Absolute One Is Also New to Fatherhood - Episode 63

A few days later.

Parents in the Gangnam District's Yeoksam-dong area couldn't stop buzzing about one topic whenever they had a spare moment.

"Have you all heard about that Snow White Kindergarten?"

"Of course. Everyone's been talking about it lately."

Even in Gangnam—a district already infamous for its cutthroat competition among elite kindergartens—Snow White Kindergarten stood out as one of the most prestigious.

It wasn't just the native English teachers or the diverse extracurricular programs in arts and sports that made it exceptional.

But then, just a few days ago...

Snow White Kindergarten abruptly closed its doors, citing extensive renovations and expansion before the new semester.

"Rumor has it they're replacing all the interior and exterior materials with eco-friendly alternatives?"

"I heard they're even building a zoo, an aquarium, and even a theme park inside the premises..."

"My husband works in finance, and he said the whole thing was acquired by a private bank from The Market."

Amid the chatter, a middle-aged woman sipping her coffee quietly finally spoke up, a gentle smile playing on her lips.

"I suppose you could say an unprecedented, ultra-luxury educational institution is about to open right here in Yeoksam-dong."

The moment she spoke, all eyes in the room turned toward her.

"Chairwoman, do you have some insider information?"

She was the head of the Yeoksam-dong Parents' Association for Young Children.

Nodding gracefully, Chairwoman Lee Mi-yeon replied,

"This is confidential, but my husband's construction company has been contracted for part of the Snow White Kindergarten project."

She then added, lowering her voice conspiratorially,

"And just between us members of the Parents' Association... the design was handled by a dwarf architect of exceptional skill."

A murmur of awe rippled through the group.

Dwarves who had migrated to Earth from the Otherworld were known for their meticulous craftsmanship—especially in fields requiring high-level handiwork.

"And as for the client funding this project..." she continued, trailing off deliberately.

"It's the Chief Steward of The Market's largest private bank."

She let that sink in before adding,

"Not only are they expanding the curriculum dramatically, but the teachers will all be specialists in their respective fields."

A hush fell over the room.

One parent sighed deeply before muttering,

"I wish I could send my kid there too, but with construction like that, it'll take years to finish..."

Mi-yeon raised a finger and wagged it decisively.

"Nope! My husband says it'll be done in less than a month."

"How...?" ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Well, the client is a consortium of discreet high-net-worth individuals, isn't it?"

She swirled her cup with an air of superiority.

"They said money is no object—just get it done before the new semester starts."

The parents exchanged uneasy glances.

"But rushing construction like that... won't it compromise safety?"

"What if corners get cut?"

Mi-yeon simply wiggled her finger again.

"Nooo, nooo, no problem~"

She waited until all eyes were back on her before dropping the bombshell.

"The entire construction crew is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠made up of Otherworld races. So you can absolutely put those worries to rest."

"You don't mean...?"

"Ogres, trolls, orcs—yes, their wages are steep, but their work is flawless."

If true, this meant the kindergarten would be completed—sturdy and safe—before the new semester even began.

"Those discreet elites really operate on another level..."

"They say their capital pool dwarfs even the biggest banks..."

Of course, this wasn't technically impossible—just financially impractical for most.

Shortening the timeline was doable... if you were willing to spend astronomical sums.

"Either way, enrollment will open soon, so keep an eye out."

The parents nodded in unison.

"But... what's the tuition going to be like?"

Mi-yeon hesitated before holding up all five fingers.

"Five... hundred?"

A ripple of unease passed through the group—until she clarified.

"Per month. Extracurriculars are extra."

But after a moment's thought, they quickly rationalized it.

"If you think of it as an investment in your child's bright future, it's not that excessive..."

"Agreed."

"Between our current English kindergarten and private tutoring, we're already spending about that much anyway."

These were affluent parents who routinely dropped two to six million won monthly on their children's education.

So to them, the price tag wasn't that shocking.

Then Mi-yeon rapped her knuckles on the table, her expression souring.

"There is one downside, though."

She leaned in.

"Half the slots are reserved for low-income families—tuition-free."

The room erupted in murmurs.

"The thought of our precious children mingling with those kinds of kids..."

"But can we really pass up this once-in-a-lifetime education?"

"Shouldn't our Parents' Association take a stand? Maybe even boycott?"

Mi-yeon's gaze slid toward a nearby table where two young women sat with a little girl around three or four years old.

"Ohhh, terrible..." she muttered under her breath.

"Ohhh, nooo, little money undeserving..."

"What's wrong?"

"Just look at that child's outfit."

Mi-yeon's whisper was dripping with disdain.

"Not a single designer brand in sight."

"Oh my, you're right."

"Would you dress your child in such shabby clothes?"

One of the young women, noticing their stares, began glaring back with a deeply furrowed brow—

But Mi-yeon carried on, utterly unfazed.

"Mark my words—they're commoners who scraped together loans just to move here. Just look at them."

"Yes, clearly..."

"It's wonderful that Yeoksam-dong ranks as the safest district, but must we tolerate these riffraff crawling in?"

The area's safety was largely thanks to the high concentration of famous Hunters—most major guilds were headquartered in Gangnam, after all.

"And now those low-income children will be getting free education at our kindergarten..."

The targets of their scorn?

Lee Soo-bin.

Iriel.

And...

Seol.

"We were just trying to enjoy some girl time, and now these weird aunties ruined the mood..."

As Lee Soo-bin cut the edge of the cake with a fork, she casually remarked, causing Iriel to blink rapidly before responding with grave seriousness.

"Your Majesty, if you command it, I shall punish them severely."

"Severely?"

"According to imperial law, insulting royalty is punishable by—"

Soo-bin immediately waved her hands in protest.

"No, absolutely not!"

Then, locking eyes with Seol, she subtly changed the subject.

"Seol-ah, should we take the rest home to eat?"

Today was moving day—the long-awaited occasion when Kang-jun and his family were finally relocating to their new villa in Yeoksam-dong. They had stepped out to avoid getting in the way of the movers transporting their belongings.

"No! Seowi still hungwy!" Seol protested, shaking her head vigorously.

"Really...?"

"Mm-hmm! Seowi eat all gone!"

She then pointed at a macaron with her tiny finger.

"Auntie, what dis called?"

"It's a snack called macaron."

"Dis called 'maka-yong'?"

"No, try saying it again."

Soo-bin enunciated slowly and clearly.

"Ma. Ca. Ron."

Seol swallowed hard before attempting again.

"Ma! Ka! Yong!"

"Ma. Ca. Ron."

"Ma! Ka! Yong!"

Watching this exchange, Soo-bin gently stroked Seol's hair and sighed.

"Hmm, I think this word might still be a little tricky for you..."

Just then, as Seol happily munched on her macaron, her eyes suddenly widened as if remembering something important.

"Oh! Fowgot!"

She hastily stuffed the half-eaten macaron into her pocket.

"Soo-bin gasped. "Seol-ah! You can't put food in your pocket!"

"Seowi save for Daddy! Fowgot earwier!"

Seol patted her chest in relief.

"Phew, awmost ate all by Seowi..."

At that moment, a snide voice cut through from nearby.

"Ugh, so tacky..."

The uninvited guest was none other than Lee Mi-yeon.

Soo-bin shot her a glare, but Mi-yeon continued unabated.

"I suppose it's to be expected from a low-income household. Table manners clearly weren't a priority in her upbringing."

Finally fed up, Soo-bin snapped.

"Hey!"

Mi-yeon glanced around innocently, a saccharine smile on her face.

"Hmm? Were you talking to me?"

Soo-bin stood abruptly.

"Don't play dumb! You've been making snide remarks this whole time!"

Mi-yeon tilted her head with exaggerated confusion.

"I haven't said a word about you."

"You've been whispering insults since—"

"Oho~ Someone's paranoid."

Soo-bin exhaled sharply, muttering, "Honestly..."

Just then, a deep voice rumbled from a nearby table.

"Disgusting."

A burly, bald man stood up, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his presence commanding immediate silence.

"Apologize. Now."

Mi-yeon froze, recognizing the man instantly—Go Du-yeol, Korea's 6th ranked S-class Hunter, nicknamed 'Iron Man.'

"G-Go Du-yeol Hunter-nim...?"

His response was ice.

"If you won't apologize, get out."

Mi-yeon stammered, "Oh my god! You—you're a Hunter! You can't threaten civilians!"

Go Du-yeol's brow furrowed.

"You misunderstand. I don't consider myself a Hunter."

"W-what?"

"I'm simply a man who cannot abide injustice. A lone beast." He clenched his bowling-ball-sized fist.

"While a true man protects the weak, my fists make no exceptions for scum like you."

The message was clear: apologize to the child and her mother, or leave—unless she wanted to be carried out.

Trembling, Mi-yeon hiccuped in fear as she scrambled to gather her purse.

"L-let's adjourn today's parent committee meeting! Hunters think they own the world—we'll make sure this incident goes viral!"

As she and her cronies scurried toward the exit—

THUD!

Mi-yeon collided with a man entering the café, landing hard on her backside.

"AAAH! I'M SO ANGRY—!"

Kang-jun, rubbing the back of his head where they'd bumped, murmured,

"Foreigner...?"

Then, deadpan:

"I am sorry."

"Wait, you're—!"

"Ah, Korean. That explains the terrible English accent."

Mi-yeon's eye twitched. "Excuse me?!"

Kang-jun blinked. "Oh, you heard that? My bad."

As Mi-yeon's group fled, Kang-jun called to Soo-bin.

"Noona, the movers are pretty much done—"

His eyes locked with Go Du-yeol's.

In unison, they exclaimed:

"My sworn brother Kwak Du-pal?!"

"That idiot from back then?!"

Go Du-yeol lunged to embrace him, but—

"DADDY!"

Seol sprang up, toddling over to shove her pocket-warmed macaron into Kang-jun's mouth.

"Seowi save for Daddy!"

She added proudly,

"Dis called 'maka-yong'!"

Touched, Kang-jun chewed obediently despite the odd texture.

"Mmm... delicious..."

"Seowi good gurl?"

"The best..."

"Seowi nice?"

"So nice..."

Then he paused.

"Wait, why's this so... dusty?"

The macaron was not only crumbly but suspiciously sticky, as if clenched in a tiny fist for hours.

Iriel coughed delicately.

"My liege, if I may... Her Highness did store it in her pocket..."

Kang-jun's jaw froze mid-chew.

But Seol beamed.

"Eat up!"

"...Okay."

"Yummy?"

"...Yeah."

He had no choice but to keep chewing.

Seol giggled, parroting a phrase she'd heard somewhere.

"Nummy?"

"...Yeah."

"Good eat!"

Well, whatever. If she was happy, so ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was he.

"Adorable..."

Go Du-yeol nodded fervently beside him.

"So adorable. Truly precious..."

Then, wistfully:

"I never imagined my sworn brother Du-pal would have such a cute daughter..."

Crouching to Seol's eye level, he declared:

"I'm your Honorary Father."

"Eewboo?"

"Your second daddy, so to speak."

Seol tilted her head but politely greeted him.

"Hewwooo..."

Go Du-yeol nodded solemnly.

"If anyone bullies you, tell me immediately."

"Otay..."

"And if you're ever in danger, I'll protect you with my life."

Soo-bin gaped at Kang-jun, who sighed before icily demanding:

"Why are you my daughter's 'Honorary Father'?"

"We're sworn brothers, so—"

"Since when?!"

"Du-pal! Have you forgotten that day?!"

Realizing reasoning was futile, Kang-jun dragged him outside by the collar.

"We need to talk. Privately."