Chapter 97
Translator: MJK
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Do You Know Who I Am? Yeah, Fertilizer
Early in the morning, on the rooftop of a five-story building in Seoul.
We'd come through the dimensional gate together with So-ye.
"Whoa, we're really in Seoul in the blink of an eye?"
So-ye bounced excitedly, looking around the rooftop in wonder. I straightened the strap on her bag and gave her a serious reminder.
"So-ye, this rooftop and the fourth and fifth floors are top secret. No bringing friends up here, got it?"
"Yeah, I got it."
"I'll be down in the cafe on the first floor. If anything happens, come straight down. And if I'm not there, you know what to do, right?"
I nodded toward the items on her bag.
The summoning flute, and even Mini Bunny pretending to be a doll inside the steel chestnut.
"Oppa, I'll be fine."
So-ye grinned confidently and grabbed my hand.
"I'm not a little kid anymore. I can hang out with my friends on my own."
"Still..."
"So, Oppa, you're gonna be a cafe owner now?"
"Huh? Well, not exactly... Just a hobby kind of thing."
"Do what you want to do, okay?"
I couldn't believe she was already worrying about me. I ruffled her hair affectionately.
"Oppa! I'll do my best! See you later!"
As So-ye slipped on her shoes, I grabbed the bundle I'd prepared earlier and headed for the door.
"So-ye, take this!"
It was a tumbler filled with juice made from ground-up [Forgotten Fruit (Lychee)], and a sealed container with the peeled flesh prepped for easy eating. I hadn't forgotten the [Kid-Friendly Mild Kale Juice] that clears the mind in the morning, either.
"Oppa, that's too much. It's heavy."
"Just put it in your bag."
"Oh, right!"
So-ye giggled and opened her bag. As soon as the hefty snack container went in, the bag floated lightly thanks to the [Floating Stone Powder].
"Bye! See ya!"
So-ye marched off bravely. I stood by the window, watching her tiny figure grow smaller and smaller.
'She'll be okay on her own, right?'
Part of me wanted to lurk invisibly at the back of her classroom wearing a cloak... but this was So-ye's world to face on her own. My role was to cheer her on from here.
In front of the gates to Saint Mary International School.
Dismissal time—no, drop-off hour looked like a motor show. Top-of-the-line sedans and limos lined up, disgorging kids in crisp uniforms. Chauffeurs opened doors, personal assistants carried bags. That was the daily routine here.
And weaving through that glamorous parade came So-ye, all on her own two feet.
"Who's that? Walking to school?"
"Never seen her before."
The stares from nearby kids and parents zeroed in on So-ye. More wariness and subtle disdain than curiosity. The cliquey groups weren't about to make room for a stranger easily.
'......'
So-ye almost shrank back for a second, but she stroked Bunny on her bag and straightened up tall.
'It's okay. I've got Oppa and Bunny.'
Chin high, So-ye strode through the gates toward the faculty office.
"So-ye, wait here a sec. I'll grab the attendance sheet."
Her homeroom teacher, Ms. Kim Soo-hyun, greeted her warmly before stepping out. A heavy silence settled over the office.
Tap, tap.
Just the dry clack of keyboards and rustle of papers. The adults were too busy to even glance her way, but to So-ye—still new to the world outside the hospital—that indifference felt heavy and intimidating.
'......I'm nervous.'
So-ye nearly huddled up instinctively. But she bit her lip.
I can't back down here.
Oppa's watching me.
So-ye planted herself firmly on the chair, back ramrod straight. A posture full of resolve.
"So-ye, ready to go?"
"Yes!"
Even in the hallway to the classroom, kids kept sneaking glances.
Slide!
The door to Class 4-A swung open. The noisy room fell silent in an instant.
"Everyone, pay attention. This is the new friend joining our class starting today."
At Ms. Kim Soo-hyun's introduction, So-ye stood at the front podium. Dozens of eyes turned her way.
"......"
No one greeted her first. The mood hung strangely subdued. Any normal kid would've burst into tears or hung their head.
But So-ye took a deep breath and flashed a big smile.
"Hi! I'm Jang So-ye! Nice to meet you all!"
The unexpected bright, bold greeting softened the kids' faces a bit. Wariness shifting to curiosity in that moment.
"So-ye, take the third seat from the back over there."
"Okay."
So-ye settled into her spot. Her desk mate, a girl decked out in designer bags and watches, stared openly. She looked pretty strict.
'What do I do?'
As So-ye debated saying hi, a sweet aroma wafted from her bag. The snack container Oppa had packed.
Click.
Gathering her courage, So-ye pulled out the sealed container. Popping the lid released a fresh, sweet fruit scent that filled the classroom.
"......?"
"What's that smell?"
Kids' noses twitched. A fragrance they'd never smelled, even in department store food halls. Eyes drifted inevitably to So-ye's container, where plump, creamy lychee flesh gleamed invitingly.
"Um... wanna share?"
"Huh? Mom said not to eat anything random..."
The girl hesitated, then succumbed to the scent and popped a piece in her mouth.
Munch.
"!"
Her eyes went wide. A festival of juice bursting on her tongue! So delicious it melted away her annoyance like butter.
"Wh-what is this? It's amazing!"
"Really? Me too, me too!"
"So-ye, gimme one!"
The desk mate's rave review drew a swarm of kids. Walls? Cliques? Meaningless against special lychees grown with Hasuo's tender care.
"No way! This is way better than what I had at that Thai royal resort over break!"
"Fresher than the dessert Mom brought from France! Where'd you get these?"
"Even the lounge fruit at the department store isn't this good. Real lychees?"
The kids' eyes bugged out. Born with silver spoons, gourmet palates that ignored ordinary snacks—yet here they were, floored by a single fruit slice. So-ye's desk had become the class hotspot.
"My oppa grew these himself."
"Your bro's a farmer? Cool!"
A lively, heartwarming scene. The button eyes of Mini Bunny dangling from her bag glimmered faintly.
Flash.
Bunny's gaze scanned each approaching kid relentlessly: faces, voice patterns, unique body scents. Etching every detail into memory.
'East row, second seat, glasses boy. Curiosity 80%, wariness 20%.'
'Front row, ribbon girl. Friendliness 90%, gluttony 10%.'
'West window, chubby boy. Gluttony 90%, rest... lychee lust 10%.'
The last boy nearly got "no threat," but excessive drool bumped him to [Hygiene Watchlist]. No one could imagine this tiny doll analyzing and categorizing So-ye's every social connection in real time.
After seeing So-ye off to school.
I flung open the doors to the first-floor cafe. No sign, no ads—just a hobby shop. I figured it'd be tumbleweeds and flies.
"......What the hell?"
Yet in 30 minutes flat, it was packed—no standing room.
"Oh, this must be it! Look at that clean interior."
"The owner's way hotter in person than the pics."
"No seats! What now?"
Moms with strollers, parents post-drop-off, office workers on break. Naru-dong locals.
'No way......'
I recalled what Lawyer Jung Ha-yoon said a few days back. Word had spread on the mom cafe. Didn't expect coffee rumors alone to cause this rush—turns out, garden-grown beans pack a punch.
"Boss! Four iced Americanos!"
"Two Americanos, to go!"
Exclamations and orders poured in. I was nonstop pulling espresso shots, brain fried. This wasn't the chill cafe owner fantasy.
Tinkle!
Then Jung Ha-yoon burst in, panting.
"Boss! You're finally ope—huh?"
She froze at the door. The cafe looked like a bustling marketplace.
"Wh-what's all this?"
"......You came?"
I wiped sweat, pausing mid-shot for an awkward wave. Ha-yoon gawked at the crowd.
"Holy crap, a no-promo shop blowing up? Boss, you spike the coffee with drugs or what?"
"Haha, no way..."
Too hectic for banter.
"I'll help! I've got part-time experience."
Ha-yoon rolled up her sleeves and jumped behind the counter. Her smooth support got orders flowing—barely. But the line snaked out the door with new arrivals.
"Can't hide good food, huh."
"Coffee?"
"No coffee today—something cool and tangy? Client threw a tantrum this morning; my stomach's on fire."
That jogged my memory: chilled [Forgotten Fruit (Lychee)] homemade syrup from yesterday's harvest. Flesh so rich, just add soda water.
"Got a new menu item. Wanna try? Lychee ade."
"Ooh, lychee? Rare one. Hit me!"
I filled a glass with ice, topped with soda, stirred in generous lychee syrup. Bubbles danced refreshingly.
"Thanks for the meal!"
Slurp—
That instant.
"......?!"
Ha-yoon's eyes lit up.
"Whoa... what is this?"
"Good?"
"Insanely good! My brain's sparkling! Stress gone in one sip!"
Her hype drew every eye to the counter. Pretty pink drink, blissful face—perfect curiosity bait.
"What's that? Not on the menu."
"New item? Cute color."
"Boss! Me too!"
Coffee orders vanished; ade frenzy exploded.
"Lychee ade here!"
"Three over here!"
"Not limited, right? I gotta have it!"
Chaos at the counter. Koreans can't resist what looks tasty and everyone's having.
"Hey, line up!"
My shout drowned in cheers. Ha-yoon was slurping her empty glass; the cafe boiled with ade fever.
'......Big trouble.'
My quiet cafe dream shattered day one.
Screech!
Then—a hulking black sedan pulled up outside. Intimidating aura. Door opened; sharp-suited man with fierce eyes stepped out. Scanned the cafe, spotted Ha-yoon sucking an empty glass in the corner, shoved the door open.
Tinkle!
"You, newbie! Jung Lawyer!"
"......Pardon?"
"Sucking drinks here like it's paradise? The Assemblyman's waiting!"
The bellow silenced the cafe like a cold splash. Customers scowled; Ha-yoon paled.
Sniff sniff.
A foul stench wafted from somewhere. Worse than sewage, stickier than food waste. Pure malice radiating from every pore.
'Where's it from?'
Rumble!
At the same time, the [Abyssal Glutton Tree] planted beyond the dimensional gate in Okinawa thrashed its branches in ecstatic frenzy.
[The Abyssal Glutton Tree has detected supreme fertilizer!]
[It's clamoring to turn that into compost right away.]
I set down the rag and stepped out from the counter.
"Wh-who're you?"
The aide scowled over his shoulder, but I ignored him. My eyes were outside.
'In the car.'
The sedan's rear window slid down slowly. Revealing cold, greedy eyes.
I knew him at a glance.
Back in my Management Bureau days, Team Leader Park Jin-soo would slur drunkenly about who was behind him. The one who covered up Park's corruption, pulling strings to bend the Bureau to his will.
Assemblyman Park Min-chul.
He was the one in that car.