A Father's Promise
"Hello."
"Ah, welcome."
The man with white hair and golden eyes.
The man resting a sword on one shoulder was gazing at the stall with evident interest.
"Oh, you're the customer from last time…."
"Haha. Yes, that's right."
He remembered now.
This was the man he'd met on the street during his last visit to the district management office. The stranger had left an impression because of the unusual aura around him, but after seeing him today, Jungwoo knew he would never forget that face.
Last time the man had been bundled up tightly, so he hadn't noticed, but the striking white hair and golden eyes gave off a distinctly exotic feel.
"Hi there. Do you remember me, mister?"
Kim Shin-uk offered a warm, friendly smile. Seia returned a faint smile of her own.
"I've never seen you before!"
"Ah… mister?"
Had he really expected her to call him oppa?
Kim Shin-uk's expression flickered with a mix of hurt, shock, and several other emotions.
Mister…?
He had never once considered himself lacking in the looks department. As he glanced back and forth between Seia and Jungwoo, however, the reason became clear.
Seia's father, Jungwoo, possessed uncommonly handsome features. His deep black hair and warm brown eyes gave him the sort of gentle, comforting presence that put people at ease. Seia saw that face every single day, so her eyes had grown accustomed to it.
Jungwoo understood perfectly. Up until now, Seia had never called any other man oppa. And he was more than satisfied with his daughter's firm conviction on the matter.
"Yeah… I suppose that's possible. Mm…."
Part of him wanted to tell her what had really happened back then—that he had saved both her and her father. It was a shame he could never say those words.
"One lunchbox, please."
"Here you are."
He had been mildly curious about what sort of people they were. It wasn't often he saw folks visit the circus purely for the show, and this was the first time he'd seen anyone bring a child along. To think they ran a simple street stall.
Kim Shin-uk already knew how special this particular stall was, so he'd wondered if there might be something extraordinary about it. Yet looking at the father and daughter, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Or perhaps the father and daughter themselves were the extraordinary part.
"Thank you. I'll enjoy it."
"You're welcome. Please come again!"
"Come again~"
Watching Seia echo her father's greeting, Kim Shin-uk let out a soft chuckle and headed for the alley where he usually lingered. Someone else was already eating on the terrace, so he returned to the narrow side street. His subordinates—the ones who had once targeted the father and daughter—were waiting.
"You're back, boss."
"……."
The scabbard made a sharp smack as it rapped each of their heads in turn.
"Ow—what was that for…."
"No reason. I'm going to eat, so keep an eye on the crowd while you work."
"Haha, got it. Don't worry."
This wasn't the first time they'd done this sort of thing. Yet today an endless wave of guilt washed over him.
In truth, the guilt had begun the moment he faced the father and daughter earlier. It felt as though he were hiding the truth, even distorting it somehow.
"Let's just eat."
When he lifted the lid of the lunchbox, carefully arranged side dishes greeted him, along with a soup that somehow managed to be both warm and refreshing.
Food was food, after all. Without much expectation, he scooped up a spoonful and slipped it into his mouth.
…It's delicious.
It was warm. Of course it was warm, but knowing exactly who had prepared it made the warmth sink deeper into his chest.
The important thing was the flavor. Given his line of work, he had tasted plenty of excellent dishes, yet this was on an entirely different level.
"Well, I've got plenty of reasons to come back."
He finished the lunchbox in no time. Beneath it lay a small note stating that money would be refunded upon return of the empty container.
Empty containers can be returned for a refund.
"Daddy~"
"Yes?"
"There are only this many lunchboxes left already!"
The supply had dwindled far faster than expected. Seia looked as if she might float away with joy at the thought of so many people acknowledging how delicious her father's cooking was.
"You're right. Not many left. I'll have to make a bigger batch next time."
"But…."
Seia fidgeted with her hands, clearly wanting to say something.
"What is it? Does our Seia have something on her mind?"
"Selling lots of lunchboxes is good, but…."
He couldn't guess exactly what she wanted to say, but her hesitant little mannerisms were impossibly cute. So he waited on purpose, saying nothing. He could enjoy this rare sight a little longer until she found the courage to speak.
It wasn't something he saw often. In fact, this was the first time.
"Good, but—?"
"But then Daddy will be really busy…."
So that was it. She didn't like the idea of her father being too busy, even though selling lots of lunchboxes would be nice.
"If Daddy's busy, we can't play together much…."
It was an argument he couldn't refute. Even today, while preparing the lunchboxes, he had focused entirely on handling ingredients. Prepping fifty servings had taken considerable time. If business continued like this and the quantities kept increasing, he would need to invest far more hours.
That would mean less and less time for Seia to play with her father. Lazy afternoon naps together on the sofa would become difficult. So would sitting in front of the restaurant, basking in sunlight and enjoying the pleasant breeze.
"So that's what this is about? But your dad has a solution for everything, you know?"
"Really? We can sell lots of lunchboxes and still play together?"
"Of course. I'm your dad, after all."
To Seia, the words I'm your dad were the most reassuring answer in the world—an all-powerful phrase that turned impossible things possible and made difficult tasks easy.
"That's right! Because you're Daddy!"
The hunters didn't speak aloud, but their thoughts ran along similar lines.
"Then play with Seia today!"
"Hmm, how should we play?"
"Seia saw it on TV. Ddakji."
"Ddakji? The flipping game? You saw that?"
Where on earth had she seen it? It must have been during the rerun that played while he was prepping ingredients that morning.
"All right. But Seia."
Jungwoo's expression grew serious. Seia straightened up, eyes focused.
"Daddy is really, really good at ddakji."
"…Seia is good at it too!"
"Have you ever played before?"
"I'm Daddy's daughter, so of course I'll be good!"
Her confident reply carried a strange weight. Normally such bravado would be called baseless, yet somehow hers felt strangely justified.
"Then let's make the ddakji together first. Sound good?"
"Yes!"
They hadn't even started playing—hadn't even made the pieces yet—but Seia already wore the bright expression of someone about to have fun.
In her head, she was already running simulations of the game. The TV show had been a variety program rerun featuring nostalgic childhood games. Ddakji had caught her eye immediately. It didn't look difficult, and the satisfying smack! every time you flipped a piece made it perfect to enjoy with eyes, ears, and hands alike.
The other hunters had no idea what the father and daughter were thinking. The pair simply continued their usual conversation as the remaining lunchboxes sold out quickly.
He had prepared expecting it to take two hours, yet all twenty-five servings disappeared in under one. A sign beneath the display clearly stated the daily selling hours, so customers wouldn't be confused.
From now on, it might be better to set a fixed number of servings rather than a time slot.
This would also honor Seia's small wish. Selling by quantity instead of hours seemed wiser. He genuinely wanted to make more—he wanted as many people as possible to taste his food, money aside. But Seia came first.
Once he saw how sales went, preparing roughly a hundred servings per day felt about right. He would simply need to wake up a little earlier and handle the prep alone. Then, just like today, Seia would come sliding down with her doll clutched tightly in her arms, looking utterly adorable.
"Shall we head out now?"
"Ddakji time—"
Seia's mind was completely filled with thoughts of the game. For her sake, he needed to find the perfect materials. The lounge happened to be stocked with all kinds of supplies, so he could pick something up there.
The greatest ddakji of all time would soon be born from Jungwoo's hands.
"Let's go."
There was nothing to clean up at the stall. The returned containers could be taken back to Seona's Restaurant and handed over to customers after the evening rush.
Out of twenty-five servings, two had been for Jungwoo and Seia themselves, leaving nineteen containers recovered. The return rate was far better than expected. He couldn't be certain the rest wouldn't be brought back later that evening or tomorrow.
As they approached the lounge, the suited security guard stationed at the entrance blocked their path.
"Do you have an entrance ticket?"
"Ah, do we need one?"
"Without a ticket, entry is…."
The guard suddenly paused, as if listening to something. He raised a hand to his ear, nodded in understanding, and continued.
"Entry is permitted."
"Ah, then next time… wait, what?"
"You may enter. Please go ahead."
"Uh… thank you."
The exchange didn't feel entirely natural, but if they could go in, that was what mattered. After all, they were heading to the same destination.
To make proper use of the magic stone, suitable materials were necessary. And there was a shop that sold exactly those rare ingredients. Most such items were handled inside forges that processed magic stones, so they were rarely seen elsewhere.
"Uh… this doesn't seem like the kind of place you'd visit to buy paper for ddakji?"
"Whoa, Daddy! Look at all the sparkly things!"
Contrary to Jungwoo's concerns, Seia's eyes sparkled as she took in the lounge interior. Other hunters watched the father and daughter with curiosity, but most gazes carried goodwill. After all, the pair had entered through the main door after selling lunchboxes at the stall just moments ago.
Someone could have spoken to them, yet no one did—as though they had all silently agreed to leave the father and daughter to their small, precious time together.
Jungwoo soon spotted the materials shop. He took Seia's hand and headed toward it.