Chapter 109: Even the Absolute Being Is a First-Time Dad
Absolute One Is Also New to Fatherhood - Episode 109
- The Jeolla Branch of the Awakened Management Bureau announced that the Gate which appeared near Jeonju Zoo last weekend had self-destructed...
Director Seo Do-cheol, who had been watching the news broadcast on his office TV, turned it off with the remote.
"Everyone."
At his words, the S-rank Hunters seated on the reception sofa in the office all turned their attention to him...
"Just what are you all hiding from me?"
Director Seo loosened his tightly knotted tie as he continued speaking.
"You probably remember the incident a few months ago when the 'Anti-Management Bureau Alliance,' the most powerful criminal organization in the country, was dismantled overnight."
The room fell solemn.
"Not long after that, a Calamity-grade Gate in downtown Insa-dong, Seoul, 'self-destructed'..."
Director Seo's gaze shifted to Jung Yoon-chan as he trailed off before adding:
"And then, thanks to the self-destruction of the Calamity-grade Gate in New Delhi, India, Hunter Jung Yoon-chan here was able to return safely."
"Yes..."
"But for some reason, the statements you've all submitted vary wildly, and you've been completely tight-lipped about the circumstances..."
He paused before continuing:
"Considering all these events happened within just a few months, isn't it natural to find it suspicious?"
He added:
"The same goes for the recent suppression of the Calamity-grade Gate in Shimane Prefecture, Japan, and the Gate in Shanghai's Lujiazui financial district."
Staring at the mountain of documents piled on his desk, he asked again:
"Can't you tell me anything?"
Silence filled the room...
"Lee Kang-jun."
When Director Seo suddenly uttered Kang-jun's name, the eyes of several Hunters in the room wavered.
"That's the name of the person who rented out Jeonju Zoo for an entire day last Saturday, when another Gate self-destruction phenomenon was observed."
Director Seo scanned the faces of the Hunters who remained silent before nodding and adding:
"I have a feeling that if I follow this lead, I might uncover the secret you're all keeping."
Then.
"I'll tell you everything."
Jung Yoon-chan, realizing it was futile to keep hiding things from Director Seo, suddenly spoke up.
"However."
He took a deep breath before continuing earnestly:
"I'll tell you everything, but please refrain from leaking this information or doing anything that might upset him."
As usual, Kang-jun arrived at the daycare center right on time to pick up Seol.
"Seol-ah!"
Spotting Kang-jun, Seol's face lit up as she shouted "Daddy!" and came running...
Kang-jun immediately scooped her up in his arms and asked warmly:
"Did you have fun playing today, Seol-ah?"
"Mm-hmm!" Seol answered, burying her face in his chest before mumbling:
"But Seol cried today..."
Kang-jun's expression turned serious.
"Why? Did someone make you cry?"
Seol rubbed her face against his chest like a spoiled child as she continued:
"Cuz... Hana taught me a game but it was too sad and I kept crying and crying..."
Kang-jun swallowed dryly before asking:
"What kind of game was it?"
Seol sniffled before answering:
"It was... practicing not to cry even if Daddy dies..."
Kang-jun stared blankly at Seol, looking utterly dumbfounded.
"But... when I thought about Daddy not being here, I got so sad and kept crying..."
Seol hugged Kang-jun tightly as she added:
"Daddy, don't die..."
Kang-jun nodded several times while patting Seol's back and murmuring in a low voice:
"Why on earth would Hana teach such a..."
The content seemed rather cruel for a game played by four-year-olds.
Of course, he didn't blame the child, but it was quite shocking.
Where had Seol's best friend Hana learned such a game?
"Seol-ah, did Hana already go home?"
"No, Hana didn't go yet."
Seol whispered quietly:
"But Hana always goes home last at night. She says it's because her daddy always comes home late from work."
After asking "Really?", Kang-jun gently brushed Seol's hair behind her ear before asking again:
"Should we play with Hana a little longer before going home?"
Finally, Seol beamed.
"Mm-hmm!"
Just then, Ji-hee approached...
"Hello, sir."
Kang-jun politely requested:
"If Seol's friend Hana hasn't gone home yet, would it be alright if I looked after her for a while?"
"You want to look after her?"
"Yes, if her parents allow it, I thought we could play together at the playground facilities here..."
Ji-hee immediately replied:
"Then I'll ask Hana's parents. She waits alone in class every day and gets bored, so I'm sure they'll agree."
Ji-hee promptly made a call and explained the situation...
"Yes, they've given permission."
Permission was granted.
"Seol-ah, is it tasty?"
After taking several sips of the fruit juice bought from the daycare cafeteria, Seol answered:
"Mm-hmm, super yummy..."
Kang-jun then looked intently at the little girl sitting next to Seol and asked:
"How about you, Hana?"
Seol's best friend Hana shyly nodded and answered quietly:
"It's yummy..."
Kang-jun alternated his gaze between the two girls before asking in an extremely serious tone:
"If a stranger offers to buy you something tasty and asks you to come with them, what would each of you say?"
Seol answered first:
"I'd ask what they'll buy me."
"Wrong."
"Then I'd ask them to buy me something tasty?"
"Wrong."
Kang-jun then looked at Hana.
"Hana, what would you say?"
"I don't know..."
"You should say no, that you can't."
After this, Kang-jun added:
"You must never accept anything from strangers, and never go anywhere with them."
Hana gasped and quietly put down her juice, murmuring:
"But... Hana came with Seol's daddy who's a stranger and drank juice he bought... what should I do..."
Kang-jun answered quietly:
"Uncle is okay."
Only then did Hana's face brighten as she tightly gripped her juice again and put the straw in her mouth:
"Whew, what a relief..."
Kang-jun then asked another question:
"By the way, Hana, I heard you were often sick when you were little. Are you better now?"
Seol suddenly answered:
"Yeah! Hana was sick all the time when she was a baby. So Hana slept at the hospital until she was a baby."
Then she hugged Hana tightly and said in a voice on the verge of tears:
"Hana, were you very scared?"
"Yeah, hospital scary."
"But Hana isn't sick anymore, right?"
"Mm-hmm, now not sick."
Kang-jun silently watched their conversation while absently tapping the table before carefully asking:
"Hana, can you tell uncle about the game you played with Seol today?"
Hana immediately answered "Mm-hmm!" and began explaining in her small voice:
"You have to practice not crying and saying goodbye bravely if Daddy dies."
"And then?"
"Then you have to call someone with Daddy's phone. Press one twice and nine once."
Kang-jun murmured "119..." and Hana nodded before continuing:
"Then when the ambulance and uncles come, you have to ask them to call teacher."
"What next?"
"Then take the bankbook Daddy put in the drawer and tell teacher Daddy went to heaven."
She added:
"If you don't cry and stay brave, Hana wins. But if you feel sad and cry, Hana loses."
Kang-jun asked seriously:
"Who taught you that game?"
After answering "Hana's daddy," Hana suddenly looked into the distance, beaming as she waved happily...
"Daddy!"
A middle-aged man in work clothes and safety boots stood hesitantly at the entrance, unable to come inside the play area.
"Hana, Daddy's here."
Hana's father bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle to Kang-jun before asking politely:
"You're Seol's father, correct?"
"Yes, hello."
"Thank you for looking after Hana."
He awkwardly scratched his sweat-drenched hair before adding cautiously:
"I'm truly sorry, but there's so much sand in my boots that I couldn't come in to greet you properly."
Kang-jun answered "It's alright," then briefly asked the girls:
"Can you two play by yourselves?"
As if they'd planned it, both girls immediately answered "Mm-hmm!" in unison...
"Then we daddies will go play by ourselves, so you two have fun playing together."
Turning to Hana's father, Kang-jun asked politely:
"Sir, could you spare me a moment?"
"Yes, did you have something to discuss...?"
Kang-jun watched the two girls who had already run off together before adding quietly:
"Actually, it's about the game Hana taught Seol today - 'practice for when Daddy dies.'"
Hana's father gasped "Ah..." and immediately bowed deeply several times in apology.
"You must have been shocked. I'm truly sorry. I'll make sure to tell Hana not to do that when we get home..."
Kang-jun shook his head once before answering calmly:
"It's alright, I'm just curious. Why would you teach her such a game?"
Forcing a smile, Hana's father cautiously asked in return:
"Sir, have you ever heard of a fish called the pipefish?"
Kang-jun murmured "Pipefish..." and recalled a passage from a children's science book he'd recently read with Seol:
Kang-jun studied Hana's father's face closely.
His sunken eyes, hollow cheeks, and lifeless, darkened lips...
'This man...'
Then Hana's father spoke.
"I..."
This man...
"Am dying."
Is dying.