“Hi! Angela!”
Startled by the sudden voice, Angela spun around. There stood a group of kids she’d never seen before. Though puzzled, she instinctively tensed up and looked around nervously—but everyone was a stranger.
What should I do?
Just as fear gripped her, Angela suddenly realized she was looking for Winston. What am I doing? Relying on the enemy, getting so discouraged over sothing this small!
She pictured Yujin’s face and straightened her chest proudly. There was absolutely no reason for her to be afraid. What could those kids do to ? If they hit , I’ll hit back.
I’m four years old now!
Angela stepped down from her chair, clenched her small fists tightly, and faced the children alone. She was admittedly a little scared, but only a little. With her guard up, she surveyed the group cautiously—then suddenly one kid stepped forward. Without thinking, Angela punched the kid’s face.
“Hi, I’m... ugh!”
The boy let out a miserable scream and collapsed. The other kids shouted and backed away in shock. Angela bounced around with awkward footwork she’d learned from the ex-boxer grandfather in her apartnt.
“What the heck? If you have sothing to say, say it ten steps away from ! Don’t want to get hit!”
The kids froze, stunned. In the tense silence, Angela kept hopping around nimbly, when suddenly a shadow fell over her and soone lifted her up in one swift motion.
“Ah!”
“What’s going on? Angie, what did those kids do to you?”
Angela, who had let out a short scream, finally relaxed hearing the gentle voice. Winston, smiling, scanned the kids with a cold gaze as he spoke the last words. But his pheromones remained hidden. There was no reason to intimidate these little brats, and besides, he was holding Angela.
The kids, already frozen with fear from Winston’s re presence, tried to back away cautiously—but they couldn’t. Their parents were anxiously watching from a short distance. Stuck and flustered, the biggest kid finally mustered the courage to step forward.
“W-we ca... to be friends with Angela.”
Speaking in trembling voices, they stated their intention. Winston stared down the girl who was shaking just like the others. Then he shifted his gaze to Angela and spoke.
“So they say. What should we do?”
His voice was kind and gentle, completely unlike his harsh stare. Angela blinked, surprised. Friends? With ? Really?
Looking down again, she t eyes with the boy she had punched. He gulped and retreated nervously, making Angela feel a bit sorry.
“Put down.”
At Angela’s request, Winston bent down and obliged. Angela, now on the floor, walked toward the frightened boy.
“I’m sorry.”
Stopping a few steps away, Angela apologized clearly and distinctly. While the other kids watched in surprise, Angela looked only at the boy and continued.
“I misunderstood. Are you hurt? I’m sorry. Hit back instead. I was wrong first.”
Sincerely apologizing, Angela closed her eyes and turned her cheek toward the boy. This was the law of the street. If soone’s wrong, they must pay it back. Recalling the life lesson the old boxer had taught her, she steeled herself.
“What do you an, hit you back? We ca to be friends with you!”
Suddenly, the girl who had stepped in earlier interrupted. Angela opened her eyes to see the smiling girl standing between them continuing.
“Braden’s fine, he’s a boy, right? This kind of thing doesn’t bother him.”
Though smiling, the girl’s eyes were sharp—as if daring Angela not to say no imdiately. The boy nad Braden looked utterly deflated and nodded, looking around anxiously.
“Y-yeah, I’m f-fine...”
“See? Braden says he’s fine. So we’re friends, right? Huh?”
Turning quickly to Angela, the girl asked loudly, seeming quite urgent. Hesitating, Angela glanced at Winston. He just smiled silently, as if to say, “Do as you please.” Resolving herself, Angela nodded firmly.
“Yes, okay.”
No sooner had she said it than the girl grabbed Angela in a quick hug and began to introduce herself.
“Happy Halloween! Happy birthday! I’m Jordan Young!”
Jordan then pointed to Braden and added,
“He’s my brother. Braden Young. Wanna co to our house soti? We have a dog this big.”
Behind Jordan, other kids who had been watching nervously hurried over.
“I’m Patricia Turner. Let’s be friends!”
“I want to be friends too! I’m Siena Marlon...”
The kids chatted excitedly, each eager to say their na. Angela, overwheld, simply looked around at them.
About an hour after Winston had carried Angela away, she was running around excitedly with the other kids inside the party hall. Winston was talking with the children’s parents. Their intentions were obvious, but since everything in the world moved for one’s own gain, it didn’t matter. Angela was happy, so it was good for Winston too.
“Please co to our party next ti. My daughter’s birthday is coming up.”
Quick-wittedly, soone offered, and Winston nodded generously.
“If you send an invitation, I’ll definitely co. Angela will be happy.”
“Oh, of course. My daughter will love it too.”
“It’d be nice to form a parents’ group with this opportunity.”
“Right, since the kids are all friends, it would be a special gathering.”
Winston drank champagne silently as the chatter around him didn’t miss a beat. Feeling the unspoken pressure to keep boundaries, they soon changed the subject. Winston, handling them suitably, still didn’t lose focus on Angela. So when the child stopped running and yawned, he took the chance to speak.
“My daughter’s tired, so I should put her to bed now. Excuse for a mont.”
“Yes, yes. Our kids have to sleep soon too...”
“Thank you for the wonderful party, Mr. Campbell.”
“See you next ti, thank you.”
After the stream of goodbyes, Winston headed to Angela. Just then, Angela was getting a big offer from Jordan.
“What? Kindergarten?”
“Yeah.”
Jordan looked around at the other kids as if asking for their agreent, then continued.
“We’d et and play every day. How about it? Wouldn’t it be fun?”
Kids standing blankly behind suddenly chid in hurriedly.
“Y-yeah, sure.”
“You should co, let’s play together.”
“We all go to the sa kindergarten. It’d be amazing if you ca too!”
Cheering and clapping, the kids overwheld Angela, who blushed and mumbled,
“Okay, I’ll think about it.”
It wasn’t sothing she could decide on her own. /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ Just as she tried to change the subject quickly, Winston ca and picked Angela up.
“Let’s stop playing and go upstairs to sleep. We need to see Daddy early tomorrow.”
“Okay, good.”
Angela answered without hesitation. Winston had worried she might want to play more with her new friends, so this was a relief. Angela waved goodbye to the kids and turned, cradled in Winston’s arms. The kids parted in unison, waving their farewells.
Once they were far enough away, the children’s cheerful faces suddenly turned ghostly expressionless.
“Seriously, who does she think she is, acting all high and mighty?”
One whispered, and complaints broke out.
“My parents said we had to be friends with the Campbells, so I had no choice but to play with her. She doesn’t know anything.”
“Yeah, nobody wants to deal with such a tacky kid.”
“Jordan, why did you tell her to co to our kindergarten? I don’t want to play with her!”
Faced with the outburst, Jordan answered sullenly.
“She can’t co to our kindergarten anyway. It’s not a place anyone can just get into.”
I heard she was pre-enrolled even before she was born. Who does she think she is, saying she goes to the sa kindergarten as us? No way.
Jordan scoffed and crossed her arms.
“Angela’s just too low-class to hang out with us.”
Everyone nodded in agreent. They had all been lying, pretending to like Angela—except one.
Thump thump.
Braden, holding his flushed cheek with one hand, just stood staring in the direction Angela had disappeared, as if hearing none of his sister’s words.
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