Chapter 135
Chapter 135
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: My Guardian Deity (1)
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Lair had sent down an official notice.
- Guardian Consultation Period
It had come again this time.
But today's consultation assignment was a bit unusual.
- Conduct the consultation in casual conversation and record it.
Of course, this "consultation assignment" wasn't mandatory. It was something you could skip without issue. So Yoo Ji-tae planned to skip the casual conversation part and just do the consultation as usual.
That is, until Gaeul caught him.
"Huh? What's this?"
She'd spent the whole morning hugging the chick, braiding its feathers and such. Then came the nonstop chatter. Ppi-yung had dug out the official notice Yoo Ji-tae had carelessly tossed under the living room table.
"It says to do the guardian consultation in banmal?"
"Banmal?"
"Banmal mode. Like, yaja time? You only use banmal with each other for a set time!"
"What? Why do something stupid like that?"
That came from Yeoreum, who was sitting on the floor filing her nails.
"Just use banmal."
"Huh? Come to think of it, why don't you use jondaemal with Ajusshi, Unni?"
"Why should I?"
"Huh? Well... um..."
Gaeul tilted her head in thought, and the chick tilted its head right along with her. Then, as if struck by a sudden idea, she clapped her hands.
"People who don't know manners are tyrants, right?"
"What's wrong with tyrants?"
"They're the poster boys for unlikeable people? Oh..."
She realized who she was talking about mid-sentence. Yeoreum stood up. "Waaah!" As if the little one wouldn't hold back, Gaeul's temples were crushed between Yeoreum's fists.
"Ppi-yung!"
The chick counterattacked to defend its owner, charging at Yeoreum and pecking her side.
Even a dragon's polymorphed body was human. "Ack, shit." Yeoreum flinched at the tickling, scrunching up her face.
The target switched. The chick squealed as its temples got crushed in the same hold.
"You punks trying to die?"
Gaeul and the chick writhed on the floor, begging for mercy.
Anyway. And so, guardian consultation time arrived.
Today, he decided to gather them all and do it at once.
When he announced they'd proceed with banmal, Gaeul and Winter especially lit up with excitement.
"Boma."
"What, Ji-tae?"
Bom answered reflexively, and Yeoreum, Gaeul, and Winter burst into giggles. The regressor gave Bom a distant look for a moment before turning back to the log.
"How've you been?"
"Good."
"Need anything?"
"Nope. I'm doing great."
"Any troubles at school?"
Bom shook her head. So Yoo Ji-tae wrote in the log that there were no issues.
Then Bom spoke up.
"Oh. Ajusshi."
"Yeah."
"Can I request one thing?"
"What?"
"Just during consultations... could you use jondaemal with us?"
He wondered what nonsense this was, but apparently only he thought so. Gaeul clapped wildly.
"Woooow, Unni's idea is the best!"
"No joke, that'd be fun."
"......!"
Yeoreum and Winter agreed. Who knew what was so hilarious, but they all cheered Bom on enthusiastically.
"No thanks."
"It's just for a bit. Please?"
"......"
"Just once."
Really. Why hadn't he noticed this side of Bom in previous regressions? She had a heaven-sent talent for putting him in awkward spots.
"Fine, whatever."
He shook his head.
He usually went along with whatever made them happy, but this just didn't sit right.
"Aww~ Too bad!"
"Such a spoilsport."
"......"
Their support had been fervent, so their disappointment hit hard. He waved it off and moved on with the questions. He asked Yeoreum and Gaeul what they needed, how they were doing, if they had any regrets.
Winter seemed to expect her share too, so he naturally included her.
Krrrng...
Then the guardian, who'd been standing like a statue in the corner, cleared its throat (probably).
Bom, picking up on the guardian's appeal, snatched the log from Yoo Ji-tae.
"How's the cleaning ajusshi been?"
"If I may say, I've rediscovered the joy of housework. In the distant past, I once viewed such tasks as vulgar, but in the end, doing what's needed where one's existence is required is akin to heaven's mandate. For there are those who need me..."
"Ah, yeah. Doing well?"
The jaw guard, which had been wobbling with verbose eloquence, stopped.
"...Yes."
The consultation continued after that.
Topics ranged from their recent hobbies, Yoo Ji-tae's hobbies, shared hobbies, travel plans, future dreams, and so on, until one popped up.
"Hey. Who do you think you know best around here?"
Yeoreum's question.
"Yeah."
"Ooh, ooh, me too! I'm curious!"
"......?"
It wasn't a profound question. And they'd probably tossed it out without much thought.
But as always, the regressor was no fun, overthought everything, and pondered it seriously.
The answer was simple.
"Gaeul."
Surprise flickered in their eyes. Winter looked especially shocked.
"...Me?"
"I'm still getting to know you."
She seemed okay with that. Calm returned to Winter's face.
The others too. Yoo Ji-tae was learning about Bom, Yeoreum, and Winter anew every day. But not Gaeul. He already knew a lot about her.
Surprisingly, Gaeul looked the most puzzled.
"Huh...~? How do you know me best, Ajusshi?"
"I just do."
"Come to think of it, don't we talk the least?"
True enough. Somehow, he and Gaeul rarely talked. Especially lately.
But she was the one he knew best. The one he'd known longest. The closest one.
No doubt about it.
That day.
Gaeul had a free period.
After the consultation, she stretched languidly, hugged the chick, and fell asleep.
Yoo Ji-tae stared at her blankly. And didn't look away for a long time.
Regression 7 was still a success so far.
Seeing her sleep so soundly.
Regression 4.
He recalled the first time he'd seen the Gold Dragon.
He was thirty-five. He'd become a national hero young. A superhuman ranker. Then suddenly announced retirement from the military. And temporarily left the National Assembly.
Back then, he believed only the Gold Dragon's death would trigger the apocalypse. So he'd formed a protection team for her. And served as chief guard on the front lines.
Unlike other regressions, Baby Yellow (BY) in regression 4 debuted a bit late.
First grabbed a mic at eighteen. Didn't gain fame until twenty.
"Hello...!"
Yoo Ji-tae remembered the moment he first met BY.
Golden hair in twin braids. Eyes shining cleaner than gold.
Dragons mature quickly and hold onto youth long, so that twenty-year-old BY looked just like the current Gaeul. Face. Expression. Voice. Hair. Thoughts. Speech. Even her bright laugh.
She was a girl everyone loved.
"I'll be your bodyguard from now on."
"Wooow! I heard. You're super famous, right?!"
"Take care of me."
"I-I'm not really worth protecting yet, but please take care of me...!"
After that, he barely spoke to her.
He just shadowed her, watching from nearby.
If she was bright gold.
Over time, dark rust began creeping into that gold somewhere.
Subtle changes at first. But looking back, staggering ones.
Signs of hers he'd never noticed until regression 4. And hadn't understood until before 7.
Five years later, twenty-five-year-old BY.
"You're such a weirdo. Know that?"
She said it one day.
Her looks were eerily identical to their first meeting, but her tone, voice, expression had lost all childishness.
"Weirdo how?"
By then, BY had a dedicated team of over forty. From album producers, broadcasters, roadies, managers, to hair artists, makeup artists, coordinators, dance teams, condition helpers, bodyguards, consultant lawyers, etc.
In other words, her schedule was packed with that many people revolving around her alone.
"Don't you get tired? First person I've seen cancel vacation for five years straight since birth."
"It's my job."
"Who said it's not? That's why I'm saying go home."
"No need."
"You got family. Waiting somewhere in Asia, neck craned. 'Mommy~ When's Daddy coming home~?'"
BY giggled.
She laughed anytime, anywhere. But that day's laugh felt different from her public ones.
He didn't reply.
As she aged, BY veered off course.
Like turning to drugs when alone in her palace-like mansion.
"Light."
BY, draped in a single robe on the vast gold-trimmed sofa, said it to the bodyguard.
Yoo Ji-tae approached and lit it.
Nothing to fuss about. She was mid-twenties then, and celeb peers in Hollywood and pop scenes did drugs often.
Still, a new side of the Gold Dragon unknown until regression 3.
"Hoo— So no family?"
"Nope."
"Where'd they go?"
"Never had any."
"Parents made you, didn't they? Or what, your mom's the Virgin Mary?"
"Dunno."
"Man, short answers."
Huuup... BY inhaled deeply.
Sensing something soon after, her jaw, fingers, toes trembled lightly. Exhaling, her eyes rolled back halfway. "Hng...!" A pleasurable moan followed.
BY smiled at Yoo Ji-tae again.
"Talk more. I'm bored today."
"Pass."
"C'mon. Am I asking too much?"
"Regrettable."
"Jeez... Keep that up, I'll cancel all my schedules."
"...What?"
"Reason: boredom abetment. Daring to bore me? Then tours and all can go fuck themselves. Right?"
Cancelling one day wrecked more than a couple people. Losses were immense.
Unlike her usual indifference to him, that day's BY was aggressive.
"...Nothing to say. Memories fuzzy. Orphanage as a kid. Don't know parents' faces."
"Hmm... Another story then."
"None."
"Bull. You were a ranker. War hero. Gotta have stories."
"Stop asking."
"...What? What'd you just say?"
"Really nothing."
"No, that tone just now."
Her golden eyebrows furrowed at his words.
"I'll wait outside. Don't overdo it. Rest well for once."
To cut needless talk, the regressor turned to leave.
Didn't want to unnecessarily affect the Gold Dragon, who managed fine on her own. Up to regression 4, he was a soldier riding the flow, not leading it.
"Stop."
But that day, BY grabbed his heel.
"No issue guarding from outside. Won't disturb your rest."
"I said stop."
Yielding outside.
Stubborn inside.
BY fixed him with golden eyes dripping authority.
She patted the spot beside her on the sofa.
"Sit."
"Can't do that."
"Gonna make me repeat?"
"Can't follow orders disrupting protection duties."
Her voice was rougher than usual, but Yoo Ji-tae wouldn't budge.
Then BY hurled her wine glass at the wall.
Crash! Shards flew everywhere.
"Sit. I'm telling you to sit. Deaf? Your employer's words? Or you ignoring me too?"
Her cigarette hand, pink character nails etched on them, her golden gaze. Trembling like aspen leaves.
A reaction never seen before regression 4.
Recently, he'd seen her hounded by malicious rumors and anti-fans. Maybe that was the trigger. So he quietly went and sat beside her.
"Good boy. Finally listening..."
High on drugs, BY flashed a lewd smile and draped herself over his thigh. The loose robe slipped, baring skin here and there.
Regression 4. Body going through daily motions, but mind detached from routine. He felt considerable annoyance at the situation.
"What're you staring at."
Her loosened golden gaze looked up at him.
"Stroke my hair."
'Like my mom.' Adding that softly, BY closed her eyes gently.