After sleeping for who knew how long, Gu Shun woke up.
A wooden ceiling greeted his eyes.
"Where am I?"
Gu Shun looked around and found himself lying in bed in an unfamiliar room.
Through the window beside him, Gu Shun saw bright sunshine outside. It seemed to be nearly noon.
After looking at the wooden furniture and floor around him, he concluded that he was probably in a wooden house.
Recalling what had happened, he knew someone had rescued him.
Remembering the gun in the man's hands and the forest around them, Gu Shun concluded that his rescuer was probably a hunter.
The memory of nearly ending up in a wolf's belly still left him shaken.
"I finally have some strength again."
After moving his arms and legs, Gu Shun found that his strength had finally returned. Unlike when he had faced the wolf, he was no longer too weak to move and helpless to resist.
Gu Shun pulled back the blanket covering him and found that his clothes had been replaced with what appeared to be linen garments.
Looking at his clothes, Gu Shun couldn't help feeling as though he had returned to the Middle Ages.
(The protagonist only lost his memories of his own background in his previous world. He still remembers everything else. Please don't read too much into it.)
Gu Shun got out of bed and walked toward the mirror standing ahead of him.
Only through the mirror did Gu Shun get a proper look at his current appearance.
He had black hair and eyes, sharp brows, bright eyes, a handsome face, and an air of inborn nobility.
"This looks like me when I was little."
Comparing his reflection with his memories of himself, Gu Shun finally confirmed that he had become a young boy who appeared to be only eight or nine years old.
Just as Gu Shun was studying his appearance closely-
The door creaked open.
A blond man walked in. He froze briefly upon seeing Gu Shun standing before the mirror, then put on a friendly expression.
Gu Shun recognized him as the man who had killed the wolf and saved him. Without him, Gu Shun would probably have become wolf droppings by now.
"You're awake, kid."
The man spoke kindly to Gu Shun.
"Yes! Thank you for saving my life."
Gu Shun nodded and thanked the man.
"No need to thank me! It was the right thing to do. Luckily, I heard your voice, or I would've been too late."
The man laughed heartily and waved a hand, telling him there was no need to be so formal.
Then he began asking Gu Shun questions.
"What's your name, kid?"
"My name is Gu Shun."
Gu Shun answered the man's question honestly.
"Gu Shun? What an unusual name. What's your surname?" The blond man frowned at Gu Shun's name and asked another question.
"Huh? It's Gu."
Gu Shun didn't quite understand what the man meant.
"What's your father's name?"
The man was a little at a loss over Gu Shun's answer, but continued questioning him.
"My father's name?" Gu Shun was immediately stumped by the question.
He couldn't remember his father's name at all. He couldn't even remember his mother's.
"I don't remember."
Gu Shun shook his head with a bitter smile.
The man saw Gu Shun's troubled expression and recalled that he had found only Gu Shun in the woods, with no one else around.
He couldn't help imagining that something must have happened to Gu Shun's family, and that it had also caused the boy's memory loss.
Thinking this, the man couldn't help looking at Gu Shun with sympathy.
"My name is Kane Ackerman," the man introduced himself.
"Kane Ackerman?" Hearing the name, Gu Shun couldn't help thinking it sounded like a foreigner's name from his previous life.
"That's right."
Kane nodded with a cheerful smile.
"Grrr~"
Just then, Gu Shun's stomach betrayed him with a growl.
Gu Shun glanced at Kane awkwardly. He hadn't expected to get hungry.
"Come on. It's lunchtime anyway."
Hearing Gu Shun's stomach growl, Kane knew he must be hungry.
He opened the door and spoke to Gu Shun.
"Okay."
Gu Shun nodded and followed him.
Leaving the room, Gu Shun followed Kane into a spacious living room.
"Oh my, our little guest is awake."
Just then, a woman's gentle voice rang out.
Gu Shun looked toward the voice and saw a kind-looking woman who also had glossy black hair.
"This is my wife, Yumiko Ackerman."
Kane introduced her to Gu Shun.
"Hello, Auntie!" Gu Shun greeted Yumiko politely.
"What a polite child."
Yumiko covered her mouth and laughed.
"Gu Shun, go sit down for a bit. Lunch will be ready soon. I need to talk to your Aunt Yumiko first."
Kane spoke to Gu Shun.
"All right."
Gu Shun nodded, found a stool, and sat down to look around. Uncle Kane's house wasn't very big, but it had everything they needed and looked very cozy.
To be honest, he still felt a little awkward. After all, he was somewhere he didn't know anyone.
Just then, Gu Shun sensed someone watching him. Following his instincts, he looked over and found an especially adorable little girl who closely resembled Aunt Yumiko.
She was holding on to the door and secretly watching him, her eyes full of curiosity about this stranger.
When she saw Gu Shun looking her way, the girl hurried away like a startled rabbit.
She's probably Uncle Kane's daughter, right?
Gu Shun guessed.
"Does that child really not remember anything?"
In the kitchen, Yumiko and Kane looked at Gu Shun sitting in the living room as they discussed him.
"Yes. I had a brief chat with him just now. He's even forgotten his parents' names. And when I found him, he was wearing clothes that didn't fit at all. Judging by the fabric, he must be from a wealthy, influential family."
"But I found no sign of anyone else nearby, or any trace of a struggle. It was as though someone had deliberately abandoned him."
Kane shared his thoughts.
"He doesn't look much older or younger than Mikasa."
Yumiko's gaze toward Gu Shun was full of sympathy and concern.
"Sigh... Let's ask him again over lunch, then decide what to do," Kane said with a sigh.
"All right." Yumiko nodded, then turned to prepare lunch.
Kane went to the dining table, took some tableware from a nearby cupboard, and began setting it out.
"Gu Shun, you've met Mikasa already, haven't you?"
Kane spoke up suddenly.
Mikasa? That must be the girl from just now.
The name Kane mentioned made Gu Shun think of the adorable girl who had been sneaking looks at him.
"Yes, I have."
"She's my daughter, and she's about your age, though she's rather shy."
Listening to Uncle Kane, Gu Shun nodded to show that he had met her.
"Gu Shun, could you please go ask Mikasa to come out for lunch?"
Kane pointed toward Mikasa's room as he made the request.
"Sure, Uncle." Gu Shun agreed to Kane's request.
He walked to Mikasa's room and first knocked politely on the door.
"Come in!" Mikasa's voice came from inside.
With Mikasa's permission, Gu Shun opened the door and entered her room.
It was Gu Shun's first time entering a girl's room. Mikasa's room was also built of wood, but compared with the room he had been in earlier, it had more decorations, such as flowers and plants.
A faint fragrance also lingered in Mikasa's room.
Gu Shun saw Mikasa sitting on the bed with a doll in her hands.
Mikasa saw Gu Shun too.
She hadn't expected Gu Shun to be the one entering her room.
Mikasa was very nervous as she looked at him. This was her first time meeting someone other than her parents, and he was a child her age at that.
Her gaze darted about, afraid to meet Gu Shun's eyes, while her little hands clutched her doll tightly.
Seeing how nervous Mikasa was, Gu Shun took the initiative to introduce himself.
"Hello, my name is Gu Shun. It's nice to meet you."
As he spoke, Gu Shun held out his right hand in a friendly gesture, a kindly smile on his face.
Mikasa hesitated at his outstretched hand. After watching him for a moment, she extended her own right hand and gave his a gentle shake.
"Mikasa. Mikasa Ackerman."
Mikasa introduced herself, though her voice still held a trace of nervousness.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mikasa."
Gu Shun smiled at Mikasa as he spoke.
"You too."
For some reason, seeing Gu Shun's smile eased some of Mikasa's nerves, and she smiled back as she answered.
"You have a really pretty smile."
For some reason, the sight of Mikasa smiling made Gu Shun's heart flutter, and the compliment slipped out.
"Thank you." It was also Mikasa's first time being complimented like this by a boy other than her father, and she immediately grew shy.
Seeing Mikasa lower her head with a bashful blush, Gu Shun realized he had been a little forward.
"Uh... Mikasa, your father asked me to call you out for lunch."
Gu Shun hurried back to the subject.
"Oh, okay. I'll be right out." Hearing that her father had sent Gu Shun to call her for lunch, Mikasa quickly nodded obediently.
"I'll head out first, then." After saying this to Mikasa, Gu Shun left the room.
When he returned to the dining room, Kane was already sitting at the head of the table.
Yumiko was serving the freshly prepared lunch, which looked like some kind of stew, into the bowls on the table.
Seeing Gu Shun come out of Mikasa's room, Yumiko smiled slightly, then pointed to the seat beside Kane and spoke.
"Here, Gu Shun. Sit beside Kane."
"All right, Aunt Yumiko."
Gu Shun nodded and obediently sat down in the chair beside Kane.
"Did you tell Mikasa?" Kane asked Gu Shun.
"Yes, I told her. She said she'd be right out."
Kane nodded lightly.
A little while later, Mikasa's door opened.
Mikasa left her room and came into the dining room. She first greeted Kane and Yumiko, then pulled out a chair and sat directly opposite Gu Shun.
Looking at Mikasa sitting directly across from him, Gu Shun gave her a friendly smile.
Mikasa looked at Gu Shun and lowered her head shyly.
Yumiko and Kane witnessed the exchange and shared a silent smile.
Once Mikasa joined them at the table, lunch officially began.
After Uncle Kane, as the man of the house, picked up his spoon and began eating, everyone else started as well.
Already ravenous, Gu Shun began eating the stew in his bowl.
He had to admit that Aunt Yumiko's cooking was delicious. Though the meal consisted of nothing more than simple mushrooms, vegetables, and meat, it tasted wonderful.
Gu Shun was so hungry that he ate quickly, polishing off a full bowl of stew along with his bread in no time.
Gu Shun put down his bowl, only to find Mikasa's entire family staring at him in surprise. Their looks made him blush.
"Sorry. I hadn't eaten in so long that my table manners were a bit awful."
Gu Shun scratched the back of his head awkwardly and apologized.
But his words only made Yumiko and Kane feel sorry for him.
What a good child. The couple exchanged a glance, their hearts aching as they looked at Gu Shun.
"Pfft!" Just then, Mikasa couldn't hold back a laugh as she looked at Gu Shun.
Gu Shun looked at Mikasa in confusion.
When Mikasa noticed Gu Shun looking at her, she blushed a little, then pointed to her own face to remind him.
"You've got soup on your mouth."
At Mikasa's reminder, Gu Shun wished he could sink through the floor.
He hadn't expected to embarrass himself in front of a child. How mortifying.
"Here you go." Yumiko noticed Gu Shun's embarrassment and smiled faintly as she handed him a cloth to wipe his mouth.
Gu Shun thanked her, took the cloth, and quickly wiped the food from his mouth.
"Um... Aunt Yumiko."
After wiping his mouth clean, Gu Shun looked at Yumiko a little sheepishly.
"Hmm? What is it?" Yumiko asked, puzzled.
"Um, could I have another bowl?"
Gu Shun looked at Yumiko and sheepishly asked for another serving.
"Huh? Oh, of course." Yumiko paused, then quickly nodded and ladled another brimming bowl of stew for Gu Shun.
"It looks like you really like my cooking, Gu Shun," Yumiko said with a smile.
"Yes, your cooking is delicious, Aunt Yumiko."
Gu Shun looked at Yumiko and offered his sincere praise.
At the table, Kane noticed that Gu Shun was still a little uncomfortable, so he began telling them how he had met Gu Shun and rescued him from a wolf's jaws.
As they listened to their husband and father recount what had happened, Yumiko and Mikasa stared at Gu Shun in disbelief. Neither had expected such a harrowing story.
Although Yumiko knew that her husband had found Gu Shun in the woods, she had had no idea that Gu Shun had nearly ended up in a wolf's belly.
Mikasa looked at Gu Shun, her eyes seeming to ask whether it was true.
Gu Shun nodded in confirmation.
"Gu Shun, do you know where your parents are?" Yumiko asked then.
"No. I've even forgotten my parents' names. All I know now is that my name is Gu Shun."
Gu Shun looked forlorn as he answered Yumiko's question.
Honestly, it troubled him too. His missing memories had made his own background a complete mystery to him.
Seeing how forlorn Gu Shun looked, Mikasa gazed at him sympathetically, as though she shared his sorrow.
"Do you have anywhere else to go? Any other relatives or friends?" Kane asked.
"No," Gu Shun said with a bitter smile. Never mind relatives-the only people he knew in this world were probably Mikasa and her family, right here in front of him.
He was all alone in this world now. If Mikasa's family hadn't been kind enough to save him, he probably would have died all over again.
"I see." Kane nodded. Having gained a general understanding of Gu Shun's situation, he turned his gaze to Yumiko.
Yumiko met Kane's gaze and nodded, as though the couple had settled on something.
"Then, Gu Shun, would you like to live with us?"
Kane suddenly addressed Gu Shun in a somewhat solemn tone.
"Huh? What?" Gu Shun froze, thinking he had misheard.
Mikasa was a little startled too and looked at her father in disbelief.
"Since you don't have anywhere to go right now, why don't you live with us, Gu Shun?" Yumiko said kindly.
"I... can I really?" Gu Shun pointed at himself, his voice doubtful.
"Of course. Since you have nowhere to go right now, stay here. That way, Mikasa will have another playmate too." Kane patted Gu Shun's shoulder with a hearty smile.
"Stay with us, Gu Shun." Mikasa, who had remained silent until then, looked at Gu Shun and gave him a sweet smile as she spoke. Both her parents were rather surprised; it was the first time they had seen her act like this.
Seeing the couple's sincere expressions and Mikasa's sweet smile, Gu Shun felt warmth fill his heart, and a trail of hot tears slipped down his face before he could stop them.
Yumiko took out a handkerchief and gently wiped Gu Shun's tears away, asking softly as she did so.
"So, Gu Shun, will you stay with us?"
"Yes!"
Gu Shun smiled at Mikasa and her family and gave a firm nod.