Chick 262
by Cristae262
Meanwhile, Groo was pressing her ear to the bathroom door alongside Lucipher, trying to find out what the three inside were up to.
“I can’t hear anything…”
“Kkyu…”
There was not even a hint of voices or movement—which meant Bailach must have erected a barrier.
“Per… Per, do you have any idea what’s going on?”
“Kkyut?”
The baby rabbit, also with its ear to the door, wrinkled its nose and shook its head.
“You don’t know either, Per…?”
“Kkyu.”
Nod, nod.
Groo’s lips quivered as she wore an expression of utter despair.
“Then… are Per and Groo being left out on purpose right now?”
“Kkyu, kkyut?!”
Thud!
The baby rabbit froze in place, both front paws raised like stone.
Before long, tears welled up in its dark eyes. Staring at the bathroom door, it sniffled as snot trickled in.
“Pe, Per…!”
Groo hugged the baby rabbit and sat on the living room sofa.
Lucipher, now dejected, laid its chin on Groo’s lap, and Groo gently patted the rabbit, comforting it.
But when Lucipher showed no signs of stopping its tears, Groo anxiously narrowed her eyes and glared at the bathroom door.
She didn’t know what the others were talking about—what could be so important that only Groo and Lucipher were left out…
‘I’m upset.’
Groo hugged the baby rabbit tight.
Her heart felt empty.
Even more so than when she was abandoned after her first beloved plush doll became tattered.
Watching the baby rabbit’s tears spill over, Groo’s own tears threatened to fall and she pushed out her lips in a pout.
“This is… the ultimate betrayal…”
“Kkyu! Hnk!”
With a loud sniffle, Lucipher agreed.
“We have to stick together, just us. Got it?”
“Kkyu—!”
Lucipher’s eyes became triangles as it stretched its little paw skyward in a tiny clenched fist.
“From now on, we’ll only play together.”
“Kkyu!”
The baby rabbit nodded firmly.
“We’ll go to kindergarten together, play house together, do everything together.”
“Kkyu kkyu!”
As if eager to prove it, Lucipher bounded off and brought Groo’s school bag.
The bag was far too large for its small body, and Lucipher struggled and grunted trying to wear it.
“Kkyu! Kkyuuu!”
Groo stared at Lucipher, squirming under the bag, and a walnut-sized lump rose in her throat as she held back tears.
‘…But Per is just a baby rabbit. It can’t go to kindergarten…’
Even so, Groo swallowed down the words she wanted to say, moved and proud that Lucipher wanted to stay by her side.
‘If only Per could be like Baily…’
“…!”
A brilliant idea flashed across Groo’s mind.
‘What if I use the [Mold and Shape] skill to turn Per into a human?’
She’d once crafted monsters into takoyaki right in the nursery. Hadn’t she made Bailach into a hamster, too?
And she’d even heard she could make Shea’s body.
‘If so, she might be able to turn Per into a person as well, right?’
A shiver ran through her, as if lightning had struck her head.
‘Then I wouldn’t need Wooju, or Baily, or Mephi, or anyone!’
She’d have a brand new best friend all her own.
For that, she needed mana.
And…
Lucipher would have to endure with its eyes open.
Normally it wouldn’t last long before flopping onto its back in exhaustion.
‘Just like Groo raised her stats with Filial Piety Points, maybe I could help Per level up too?’
Just then—
Ding!
[Due to the effect of (Unknown Title), a quest has appeared!]
[Quest: A New Use for Filial Piety Points?! Can you boost someone else’s stats with Filial Piety Points? Try infusing them directly into an item to create something new!]
[Reward: Suspicious Star Candy]
“Whoa!”
Just as she suspected—she could do it!
Groo checked her Filial Piety Points.
[Filial Piety Points: 100,000]
She’d churned through her Filial Piety Factory and still had this much left—she could try as much as she wanted!
Groo packed her children’s cooking toys into her bag and darted to her room.
She hung a “Do Not Disturb” sign on her door.
‘Go or don’t—I’m not even saying bye.’
Snorting in indignation, Groo slammed the door shut.
The next day.
Wooju was so nervous he didn’t even notice that Groo was keeping her distance from him.
Right after kindergarten activities ended.
With Mephisto perched on his shoulder, eyes sharp, Bailach approached the door. Wooju nodded and stepped outside the classroom.
As Groo watched them, sulky and withdrawn, she headed home with her sitter.
Meanwhile, consumed with their own schemes, Bailach and Wooju failed to notice anything strange about Groo and exchanged glances.
“That’s him?”
“Yeah, Park Geonwoo from the Squirrel class.”
Bailach licked his lips as he looked at the boy with the large glasses.
“Should I eat him?”
“What? Eat what? No, forget it. Don’t even say that.”
Pale as a sheet, Wooju plugged his ears and shook his head vigorously.
Bailach clicked his tongue in disappointment.
“…I-I’ll try negotiating with Park Geonwoo first.”
“What about the blood?”
At Bailach’s question, Mephisto’s eyes gleamed.
“Whether it works or not, I’ll bring it in a bottle tomorrow. Okay?”
“Fine, whatever.”
The only reason Mephisto had inserted himself between them was for that single drop of blood.
He intended to steal the blood meant for Bailach and drink it himself. That was the way to gather strength and become the prince.
Mephisto watched Wooju with anxious eyes.
Meanwhile, Wooju cleared his throat and called Park Geonwoo’s name.
“P-Park Geonwoo.”
Park Geonwoo, reading his English vocabulary book as he walked, pushed his glasses up.
“What is it, Seo Wooju?”
“Uh… well…”
As Wooju hesitated, Park Geonwoo checked the time on his phone.
“I’ve got math tutoring soon, so make it quick.”
“S-sorry. Um… can you give me the prince role?”
“The prince role?”
Park Geonwoo looked Wooju straight in the face. Wooju gulped.
Park Geonwoo pushed up his glasses again and said,
“Do you also need more activities for your school record?”
“No, it’s not that…!”
Seeing Wooju flounder, Park Geonwoo smirked knowingly.
“Ah, is this about On Groo?”
Wooju and Groo were well-known even among kids from other classes.
So, it wasn’t difficult to infer why Wooju wanted to play the prince.
Deep-red blush covered Wooju’s ears as he nodded vigorously.
Park Geonwoo fixed him with a steady gaze.
“I don’t really want to give up my part.”
At that, Wooju’s shoulders slumped in despair, while Mephisto clenched his fists as he watched.
‘Should I just make Groo give up being the princess, after all?’
As Wooju considered this, he glanced at Park Geonwoo fiddling with his phone and his eyes widened.
This was it.
When Wooju grinned slyly, Park Geonwoo looked at him in confusion.
Wooju murmured quietly,
“Iromi noona’s autograph.”
“…!”
Park Geonwoo’s shoulders gave a visible twitch.
On his phone’s lock screen, Iromi was smiling and making a heart.
“I-I-I don’t care about celebrities’ autographs or anything like that…”
But Wooju pressed in step by step, relentless.
“Iromi noona’s limited edition photocard.”
“My school record matters more to me!”
“Iromi noona’s unpublished selfies!”
“Ugh, fine!”
In the end, Park Geonwoo surrendered, and Wooju grinned in triumph.
“…If you let me take another school activity instead, I’ll back down.”
“Deal.”
“But, Seo Wooju, you have to get the teacher’s permission.”
“I’ll go now—!”
Just then, Park Geonwoo grabbed Wooju’s wrist.
“No. Tell her tomorrow. You’ll bring the photocard tomorrow, right?”
Nod. Wooju, serious as ever, nodded firmly, and Park Geonwoo shook his hand.
“Alright. It’s set for tomorrow.”
The instant Park Geonwoo gave his consent, color returned to Wooju’s cheeks, while Bailach clicked his tongue.
“Tch, that ended on a boring note.”
On his shoulder, Mephisto’s body shook with anticipation.
Everything would happen tomorrow!
If he wanted to become the prince, he’d have to transform into a human by then!