Chick 261
by Cristae261
Chapter: Snow White Groo
[Headline News]
[Breaking] Inoue Genzo of Japan reveals his granddaughter is not S-rank…
[Breaking] Inoue Genzo states, “Haruna was simply used by me.”
The major announcement that Inoue Haruna is not S-rank remained at the center of attention for several days.
Because of this, “Today’s Groo” ended up fading from the spotlight faster than anticipated, much to the dismay of Promotion Team Leader Hwang.
Unconcerned, Groo sat in the living room, opening a package from Japan.
[Inoue Genzo]
“A tea ceremony play set!”
As Groo laid out a tea bowl and teapot, each engraved with Inoue’s signature, the doorbell rang.
“Oh? Groo, Wooju is here.”
“Wooju?”
When the housekeeper, Youngran, answered the door, Wooju stepped inside and bowed politely.
“Hello, ma’am.”
“Well, Wooju, what a nice surprise. Have you dyed your hair again? And have you grown a bit taller?”
“A little. About two centimeters.”
Seeing Wooju flash a proud smile, Youngran found him adorable and patted his head affectionately.
At that moment, Groo peeked her face out to greet Wooju.
“Wooju! What’s up? Did you come to play with Groo?”
“Hi. I’m here for an appointment today.”
“An appointment?”
Hmm? Groo didn’t remember making any plans with Wooju.
Had it been something mentioned in passing? As Groo searched her memory for recent conversations, Wooju pointed behind him with his index finger.
“Yeah, I have an appointment. With him.”
“…With him?”
Groo turned around.
Standing there was Bailach (in human form), arms folded, with Mephisto perched on his head.
Lately, the two seemed to be getting along a bit better, often found glued together like this.
“There’s only Baily and Mephi here?”
“Yeah.”
“…?”
Bailach cast them both a languid glance, then addressed Wooju.
“Follow me.”
“What?!”
Groo was startled, but Wooju followed Bailach as if it were only natural.
Soon, they vanished into the bathroom.
Watching their retreating backs, Groo clapped both hands over her gaping mouth.
“Wooju and Baily made plans together?!”
A quiet bathroom.
Wooju, Bailach, and Mephisto sat circled around, having fetched a children’s stool.
As Wooju hesitated for a long moment, Bailach, fidgeting his fingers on his lap, issued a warning.
“If you don’t speak up soon, I’m leaving.”
“Beep beep.”
Even Mephisto chimed in, prompting Wooju to speak up quickly.
“I need your help.”
“What for?”
Wooju clenched his fists atop his knees.
“Well… you see, Groo… uh, with another boy…”
Stammering, Wooju lowered his voice, as if embarrassed.
“Ki—…”
“Ki what?”
“K-kiss… I think she’s going to kiss him.”
“Bee—?”
“…?”
As Wooju’s bombshell dropped, Mephisto froze, mouth agape in surprise, while Bailach furrowed his brow and asked again.
“You mean the master’s going to start dating a boy?”
There hadn’t been any signs of that.
While Bailach merely looked surprised, Mephisto clutched his forehead with a wing, reeling.
Wooju shook his head.
“No, I don’t mean it that way.”
“Beep?”
Mephisto, looking as if he might faint, composed himself and listened intently.
“There’s going to be a joint Snow White play at kindergarten. But…”
Wooju squeezed his tiny fists in frustration, eyes closed tight.
“The roles were assigned by spinning a wheel…!”
“Ah…”
“Beep…”
Bailach and Mephisto both sighed.
“So Groo got picked as Snow White, and the prince role went… to a boy in another class.”
“And?”
“Beep?”
Though they knew everything about zombies and TV animation, the story of Snow White was lost on the two, who tilted their heads in confusion.
“‘Snow White’ is the story where the princess falls after eating a poisoned apple and is awakened by the prince’s kiss. So Groo is going to have to—kiss the prince boy!”
Wooju, face flushed scarlet, nearly spat out the words.
“Beep…!”
Mephisto’s mouth dropped open in a diamond shape, body going stiff.
Wooju, distraught, buried his face in his hands.
Of those present in the bathroom parley, only Bailach failed to take it seriously.
Seeming genuinely perplexed, he pondered a moment before asking:
“But this kissing business—don’t humans do that kind of thing lightly? On TV, the men and women kiss just by making eye contact.”
“Wha—what are you talking about?! It’s not like that at all!”
“I’m not lying. It really goes like this…”
Bailach was about to demonstrate by hugging himself, but Wooju frantically waved his hands.
“That’s just adult stuff…! We kids aren’t supposed to see things like that!”
“Is that so?”
Hmm. Bailach stopped miming and stroked his chin.
“Ah, so you called me here to eat the teacher who assigned the roles by spinning a wheel?”
“Not at all!”
Wooju raised his voice in protest, then continued.
“It’s just… you two need to distract Groo. Leads have a lot of lines, so she’ll have to rehearse a lot. But if she’s too busy to practice, she’ll have no choice but to ask for her part to be changed.”
“Beep beep—”
Mephisto nodded in understanding.
But it seemed Bailach thought this wouldn’t be enough to really stop Groo.
“But what if she insists? The master’s going to want to be the princess no matter what.”
Wooju, keenly aware of the terrifying intensity of a five-year-old girl’s princess obsession, nodded readily.
“Yeah, so I’ve got another plan.”
“And what is it?”
“Beep?”
“It… it’s not really anything to do with you two.”
“If you tell us, we might be able to help.”
“Beep beep—”
“I…”
Wooju hesitated a moment, fidgeting with both hands and averting his gaze.
Patiently waiting, Bailach finally heard a voice, shy and uncertain.
“I’m going to swap parts with that boy…”
Hmm, Bailach let out a nasal hum, folding his arms.
“Ah, so you’re going to be the prince and kiss the master instead?”
“Beep?!”
Mephisto’s eyes flashed wickedly for a moment as he hovered up.
In a panic, Wooju’s face met with Mephisto’s kick.
A stifled groan escaped Wooju.
“Oof!”
Mephisto, after landing a blow, climbed on Wooju’s head and let loose a flurry of short, swift kicks with his tiny legs.
It was Bailach who intervened, seizing the back of Mephisto’s neck as he kicked, eyes glinting fiercely.
“I don’t care who becomes the prince.”
“What?!”
“Beeep?!”
Wooju and Mephisto looked at him in betrayal, but Bailach yawned as if bored.
What did it matter to him who the master kissed? To someone like Bailach, who’d learned about the world from adult films, it was nothing more than children’s play.
“So, if you want my help, you’ll have to offer some other reward.”
“What kind…?”
At Wooju’s cautious question, Bailach’s eyes sparkled.
With a shark-toothed grin, the child answered:
“Your blood.”
“…?!”
Wooju recoiled, face gone pale.
“If you give me a drop of your blood, I’ll help. What do you say?”
Lowering his head in thought, lips pressed together, Wooju looked up and met his gaze.
“…Just one drop?”
“That’s right. For something this trivial, that’s reward enough. And if you want, I’ll even help you become the prince.”
“Beep beep—!”
Mephisto wailed as if coughing blood, but Wooju’s eyes lit up in acceptance.
“Alright then! I’ll give you some!”
Bailach held out his hand, which Wooju grasped and shook.
The bathroom parley had reached its dramatic conclusion.
Negotiations with Mephisto had broken down, yet the alliance between Bailach and Wooju was forged over no more than a drop of blood.
Watching the two shake on it, Mephisto trembled and pressed his wings tight.
“Bailach, you traitor!”
If only he weren’t a small bird, he could have raised havoc here and put a stop to the bathroom parley.
Having run out of strength and shifted back from human to bird form, he at least understood what to do now.
He just needed power.
Yes, he would gather strength and return to human form.
He would become that prince himself and stop the kiss between Wooju and Groo.