Chick 243
by Cristae243
Attack Japan?
Kazuki’s eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation.
“Wow… Orchestra really does have ambition… To, to attack Japan….”
“Don’t listen seriously to their nonsense,” Joorim said, shaking his head. “Groo, you too. Don’t get swept up by your brothers’ wild ideas.”
Swept up? Groo puffed out her cheeks in protest.
“No, Groo just…!”
As Groo swung her legs in frustration, Gidan set her down on the floor.
As she toddled over, Joorim picked her up and set her on his lap.
“It’d be nice if the pop-up store went well.”
“Yeah.”
“People who don’t like me want to ruin things.”
Groo fiddled with Joorim’s left glove, the memory of being unable to move in that snowy field inside the dungeon surfacing.
Bailach had said her power was nothing for him, that she couldn’t even keep the snowscape going for long.
That just meant she had to earn more money and rack up more good-daughter points.
Only then would she be able to save her father.
But, unaware of Groo’s hidden thoughts, Joorim simply smiled.
“There’s nothing to worry about.”
His expression was full of confidence, as if there truly was nothing to fear.
“Chairman Nam will handle everything.”
“Hmm?”
If it was Chairman Nam, she was surely cooking up something interesting.
“You must not realize it, but Gangnam is the center of Korea. If you want this exhibition to be a success, you simply must hold it in Gangnam.”
The interpreter conveyed Jeon Byungho’s words to the others, looking troubled.
Sitting in the living room of his hotel suite, Yamaoka Shun of the Ministry of Public Security gave a sigh and shrugged his shoulders.
It was a gesture of impatience.
He was emphasizing that they needed to broaden the search to all of Seoul in order to secure a venue quickly.
‘He’s supposed to be the supervisor but acts like the host…’
Jeon Byungho turned his attention to the actual guest of honor.
A girl with a somber expression sat by the window.
Inoue Haruna.
A nineteen-year-old girl, Japan’s new S-rank crafter.
Reportedly, in just three months after her awakening, she had crafted ten A-rank swords and eight S-rank swords—a rising star.
She was the future face of Japan.
Why she insisted on coming to Korea at such a time, no one knew, but she had remained inflexible. The Japanese government had assigned Yamaoka Shun to her as an escort for that reason.
“It’s Haruna’s special exhibition. Shouldn’t we listen to what she wants?”
At the interpreter’s words, Inoue Haruna rolled her eyes.
She glanced at Yamaoka Shun, then replied softly,
[“I’m not sure myself. I’m sure Director Jeon knows Korea best.”]
Immediately, Yamaoka Shun’s voice grew sharp.
[“Inoue-san. You understand how important the timing is, don’t you?”]
Haruna’s shoulders jerked up in alarm.
[“That’s….”]
[“Do you want to see your grandfather disappointed?”]
[“N-no… That’s not it….”]
Head hanging, Haruna shook her head.
Jeon Byungho clicked his tongue as he watched.
She might be an S-rank now, but she was still only nineteen. Still, it was excessive to browbeat her so.
‘What a way to treat her.’
But it wasn’t his concern.
Jeon Byungho swept a smooth smile across his lips—a reliable businessman’s expression.
“Yamaoka-san. I guarantee the deadline will be met. Trust me. You know as well as I do—too many people meddling from above only causes delays.”
This seemed to settle Yamaoka Shun, who only frowned in response.
There was little he could say in a country he didn’t know.
Jeon Byungho smiled in satisfaction.
‘Their obsession with the timing must mean they badly want to check this Korean “Jappso” crafter or whatever…’
Having spent his entire business career abroad, Jeon Byungho couldn’t care less who “Jappso” was. He didn’t even have a shred of patriotism left.
There was only one reason he’d invested in the Inoue Haruna special exhibition.
It was all because of his ex-wife, Nam Jiwon.
This Jappso pop-up store was set to open the era of mass-market magic engineering.
And if anything got in the way? Nam Jiwon would be furious.
Jeon Byungho smiled, picturing her face.
He wouldn’t care if he lost everything he’d invested, if only he could see her expression twist in frustration.
At that moment, his secretary approached and whispered, showing him a phone.
“They say a venue can be secured soon.”
“I knew it.”
Jeon Byungho grinned smugly. No matter how powerful Chairman Nam was, she couldn’t block every property in Gangnam.
Meanwhile, as the conversation wound down, Inoue Haruna scrolled through the photos on her phone.
Being with Yamaoka Shun of the Ministry of Public Security was frightening, but frankly, being in Japan wouldn’t have been any different. In fact, being among strangers here was a relief.
And… she had a special reason for coming to Korea.
‘As long as I have this, I’ll be fine.’
Haruna tightly gripped her phone.
On the screen was a picture of an ugly teddy bear holding a magical transformation wand.
A few days later, inside a hotel elevator.
Jeon Byungho, hair slicked back and dressed impeccably in a suit, adjusted his clothes in the reflection.
As he entered the hotel lobby, a black sedan pulled up outside, visible through the revolving door.
Jeon Byungho squinted as he watched the passengers emerge.
When her secretary opened the door, Chairman Nam stepped out, carrying a little girl in her arms.
Why here?
Jeon Byungho’s brow furrowed deeply.
Was she here to wreck his contract?
He carefully masked his nerves as he greeted Chairman Nam as she entered.
“Jiwon.”
“Director Jeon.”
Jeon Byungho forced a smile as he greeted her.
“What brings you here? You’re not here to pull some underhanded trick, are you?”
“Underhanded?”
Chairman Nam let out a brief laugh.
“Don’t you know why I’m here? I came to help with your contract.”
“What are you talking—”
“How do you do. I am On Groo, from Justice Daycare’s Chickadee Class.”
“Uh, sure.”
Jeon Byungho gave her a perfunctory greeting, his face showing clear distaste.
Noticing his reluctance, Groo blinked, looking a little awkward.
“Still don’t like kids, huh?”
Well, he never cared about his own children, so what did you expect?
Murmuring quietly, Chairman Nam patted Groo on the head.
“Our Groo knows how to greet people so brightly. Good girl.”
Groo wrapped herself around Chairman Nam’s leg and grinned.
Chairman Nam enveloped her in a gentle embrace, then turned sharply to Jeon Byungho.
“Director Jeon. You’re here for the special exhibition venue contract, right?”
“I told you, Jiwon. I’m a man of my word.”
At his deep, earnest words, Chairman Nam’s brow twitched.
Her ex-husband was a man who still hadn’t grown into his age.
She’d wanted to poke those bulging eyes out since their marriage, and divorce had only let that urge fester in one dark corner of her heart.
“Then follow me. I know exactly where your contract will happen.”
“What?”
Jeon Byungho protested, but ended up following in her wake.
He thought maybe they’d be heading to the hotel’s restaurant—but the destination was actually the hotel’s kids’ center.
“Here’s fine. Right, Groo?”
“Okay!”
Groo answered brightly, smiling.
It was Jeon Byungho who was dumbfounded. Why did she say it to the child, and why did the child respond as if it were perfectly natural?
Then, as if to answer his question, Groo pulled her backpack around and took out a stack of papers.
“I came on behalf of Grandpa to stamp the contract.”
“…What?”
“You really didn’t know? Every building with decent event facilities in the area is owned by the Doan Group.”
“Doan… that’s—”
That man’s company. On Suhyeong. Chairman Nam’s classmate from university.
Jeon Byungho finally understood how absurd the situation really was.
On Suhyeong had sent his granddaughter, daring Jeon Byungho to try and complete the contract.
So this was how they planned to torpedo the contract and stop the exhibition.
“Then I’ll have coffee over there, so Director Jeon, have fun with Groo~”
Meanwhile, Groo had sat herself at the children’s table and was carefully folding the contract.
Jeon Byungho panicked, rushing over.
“You can’t just fold that! Little one, please…?”
“I wanna make origami with it.”
“Not with that contract!”
At that moment, Secretary Kim came over and tapped Jeon Byungho on the shoulder.
“Please mind your words with young lady Groo. Chairman said if you ever mistreat the Orchestra princess, you’ll answer for it.”
“…Orch—es—tra…”
Jeon Byungho’s jaw worked soundlessly.
That’s right. Even he knew the Doan Group chairman’s son was the Orchestra guildmaster.
At that moment, Groo hugged the crumpled papers to her chest and looked up at him.
“Mister, will you play with me too?”
“Uh, of course…!”
“I want to play hero.”
Jeon Byungho forced a bright smile, struggling to hide his confusion.
Trying to humiliate me with this? But as if I’ll just take it lying down.
Whether she was a granddaughter or a daughter or whatever, she was still just a kindergartener.
How hard could it be to win over a child? If he got the contract into his own hands, that would be his victory.
“Sure… hero game. I’ll be the hero’s dad.”
Groo put her finger to her lips.
“You’re not the dad, Mister. You’re the horse.”
“Huh?”
“The horse.”
“What?”
He must have misheard.
Jeon Byungho’s lips twitched.
But the child just giggled with innocent delight.
“You’re the horse, Mister.”
For an instant, it seemed as if devil’s wings and a tail sprouted behind the child.
Before this little demon, Jeon Byungho’s expression twisted in confusion and humiliation.