

“Yeah. Let’s watch this one. I saw the preview—it starts with the protagonist’s entire family getting wiped out.”

“Um…”

The protagonist’s entire family getting killed? That sounded pretty intense. Yeoreum looked at Gyeoul in shock, then bit her lip as she recalled Gyeoul’s past.

‘Right…’

Gyeoul, who had been abandoned by her family and lost her closest friends. To her, the slaughter of a family might be a mild plot point.

It finally dawned on Yeoreum: for Gyeoul, such scenes were just part of the background.

Yeoreum wondered what kind of gruesome scenes would actually leave an impression on Gyeoul, but she decided not to pursue it. She knew she wouldn’t be able to handle whatever that might entail.

‘Let’s not overthink this.’

Right now, all she wanted was to enjoy the movie with Gyeoul. She wrapped an arm around Gyeoul’s shoulders as they began watching together.

It turned out Gyeoul had good taste in movies; the film was actually quite captivating, though the ending was devastatingly bleak.

—

The movie they watched together was better than expected. It ended with the protagonist losing all hope and taking his own life.

“Wow.”

Without thinking, Gyeoul clapped. Startled by the sudden noise, Yeoreum flinched.

“D-did you enjoy it?”

“Yes. The ending was shocking, which made it fun.”

Now, that’s what a movie should be like. As someone who loved brutal films, Gyeoul found this one thoroughly satisfying.

“Uh, yeah. The protagonist was so unfortunate. I wish he’d struggled a little longer at the end, though.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Life is precious, after all.”

“Hmm… but I totally understood why he did it.”

Was there something strange about her answer? Yeoreum froze, seemingly having something to say, but she couldn’t get the words out.

It was only after a long pause that she spoke again.

“…What part did you understand?”

“Taking his own life. He was in such a horrible situation.”

He had lost his family and was all alone, surrounded by monsters from another world, unable to escape. Choosing a painless death over being ripped apart by monsters could be the better option.

Only someone as strong as Yeoreum would consider fighting in such a situation. The protagonist, an ordinary person, had no chance to accomplish anything.

“So that’s how you feel, Gyeoul?”

Yeoreum smiled awkwardly, reaching out to stroke her hair. It seemed like she’d been doing that more often lately, but Gyeoul didn’t mind.

“In the end, he was going to die painfully anyway. By ending his life on his own terms, he avoided unnecessary suffering. It’s a kinder choice.”

Gyeoul couldn’t help but chuckle, happy to be discussing movies with someone again. It had been so long since she’d last talked about stories like this.

“Yeah… Sometimes it can be easier to end things. I get it.”

“Exactly.”

Yeoreum rubbed her arm absentmindedly, her gaze distant and somewhat somber. She seemed to feel a tinge of sadness toward the protagonist for making a choice different from her own resolve to keep fighting.

‘This is why I love movies.’

They made you think. The one they’d just watched was deeply philosophical in its own way.

“I respect the protagonist’s choice. Not everyone is strong enough to fight monsters.”

“True… But Gyeoul, you’re strong, right?”

Strong? Was she asking if I was strong enough to fight the monsters from the movie?

Even with my improved abilities, I probably couldn’t kill something like that. I could maybe handle the smaller, weaker ones. After thinking it over, I shook my head at Yeoreum.

“I don’t know… I’d probably do the same as the protagonist.”

“…”

Yeoreum didn’t respond. She simply pulled me into a warm hug.

“Huh?”

Why was she hugging me in the middle of a movie discussion? I didn’t know, but the warmth felt nice.

Since I’d just had a normal conversation about a movie, today was shaping up to be a happy day.

______________________

TL NOTE: Please don’t skimp on the stars and likes of the translation – it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep