Absolute One's First Time Being a Dad - Episode 12

Meanwhile, as the drinking party was reaching its peak...

The Great Demon 'Marbas,' who had suddenly been transformed into an adorable Doberman, was monopolizing the attention and affection of passersby in front of the shop.

"Wow! So cute!"

"Right?"

"Puppy, where's your owner?"

When a young woman stopped to ask, Marbas sharply turned his head away with a "Hmph!"

How insolent! Do you know who I am, daring to treat me like some mere dog—?

Just then, the young woman whispered to her friend:

"Think it's okay to pet him?"

"Dobermans are usually aggressive though..."

"Come on, this one looks super gentle!"

The young woman immediately crouched before Marbas and began gently stroking his entire body.

"Wow, he's so soft!"

Reluctantly, Marbas let out a cute whimper: "Grrrruff..."

This is humiliating...

If not for Immortal's warning that he'd be "put down" if he showed hostility toward humans...

You'd be a dead woman!

Yet strangely, each touch from the woman inexplicably made him feel... good.

"Ruff, grrrruff..."

As the young woman continued pampering every inch of Marbas, she suddenly seemed to remember something. "Ah!" she exclaimed, rummaging through her handbag before pulling out a dog treat.

"I bought these for my puppy at home, but you can have one."

After a final pat, she reluctantly said, "Bye now," and left.

Marbas haughtily lifted his chin, staring imperiously at the "dog treat" before him. After glancing around furtively, he suddenly buried his snout into it.

Chomp, munch, chomp, munch...

He began tearing into the treat with all his might.

This is... fun.

It was just a tasteless rawhide bone-shaped lump. So why did gnawing on it feel so strangely enjoyable?

As Marbas lost track of time chewing, a voice suddenly came from above:

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Slowly looking up, Marbas locked eyes with Immortal—who was staring down at him with undisguised amusement.

"I-I was just—"

"Never mind, finish what you're doing."

Kang-jun briefly answered while picking his teeth with a green toothpick, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠then peered inside the shop.

"Tch, why do people drink themselves senseless when they can't even handle it..."

Kim Bong-gu had gotten so drunk he could barely move, prompting Crabsley to half-carry him out.

"My Lord, shall I kill him?"

"Tch, no," Kang-jun replied. "Let's take him home."

"Hmm, though Lady Soo-bin will likely disapprove..."

"We can't just leave him on the street."

Hoisting Marbas up, Kang-jun hailed a passing taxi.

"Where to, sir?"

"Here."

Kang-jun handed the driver the address note his sister had given him before they left. As the taxi sped through the city, his gaze fell on the completely passed-out Kim Bong-gu beside him.

"Damn, he's out cold."

But Bong-gu seemed to be having a terrible nightmare, his face contorted as he groaned.

"Ugh... nngh..."

"Seriously, so much trouble."

Kang-jun reached over and gently placed his hand on Bong-gu's forehead, slowly condensing a minuscule amount of mana into his palm.

Dreamweaving Magic.

A dark art learned directly from succubi and incubi, allowing manipulation of a target's dreams. Though he'd only learned it briefly out of curiosity and lacked proficiency to control dream specifics...

Well, at least I can show him his happiest memories...

Soon, the pained groans ceased as a faint smile spread across Bong-gu's lips.

"If reality's that shitty, might as well have good dreams," Kang-jun murmured, leaning back to gaze out the window. "Sweet dreams."

Just as the taxi passed through the bustling streets near Sillim Station—

"Huh?"

A flashing sign caught Kang-jun's eye:

[24-Hour Comic Book Cafe.]

Come to think of it, he used to love comics and novels back in the day. Maybe he should visit one soon, to celebrate returning to Earth?

Kim Bong-gu's brow twitched slightly in deep sleep.

Because he heard a voice he'd longed for so desperately.

"Bong-gu..."

It was his father.

Bong-gu's tightly shut eyes opened.

Was he eight? No... nine years old?

He couldn't remember exactly, but his whole family had gone camping by a lake once.

In the dream, young Bong-gu seemed to be wandering through fragments of that day.

"Bong-gu, try it again like I showed you."

The child in the dream threw a flat stone across the water's surface with his tiny hand.

Plink! Plink! Plink!—

The stone skipped three times before sinking.

"That's it! Well done!"

"Wow, with a bit more practice, you might even surpass your old man!"

Though he had mountains of things to say, no words would come out.

His dream father looked down at young Bong-gu.

"Bong-gu..."

The low, gentle voice stabbed ruthlessly at his heart.

"You've grown so much."

His father's large, sturdy hand—like a cast-iron pot lid—gently stroked the boy's hair.

"Bong-gu, if anything happens to me, you'll be the head of the family."

Why can't you just stay with us?

"You'll protect your mom and sister bravely then, won't you?"

I don't think I can, Dad.

I'm sorry.

It's too hard.

"I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠believe in you, Bong-gu."

The child desperately clutched his father's sleeve.

Don't go.

I won't pester you to hurry home after the bathhouse anymore.

I won't complain about fishing being boring.

I won't whine to be carried when hiking feels too tough...

Then his mother's voice called from afar:

"Dinner's ready! Come eat!"

Young Bong-gu stood frozen, staring blankly at the scene.

His mother—so vibrantly healthy, unlike her current comatose state—smiled.

"Looks delicious, doesn't it?"

Beside her, his younger sister Ju-hee chattered away with a bright smile.

"Honey, want a beer too?"

His father happily cracked open a can.

"Ah, we should do this more often."

"I know, right? The kids love it."

His ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠father waved cheerfully.

"Bong-gu! Come eat!"

The child sprinted toward his gathered family with all his might—tears streaming down his face as he ran.

At twenty-three, he'd been pretending to be okay every day, barely holding on.

Maybe he was still too young for this unbearable weight.

But Bong-gu had to endure.

Because he was his family's only hope.

Because if he broke, everything would collapse.

He'd forced smiles and white-knuckled through each day.

Finally, the child in the dream burst into tears.

"Bong-gu, why are you crying?"

His mother's concerned question.

At last, the boy could speak:

"N-no reason... the food..."

"The food?"

"Just... tastes so good..."

Wiping his tears while forcing a smile, as always.

He regretted it all.

Only after losing what was once taken for granted did he call them "memories" and long for them.

The regret was crushing.

Suppressing the overwhelming emotions, Bong-gu continued flatly:

"Mom, Dad, Ju-hee..."

As he spoke, his dream self began growing taller.

"Don't worry about anything. Just trust me."

When he looked up—

"I'm the head of the family now, right?"

His beaming family came into view.

"I can do this."

As those words faded, their forms gradually blurred.

"Let's be happy again."

Until only the grown Bong-gu remained by the campfire, the crackling flames echoing endlessly around him.

"Hey, Bong-chang."

I'm Bong-gu...

"Bong-chang, wake up."

I said I'm Bong-gu.

"Noona made pollack soup."

A familiar, reassuring voice began echoing in his ears.

"My Lord, should I just kill him? Let him sleep forever as he wishes—"

"Why are you so obsessed with killing? Let's wait for him to wake up and eat together."

Bong-gu rose from the campfire and began walking toward the unknown voice's source.

Strangely, something resembling hope wriggled in his chest, tickling his heart.

A sudden thought struck him:

How long has it been since I had such a pleasant dream?

Kim Bong-gu forced his heavy eyelids open.

Ugh... my head...

The hangover churned his stomach while his skull throbbed painfully. As he lay immobilized by the vicious aftermath—

"Pwincess, eat numnums?"

"Mm, eat!"

"Pwincess, yummy numnums?"

"Mm, yummy!"

An unbelievable scene unfolded before him.

The always masculine Kang-jun...

Was baby-talking ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with a three-year-old girl.

W-what the hell?

His mind flooded with question marks.

Am I still dreaming? Where am I? Kang-jun hyung's house? Then who's that kid?

As questions multiplied, Kang-jun continued the baby talk:

"Peekaboo! Who's our pwincess so pwetty like?"

"Dada!"

"Yesss! Good job! Our pwincess is pwetty like dada!"

Suddenly noticing the movement, Kang-jun whipped his head around—

"Whoa!"

—and locked eyes with Bong-gu.

An excruciating silence followed.

"You're awake?"

"Y-yes..."

"You saw?"

"Y-yes..."

The awkward tension thickened.

"How much did you see?"

"From... 'pwincess'..."

"Up to where?"

"'Pwetty like dada'..."

Kang-jun exhaled deeply, nodding as if reaching a decision.

"Unfortunately, I'll have to kill you to keep this quiet."

Bong-gu's face paled.

He could guess why.

Embarrassment.

While part of him wondered if this was truly a kill-worthy offense...

Another part felt certain Kang-jun was absolutely the type to do it.

Creeeak—

The bedroom door opened, revealing Kang-jun's sister Lee Soo-bin.

Pinching her nose, she muttered, "Ugh, alcohol..." before addressing Bong-gu:

"The sun's been up for hours, and you're just waking? Your stomach must be in knots. I made pollack soup—come eat."

To Bong-gu, she looked like an angel—magnificent and beautiful.

"Th-thank you so much..."

For saving me from certain death.