I Became a Raid Boss-Chapter 154: Did You Call Me Mom? (2)

“Oh dear...”

Kim Yerim.

To Daeun, she was Mrs. Kim Yerim or just Mom, and she exaggeratedly held her back as though in pain.

“Am I getting old...?”

She was relatively young for a parent with grown children, having met the love of her life and married in her early twenties. But while she was younger compared to parents with children of similar ages, she wasn’t exactly young anymore.

“My daughter doesn’t even show her face. Ugh, I guess you’re just supposed to die when you’re old.”

Her youthful face didn’t quite match her grumbling, but Yerim bustled around nonetheless. If her only daughter wouldn’t come visit, it only made sense to go to her instead.

It had been quite some time since she last saw her, so the side dishes she’d brought on her last visit must have been long gone.

Clatter.

The containers in the shopping bag she carried over her shoulder clanked together with a dull sound.

“She’s probably eating whatever’s easiest out of laziness. What’s she going to do with her poor health...?”

Though the illness that once plagued Daeun had been gone for years, Yerim still saw her daughter as a fragile, reckless child.

Carrying an assortment of side dishes, she headed for her daughter’s apartment.

“Hm?”

Expecting to see a mess, she opened the door only to stop in surprise.

The room, while not immaculate, was considerably tidy.

There were more belongings than the last time she visited, but the state of the room had actually improved since then.

“Did she know I was coming?”

This was an unplanned visit, driven by a sudden whim, so that couldn’t be it.

After a moment’s hesitation, Yerim shrugged.

Since the room wasn’t a pigsty, she figured it didn’t matter.

“Looks like she’s finally maturing,” she thought, as she started placing the side dishes into the fridge.

“Why are there so many snacks? I told her they’re bad for her health...”

Her face scrunched up in disapproval, but she continued organizing diligently.

“Where has she gone off to this time?”

It wasn’t until the shopping bag was emptied and all the containers were neatly put away that Yerim started to wonder where her daughter was.

It wasn’t that she didn’t care—if she didn’t, she wouldn’t go to the trouble of bringing homemade food.

She just knew her daughter had always loved wandering around, so she let it go without much thought.

“Does she even plan to get married...?”

Yerim wished Daeun would settle down and start a family.

But considering how little Daeun could do for herself growing up, it wasn’t easy to stop her from doing what she wanted now.

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So Yerim swallowed her frustration again, wondering if Daeun might come back from her travels with a decent groom someday.

“Phew... I’m back!”

Speak of the devil. As soon as Yerim thought of her, the front door opened, and the voice she had just been thinking of echoed through the apartment.

“Yes, welcome back.”

Though her reply carried a hint of reproach, her smile betrayed her genuine joy at hearing her daughter’s voice.

She hurried out to greet Daeun, only to see a familiar face—and someone else.

“...Oh?”

Behind Daeun, clutching her belongings tightly, was a small pink-haired girl with wary eyes staring up at her.

“So, how is it? It’s been a while since I made these. Are they alright? Not too hard?”

“Uh... y-yes...”

“Pfft, your tone is so awkward! You didn’t just say goo-goo ga-ga, did you?”

Who would say that?

I shot Daeun a glare at her ridiculous remark.

I had spoken casually to Edel when we first met, but the woman before me—Daeun’s mom—was a different story.

There was... something about her. An aura I couldn’t quite explain.

As I nibbled on a cookie, trying to stay inconspicuous, she offered me a warm smile.

“If you’re not comfortable, feel free to speak however you like.”

“Uh... o-okay...”

“And for what to call me... Hmm, how about Auntie?”

“Wait a second!”

Daeun, who had been quietly observing, suddenly interrupted with a wide grin.

“Instead of Auntie, how about this? Kana is like my little sister, so she can just call you Mom! Kana, give it a try! Mom—ah!”

Smack!

“What Mom?! Stop being ridiculous and behave!”

“Ow... I was just joking...”

Daeun clutched her shoulder dramatically where her mom had lightly smacked her, groaning in mock pain.

It was a heartwarming scene, honestly.

But even her mom’s sharp hand couldn’t stop Daeun for long.

Recovering quickly, she stood up and protested.

“Wouldn’t it be amazing to have someone as cute as Kana as your daughter? Mrs. Kim Yerim should be grateful for this opportunity!”

“Wow.”

Is this what they call a fire attribute filial child on the internet?

I watched in awe at her boldness as Yerim calmly nodded in agreement.

“Hmm. You’re not wrong.”

“...?”

What?

Wasn’t she supposed to deny that?

As I stood there in stunned silence, realization dawned on me.

Ah, right.

For a moment, I had forgotten who she was because of her gentle smile.

She was Daeun’s mom, after all.

It made sense.

As I accepted this, my previous confusion melted away.

“But this child... Kana, was it?”

“Yeah.”

“Kana must have parents too, right? With such a lovely child, her parents must treasure her. If Kana were to call me Mom, it would only hurt them. As a parent myself, I couldn’t allow that.”

“...Oh.”

“....”

Daeun swallowed nervously.

While I wasn’t particularly bothered, her reaction—covering her mouth and glancing at me with worry—made the atmosphere awkward.

“...What’s wrong?”

If I’d learned one thing about Daeun’s mom, it was that her observational skills were sharp. She seemed to notice the shift in mood right away, asking cautiously.

“Well, you see, it’s just...”

“Parents. ...I don’t have any.”

Though she said I could speak comfortably, a certain hesitance still lingered in me. As I stumbled through my words, Daeun’s expression softened into something almost pitying.

But I wasn’t upset.

It was true that I didn’t have fond memories of my birth parents, but the pain had long since dulled.

Thinking about my dad—Garid—still brought an ache to my chest, but I’d resolved to move forward. I couldn’t dwell on it forever.

“...Oh?”

“My parents died a long time ago, and my dad passed away a few years ago.”

“...Parents? Dad?”

Unable to keep up with the flood of information, Mrs. Kim’s eyes spun in confusion.

“...Mom. Let’s talk for a moment.”

Daeun, unable to watch her mom struggle any longer, dragged her into another room.

I could have strained to eavesdrop, but I chose not to and waited instead. It wasn’t long before the door opened again.

Mrs. Kim returned, her eyes faintly tinged with red, and sat down in front of me.

“Is there anything you’d like to eat?”

“...?”

“Or, has Daeun been bothering you? If she’s giving you a hard time, just let me know. I’ll make sure to set her straight.”

“Mom!”

The already warm atmosphere had become even softer, and her voice carried a gentle, melting tone.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed, I tugged on Daeun’s sleeve and whispered so only she could hear.

“...What did you tell her?”

“I just told her about your past. I couldn’t tell the whole truth, so I adjusted it a bit. Oh! Now that I think about it, I didn’t get your permission first. Sorry...”

“No, it’s fine. If you hadn’t, I would have explained myself anyway. But...”

“My mom has a soft spot for stories like that.”

“That much is obvious.”

We whispered back and forth.

I couldn’t deny that my past wasn’t exactly rosy, but her reaction felt like overkill.

After all, having a difficult past wasn’t particularly uncommon.

In Sillia, there were plenty of people with similar stories—or worse ones.

The group I was part of during my time in the back alleys was a prime example.

“That’s because it’s Sillia. If something like that happened in Korea, it would be a huge deal.”

“...I guess so?”

She had a point. Different worlds, different perceptions.

“You dare take advantage of a child instead of helping her? Really, what were you thinking?”

“I had no choice!”

“What ‘choice’? A kid has no strength to lean on but her own. What makes you think you have any right to shout back?”

“Ow, ow! Stop it!”

“...I’m not a kid, though.”

I didn’t know exactly how Daeun explained things, but judging by how her mom kept smacking her on the back, it didn’t seem worth worrying about.

Results were what mattered, after all.

“...Not good results at all!”

I thought I heard Daeun’s voice shouting faintly, but I probably imagined it.

Had my past left such a strong impression?

“So, you’re saying you’re going to live with Kana from now on?”

“Yeah. She has relatives, but they’re too busy to take care of her properly. So I told them I’d look after her.”

“Really? Good for you.”

Even the notion of her daughter living with a stranger didn’t faze Mrs. Kim, who accepted it wholeheartedly.

That said, Edel becoming my "relative" in this story was a stretch I struggled to keep straight.

“Then you’ll need more side dishes, won’t you? And living together will cost more. Should I give you some allowance?”

“No need. You know I make good money.”

Despite Daeun’s protests, Mrs. Kim went grocery shopping and prepared a grand meal for us.

“You eat so well. Here, try this too.”

“....”

“Mom, Kana doesn’t eat vegetables.”

“Oh dear, picky eating isn’t good...”

Her gaze stayed on me throughout the meal, warm and full of affection.

It wasn’t not overwhelming, but... it wasn’t entirely unpleasant either.

“Well, I’ll be going now. If Daeun bothers you, make sure to call me. You saved my number, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Who’s bothering who...?”

“Alright, alright. Call me if you need anything. I’ll visit again soon.”

“No! Don’t come back!”

Ignoring Daeun’s protest, Mrs. Kim stepped into the elevator.

As the doors closed and the elevator began to descend, Daeun muttered under her breath.

“Seriously. Who’s the real daughter here? Why did she even scold me?”

“Daeun.”

“Yeah?”

“How old did you say I was?”

The way Mrs. Kim had looked at me was like I was a child. Did she exaggerate that too?

When I asked with that implication, Daeun shook her head.

“I didn’t lie. Kana’s technically not an adult yet, right? That’s probably why my mom felt she needed to take care of you.”

“...I see.”

“Plus, you’re so small—”

“Die.”

Thump!

“Ow!”

She just had to push her luck with one more comment.

Ignoring Daeun clutching her side in pain, I headed back into the house.

It was probably just my imagination, but... somehow, the house felt a little warmer than usual.