Aunt June’s eyes widened. "Really? Then... what’s the salary?"
Ivy smiled. "Three als a day, a place to live, and ten kilograms of rice every month."
Aunt June gasped. Her eyes grew wet with tears. She grabbed Ivy’s hands tightly.
"Ivy... you are the only person in this world who hasn’t changed. Everyone else has, but you... You are still kind. Thank you, thank you so much."
Ivy felt a little embarrassed and shook her head. "Aunt June, you don’t have to thank ."
But Aunt June wouldn’t stop. She held Ivy’s hands firmly. "No, I have to. Today, you are not leaving until you eat with ."
Ivy gave a helpless chuckle. "Alright, Aunt June. I’ll eat with you."
They had a simple al, and Ivy only ate a little. Afterward, she left with Aunt June’s blessings.
Her last stop that day was the elderly couple, Paul and Linda. She stood at their door for a while, thinking.
’They are good people. They won’t survive alone. I’ll take them too. Even if they can’t fight, they should live. I won’t let them starve.’
She rang the bell. After a mont, Paul opened the door, with Linda standing behind him. They looked surprised.
"Ivy? What are you doing here?" Paul asked kindly.
Ivy took a deep breath. "Uncle Paul, Aunt Linda... soon, gangsters will attack this area. When that happens, you won’t be able to protect yourselves. That’s why I ca. You should co with ."
The couple froze, their eyes wide. Linda grabbed Paul’s arm and looked at Ivy nervously. "Child... is that really true?"
Ivy nodded firmly. "Yes. If you stay here, you’ll be in danger. Please trust ."
Paul and Linda looked at each other. Paul’s jaw tightened, and Linda’s eyes trembled with worry. After a long pause, Paul finally spoke.
"If what you say is true, Ivy, then we will leave with you."
Ivy was stunned by their readiness and asked, "Aren’t you worried I will harm you?"
Linda nodded slowly beside him.
"We trust you, child. You have no reason to lie to us."
Paul’s voice grew softer, almost heavy. "If you wanted to harm us, you could have done it long ago. But instead, you ca here to warn us. That’s enough proof."
Linda sighed and held her husband’s arm. "Besides... what do we even have that anyone would want? We’re just two useless old people."
Paul’s gaze lowered, shadows crossing his face. He thought of their son, Jacob.
’I raised him with everything I had. Worked day and night so he could have a good life. And now... he left us like we were nothing.’
Linda’s hand trembled as the mory ca back.
.......
It was not long ago. The call had co in. Paul and Linda were both overjoyed.
"Jacob!" Paul’s deep voice was filled with relief as he answered. "Where are you? Why haven’t you co yet?"
But on the other side, Jacob’s voice was cold. "Dad, Mom, we can’t co. You should find a way to survive by yourselves."
Paul froze. "What are you saying? Jacob, what do you an by that?"
Jacob chuckled, his tone cruel. "You’re old. You should die and make way for the young. Don’t drag us down."
Linda’s heart sank. Her voice shook. "Jacob... how can you say this? After everything... after how much we’ve cared for you?"
Paul’s face turned red with anger. "What about my grandchildren? Do they even know you’re saying this?"
A younger voice ca through the call. It was their granddaughter. She spoke sweetly, but her words were like knives.
"Grandpa, Grandma, we know. If you really love us, don’t drag us down. Please don’t make it harder for us."
Then their grandson spoke too. His tone was mocking. "I told Dad already. We never planned to pick you up. We were just waiting for you two to starve. That way, we wouldn’t feel guilty."
Paul’s hand shook so badly he almost dropped the phone. Linda’s tears spilled down her cheeks.
"You heartless children!" Paul roared. "Is this what we raised you for?!"
But Jacob only said calmly, "We can’t waste food. It’s better this way."
The call ended with Paul and Linda staring at the blank screen, their hearts shattered into pieces.
.......
Back in the present, Paul’s eyes were red, and Linda was biting her lip. They looked at Ivy, who stood quietly in front of them.
Paul gave a bitter smile.
"We thought our son loved us. We thought our grandchildren respected us. But when the world ended, their hearts turned colder than stone. And yet here you are, Ivy... a child not even related to us... still caring whether we live or die."
Linda’s voice broke.
"Why would you bother helping us, Ivy? We have nothing left. Only a little gold... maybe a few hundred grams at most. We can’t give you anything in return."
Ivy shook her head with a gentle smile. "It doesn’t matter. I owe you."
Paul and Linda blinked in confusion. Paul frowned slightly. "Owe us? What do you an, child?"
Ivy lowered her eyes. She couldn’t tell them the truth.
’I can’t say it. Not in this life. In my last life... they sacrificed themselves to save . They died so I could live. How could I tell them that now? They wouldn’t understand.’
So she only said softly, "You don’t need to know. Just trust . Co with . You won’t starve, and you won’t be left behind again."
Linda’s tears fell again, but this ti they were tears of relief. She clutched Ivy’s hand. "Bless you, child. Bless you."
Paul sighed deeply, but his eyes softened. "Then we’ll follow you, Ivy. We’ll trust you. Even if we don’t deserve it."
Ivy nodded firmly, her heart heavy yet calm.
’I’ll make sure you’re safe this ti. No matter what.’
At the sa ti, she heard a familiar ding. Curiosity overtook her, and she cautiously checked the notification she had received. The mont she did so, her eyes widened in surprise, and she muttered,
"Impossible."
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