Chick 257

257

“…Aba?”

“Yes. Did you sleep well?”

“Daddy?!”

Groo sat up, barely able to open her eyes, and called out to Joorim in a loud voice.

“That’s right, Daddy.”

Groo’s commotion woke all the familiars, who rubbed their eyes and yawned.

Joorim gathered Groo into his arms as she nestled into him.

“Daddy, Groo missed you very much.”

“Mm, Daddy missed you too.”

As he soothed Groo’s plaintive, affectionate voice, he suddenly turned his gaze to the familiars.

“Wait. By the way, about Mephi—”

“Mmm.”

“Wasn’t he made from the eggs in the refrigerator?”

Groo, stretching from a huge yawn, tilted her head.

“Mmm? Noo. He was made with the dungeon core.”

“Is that possible…? Well, for you…”

Thanks to her, he was surprised anew every single day.

Her crafting skills were not only exceptional but exceeded all expectations.

Retracing his memories, his thoughts paused on one moment—the part where Mephisto became human.

Joorim’s sharp gaze fell on Bailach and Mephisto.

“I suppose I can’t put Mephi back into a dungeon again?”

“No, can’t do.”

“BEEP BEEP!”

Mephisto lashed out with a kick in protest, and Joorim turned his head to dodge it, sighing as he did.

To think there were two dangerous ones stuck to him…

“Alright, fine.”

But there was nothing for it. In the end, Joorim always gave in to Groo and raised his hands in surrender.

Groo giggled and burrowed deeper into his embrace. Joorim whispered softly into her small, soft ear.

“I love you, my daughter.”

Groo rolled over with a bright laugh as if it tickled her. Her cheeks flushed with mirth and happiness.

“Groo loves you too.”

Joorim smiled as well. Somewhere, he thought he heard Shea’s laughter lingering in the air.

Chapter PPL

A few days had passed since the memory loss incident of the Orchestra Guildmaster was resolved.

A notice went up stating that Inoue Haruna’s special exhibition would be discontinued for unspecified reasons, causing resentment among the hunters.

Haruna, it seemed, had not left her hotel room, her face nowhere to be seen.

The Japanese side was on edge, worried that word might get out that the items in the exhibition were not truly Haruna’s work—

But from Joorim’s side, the special exhibition’s termination seemed sufficient, and there were no further moves.

The real reason for Joorim’s lack of action, however, was elsewhere.

Groo pressed her face close to the camcorder lens.

When her reflection appeared in the lens, she grinned and spoke softly.

“Hello, this is Groo.”

For the past few days, Groo had begun recording ‘Groo of the Day,’ an in-house content series for Orchestra.

Supposedly, she had gotten the Guildmaster’s approval, but no one could say how she had managed to get permission from Joorim, who had always been wary of Groo appearing in any guild-related media.

Both Joorim and the PR team manager had told her several times that she could stop if it was ever too much or too hard—

‘It seems fun!’

There was some kind of manual, too…

“Mm. Today, Groo will patrol Orchestra, keep everyone disciplined, and catch anyone breaking the rules.”

…Above all, there was a clear concept!

Today’s Groo was bursting with energy, wearing a police cap and a uniform covered in sponsor logos.

Today, she was the police for a day!

On a day when little Groo, usually the one being disciplined, could do the disciplining herself!

“Ah, and today’s Groo has a special assistant to help!”

Dugudugudugu—

Groo made a drumroll with her mouth.

“And it’s Daddy! Daddy is especially cute today. Everyone, look forward to it!”

Heeheehee.

Like a mischievous child, Groo spun the camcorder.

“…….”

Joorim, dressed in a police uniform crowded with the same sponsor logos as Groo’s, appeared on screen.

He stood there with obvious displeasure, eyes half-lidded.

Shea had said he no longer needed gloves, but, perhaps out of annoyance at having to explain every time, Joorim still wore one on his left hand.

“Daddy! Introduce yourself!”

“On Joorim.”

“……?”

As Joorim answered gruffly for no reason, Groo sidled right up to him.

Groo tilted her head and peered up at him, asking,

“Daddy, are you crying?”

“For the last time, I’m not, so stop asking.”

It was already the tenth time she had asked since he’d made a sour face.

Groo then pressed her face solemnly up to the camcorder.

“Everyone, the Orchestra Guildmaster does not cry even when he is sad.”

“…….”

Groo then pulled a square sticky note from her little bag—paper from which she’d be issuing many citations henceforth.

Instead of giving out a ticket this time, she wrote [Certificate of Commendation: Did Not Cry] and handed it to the Guildmaster.

Joorim crumpled it up and tossed it aside, and Groo scampered over like a puppy to pick it up.

“…….”

As Joorim silently suffered, hands covering his face, Groo attached the sticky note to his collar like a badge of honor and firmly tapped it in place so it wouldn’t come loose.

“Okay, Daddy, you’re the camera operator.”

Groo handed him the camcorder, and Joorim received it with a thoroughly unenthusiastic look.

“Then, let’s go!”

“Go where?”

“To the parking lot!”

Groo checked the time and danced impatiently on her feet.

“Hurry, hurry!”

Dragged along by Groo, Joorim stepped into the elevator, pressed B1, and glanced down at his daughter, who was rummaging in her bag.

“Why? What are you up to?”

“Speed…!”

“Speed?”

Groo snuck a peek at the sheet containing her day-police operation manual.

“Speed… violations… enforcement!”

Reading out loud in a clear voice, Groo giggled, then pulled a toy gun from her bag, prepared in advance.

“Speed gun! With this, I can catch anyone speeding. If you go over 10 kilometers, I’ll catch you.”

Ten kilometers? She really meant to catch anyone who commuted by car.

“…Is this entrapment? Speed limits only apply inside the building, so try something else.”

“Shiiik…”

Groo narrowed her eyes into triangles and stuck out her lower lip.

Joorim snorted and pinched her small pouting lips. She must have really been holding onto a grudge after being on the receiving end of discipline herself.

“Let me see. What else do you have?”

“Groo will read it out. Uh… catch suspicious people, help those in need, check important places for safety…”

Just as Joorim thought that, for a variety show, it was closer to a real job, the elevator doors opened.

“Groo?”

“Nayeon unni!”

“Oh my! Are you the junior police today?”

Nayeon and Groo clasped hands and squealed in delight.

Joorim, watching them and wondering how they managed to be so delighted to see each other every single day, met the glances that fell his way with unshaken composure.

“What are you all staring at?”

“…Ahem. Er… good morning, Guildmaster.”

Manager Kim from Raid Team One, who’d gotten in with Nayeon, stole glances at Joorim before belatedly greeting him.

Even after his greeting, he stood half-turned in a corner, stealing more glances.

“What is it? What?”

“It’s just, today you look so, uh, cool and cute…”

“Is that a compliment?”

“Oh, of course~ our Guildmaster, who even received a commendation for not crying…”

The team manager stifled his laughter, and Joorim scrunched up the sticky note again, fixing Kim with dull, narrow eyes.

It was a gesture as if to say, ‘I’ll crumple you up just like this if you’re not careful,’ so Team Manager Kim clamped his mouth shut.

“…….”

“…….”

An awkward silence enveloped them.

Groo broke it, pulling out a sticky note and addressing Nayeon.

“Groo is the junior police today, so I have to discipline you, unni.”

“Why? What did I do wrong?”

“Mmm, you’re too pretty.”

At Groo’s playful words, Nayeon burst into laughter.

The men, caught in the chilly air before, smiled involuntarily at the flowery, bright exchange between the two, but when their eyes met, they coughed and quickly turned away.

Nayeon stuck the sticky note Groo gave her onto her chest.

[Too Pretty]

Team Manager Kim, watching with a contented smile, rushed to ask as soon as Groo put her sticky notes back into her bag.

“Groo, what about me? Don’t I get a ticket?”

Groo stared at him, mouth slightly agape.

“Looks like you’re not getting one?”

Joorim curled his lips in a sneer, and Kim, flustered, coughed and turned away.

“It’s, uh, not like I was expecting anything anyway…”

At that moment, Groo tried to stick a note marked [Ugly] onto his back.

“…!”

Spotting it, Joorim grabbed Groo by the scruff of her neck, lifted her up, and got off at the mezzanine.

“But I didn’t get to stick the ticket…”

“That would be rude!”

Rude? Groo, shocked, repeated after him.

“Because Team Manager’s face…?”

“Saying someone’s ugly is rude!”

“Aha!”