Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: 24. Uncle is a Child (1)
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Heading back to the dorm.
Deliberately, Yoo Ji-tae chose to walk through the residential district.
He felt like he needed to talk with her along the way.
The Green Dragon was more stable than the others, but this was her first time facing a demonkin's presence head-on.
Was she feeling down? Or shocked? Contrary to his worries, Bom wore her usual expression and said nothing out of the ordinary.
Tap, tap tap...
She was just tapping away at something on her watch's hologram display. Was she messaging someone?
"What're you writing."
He sometimes thought this.
Bom really knew how to have efficient conversations.
"Pardon?"
So her interruptions were efficient too.
"...Why. Can't I know?"
"Exactly."
Yoo Ji-tae shut his mouth.
And so, by the time they reached the residential district, the regressor hadn't exchanged a single word with the green-haired baby dragon.
Bom decided to start keeping a diary from today.
The diary's title was:
[Uncle Observation Diary]
'...'
She didn't like the name much. It felt like observing an animal or insect.
[Uncle Observation Diary☆]
Adding a star made it a bit better.
Bom began jotting down what she'd seen, heard, and felt while with Yoo Ji-tae today.
First:
[1. Uncle is strong.]
It was too obvious.
Stronger even than an adult dragon, it felt like.
[2. He's probably been alone for a long time. Doesn't seem talkative because of it.]
Come to think of it, she'd rarely seen Yoo Ji-tae talk at length.
He didn't seem to take much interest in conversation itself.
[3. Usually pretty docile.]
His usual self was like a well-fed, lazy beast. You know, like a lion lounging leisurely in the savanna.
[4. Often gets serious. Especially with demonkin-related stuff.]
Tap tap. Her fingers paused on the keyboard.
Bom pondered for a moment. Was it really only with demonkin?
...Not quite. It was ambiguous. Like when they first met. No demonkin involved, but he'd been deadly serious.
So Bom revised the entry.
[4. Often gets serious. Seems related to demonkin on the surface, but probably stems from something bigger. (+) Needs more observation.]
After that, she just wrote whatever came to mind.
[5. Suits look good on him.]
[6. Seems to like bold outfits.]
[7. Still seems indifferent to everything around him, like when we first met.]
"What's that."
"Huh?"
That was when.
She felt Yoo Ji-tae's gaze shift her way at some point. Bom quickly swiped the screen to the first page and casually covered it with her fingers. But the display was too big for two fingers.
"... ."
[Uncle ☆]
As a result.
Only the middle was covered, leaving "Uncle" and the star visible.
"Uncle, star?"
"Y-Yes...?"
"What's that."
"... ."
With an utterly nonchalant expression. Bom answered.
"Just..."
"Just."
"Thinking of filling in a star each time we get closer."
Yoo Ji-tae seemed to go, Is that so, and dropped it.
As his head turned away, Bom sighed inwardly. That was close. Nearly busted.
"... ."
Still, not bad improv for her.
Today was a day she understood him a bit more. So Bom filled in the star.
[Uncle Observation Diary★]
Suddenly, Bom's eyes widened.
Eh...?
Come to think of it, hadn't Yoo Ji-tae just shown interest in her diary?
Bom stared at his face with round eyes. Since when did Uncle care about stuff like this? Looking back, he seemed to have a bit more leisure now.
So she revised 7.
[7. Unlike when we first met, he seems to show a little interest in his surroundings now.]
Their footsteps reached the dorm.
Elevator to the third floor. As they walked the hall, Yoo Ji-tae spoke.
"You gonna keep quiet about it?"
"Pardon?"
"Why you're following me. Time to spill."
"... ."
He turned to look at her.
Bom met his eyes with a sullen expression. Being close, she had to tilt her head up to match his gaze.
"Can we call it even?"
"Even my ass."
Bom wanted to put off this conversation.
"Yeah. In the end, I helped, right? If you hold back your curiosity about me, I'll forgive you for calling me unnecessary, being mean, and getting all stern."
Then Yoo Ji-tae's brow furrowed ever so slightly. Oh, did I mess up? Bom tensed inwardly without showing it.
Yoo Ji-tae's hand reached out and pinched her cheek.
It hurt.
"Ow... ."
There was real force in his fingers. Not playful.
So it really, really hurt. Tears welled up.
"Uw... It huuurts... ."
"... ."
"Kuh... Gonna suue yooou... ."
He just walked into the dorm after that.
Left alone in the hall, Bom wiped her tears and rubbed her red cheek. She even glared at the door once.
Then something occurred to her, and she added to the diary.
[?. Question: ]
The reason she'd insisted on following Yoo Ji-tae.
Truth be told, Bom didn't know well herself. At first, some inexplicable pull. Felt like she had to follow. Had to help with something.
But writing the diary brought the question anew.
[?. Question: Am I the one shaping Uncle into something?]
"Damn... What the hell happened? No traces at all?"
Hotel Harrio Carlton Kyoto.
The upper floors of a certain five-star hotel in Kyoto had been blown away. Kyoto Prefectural Police were out in full force.
"Total mess, huh..."
"Honestly, no clue where to even start with this."
"Yeah... And it's not just any building—a level 9 defense design, smashed to bits."
The detectives clicked their tongues.
Reducing a level 9 defense building like this in such short time? Impossible without at least a world top 500 ranker.
"At least it was the upper floors."
"Tch, the VIP suite renter? That Hasegawa guy or whatever."
"Location still untracked. Looks like he got caught in it, though..."
But then.
"Hey. Move."
An unfamiliar woman's voice.
What, straight to informal? A detective scowled and turned.
There stood a few cops in unique uniforms. This is whose jurisdiction— His eyes caught the silver badge on the uniform.
Lotus pattern symbolizing the Japanese Imperial Family.
And crossed over it, a single sword.
That emblem...
"Ah...!"
The detectives saluted in panic.
The woman who seemed senior among them ignored them and surveyed the scene.
'Jack was passed out in the car.'
'Jack' was the special forces agent she'd planted to secretly dig into Hasegawa's secrets.
'Among those who entered here was 'Konnosuke'. Someone knocked Jack out and stole the invitation.'
Classified special command level 1: Hasegawa provisionally confirmed high-level demonkin.
So these battle traces could be chalked up to 'Hasegawa' vs. 'Jack's attacker'.
'Need to find traces. If Hasegawa's dead, need certainty.'
Unfortunately.
She found nothing.
That night. After wrapping up, she headed to the 'hideout'.
A friendly club of world rankers dedicated to exterminating demonkin.
「Total Celestial Society」
At this hour, usually two or three guys seeking respite from busy lives would be there, chewing the fat. She planned to ask them about today's bizarre incident.
She opened the hideout door. The usual faces were gone. Myeong Yong-ha and BM were there.
"... ."
Myeong Yong-ha stared seriously at some leaves on the table.
"... ."
Gulp.
BM was drinking as usual but lay on the sofa, shining a small vial against the lamp.
"Yo, you guys. What're you doing? Looking all spaced out."
No reply.
"Huh? Hey, weed-heads. What brings you here this hour? Ain't it hospital time?"
"... ."
"Eh? Look at this guy? Grass in your ears or what?"
"... ."
"...Hey."
"... ."
"...You, you don't mean. Myeong Yong—!"
Thinking of a horrific end, she yelled without thinking.
"Minamoto... Today the doctor said something for the first time."
"...Huh? Uh?"
Myeong Yong-ha muttered blankly in a quiet voice.
"...Progress is showing."
Something was off with them that day.
"Off to class... ."
Gaeul heading to class wasn't her usual bouncy self.
"... ."
Yeoreum grabbing her sword for the training room didn't even meet his eyes.
"... ."
Bom was the same as always.
So no need for separate talks.
"... ."
Finally, Winter was watching him.
"Why."
"...?"
The kid turned her head.
Alone now, Yoo Ji-tae searched and read newspaper articles.
He felt eyes on him. Probably Winter.
Glancing back, she pretended nonchalance while grabbing and shaking her bear doll's hand. But it felt different from her usual wary peeking.
What was with everyone.
Their odd behavior continued into dinner.
Dinnertime. Bom naturally asked them.
"What do you wanna eat?"
Yeoreum, fresh from training and sweaty, shook her head.
"I'm good."
"Yeah, sis. Not really hungry... ."
Gaeul answered while sneaking peeks at Yoo Ji-tae. Yeoreum lightly smacked her arm. "Ow why!", "Hey, yellow monkey." Around then, Winter approached them, giving a questioning look. Yeoreum scowled, and Winter stared back with her big eyes.
"Girls. What's up?"
"What?"
"Hm. No dinner today then?"
"Yeah, sis."
By then, Yoo Ji-tae thought it strange.
The kids rarely skipped meals. Especially Gaeul, who loved food. The chick often lamented humans only eating three times a day.
—Five meals would be so great!
That was her usual self.
Finding it odd, Yoo Ji-tae called Gaeul.
"Yoo Gaeul."
"Y-Yes?"
"You sick or something."
"N-No, no, nooo?"
The chick couldn't meet his eyes.
So Yoo Ji-tae approached, grabbed her arms, and peered into her eyes.
"Lemme see."
"Ah, uh, uwaa... I-I'm fine!"
Not sick.
The chick flapped her arms free and fled to her room like a scared bird.
He had no idea what was going on. If anything, it felt like four Winters today.
But. At midnight that day, his question was answered.
Suddenly, the living room lights went out.
No big deal for the regressor who pierced darkness. As he fiddled with the switch and headed to the entrance to check the breaker,
Sub-space tore open behind him. It was Bom's sub-space. Gaeul stepped out.
The kid had a balloon on her head.
Crackle—
Lightning mana, the Gold Dragon's attribute, flowed.
Lights attached to Gaeul's body sparkled whenever she'd prepared them.
"Uncle."
"...What is it?"
"Happy birthday—!!"
Bang! Bang! Fireworks popped.
Then the chick suddenly panicked.
"Oops...! Supposed to do this after blowing out the cake candles!"
Seemed she'd messed up the order.
By then, Bom and Winter on the sofa stood clapping.
"Happy birthday, Uncle."
Birthday...?
Come to think of it, yes.
It was past midnight. December 12th.
His actual birthday, which he'd never remembered once across countless regressions.
He hadn't even thought of it, so it'd slipped his mind completely.
"...How'd you know."
"Saw your ID before."
Before he could retort, Winter toddled over, arms outstretched. Yoo Ji-tae picked her up. Unbeknownst to him, Winter—who'd been scolded all morning for wanting this—beamed and bonked her forehead against his chest happily.
Then the terrace door opened, red eyes stepping from the dark.
Yeoreum.
She held a cake. The moment she saw Yoo Ji-tae, she gripped it in one hand and walked slowly forward.
For some reason, a sinister smile on her face.
As a strange tension built.
"Yeoreum."
Bom called her name in a cautioning tone.
Yeoreum suddenly bolted.
"Yoo Yeoreum!"
"Ack, sis! That's not what you said earlier...!"
Before the two could intervene.
With a face full of mischief, Yeoreum swung the cake at Yoo Ji-tae's face.