Family of 4 and the outsider

Kim Ari took her breakfast and made her way back to her bedroom.

She has messy and oily long black hair that reaches her waist, and it even covers her eyes. She was wearing an oversized night clothes.

Despite inside the house, she was wearing her mask to cover her face.

Kim Ari was supposed to be in middle school right now, but she dropped out of school a year ago.

That's why unlike the three of us who were eating breakfast to fill our stomachs before school. She just ate once after two days to stay alive.

Her appearance screams, "I'm depressed," but I can't do anything as my power doesn't react to her.

So I decided to keep an eye on her, in case something were to happen.

Suddenly, as YeJun was in deep in thought, he accidentally made an eye contact with SeongHo.

SeongHo quickly avoids his eyes and continues watching his phone while eating.

After he finishes cooking everyone breakfast , Kim TaeHyun carries two plates full of kimchi pancakes and omelette.

As he placed the plates on the dining table, he sat beside YeJun and started to eat his breakfast.

They then continued eating their's breakfast without a words, everyone was busy eating their food in silence.

SeongHun finished eating first, he carry the plates to the sink and washed it clean before grabbing his bag.

"Don't stay out too late!"

Kim TaeHyun spoke loudly to let SeongHun hear him, which SeongHun only nodded as a response.

Right after that, Ari comes back while holding a pile of plates from her bedroom. She was just about to wash it all when suddenly Kim TaeHyun interrupted.

"You don't need to wash it, just leave it there,"

Kim TaeHyun says with his mouth full of rice. He speaks in a hurry, almost making him choke on his food.

YeJun suddenly felt pity seeing this single dad handled everything.

YeJun quickly grabbed Kim TaeHyun glass and handed it out to him, which surprised him but ended up receiving it.

He quickly drinks the water, and instead makes the food easier to swallow and prevent him from choking.

He then looks at YeJun while smiling and thanks him for helping him out.

While in the midst of the incident, Ari has already gone upstairs and entered her bedroom. Leaving only three of them at the dining table.

Kim TaeHyun quickly finished his food and did the dishes, while YeJun and SeongHo were still eating their's breakfast.

After living with them for two weeks, I have slightly grasped the situation in this house.

The mom is death, and Uncle TaeHyun handles everything, and he is also an office worker. Thus, spending less time with his children. Making their relationship feels distant and awkward.

Despite that, he tried his best to spend his day off with his children every time he could.

Kim SeongHun was a second year in high school. He was a smart kid and looked like a nerd. Looking at his gloomy appearance, he was an introvert who didn't speak much or had a lot of friends.

But I do sometimes hear him playing games with his friends a few times ago.

And Kim Ari...

When I first met her, she didn't speak to me but just stared at me before making her way into her bedroom. Ever since that day, I only saw her a few times when dinner or lunch other than that, there's a zero per cent for me to encounter her in this small house.

I never saw her face. For some reason, she was wearing a mask even when they're inside the house. I did try to take a peek on her face every time I could, but I could only see her eyes as she always entered her bedroom to eat or drink.

I do have a guess. Maybe she was insecure with her face? or there's a scar. There's no hope for me to ask the other since I'm just an outsider who just moved in 2 weeks ago.

Even when I'm currently in a body of 8 years old, it is normal to question something out of curiosity.

But if I do that, then they will say that I have a loud mouth. And that exactly how to make them hate you, regardless of your age or gender.

YeJun quickly finished his food. After that, he stood up and walked to the sink to wash his own dishes. Which is being stopped by Kim TaeHyun.

"It's okay, just leave it there. Uncle will wash it for you, go eat an apple and watch television"

YeJun shook his head quickly.

"No need, uncle. I wash my own plates. I used to it"

Of course, it's a lie, I don't clean up my mess without being told, too. But since I live here now, I need to act nicely so they don't find me burdensome.

At first, I wanted to act all friendly to quickly become friends with the family members and strengthen our bond with each other. But after seeing the gloomy atmosphere, I give up the thought of being a happy go lucky character.

I also need to take my background into consideration since both my parents' divorce and leaving me with no guardian only mean I was living independently and quietly before this.

As YeJun was washing his dishes diligently, SeongHo was just continuing to play with his phone without touching the food.

Seeing how his son and YeJun, who were at the same age, act differently, saddened him.

'YeJun, who was just 8 years old, had already mature because he needed to survive on his own. My son, who is also 8 years old, acts just like a kid...

I don't understand why his parents leave him like that.'

Kim TaeHyun sighs and immediately attracts YeJun attention.

Why is he sighed? was it because of how stubborn I am?

Realising YeJun gaze, he quickly explained himself.

"A-ah no, It's nothing. I'm just tired, hahaha. "

He laughed awkwardly before patting YeJun head while smiling warmly.

"Thanks for being so considered, YeJun. But don't concern yourself with this and leave this to an adult, just focus on your study and make a lot of friends"

After he is done speaking, he takes over the dishes and washes them. Without leaving a room for YeJun to reply to anything.

YeJun just nodded as he knew it's no use for any excuses now.

sigh... he a hard-working man.

Without wasting any time, YeJun then made his way downstairs to a basement. When he arrived, he immediately entered one room that was originally a workshop and took his bag that was lying on the floor.

The house is 2 storey house, it was an old house but it also big. There were 3 rooms on the second floor, one small bathroom on the first floor and another one in the basement.

But that hasn't included the attic yet, when Uncle TaeHyun gave me a tour for the first time. He also gave me some information about the house, how the old grandma that used to live here passed on the house to him long ago before she passed away.

I don't specify know what their's relationship are since he never told anything.

The attic got renovated and turned into another room, and the room belonged to SeongHun-Hyung now. Of course, I didn't get the chance to look inside of it. Since, it's not nessesery in the first place.

And lastly, the basement.

The basement does not have a lot of space in it since it's full of old furniture. But thankfully, there's another room where it used to be an Uncle TaeHyun workshop.

That very room is now my bedroom.

There's a small long rectangle window that leads to the front yard.

I wonder if I ever gonna sneak out of the house at night and use this window for my exit...

That sounds like an adventure.

Anyway, the room is small but big enough for an 8 years old. The room was not the worst but also not in a good condition. Uncle TaeHyun told me that since he was in a hurry, he didn't have enough time to renovate the room.

Since he was in a rush, he didn't have time to go out and buy any furniture to decorate the room.

Honestly he too kind hearted, he is too kind-hearted. he is a single parent and the only breadwinner in the family. Also, the only adult.

I'm sure they barely have enough for themselves, yet he decided to take me in, a distant relative that he never heard or knew into the family.

He already has 3 responsibilities that he needs to take care of, yet he still risks it all just to take me in.

I don't know whether he was a fool or not. Of course, I do feel grateful, but he is too kind-hearted.

Well I'm glad that he was the one who took me in, if it's any other person...I think I will live in a lot worse conditions than before. Having a new roommate and being treated like a servant. Ugh.

Speaking of my roommate, I'm really glad that he decided to give me a separate bedroom even though it was at the most scary place to sleep in.

He understands that we most definitely havewon't become friendly over time if we sleep in the same room.

Instead of becoming friendly, we might as well be enemy, for intruding on his personal space.

SeongHo looks like someone who lacks attention from anybody in this family.

His dad was busy putting the food on the table, and even when he was home, the one he paid attention to the most was Ari.

His brother was a studies one, so I guess that they rarely have a chance to play together and not close. Since I barely saw them communicating with each other.

Yet alone with his older sister Ari. Since Ari mostly shut herself in her room, I doubted they even greeted each other.

I feel like SeongHo kinda related to the previous YeJun a bit. Even though he has a father who takes care of him, the lack of attention giving to him is similar to the previous YeJun.

As YeJun had all his thoughts dancing in his head, he quickly went into a restroom just beside his room.

The basement restroom was not used until recently, so just like his bedroom, the restroom is also not in good condition.

The toilet was clogged. There's a lot of spider web even though Kim TaeHyun already cleaned it up. And the sink barely had water

YeJun had to store water every day just to fill up the bucket for him to use. He used an old pipe that he found at the yard and cleaned it before secretly bringing it inside the house, and all the way to the basement.

He connected the pipe to the sink so the water could travel smoothly into the bucket.

Uncle TaeHyun did say that I could use the bathroom on the upstairs, but... I couldn't possibly use it every single time. Especially when it's late at night.

I have to admit that the basement is a lot scary at night. So before I sleep, I will make sure to use the toilet.

Never have I ever thought about sleeping in the basement in my entire life. It's not bad since I'm free of charge from paying anything, but the atmosphere sure makes up the price of staying in the basement.

Life is fair indeed.

"YeJun-ah! let's get going!!"

The moment he heard Kim TaeHyun voice, he immediately grabbed his bag and ran upstairs. When he arrived in the living room, he saw SeongHo and his uncle already waiting for him in front of the door.

Like usually SeongHo don't even bother looking at YeJun, and just focus on his phone.

As they were about to get ready to school, TaeHyun asked SeongHo to stop playing with his phone.

Which SeongHo obeyed. He gave his phone to his father in annoyance.

Thankfully, he didn't act out, and they made their's way to school smoothly without any problems.

Uncle TaeHyun doesn't have a car, so we are going to walk to school. I'm glad that the school that both of us will attend is not that far off.

I'm quite happy with this set up, so far, there's no inconvenience for me to accomplish my goal.

I don't have parents even though I do have a guardian now, but I doubt Uncle TaeHyun will intervene in my decision on becoming an idol.

I could save the allowance every week that has been given by Uncle TaeHyun and spend it on singing or dancing class nearby .

Since I now live in the city where almost everything was available, transportation is not a problem since I can ride bus or train station to anywhere I want.

But I should avoid using a taxi since the price was expensive.

Now that I mentioned it, the city I was currently living in was at Ulsan. Previous YeJun or me now, originally live in soul but since my parents divorce they sent me to the village to live by myself in my father deceased grandparents house.

Seriously, they're the worst parents, but thanks to them, leaving me alone and making my life easier. Not being nagged or being controlled with every single thing.

And that is when all the relatives that live in the same village make an emergency meeting. They all discuss how they should deal with me. Then, when Uncle TaeHyun arrived and saw me, after hearing the news, he immediately offered to take me in.

I'm so excited to start a new life with a new goal, Im still a kid right now, so I still have a long way to go.

Just the thought of the new adventure awaited him, YeJun couldn't hold his smile and his eyes glittering with excitement.

Making Kim TaeHyun, who had been watching him from the sidelines while walking in silent, misunderstood him.

He looks so happy...I'm glad he still smiles after all the things that have happened to him. I need to work hard and provide enough for everyone, speaking of which...I also need to renovate YeJun bedroom and the washroom.

As Kim TaeHyun was pondering, unaware a pair of eyes was staring at him.

Tch, why does dad bring a stranger into our house.

SeongHo changed his gaze toward YeJun, who was still having a small smile but visible to be seen.

If he is an orphan, then he should go to an orphanage, not in our house.

I bet he is just pretending to be nice for attention.

Feeling annoyed, SeongHo clicked his tongue and kicked a nearby stone near his feet towards a stray dog that was resting on the side. Instantly, he made it scared and ran away.

Kim TaeHyun noticed SeongHo's behaviour and immediately scold him.

"SeongHo, you shouldn't kick stone carelessly like that. What if the stone hurt the dog?"

Hearing Kim TaeHyun voice, YeJun turned his head towards both Kim TaeHyun and SeongHo curiously.

Noticing YeJun gaze.

SeongHo immediately feels embarrassed and angry, seeing how his father scolds him in front of YeJun.

Why did dad scold me in front of him. Does he want to embarrass me in front of that guy?

He must be happy seeing how I get scolded by dad while he gets praised.