The Five-Year-Old Bride and the Strict Manager
Mari burst into laughter at his words. This absolute epitome of a shy, introverted, and timid soul was surprisingly unyielding when it came to this.
"True. You might sound polite, but you secretly say everything you want to say."
"Heheh..."
It seemed Yunjae had grown much closer to them now, judging by his playful chuckle.
"Anyway, I should head over to the Guild Leader's office. For now, my babysitting duties seem to be the priority..."
The other two nodded at Yunjae's reasoning that, as a salaried employee, he had to stay on the boss's good side.
"Alright, go ahead."
"Yes! I'll be back!"
Yunjae headed toward Taejun's office, his voice bright and clear.
"Honestly, isn't that place the most dangerous of all?"
A five-year-old kid named Taerin—formerly known as Ariel—was targeting Yunjae. And her father was Ryu Taejun, the enigmatic leader of the Blast Guild.
As Mari wore an anxious expression reflecting her inner worries, Akemi declared proudly, refusing to lose to a five-year-old,
"But she's just a kid! She's a tiny tot! A child! I'm way bigger than her!"
"What exactly is bigger?"
"My height, for one!"
Mari chuckled at Akemi's bizarrely confident display.
"True. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. She's only five, after all."
At that age, didn't kids always say they liked someone who was nice to them and wanted to marry them?
Still, the fact that she's the Guild Leader's daughter is a bit concerning...
But she was Taejun's daughter. Was Taejun an ordinary man? He possessed incredible interpersonal skills. He could read emotions with extreme sensitivity and react incredibly fast. It was only natural for her to worry about Yunjae.
And...
"Ah!"
Just as she had predicted, Yunjae was facing a brand-new crisis.
"Mister!"
The five-year-old girl, dressed in a beautiful, elegant hanbok, threw herself into his arms.
"Eat this."
Unlike yesterday, she was incredibly demure.
"A-A lunchbox?!"
Yunjae was utterly flustered as she held out a lunchbox she had somehow brought with her this morning.
"She specifically asked the housekeeper to pack it before we left this morning. She handpicked only her favorite side dishes," Taejun said, laughing as if he found it absurd himself. His hair was still messy, looking like he hadn't styled it yet today.
"Nuh-uh! I picked healthy stuff too!"
"Ah! No way!"
"What do you like, Mister?"
A five-year-old had packed him a lunchbox. Of course, the housekeeper had done the actual cooking, but still...
She's not a femme fatale—she's a devoted housewife in the making!
This sudden plot twist left Yunjae's mind completely blank. She was far too young right now, but who knew what would happen in ten years?
As long as she doesn't hit a rough patch growing up!
He felt like he was starting to understand why Demian was called a lolicon.
"Mister, are you okay?"
"...Ah! I'm fine!"
Yunjae, who had momentarily been swayed, snapped out of it and shook his head vigorously.
"Anyway, I leave her in your hands. She whined all day yesterday about wanting to see you."
"Daddy!"
Even the way she blushed and shook her head, wearing a traditional jokduri headpiece, was adorable.
Ugh...
Yunjae shook his head to clear his mind, terrified that he might stray from the path of righteousness into something far more questionable.
"T-Then I shall take my leave! I'll enjoy the lunchbox!"
"Mister, there's some for that lady too."
"Ah! Even for Mari?!"
"Because a good wife has to support her husband's social life!"
Flinch!
This kid had watched way too many dramas.
"Here it is. She didn't bother packing anything for me, but she certainly made sure to take care of you, Yunjae," Taejun said, handing over another container.
"Ah, I'm so sorry!"
"Hahaha, no need to apologize. At any rate, Taerin is quite mature for her age. She might not act like a typical child at times."
Yunjae, utterly bewildered by how exceptionally well-schooled the child was in these matters, accepted Mari's portion with a dazed expression.
"You already ate with me, Daddy! That's why!"
"Right, right. Well, have fun with the mister."
"We're not playing. We're going on a date! When Mister isn't working."
"Ah!"
The kid was too powerful! She was practically the worst possible match for someone like Yunjae, who couldn't say no. If she were just throwing a childish tantrum, he could handle it, but this was on a completely different level!
"Pfft..."
Taejun couldn't help but burst into laughter again. Taerin was adorable, of course, but seeing the flustered Yunjae act so humanly—in stark contrast to the transcendent power he had displayed yesterday—made him smile.
"Anyway, hang in there. Taerin has boundless energy, so you won't be bored."
Taking care of a child all day was easily comparable to intense manual labor.
I knew it. Greed really is the downfall of man!
Yunjae deeply regretted whining about having nothing to do yesterday.
"...Yes, Guild Leader. I'll head over to receive the handover for the management duties now."
"Understood. Have a good day at work."
Taejun chuckled and nodded at the sight of Yunjae, who already looked like his soul had left his body.
"Mister!"
Having long abandoned her teddy bear, Taerin clung tightly to him. Yunjae couldn't help but smile.
"But I have to start working soon, so you mustn't disturb me while I'm working. I'm just a salaried employee..."
"It's okay. Even if you're bad at your job, you won't get fired. If you do, I'll support you!"
Demian! What am I supposed to do?!
Faced with the relentless onslaught of this magnetic five-year-old, Yunjae returned to the Support Part office with a deeply troubled face.
"Eh? A hanbok?"
"She looks completely different from yesterday."
Akemi and Mari, who had been waiting, looked thoroughly surprised to see Taerin wearing a colorful saekdong jeogori and a jokduri.
"Of course! Today is our first official day!"
"Eee?!"
"That's how it always is in dramas!"
At the five-year-old's declaration—clearly learned entirely from television—Yunjae's expression grew incredibly grave.
"Um..."
"Actually, Mari, Taerin brought a lunchbox for you too."
"O-Oh?"
A five-year-old packed a lunchbox?
What on earth is with this kid?
As Mari stared in bewilderment, Taerin said with a smug, haughty expression,
"Even if my mister is a bit lacking, please take good care of him from now on, Ma'am!"
No matter how one looked at it, that was the classic line of a young bride supporting her groom. Realizing this was no ordinary child, Mari froze in sheer disbelief. Meanwhile...
"Hey! What about me? No lunchbox for me?"
Akemi, the only one left out, pouted with deep disappointment.
"I didn't know you'd be here, big sister. I'll bring one for you tomorrow."
"Ah, wait, you're doing this every day?"
"Yep! If Mister tells me what he likes, I'll bring it every single day!"
At those words, Mari and Akemi flinched, exchanging sharp glances.
This isn't just a simple childhood crush, is it?
Right?
Her level of proactivity was in a league of its own, and she had clearly inherited Taejun's meticulous, calculating nature.
"...Maybe I should wait ten years."
"You idiot, are you actually swayed?!"
"Ah! But I don't think I'll ever find a bride as prepared as this anywhere else!"
Who on earth starts preparing to be a bride at the age of five?
"Daddy said I can do whatever I want in ten years! Just wait ten years for me, Mister!"
Yet, here she was, right in front of them. Though her education came from trashy morning soap operas, she had learned remarkably well, and with her family's wealth and her innate brilliance, she was actively preparing for her future.
"Get a grip, Yunjae!"
Mari's sharp shout snapped Yunjae out of his daze. She had underestimated the kid because of her age, but now she was genuinely alarmed.
"Yes! We can think about it when the time comes...!"
"What do you mean 'when the time comes,' you dummy?!"
"Ah! But I need to have some insurance...!"
"Don't worry! You have me!"
Akemi shouted confidently, certain she wouldn't lose to a five-year-old.
"You're not much of a threat, big sister."
"Eh?"
"I think I'll catch up to you in five years."
Akemi was instantly struck by a massive wave of shock.
"I'm not that flat, you dummy!" she wailed, covering her face with both hands.
"I-It's really not that bad."
"Mari!"
As Mari patted her back with a face that didn't know whether to laugh or cry, Taerin, still nestled in Yunjae's arms, glared at Mari with eyes full of wariness.
"Hmm."
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I'm going to win in ten years! Because in ten years, you'll be in your forties, Ma'am!"
"Shut up! I'll be thirty-seven in ten years! I'll still be in my thirties!"
To think she would provoke her by claiming she'd be in her forties! Yunjae shook his head at Mari's heated response.
"I'll be in my late eighties by then. I wonder if I'll even be alive..."
Seeing how consistently Yunjae brought up his chronological age, it didn't seem like he would actually wait ten years.
"Then I'll just become a nurse!"
"Ah, a nurse! Are you really going to take care of me even if I'm admitted to a nursing home?"
"Yep! So just wait ten years!"
At this point, wasn't she completely sincere?
"Taerin..."
Mari flinched at the sight of Yunjae looking deeply moved.
"You jerk, you were just imagining her in a nurse uniform, weren't you?!"
"A-Ah! How did you know?!"
"Hello, my name is Lim Yunjae, and I will be in charge of your management."
Standing at the front of the meeting room with a slightly tense face, Yunjae began to speak.
"And I am Mari Rose, co-managing alongside him."
Mari followed suit. It was true that she felt intimidated by the fact that everyone in this room, except for herself, was an awakened ability user. But with Yunjae standing right beside her, she was able to shake off the pressure and speak confidently.
"We look forward to working with you."
Of course, the atmosphere wasn't exactly warm and welcoming.
"Well, we heard the managers were changed. But why did you call us all here? Just to say hello?" one of the awakened guild members asked, cutting straight to the point while looking at Yunjae.
"Part of it is to introduce ourselves..."
"Honestly, you don't even need to do administrative work. Why on earth are you doing this?"
Just as Mari was about to speak, Anton, an awakened hunter, cut her off to voice his own thoughts.
This Russian man, who had gone to Incheon International Airport with Akemi to greet Demian, was someone who highly valued efficiency. Perhaps thinking that Mari was merely an accessory to Yunjae, he kept his eyes fixed solely on Yunjae. Mari stepped back with a bitter smile. It seemed this place really wasn't for her. Even though she knew most awakened users had terrible personalities unlike Akemi or Suyeon, being openly ignored like this still left a painful sting.
"What's wrong with that mister?"
Taerin, who was sitting with Akemi due to her father's work, spoke up in a displeased tone. Anton flinched and turned his head, but ultimately, Taerin was just Taejun's five-year-old daughter. Dismissing her, he turned back, only for Yunjae to step forward in front of Mari.
"It's because I want to do office work," Yunjae answered. "And if possible, I would appreciate it if you didn't interrupt. It's rude."
"Hmph, as if manners matter—"
"And I'd prefer it if you didn't speak to us so casually. We aren't friends. Are you my friend?"
He was already in manager mode! Thanks to the conceptual force of Mamon's Grace taking effect, he instantly transformed into a strict manager. When he spoke with a sharp, authoritative tone completely uncharacteristic of his usual self, even Anton fell silent.
"If you don't listen and behave rudely, I will flick your forehead."
Yunjae offered a bright, cheerful smile. His gaze drifted toward Gyojin, who had only just returned to duty after recovering from his injuries. Revealing his deeply passive-aggressive, grudge-holding nature, Yunjae stared him down.
Flinch!
Gyojin shuddered violently, his heart pounding in terror.
Although most of those present had witnessed Yunjae's true power during the random portal incident, Gyojin was the only one who had actually been beaten by him. He had genuinely thought he was going to die. For days after being hospitalized, just seeing a finger would throw him into a fit of panic.
"...I-I'm sorry about what happened back then," Gyojin stammered.
To think Gyojin, notorious for having the worst personality in the guild, would apologize first! Everyone stared in shock and wonder, but Yunjae remained cold.
"You shouldn't be apologizing to me. You should apologize to Mari."
When Yunjae pointed out that the apology belonged to Mari, Gyojin's expression soured slightly. His face practically screamed, I already said sorry, do I really have to go this far?
"But if you don't want to, you don't have to force yourself. It wouldn't be sincere anyway."
Forcing an apology would only make things awkward for Mari. Cutting him off cleanly, Yunjae clapped his hands together.
"At any rate, since we've gathered you all here to introduce ourselves..."
He looked over at Mari.
Whew.
She took a deep breath and nodded. Yunjae could have easily handled everything on his own, but he was choosing to work alongside her. Since he had already created an environment where the awakened hunters couldn't dare step out of line, they had no choice but to listen to her.
"To get straight to the point, I received your performance evaluation reports, and your social activity participation scores are exceptionally low. Many of you have skipped mandatory public relations events."
Hearing this, Tricha, the awakened hunter from Bangkok, scowled.
"Hmph, why should we do things that don't make any money? That's stuff for bottom-tier hunters—"
"Your tone is still too casual."
But right now, Yunjae was a manager! Hit by the sheer force of Yunjae's immediate intervention, Tricha flinched and instinctively shrank back.
"...to do."
Mari secretly smiled at the sight. These people used to reign supreme as awakened hunters, looking down on ordinary humans, but with Yunjae here, they didn't dare act up. It felt incredibly satisfying. Gaining confidence from the way he perfectly controlled the room, she spoke up.
"However, this was a condition agreed upon in your contracts. The Guild Leader has also mentioned that this is a significant issue. In particular, Mr. Tricha, you promised to participate in the public safety events sponsored and hosted by your home country's conglomerate, Jjareun Pokapan, in exchange for their funding, yet you skipped every single scheduled event. The corporation has filed numerous complaints because of this."
The time Mari had spent reviewing the evaluation sheets to kill time had turned out to be incredibly useful.
"That's..."
"Shouldn't we uphold our moral obligations? Even if the money involved is relatively small to you, a promise is a promise."
Tricha shut his mouth, having nothing left to say.
"Many of the others here are in similar situations. Your contracts state that you must participate in public relations events at least once a year to improve the guild's image, yet Mr. Anton, you haven't participated in a single activity for three years now."
"Ahem!"
No one had expected them to bring up such meticulous details, and the hunters looked thoroughly flustered. Normally, they would have ignored the managers and stormed out of the meeting room, but...