Chapter 98
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: The Lost Witch
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“Hi, Charlie!”
“Hi!”
Charlie was popular here, too. Seojun played with Charlie, running all over the playground. Here and there, he could see toys and dolls with the Monster Inc. logo. Seojun and Charlie tried out every piece of equipment on the playground.
When Charlie and Seojun returned from their fun, the couple handed them drinks.
“The Halloween festival is fun, but these costumes are a bit annoying, right?”
“Yeah. My hat keeps falling off. And this tail is uncomfortable.”
“That's why I didn't wear the mask my dad was going to give me. Playing on the playground is more fun than dressing up.”
That explained it. Charlie's dad was wearing a really cool mask, but Charlie was just wearing a headband with wolf ears. He probably could have made or bought one for his son, but it seemed Charlie had refused.
“But it's still fun, right?”
“Yeah!”
After a short break, Seojun and Charlie got up.
“Want to play hide-and-seek?”
“Sure! Let's get the other kids to play with us.”
“Okay!”
Seojun and Charlie disappeared onto the playground in an instant. Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun shrugged.
“They have so much energy. I'm already tired.”
“Same here.”
* * *
“It's Seojun's turn to be 'it'!”
The children took turns being the seeker. Charlie, like a leader, set the order, so there was no fighting.
“Okay. I'll count to 30, alright?”
“There are zombies, so you have to count to 60!”
“Zombies are fast these days... okay, fine.”
Seojun buried his face against the wall.
Even while playing hide-and-seek, Charlie didn't forget their role-playing. Zombies were slow, but the seeker had to tag them without getting 'bitten,' and witches or wizards got another chance to run if they cast a spell.
“One!”
The children scattered like a swarm of bees.
“Two!”
Even so, the kids often forgot the rules they'd set and were caught quickly.
Seojun smiled as he counted. The playground, once filled with the sound of children's laughter, grew quiet. Only Seojun's voice could be heard.
“60! Ready or not, here I come!”
‘This isn't what I prepared this ability for, but…’
To get revenge on Charlie for finding him so quickly, Seojun decided to use a little trick.
[The Shadow Werewolf's Wolf Transformation is activated.]
[The Shadow Werewolf's Wolf Transformation - Intermediate-Low Grade]
A werewolf that lives with a wolf made of its own shadow.
It normally lives as a human but transforms into a wolf during the full moon.
Walking on all fours becomes more comfortable, and the sense of smell is enhanced.
You can control the shadow wolf.
There were no obvious changes like with the Blue Dragon Hatchling. When he'd tried it at home, his eyes had turned yellow, his fingernails and toenails had sharpened, and his sense of smell had intensified.
Seojun let out a low growl. His sense of smell sharpened. His nails, hidden by gloves and shoes, grew sharp. His eyes, veiled by the shadow of his hat, turned yellow.
*Sniff.*
He could smell the children.
Seojun's enhanced sense of smell quickly located the hiding children. From the young wizard in the corner of the play structure who was just covering his own eyes, to the Jack-o'-lantern with a pumpkin head hiding under a bench. Finally, he found them all, including the skillfully hidden werewolf, Charlie.
No, one person was left.
*Sniff.*
Seojun's nose twitched. It was a human scent mixed with moisture.
“I'm 'it' next... Jun, where are you going!”
“Wait! I think there's still one person hiding!”
“What? Everyone's here!”
Seojun walked toward the corner where the scent was coming from. A corner of the playground, in a slightly dark spot. There was someone there. A little girl wearing a black pointed hat was huddled there.
“Found you!”
The tear-stained child looked up at the sound of his voice. Seojun held out his hand, and after a moment of looking at the soft, paw-like pads on his glove, the girl took it.
* * *
Charlie told the other kids to play amongst themselves and ran back to where Seojun and the girl were. Seojun and the little girl were still holding hands tightly.
“Hi. I'm Jun. I'm a werewolf.”
“I'm Charlie. I'm a werewolf too, even though I don't have a tail.”
“What's your name?”
The blonde girl, who had been staring at the cute, doll-like wolf head, slowly opened her mouth.
Among all the scary-looking people speaking a language she didn't know, these were the first kids she could understand. They didn't look scary either.
“...Grace.”
“Grace. Grace, where are your mom and dad?”
“...I don't know.”
Tears welled up in Grace's eyes. She saw some people with witch's brooms, and she followed them because they looked cool, but then her mom and dad were gone. The fun Halloween festival had suddenly become scary.
She walked toward the brightest place she could see and found a playground where kids were playing. Everyone was having fun, but for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to join in, so she hid in the corner.
‘Mom, Dad... Sister...’
Please find me.
She was cold and hungry. Grace wanted the waffle she had refused to eat just a little while ago, saying she was full. She missed her dad who gave her piggyback rides, her mom who hugged her tight, and her sister who always teased her.
She felt like crying would only make her sadder, so she held it in, huddled and leaning against the corner.
“Found you!”
A bright voice sounded right in front of her. She looked up and saw a round, cuddly wolf. No, it was a kid wearing a wolf hat.
The wolf kid extended a paw that looked soft and plush toward Grace. It was like she had stepped into a fairy tale.
Grace reached out and took the paw. As expected, it was soft.
After listening to Grace's halting story, Seojun and Charlie shared a thought.
“We should contact the lost child center.”
“Let's go together.”
Seojun and Charlie stood on either side of the girl, held her hands, and walked toward the couple.
“What's going on?”
Seojun and Charlie, who had been playing so well, had brought over a little girl dressed as a witch. Grace, seemingly scared of the unfamiliar adults, hid behind Seojun and Charlie.
“She lost her mom and dad.”
At Seojun's words, Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun jumped up and gathered their things.
“Then we need to get to the lost child center right away!”
How frantic her parents must be, having lost this little child. As parents themselves, the thought alone was heartbreaking.
Lee Minjun picked up their bag and scanned the path ahead. Seo Eunhye knelt down to look at Grace.
She was still hiding behind Seojun and Charlie.
“Do you want me to carry you?”
Grace clutched the two boys' clothes tightly. Feeling the trembling through their clothes, Seojun sensed Grace's fear. Seojun touched his wrist.
[The Calming Apple Blossom Scent is activated.]
A sweet fragrance wafted from Seojun. Grace's irregularly pounding heart gradually began to beat steadily. Her fearful heart gently calmed down. When Grace's grip loosened, Seojun stopped the ability.
“If I carry you, we can get there faster.”
“...Okay.”
Grace let Seo Eunhye pick her up. Feeling how cold she was, Seo Eunhye's heart ached. How cold and scared she must have been. Seo Eunhye hugged Grace tightly, as if to share her warmth.
“Mom.”
“I know. Let's go.”
The couple and the children hurried toward the lost child center. Lee Minjun and Charlie cleared a path, calling out 'Excuse me,' while Seojun and Seo Eunhye followed behind, comforting Grace.
“We have a lost child here!”
The staff at the lost child center stood up from their seats. The once peaceful center became busy. They asked for Grace's name and confirmed her description. They radioed the staff patrolling the plaza to search for the child's parents and started making announcements.
[...The parents of Grace Welton from New York, USA. Grace Welton is currently at the lost child center. We repeat...]
Even in the midst of this, Charlie showed off his wide network of connections. He succeeded in getting delicious cookies and warm hot chocolate from a city hall employee.
“This is normally just for the lost children...”
“Hey, but we're the ones who found her!”
“That's true. Good job.”
Grace was the first lost child of the day, and they had plenty of cookies and hot chocolate prepared. When Charlie brought over three cups of hot chocolate and cookies, Seojun beamed and cleared a space for the tray.
“Thanks!”
“Don't mention it!”
The two boys seemed like they had become best friends, despite having only just met. Seojun gave a cup of hot chocolate to Grace. Grace sipped the hot chocolate. Her cold, empty stomach grew warm. And so, the three children, wrapped in blankets, huddled together in a corner of the center and talked.
“After the contest, the vampire team and the werewolf team are putting on a show, and my dad is in it. He's the leader of the werewolves! He performed with my uncles last year, and it was so cool. I want to perform on stage too when I grow up!”
“Charlie's dad's wolf costume was awesome.”
“I like Jun's costume better.”
Grace's words made Seojun smile wide.
“Right?”
“It's cute.”
At Grace's words, Seojun buried his face in his hands.
“It's not supposed to be cute. Werewolves are supposed to be super scary and cool.”
“Like my dad! Besides, isn't it hard to win first place with a face that round? Why'd they make it like that?”
“It was originally a cool wolf hat like your dad's, but it got really heavy after they added a bunch of stuff. So they remade it into this one.”
“Still, it'll be tough to win first place.”
“So, what's the contest about?”
Charlie answered Grace's question. Seojun also listened intently.
“You go up on the stage in the center and act. Vampires act like vampires, witches like witches. You can make and use props, but nothing too big. First place is decided by the crowd's reaction.”
“What if the crowd's reaction is about the same for two people?”
Charlie shrugged.
“Then it's a tie for first place. There have been quite a few ties.”
“I see.”
“By the way, Jun, did you register for it?”
“Yeah. I did it as soon as the festival started.”
“What's the title?”
“Werewolf's Transformation.”
“I'll cheer for you. My voice will be the loudest!”
At Charlie's words, Seojun and Grace burst out laughing.
The center staff and the couple, who had been worried the lost child would be anxious, relaxed and waited for her family. Some time passed.
“Grace!”
The flap of the lost child center's tent flew open. A girl who looked to be Grace's older sister and her parents rushed in. Grace, who had been laughing just moments before, crumpled the instant she saw her parents' faces and burst into tears.
“Mom! Dad! Sis!”
“Grace! Where on earth...! No, it doesn't matter. I'm just so glad you're safe.”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
The couple checked Grace all over. The girl and her parents all had tear-streaked faces.
Soon, relieved that Grace was safe, her parents repeatedly thanked the staff, as well as Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun.
“This is Jun, and this is Charlie. They found me.”
“Thank you so much.”
Wiping away her tears, Grace introduced Seojun and Charlie with the brightest of faces. After also thanking Seojun and Charlie, Grace's mother asked her daughter,
“Should we go back to the hotel now?”
Her eyes were full of worry, wondering if Grace now hated the Halloween festival, or if she'd be left with even a little trauma. Grace's dad and sister also looked only at her.
“No.”
Grace beamed from the warmth of her mother's embrace.
“Jun's entering the contest. I want to watch that before we go. He wants to win first place, so I have to cheer for him. Mom, Dad, you guys cheer with me!”
Seojun and Charlie burst out laughing at Grace's words. They had thought she was a quiet child, but it seemed she had just been too scared to talk.
“Then you have to win first place! I'll be cheering for you.”
Grace and her family left the lost child center to get the dinner they had missed. Charlie looked at the clock in the center.
“Jun, you should go get ready for the contest now.”
At his words, Seojun and the couple also checked the time. The time announced by the organizers was fast approaching.
“How did you know?”
“This is already my tenth time here.”
“How many of those do you remember?”
“Hmm. Since the fifth?”
The two boys laughed.
“I've been when my dad performs.”
“Want to come with me then?”
“Sure. I'll show you where my dad gets ready.”
Seojun beamed at Charlie's words. He'd get to see that cool wolf mask up close!
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