Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Dragon Kindergarten (1)
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Vacation was over.
I had officially become a C-rank Hero of the Association.
That meant my pay, including performance bonuses, had improved dramatically.
"Ahh, so it's finally here. My time."
As I struck a pose in the living room, the kids yelled at me in annoyance.
"Dad, that's embarrassing!"
"Please stop already, Dad. It's painful to watch."
That was harsh.
Even if I got this treatment at home, I was a pretty impressive hero out in the world.
Anyway.
Now that I was a C-rank Hero, I was assigned way more tasks than back in my D-rank days.
And among those, the ones I got most often were Dimensional Gate missions.
"Dad, phone's ringing again."
"The Association?"
"Yeah."
It was nice having plenty of work.
But wasn't it a bit too much?
I took the smartphone Suryeon handed me and answered.
"Hello."
- Hero Lee Ha-jun. A C-rank Dimensional Gate has appeared in 07 District. Please check the text and head there promptly.
"Got it..."
Click.
The call ended with that.
I got up quickly to head out for work.
"Ugh, time to get ready."
Suryeon asked in her usual blank expression.
"Dad, heading to work again today?"
"Yeah, got a call, so I have to go."
"Then when will you be back?"
"Probably around evening."
"Exactly what time?"
"Early maybe 9, late 10."
She furrowed her brow, clearly unhappy with the return time.
"...Dad, you've been coming home so late a lot lately."
"I know, but what can I do? Work's piling up these days."
You have to row when the water's flowing in.
I met eyes with Suryeon, who looked full of complaints.
And I soothed her as gently as I could.
"I'll be back soon. Wait for me while playing with the kids."
"...You always just say to wait, Dad."
I grinned at Suryeon without a word and headed outside.
The kids waved me off.
"Come back before I get hungry!"
"...Go."
"Take care, Father!"
Have a safe trip.
Watching the kids wave me goodbye.
I thought to myself as I looked at them.
'Come to think of it, I'm always telling them to wait.'
It stung a little.
Still, to pay off the debt and move to a better place, there was no choice.
Our house didn't even have a single window right now.
"It'd be nice if the kids had something to do while waiting, to pass the time."
Was there any way?
I headed to the location in the text, pondering that.
To get back home fast.
A guardian always has to be by a child's side.
***
Busy days kept coming.
And on a peaceful day with no calls.
I took the kids to the playground.
"Ugh, the sun's blinding! It's been so long since I've seen light!"
"Even after so long out, nothing's changed here."
"No way! Look around! The plants have grown so much!"
Maybe because it had been a while.
The kids were bursting with energy.
"Alright, have fun at the playground!"
I let the kids loose at the playground and sat on a bench to watch.
My body was exhausted from all the work.
"Man, no matter how I think about it, C-rank Dimensional Gates are too much. They're just way too big."
No monsters swarmed because of the dragon scent.
But the gates themselves were so vast they took forever, and finding the core wore me out.
"I'm making good money, but my time with the kids is shrinking..."
Lee Ha-jun.
Is this okay?
Sitting quietly on the bench to rest, I pondered dragon childcare methods.
"Hmm... It'd be great if there was a place to drop them off while I'm gone... The perception interference magic's duration is getting longer too..."
Hmm.
As I mulled that over, Choryeon ran up to me from playing and held out her hand.
"Father, play with me!"
I looked at her tiny outstretched hand.
'...Yeah, it's been a while since we played together. Should play.'
I took Choryeon's small hand.
She pulled me excitedly toward the playground.
"Hehe! Father, I want to do the seesaw! Together!"
"Sure, whatever you want, Choryeon."
"Yay! Me too!"
I followed her lead onto the seesaw.
Then Suryeon quietly climbed on too, subtly.
She must've wanted to play with me deep down.
I asked Suryeon and Choryeon sitting in front of me.
"But where's Hwaryeon?"
"Dunno, she's probably fine on her own. Hwaryeon sis always does her own thing."
"Right! Hwaryeon sis is handling it alone! She's the big sis!"
Suryeon and Choryeon showed infinite trust in Hwaryeon.
Though it felt more like they were just too lazy.
Anyway.
Hwaryeon's excited voice echoed nearby.
She seemed to be playing fine on her own.
"Let's just play among ourselves. She'll come if she needs help."
"Mm, yeah, Dad."
"Right, Father!"
Like that.
I had fun on the seesaw with the kids.
Pushing my worries aside for now.
Priorities are priorities.
***
The king of the playground.
Hwaryeon met her minions after a long time.
The moment they saw her face, they burst into praise.
"Emperor of the playground! God of the playground! King God General Emperor Loyal Chungmugong Demon Jes-"
"Quiet! No fancy words!"
"Ah, yes! Got it!"
Thud.
Hwaryeon's minions dropped to their knees fast.
She crossed her arms, satisfied.
"Hmph, I'm not your boss or anything! But that looks great!"
But...
"You there! Why haven't you knelt?!"
One kid hadn't knelt.
He glared at Hwaryeon and shouted confidently.
"I won't kneel. I haven't lost yet!"
It was Gu Min-gu.
The deposed king.
Hwaryeon smirked at Gu Min-gu, still full of fight.
"Hmph, you can't beat me no matter what! Why keep trying to match me? Listen up! You're human! And I'm!"
"And I'm?"
"I'm! Uhmm..."
A dragon.
But Dad said not to tell others I'm a dragon.
Hwaryeon thought for a sec and came up with the perfect answer.
"I'm Dad's daughter! So you can't beat me!"
Boom!
Hwaryeon declared confidently.
But Gu Min-gu's spirit didn't break.
Her words had actually stirred his inferiority complex.
"...You mocking me for not having a dad right now?"
"Huh?"
"You're right! I don't have a dad! You're doing it on purpose?!"
"No I'm not!"
"You are! Fuck!"
Fuck?
What's that mean?
Hwaryeon didn't know the meaning but caught that Gu Min-gu was mad.
"If you're mad, come at me! Fight and win!"
"Y-You think I'm scared?! Here I go!"
"You still don't get it!"
Tsk tsk.
Hwaryeon clicked her tongue at the charging Gu Min-gu.
Her minions did the same.
"Our boss can't lose. Waste of time."
"Min-gu will kneel soon too. It's the law of nature. Can't beat the boss."
No one expected Min-gu to win.
Only Min-gu, charging with fist outstretched, believed in his victory.
"Uwaaa! I never lose!!"
Like a cartoon hero, he yelled and thrust his fist.
The punch was faster and sharper than before.
"Hmph, been training, huh!"
But.
That speed couldn't hit Hwaryeon.
She sidestepped lightly and tripped him with her foot.
Thud.
"Ow!"
"Won't waste my punch on you!"
No matter how hard he trained, Min-gu couldn't beat Hwaryeon.
Her minions whispered at the fallen Min-gu.
"Ahh, lost again."
"The gap in class can't be closed."
"Like getting wet in a drizzle. It was inevitable."
What are these guys.
Hwaryeon yelled at her weird minions.
"Quiet! Who even are you!"
"Ah, boss is mad."
"Run!"
They scattered.
Hwaryeon was baffled by their behavior.
"Who made you call me boss! I don't wanna be your boss!"
Her minions ignored her yells.
"You get caught, you're dead!"
"Ow, hurts..."
While Hwaryeon looked away briefly, Min-gu, face in the dirt, got up slowly.
His face was covered in dirt, nose bleeding again.
"Pfft-! What's that!"
Hwaryeon burst out laughing at the sight.
"Hahaha-! You look hilarious! Sand nosebleed monster!"
"D-Don't laugh."
Min-gu hardened his face, brushed off the sand, and wiped his nosebleed on his clothes.
But Hwaryeon's booming laughter didn't stop.
She clutched her belly, laughing openly.
"Puhaha-! So funny! Like a comedian on TV!"
"N-No, stop!"
Min-gu flushed red, pride hurt.
Tears of frustration welled up.
But as he was about to cry, a rough hand landed on his head.
"Boys don't cry."
Pat.
Min-gu knew the owner of that rough hand well.
"Teacher Bong-gu!"
"Yeah, it's me. So this is the new kid you mentioned. That girl?"
"Yes, Teacher! She hit me!"
Loan shark Gu Bong-gu.
Kindergarten teacher Gu Bong-gu.
The double-jobber Gu Bong-gu appeared, boosting Min-gu's morale.
"Ha, you're dead now with Teacher Bong-gu here! Get ready to get hit!"
Hwaryeon ignored Min-gu completely and eyed Gu Bong-gu.
"Ugly! But Bong-gu? Gu Bong-gu? Heard that name somewhere?"
Who was it.
Sounds familiar.
Hwaryeon wasn't great with memory.
Gu Bong-gu stepped in front of her.
"New face around here. Where you from?"
"From home!"
"Home? Where's that."
"That way!"
Hwaryeon pointed toward home.
That direction had Happy Villa where she lived, but it was obscured by the abandoned building.
Gu Bong-gu slightly misunderstood.
"...Living in that abandoned building? But you look too clean for that."
"What's an abandoned building! And of course I'm clean! I bathe every day!"
"That building has a place to bathe?"
"Yep!"
She shrugged confidently.
At that moment, Gu Bong-gu was convinced.
'Runaway kid on the streets, huh. Found a decent spot, but can't leave her here. Gotta take her in.'
He looked at Hwaryeon and said.
"You must've had it rough."
"What?"
"I'll take you somewhere good."
He reached for her head.
Hwaryeon saw the hand coming and thought.
'Daring to touch my head?! Who said you could!'
Grrrr-!
She bit Gu Bong-gu's hand right away.
"Aaack-!!"
"Gah! How dare you touch me!?"
Growl growl.
Hwaryeon clamped down on his hand and wouldn't let go.
Gu Bong-gu's screams grew louder, eventually reaching Lee Ha-jun's ears.
"What's that noise!"
What Lee Ha-jun saw when he arrived.
"Grrr-!"
"Let go! You little brat!"
Was Hwaryeon biting Gu Bong-gu's hand.
"What the hell."
Why are those two like that.
It was a total disaster.