“Wow!”
I was dragged out by Bora’s hand. My grand plan to drill was all for nothing. But I couldn’t just end it like this, so I kept sneaking peeks into my room. How many times did I go back and forth between the office and my room?
I heard the drilling and machinery noises quiet down. Sensing that the construction was finally over, I went into my room. The room was almost completely finished. The wallpaper had been replaced, and the window frames and windows were brand new.
As I entered the room, the distinct smell of a new house wafted up. I couldn’t help but marvel at the sight. In a way, my once shabby room now looked better than most apartments in new buildings.
The uncles had also rearranged the furniture. I took off my shoes and hopped into the room, then dove onto the bed. Ah, the soft bed was the best! But as I was enjoying the comfort, Bora approached me.
“Hana, you need to put away your toys.”
“Oops!”
Right. I had to bring the toys scattered in the hallway back into the room. The uncles offered to help, but I refused because each toy had its own special spot. Hearing Bora, I went back outside. The hallway was filled with toys.
Since I had mentioned renovating my room, there weren’t too many toys. I first picked up the biggest teddy bear. It was the most important one. This bear was like my guardian angel while I slept. After watching a ghost movie last time and not being able to sleep, this bear sat quietly by my side, watching over me.
If a ghost really appeared, this bear would have saved me! Because it’s my guardian angel!
After placing the bear in a visible spot, I started stacking Lumi’s items neatly. Luckily, the room was spacious enough.
Once everything was organized, I looked around my room with a satisfied smile. Thanks to the uncles doing a great job with the construction, there wasn’t much left for me to do. Just bringing the toys inside was enough.
“Hana, your room looks neat now!”
Bora, Haru, and Maru came to visit my room. They wanted to see it since the construction was done. Maru was holding a tablet, jotting down things Bora and Haru pointed out.
“There’s a scratch here…”
“Looks like a screw needs to go here…”
Bora and Haru were scrutinizing my room for flaws. To me, the room looked fine, but it seemed like there were quite a few issues. Still, it wasn’t going to collapse, so I didn’t care.
I followed Bora around, curiously watching what she was doing. It was quite fun.
—
“Hana, you need to get up!”
“Mmm… five more minutes…”
I was lying in bed, unable to wake up. Seeing me like this, Maru picked me up. Without even opening my eyes, I was carried to the bathroom in Maru’s arms. She skillfully placed me in front of the sink.
Swoosh—
She turned on the water and washed my face. I automatically let Maru’s hands wash my face.
“Come on, cheer up!”
“Cheer!”
My face was cleaned by Maru’s hands. The cold water washed away some of my sleepiness. Back in the room, I flopped onto the bed. Seeing me like that, Maru picked me up again.
“Hana, it’s time to eat.”
“Food!”
At the mention of food, I got up. Food was a serious matter. Still in my dinosaur pajamas, I held Maru’s hand. It was still early morning, so there weren’t many people in the office. In fact, it was before most people even came to work. We took the elevator to the first floor and headed to the cafeteria.
There was a long line at the cafeteria. I heard recently that because the food at our Starlight Research Institute was so delicious, many employees started coming to work early. The long line was proof of that. I smiled contentedly at the sight.
It was like my own creation. Holding Maru’s hand, I walked past the long line. This was the so-called “Hana Express Pass.” Since I had to go to school, it was a special privilege to eat quickly. I also used it on school holidays. The fact that I could eat quickly made me happy.
The employees didn’t even complain or protest because without me, they’d be unemployed. They said that without me, the Starlight Research Institute would go back to being just an ordinary research institute. You know, the kind where there’s no performance bonuses and no money.
I greeted the people in line. The employees looked at me and smiled as they returned the greeting. Apparently, there are a lot of people who want to see me walk into the cafeteria every morning in my dinosaur pajamas. I’m like a local celebrity or something.
Thanks to me, Maru didn’t have to wait in line to get into the cafeteria. I casually picked up a tray and wandered around to decide what to eat. Despite it being morning, my mouth watered at the sight of all the delicious food piled up.
Normally, I don’t have much of an appetite in the morning because I’m still sleepy, but today was different. I went to my dedicated food area, where the tables were lowered to my height. I piled my plate with delicious-looking meat. Since this area is exclusively for me, I could take my time without anyone bothering me. If there wasn’t anything good here, I’d sneak over to the employees’ tables and grab something tasty.
Once I had enough food, I climbed onto my dedicated table. As soon as I sat down, Maru sat beside me. I picked up my spoon and chopsticks and started eating. Every now and then, Maru would wipe the corners of my mouth with a tissue when it got messy from eating.
—
“I don’t wanna go…”
I was lying in bed. Going to school was such a hassle. Once I got there, it was fine, but the process of getting there was so long that it made me dread going altogether.
Maru was holding the uniform I needed to wear. Seeing that, I scooted to the edge of the bed. My dinosaur pajamas were not something I could just take off easily! But despite my resistance, I couldn’t escape Maru’s grasp.
After months of dealing with a stubborn kid like me, Maru had become a pro at getting me ready for school. Before I even realized it, she had changed my clothes. It felt like magic! One moment I was in my pajamas, and the next, I was in my uniform. Maru definitely knew how to use magic. It was some kind of amazing sorcery.
Maru placed me on the bed and pulled out my bag. Inside were the textbooks and supplies I needed for today’s exams.
“Hana, did you forget anything?”
“Nope. I packed all my stuff yesterday!”
But Maru didn’t look convinced. She gave me that look, like she was sure I’d forgotten something. Just because I forgot a few things sometimes doesn’t mean I’m an idiot who can’t pack a bag! As if confirming my thoughts, Maru checked the bag and finally nodded.
“You’ve got all your books and supplies.”
“I’m not a little kid who can’t pack their own bag!”
“Shall we go then?”
Maru pulled me into her arms. I stayed still in her embrace. If walking was too much of a hassle, using Maru as my ride was super convenient. She was like a comfortable vehicle that automatically took me to the parking lot. From her arms, I waved goodbye to the office staff as we left the building. It was rush hour, so I saw a lot of familiar faces.
Going to school is so exhausting! Being too popular isn’t always a good thing. There wasn’t a single employee in this research building who didn’t know my face. Everyone recognized me and greeted me.
That’s why games like hide-and-seek or tag were so inconvenient. If I went to another floor, the employees there would recognize me and send me back to the 10th floor. I was just trying to play, but they thought I was lost! I wasn’t lost; I was just playing hide-and-seek!
Being this popular was tiring, even if I wasn’t a celebrity.
