Chapter 261
Chapter 261
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 261
Chapter Title: 85. Expressions of Affection (2)
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Bom mostly teased only Yoo Ji-tae and Winter.
Bom wanted Yoo Ji-tae to become human. Being human meant expressing emotions. To turn him into someone who could express romantic feelings, she was teaching him those feelings in the form of 'teasing.' Her own enjoyment was just a bonus.
Winter was a mature child by human standards but sometimes acted like a little kid. Especially in front of food she liked. In those moments, Bom had to play the mom role. She couldn't scold her outright, so she coaxed her playfully instead. Before long, she found it fun too.
"......"
Today's victim and criminal: Yoo Gyeoul.
Crime: Eating toothpaste.
"......"
Winter, who maintained her body's cleanliness with magic anyway, had never brushed her teeth separately. Magic cleaned her teeth just fine.
So she'd always glanced indifferently at the tube-shaped thing in the bathroom that looked edible. She'd seen Bom using it to brush sometimes. But like all dragons, she paid no mind to other clan members' habits.
Then at school, they handed out something that looked just like it as a snack.
A delicious, tube-squeezable ice cream...
Back home, Winter cautiously opened the toothpaste cap. She tried putting some in her mouth. Surprisingly, it tasted good. Sweet. Cotton candy flavor.
Eating too much would probably be bad.
She decided to just have a little.
But Bom had sharp instincts, and that very evening, she got caught red-handed.
Winter got scolded by Bom.
That's not for eating.
But Winter couldn't accept Bom's words.
If it tastes good, isn't that enough? It didn't upset her stomach or anything, so there was no reason she couldn't eat it. She decided to stubbornly try it again.
The next day, the toothpaste color had changed.
To match her big sister's hair color.
"......"
She couldn't get caught, so in her anxious state, she popped some straight into her mouth.
She jolted in shock. Her nose stung, and sneezes burst out one after another. Tears streaming, she freaked out and fled the bathroom.
It was wasabi.
That's when she locked eyes with Bom, who was sitting on the living room sofa, grinning teasingly.
As a result, just as Bom intended, Winter never touched toothpaste again after that day.
But on the flip side, having lost both her jelly jar and toothpaste, Winter couldn't just take it lying down.
"What. Me?"
"...Yes."
"You want help with revenge?"
"...Yes."
She could never get revenge on Bom alone, so Winter sought out Yoo Ji-tae.
"...Won't work?"
"Well, no reason it wouldn't. So, how do you plan to get revenge?"
Winter cupped her hand to Yoo Ji-tae's ear and whispered.
'...Right now, big sis is doing homework.'
Homework? Sounded like assignments.
'You. That's why you came to me, huh.'
Winter beamed and nodded vigorously.
'...Mess it up. Together.'
Like plotting mischief, Winter looked thrilled.
He wasn't sure if disturbing her would work. But the kid was happy. Yoo Ji-tae nodded.
'Sure.'
Bom was working on assignments for six subjects at once. On the desk. On her lap. Floating in midair via magic. Books and laptops scattered everywhere.
After botching that contest award ceremony, she'd lost all interest in her already boring studies.
Now she was cramming just enough to avoid failing.
As Bom focused intently on her work, she felt subtle gazes from both sides.
She turned her head. Yoo Ji-tae and Winter were staring at a game console. She'd misread the glances.
She refocused on her assignments. But soon enough, she felt eyes again. She whipped around. Her eyes met Winter's for a split second.
"...La, lalala♪"
Suddenly, an awkward song spilled from Winter's lips.
Bom stared blankly at Winter. Then returned to her work. Seconds later, eyes again.
Winter's revenge plan was staring. She'd glare intensely, then pretend not to when Bom looked.
But next moment, Winter jumped.
Bom lifted her head. Winter tensed, expecting the gaze. But Bom was looking at her floating laptop. Relief.
Then Winter's shocked face appeared on the laptop screen. Followed by Yoo Ji-tae's blank expression.
"What are you two doing?"
"......"
"Here to mess with my homework?"
How'd she know? They didn't expect to get caught so soon.
Flustered, Winter glanced at Yoo Ji-tae.
What now?
Beats me.
Yoo Ji-tae had no clever ideas either.
"Stop messing around and go away. I'm busy."
Even as Yoo Ji-tae and Winter held their ground, Bom glanced at them, chuckled 'So cute......', and dove back into her work.
No choice now. All or nothing. Yoo Ji-tae sat on the sofa next to Bom. Realizing his intent, Winter claimed the other side.
"Deadline's right around the corner, I'm swamped......"
Bom muttered, now ignoring them completely as she buried herself in assignments.
The goal wasn't stopping her work, just disturbing her. Winter fidgeted nearby, clenching and unclenching her fist to steal attention. Bom didn't look.
Winter inched closer. Fist near Bom's shoulder. Bom unmoved. So Winter poked her shoulder lightly. Tap tap. Tap tap. Then realized she was being ignored.
"Nope, useless~."
"......"
Bom teased her instead.
Winter signaled Yoo Ji-tae on the other side. Why just sit? He shook his head slightly. What can I do? Winter shook hers faster. Figure something out.
Ways to bother people... Thinking brought up Summer tormenting Autumn.
...No, that was inflicting pain, not bothering.
Thinking again, Bom's pranks came to mind. The ways she'd messed with him while driving.
Yoo Ji-tae cautiously touched Bom's cheek with his hand.
"......"
Bom ignored it.
He kept tapping, stroking. Bom's eyes widened round.
"Huh?"
Winter's eyes sparkled. It works? She poked Bom's cheek tentatively. Bom sighed, muttering.
"Ah... Group project......"
No effect at all...
"Really hate it......"
Just made them guilty...
Around then, Yoo Ji-tae recalled something.
Bom had two types.
#1. By location.
Bom at home / Bom outside.
#2. By mood.
Playful Bom / Serious Bom.
At-home Bom showed no reaction to any pranks from Yoo Ji-tae. Same now. Even tweaking Winter's earlobe or pinching her cheek lightly—ignored.
Frustrated Winter tickled her side or neck. Bom focused solely on work.
Outside, it'd be different.
But at-home Bom... aka 'Home-Bom' was an iron wall.
"......"
Yoo Ji-tae suddenly realized Bom's attitude mirrored his own.
Sticking to routine vs. living extraordinarily. For his goals, he became different people. Maybe Bom too? Overthinking?
Anyway, poking cheeks or sides got zero response, like it didn't exist. Winter looked dejected at Yoo Ji-tae.
We failed? Her eyes asked.
Pondering, Yoo Ji-tae pointed somewhere. Winter turned. Her pencil case.
"......"
This might work? Winter grinned, grabbing it. Brushes and markers looked perfect.
Winter took a pen. Yoo Ji-tae a brush.
Winter smiled purely now. She started drawing on Bom's cheek. Two dots. Line below: :> A smiley face. Next, animals.
Meanwhile, Yoo Ji-tae lightly brushed Bom's ear, nose, nape. Like an archaeologist excavating dino bones.
Crude tattoos covered face and neck. Intense tickling for ages, yet...
"Aigoo. Why you all......"
That was Bom's only reaction.
Yoo Ji-tae stared at her.
Then extended the brush tip to her nostril. Slipped it in slyly. No response.
Pulled out, poked her lips. Like prodding an unfamiliar bug with a stick.
Then Bom flicked her tongue out. Cat-like, round and slow, licking the brush tip. Then back to work like nothing happened.
Now Yoo Ji-tae was stumped. Still expressionless, he withdrew the brush quietly.
Next step existed. Few days ago in the car, Bom had whispered weird noises in his ear last.
But he couldn't mimic that.
"......"
Failure, ultimately.
They couldn't disturb 'Home-Bom'.
"Done? Go away. You too, scram."
Bom shooed them only long after they stopped. Insane focus.
Winter sulked.
Flashback to the wasabi agony.
But big sis didn't care about the drawings...
On the other hand, the drawings were elaborate. Crooked rabbits on cheek and neck. Sparkly-eyed ones.
Her obvious disappointment prompted Yoo Ji-tae to console her.
"But. You. Drew well. Cute."
"...? Really?"
"Yeah. Pretty."
Then Bom's hand paused briefly.
Like her occasional assignment pauses. Yoo Ji-tae thought nothing of it.
"...Drew it hard."
"Looks like it."
"...Where pretty?"
What?
Yoo Ji-tae was speechless for a sec.
"...Huh?"
"......"
"...No pretty parts?"
Winter started sulking again.
No words came. The sloppy drawing was pretty because Winter made it.
He pondered. Watched Bom's cheek a bit. Thought more.
Then figured the sparkly eyes were what Winter emphasized most.
"Eyes are pretty."
Bom's hand paused again.
"...Again?"
"Mm, eye shape's cute."
"...Right. Oh, hair on head too."
Praise lifted her mood.
Kid was happy. So he squeezed compliments onto the crude kid art.
Three grass-like hair strands sticking out.
"Yeah. Wanna pet the head."
"...Yeah. Whole body furry."
"Hug would be warm."
"...Hungry tummy?"
"Rabbit? Or me."
"...Um, both."
"Give carrots. Or eat it."
Winter giggled.
Bom's fingers twitched again.
"...Tasty?"
"Huh?"
"...Rabbit meat tasty?"
"......"
But she took it literally. Dragons, huh.
"Dunno. But you worked hard on it, so can't eat. Gotta cherish."
"...Gonna erase anyway."
"Too bad. So cute."
"...Yeah."
Winter nodded wistfully, then double-checked.
"...Really cute?"
"Cute."
"...Precious?"
"Precious."
Then Winter dropped a philosophical bomb.
"...Erase, forget...?"
Pondering, Yoo Ji-tae answered.
"Stays in memory."
"...True."
"Especially you won't forget."
"...Yeah. Ajusshi remember too?"
"Can't forget. So pretty."
That moment.
Suddenly Bom gathered books and laptop, slipping away slyly. '...Ah.' Winter reached late. Bom looked uneasy, quickening pace. Then full run.
Bam. Door shut.
Winter at the door turned to him.
Question mark over her head.
Yoo Ji-tae and Winter overlooked one fact.
The direction they'd stared while talking was always Bom's cheek.
Until then, hyper-focused Bom heard nothing. Like the world muted.
Sounds started filtering to Bom's ears.
When from?
—Pretty.
When he called her cheek pretty.
Then weirdness happened.
Only Yoo Ji-tae's words filtered through to her ears.
—Eyes pretty.
—Mm, eye shape cute.
—Yeah. Wanna pet the head.
Expression cracked. Focus shattered, assignments forgotten.
So Bom glared at the two villains bothering her.
—Hug warm.
—Precious.
Yet Yoo Ji-tae, catering to Winter, seemed oblivious.
The oddly ringing words capped off here.
—Can't forget. So pretty.
Bom flopped on bed, face in pillow.
Going crazy...
She knew it wasn't for her. For the cheek rabbit. Still, hearing it made her heart race, mind tangle.
Bom sighed.
Really gotta chill.
This was severe sickness.
He bought Winter tube ice cream.
Fun with Yoo Ji-tae. Drawings praised. Ice cream too... She seemed much happier.
Lucky for him. Praising rabbits blindly had been daunting.
His usual thoughts watching Bom helped.