Upon returning ho, we packed supplies and stood before the portal.
I'd packed heavily to prepare for any situation, but Choi Jinhyuk pressed down on my head.
"You don't need to pack so much anymore."
"Why not...?"
"I've prepared everything on the other side."
"Huh...?"
It seed Choi Jinhyuk had been preparing various things while frequently traveling between the two worlds.
I considered putting down my backpack but decided to bring it anyway.
So Choi Jinhyuk and I, along with Sophia and the children - six family mbers in total - prepared to cross the portal together.
"Thank you for coming with us, Sophia. It's reassuring having you here."
"I'm glad I could help."
"Hehe."
After brief words with Sophia, we stood before the portal. Before crossing over, Choi Jinhyuk gave us so quick instructions.
"We'll only stay for a day this ti. There's sothing I want to check."
"Just a day? Don't we have to wait a week to return?"
"It varies depending on the situation."
"Ah..."
What a capricious portal. Perhaps it responded to soone's will?
Lost in thought, I moved right in front of the portal.
"I'll explain the rest when we get there. Let's go."
"Okay."
"Mm...!"
We all walked into the portal together.
Flash-!
With a bright burst of light, we found ourselves facing a wooden wall.
"Oh?"
I looked around. Instead of the mountain I'd expected, we were in a cabin.
"The portal's hidden in the cabin."
"Yes. It's a simple hiding spot for now. We'll improve it later."
Opening the cabin door with everyone, we saw the familiar forest.
Ah. So this was the sa place after all.
Taking a deep breath to savor my hotown after so long, I noticed Choi Jinhyuk pointing down the mountain.
"Let's head down first."
"Um... don't we need to hide our ears and tails first...?"
"It's fine. It's just down there."
"Down there?"
Following Choi Jinhyuk's lead, we descended the mountain.
Though it was steep, beast-kin bodies were optimized for mountain terrain.
"This is..."
At the base of the deserted mountain path, a luxurious van was parked.
Song Harin sat in the driver's seat - the woman we'd rescued from the dungeon with the children.
**
We drove for about thirty minutes.
Though my hotown resembled the other world, I found myself lost in nostalgia while sightseeing.
"Wow."
Our destination was a massive four-story mansion.
The yard was enormous, hidden by tall wooden fences.
"This is our base," Song Harin said, turning to look at us after parking in the yard.
It seed like a place where we could relax without worrying about our beast-kin features being discovered.
"It's huge!"
"Heuk...!"
The children stomped their feet excitedly looking out the windows.
Watching them, Sophia carefully opened the car door.
"Woaaah!"
"Yaah!"
The mont the door opened, the children bolted outside.
I chased after them.
For so unknown reason, we always ran first whenever we found a new open space.
Perhaps it was instinct related to adventure and territory.
"King! There's even a pool here!"
"Yeah!"
"But no fish!"
"Yeah..."
Huh?
Of course there wouldn't be fish, yet why did I feel disappointed?
Scratching my cheek, I forcibly perked up my drooping ears by pulling them straight.
"Shuin!"
Gaeul approached and pointed at sothing.
There lay a branch shaped like a sword, with crossguard-like extensions.
"It really looks like a sword."
"Majo."
Just as I ran closer to examine the branch-
The mansion door opened and soone rushed out.
"K-kids...!"
Turning around, we saw Yoon Da-in.
She approached us but fidgeted nearby, seeming hesitant.
"It's been a while."
"Y-yeah... have you been well...?"
"Yes."
This was Yoon Da-in, the woman who'd helped us when we first ca to this world.
Though wary at first, I barely felt any caution now.
"It's so good to see you again."
" too."
I moved closer to Yoon Da-in, looking up at her.
My tail swayed gently with joy.
"U-uhehe."
As Yoon Da-in laughed oddly, Choi Jinhyuk approached her.
He placed a hand on her shoulder and turned to us.
"The adults have so things to discuss. Want to explore the house for a bit?"
"Okay."
Choi Jinhyuk led Yoon Da-in, Song Harin, and Sophia into the house.
Yoon Da-in seed to resist slightly.
"Um, I'm not really an adult yet... maybe I should stay with the kids..."
After watching the adults enter the mansion, we followed.
While taking off our shoes at the entrance and stepping into the hallway, we heard a thud behind us.
"Hm?"
Turning around, we saw Gaeul standing outside the front door.
She held the sword-like branch from the yard in her mouth.
"Uhing...?!"
Tilting her head, Gaeul walked toward the entrance.
The problem was that the branch was much longer than the doorway.
Thud-! Thud-!
The extended branch prevented Gaeul from entering.
She stared blankly at this developnt.
"Gaeul, that's..."
Just as I tried to help her-
Saebyeok placed a finger over my lips.
"Let's wait."
"Ah, okay."
We quietly gave Gaeul ti to think.
After standing there with a blank expression, she slowly began turning her head.
As her head turned, the branch turned with it.
Thanks to this, she managed to enter while still holding the branch.
"Wow."
Gaeul had solved the problem herself.
Thanks to Saebyeok giving her a chance to think.
"Shuin!"
Gaeul flashed a bright smile.
I felt proud seeing her solve the problem independently.
"Gaeul, you're really smart."
"Heuk...!"
Happy from the praise perhaps?
Every ti she encountered a door, Gaeul turned her head sideways to walk through.
Sotis she even walked sideways like a crab.
Proud of discovering this new thod, she puffed out her chest with an "ahem" while crab-walking.
"Wow, I didn't know you could do it that way."
"Nyung...!"
"I wonder if there are other ways?"
"......"
After briefly showing a blank expression at my question, Gaeul grabbed the branch with both hands.
She held it horizontally like a train and slowly entered through the door.
"Woaah!"
Levinas opened her horned rabbit eyes wide and clapped.
Saebyeok and I joined in applauding.
"Ahem."
Just as Gaeul was puffing out her chest and wagging her tail-
We sensed a small presence behind the door she'd entered.
"This is..."
Soone's room?
A blanket lay on the bed.
One side of the normally flat blanket bulged up.
The slight movent revealed a living creature underneath.
What could it be?
Were they keeping a dog?
Curious, I approached and poked the bulge.
Thump thump-
Whatever was hiding pushed back against the blanket.
Seed like it had quite a personality.
'Who is it?'
From the size, it looked like a small dog or cat.
Curious, I yanked off the blanket.
There was a horned rabbit pointing its horn at .
"Byaek!"
"Nyaaah!"
The horned rabbit leaped at .
Startled by the sudden sharp horn, I couldn't help screaming.
**
"Ughh."
In the mansion's conference room.
Yoon Da-in stared blankly at the sky.
While the adults discussed various matters, she honestly couldn't follow what they were saying.
She just desperately wanted to see the children.
'Sophia is nice but...'
They'd said she was far older than Da-in's grandparents.
What had she experienced to live so long...
Born in a country that valued respect for elders, Da-in didn't dare disturb Sophia.
Haah.
Sighing softly, Da-in took out her smartphone.
Managing several social dia accounts was one of her duties.
[Author, how did you co up with such adorable characters?!]
A comnt on the manga featuring the children.
More precisely, a comnt on the 'manga artist's' social dia.
'Hmm...'
After so thought, Da-in replied with a slight fabrication.
[They're based on my siblings.]
[└Wow, your siblings are that cute??]
[└YES!!!! My kids are the cutest in the world!!!!!! They couldn't possibly be cuter!!!!!! They're even cuter in person than in the manga!!!]
Her hastily written reply.
Perhaps because it was a famous manga?
Comnts started flooding in instantly.
So were malicious.
[So the author's a siscon...]
[If they're cuter than your art how cute are they??? Can't even imagine lol]
[└Think you're just a siscon? lol]
[I prefer 2D... hmm...]
"No!"
Da-in unconsciously shouted.
The children were so adorable and lovable that anyone who saw them would agree.
It frustrated her seeing such comnts from people who'd never t them.
"What's wrong?"
"Ah, nothing. It's nothing."
If only everyone could see the children, they'd understand.
But she knew she couldn't reveal them carelessly.
Just as Da-in clicked her tongue-
"Nyaaah!"
Gyeoul's scream rang out from the floor below.
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