Chapter 172
Chapter 172
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 172
Chapter Title: 56. 7th Round: Mid-Check (4)
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Finishing his words.
Bom's gaze wavered. Her olive-colored eyes, gathered with a sense of loneliness, soon avoided his. The child looked troubled, lowering her head and burying it back into his chest.
Bom stayed like that silently for a long while. As if waiting for a response.
Ever since regaining her senses. She had never reacted like this, even while teasing him. In other words, even with her senses restored, she couldn't control this situation itself.
"……."
He couldn't respond easily.
It was a complicated situation.
If there was a fence between people. Bom might be trying to climb over his. Or if not, she was at least throwing a paper airplane over it. One saying she was curious about what was inside.
Feeling her body heat through his clothes,
His embarrassment turned into confusion.
He had brought the hatchlings and volunteered as their guardian. To help them live safely and happily. That was the 7th round. The life closest to the answer he had realized.
But he hadn't imagined that in the process, the hatchlings would develop feelings for him beyond guardian and protected. It was natural. He had seen the hatchlings curse him for decades already.
'Decades' was never a short time. The span of a person's life. With one partner. Until death.
But what about now?
The regressor had met the Green Dragon dozens of times.
But this was Bom's first time meeting Yoo Ji-tae since birth.
He had never thought about the emotions arising from this gap.
With no response from him, Bom rubbed her forehead side to side.
Her small head squirmed. Her hair rustled against his clothes with a soft sound.
Her patience was growing just a bit impatient, urging him.
"……."
But he didn't answer.
He couldn't.
He couldn't get any closer to Bom.
There was a clear reason why not.
This life with them wasn't eternal.
It was a meeting started in anticipation of parting. A moment of separation was inevitable.
If he wanted them to return with only good memories.
Yoo Ji-tae had to remain just a memory.
So he didn't answer.
With no reaction from Yoo Ji-tae, Bom lifted her head again. Without embarrassment or hurt. With her usual expression.
The child opened her mouth.
"You won't do it?"
"……."
"Should I do it then?"
"……."
"Ajusshi, um, um…… your lips look pretty. They'd be even prettier if you smiled."
Bom slyly raised both hands, placing her fingers on the corners of Yoo Ji-tae's mouth. Her fingers touching his cheeks made the area around his lips tingle. Like pushing up a baby's mouth. She carefully lifted the corners of his lips. And murmured, 'Pretty…….'
Still, he didn't respond.
Just as his confusion turned back to embarrassment.
"Even like this, you won't?"
"……."
"I'm the only one losing out……."
Bom chuckled and pulled away from his body. Then she made her usual subtle blank expression.
"I always lose out. So from now on, I'm not Bom."
"…What?"
"I'm a sucker. Yoo Ho-gu."
"……."
"Sucker sucker, boo hoo……."
Bom trailed off playfully, laughed, and went into the house first.
The regressor deferred with silence. But the paper airplane had already flown into his fence. Perhaps he had even crumpled it a bit just now.
He knew he would have to open it someday.
Bom's 7th round was, in his judgment, still too early.
After that, Bom acted strange.
…Or so he thought, but she was so perfectly normal that he found it a bit odd instead.
So he decided to quietly do what he had been putting off.
It was the midterm check he hadn't been able to do because things had spiraled out of control on their own.
First, Yeoreum.
"…Really? It's okay?"
"Yeah. Do it."
Yeoreum's greatest goal was survival.
After finishing her play. Surviving against her eldest sister born first from the egg. And avenging her little sister who had tried to protect her.
And for that, Yeoreum needed to grow to at least the level of Javier, a South African ranker, in a short time.
"…Do it? I'm really gonna?"
"Argh, just do it already, you idiot. How many times are you gonna ask?"
"…Annoying."
Here, 'short time' meant 20 years. Naturally, faster would be better.
And the current Yeoreum was probably around the level of Yong Tae-ha, hailed as the greatest genius in history, or maybe even a bit stronger.
Yeoreum's biggest challenge was her uncontrollable anger. The element that had held her back in multiple rounds. And at the same time, her greatest enemy in growth and battle.
Having realized that herself, Yeoreum seemed to be making some effort.
Like right now. Yeoreum had asked Winter to hit her.
"…Even if you regret it, too late."
After hesitating a moment, Winter slapped Yeoreum's cheek with all her might. Smack! Her hand was small and weak, so it shouldn't hurt much, but Winter was a dragon. Yeoreum's head turned.
"……?"
After the slap. Winter glanced at Yeoreum's reaction. Her reddened cheek. Like a doll with a snapped string, Yeoreum slowly turned her head back.
"…How's that?"
"Hm. Not bad?"
"…More?"
"Yeah."
Smack!
Yeoreum turned her head as if it was fine. Winter, starting to enjoy it, smiled slyly. She stretched or rolled her shoulders. Around then. Gaeul, watching from beside Yoo Ji-tae, muttered.
"She's mad, she's mad……."
"You think so?"
"Yeah. Since Yeoreum Unni gets hit all the time, I got a Yoo Yeoreum radar?"
"So."
"…Unni's super mad right now."
Smack!
Her head turned again. When Winter asked if it was okay, Yeoreum smiled and replied.
"It's fine, of course."
"…Then, again?"
"No. Let's stop."
Only then did Winter realize Yeoreum's smile wasn't a smile, and quietly slipped away.
Yeoreum's 7th round was better than any previous one.
Next was Gaeul.
Unlike Bom and Yeoreum, she didn't have anything specific she was doing as a student. She just played around. That was what Yoo Ji-tae thought was the 'play' most suited to Gaeul.
And though she sometimes felt regret, she was doing well enough.
Still, maybe a small event she would enjoy wouldn't hurt.
That morning.
Yoo Ji-tae headed to the academy district alone with Gaeul.
"Where are we going, where?"
This yellow-haired girl chattered nonstop on the way, then realized he was taking her to the administrative office and looked a bit surprised.
The bustling Lair preparing for the festival. Staff and cadets rushing about. Yoo Ji-tae told Gaeul they were going to the PR department to ask about the 'Masked Song Festival'.
PR Team Leader Yong Do-hee came out to meet them.
"No identity exposure before or after the performance. Documents are shredded immediately after."
"It's…… not really a song contest with prizes. Just a stage to enjoy the festival, right?"
"Masks are personal. Just cover your face well. Lots of cadets audition with masks from the start. A few years ago, a Noblesse School guardian disguised as a cadet for the audition, and it came out in a late interview."
Team Leader Yong said, then laughed heartily.
As a stage purely for fun. There were no cumbersome restrictions tying down Gaeul.
"Um…… then…… can I do it too?"
But at Gaeul's words, Team Leader Yong Do-hee's expression darkened.
"Gaeul. Were you thinking of entering?"
"Huh? Oh, no? Just curious……."
"Sorry, but the entry period's already over."
"Aah……."
"If I'd known you were interested, I'd have told you earlier."
"No, it's fine!"
"Want me to sneak you in now?"
Gaeul waved her hands.
"I can't sing…!"
"Really?"
Team Leader Yong Do-hee rested her chin on her hand and tilted her head. Murmuring 'Your voice is so clear and pretty, you'd be good…….' But Gaeul, embarrassed by the praise, kept waving her off.
Looking back.
Ever since reading the freshman declaration, opportunities like this always slipped away.
However, on the way home, Gaeul's steps were light. So he asked if she was okay.
"Phew. I can't sing anyway…… I'd just embarrass myself, right?"
"You might be good."
"Eek, um, I'll just think I have no talent…!"
"Yeah. There'll be another chance sometime."
"Yeess~."
Then Gaeul scratched her head.
"Hmm……."
"What."
"Come to think of it. Ajusshi. Why am I no good at anything?"
"What do you mean."
"You know. Bom Unni's pretty and smart. Yeoreum Unni's athletic, tall, mentally strong. Winter's just cute."
"Hm……."
"Me? I just eat and play. And I don't even poop after eating. Worse than a pooping machine?"
"……."
"Ugh…… The more I think, the more useless dragon I seem. Imagine embarrassing myself singing. I'd want to die?"
Gaeul laughed hehe, but her words didn't feel like a joke to him.
Still, her light mood wasn't fake.
"It's fine. Just eat well and play well."
"Yess~. Ah. Craving sweets today……."
"Wanna get some macarons for old times' sake?"
Gaeul beamed and nodded. The way home after buying macarons was even more cheerful.
Back home, Yoo Ji-tae glanced at Chickie Peep. Somehow with a fallen leaf stuck in its feathers from who knows where. The chick turning into a chicken.
In his view, doing nothing was best for Gaeul, but soon she would do something.
This chick would lead her.
Gaeul's 7th round couldn't be evaluated yet.
Until the end of her play. He needed to watch more.
Finally, Winter.
"……."
Evening time.
Thinking of a short walk, he took Winter outside.
Winter walked well now. No more toddling.
He thought maybe it was time to send her to school. Lair had an elementary for guardians' kids. Preparing for after molting, he had made three identities for her already.
She was just over two, but maybe she needed her own time and studies now. As Yoo Ji-tae thought that, he felt a gaze.
Winter was staring at his arm. When their eyes met, she turned away.
"What."
"……."
No answer.
So he walked the park casually. A few minutes later, Winter's gaze again.
Staring holes into his arm again.
"What's up."
"…Huh?"
"Something to say?"
Winter shook her head.
Then, a reluctant voice leaked out.
"…Am I heavy?"
"What?"
"…Now, am I heavy?"
He didn't understand what Winter meant.
"Well, you've grown, so yeah, heavier."
"……."
Winter looked downcast and nodded. He couldn't figure out why.
Then, on the way home, the strap on Winter's flip-flop snapped. Snap.
"…Bought it just recently."
Suddenly barefoot, Winter panicked.
Yoo Ji-tae offered his hand.
"Come here."
Winter was startled and shook her head.
"Why."
"…I can walk."
"What?"
"…I'll just walk."
"What are you talking about."
"……."
Still, she stubbornly started walking barefoot.
Then a dirty puddle on the way. He had no choice but to scoop her up onto his arm. Winter startled, kicking her legs.
"…Sorry."
"Why again."
"…'Cause I'm heavy."
Only then did Yoo Ji-tae recall Yeoreum teasing Winter as a pig.
And when post-molting Winter asked to be carried, Gaeul saying 'Oing? Can't you walk yourself?'
That's why she glared at his arm the whole walk. And insisted on walking even after her shoe broke.
"Not heavy."
"…Huh?"
"Just stay."
He didn't put Winter down until home. At first kicking, later she leaned on his shoulder naturally like before.
At home, before setting her down, Winter cautiously asked.
"…Walk tomorrow too?"
"Wanna?"
"…What if shoe breaks tomorrow?"
Transparent greed showed. He smiled faintly.
"I'll carry you."
Only then did Winter nod contentedly.
Thus, Winter's 7th round was going better than any before.
So he finished the midterm check of the 7th round.
The 7th round was successful overall.
"Whoa! Pizza! The big meat one's mine!"
"…I want the small meat one."
Watching them chatter over late-night pizza, he thought inwardly.
May this moment continue like this forever.