Chapter 167

"Hmph!"

Hayun and Hajun snorted crisply, watching the hired hands scramble off with their tails between their legs.

Then they whipped around, went up on tiptoe, and whispered in small voices.

"Direektuh, we did good, didn't we?"

At those four bright, sparkling eyes, I stifled a laugh inside the mask and nodded firmly.

"Yeah, you were perfect. But if you keep calling me Director we could get caught — so let's use another name, okay?"

At the secret proposition, the twins folded their short, stubby arms and fell into serious deliberation.

"Hmmm…"

"Then…"

Soon, as if struck by inspiration, the two of them whispered in unison.

"Mister Sheal!"

"Right, that's a great one."

Barely had the covert renaming wrapped up when full-scale aquarium exploration began.

You'd never have guessed these were the same kids who, only minutes ago, had been sitting hollow-eyed on the bench — their reactions had flipped a full one-eighty.

Each of them gripping one of the seal's plush cotton-ball paws, they pressed themselves flat against the tanks whenever a big fish or a stingray swept past, letting out delighted yelps.

We wandered every corner of the aquarium losing track of time, and at the penguin tank a small, adorable commotion broke out.

"Kids, look at those penguins walking. Aren't they so cute?"

When I pointed at the tank with my paw and asked, the kids — who'd been staring dumbstruck at the flock waddling up onto the rocks — abruptly started competing to imitate the walk.

"Dir— ah, I mean, Mister Sheal! Look at thish! I, I can do it too!"

Hayun tucked her short arms flat against her body and wiggled her chubby bottom side to side, and Hajun stuck his out too and started waddling.

"A-ha-ha-ha!"

I couldn't help it — I burst out laughing at the devastatingly cute little baby penguins showing off.

Then I clapped my plush seal paws together, delighted.

"Exactly the same! You look just like penguins!"

At my enthusiastic praise, the two little baby penguins puffed up even more, and their adorable little routine drew warm laughter from the passersby around us too.

Just as cheerful laughter was filling the space in front of the tank —

[Attention — a notice for our guests. In just a few moments, the enchanting mermaid underwater show will begin at the main tank.]

Along with a bright melody, the announcement rang out through the aquarium.

The two baby penguins — who'd been busily wiggling their bottoms up till a second ago — stopped dead.

"A — a mermaid printhess!"

"Mister Sheal! The mermaid printhess is coming! Let's hurry!"

Hayun and Hajun clamped their tiny hands around my cotton paws and, taking the lead, took off in a rush.

"W-wait, kids! Together!"

Two little kids scurrying on short legs so they wouldn't miss the mermaid, and one giant seal being tugged along behind them, waddling ridiculously — the whole comical procession tore through the underwater tunnel.

We arrived at the main tank.

At the mermaid gliding through the water, silver tail swishing, the kids' mouths dropped open.

Hayun in particular was so lost in it that her nose and lips got pressed flat against the glass, and she didn't even notice her face had squashed into a round little pancake shape.

"Mister Sheal, is she an Awakened? Doesh she have a power that letsh her hold her breath underwater forever?"

I nearly burst out laughing at the offbeat but oddly practical analysis, but I cleared my throat and decided to protect the kids' precious innocence.

"She's not an Awakened — she's a real mermaid princess from the deep sea. She came all the way up here to meet us."

"Whaaat! Ish that true?!"

Hajun clapped his tiny hands over his mouth in shock, and Hayun — who'd been eavesdropping from her squashed-pancake vantage next to him — went round-eyed too.

The kids stayed pasted to the glass, waving furiously, right up until the mermaid blew one last heart and drifted off into a cloud of bubbles — and even after that, their energy showed no sign of letting up.

At the glow-in-the-dark jellyfish they spun in delighted circles with big woahs; when a large stingray glided past they even called out a spirited hello, conquering every corner of the aquarium as they went.

Their rowdy, tireless little march finally landed — as it does for every kid — at the gift shop.

The two of them darted every which way through mountains of plushes, deep in a serious little debate among themselves, and finally, as if having reached a verdict, shouted:

"I want this seal plushie!"

"I, I want the orca—!"

Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, they hauled up plushes the size of their own bodies and thrust them out at me.

Four bright, expectant eyes shining up at me — I gladly took care of the bill.

"Yaaay—!! The seal's swimming!"

"Th-the orca too!"

The moment the checkout was done, thrilled, they started running circles around Kang Taemin — well, the giant orca costume — playing rowdy plush-airplane games.

Watching Kang Taemin dutifully play along, I hauled my sweat-soaked, heavy body over to a corner bench and dropped onto it.

It had been a forced march sweaty enough to raise a heat rash, but just the sight of the two little heads shrieking with laughter kept a soft, contented smile at my mouth.

That was when the hired hands, who'd been keeping their distance and watching from afar, came over.

"Miss, young sir. It's time to head back."

"Whaaat? Already…?"

The kids' shoulders — mid-blissful-play — sagged in a heartbeat.

They looked ready to burst into tears any second, and at their disappointment, I put on the aquarium-staff act one more time, cheerful.

"Little friends! Did you have a fun day at the aquarium?"

"…Yeah."

At the crawling little voice, I threw my cotton-ball arms around them in a big hug.

To anyone watching, it must have looked like an enthusiastic staff member's fond goodbye — but inside the plush mask, I whispered fast, right into their ears.

"We'll part for now, but I'll see you back at the guild tonight. I'll read you a fun storybook."

"…!"

At those magic words, the kids' clouded faces brightened in an instant.

"Yes! Thank you sho, sho much for today! Bye, Mister Sheal!"

As if they'd never been sulking a moment ago, the kids waved wildly, laughing.

From that day on, my roller-coaster double life officially kicked off.

I mapped out the kids' schedules and followed them like a shadow.

The lazy hired hands kept trotting the kids through the same places they'd already been, but honestly, that suited me.

Because it meant I could paint over the lonely memories — cleanly, thickly — with the warmest, happiest ones instead.

At the amusement park I wore a bear mascot suit and pressed jumbo cotton candy into their hands; at the park I put on clown makeup and had balloon-sword fights with them; at the kids' café I disguised myself as a masked magician and made it rain chocolate.

Of course, the hired hands kept eyeing the suspicious "part-timer" who kept turning up wherever they went — but every time they moved to intervene, the twins planted themselves in front.

"Go away! If you keep bugging ush, I'm gonna get you all fired!"

At the pint-sized bosses' bloodcurdling threats, the hired hands went ashen and backed off.

Better to bite their tongues and keep the paycheck than get sacked for stepping on the wrong toes.

Thanks to that, under the hired hands' thorough silence, I could enjoy secret playtime without a care.

Weeks slipped by like that, and before I knew it, the grace period had almost hit a full month.

This is enough. Nothing more to watch for.

Without any more delay, I contacted the couple.

"We've had plenty of time. Tomorrow, let's let the kids make their final choice."

At my notice, the man on the other end of the line was rattled well beyond what I'd expected, and stammered urgently,

"T-tomorrow? P-please, give us one more week! We haven't spent enough time with the kids yet!"

Palming them off on the hired hands and never showing his face — and now this?

I wanted nothing more than to end this dragged-out ordeal on the spot, but I let it slide for now, so they couldn't come back later and complain.

From that day on, unlike before — when they'd made excuses — the couple started showing up faithfully to every outing.

But it was all forced smiles and hollow small talk; even with the parents right there, the air between them stayed stiff and cold.

That awkward final week passed, and at last the day of reckoning dawned.

Kang Taemin, the kids and I headed to the café where we'd met the couple before.

Lee Jinwoo booked out the whole place again? There's no one here.

Inside the empty café, the couple had already arrived, sitting with faces drawn tight with nerves.

I ordered Kang Taemin's Americano, my latte, and fruit smoothies for the kids, then walked over to the table and asked, flat.

"So. Are you ready to hear it?"

The couple swallowed dry and, heads trembling, nodded.

"We…"

Just as they were about to open their mouths, bzzzz — the pager buzzed.

"I'll go get it!"

Hayun pattered off to the counter, and the man scrambled up after her with a strained smile.

"H-Hayun! It's heavy, Dad'll help—"

"It'sh okay! I can do it myshelf!"

Determined, Hayun took the tray — nearly the size of her own body — and started off with a bright smile.

Wobble!

The tray tipped as her center of gravity gave out, and her small body pitched forward.

"Ah!"

Without hesitation I shoved off the table and threw myself.

The instant I grabbed Hayun close and rolled, a violent crash rang out.

Crash—!!

Shattered glass and drinks sprayed everywhere, but the Hayun in my arms was, thankfully, not hurt in the slightest.

"D-Direektuh…"

As tears welled up in Hayun's wide, startled eyes, I quickly patted her back to soothe her.

"It's all right, it's all right. Anywhere hurt?"

Just as I was steadying my thumping heart and turning my head — I froze cold.

The man who, moments before, had been making a fuss about helping his child was now standing well back, gone paper-white, having retreated a good distance.

Worse, in the two eyes watching us, there was raw, undisguised fear.

The instant I caught that look, a hot fury shot up from the pit of my stomach.

The kid nearly fell onto broken glass…!

I was one heartbeat away from losing it and grabbing him by the collar —

"I'm okay!"

Two thin little arms clamped hold of my collar.

Hayun.

The child who'd just been tearing up wiped her eyes and pulled herself out of my arms, standing up bravely on her own.

Then she turned to the couple in the distance and shouted, fierce.

"Shince we're here, I'll shay it now! We don't need parents who're shcared of us! We're gonna keep living with the Direektuh!"

The declaration coming out of the child's mouth was clearer, firmer than anything she'd said before.

Hayun…!

I'd known she'd choose me in the end, but a small, just-in-case unease had been sitting in me all along, and only now did it lift.

Only after hearing that firm answer from the child's own mouth did I finally feel my chest ease, relief settling in.

Right. That settles it.

Just as I was about to let myself relax —

"Ahahaha!"

A skin-crawling laugh tore through the frozen silence.

The woman, who'd been standing there dumbstruck at the child's flat rejection, was suddenly shaking at the shoulders, her face twisted grotesquely as she burst into mad laughter.

"Ahahaha! Right, this whole thing was ridiculous from the start."

The woman — laughing like she'd lost her mind — abruptly stopped and, with bloodshot eyes, muttered coldly,

"Parents want to do what they want with their own damn kid — and you're asking the kid's opinion?"

Then, with a horrifying gleam in her eyes, she glared at Hayun and screamed until her voice cracked.

"I gave birth to you! I gave birth to you! You came out of my body in pain — you're mine, my property, and you dare pick anyone?!"

Completely off the rails now, she lunged like a beast and yanked Hayun's small wrist, cruelly.

"Come here, now!!"

"Ah!"

"Let go of her—!"

Snap. Clink-clink-clink—.

Under the woman's rough grip, the rabbit-shaped artifact bracelet at Hayun's wrist snapped clean off and clattered helplessly across the floor.

"!"

In that instant, Kang Taemin — waiting behind me — shot forward like an arrow.

He knocked the woman's arm away hard and, in the same motion, sent her flying back a good distance.

"Kya!"

The moment she staggered back, I quickly pulled Hayun into my arms — and that was when.

The man, who'd been watching the whole scene from a step back, suddenly muttered,

"Ha… Awakened brats, the whole rotten lot of them. Always screwing me over. Same story today, of course."

The man let out an empty laugh and pulled something out of his coat.

Is that… some kind of device?

Just as I was trying to make it out —

Click.

Wooooong—!!!

Along with the sound of something powering on, a pulse that crushed the whole room burst out from the man.

"Guh?"

For an instant, a sharp jolt ran through my belly — but the unpleasant sensation was momentary, and it vanished in a flash.

The others, though — the others were another story.

"Kkeugh!"

Kang Taemin and the kids were clutching their stomachs, faces gone chalk-white, collapsed on the floor.

"Number Three! Kids!"

What — what the hell is this…!

In the depths of panic, just as I was instinctively reaching for the Mana Pistol —

Bang—!!!

The tightly shut café door burst violently open, and men armored head to toe in pitch black came pouring in.