Chapter 48: Male School Heartthrob x Military Academy Student (11): Dad Became Big Brother, the Sky Is Falling!

【Pressed tightly against the shelf, Isidore tried to calm his pounding heart.

Close one, close one. Good thing I hid in time.

Papa was too sharp. He almost found me.

He probably didn't discover me... right?

Isidore cautiously poked his head out.

Only to find that both Papa and Dad had vanished.

"Huh?"

They had been here just a moment ago. Their scents were obviously nearby.

Where did they go?

Panicking, Isidore turned his head to search—

Only to suddenly feel himself lifted into the air.

Oh no!

Kidnapper!

Waving his arms and legs frantically, the little female hatchling bared his sharp teeth and turned around to bite.

"Isidore."

The familiar voice came from overhead.

Already biting down on the female Zerg's wrist, Isidore blankly looked up and met those stern golden eyes.

"P-Papa...?"

Isidore immediately released his bite.

Two rows of shallow white teeth marks were left on the wrist, but he hadn't even broken the skin.

"Blow, blow~"

Isidore puffed air over the marks and raised his head, showing Papa a silly hatchling smile.

"What a coincidence, Papa. You're here too, and Dad—"

Seeing the black-haired male Zerg behind him, Isidore's smile became even more sincere.

He was a little guilty, but just seeing Dad and Papa made him happy.

"Don't think you can fool your way out of this."

Iso's voice was stern.

"Who told you to run out? And what's with your hair?"

"It's a disguise."

Isidore held onto the pink wig on his head.

"You didn't want me to be recognized, right? Nobody will recognize me like this."

Iso stared at that face that looked too much like both him and Hill.

"..."

And that blush on his cheeks made him look like a little kitten that had rolled around in paint.

Yet even then, it couldn't hide how adorable and lively he was.

Iso couldn't really bring himself to be harsh with hatchlings, but his serious expression alone was frightening.

Immediately, Isidore looked toward Hill for help.

"Dad..."

Hill tore his eyes away from the pink-haired head and hesitated.

"Forget it. Since he's already here."

At least he knew to disguise himself.

Though...

The disguise practically screamed that he belonged to their family.

"Yes, Your Lordship is merciful."

Iso lowered his eyes and obediently complied.

Then, when the male Zerg wasn't looking, he held Isidore with one arm and gave him two swats on the bottom.

The male Zerg was soft-hearted and unwilling to punish him, but they couldn't let the hatchling become too willful.

A male Zerg's patience was limited.

Once exhausted, it was gone.

It should be cherished, not wasted on little things like this.

"Mmph!"

Isidore widened his eyes in shock.

Papa was abusing him behind Dad's back!

He was going to tell!

But before he could open his mouth, Papa covered it and shot him a warning look.

Hearing the noise, Hill turned around.

"What happened?"

Iso immediately released his hand and pretended nothing had happened.

The words of complaint rolled around on Isidore's tongue several times, but under Papa's gaze, he chickened out.

Sigh.

Dad and Papa's relationship wasn't good yet.

He had sacrificed so much for their harmonious coexistence!

"It's okay! Dad and Papa, what are you buying? Isidore can help choose—"

His gaze drifted to the shelves.

"?!!"

Hill suddenly remembered where they still were.

In a flash, he stepped forward to block Isidore's view.

He and Iso simultaneously reached out to cover the hatchling's eyes.

Iso was faster.

Hill's hand landed on the back of Iso's hand.

Their eyes met.

There was no time to think.

Hill silently mouthed:

—Move.

So the two adults hurried away from the adult products section while covering the hatchling's eyes together.

Despite neither being married nor experienced in raising children, they had somehow already mastered the tacit understanding shared by many fathers.

Isidore found it fascinating.

Dad and Papa were playing a game with him.

He remained perfectly well-behaved all the way until the hands covering his eyes were removed.

His eyes sparkled.

Wow!

The shelves were filled with hatchling snacks.

Like magic!

"Fun! I want to play again!"

Hill could still feel the warmth of the female Zerg lingering in his palm.

And those distinct knuckles...

Hands used to controlling mechas.

If they held a piece of pure white silk, they would definitely be beautiful subjects for a painting.

Seeing the hatchling's excitement, Hill put away his chaotic thoughts.

"Let's buy snacks first. We can play later."

"Okay!"

Standing in the hatchling seat of the cart, Isidore enthusiastically pointed out what he wanted.

Zerg hatchlings were hardy and didn't fear upset stomachs.

Adults were always indulgent toward hatchlings.

Iso fetched snacks for the hatchling while his other hand hung at his side.

The back of that hand still felt the warmth left by the male Zerg.

He could even vaguely smell a lingering fragrance.

Both adults were preoccupied and silent, focusing solely on selecting food.

Meanwhile, Hill thought:

Does this count as holding a female Zerg's hand?

From now on, he was no longer a male Zerg who had never even held hands with a female Zerg.

It felt like he'd unlocked some strange achievement.

When he returned with more snacks, he discovered the cart was already full.

They'd bought a little too much.

But Hill wasn't the type to put things back after selecting them.

Everything went into the cart.

After confirming with Iso that there was nothing else to buy, they headed for checkout.

Facing the mountain of snacks, Isidore felt incredibly happy.

Clutching Hill's clothes, he acted spoiled.

"Dad~"

Hill suddenly remembered something and turned back.

"You can't call me 'Dad' outside."

Their ages really didn't match.

Earlier, when they were carrying Isidore, several Zergs had already cast strange looks at them.

Isidore froze.

"Th-then what do I call you?"

Dad was Dad!

After some thought, Hill said:

"Call me Big Brother."

Isidore froze.

Dad became Big Brother?

Hill didn't think there was anything strange about "Big Brother."

He was only nineteen.

He couldn't identify with being called "Dad."

It felt awkward.

"Big Brother" felt much easier to accept.

There was even a young sub-female hatchling in his family, only a few years older than Isidore, who still wasn't an adult and always politely addressed him as "Big Brother."

Isidore opened his mouth and tried.

But he couldn't say it.

Ever since birth, he had called him Dad.

He had never imagined another title.

With a miserable expression, he turned toward Papa.

"Papa..."

Papa wasn't becoming Big Brother too, was he?

The sky was falling!

Iso rubbed the hatchling's head.

Unable to bear it, he looked at Hill.

"I'll tell people that Isidore is a hatchling I picked up and adopted in the Underground District."

Then he said to Isidore:

"You can still call me Papa."

The little kitten-faced hatchling looked devastated.

From biological hatchling to adopted hatchling.

The gap was enormous.

How was that any different from becoming Big Brother?

At least Big Brother sounded blood-related.

Even an entire cart full of snacks couldn't cheer him up.

Hill and Iso exchanged a glance.

Two university students had already begun experiencing the hardships of raising a hatchling.

Material care was only the most basic part.

Emotional care mattered too.

Walking over, Hill picked up Isidore and gently coaxed him.

"It's okay, little Isidore. Isn't having a Big Brother nice too? Big Brother will take care of you just like Dad does."

"So that means outside, you have a Big Brother. And at home, you still have a Dad."

That...

Actually sounded reasonable.

Isidore blinked.

Did that mean he made a profit?

Hatchlings were easy to fool.

Even with exactly the same things, changing "three in the morning and four in the evening" into "four in the morning and three in the evening" made them feel like they had hit the jackpot.

Seeing the hatchling calm down, Hill secretly sighed in relief.

Then Isidore blinked his curious eyes and asked:

"Then how does Big Brother call Papa outside?"

"..."

Hill froze.

Slowly turning his head, he found Iso wearing the exact same awkward expression.

Right.

The hatchling called him Big Brother, but called Iso Papa.

Then what relationship did that make between the two of them...

That was way too embarrassing.

Were they each supposed to calculate relationships separately?

Hill followed the hatchling's logic for a moment before realizing he'd been led astray.

"Of course we call each other by name!"

"Little hatchlings shouldn't think about weird things all day!"

Furiously, Hill kneaded Isidore's cheeks.

Afraid the hatchling would ask something even more shocking, he hurried off with Iso to pay.

In the end, Iso paid again.

Hill was worried that Iso would go bankrupt.

After all, he came from the Underground District, had no male or female parents, looked poor, and had just spent a fortune on a house.

Seeing the concern in his eyes, Iso explained:

"I put some self-made equipment and weapons up for sale on StarNet. Please don't worry. I still have enough money for daily life."

"Mmm, okay."

Hill nodded.

But inwardly he thought:

He's reached the point of selling his own creations.

He really is poor.

Hill couldn't even bear to sell his own paintings.

At most, he'd donate them to museums and occasionally go visit.

Paintings created with psychic power and displayed publicly could help many Zergs in need.

Seeing Iso reduced to selling his works made Hill want to send him money.

But he knew Iso wouldn't accept it.

How could he give him money in a perfectly reasonable way?

Give him a job...

Hire him as a model?

Hill imagined Iso sitting on a platform with his upper body bare, only a cloth wrapped around his lower half, displaying those beautiful muscles.

It would definitely be gorgeous.

Like an ancient divine sculpture.

"D—Big Brother's face is red and hot. Is it too warm?"

Isidore pressed his tiny hand against Dad's cheek to cool him down.

"Ah, yes. It's a little hot."

Hill answered guiltily, despite the mall being perfectly comfortable.

After storing their purchases in his spatial button, Iso stepped forward and took the hatchling from his arms.

"I'll carry him. Hatchlings have high body temperatures. He's like a little heater."

Hearing that, Isidore angrily buried his face into Papa's neck, trying to overheat him to death.

"Isidore, don't act spoiled."

"Who says I'm acting spoiled!"

Hill smiled as he watched them.

For the first time, he understood a little of the joy of raising hatchlings.

Someone secretly captured the scene.

The spoiled hatchling.

The helpless female Zerg.

The smiling male Zerg.

A picture worthy of a painting.

The embodiment of many Zergs' dreams of a perfect family.

"Ran Into Lord Hill at the Mall. Looks Like He's Dating a Military Academy Student from the Neighboring School. Didn't Dare Disturb Them. By the Way, Who Is That Adorable Pink-Haired Hatchling?"

The photographer had just finished editing the post and was about to upload it—

When someone stopped him.

...

The bodyguard sent the intercepted photo to the family head, cold sweat running down his back.

That pink-haired hatchling had the same hair color as the family head's Male Lord.

And he called Lord Hill "Big Brother"...

It was over.

He seemed to have discovered something truly terrifying.

Meanwhile—

The General fell into a rare silence after receiving the photo.

He stared at the hatchling for a long time.

The little hatchling's pale pink hair looked familiar.

He resembled Hill.

And, naturally, he also resembled his Male Lord.

The General found himself forced to consider a possibility.

—This was his Male Lord's illegitimate child.

As for why it couldn't be Hill's—

Obviously, the age didn't match.

Yet this theory left him deeply puzzled.

His Male Lord had always been pure and innocent.

He never attended questionable banquets, never touched outside female Zergs, and even every secondary consort had been personally chosen by the General.

The possibility of an illegitimate hatchling existing outside was extremely low.

So...

Where exactly had this hatchling come from?

...】