The Legend's Daughter
"……"
"……"
The plush sensation of her thighs pressed against my backside through my bottom.
She'd plopped me right onto her lap and was now enthusiastically stroking my hair to her heart's content.
My head's gonna catch fire.
"…Hey, kiddo, what's your name?"
The voice poured down from above my crown.
I stared blankly into space, resigned, and answered curtly.
"…Shina."
"Aah… Shina! Even your name is so cuuuute!"
She let out exclamations of delight, continuing to pet my head.
Her touch was gentle, but the speed was no joke.
"Sis's name is Jiu. Kang Jiu. So, what're you doing here, Shina? Did you get lost or something?"
"……My guardian works here. I followed."
"Huh…? Guardian…? You mean mom and dad?"
"Something like that."
Despite my dry response, Jiu burst into a beaming grin, unperturbed.
"Heehee… Sis came with a friend too~ Feels like we click, right?"
"……"
Way too sociable.
Her energy's too high—it's overwhelming.
"……"
She kept me pinned on her lap and pulled out her phone with one hand, tapping away.
The screen's glow reflected in her eyes, flickering faintly.
Then, a moment later, she glanced at me cautiously.
"Um… Shina, mind if I take a pic? Just one?"
"……Why?"
"You're so cute, hehe… I wanna keep it!"
"…Do whatever."
The moment I gave permission, her fingers flew into action.
Click, click!
The rapid shutter sounds filled the quiet space.
She smirked at the results, tail end twitching up.
"Hihi…"
She'd been gleefully enjoying herself for a good while when her mood suddenly plummeted.
"Huh… wha?"
From behind me, she tilted her head in confusion, letting out a low groan.
Her eyes darted left and right across the screen.
She kept tilting her head, checking something over and over, until her fidgeting slowed.
"……!"
"……?"
I turned to look up at her, and Jiu stared back with a mix of shock and bewilderment.
Her trembling lips barely parted.
"Um… Shina, do you… happen to know Hunter Kim Shinwoo?"
"Yes……"
"Then… maybe… just maybe…"
A fear-like emotion slowly crept into her eyes.
I spat out the lie as casually as breathing now.
"He's my father."
"Whoa… really…? No, wait……"
She froze mid-sentence, her face draining of color in an instant.
"Uh… u-um… th-that's, like……"
Jiu awkwardly suspended the hand that had been petting me moments ago in midair, radiating an indescribable discomfort.
Her pupils shook violently.
Ah… right.
I'm supposed to be dead.
"It's fine."
"Uh… u-um…? Ah… y-yeah… I see……"
Jiu stared at me with an expression like she was about to burst into tears, completely rigid.
The lively vibe from before had vanished; only heavy silence hung in the air.
Bad… this is bad…!
Jiu screamed internally.
She regretted her fingers that had so innocently poked the kid's cheeks and plopped her on her lap—she wanted to go mad.
To a kid whose parents passed away… what the hell did I just do?!
Cold sweat trickled lightly down her back.
In Jiu's eyes, the girl's blank expression read as cold anger or deep-seated grief.
Wh-what do I do…? Is she mad? Mad at me…?! I can't read her face at all…!
Her eyes darted wildly side to side in panic.
"Um… Shina…?"
"Yes."
"D-do you… um… want anything to eat?"
Jiu asked cautiously, as if atoning for her sins.
The end of her voice trembled faintly.
"Not really hungry…"
"Th-then a snack?! Something sweet!"
"Mm… it's okay."
"Aah… u-uh…"
At my firm refusal, Jiu's shoulders slumped.
She wailed inwardly.
She's definitely mad… right…?!
Lick.
"……"
I'd refused, but she dragged me to the lounge anyway and forced an ice cream into my hand.
The moment we returned with the ice cream in tow, the door opened and three figures stepped out.
Their gazes naturally locked onto me.
"……?"
One of them—a girl with white hair—halted.
Her transparent blue eyes stared straight at me.
In the odd silence, Rose approached me first.
"Shina, where'd you go…?"
"This sis bought me ice cream."
I lifted the cone slightly to show her.
Jiu followed with an awkward laugh and greeting.
"Ahaha… hi."
"Ah… Student Jiu… sorry for the inconvenience… Did Shina bother you?"
"No! It's… ahaha…"
As Jiu scratched the back of her head and trailed off—
"Shinwoo…-nim?"
The white-haired girl, who'd been silently staring from afar, murmured softly.
Her voice carried an indescribable tangle of emotions.
"……?"
She approached me with mesmerized steps.
The air grew oppressively heavy, like it was freezing over.
I looked up blankly at the girl now right in my face.
The girl just stared at me piercingly, wordless, as if seeing a hallucination.
"Ah… Rida. That kid is……"
"Rida, that kid is……"
Rose and Jiu spoke up at once.
"Shinwoo's daughter."
"Hunter Kim Shinwoo's daughter."
"What…?"
The white-haired girl—Rida—her eyes shook violently.
"Th-then……"
"I'm looking after her now."
As Rose finished explaining, my view suddenly flipped.
Whoosh.
"……?"
Rida slipped her hands under my armpits without hesitation and hoisted me up.
She held me at eye level, staring intensely into my eyes.
"His… daughter……?"
"E-eh……?"
Rida kept me airborne and just turned her head to Rose.
Unprecedented conviction and yearning flashed in her eyes.
"I… I'll sign the contract."
A short while later…
A strange tension and silence filled the office.
Five people in total: Rose and Minji on one side, and on the opposite sofa, Jiu and the girl named Rida sat side by side.
I settled next to Rose, watching the bizarre scene unfold.
Minji droned on with lengthy contract details—pay, benefits, activity scope, etc.
Rida nodded repeatedly with unfocused eyes, barely registering the words.
Her gaze kept drifting toward me, only to jolt away to the floor whenever our eyes met.
"Yes. So… we'll assume both of you will join Hongryeon Guild after graduation! Contract term is……"
All procedures wrapped up eventually.
They were promising recruits who'd come to sign on.
"……"
After the contracts were done, they stood.
But the boldness from when she'd lifted me earlier was gone—Rida now kept her distance, gazing at me with pitiful eyes.
"……"
As I stared back blankly, Jiu leaned in and whispered in my ear.
"……She's super shy. Huge fan of your dad."
"I see……"
A fan of mine?
Her distant eyes rippled with various emotions.
Really?
Curious, I took a step toward her first.
But the instant I moved, Rida recoiled a step, like pushed by an invisible wall.
"……?"
I turned to Jiu in disbelief, and she scratched her head awkwardly with a strained smile.
"Guess she's embarrassed… haha……"
"Then we'll be off!"
"……Goodbye."
Jiu and Rida gave short farewells and left the office.
Once the door shut and silence returned—
Rose crossed her arms and slowly turned to me.
"……"
"……"
"So… Shina. Wanna tell me why you went outside?"
Her voice was soft, but the emotion laced in wasn't.
I averted my gaze slightly and mumbled.
"That was… bored……"
She shot me a worried look for a moment, then gave a wry smile like she couldn't help it, gently stroking my head.
As they exited the guild building, Jiu cheekily prodded the unusually quiet Rida beside her.
"Why the sudden change of heart? You were all 'lemme think about it' yesterday. Must be… Shina, huh?"
"……Yeah."
Rida's reply was curt.
"Then why keep your distance staring? You scooped her up earlier."
"It's rude…"
"Psh, just shy, right? I touched her~ Shina's cheeks are total squish!"
"What…?"
Rida's steps halted abruptly.
At Jiu's boastful words, her eyes iced over—then blazed with envy.
Rida sank into thought.
The daughter left behind by him.
The moment she'd first faced Shina, memories had crashed over her like waves.
The saving hand that pulled her from the depths.
The indescribable relief of gazing at that broad back.
That indescribable grace.
Just as he saved me…
Rida unconsciously clenched her fist.
"I… have to protect her too."
But trailing persistently after her resolve were Jiu's earlier words.
Shina's cheeks are total squish!
"……"
Rida's brow furrowed slightly.
Not just that emotion, perhaps.
A hint of ulterior motive mixed in…
Rida's cheeks flushed red.