Chapter 92: Sunbathing (1)

This was Junbuna’s first reaction upon waking. Her body felt no lingering turmoil, and she woke up smoothly.

She had slept very soundly.

Ruby sat by the desk, waiting quietly for Junbuna.

Junbuna sat up. Although her voice was still a bit raspy, it had returned to normal.

“Morning.”

“It’s already noon.”

“What?!”

“Yes, you’ve already slept for one full day.”

Ruby noted that Junbuna hadn’t been able to rest well during that period, so sleeping for one day was actually quite mild.

Although Junbuna’s eyes were still deeply sunken — making Ruby doubt whether this was the same person she knew from before — she had at least regained some of her spirit. After the care they had given it last night, her hair was now at least manageable.

“Eat breakfast first. We’re going to see Yuyu later.”

‘Yuyu… Is she even smaller than the girl from when we first met?’

The thought left Junbuna feeling a sense of anticipation.

Junbuna finally felt like she had the strength she needed. She ate her breakfast obediently. As the warm liquid food slid into her stomach, it brought with it the sensation of coming back to life.

“Ruby, aren’t you eating?”

“I already ate. You weren’t awake when I brought breakfast in for you this morning, so I ate that portion.”

“I see… Thank you.”

Seeing the relaxed Junbuna flash a natural smile, Ruby couldn’t help but smile as well.

“Right, just like that. In our home, Junbuna is a girl who loves to laugh and has a very cute smile.”

‘Smile?’ Junbuna didn’t know if she still had the right to smile.

“I’m sorry. Even though I left you, you were still willing to take care of someone as troublesome as me.”

“Like I said, aren’t we still friends? That’s just how friends are; they have the occasional fight and then make up.”

‘Thank you…’

Ruby gently patted Junbuna’s shoulder.

“Don’t cry. Aren’t you going to see the little girl soon? In a child’s eyes, a messy adult suddenly approaching while crying is a terrifying thing. You can’t scare the child. Do you want to become a scary auntie who makes children cry?!”

Junbuna sniffed.

“You’re right.”

The two of them interacted just like they used to.

Junbuna sat in a chair while Ruby stood behind her, skillfully picking up a brush and essential oils.

The hair reached down to her waist. Junbuna’s scalp was still healthy enough, but her hair was somewhat dry due to the previous mistreatment. As the essential oils moisturized it and Ruby combed with patience, the ink-black hair slowly began to regain its luster.

‘How many years of care will it take to fix this?’ Even so, Ruby couldn’t control the ache in her heart.

“Don’t be like that, Ruby. I failed myself.”

“That’s no excuse to ruin yourself. Look at you, you’re not as beautiful as before. Even makeup can’t hide it.”

“Hmm… but how exactly am I supposed to suppress these feelings of mine?”

Even if they were cheap clothes, Junbuna dressed herself while Ruby sat to the side and waited.

“Junbuna, you cherish those letters, right?”

“Yes… very much.”

Ruby recalled the letters she had seen when she entered the room, which were already yellowed and old.

“You haven’t aired those letters out once, have you? If you want to keep them for a long time, you have to sun them regularly like old books.”

Junbuna whispered softly.

“I see… I never even thought of that.”

“Next time, let’s go air them out on the Academy’s lawn. We can have a picnic in the shade of the trees while we’re at it.”

“Okay. I’ll help you prepare the meals, and some snacks too.”

“This…”

Finally, Junbuna zipped up her sleeve, the mechanism making a crisp clicking sound.

“Aren’t we friends?”

“I suppose so… let’s go together.”

“Then, let’s go see the girl. Is she at home right now?”

Ruby shook her head.

“At this time, she should be on the park lawn.”

“The lawn?”

Junbuna and Ruby walked out of the dormitory building side by side.

The bright afternoon sun poured onto the ground without reservation. The warmth felt as if it could penetrate the skin, causing Junbuna’s heart, which had been somewhat gloomy due to recent events, to clear up a little.

Ruby led Junbuna forward, hoping to ease her anxiety.

“It’s fine.”

“Yeah… I’m prepared to be hated. Even one look is enough… Wait, why is the girl on the grass?”

“Because little Yuyu needs to sunbathe. It’s good for her health.”

Since both were students of the Academy, they walked inside following the familiar paths.

After passing through the Academy’s tree-lined boulevard and turning a corner, an open, lush green lawn came into view.

Then, Junbuna stopped in her tracks.

She saw the little girl lying on the lawn.

The girl had baby fat on her cheeks, delicate features, large blue eyes, a cute little body, and chubby little hands.

A head of blue-black gradient hair fell freely across the grass, extending to her waist and shimmering with a deep blue hue under the sunlight.

She was dazing out.

Simply dazing out.

Suddenly, without any warning, she flipped over from her stomach to her back, her round little belly facing upward.

This…

Junbuna felt her breath hitch.

“This?”

Junbuna’s voice wavered slightly with excitement.

“Isn’t she way too cute?!”

Although Junbuna had lived with the girl since she was small, she had never seen her at 5 years old. At that time, the girl’s body hadn’t fully recovered, and she was still an infant.

So, in reality, this was the first time Junbuna had seen this soft little girl. Wow… she really was tiny. She was likely even smaller than the recovered version from when they first met.

Of course… she heard this little girl was only around 5 years old.

Ruby sat nearby to protect her while the little girl rolled around on the grass. Philia lay on her side in the shade of a tree, a book in hand, though her gaze frequently lingered on her daughter.

The little girl wasn’t exactly hyperactive. She did not run and scream like ordinary children, but simply rolled on the lawn from time to time, maintaining a dazed expression as she looked at the scenery and sky, occasionally letting out a lazy yawn.

*Gurgle gurgle…*

The little girl rolled down the gentle slope like a round ball, letting out vague, cute sounds from her mouth.

“Awa awa awa~”

Seeing that the little girl was about to roll too far away, Junbuna stood up at a leisurely pace and walked over to her. With gentle and practiced movements, she picked her up and brought her back.

The little girl was very cooperative. When she was picked up, her limbs spread out like a kitten being held by the scruff of its neck, allowing Junbuna to do as she pleased.

After placing the girl back on the grass, Junbuna gave her a piece of chocolate. The little girl’s eyes instantly lit up. She peeled the wrapper and popped it into her mouth.

“Wow, I love it!”

The little girl giggled and rolled a few times toward Junbuna.

This way, she wouldn’t stray too far. Junbuna knew how to take care of and coax children.

Over these past few days, she had gradually become accustomed to the way she interacted with the little girl. The sunbathing girl seemed to feel an itch on her thigh. She groggily reached out her chubby little hand and, without a second thought, prepared to reach directly from…