Chick 186
by CristaeHunter of the Chick Class Is Filial! Episode 186
“Good.”
As if pleased with the answer, Reiji’s eyes softened gently.
[“The contract is sealed. Then, I look forward to seeing you next time.”]
Only understanding the word “good,” Gruu raised his hand high and waved it from side to side.
“Okay! See you later, mister. Bye bye.”
“Bye bye…….”
Reiji, who had been waving his hand in reply, suddenly fixed his gaze on a spot.
“Why?”
“Is that child your friend too?”
At his question, Gruu tilted his head quizzically and looked in the direction Reiji indicated.
The child approaching from the potato field, looking utterly flustered, was unmistakably…
“Wooju?!”
Startled, Wooju took a step backward, mumbling.
“Wh-why are you here…….”
“Whaat?”
Gruu puffed out his cheeks angrily.
Gruu was the one who should be asking why Wooju was here.
He said he was going to play with a friend! And a new friend Gruu didn’t even know!
Just then, Wooju’s face turned pale and he began to run away.
“Woojuuu!”
Gruu chased after him, and Mephisto shot off like an arrow to follow Gruu.
And when Bailach turned around, Amakusa Reiji had long since vanished.
‘Why is Gruu here? Isn’t today supposed to be the sports festival? Who was that man?’
Caught so off guard by running into Gruu, Wooju’s mind spun, and he ended up fleeing!
Once the sound of pursuit faded, Wooju stopped abruptly and looked back.
‘What if Gruu’s been caught by that strange man……!’
I have to protect Gruu.
But behind him, Gruu only stood there, his head hung low in silence.
“Gruu…….”
“……Why are you avoiding me?”
“That is……”
“Is it because you’ve made a friend you’re closer to than Gruu?”
“No, no! That’s not it!”
“I heard everything you said on the phone with that man. Do you not want to be partners with Gruu?”
“No, it’s not that! Haah…”
Wooju’s face plainly revealed his distress. If he had known Gruu was listening in, he never would have said such things.
His head and heart tangled together in an impossible knot, an agonizing feeling that he just couldn’t unravel.
He realized how unlike himself he was acting.
He had simply, truly just run away. As if, by doing so, he could escape it all.
But all that was left after running away were his father and Gruu’s disappointed faces.
You gain nothing by running.
In the end, Wooju squeezed his eyes shut and spoke.
“……That’s why I did it……”
“Hm?”
“I was embarrassed……”
“What’s embarrassing?”
Wooju slowly opened his eyes and said,
“I awakened.”
“Really?!”
Gruu brightened, but Wooju, by contrast, bit his lower lip with a gloomy expression.
In a voice so small it might vanish, he muttered,
“……I’m F-rank. So… I was embarrassed.”
“Why? What’s wrong with that? Teacher said almost no one awakens before entering school, that it’s impressive.”
“Still, compared to you and my brothers… I’m not strong. I don’t want to show that.”
The sports festival was an event where Awakened could shine.
In fact, talk about the brothers’ potential had the whole school abuzz. The excitement around potential S-rankers was palpable.
The ones who shared lunch and laughter with him were, truthfully, amazing people.
S-rankers.
And yet he was just an F-rank.
Only a single, silly-looking F-rank skill.
Sprout Sprout Sprout! (F): Can help crops grow vigorously!
Today, he had come secretly to help Gruu’s potato plants grow.
He just couldn’t shake the dismay on Gruu’s face when he declined to join the sports festival.
Even as an F-rank, surely, at least this much he could do……
If he had known Gruu would be eating lunch in the garden, he never would have come.
Yet because of his foolish choice, all he accomplished was showing off his F-rank status.
‘It would’ve been better not to awaken at all.’
Lately, Wooju had found himself wanting to be good at everything.
He kept up with his studies and passed the preschool entrance exam. His acting had been praised as improving day by day, and he worked hard growing potatoes with Gruu.
Everything.
“I just wanted to look cool in front of you……”
Wooju let slip what he had kept buried in his heart.
Every time he pretended to know things in front of Gruu, it was all because he wanted Gruu to think he was cool.
Just as he thought Gruu was cool.
He sought out Gruu’s pictures online, searched for Gruu’s articles every day, bought Gruu’s merchandise and piled it up in his room……
‘Gruu never does anything like that, though……’
Wait a second?
Suddenly faced with a certain truth, Wooju’s lips trembled.
If you really like someone, isn’t that how you’re supposed to act?
Even fans would go that far……
His heart thudded in his chest like a beating drum.
The truth was, Gruu had never once acted as though he liked Wooju in that way.
All of it was just the manager brother egging Gruu on at Wooju’s side.
Then what does that mean.
‘Does Gruu not like me?’
Really?
Trying to look cool, collecting merchandise, saving videos and photos to watch every day……
All of this, only he did.
It was as though he was the only one foolishly longing for Gruu’s affection.
A chill ran down his spine and his vision spun.
Wooju couldn’t bear to look at Gruu and bowed his head.
‘Is it true?!’
Could it be that I was alone in liking Gruu, smugly believing Gruu liked me back?!
How mortifying.
Wooju clapped both hands over his mouth.
The sudden realization was so shaming his stomach churned.
“…….”
“…….”
A moment of silence stretched.
Abruptly, Gruu exclaimed,
“Wooju, you’re pretty!”
Startled!
Fluttering his eyes in a daze, Wooju’s face flushed deep red like a ripe tomato.
“Wh-what?!”
Unfazed by Wooju’s flustered reaction, Gruu began counting on his fingers.
“And you’re good with hard words, you can act, you’re popular, you know a lot.”
“……Th-that’s just……”
On the verge of tears from embarrassment, Wooju mouthed soundlessly.
Compared to what Gruu had, those were trivial things.
But Gruu beamed and said,
“Wooju, you’re already cool enough! You’re amazing!”
“…….”
All he had ever wanted was to hear those words from Gruu.
But actually hearing them, he realized that’s not what he truly longed for.
He wanted something deeper, to reach further into Gruu’s heart. Almost as if he could not endure not having such feelings from Gruu.
“Feeling better now?”
Wooju rubbed his blushing cheeks with the back of his hand.
“……For now, as long as you think so, that’s enough.”
“Okay?”
“Mm—”
Turning away had truly not been like him.
Wooju was actually rather competitive.
He had made it this far by passing countless auditions. He knew from experience that a temporary setback did not dictate the final outcome.
“—For now.”
Wooju nodded resolutely, and right then, Bailach, who had been standing beside them, shrank down small.
Gruu sighed heavily at the sight of the tiny hamster and tucked Bailach into his bag.
Each time Wooju saw it, he couldn’t help but let out a small, astonished sound.
Since revealing to Wooju that he was S-rank, Gruu had even told him about Bailach.
Gruu, who could turn an SSS-rank monster into a hamster without a second thought.
‘Gruu really is amazing.’
Wooju pressed his lips tight.
“Then Wooju, do you want to go run with Gruu?”
“Sure, let’s go.”
Wooju took Gruu’s hand and led the way.
Gruu trotted behind, chattering brightly.
“We have to try really really hard. Gruu wants to win a prize.”
“Yeah.”
Wooju looked back at Gruu and smiled beautifully.
“I’ll make sure to win for you.”
No matter how you feel right now—
Even if I’m trailing behind for now, I can win it all in the end.
I’ll make you think I’m so cool, that your heart will skip a beat without you even realizing it.
This time, for certain, I’ll become your true favorite.