Chapter 570
Hole (1)
Just as I was about to explain about my family, Mora stopped me.
Her voice wasn’t just in my head, but spread throughout the white room like a broadcast.
At the call of the deity, my loved ones looked up. I also raised my head with a puzzled expression.
Honestly, I’m anxious about her taking the lead. Almost nothing good has happened when Mora stepped in before.
I’m not just talking about the trials. There’s also how my hair is kept long, and once she tried to change my gender as a prank.
Fortunately, Luminous stopped her then. According to Luminous, it would have felt like being neutered or something.
Anyway, my distrust remains unchanged. After all, didn’t she just show my military days without permission?
“Lady Mora?”
[It’s not like that. I just have something to tell you too.]
Mora answered my suspicious question with a serious voice. If it had been Luminous, I would have felt more reassured.
Still, a deity is a deity. Humanly speaking, they may lack credibility, but they can be serious when needed.
The trials could be called a mistake. I’m hoping that mistake won’t lead to another one.
“Can I trust you?”
[You can trust me. This is necessary for both you and the people you love.]
“Hmm………”
With her being so confident, I can’t keep questioning her.
As I hesitated, Mora smiled gently and spoke in her characteristically cheerful tone.
[What I’m going to show your loved ones isn’t different from what I’ll show you. The difference is that it won’t be from Isaac’s perspective, but from a distant observer’s view.]
“You mean third-person?”
[Yes. Similar to what you saw earlier. That will make it easier to understand.]
That’s fine with me. Even the ‘pad joke’ situation that will remain an eternal black history was shown in third-person.
When I first boarded the airplane, it was from a first-person perspective, but soon the viewpoint changed. It’s fascinating when you think about it.
I crossed my arms, thought for a moment, and then gladly gave my permission. I’m trusting that she won’t cause trouble this time.
“Alright. I’ll trust you.”
[Thank you. But as I said earlier, you need to pay close attention too.]
“To which part? Don’t tell me you manipulated my memories when I came here………”
It’s a highly plausible story. Like manipulating unhappy memories before bringing me here.
I couldn’t help but be suspicious because it was none other than a deity. Of course, my suspicion wouldn’t change anything.
[That’s not it. You and your past life’s family were ordinary and harmonious. You realized that value early on and showed them love.]
“So I wasn’t an orphan or anything like that? That’s a relief.”
[However………]
Mora paused briefly before continuing in a slightly subdued voice.
[The problem was that you realized happiness too early.]
“……”
Hearing those words, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly. She’s right.
In my past life, my parents showered me, their only child, with boundless love, and I returned that love to them.
That was the decisive cause of my becoming a recluse. After they passed away in an accident, my mental state was hardly sane.
A period when I distanced myself from society and myself, frantically writing novels.
[I’ll begin now.]
While I was smiling bitterly, Mora spoke softly. Simultaneously, the white room began transforming into a different space.
What followed was the sight of a familiar room, not the pristine white space.
Much smaller than the mansion I currently live in, but the interior of an apartment that was my true sanctuary.
And inside that apartment, a happy family scene was unfolding.
“Abubu. Abu.”
A chubby baby was struggling to walk. He spread his arms awkwardly, trying to maintain balance.
With features that seemed to embody all possible cuteness and distinct facial features.
It’s me. Me just starting to take my first steps.
“He’s walking! Walking! Walking!”
“Our Yoohwan is walking! Yoohwan!”
Unlike the baby focused on walking, the man and woman in front were clapping and making a fuss.
A man whose distinct features clearly showed where the child got his looks.
In contrast, a woman with somewhat softer features but undeniably beautiful.
My parents from my past life. My past life’s parents, young without a single wrinkle.
Thud-
“Waaaaaah!”
“Oh my. Yoohwan, are you okay?”
“Does it hurt?”
Having failed at my first steps, I was crying as if the world was ending. Really crying my heart out.
My parents maintained bright smiles while comforting me. Both of them had truly charming smiles.
“I thought Isaac was always mature, but I guess not.”
“Didn’t he say s… once when he fell?”
“Ah, I remember that. We held a family meeting wondering where he heard that word.”
While watching my past life’s family, my current family members were each lost in memories. Most were about my childhood.
Although there’s a significant age gap between Lily and the rest of the siblings, I was also born as a late child. There was more than a 5-year age difference between Nicole and me.
They adored me so much as a late child. Even though I had all my past life’s memories and acted like an adult.
Of course, despite having my past life’s memories, I couldn’t control my bladder. That was unavoidable. It was truly humiliating.
“Yoohwan. Can you call me daddy?”
“Mommy. Mommy.”
“So you prefer mommy over daddy?”
“Daddy. Daddy.”
I was quite contrary. When I said the opposite of what they expected, my parents made peculiar expressions before breaking into laughter.
Then came scenes of them singing happy birthday to me, helping me walk, taking me to kindergarten, and so on.
It was an extremely ordinary life compared to my current one. A life with nothing exceptional.
I was truly satisfied with that life. Not a lack of ambition, but contentment.
“Yoohwan! Are you doing this again? Mommy told you not to!”
“Waaaah!”
As seen from my contrary nature, I really didn’t listen when I was young. Even now, I’m being scolded by my mom for not listening.
Moreover, that was a time when corporal punishment was acceptable. No one would object to disciplining with a rod during that era.
Judging by the switch in my mom’s hand, I probably got hit a few times.
But the expression of my mom who wielded the “rod of love” wasn’t very pleasant either.
Although it was for her beloved child, she must have felt uncomfortable.
“In that world too, did parents or nannies hit children with rods when they misbehaved?”
Mother asked curiously and cautiously after watching that scene.
This world also has the custom of the “rod of love.” A custom fitting for the times.
But occasionally it’s too extreme and ruins a child’s emotional development. We don’t need to look far—there’s Cherry.
Our parents weren’t like that. They showered us with love while firmly disciplining us when we strayed.
“Yes. It’s the same everywhere.”
“Right? There was a time when your brother was severely scolded by Father.”
“Ah, Mother. Why bring that up………”
Dave was greatly embarrassed by Mother’s words. Mother just smiled gently.
Long ago, my brother once talked back to Father. Of course, he received a beating disguised as training and his attitude completely changed.
Nicole apparently came to her senses just by watching. Thanks to my past life’s memories, I was obedient and listened well.
However, I did cause trouble a few times due to the gap between my common sense and reality. That must have been difficult for them in a different way.
“Mommy. Mommy.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“Don’t I have grandparents? All my friends have them.”
“……”
My mother smiled sadly at my question. The young me wouldn’t have understood the meaning of that smile.
In my past life, I had no concept of paternal or maternal grandparents. Both my parents lost their parents early.
My father’s mother died when he was born, and his father passed away from cancer.
As for my mother’s side… it’s better not to talk about it. It was beyond bad—it was a miracle she grew up normally.
Despite their poor family backgrounds, both of them raised me properly. Looking at this, I realize how difficult an ordinary life can be.
“Yoohwan. How much do you love daddy?”
“As much as the sky and earth!”
“And mommy?”
“Mommy too, as much as the sky and earth!”
In my childhood, I grew up receiving their love.
Unlike other friends’ parents, they didn’t force me to attend academies, focusing only on my proper development.
Not having another child was part of that. They feared they might neglect me if they focused too much on a younger sibling.
In reality, I took their love for granted, so that possibility was quite high.
But one can’t always stay by their parents’ side. They say children stay in their parents’ embrace until elementary school, but not from middle school.
The day I came home wearing a school uniform. I asked my dad, who was off that day, such a question.
“Dad. Dad.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“What’s sex?”
“………?”
Dad seemed to be thinking about what he just heard for a while. Then he was startled and stammered.
“Wh-what are you saying? Where did you hear that?”
“At school. Kids kept talking about sex?”
“……”
If elementary school was smooth sailing, middle school was where the real spice began. Children entering puberty.
I remained innocent at least until the first year of middle school. Even when I accidentally encountered “sex” while using the computer, I was just surprised and didn’t do anything more.
That’s because I urgently asked my parents what it was. I believe my mom shut down the computer faster than anyone at that time.
‘Thankfully, it seems that part was edited out.’
This much I can trust. Meanwhile, my dad, who received an awkward question from me, rolled his eyes and cleared his throat.
“Ahem. Ahem. Yoohwan? Didn’t they teach sex education at school?”
“I didn’t understand anything because I didn’t know what it was.”
“………Right. I suppose so. It’s probably completely useless.”
Dad muttered self-deprecatingly. Indeed, sex education taught at school was a little—no, very useless.
Later when I asked the kids where they learned about such things, they all said they found it on the internet.
Sometimes knowledge gained from friends or the internet was more useful than what schools taught.
“Still better than Kate. She didn’t know until she became an adult.”
“……”
Marie offered what could hardly be called consolation. Well, Kate probably only understood the concept of “seeds” and nothing beyond that.
She finally understood while watching the adult scenes in The Chronicles of Zenon.
Anyway, I gradually learned common sense through the eventful middle school years.
I was really ordinary then too. I just did my own thing regardless of whether the bullies were fighting or not.
I never went astray. Just………
“What kind of mom are you! Stop telling me what to do!”
“How dare you speak to your mother like that?!”
“I’ll study on my own! Just leave me alone, please!”
I just had a strong case of puberty.
I covered my face with my hands at the sight of my rebellious teenage self.
‘……… Lady Mora? Can this be edited out?’
[You know this is your turning point, right?]
I know all too well. I couldn’t say anything to Mora’s rebuttal.
“Yoohwan! Where are you going!”
“Yoohwan!!”
Because at that time, I ran away from home in anger.
And in the freezing cold winter, no less.
“Hmm. That seems normal.”
“Indeed. Our Isaac was quite obedient. We should be grateful to those people.”
My current parents’ assessment makes me even more embarrassed.