Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: King of the Playground (2)
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The playground was cold.
The kids on the playground made that fact clear through their actions.
The freezing-cold kids ignored the fallen Min-gu and huddled together to start a meeting.
For the sake of usurping the throne.
"Honestly, doesn't that kid suit being the boss more than Min-gu?"
"A defeated boss is no longer the boss."
"I-I think so too..."
Whisper whisper—
From what I could overhear, the kids were plotting a regime change.
A defeated boss was apparently no longer needed.
"Hey, what are you kids mumbling about!"
Thud thud—
Hwayeon marched toward the whispering kids.
Not wanting to get hit for no reason, the kids immediately dropped to their knees on the ground.
"W-We’ve decided to recognize you as the boss!"
"D-Don’t hit us...!!"
Hwayeon looked troubled at the kids groveling like flies.
"W-What’s wrong with these kids?!"
"We don’t want to get hit like Min-gu! Please spare us, boss!"
"Boss? Why would I be your boss?!"
Hwayeon refused to accept that she was the boss.
However, the kids had already recognized her as their boss.
The reason was simple.
"The strongest one is always the boss!"
The strongest one is the boss.
The kids gathered at the playground recognized Hwayeon as the boss.
Even if that person didn’t accept it, if the kids did, then she was the boss.
Hwayeon’s reaction to suddenly becoming the kids’ boss was...
"If the strongest one is the boss, then it’s gotta be me!"
Shrug—
Hwayeon crossed her arms and grinned.
She seemed pretty pleased.
Then, she confidently shouted at her new subordinates.
"Hmph! I’m the strongest, so of course I should be the boss! You humans are smarter than I thought!"
"Then boss! We’re pretty smart! We’re useful!"
"Not as smart as me! But fine! I’ll be the boss!"
Phew—
The kids finally let out sighs of relief.
They were relieved not to get hit.
I sat on the swing, watching the kids, thinking to myself.
‘Hwayeon becoming the playground boss. Is this really okay?’
Somehow, I felt worried.
Especially that Hwayeon might have a bad influence on the kids.
She was my daughter, but Hwayeon was a battle maniac.
Hwayeon looked at her new subordinates and said.
"Subordinates! Everyone, stand up!"
"Yes, boss!"
Whoosh—!
The kids immediately jumped to their feet at Hwayeon’s command.
Hwayeon smiled in satisfaction and gave another order.
"Attention!"
"A-Attention!"
"Your movements are too slow! My subordinates have to move as one mind, one body! Got it?!"
"Y-Yes, boss!"
"Attention again!"
The kids synced their timing and snapped to attention.
They seemed pretty tight-knit, as their timing was perfect.
Hwayeon clapped lightly at the sight.
Clap clap clap—
"Yeah, that’s it! My subordinates moving perfectly to my commands! Looks great!"
She looked less like the playground boss and more like the boss of the north.
Was it just my imagination?
‘No matter how I look at it, it’s not.’
I was scared she might turn into Red Hot flavor.
As I quietly watched Hwayeon’s boss play,
The has-been leader Gu Min-gu, who had been collapsed with a nosebleed, got back up.
He gaped at the scene unfolding before him.
"W-What’s going on here... K-Kids...! What are you doing right now...!!"
"Boss..."
"I’m your boss...! Why are you listening to that dragon girl...!!"
Min-gu’s subordinates had now become Hwayeon’s.
Min-gu desperately shouted at his subordinates.
"Y-You guys’ boss is me! Listen to me! Drop the attention stance right now!"
"S-Sorry, boss...! We’ve decided to follow the new boss now...! Y-You’re not the boss anymore...!!"
They no longer listened to Min-gu.
It was only natural.
Their boss was now Hwayeon, not Min-gu.
"T-These... aren’t my friends anymore..."
Thud—
Min-gu dropped his head.
Hwayeon boldly declared right in front of him.
"They’re my subordinates now! Not yours!"
"Urk..."
"Your subordinates were pretty smart! They seem useful!"
"Uuuugh..."
Min-gu let out a voice full of grief.
He looked furious at having all his subordinates stolen.
Hwayeon lightly said to the dejected Min-gu.
"But it’d be awkward to take everyone except you! I’ll specially make you a subordinate too!"
"You’ll make me a subordinate...?"
"Yeah! I’ll specially take you as a subordinate!"
At Hwayeon’s words, Min-gu pondered for a moment, rolling it over in his head.
But maybe because his pride was strong.
He snapped irritably, jumping up and yelling.
"Why should I go under you? I never go under anyone!"
Hwayeon let out a hollow laugh and threw a punch.
"If I say you’re my subordinate, you are! Dragon Punch!"
"Guak—!"
Thud—
Min-gu got hit by the fist and collapsed to the ground.
Blood poured from his nose again.
‘Isn’t he bleeding too much? Is he okay?’
As I started worrying about the kid named Min-gu,
I overheard the kids talking.
"Min-gu’s nosebleeding again."
"He’s always had a weak nose. Something about high blood pressure."
Guess he’s the type who nosebleeds a lot.
I quickly stopped worrying about Min-gu.
"Anyway! You’re my subordinate! Got it!?"
"...Like I said just now. I never go under anyone—"
"If I say subordinate, you’re a subordinate! Dragon Punch!"
"Guak—"
She was determined to make him a subordinate to the end.
Hwayeon kept landing Dragon Punches on Min-gu.
I decided to stop her before Min-gu bled out and died.
"Hwayeon, that’s enough now."
"Daddy!"
"If you keep going, he’ll die before he can be your subordinate."
"Really!?"
Hwayeon sealed her Dragon Punch.
Min-gu finally sighed in relief.
I grabbed Min-gu’s body from where he lay on the ground and helped him up.
"How’s your body? You okay?"
"...My body’s fine. My heart’s not, thanks to these traitors."
Glare—
Min-gu glared at the subordinates who betrayed him.
Hwayeon’s subordinates whistled innocently, avoiding Min-gu’s gaze.
"You traitors...!!"
Hwayeon said to the grinding-his-teeth Min-gu.
"Hmph, if you’ve got complaints, get stronger than me!"
"..."
At Hwayeon’s words, Min-gu shut his mouth.
Then, Hwayeon looked up at me and asked.
"Daddy! But what do you do when you get subordinates?!"
"Hmm, whatever you want? Just play with them."
"Hmph, I don’t want to play with them! Weak creatures always band together! I like being alone!"
Thud thud—
After chatting with me, Hwayeon seemed to have made up her mind and approached her subordinates.
The subordinates waited with excited faces for her words.
Hwayeon confidently said to them.
"Hey, you guys!"
"Yes, boss!"
"Just quit being my subordinates!"
"...Boss?"
"I don’t want to be your boss! Strong creatures are supposed to be alone!"
With that, Hwayeon turned around and came back to me.
"Daddy, time’s up! Let’s go home!"
"Already?"
"Yeah! But it was fun!"
If Hwayeon had fun, that’s good enough.
I took her hand so she wouldn’t trip again.
As we headed home, I looked back at the kids we left behind.
"B-Boss..."
"Once a boss, always a boss...!!"
Even though they’d been fired.
The kids still saw Hwayeon as their boss.
They must have been genuinely awed by her overwhelming power.
‘Is this dragon leadership?’
Even with her weird behavior.
The kids just started following her.
As I walked home with Hwayeon, I asked her.
"Hwayeon."
"Yeah!"
"But now, can those kids play at the playground?"
She’d claimed it as her turf.
But she was leaving the kids and going home.
Was there a reason for that?
When I asked, Hwayeon looked me straight in the eye and said.
"Oh, right! I forgot!"
"..."
"Let’s go back real quick! I gotta chase them out!"
Dash dash dash—!
Hwayeon sped back to the playground.
She yelled at the kids still there.
"Hey, this is my turf! Get out now!"
"Boss, why are you doing this to us!"
"Why am I your boss! Get out nowww!!"
Like a park keeper chasing pigeons.
Hwayeon swung Dragon Punches at the kids.
They frantically ran around the playground to avoid getting hit.
"Boss, let us use the playground too!"
"Shut up! This is my turf, Hwayeon’s!"
"Eeeeek! Spare us, boss!"
"Don’t run! You’re dead if I catch you!"
Hwayeon and the kids ran wildly around the playground.
Just like playing tag.
Climbing slides and sliding down, facing off at the seesaw, kicking up sand.
‘Min-gu, right? He was all high and mighty about pride. But he’s playing too.’
He’d probably get jealous if they played without him.
Before long, Min-gu was also fleeing Hwayeon around the playground.
The kids’ faces were full of childish smiles.
‘Kids laugh just from running around when they’re young.’
Still.
Even if Hwayeon was a bit spicy.
I was glad she seemed to have made new friends.
"You’re dead if I catch youuu!!"
"Hehe. Catch us if you can, boss!"
The king of the playground never just watched—he played mixed in with the citizens.