The Best Meat of Her Life
The meat Seona ate today was the best she had ever tasted in her five years of life.
Chicken? Pizza? Sure, those were delicious too, but this was on a completely different level.
Jungwoo watched his daughter with a warm, contented smile.
And this wasn't the only gift he had prepared for her.
“Seia, after dinner we're going to see the circus.”
“Hukkeuheu?”
Seia, who had been chewing her meat, looked up at Jungwoo in shock at the word circus.
She didn't know the exact reason, but after observing his reaction earlier that morning, she had assumed it would be hard to see one.
Yet here he was, saying they were going to the circus tonight.
In Seia's mind, her imagination began to unfold like wings.
Fire and ice dancing through the air.
Dreamlike scenes that rarely appeared even in fairy tales.
“...Daddy.”
After carefully chewing and swallowing the meat in her mouth, Seia called out to him with a strangely solemn expression.
“Yeah?”
“Seia thinks today feels like her birthday again...!”
“Haha. Does it?”
On her actual birthday, Seia had looked happier than anyone else in the world.
This must mean today felt just as wonderful.
Honestly, even Jungwoo thought that if he could enjoy brand-new delicious food and exciting entertainment all in one day for the first time, it would easily rank among the best days of his life.
He was looking forward to it too.
This would be his first time seeing a circus in person.
And not just any circus—the one performed by hunters.
Ding-a-ling.
Just then, the restaurant door opened with a cheerful chime, and a welcome face appeared.
“Hehe, I see you're in the middle of a meal.”
“It's Harabuji!”
“Were you enjoying something tasty?”
“Welcome.”
It was none other than Park Geon-su.
After meeting with his subordinate and confirming that the person in charge had stepped out to Seona's Restaurant on business, Park Geon-su had come straight over to observe.
At his age, there wasn't much left for him to do anyway. These small errands had become a sort of playful pastime for him.
“I noticed earlier that staff from the shopping district management office stopped by.”
“Ah, yes. I actually applied to set up a street stall in the shopping area.”
“Oh-ho. A street stall, you say. And what will you be selling...?”
“The lunchboxes I wrote down as today's special.”
Even though he already knew, Park Geon-su still offered a proud smile.
He could guess why Jungwoo had decided to sell them.
It was probably because he wanted to give warm, filling meals to the hunters heading out to subjugate gates.
“Perfect timing—I haven't eaten yet. May I try that menu first?”
“Of course. Just have a seat and I'll prepare it right away.”
“Thank you. Oh, by the way, do you have any plans this evening?”
“Plans? Ah, we're going to see the circus.”
“Oh, the circus. Will you be going with the little boss?”
“Yes. The person in charge said they'd come along too.”
“This is the problem with getting old. There are suddenly so many things I want to see.”
“If you want to see something, just go see it. Haha.”
It was true.
If you want to see it, see it. If you want to do it, do it.
As long as it didn't harm anyone else.
“Did you come alone?”
Seia asked, her mouth still glistening with oil.
Park Geon-su let out a small chuckle, pulled a tissue from the dispenser on the table, and gently wiped her mouth as he replied.
“Hehe. Who are you waiting for?”
“I thought Harabuji and the pretty big sister were coming together...”
“You're sad because your sister isn't here.”
“Yes...”
“Why do you like her so much?”
He had suddenly grown curious.
Why did this tiny child like a hunter powerful enough to be called a monster?
Most children would probably just say she was pretty, but Park Geon-su had spent enough time talking with Seia to know her a little better than most.
He couldn't claim to understand her completely, but he was one of the people who knew her best.
What would her answer be?
Why did she like Seong Ye-eun?
“Umm...”
Seia didn't answer right away.
Not because she didn't have a reason, but because there were so many that she didn't know which one to pick.
“Is it hard to say?”
“I know the answer!”
“Good. Let's hear it.”
“It's because big sister likes Seia.”
What a clear answer.
Because the other person liked and cherished her, Seia wanted to return the same feelings.
“Then what about Grandpa?”
“I like Harabuji too.”
The answer came without the slightest hesitation.
Park Geon-su was very satisfied.
Extremely so.
Still... the circus, huh.
Park Geon-su knew very well that there was a black market involved.
Even so, it wasn't an especially shady place.
Who is the ringmaster these days?
Still, it was better to eliminate any potential worries in advance.
What others could only do by spending a fortune, Park Geon-su could accomplish with a single phone call.
Even the Sajeol Guild he ran had a few members who had been recruited from the circus troupe.
“Harabuji.”
“Yes?”
“Have you ever seen the circus before?”
“Of course. I've probably seen it more than ten times.”
“Whoa...! This is Seia's first time!”
“Hehe. Is that so? Then you can look forward to it.”
There probably wasn't another child whose face showed emotions as clearly as Seia's.
Children were generally expressive, but with Seia it was especially obvious.
“Little boss, do you like fire or ice better?”
It was the same question he had asked that morning when they went to the shopping district together.
The answer Jungwoo hadn't gotten to hear earlier.
Perhaps because of that, Jungwoo's ears perked up noticeably as he worked in the kitchen preparing the lunchbox.
“Seia likes fire!”
“May I ask why?”
“Because fire is warm!”
At the childlike answer, Park Geon-su chuckled and said,
“But ice is cool and refreshing.”
“Huh...?”
It was true.
Seia's face looked genuinely shocked.
“But... if you hold ice, it's cold.”
“And if you hold fire, it's hot.”
“Huh...”
That was also true.
Both fire and ice.
When you got too close, warmth became heat, and coolness became cold.
“Hehe, Grandpa was just teasing you a little. I was worried our little boss might only want to watch the fire part of the circus.”
“Can I watch both?”
“Hmm... do you want to see both?”
“Yes!”
Seia clenched both fists and nodded vigorously.
Anyone who saw her like that would probably offer to show her the circus themselves.
“Then you'll have to get permission from your dad first.”
“I'll go ask!”
The moment the words left her mouth, Seia dashed into the kitchen and immediately declared her firm opinion about tonight's circus.
“Seia wants to see both!”
“Hmm...?”
What was this all of a sudden?
“Fire and ice! Both of them!”
Looking into Seia's eyes, Jungwoo could see an unyielding determination that said she would not compromise on this.
Well, it wasn't difficult.
The person in charge had offered to show them, but Jungwoo wasn't sure if that included both performances.
“Hmm...”
But he wasn't going to agree so easily.
“Then there's a condition.”
“A condition...?”
This had happened before.
Whenever Seia said she wanted to do or have something, Jungwoo would set a condition.
The last time, the condition had probably been... eating bell peppers?
“I don't like bell peppers...”
Even though it had been quite a while ago, Seia still remembered how much she hated them.
“Haha. How did our Seia know?”
“Bell peppers don't taste good.”
“But they're good for your body.”
“Isn't chicken bad for your body?”
Seia had not yet grasped one of the great truths of the world.
Most foods that were good for you didn't taste good, and the ones that tasted good weren't particularly good for you.
“Well... I wouldn't say it's good for you.”
“Why...!”
Why wasn't chicken good for you!
Seia looked utterly devastated.
“Then what about steak?”
“Steak? Steak is... pretty okay, I suppose?”
Since it wasn't fried, it was an excellent source of protein.
It was just expensive.
Very expensive.
“Then can I have steak again?”
There was no reason she couldn't, but if she did, his wallet would empty in no time.
“You can, but it's not good to eat only one thing. You should eat a balanced diet. Understand?”
“Yes! One bell pepper and one steak—”
Seia had concluded the deal entirely on her own terms.
Then, as if she had no intention of hearing any objections to the transaction, she scampered straight back to where Grandpa was sitting.
When she was like this, Seia really knew how to negotiate.
“Harabuji! Daddy said yes!”
Park Geon-su, who had overheard the entire conversation from the dining area, was holding back laughter.
What a crafty little merchant.
She was practically a pioneer who had successfully completed an equitable exchange of bell peppers for steak.
And on top of that, she had gotten the circus as a bonus.
“Your ordered lunchbox is ready.”
The completed lunchbox was served at just the right moment, and Park Geon-su looked just as impressed as the management office staff had earlier.
“Oh, so this is the lunchbox?”
“Yes. I'm trying to maintain this level of quality as much as possible.”
“Oh-ho. If you can keep this up, business should do quite well.”
Just like before, it contained stir-fried spicy pork and beef bone soup.
Along with side dishes and seasoned seaweed as the finishing touch.
At a glance, it was a perfectly packed, satisfying lunchbox.
Convenience store lunchboxes weren't all that different in composition.
They came out pretty well too.
But this one carried a level of care you couldn't feel from a convenience store version, along with the fresh taste of food made just moments ago.
“Have you thought about where to order the containers?”
“Not yet. I heard permits are hard to get, so I was planning to look into it slowly. I need to start checking now.”
“Then this is perfect timing. I know a place. Would you like an introduction?”
“Oh, really? I would be incredibly grateful. That was actually my biggest worry. To keep the lunchboxes as warm as possible, I need good containers, but it seems like those places don't handle small orders.”
“You don't need to worry about that. I'll make sure they accept small orders for you.”
“Thank you so much.”
As it happened, there was a company near Park Geon-su that manufactured various daily necessities using magic stones.
It was a group with a very wide reach, starting from household goods to home appliances and even equipment used by hunters.
As Jungwoo had said, they didn't accept small orders, and even when they did, the prices were absurdly high after going through middlemen.
“I'd like to leave a business card, but I don't have one with me. I'll contact them separately and get back to you.”
“Yes, thank you so much.”
Today really was a lucky day.
Not only had the person in charge quickly approved the permit, but now even the things he needed afterward were falling into place so smoothly.
The support program did help with the cost of containers, but that was only financial assistance.
The process was to place the order first and then receive support afterward. Without Park Geon-su's introduction, the order itself would have been difficult.
If the price was too high, the support might not have been approved.
“You always seem to work so hard.”
Park Geon-su genuinely respected Jungwoo.
Raising a child alone while running a restaurant and then actively looking for the next thing he could do.
At the words work hard, Jungwoo gave a light smile and replied.
“I'm just living while enjoying it.”
As he said that, Jungwoo's gaze naturally drifted toward Seia.
“Hehe. That's something difficult for me. I'm envious.”
What should he say?
Park Geon-su's eyes looked so sincere that they almost seemed hollow, and Jungwoo found himself unable to speak.
With another cheerful ding-a-ling, Park Geon-su's companions arrived a little late.
“Big sister!”
And the first to greet them was, of course, Seia.