Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Gonggi Ventures Out
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I returned to the room with Baekho after safely completing his guild debut.
The room was just as quiet and unchanged as before.
Gonggi was still right there in the same spot where I'd last seen it.
I'd thought it might wander around a bit once I was gone.
I swallowed a sigh and approached Gonggi.
"Gonggi, what's this."
I sat down on the floor in front of the open enclosure and pulled out the familiar snacks Im Cheong-su had given me.
When I popped open the lid of the plastic container, a savory aroma wafted out—strong enough to catch any person's interest.
"Hey, check this out. Looks super tasty."
Honestly, I had no idea what it tasted like.
I'd have to try it myself to know.
But Maeng-i and Baek Young-i had devoured it like it was delicious.
Fortunately, Gonggi reacted too.
(≖_≖ )
The little guy rustled its head up and stared at the container in my hand.
"Wanna try some?"
I took out a piece of snack and held it a bit closer to Gonggi.
It immediately pulled its head back just as much, tensing up.
"Hmm, maybe this is better."
I carefully placed a few pieces on top of the open enclosure and pulled my body completely back.
Then I took out my phone and pretended to be uninterested, scrolling through a portal site I couldn't care less about.
A few minutes passed like that, with Gonggi waffling between wariness of me and curiosity about the tasty-looking snacks.
It inched closer at a snail's-pace yawn of a speed, sniffing them, pawing at them lightly with its front feet, gradually lowering its guard bit by bit.
Then it hooked one piece toward itself with a claw and stared at it for a long time.
As if checking whether the snack might suddenly jump up and attack.
Only after even more time did Gonggi finally flick its tongue out toward the snack.
Yes! That's it! Go on, eat it!
It touched it with its tongue one more time, then slowly opened its mouth.
Crunch.
Crunch, crunch.
"...Looks like it's tasty."
The first bite was tough, but after that, it was smooth sailing.
It was so focused on eating that even when I edged a little closer, Gonggi was lost in snack nirvana.
"Phew."
"Krhng."
Baekho let out a small sigh of relief at the sight of its twin eating.
"Good thing, right?"
"Kyung."
Baekho nodded and finally climbed onto the open enclosure to lie down comfortably.
"Gonggi."
Crunch, crunch.
Taking advantage of it being distracted by eating, I decided to close the distance a bit more.
I slowly reached out and stroked Gonggi's head.
Whether because it was in a good mood from the snacks or because its opinion of me—the snack deliverer—had improved,
Gonggi didn't dodge my touch anyway.
Unlike Baekho, its short fur let me feel the full roundness of its head underneath.
"Eat up."
No matter that it was still a baby, Gonggi had felt way too light when I'd held it on the way back from the guild.
Like a strong gust of wind would scatter it away without a second thought.
"You've been through a lot. I'll find you a good owner."
This was a sort of promise to Gonggi.
"Someone who'll think you're the cutest thing and carry you around everywhere."
Well, you'd know better than me who that is.
Familiars know best who suits them as an engraving partner.
"If you ever meet them, bite down tight and don't let go, got it?"
As if it understood, Gonggi—who had just finished licking around its mouth after emptying the whole container—stared at me steadily.
Then it blinked once and walked over to Baekho's side before drifting off to sleep again.
"Guess I should sleep too."
The aftereffects of pulling an all-nighter hit me all at once.
I flopped onto the bed and thought,
Whoever takes Gonggi better cherish it like a treasure, or I'll hang them upside down in front of Gwanghwamun Gate.
A few days passed, and Gonggi had perked up quite a bit.
"Oh, getting some sun?"
I'd just finished chatting with Han Ji-seong and opened the door to my room. Gonggi was sitting by the window, washing its face like a cat.
"Sun's hot today, so just a bit, then come down."
Gonggi didn't give any particular response today either.
It just whipped its head around to look out the window.
But its good mood was obvious from the swishing tail or the speech bubble floating above its head.
^ↀᴥↀ^
Believe it or not, that was the happiest emotion Gonggi had shown so far.
Still, there was definite change.
Unlike the first day when it stayed holed up in the enclosure, now it roamed around the room freely enough.
And today, Gonggi's gaze had been fixed all day on the people strolling along Cheonggyecheon Stream.
Looks like it's finally getting interested in the outside world.
It was getting used to this environment where no one would hurt it, where it didn't have to be scared.
From that day, I deliberately left the door open when I went around.
The guild building was safe inside, so Gonggi could wander as it pleased.
About a week later,
Word came from Yu-eul, who was enjoying some leisurely summer vacation time.
"Unnie! Pretty was by the first-floor window earlier—did you see?!"
The guild members had started calling it "Pretty" since "Gonggi" alone felt awkward.
"Oh, really? It was on the third floor earlier."
"Looks like it's getting comfy!"
Yu-eul clapped happily.
And at that clap, Baek Young-i, who had been sleeping, opened its eyes.
"Ah, sorry."
Yu-eul apologized, and Baek Young-i buried its face back into Baekho's fur as if it was fine.
The corner of the training room sofa, once Baek Young-i's designated seat, had become a haven for all three familiars.
With me, Kang Han, and Im Cheong-su mostly hanging out in the guild training room, the familiars naturally gathered in one spot too.
Click, click!
I turned at the camera sounds to see Yu-eul snapping photos of the three baby familiars sleeping, as usual.
"...Didn't you take the exact same shot yesterday?"
"Yesterday Baek Young-i was on top of Baekho's head. Today Maeng-i's up there, so it's different."
"Uh... yeah, take lots."
Teenage sensibilities.
I was listening to the shutter sounds as she fiddled with angles to get the perfect shot, just about to turn up the TV volume,
when Yu-eul—who'd been taking photos with me—and Jang Su-ho and Kang Han, who were just finishing sim training and walking out, all froze at once.
They'd sensed the small presence nudging the slightly open training room door open with its head.
I slowly rolled my eyes toward the door.
It's here!
Gonggi, who'd been showing interest in the lower floors since yesterday, had finally made it to the training room on its own paws.
I spoke in as casual a voice as possible.
"Oh, Gonggi. You're here?"
Even so, hearing my familiar voice, Gonggi started toward me naturally but hesitated midway.
As if just then realizing there were other people in the training room.
"It's okay. Baekho's over there too."
At the sound of its own name being called, Baekho woke from sleep.
There really was something special between the twins that no one else knew.
Even though Gonggi wouldn't have been visible from the sofa in the back, Baekho bolted upright and dashed toward the door with a patter of feet.
"Kyaaang!"
Gonggi's eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of Baekho charging over with a joyful cry.
Having observed the twins up close for nearly ten days now,
Gonggi found Baekho pretty annoying.
Not that it hated it, though.
Like the difference between extreme extroversion and extreme introversion.
Just like now.
As Baekho gleefully licked and nuzzled its twin, Gonggi pushed it away with a front paw.
But it tolerated tail-twining.
(´✪ω✪`)♡
Unlike Baekho, who expressed its good mood with its whole body,
(≖_≖ )
Gonggi's emotional range pretty much topped out there.
"Back to what you were doing, everyone."
The guild members, who had frozen in place, holding even their breaths, relaxed with a collective snap at my words.
Yu-eul quietly switched to video, while Jang Su-ho and Kang Han closed the half-open sim training door and headed to the showers.
Small sighs of relief rose here and there, like they'd been worried Gonggi might bolt.
Though of course everyone's eyes were still glued to Gonggi.
Pat-pat.
With all eyes on them, Baekho and Gonggi made their way to the sofa.
Baekho hopped up first, demonstrating.
Maeng-i tensed briefly upon spotting Gonggi but relaxed right away when Baekho licked it, and Baek Young-i wasn't interested from the start.
It just burrowed into Baekho's warmth.
Watching the three tangled together, Gonggi mustered its courage.
It hopped onto the sofa too.
I'd thought it'd wander around more.
But a miracle happened.
"Hup."
"Gasp."
Breath-holding sounds started up again.
I was no exception.
Gonggi had plopped down right next to Baekho, snuggling its butt against it.
Then it even closed its eyes.
It was nothing major, but from that, I could tell.
Gonggi had finally found a place where it could relax completely.
I quietly pocketed the familiar snacks I'd pulled out just in case to lure it.
And I lowered the TV volume I'd been about to raise.
So that the four familiars huddled together could rest comfortably even a little longer.
By August, new recruit Seong Yona, along with Gonggi and Baekho, had fully blended into Justice Guild's daily life.
Outside was sweltering midsummer heat, but inside the guild, it was cool and pleasant.
All thanks to mana stone energy letting us crank the AC without worrying about pollution.
Sprawled in the training room living area with the four familiars, I muttered,
"Gates that could destroy the world are ironically preventing global warming from doing the job instead."
Either way, things were perfectly comfy right now.
I was idly stroking the now-plump Baekho's belly with my toes, on the verge of dozing off myself,
when—
Bang!
The door flew open as Im Cheong-su burst out of his workshop, shouting,
"It's done!"
"Done? What's done?"
"Mass potion production—success!"
"What?"
Success at what?!