Chapter 188 Even the Almighty is New to Being a Dad Chapter 189
Absolute Dad, First Time Ever - Chapter 189
"I wanna walk today."
Seol, who had woken up unusually early, made this announcement.
"Walk?"
Still half-asleep, Seol rubbed her eyes and continued,
"Mm-hmm, 'cause today's weather is super sunny..."
"You're right. The breeze is cool, and the sky looks clear."
"Mm-hmm! When the weather's nice, I wanna walk with Daddy."
Kang-jun clutched his chest with a soft groan. "Ugh..."
"Alright, let's walk together."
Today, they would walk to daycare.
Summer was in full swing now.
The rainy season had passed.
Just when you thought the heat might ease up—
Bzzzzzzzz—!
The scorching sun beat down so intensely that even in the morning, heat waves shimmered over the asphalt.
But Seol was full of energy.
Something must have caught her interest—she kept turning her head left and right, exclaiming in wonder.
"Wow, so pwetty..."
Flowers.
"Daddy, look at this one!"
Flowers bloomed in the roadside gardens.
Summer flowers.
Once, he wouldn't have known their names.
"Daddy, what's this flower called?"
But not anymore.
"It's a hydrangea."
"And what about that one?"
"That's a morning glory."
"And this one?"
"Probably an aster."
After memorizing one tree and one flower name every single day without fail, he could now recognize most common plants.
'Why did I start doing this again...?'
Probably after reading in the Parenting Encyclopedia that a good father should learn one tree or flower name daily.
If such a small effort could make him a better dad, there was no reason not to do it.
'Unintentionally became a plant expert.'
Lately, Kang-jun's sole focus was figuring out how to be the best father for Seol.
He studied and practiced child-friendly communication techniques until they became second nature.
He learned various braiding methods online and practiced until his hands moved effortlessly.
'Am I really a good dad?'
He still wasn't sure.
There was probably much more to improve.
"Daddy, Daddy."
Just then, Seol called him—
Tap-tap-tap-tap.
She stopped in front of a flowerbed in full bloom.
"Am I as pwetty as the flowers?"
Kang-jun smiled.
"Yeah, just as pretty."
Seol cupped her tiny hands under her chin like a flower bud and asked,
"Wewwy as pwetty as flowers?"
"I already said yes."
"Then where's Seol?"
Kang-jun laughed and shook his head.
"Where did our Seol go?"
As father and daughter strolled through the flower-lined streets, they reached a large intersection when—
"Industrial Steel killed my son!"
A gaunt old man stood shouting, holding up a protest sign.
Glances flickered toward him from pedestrians waiting at the crosswalk.
"Hey, the light changed."
Once the signal turned green, they averted their eyes and crossed the street.
"Uh..."
Seol began reading the words on the sign:
My son fell into a molten furnace and melted to death.
Industrial Steel refuses to acknowledge his death.
Please, show some compassion for my poor son.
Kang-jun gently tugged her hand.
"Seol, we'll be late."
Then, stepping forward, he added,
"Let's cross."
The man must have suffered greatly.
To be precise—
He looked like a grieving parent.
"Hold hands while crossing."
Sadly, he couldn't save everyone, so he left the old man behind.
Meanwhile...
Seol kept glancing back, curiosity lingering in her eyes.
After dropping Seol off at daycare, Kang-jun returned home and muttered as he opened the front door:
"I'm back."
Now began a leisurely afternoon.
Plop.
Stretching out on the sofa, Kang-jun fiddled with his phone.
Once Seol was at daycare, he had little to do.
Today was no different.
Half-watching the TV, he scrolled through his messenger app's contact list.
"Huh?"
Bong-gu's status message had been freshly updated:
『♥+7 Days』
Did that mean they'd officially been dating for a week?
"That guy..."
Ever since Kang-jun saved his life in that gate, Bong-gu must have reconnected with that café part-timer and taken things further.
"Not bad...?"
Just then, Soo-bin walked into the living room with a basket of laundry and casually asked,
"What's not bad?"
Kang-jun tilted his phone screen toward her.
"Bong-gu finally started officially dating that part-timer from the café, I think."
After an initial "Oh, really?" Soo-bin suddenly paused.
"Kang-jun, have you thought about dating?"
"Nah, why would I—"
"Why not? What's wrong with you?"
She leaned in abruptly, scrutinizing his face as if inspecting merchandise.
"Hey, this is awkward..."
Ignoring his protest, she kept staring silently before finally declaring:
"Yeah, you're definitely good-looking enough."
"What are you—"
"Honestly, you're not bad-looking, right?"
Even setting aside that he was her brother, his looks were objectively decent.
Thick eyebrows, large eyes, a straight nose, sharp jawline, lively lips...
Maybe not model or celebrity tier, but definitely handsome.
"You're good-looking, Kang-jun."
Dibald, who had been folding laundry beside her, nodded emphatically.
"Indeed, quite the handsome man."
Soo-bin squinted, scanning Kang-jun up and down.
"Tall, fit..."
And most importantly—
"You're rich too."
She pressed further.
"Want me to set you up on a blind date?"
"Ugh, no thanks..."
"Come on, just try it once."
"I said no..."
"You're still young—you should date."
She murmured softly,
"I feel bad saying this about Seol's mom, but you can't stay single forever..."
Perhaps the weight of accumulated time made it hard to remember.
'What was Seol's mom like again?'
Strangely, he couldn't recall clearly.
But...
A vague scene flickered in his mind.
"Kang-jun."
He murmured, "Huh?"
"Kang-jun?"
Fragments of forgotten memories flashed through his mind.
"Kang-jun, are you listening?"
Snapping out of it, Kang-jun muttered, "Yeah," prompting Soo-bin to continue persuading him.
"Besides, as Seol grows up, she'll feel her mother's absence more and more, won't she?"
Kang-jun fell silent, lips parting slightly but no words coming out. Soo-bin pressed on.
"There are things a father alone can't provide..."
"But for now, if I work hard, isn't that enough?"
"It might be okay now, but once she hits middle school, it'll get tough."
Soo-bin added,
"A daughter needs a mother."
Kang-jun hesitated.
"Well..."
Seol's passing comments resurfaced in his mind.
"Seol would be happy if she had a mommy."
Maybe a daughter really did need a mother.
"Should I give it a try, then?"
Soo-bin clapped her hands with a smack! and beamed.
"Yes! Good thinking."
"Is this really the right choice...?"
"It's a great idea!"
She immediately declared,
"I'll start looking right away!"
And just like that, Kang-jun's blind date was settled.
"Kang-jun, what about this one?"
Soo-bin showed him a photo of an unfamiliar woman.
"She's your age."
"Job?"
"A permanent employee at S Group, I heard?"
When Kang-jun hesitated, Soo-bin nudged him.
"Just meet her once."
"But I have a kid—what if she minds...?"
"She already said it's fine."
Soo-bin added,
"And divorce isn't a stigma these days."
"But still..."
"Pretty, capable, and nice personality. Just meet her."
She raised a finger pleadingly.
"Do it for me, okay? Just one casual coffee or meal..."
Just then—
"My liege."
Iriel, returning home after work, glanced between Kang-jun and Soo-bin before asking delicately,
"Forgive my intrusion, but if you're discussing something important, I shall excuse myself."
Soo-bin waved her off.
"No, we were just talking about Kang-jun's blind date."
"Blind date...?"
"Figured it's about time he started dating."
Iriel's eyes widened like lanterns—
"My liege is going on a... blind date?"
Muttering blankly, she bowed briefly before trudging into her room, radiating gloom.
"What's with her all of a sudden?"
"Must be tired today."
"Anyway, I'll think about it."
"Or what about this one?"
As they continued discussing—
"Daddy."
Seol, who had been watching TV, approached.
"What's a blind date?"
Soo-bin hesitated, unsure how to explain, before saying,
"Wouldn't it be nice if Seol had a mommy?"
"Mm-hmm! Yes!"
"A blind date is meeting someone who might become Seol's mommy."
"Ohhh."
"If they fall in love, Seol gets a mommy."
Seol frowned.
"But Daddy said he only wuvs me?"
Soo-bin shot Kang-jun a panicked look.
"Well...?"
Kang-jun murmured, "Hmm," then added,
"Shouldn't I love the person who becomes your mommy too?"
"......"
"Just not as much as I love you."
He hugged Seol tightly.
"But Daddy will always love you most in the world."
Yet Seol still looked unconvinced.
In fact...
She seemed downright sulky.
Seoul Branch Training Room, Basement Level 1.
"Take a 20-minute break."
At Iriel's command, the hunters collapsed onto the floor, exhausted from the intense drills.
"Haaah..."
Seol Eun-bin, S-rank #16, the "Ice Witch," sighed and whispered to her fellow S-ranks:
"Doesn't training feel extra brutal today?"
Everyone nodded.
"And she seems in a bad mood..."
They all stole glances at Iriel.
"Did you see Muscle-Head get punished for messing up earlier?"
Go Du-yeol muttered,
"I witnessed hell..."
Seol Eun-bin added,
"She's definitely upset."
Then she turned to Jo Min-jin, S-rank #4, the "Guide," who rarely ever got scolded.
"Can you go probe a bit?"
"Me?"
"Yeah, you're the teacher's pet."
Under peer pressure, Jo Min-jin reluctantly approached Iriel, who clearly wasn't her usual self.
"Um, Instructor...?"
"What is it?"
"Is something... bothering you today?"
Iriel shook her head.
"Nothing."
"I see..."
"By the way."
Iriel finally voiced what weighed on her.
"I heard His Majesty is going on a blind date."
Jo Min-jin's face stiffened.
"I-Immortal is...?"
She, too, had harbored feelings for Kang-jun since that day they spoke alone at Seol's birthday.
"You fight your own battles."
Kang-jun had placed a hand on her head—
Large, warm, and reassuring.
"Leave the fights beyond your strength to me."
Now, she also fell into gloom.
"A blind date..."
"Yes, a blind date..."
"How could it be a blind date...?"
When Jo Min-jin returned, the others asked,
"What'd she say?"
She shook her head.
"Nothing."
The gloom spread.
"Seol, what's wrong today?"
Teacher Lee Ji-hee's question made Seol shake her head.
"It's nuffin'."
The usually energetic Seol seemed unusually down.
"Something bothering you?"
Seol sighed deeply and mumbled,
"Seol has a pwoblem."
"A problem?"
"Daddy went on a blind date."
Lee Ji-hee frowned. "A blind date...?"
"Mm-hmm. He said he only wuvs me..."
Seol fidgeted with her hands.
"But he said he might wuv the blind date person too, just not as much as me, but still wuv them..."
Though the wording was confusing, Lee Ji-hee grasped the gist and murmured,
"I see..."
Then she, too, sank into gloom.
"A blind date..."
And so, as news of Kang-jun's blind date spread...
Many fell into profound melancholy.
The butterfly effect of a single blind date announcement.