Chick 260

by Cristae

260

“Haruna.”

Genzo reached out a hand to her, but Haruna took a step back.

He stared at his now-empty hand for a moment, then clasped his hands behind his back and spoke.

“Orchestra is a better place than I expected. Though the Guildmaster does dress in ridiculous outfits.”

“…!”

Groo muttered, “But it’s cute…” and Joorim furrowed his brow.

Haruna, on the other hand, looked confused, so Genzo adjusted the translator in his ear.

Then, through the device, Genzo’s characteristically chilly voice rang out—one Haruna had heard countless times before.

[“Even if Orchestra isn’t a bunch of upstarts, I still can’t let you go. You are Inoue.”]

Haruna clasped her hands tightly, then blurted out in a pale, trembling voice:

[“I’ve always been afraid of being judged. And I’ve always had to face evaluation in the Inoue family. I don’t want to do that anymore.”]

[“You—!”]

Startled, Haruna flinched.

At that moment, Groo toddled over and stuck another [Noisy] badge on Genzo.

With three [Noisy] stickers now decorating his chest, Genzo’s face flushed red and blue with frustration.

[“This little brat…!”]

Before Genzo could snap at Groo, Joorim swiftly lifted Groo into his arms.

Exhaling fiercely, Groo, now nestled in Joorim’s embrace, fixed Genzo with a sly, sharp gaze, as if emboldened by her protector.

“Grandpa, Unni is shivering, can’t you see?”

[“What?”]

Then Kazuki gently wrapped an arm around Haruna’s shoulder, shaking his head slightly in reassurance.

[“Sensei. Let Haruna say what she wants to say.”]

Genzo looked at his granddaughter, now shrinking before him again.

It was a familiar sight—Haruna always seemed to shrink into herself and turn pale in front of him.

But when had he started seeing only that fearful look on his granddaughter’s face?

With a sigh, he covered his face with his hand.

[“…You’re right. I wasn’t thinking straight. Sorry for losing my temper.”]

As his anger cooled, Groo shot Haruna a beaming smile.

Seemingly encouraged, Haruna finally opened her tightly sealed lips.

[“Grandpa, what I want to make is…”]

Trailing off, she hurriedly pulled a chawan from her inventory—a tea bowl with a wide mouth.

Its grade was only F. It merely kept tea at an optimal temperature.

Genzo accepted it wordlessly.

[“T-this, this is the sort of thing I want to make. Not something like a sword…”]

[“A tea bowl?”]

[“Yes. I was never able to tell you, but… making weapons always felt like wearing clothes that didn’t fit. I’m sorry…”]

Genzo’s eyes clouded as he turned the bowl in his hands, recalling the past.

[“…Before the upheaval, the Inoue family were master potters, not weapon-makers.”]

[“I know. When I was a child, you used to make play tea sets for me.”]

Genzo smiled wistfully at the memory.

[“Yes, there were such days…”]

But after the upheaval, with monsters pouring forth, weapons were needed, and the Inoue family focused on forging them in earnest.

The swords crafted by the Inoue brought far greater wealth and fame than the bowls ever had.

The system’s ranking allowed people to gauge quality at a glance—but it also encouraged obsession with the system’s assessment.

The higher the grade, the more recognition and praise they received.

Over time, Inoue Genzo found himself preoccupied with what was “worthy of praise.”

[“Honestly, I never meant to keep up the S-rank act from the start… I’m sorry.”]

[“…You have nothing to apologize for. All of that was just my pride.”]

Haruna shook her head.

She’d agreed to pretend to be an S-rank because she so badly wanted her grandfather’s approval.

[“Grandpa, I don’t have talent. My crafter rank is only C… I can’t become the person you want, like Master Amakusa.”]

Her head sank lower and lower.

[“Even so… Even if I have no talent, even if there’s nothing about me worthy of praise, I wish you would accept me as I am.”]

Even if Haruna had no particular talent worthy of acclaim, she simply wanted to love her craft.

And she wanted her grandfather to accept her as she was.

Genzo’s face twisted as he looked down at his bowed granddaughter.

He spoke with pain in his voice.

[“…Even so, I can’t let you go to Korea.”]

Haruna lifted her face in despair.

Seeing this, Genzo hurried to add,

[“You’re my blood. I was never disappointed in your lack of talent. I only wanted to share with you the praise and recognition I’ve received. Perhaps my actions have let you down… But when family has gaps, we simply fill them in for one another. That’s what it means to be a family.”]

[“…”]

Haruna blinked wide eyes.

Genzo adjusted the translator in his ear once more.

“Sorry for making such a fuss over family matters. I’ll offer a proper apology another time.”

Joorim nodded.

“And as for the S-rank matter, we’ll be making an official announcement soon. Please wait a little longer.”

“As you wish.”

Groo watched Genzo’s face as he offered his thanks.

“Thanks to you, I could calm myself a bit, you ill-mannered little scamp.”

Groo pouted.

Affectionate despite his words, Genzo tapped her cheek, then beckoned to Haruna.

“Let’s go to the hotel, Haruna. We have a lot to talk about.”

Haruna understood and bowed deeply to Groo and the others before leaving.

Kazuki watched Haruna and Genzo go, murmuring in concern,

“Will they be alright?”

“They’ll be fine. They’re family,” Joorim answered.

Because they’re family… Groo listened to Joorim and laid her chin on his shoulder.

Seeing how Grandpa Genzo flared up in anger, only to grow desperately unsettled at his granddaughter’s anxious demeanor—

Was that the magic of family?

She wondered how different, and in what ways, a family bound by blood was from her own special family.

When would she come to understand?

Groo wrapped her arms tightly around Joorim’s neck, and he patted her back.

“Did you play enough for today?”

Groo shook her head sadly, then whispered in his ear,

“Daddy, I still have five more PPLs left.”

“…Still?”

“Mmhmm.”

Groo hugged his neck tighter, making sure he couldn’t escape.