The streets were unusually quiet as I walked beneath the dim streetlights, my lips pressed into a thin line.
Most of the shops had already closed for the night. Today was Awakening Day, after all. Families were busy celebrating those who’d awakened, consoling those who hadn’t, and making plans for whatever future awaited them.
Yet I felt completely detached from it all.
It could have been one thing if I were an orphan, struggling to make ends meet on my own. Instead, I had a family as stinking as mine.
My mother’s words kept replaying in my head, causing my heart to sting as though it were being pierced by a million daggers.
You’re a Michael.
That great place.
Your real father.
If you weren’t his son...
I let out a slow breath, my expression hardening.
Dark circles rimmed my eyes as I pulled the hood of the jacket I’d bought from the System further over my head.
[Host, the cleanup is complete. I’ve wiped all memories of you killing Dan from everyone except your mother.]
I was silent for a moment.
"Thanks," I finally muttered, my voice hoarse.
My body hurt so badly I could barely stand. According to the system, it was an after-effect of using my abilities without consolidating the F-rank realm.
It seemed even when I was at my lowest, the universe still wanted to slap me in the face and call me a bastard.
As I walked further down the street, not knowing where exactly I was headed, I came across a small bakery with its lights still on.
Inside the small store, a couple in their late thirties or early forties were begging the owner, tears spilling from the corners of their eyes as though their world was about to collapse.
The store owner, an older woman, studied them for a long moment before reluctantly nodding and pulling a cake from her freezer.
The couple bowed repeatedly to her before rushing out of the store, not even noticing me standing beside the window, their eyes fixed entirely on the car parked outside.
My eyes didn’t leave them for a moment as they climbed into the car and drove away.
As they passed, I caught sight of the boy sitting in the back. He had a short, frail frame with a huge grin plastered across his face.
It took me a moment before I finally realized where I’d seen that face.
"Jude Evans..." The words left my lips far more bitterly than I’d intended. I bit down on my lower lip hard enough to draw blood.
I looked down at my hands, still trembling, partly because my body hadn’t caught up with my newfound strength, and partly because of the pain twisting inside me from this heartbreak.
If someone looked at me, then at little Jude, they might think there was nothing in the world that could make me jealous of him. Even in my past life, I would’ve thought the same: Someone like him must have been living the good life.
But who could’ve imagined that, at this moment, an uncontrollable surge of jealousy would fill my heart so completely that thoughts of murder would enter my mind?
I clenched my jaw even tighter, ready to turn back toward the street and continue my aimless walk, when an old woman’s voice rang in my ears.
"What? Didn’t awaken?"
I raised my eyes, half-shrouded by the hood, and stared at the old woman with curly gray hair and an apron over her long gown.
She leaned against the doorframe of her store, a huge smile on her face.
"What?" I couldn’t help blurting out, even though I’d heard every word she’d said.
The old woman tilted her head. "Looks like you’ve been through a lot, little child. It must hurt not having awakened, but look at the bright side; most of us old folks have lived pretty fulfilling lives even without becoming hunters."
The woman kept talking about different parts of her life, from entering college to getting married, having her son, and eventually welcoming her granddaughters.
I just stared at her, completely stunned.
Unlike me, standing beneath the empty light of the moonless sky, she seemed impossibly warm, and her small gestures and gentle expressions stirred something inside my heart.
"What I’m saying," she finally concluded, "is that this life is far too long to get sad over a few shortcomings. As long as you have those who love you, whether family or not, you can make it through a lot."
I lowered my gaze from her warm expression to my hand.
’It’s stopped trembling.’
A small smile touched my lips as I raised my head fully. Only then did I notice the old woman’s eyes had gone wide with surprise.
"Oh my, you’re quite the looker, aren’t you?" she said, covering her mouth with a small gasp. "And you look even better when you smile."
She moved toward me with graceful steps, reached out, and tapped me several times on the shoulder with a huge grin.
"If you look like this, then there’s even more reason not to feel down. Just spend some time with your friends. I bet you’ll feel alright in no time."
I gave her a small nod as she continued. "If you feel down again, just come meet this old granny. Perhaps we can even become family, you know? My little Fifi is just like you. I bet you two would make an excellent pair."
My eyes widened for a moment before a faint flush crept to the tips of my ears, completely unlike me.
"That’s more like it."
The old lady rushed into her store and returned with a slice of cake. "Since no one is celebrating or consoling you, take this little present as a gift from your future grandmother-in-law."
The sweet smell of vanilla and cake rushed into my nose, making my stomach ache slightly.
I reached out and took the cake, wrapped in its small paper cover, then took a small bite. Instantly, the sweetness filled my mouth, nearly bringing tears to my eyes.
"It’s good," I said. "Really good."
The old woman raised her chin, her chest puffing with pride. "Of course. I’ll have you know this old granny has been doing this for years."
She reached out and pulled my hood down, letting the cool night wind rush across my face.
"That’s much better." She waved at me once more before turning back toward her store.
"Oh, right..." she said, turning back one last time. "You never told me your name, my little grandson-in-law."
I glanced down at the cake in my hands, then back at the woman standing in the doorway.
"It’s Kaiser..." I muttered softly. "Just Kaiser."
She nodded. "Okay, Just Kaiser. I’ll see you another day. I hope that by then, you’ll come with a huge grin on your face."
I nodded once before walking away from the store. After a few steps, I took another bite of the cake, letting its sweetness fill my mouth.
[Host, are you feeling better now?]
I let out a sigh and stared at the sky with a smile. "Yeah. Much, much better now."
....
[Meanwhile, in front of the bakery.]
Gabrielle Fox stood at the front of the store, watching Kaiser’s disappearing figure with a faint smile, her narrow eyes opening a fraction.
"Grandma, what happened?"
The soft voice of a young woman rang out from inside the store, prompting Gabrielle to turn away from the road.
Standing behind her was a beautiful young woman with long blonde hair, light purple eyes, and lashes that matched her hair.
With a slender yet busty figure, she wore an oversized shirt that did little to hide her full chest, paired with a short skirt that revealed most of her long legs.
Gabrielle shook her head. "Nothing much. I just saw an interesting young man."
Her granddaughter raised a brow. "An interesting young man?" she echoed. "Grandma, you found someone interesting?"
Gabrielle nodded as she stepped back into the store. "Fifi, have you started thinking about getting a partner yet?"
Her granddaughter’s expression changed instantly. "Grandma! How could you say that?" She puffed out her cheeks. "I’m not interested in any boy at the moment. Besides, now that I’ve awakened, I want to concentrate on my hunter career."
Gabrielle shook her head as she settled into one of the chairs in the store. "Oh, you silly girl. Even if you become the greatest hunter, it’s still good to have a nice man by your side."
She paused for a moment before continuing. "And this particular man I just saw would be perfect for you. Not only is he very handsome, but he looks like he’ll do great things in the future. It won’t hurt to at least meet him."
The young girl let out a huff, her cheeks flushing red. "No, it’s no, Grandma. Besides..." She hesitated for a moment before continuing, "There’s a boy... I’m interested in."
Gabrielle raised an eyebrow, her attention immediately sharpening. "Oh, do you mean the man who saved you from that scam earlier?"
Her granddaughter, Fiona, nodded softly. "Yeah. It’s him."
Gabrielle shook her head in defeat. "You youths really are strange. How can you fall for a man you barely know? You don’t even know what he looks like. Wouldn’t it be better to go for someone you can actually see rather than chase after some fleeting dream?"
Fiona seemed lost in thought for a moment, as though reminiscing about something ancient.
"No, Grandma..." She paused before continuing. "At the very least, I want to know his identity."
She moved behind her grandmother and wrapped her arms around her, resting her cheek against hers.
"If it doesn’t work out, I’ll be sure to meet this handsome suitor of yours."
"Hahaha, good girl. Next time this grandson-in-law of mine comes around, I’ll be sure to get his number," she teased.
"Grandma~!"
The two of them continued talking about two mysterious figures, one known to Gabrielle and the other to Fiona, when the bakery door suddenly opened and yet another beautiful woman walked in, tossing her handbag onto a chair with a long sigh.
"God, I’m so tired~" the young woman groaned, slipping off her heels.
Gabrielle tilted her head back slightly, while Fiona quickly ran over and threw her arms around the woman.
"Mom!" Fiona said with barely contained excitement as she hugged the woman, who looked barely older than her.
Gabrielle frowned slightly as she stared at her former daughter-in-law, who was dressed in a revealing outfit beneath a nude-colored overcoat.
"Yumi, where are you coming from?"
Yumi tied her hair back into a ponytail and looked at Gabrielle. "I had some late-night work today."
Her eyes darted around the room before settling on Fiona, nestled against her. "Fiona, your sister isn’t back yet?"
Fiona lifted her head from her mother’s chest, a scowl crossing her face. "Yeah. I bet she’s out there partying with that other side of Dad’s family, that bitch Ivy."