2
# Chapter 2
This morning’s breakfast was omurice made with the leftover chicken from yesterday.
“Ah~.”
“Ah~am.”
“That’s right. Good job eating.”
I watched the child devour her omurice with satisfaction, wiping the ketchup from around her mouth.
Whose daughter was she to eat so heartily?
It was torture holding myself back from poking her cheeks, which had puffed up like a squirrel’s.
However, while I was basking in happiness, Jia, sitting across from me, cried out in shock.
“You quit your job… Don’t tell me it was because of something I said yesterday?!”
“Haha! It’s nothing like that. I had already been planning to stay with Ye-eun. That’s why yesterday happened.”
Perhaps remembering how Ye-eun and I had been crying, Jia nodded.
“Phew… That’s a relief. Well, you must have had your reasons. You nearly gave me a heart attack first thing in the morning.”
“I’m sorry. I thought I should tell you, too.”
“…”
Jia looked as if she had a lot to say, but when I simply kept smiling, she gave up and scooped another bite of omurice into her mouth.
“Still, that’s good.”
“What is?”
“You’ve been working as a Hunter, so I don’t think you’ll have financial problems. This is a good opportunity to spend plenty of time with Ye-eun. And Ye-eun, don’t give your daddy too much trouble.”
I gave a bitter smile at Jia’s somewhat sorrowful mutter. No wonder she had looked troubled earlier.
“Jia? I think you might be misunderstanding something, but I have absolutely no intention of firing you.”
“…What? But since you quit your job, I thought I’d only be getting in the way…”
“Why are you making me feel bad? I know how much you care about Ye-eun. Besides, I’m not very good at cooking.”
“No, but still…”
I rubbed the back of my neck at her distrustful expression. Hmm, I suppose showing her directly would be faster.
“I’ll show you. Could you sit here for a moment?”
“Yes…”
“Wow! Daddy is a chef!”
Amid Jia’s dubious reaction and Ye-eun’s enthusiastic encouragement, I laid out the ingredients I had taken out.
Eggs, chicken breast, and the leftover vegetables Jia had used for cooking.
“Let’s make omurice.”
It was easy to prepare, and I had just watched Jia making it, so I should be able to finish it quickly.
As I was confident in my ability to move and work efficiently, I managed to complete an omurice in less than ten minutes.
It was somewhat torn, but it was undeniably omurice.
“Your food is ready.”
“Um, Taejun, you really weren’t lying when you said you couldn’t cook, were you? It looks surprisingly decent.”
“Try it first. Your opinion will change completely.”
“Me! Me, too! I want to try!”
“…Ye-eun, too?”
The words, ‘It would be better if you didn’t eat it,’ rose to the tip of my tongue, but how could I refuse my daughter when her eyes were shining like that?
‘Right. It’s not like it’s inedible. It should be fine.’
Should… it be fine?
Honestly, knowing my cooking skills, I wasn’t confident.
And the tasting session soon revealed the truth.
“Ugh!”
“…”
“Here, Ye-eun. If it’s too hard to eat, spit it out here.”
She shook her head vigorously.
Although she was shaking her head hard, the wrinkled space between her brows was practically shouting that it tasted awful, so I handed her some water.
Gulp, gulp.
She swallowed the food along with the water, but apparently it still tasted bad, because she stuck her tongue out.
The child gave an awkward smile.
“It… it was tasty…”
“Ye-eun, lying is?”
“Bad… It tastes bad…”
“That’s right. Here, eat Jia’s delicious omurice and forget about what you just ate.”
“Okay!”
The child buried her face in the omurice Jia had made and began eating.
Children should always eat food that’s delicious and full of nutrients.
Meanwhile, Jia shut her eyes tightly, took another bite of my omurice, and pushed the plate toward me.
“You didn’t secretly put something strange in this, did you? Like dumping in a bunch of salt or pepper?”
“Isn’t it amazing? Even my wife used to tell me never to touch cooking. Ah, but I can make ramen pretty well.”
“You’re not threatening me to keep working by saying you’ll feed Ye-eun nothing but ramen, are you?”
“Oh, have you figured me out?”
I answered playfully, and Jia let out a sigh.
“It’s funny for me to say this, but even if the ground were covered in dirt, I couldn’t let Ye-eun eat something like this.”
“Thank you for protecting our dining table and Ye-eun’s taste buds.”
“This isn’t how it was supposed to go…”
Jia looked confused, but after seeing the smiles on Ye-eun’s and my faces, she decided to let it go, figuring that what mattered was that things turned out well.
And so, that little incident came to an end, and we moved on to snack time.
Several refreshments and some child-friendly snacks for Ye-eun were prepared on the table. As Jia sat down, she asked,
“So, are you planning to rest at home for a while? Or are you slowly preparing to change jobs? Ah, I’m not trying to pry. It’s just that Ye-eun’s kindergarten graduation ceremony is coming up soon.”
“I’ll attend. No matter what happens.”
I hadn’t even been able to attend her entrance ceremony. At the very least, I wanted Ye-eun not to feel lonely at her graduation.
“Ye-eun heard that, too, right? That’s great. Daddy is coming to your kindergarten graduation ceremony.”
“Woooo!”
Ye-eun couldn’t jump around in her chair, so she enthusiastically shook both feet to express her excitement.
The three of us smiled warmly at her cuteness.
And as for answering Jia’s question…
“If you consider this a career change, then yes, I suppose it is. I’m planning to start farming.”
“Farming?! Wait a second. Seeing you grow flowers, is this your true calling?”
“Haha! If I grow them using my abilities, all the nutrients disappear, so they’re useless.”
“No, they aren’t! As someone who has tried dieting, I’d call that dream food. They’d definitely sell incredibly well!”
Hmm, was it really that good?
“If I remember correctly, they didn’t sell because they didn’t taste good…”
“Oh, really?”
“Well, I don’t know the details myself, so we can look into it properly later. I have some preparations to make right now.”
The germination of the World Tree, which would be the first step toward treating Ye-eun.
That was why I had logged into the Hunter-exclusive auction app this morning and ordered everything I needed for the World Tree’s germination.
‘It was pretty close to emptying my funds.’
Of course, when I thought of it as being for Ye-eun, I didn’t regret the expense.
“And it looks like they’ve arrived.”
“Pardon?”
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang.
“Ye-eun will check!”
Ye-eun rose onto her tiptoes and looked at the intercom.
“There are lots of uncles!”
“U-uncles?!”
Jia was startled and looked at the intercom, holding her breath.
Certainly, seeing so many people in suits arriving together made them look like they worked for some organization.
“W-what should we do?! Should we pretend we aren’t home? No, we should call the police…”
“It’s fine. They’re all people from the Hunter Association.”
“I know! I learned that the Hunter Association is made up of good people who protect everyone!”
“Well, they’re good people since they’ve come to give Ye-eun a present.”
“Eeeek!”
I entrusted Ye-eun, who was holding her cheeks and bouncing excitedly, to Jia for a moment before opening the door.
“Good morning. You seem to be from the Hunter Association.”
“…Hah, good morning. My name is Ham Gilyeong, and I’m from the Hunter Association. Am I speaking to Hunter Na Taejun?”
I nodded, and he handed me a business card.
‘Crisis Management Team Leader, Ham Gilyeong.’
The Crisis Management Team.
I had never had any particular dealings with them, but they were famous enough that I understood why they had come all the way to this remote mountain village.
‘I did buy quite a lot of things at once.’
In fact, the other Association members, excluding Team Leader Ham Gilyeong, were fiddling with Hunter-exclusive stun guns as if they were prepared to shoot me if I resisted.
“Most of the items Hunter Na Taejun purchased today are classified as items requiring special handling. We also learned that you withdrew from the Gangrim Guild yesterday.”
“I just wanted to rest somewhere with clean air.”
“Haha, the air certainly is clean. But I’m personally curious about what you intend to do with such dangerous materials in a place like this.”
Team Leader Ham Gilyeong smiled enigmatically, and a delicate tension spread among the employees.
Seeing that, I began to wonder.
‘How should I persuade him?’
It wasn’t easy to convince someone who already suspected me, so I spent a moment thinking about what to say.
But then it happened.
“Ye-eun!”
“!!”
My heart dropped, thinking something had happened, but fortunately, it was only Ye-eun rushing outside.
“Hello, nice uncles!”
“Uh…?”
“I learned at kindergarten! The Hunter Association protects us. Just like our daddy! So you’re Daddy’s friends, right?!”
“W-well, yes.”
Team Leader Ham Gilyeong and the other Association members exchanged bewildered glances.
Naturally, the tension between us began to fade.
‘They say one child’s smile is worth more than a hundred words.’
Perhaps Ye-eun’s star-like eyes possessed the power to melt anyone’s heart, even if they weren’t me.
I stroked Ye-eun’s head and looked at the Association members.
“Shall we discuss the details outside?”
“Y-yes, let’s do that.”
“Ye-eun, you should listen to your unnie, too. What if you run around alone and fall?”
“Aw, I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. I think we’ll be able to finish our conversation smoothly thanks to you.”
“Really? Yay!”
As Jia held Ye-eun and brought her inside, the child waved at the still-bewildered Association members.
“Uncles! Daddy said he’ll stay with Ye-eun!”
“Uh…?”
“He used to be busy all the time, but now he said he’ll eat breakfast with me, too. So… please be nice to Daddy.”
“!!”
For a moment, I was speechless.
‘So Ye-eun understood the situation to some extent.’
Team Leader Ham Gilyeong seemed to realize the same thing. He was speechless for a moment, then lowered himself to the child’s level.
“Yeah. He’s a good daddy. Uncles only take away bad people, so there’s nothing to worry about with your daddy.”
“Heehee!”
The child continued smiling until she disappeared into the house. We exchanged glances for a moment, then moved away from the house.
There was a small pavilion behind the house that was a good place to talk.
The other Association members naturally stayed some distance away, leaving only Team Leader Ham Gilyeong and me sitting in the pavilion.
“…Your daughter is very cute. Cute enough that I regret not hearing her name.”
“Na Ye-eun. She’s my one and only pride.”
“I can see why. Haha, my own kids were practically little demons at that age. I’m jealous.”
“Honestly, a large part of the blame lies with me for not allowing my child to grow up like a normal child.”
“…I suppose you could see it that way.”
Team Leader Ham Gilyeong took a cigarette out of his pocket, but then looked toward the house and put it away.
“Thank you for being considerate.”
“I can’t show you any consideration when it comes to work. Still, it doesn’t seem like you intend to use the materials for anything illegal, as we feared. May I ask why you need them?”
“…My child may look healthy right now, but she’s actually very ill. The materials are for her.”
I hesitated for a moment, but decided to be honest.
‘Because she called me a good daddy.’
After hearing that, I didn’t want to lie.
Even if Team Leader Ham Gilyeong didn’t believe me, it didn’t matter. This was my resolve to remain a father who had nothing to be ashamed of.
Unexpectedly, however, Team Leader Ham Gilyeong’s eyes widened when he heard my words, and he soon gave a bitter smile.
“So it’s true. Haha, this is something else. I’ve visited many places, but this is the first time I’ve ever felt this apologetic.”
His expression was filled with certainty, and this time, it was my turn to widen my eyes.
A certain person suddenly came to mind.
“I heard that someone in the Hunter Association possesses a lie detection skill. Could that person be you, Team Leader?”
I had heard about it in passing. There was someone in the Hunter Association who possessed a lie detection skill.
Team Leader Ham Gilyeong readily nodded.
“You told me the truth first, so it would be shameful to lie to you. Haha, thanks to this skill, I’m just a salaried worker who makes a fairly comfortable living.”
“No wonder I feel like I’ve just overcome a major hurdle.”
“To tell you the truth, you’re right. If you had lied, you would certainly have been placed under surveillance.”
It was a bold declaration that a government agency would monitor a private individual, but considering the seriousness of Hunter-related crimes, I could understand it.
The fact that he was being so honest with me was probably a sign of trust as well.
‘Life really is full of unexpected turns.’
As I silently breathed a sigh of relief, Team Leader Ham Gilyeong loosened his tie and spoke.
“Still, I can’t completely skip the verification process. Would you mind if I observed you using those materials?”
“If you promise to keep it confidential, I’d actually like to ask you to do that.”
“Of course. Judging by the materials, this won’t be a simple task, so I’ll certainly sign a confidentiality agreement. I’m only checking whether there’s a problem or not.”
I nodded.
If he possessed lie detection, he was likely an influential figure within the Association.
If someone like that guaranteed confidentiality, there was virtually no chance of being placed under surveillance.
“You made the right decision. I’m pretty good at keeping secrets.”
“I trust that you’ll remain a good uncle to Ye-eun.”
“…Would you believe me if I said that just now touched my heart more deeply than the confidentiality agreement?”
“Absolutely.”
The heavy topic was over. I sensed it from the relaxed atmosphere, and Team Leader Ham Gilyeong smiled as he loosened his posture.
“Well, Hunter Na Taejun, you’re an interesting person. Somehow, I feel like I’m talking to someone my own age.”
“I nearly had a heart attack just now. I never imagined someone with lie detection would come to see me.”
“The materials are what they are. I was personally curious, too.”
“Curious about something?”
At my question, Team Leader Ham Gilyeong looked up at the sky and murmured.
“I heard that someone who had only just emerged as a promising talent in the Gangrim Guild suddenly quit. I was curious. Why would someone kick away a shining path right in front of them?”
“Did you find your answer?”
“Yes. Hup!”
He suddenly stood up and smiled with the sun behind him.
“When there’s already a greater light, what does a mere ace position matter?”
“Somehow, I think you and I will get along well.”
“Do you? That’s good. I liked you quite a bit myself, Mr. Na Taejun. Of course, Ye-eun is the one I like most.”
“Haha! That can’t be helped.”
We shared a laugh, and Team Leader Ham Gilyeong soon called the Association members who had been resting.
“Then I’ll return with the materials by tomorrow.”
“I’ll be counting on you.”
“See you tomorrow.”
Team Leader Ham Gilyeong left like a storm, just as suddenly as he had arrived.
And when I returned home, I was greeted by Jia, who had been pacing around anxiously.
“Nothing happened, right? You didn’t quit your job because of something illegal, did you?!”
“Do you really think I’d do something like that?”
“…No. Not with Ye-eun around.”
“Thank you for trusting me. And it really wasn’t anything serious. The materials I ordered arrived, and they only came to check because they’re valuable.”
“That’s a relief…”
A smile naturally spread across my face as she let out a sigh of relief.
“But materials? You’re not planning to cook, are you?”
“Hmm, in a way, it might be similar. I’m preparing food and praying for a sleeping princess to wake up.”
“Pardon?”
Jia’s eyes widened, but I gave an enigmatic smile as I thought about the World Tree’s seed inside my inventory.
“Daddy!”
“Our Ye-eun.”
I caught Ye-eun as she came running toward me, spun around with her in my arms, and laughed.
Tomorrow night, when the materials arrived, the seed of our happiness would break through its thick shell and sprout.