Chapter 86

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Translator: MJK

Chapter: 86

Chapter Title: Hasuo the Painter's Bashful Confession

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Twinkle!

Morning sunlight slipped through a gap in the curtains, waking Jeong Ha-yoon.

"...Hm?"

This unfamiliar refreshment enveloping her entire body.
It felt like she'd slept incredibly well...

"Gasp!"

A pang of anxiety!
Had she overslept? Was she late?
She instinctively grabbed her phone to check the time.

"What? Not late at all... Wait, only this much time has passed?"

Far from late, she still had a full 30 minutes before her alarm was set to go off.
Normally, by this hour, she'd be wrestling with the snooze button under the covers, begging for "just five more minutes."
Even last night, she'd been buried in document reviews until past 2 a.m. before dragging herself home.

'Did I only get five hours of sleep?'

Yet her body felt as light as a feather.

"What's with this freshness?"

Was she so exhausted her senses had gone numb?
Or was this the so-called "awakened" state?
Jeong Ha-yoon bolted upright in bed and stretched.
Not a trace of stiffness anywhere.

"Guess it's my lucky day."

Humming a tune, she leisurely prepared for work—a rare luxury that happened maybe once a year.
The moment she arrived at the office, a towering stack of documents greeted her on her desk.

[Rep. Park Min-chul's Campaign Fund Usage Records]
[S Construction Illegal Donation Suspicion Materials]

"Sigh..."

Park Min-chul.
A heavyweight politician touted as a presidential contender.
Why would someone like him bypass all the major firms in central Seoul to come to this new suburban branch?
And entrust the case ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to her, a fresh-faced rookie lawyer, no less.

'The reason's obvious.'

All the other firms had turned him down.
On the surface, Park's case looked like a simple funding issue, but the deeper you dug, the more it resembled a ticking time bomb.
Fatal weaknesses lurked everywhere—ones that could end his political career if exposed.

'Everyone's already smelled the rot and bailed.'

Of course, Jeong Ha-yoon's firm, Jeongjin Law, was a top-tier powerhouse that held its own against any in rankings or revenue.
But this Naru-dong branch was a brand-new outpost.
Desperate to prove itself to HQ, it had no choice but to snatch up the rotten rope everyone else dodged.
And naturally, the one stuck bearing that weight was the powerless newbie with no say: Jeong Ha-yoon.

"Ugh, headache."

Staring at the convoluted papers all morning brought on another migraine.
She barely touched lunch before returning to the office.
Then, a sudden thought struck her.

"Oh, right! That!"

The coffee the nameless cafe owner had given her for free yesterday.
A treasure she'd carefully transferred to her tumbler and stashed in her mini-fridge to savor slowly.

Clink!

She pulled the chilled coffee from the fridge.
Even after a full day, popping the lid released a fresh, aromatic bean scent that hit her like a wave.

"Mmm~"

Jeong Ha-yoon grinned ear to ear and took a sip.

"Ahh, delicious as expected!"

Coffee that tasted this good even cold? Totally unfair.
The tangy acidity danced on her tongue, backed by a rich, full body.
As it slid down her throat, her mind sharpened with a delightful zing.

"Great. I can power through overtime today!"

Fueled by the coffee, Jeong Ha-yoon dove back into battle with the documents.
She scrutinized every number, every phrase without missing a beat.
Park's double books, slush accounts, shadowy money trails—all of it.
Normally, she'd burn out after a few hours, but today her focus held steady.
If anything, her mind grew clearer as time wore on.

"This ties into that one... and this fund flowed over here?"

Like puzzle pieces clicking into place, the tangled case's truth began revealing itself.
And after who-knows-how-long, she closed the final page and looked up.

"...Huh?"

The world outside the window was pitch black.

"Wait... what time is it?"

The wall clock pointed to 3 a.m.

"Eek! What? Already this late?"

Lunch and coffee felt like moments ago, yet 12 hours had flown by?
No bathroom breaks, no water sips—just pure work?
Even more shocking: she wasn't tired at all.

"...Did I awaken? As a workaholic?"

She let out an incredulous chuckle.
After a usual all-nighter, her shoulders would be rocks and her eyes foggy—but now she felt fresher than post-shower.

"Insane."

Jeong Ha-yoon hurriedly packed up and headed home.
After washing up and collapsing into bed, exhaustion finally hit, and she passed out the instant her eyes closed.

And the next day.

Fwsh!

"..."

Again?
Last night she'd crashed past 3 a.m.
Barely four hours of sleep, tops.

"...Why do I feel so refreshed?"

Jeong Ha-yoon jumped up and checked the mirror.
Her skin, which should have been dull, glowed; the dark circles under her eyes had faded.

Something had changed.

"No way... is this that coffee's effect?"

But caffeine usually did the opposite, right?
This made her crash deep at night and wake refreshed in the morning.
Like it had grabbed her messed-up circadian rhythm by the scruff and forced it back on track.

"Normally it's the reverse—can't sleep, heart racing..."

Her gaze locked on the empty tumbler on her desk.
‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠The faint lingering aroma evoked that same comfort.
Nothing else explained this vitality.

"For real?"

Jeong Ha-yoon clapped a hand over her gaping mouth.
That coffee—and that owner!
What on earth were they?

I stopped by Old Man No's place for the first time in a while.
With all the fish I'd caught in Okinawa piling up and no other way to offload it, I timed it for his day off.

"Jang, you're here?"
"Hello, sir."

The moment I stepped into the yard, Hellmung-i came bounding over, tail wagging furiously.

"Arf!"
"Woof!"

Both heads barked in unison, a chaotic welcome, but I knew it was affection, so I petted them.

"Here, treats."

I tossed a few lychees I'd brought to Hellmung-i.

Waaang!

Hellmung-i didn't bother peeling them, swallowing the lychees whole with both mouths.

Crunch, smack!

As juice burst out, it narrowed its eyes in bliss—a pretty cute sight.
Old Man No chuckled at the display.

"Those are crazy good, huh."

The day lychees had ripened in Hasuo's patch, Gorani had rocket-delivered them nonstop.

"Tasty, right? Fresh from the garden."
"Heh, if Hellmung-i's scarfing shells and all, that says it all."

Old Man No picked one up, peeled it, and popped it in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his mouth.

"Sweet and fragrant. Your farming skills are leveling up daily, Jang."
"Oh, and I brought this too."

I opened the cooler I'd hauled over.
Fresh red snapper and golden threadfin bream flopped inside.

"Fish? Where'd you get these?"
"Ended up with extras."
"Heh, such premium stuff... Perfect timing. Shall we slice up a sashimi platter?"

Old Man No sharpened his knife with practiced ease and prepped the fish.
A 20-year vet of fieldwork, his sashimi skills were pro-level.
Soon, a glistening plate adorned the table.

"Dig in."
"Thanks for the meal."

We savored the chewy, nutty sashimi while chatting idly.

"Sir, how's living around here?"
"Great. Clean air, quiet."
"Security?"
"Used to have magic beasts aplenty, but now Hellmung-i's the boss of the block. No stray dog dares sniff around. Total peace."

Hellmung-i puffed its chest, as if understanding the praise.
A hellhound-guarded neighborhood? Tougher than any security firm.

"Truth is, these siblings I know are in a tough spot."
"Oh, the kids from the black market?"
"Yeah. Their place is rough, and the little one's frail. Thought fresh air like this might help."

He pondered briefly, then nodded readily.

"Tell 'em to move here. Sound good?"
"Here?"
"Plenty of empty houses nearby. Want me to look into it?"
"That'd be amazing. But... am I imposing?"
"Nah. You can zip over on Gorani anytime."
"True enough."

Gorani at full speed? Under 20 minutes, easy.
The deer's hitting near-Mach these days.

"Houses won't be cheap, though."
"Don't sweat it. I'll handle."
"No, really..."
"I'm rattling around alone anyway. Kids around? Makes life feel alive."

Old Man No rubbed his nose sheepishly.

"Plus, someone to walk Hellmung-i when I'm at work. Gets bored."

I stifled a laugh.

'You take it to Valhalla daily.'

Did he think I didn't know about the dedicated seat in the company car or the custom doghouse labeled "Hellmung-i" at the office?
His flimsy excuse hid a genuine desire to help the kids.

"Thank you, sir. They'll love it."
"...But will they like me? Hope the burly old guy's not too scary."

His face turned serious as he fretted.
‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Even the mighty Old Man No was just a neighborhood uncle around kids.

A bright weekend morning.

"Here you go."

I pulled out the paints Kim Se-jin had gifted last time and headed to the garden.

"Hasuo, a present for you."
"Pwoeng?"

Hasuo's eyes widened as it took the box.
Inside: twelve shimmering rainbow tubes of paint and brushes, neatly arranged.
Perfect for Hasuo, lately obsessed with doodling sticks in the dirt.

"Whoa! Me too!"

So-ye came running out with her sketchbook, thrilled.
Muryong, Gorani, even the chickens and pheasants gathered, eyes full of curiosity.

"Draw whatever you want."

I handed over a brush; Hasuo gripped it tightly with its cute root-hand.
It pondered, then dipped into red and smeared boldly across the sketchbook.

Swish, stroke.

What emerged: a round, red... apple?
No—closer look: a Disaster Flower.
Hasuo's favorite flashy, pretty bloom.

"Pwoeng!"

As Hasuo finished and set the brush down, something magical happened.

Pong!

The drawing puffed up like a balloon on the page, then popped right out.

"Wow! A real flower!"

So-ye gasped.
Not a true Disaster Flower, but a soft, translucent jelly-like illusion.
It floated lazily, wafting sweet fragrance.

Flutter...

The real Disaster Flowers in the garden corner trembled their leaves at the sight.
Rivaled by its mimic? Or impressed by Hasuo's skill? Buds bloomed wide, radiating brighter red.

"Me! Me next!"

Chaos ensued.
So-ye's blue bird, Muryong's paw-printed butterfly, Gorani's mouth-smeared scribbles.
The yard filled with colorful illusions in seconds.

"Masterpieces, all of 'em."

I smiled warmly at the whimsical scene.

"Pwoeng..."

But Hasuo paused, staring at me intently.
Then, brush in hand, it began drawing with utmost care.

Swish, stroke—

Black for hair, peach for skin.

Dot, dot!

Even eyes, nose, mouth—nicely detailed.

"...Is that me?"

Unpolished, but spot-on likeness.
Hasuo added a smile at the corner of my mouth last.

Slide—

The drawing's me stepped off the page.
A palm-sized mini-me, not quite me.
Hasuo-height illusion floated to it, arms wide in greeting.

"Pwoeng!"

Hasuo rubbed against my leg, beaming.
Its way of saying I was its favorite.

"Thanks, Hasuo."

It's learning expressions now.
I scooped it up, stroking its head.
Still a small, fluffy root lump outside—but inside, growing by leaps daily.

Learning to show love, share joy.
Our Hasuo was expanding its world, day by day.

"Worth every effort."

Stroking its soft, fluttering leaves vigorously—

"Hm?"

The texture felt oddly different.
Visually the same fluffy root, but denser, firmer inside.

I sensed it instinctively.
New power budding within Hasuo.

"Appearance trait?"

I peered at Hasuo curiously.

Boing!

In that instant, eyebrows sprouted above its black eyes.

"Pfft."

The faintly aggrieved expression grew even more endearing.

"Pwoeng?"

Hasuo rubbed its new brows, flustered.
Adorable.

'But that's not all.'

Just looks? No—the inner pulse felt profound.
Some vast, mysterious power beyond knowing.

Shimmer—

It softly enveloped Hasuo's entire form.