SOLIRF~04

Chapter 4

What Keeps Me Going

How childish.

No matter where you go, office life is always the same. Or maybe this world is just optimized for K-drama levels of misery.

Anyway, the situation right now is clear enough—

I’ve been marked.

They’ve taken a solid dislike to me. Maybe it’s because of that customer incident. But what was I supposed to do then? My paycheck—and my future—were on the line.

Still, if they leave it alone, they’ll end up screwing themselves over too.

At least the manager didn’t chew me out. These people can’t even tell whether something’s good or bad for them. Trying to make sense of them with logic is pointless.

Cornelia’s family, at least, could read and write. They were once nobles, even if fallen ones. She said her parents had taught her themselves despite their poverty. Luckily, I could also read and write this world’s language as if it were my own. Thank God for that—because if I couldn’t… I don’t even want to imagine it.

“Coco, aren’t you going home?”

Nicola appeared at the warehouse door, probably worried because I hadn’t come out.

“You go ahead.”

“Why?”

I pointed at the pile of boxes stacked in front of me. His brows furrowed.

“Don’t tell me… they told you to organize that?”

“Yeah. Something like that.”

“Guess it’s your turn this time.”

“This happens often?”

“When they don’t like someone, they dump work right before closing and tell you to finish before they come back tomorrow. But why’d you get targeted, Coco? Even when you used to be late, this didn’t happen.”

“Honestly, it’d make more sense if they did it when I was late.”

Nicola’s frown only deepened.

“That’s going to take forever. I’ll help. I’ll count the items; you just write them down.”

I shook my head.

“No, it’s fine. I’m leaving.”

“What? You’re just going to go? But a senior told you to—” Nicola’s face turned pale, like he was afraid of what would happen next.

Once you start letting them walk all over you, it never ends.

If this were a one-time thing, I’d do it and move on. But people like that—once they step on you, they don’t stop until you can’t get back up. And there’s no such thing as overtime pay here. Better to cut my losses and bail.

“If I mess something up, it’ll just make things worse. That’s full-time work anyway.”

“Maybe, but the senior won’t just let it go…”

He looked genuinely worried. Maybe he’d seen how this kind of thing usually ended. That “senior” couldn’t be more than in their early twenties, but I’d been through enough corporate nonsense in my thirties not to care.

“Coco, then… I’ll do it. I can write numbers, so I’ll finish it and you can check it tomorrow!”

“What?! Why would you do that?”

My voice rose before I realized it. Nicola flinched, eyes trembling with panic.

“But you just started getting on track, and I don’t want to see you get scolded again.”

…What kind of person is this? Volunteering to take on someone else’s work? An angel?

Still, I couldn’t let him actually do it. I’m not some moral saint, but this—this was too much.

“Why are you going this far for me? Ugh… fine, I’ll do it.”

The job itself wasn’t complicated—just counting inventory and filling out the forms. Annoyed, I decided to finish it as fast as I could.

“Wow, Coco! I didn’t know you could count that fast! You’re writing so quickly too—amazing!”

You’re just slow, I wanted to say, but I held my tongue. Most commoners here couldn’t even get basic education unless they were talented or rich.

Wait a second… maybe I can use that.

If literacy alone gave me an edge—then maybe, just maybe, independence wasn’t such a distant dream.

***

Even without overtime pay, I walked home with lighter steps, buoyed by the hope of a better future.

“I’m home.”

As soon as I opened the door, Julie came running toward me, panic in her eyes.

“Sis! Something terrible happened!”

Her tone made my stomach twist.

“What is it?”

“It’s Rio—Rio’s…!”

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

“And Marcel?” I asked, referring to her older brother, Rio’s guardian.

“He’s not back yet. What should we do, sis? I want to call the doctor, but I was too scared to leave Rio alone. I was waiting for you to come home, but then you didn’t, and I started worrying that something happened to you too, and—h-hic—”

This kid… she’d been spinning all these thoughts in her little head?

Without another word, I pushed open Rio’s door. His body was burning with fever, his breathing ragged and shallow. He looked like he could stop breathing any moment.

And for some reason, the sight made my heart drop.

I froze. Completely.

“Sis?”

Julie’s voice sounded distant. Rio’s pale face blurred into someone else’s.

“Sis!”

She grabbed my arm and shook me hard, snapping me back. I quickly lifted Rio onto my back.

“Take me to the doctor.”

“Okay!”

Julie ran ahead, and I followed, Rio limp on my shoulders. I might’ve bumped into someone on the way, but I couldn’t afford to stop.

We reached the doctor’s house, both of us drenched in sweat.

“Doctor! It’s Julie!”

The door opened.

“Good heavens, Rio! Bring him inside!”

“Please, doctor—save him! Please, he’s all I have!” Julie sobbed as the doctor checked Rio’s pulse and breathing.

“He’ll take care of him,” I whispered, patting her trembling shoulders.

Julie burst into tears and clung to me.

“Unnie… sob… I was so scared…”

I hesitated, then hugged her back, mind spinning.

It had been fourteen years since I’d lost my own family—my parents, my brothers, my little one—all gone in a car accident while I was away on a trip. A normal, happy family. People who loved each other.

Maybe that’s why I’d never been able to pretend this new family was mine. Acting like their real daughter felt like a betrayal—to both families.

But now… seeing Rio struggling to breathe—it was like watching my own brother again. Even though I knew they weren’t the same, my body wouldn’t move. I’d frozen in fear.

Fourteen years, and I was still like this.

I wiped my sweaty face with my sleeve and forced a smile.

“I’m fine,” I told Julie when she noticed my pale face. “Guess I’m out of shape. Haven’t run like that in years.”

“Rio’s gotten so big, too. He’s heavy,” I added with a light laugh.

A moment later, the doctor came out, wiping his brow. His expression wasn’t good.

“How is he?” I asked quietly.

The doctor sighed.

“Rio’s illness isn’t incurable. But he’ll need to take medicine made from the Blue Frost Flower for a long time if he’s to recover.”

“Then we can—”

“But his body runs unusually hot. If this had been caught when he was very young, it would’ve been easy to treat. Now it’s much harder. His body’s exhausted from the constant fevers. He’s endured well so far, but if we miss this chance… I can’t promise anything.”

“What should we do, then?”

“As I said, the medicine is key. But that herb is imported, and even at cost price, it’s quite expensive. I’ve already used some tonight.”

So in the end, it all came down to money.

If it weren’t for my useless track record at work, I could’ve covered this without a problem.

“How much?”

“Fifty jenny per day.”

My breath caught.

A week’s worth of normal medicine costs forty jenny… that’s more than seven times the price.

I silently thanked Nicola. If I lost my job tomorrow, I’d have no income at all.

I took a deep breath and asked something I’d never said in my entire life.

“Would you… let me pay later?”

If I left Rio like this, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.

“I wish I could,” the doctor said softly, “but I’m sorry.”

Of course. Even if he sold the medicine at cost, he still had to buy it first. He had other patients to care for too.

“No, I understand. I’m sorry for even asking. I’ll find a way to pay for tonight’s treatment. You don’t have to tell the kids anything.”

“…All right. But take care. You can pay me later for this one.”

He gave me a bittersweet smile.

I bowed deeply, unable to refuse his kindness.

Now… how can I get that money?

As I watched Julie and Rio sleeping peacefully, hand in hand, I racked my brain for an answer.

***

The next morning, Nicola arrived at the store early, relieved that Coco hadn’t gotten in trouble for yesterday’s work. He really didn’t want his new friend to get fired. She wasn’t the best employee, but she wasn’t bad either.

She’s just… a bit naive, he thought, like a sheltered noble girl.

Still, lately, she’d been on time every day—no lateness, no accidents. It was a miracle. Nicola was quietly proud of her progress.

“Good morning.”

He turned at the familiar voice, ready to greet her with a smile—

And froze.

Coco stood there, short hair brushing just below her ears.

Her long, shining locks were gone.

She grinned. “It was annoying, so I cut it.”