I PICKED UP A CHILD IN A DUMPSTER

Chapter 219: Shiori — I

(시오리 — Shiori)

My name is Shiori.

It’s a weird name, honestly. My mom and dad picked it out before they got eaten— which, for the record, I told them was going to happen, and they didn’t even listen, which is a whole separate thing I’ve decided not to think about anymore.

I sighed, walked across the supply room, and picked up one of the baskets near the door, checking the weight before I carried it.

"I’m 9 years old," I said to nobody, mostly just to confirm it for myself... yep yep. "Which means I’m still a cutie. Nyeheh." I nodded to myself. No particular reason. Because it just felt right.

Everyone in the camp kept saying we were safe now.

I didn’t think so.

I looked across the camp from where I was standing, eyes going straight to the bench near the east wall where my Ahjussi was sitting. MY Ahjussi. Who was currently being sat next to by a noona, and the noona was hugging his arm. T-tightly. (•᷄⌓•᷅)

Again.

"She’s kidnapping him," I said, very seriously, to no one.

I nodded to myself again and went to deal with the supplies first, because you couldn’t stage a rescue on an empty schedule.

I’m smart, yep yep.

Though, for no reason, the camp people had given me a room on the 2nd floor, which I found suspicious— I’m just 9, stairs were a hazard, everyone knew this... but I went up anyway, catching myself on the railing when I tripped on the fourth step, then dodging a small piece of loose ceiling tile that fell without anyone else noticing it was coming.

I don’t know why. I always knew things like that before they happened. I just did.

After reaching my apartment, I put the basket on the table and opened it. 16 cans of tuna. 20 water bottles. I stared at the quantity for a moment. "They’re giving me a lot," I said, nodding slowly. "Probably because I’m cute. Hehe."

I stacked them carefully on the shelf, then went to the window.

Down below, the scary noona and Ahjussi were still on the bench. Even from up here I could see his face— tired, the kind of tired that went past sleep and into something heavier, stress sitting in the lines around his eyes. He looked like someone doing their best to hold something together that had too many pieces.

He’s definitely kidnapped. I thought, tapping my chin, watching the noona lean even further into his arm.

She’s definitely not letting him go voluntarily. She looks at him like he’s going to run away if she blinks.

I nodded to myself, turned around, and went back downstairs.

The camp moved around me the way it always did— people carrying things, people arguing quietly, someone hammering something somewhere near the north gate.

I ignored all of it and walked straight toward the bench, at a pace I felt was appropriately mission-like, until I was close enough to hear them talking.

"—still staying here, or do we try a different direction?" Ahjussi was saying.

I didn’t know what direction they were talking about, but I sat down beside Ahjussi anyway, and they both went quiet immediately.

I nodded to myself. Definitely my fault... yep yep. I wasn’t stupid— adults always stopped talking when kids showed up. That was just how adults worked.

I waited a respectable two seconds, then tapped Ahjussi on the side.

He looked down at me and I had to take a small moment because— wow. Very handsome. Honestly, I understood the kidnapping more now.

I would probably also kidnap someone that handsome if I was older and less morally opposed to kidnapping.

I gestured for him to lower his head. He did, which was polite. I leaned up to his ear and whispered, very seriously: "I’m going to rescue you, Ahjussi."

"...What?"

"I mean it."

He stared at me. I stared back.

"Yes." I nodded. "Also, do you have somewhere to stay?"

The noona materialized on his other side before I’d finished the sentence, leaning across him to look at me with her eyes doing something large and eager that honestly startled me slightly... Why? Because she looks like a dog. "Nope! We don’t! Why are you asking?"

I wanted to hiss at her. I couldn’t, because that would blow my cover.

So I just nodded to myself, calmly, and looked back at Ahjussi. "You can stay in my room, Ahjussi."

Ahjussi looked behind him at the noona.

Then back at me.

Then gave me a look that very clearly communicated you have to include her or she’ll be mean to me... nice one Ahjussi! Nice one, I almost blew my cover for not including her too.

"Ah, yes, and... her too, I suppose." I sighed like I was making a great personal sacrifice.

The noona started bouncing slightly where she sat, which was a reaction I had not prepared for.

She was so weird.

Last night she was terrifying— the kind of terrifying that made grown adults in the camp go very quiet and very still... me too, and this morning she was doing this.

Bouncing. With sparkly eyes. Because of a cute 9 year old’s room offer.

I watched her for another second, then looked back at Ahjussi.

And something happened that I hadn’t planned on.

I don’t know what started it exactly— maybe his face, still tired, still kind, looking at me like I was worth looking at.

Maybe the fact that he’d just automatically checked to make sure the noona was included, like taking care of people was just something he did without thinking about it.

Maybe it was just the fact that it had been a long time since someone patted my back and nobody in this camp had figured out that I needed that sometimes.

A sob came out before I could stop it. Small, embarrassing, entirely unplanned.

Or... maybe I just felt sad because my mom and dad didn’t listen to me yesterday and died.

And then for no unknown reason, I was hugging him, arms around him, face pressed into his side, and I wasn’t nodding to myself about anything for once.

Ahjussi patted my back. Steady and unhurried, like he had all the time in the world to sit there and let a kid he’d just met 4 times cry on him in the middle of an apocalypse camp.

He was really kind... because he’s patting my back.

I decided I was definitely rescuing him from the scary noona.

***

Extra — her notes

Successfully infiltrated enemy territory.

✓ Ahjussi accepted my offer to stay at my apartment.

✓ Enemy looks weird...

(Unexpected.)

I’m somehow cried... But it was all—