Serhi groaned as he looked once at the shocked guildmaster and then at Lee Taemin.
“Ah.”
He didn’t look hurt in the slightest, but decided it was better to act like he was.
Furrowing his brow, Serhi nodded toward Guru in his arms.
[“You were about to hit her?”]
When Serhi spoke harshly, the flustered guildmaster began stamring apologies over and over.
“S-sorry! Sorry! I didn’t an to! Really!”
[“You fucking psycho, you wanna get reported?”]
“No, no, I think there’s just been a misunderstanding... Taemin, she’s your friend, right? Try explaining, yeah?”
The guildmaster shoved the dazed Taemin forward, then scurried off.
Serhi stared pitifully at his retreating back, then turned his full attention to Guru, still in his arms.
After confirming she wasn’t hurt, Serhi muttered under his breath.
“Why do you go around getting hit by guys like that?”
Taemin studied Serhi’s face, his expression strangely torn up.
“Hey, are you okay? Let see. Wanna go to the nurse’s office?”
“I’m fine. He hit like shit, barely even felt it.”
Hearing Serhi curse, Guru squird in protest.
With a sigh, Serhi reluctantly corrected himself.
“He was suuuuper weak. Your guildmastuh.”
Taemin burst out laughing at Serhi’s weird speech.
“Yeah. That guy’s reeeal weak.”
Watching the two high schoolers talk in proper Korean, Guru nodded proudly.
Maybe it was thanks to that healthy and wholeso language exchange—Serhi’s likability ter had popped up above his head.
According to the rcury thermoter display, his likability had risen by 2 degrees.
‘Ohh!’
Two degrees in one go?
She checked the piggy bank. Each degree had banked 1,000 [Filial Piety Points], for a total of 2,000.
‘This is......!’
Amazing!
To gain 2,000 points so quickly!
As silence fell, Taemin scratched his head and awkwardly said,
“Thanks. I know it’s weird to say this now, but... you didn’t have to take the hit for .”
What the hell? Serhi never ant to take the hit. He was just trying to stop Guru from charging in and got smacked by accident.
“Nah—”
Just as Serhi opened his mouth to correct the misunderstanding, Guru cut him off.
“If it happens again, Seowhi Oppaw gonna get hit fow you again!”
“...?”
?
Serhi was stunned—he had no such plans—but before he could argue, Guru shouted:
“Cuz Oppaw is a good guy!”
This little brat said it without a hint of hesitation, as if it were gospel.
Taemin nodded, face full of guilt.
“I think I misunderstood you. I thought you didn’t care about anyone, that you were just putting up walls.”
“No—”
That’s not a misunderstanding. That’s the truth.
“Yup!”
But the tiny nace interrupted him again, doubling down on the lie.
“Seowhi Oppaw not good at making fwiends. Dat’s why you gotta be nice to Oppaw.”
Taemin chuckled as he t Guru’s eyes.
“Alright. I owe him one anyway. I’ll treat Serhi better.”
“No, that’s not nec—”
“Uh-huh! Gwuu bewieve in Oppaw!”
They carried on their conversation without Serhi, as if he wasn’t even there.
“...?”
Do I get a say in this?
He felt like a high school son being told by a kindergartner’s mom to "please play nice with my baby.” It was an indescribably shitty feeling.
Still, what could he do? With a resigned sigh, Serhi carried Guru and walked away.
Totally unaware that Guru and Taemin had secretly exchanged numbers via Bluetooth.
Grinning, Guru snapped a few quick photos on her phone and sent off a ssage.
Seowhi Oppaw
Looks wike Oppaw gonna get a new fwiend
Oppaw is amazing 💖
Jin Siwon
So proud (sob)
Thanks for the update, Guru (sob)
***
Guru
Seowhiseowhiya
Lunch ti
Co to da wooftop
A challenge letter?
Serhi was resting his chin in class when he checked his phone. As soon as the bell rang, he lazily stepped out.
It wasn’t like anything serious ever ca from this kid. And staying in class only ant stewing in those clingy stares.
He climbed the stairs to the rooftop, thinking of a few possible reasons.
“...What the hell is all this.”
Seeing the crowd gathered around Guru, Serhi turned to walk away imdiately.
But their voices called out faster.
“Oppaw!”
“Seowhiseowhi!”
“Hey, Serhi!”
Guru waved her hand high. Gidan followed, and Woojoo gave a polite nod. Taemin was there too.
Guru pointed to the empty spot next to Taemin.
“Oppaw sit dere.”
“Dani Oppaw bwought yo lunch. Good job, wight?”
“Hyung, this radish is hogrown. Eat up.”
“An’ dat one’s Gwuu’s potato!”
“Uh......”
Serhi sat down dazed and was handed braised radish and stir-fried potatoes to top his lunchbox.
Taemin chuckled.
“What are you grinning about?”
“Just impressed with your Korean.”
“Fuck off.”
“Language, Seowhiseowhi.”
Gidan scolded. Serhi glared.
“Why are you here?”
“Ca to see my baby.”
Gidan pulled Guru into a hug.
“Dani Oppaw ca to eat wunch wif Gwuu!”
Guru hugged him back.
“What, got a problem?”
“Ugh. Seeing you again after this morning makes wanna puke.”
Gidan just laughed and patted Taemin on the shoulder.
“He talks like that, but he’s a good guy.”
“Yup! Seowhi Oppaw nice. Be fwiends wif him!”
Guru tapped Taemin’s hand in encouragent.
With a kindergartner and a peer both giving him the warm fuzzy treatnt, Serhi’s face turned red.
“Will you two shut up?!”
anwhile, Woojoo, watching Gidan and Guru cuddled together, got flustered and squeezed between them.
“...Hyung, don’t hug Guru like that... Boys and girls shouldn’t sit together at that age.”
He muttered under his breath, glaring at Gidan like a guard dog. Gidan grinned slyly.
Uh-oh. Woojoo stiffened. That grin scread “This is gonna be fun to ss with.”
Woojoo tried changing the subject, but it was already too late.
Just as expected—
‘Heh. This is fun.’
Gidan was already thinking it.
It looked like a crush. He was just about to poke a little harder when—
Woojoo’s mana flared nervously. Gidan paused and stared.
He’d always suspected Woojoo had an abnormally high mana reserve, and would awaken soday...
“Woojoo-woojoo, did you just—”
“Eh?”
Woojoo’s eyes widened, and he dropped his chopsticks full of potatoes.
“Wh-why? I didn’t do anything...”
His face was ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) full of panic.
All Gidan had ant to do was ask if he’d awakened.
For most people, awakening was a blessing.
Especially in hellish Korea, where getting into college was torture, awakening was a fast pass to any path in life.
‘...Maybe there’s sothing else going on?’
Gidan shrugged and ruffled Woojoo’s hair.
“Nah, forget it.”
Only then did Woojoo let out a relieved sigh.
“Wait, do you and Serhi live together or sothing?”
Taemin asked as he munched on a potato from Guru.
“Why is he a hyung, and I’m Serhi?”
“Why? Cuz he’s second year. You’re first.”
Gidan flashed a peace sign.
“He should’ve flunked...”
“Hey, don’t joke like that. I had nightmares, man. Kept dreaming I’d wake up back in first year.”
Gidan shivered, hugging himself.
Serhi jerked his chin at him.
“Yeah, I live with this loser. Sucks, right? Super sucks.”
“Dat’s too an.”
“Ahahaha!”
The group carried on their cheerful chatter, while Woojoo—totally disinterested in their teenage nonsense—added so more radish onto Guru’s lunch.
Just as Guru chomped down on the salty-sweet radish—
Pop!
phisto poked his face out from Guru’s bag.
“Is it good?”
“Yup. Gwuu nevew ate dis befo.”
“ neither. Feews wike food for gwandpas.”
“Gwuu shouwda gwown soting ewse.”
“Like what? Scawwions?”
“Mm... Scawwions sound weird. Woojoo’d wook wike a gwanny.”
“What?!”
phisto quietly watched Guru and Woojoo chatting and eating together.
In Guru’s eyes were only her friends—and Woojoo.
And whenever that happened, phisto felt a cold weight on his shoulders and a strange throb in his chest.
Now that Guru was five and attending preschool, she was busy making new bonds.
And phisto... phisto could feel himself slowly fading into the background. From where she was looking.
Just like now. Just like today.
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