Chick 266
by Cristae266
Hmm, Groo poked her head out and observed the child.
It wasn’t easy to distinguish under the hood, but she was certain it wasn’t a familiar face.
‘Could it be… another new friend appearing?’
With her simmering rage, Groo’s “Lonely One’s Wrath” grew more intense.
At that moment, from the shadow trailing long behind Groo, black leaves swayed restlessly.
As if seized by anger, the crimson-tinged stem shot straight upward.
“Hmm?”
A pointed leaf wrapped itself tightly around Groo’s wrist.
“Eek?!”
Suddenly hoisted upward, Groo’s mouth formed a triangle in surprise.
“Hyek?!”
“Kyuuuu!”
Letting out a shrill cry, Lucifer clasped his fluffy front paws over his mouth.
His legs creaked.
‘Already?’
Mephisto’s shoulders tensed in alarm.
For some reason, the “Lonely One’s Wrath” was encroaching more fiercely, consuming his body.
Mephisto, struggling to move uncooperative legs, blinked away tears with the back of his hand as his vision blurred.
‘If I had been born human like Wooju, I could’ve managed this much…’
Suddenly, a perilous thought flashed across his mind.
He could use his power one more time.
If, just once, he could alter Wooju’s perception.
If he could make Wooju no longer like Groo.
Wouldn’t everything become easier?
His sunset eyes remained fixed on Wooju, diligently picking up trash.
Mephisto’s gaze trembled.
Groo probably wouldn’t notice.
Just this once…
“……”
The hand that had been reaching toward Wooju dropped limply.
Understanding how it feels to love Groo, it became even harder for him to meddle with Wooju’s feelings. If only he hadn’t known.
Tch. Mephisto scowled and turned away just as—
“Kyuuuuu!”
Bounding over, Lucifer grabbed his collar and pointed in a certain direction.
“Hm?”
Turning his head, Mephisto spotted Groo entangled in Fenbraum’s stem, and, tossing aside his tongs and trash bag, began to limp briskly toward her.
By now, Groo was tightly bound by the stem and struggled to break free, but a child’s strength was far from enough.
Meanwhile, Fenbraum sniffed around Groo’s bag.
This was it.
Fenbraum’s stem stretched toward Groo’s bag.
“Ah, no!”
Groo clutched the bag to her chest, but the stem burrowed between her arms.
‘I can’t let it take it…!’
Just as Groo gave her all to ward off the stem—
Suddenly, Fenbraum began to tremble like a quaking aspen.
“…?”
Beneath the spasming Fenbraum, as if fearing something, stood a child with his hood pulled low.
Soon, Fenbraum prostrated itself before the Monarch’s feet.
Fenbraum’s instincts—every single cell—submitted before the child.
The boy blinked his long eyes slowly and reached out his hand.
In that instant, the chill of a frigid, snowy field swept across the air.
[The Monarch revokes the Familiar’s authority.]
Thump!
Fenbraum obeyed the Monarch’s command.
His entirely blackened stems, leaves, and roots began to dissolve, becoming pure shadow and fading away.
At the same moment, fluffy yellow hair—so like a chick—fluttered. Mephisto spread his arms wide to catch Groo as she fell through the air.
Thud!
Groo landed right atop the fallen Mephisto, their faces meeting.
The boy’s hood had slipped off.
White feathers fluttered in the air.
Except for his crimson lips and sunset-tinted eyes, the boy seemed to be made entirely of white.
“Huh…?”
Groo, dazed, leaned in close, and Mephisto’s eyes wavered.
“Mephi?”
“…”
Mephisto flinched and parted his lips. For some reason, his throat was so tight he couldn’t manage a word.
Do you know how long I’ve waited for this day?
Since I was reborn into this world and gained self-awareness, I have been watching Groo.
From this longed-for human form, the child seemed even smaller.
A swelling, heartfelt emotion filled his chest.
With a gentle curve in his eyes, Mephisto took Groo’s hand.
Like the others, he wanted to wrap both hands around Groo’s.
Mephisto nuzzled his cheek against Groo’s palm, gently as a fledgling.
“Yes. It’s me, Mephi.”
Groo’s eyes widened at this.
“How’d you do that?”
As Groo asked, Wooju’s voice interjected.
“Groo! Are you alright?”
“Yeah. Mephi caught me.”
Mephisto, having risen, wrapped an arm around Groo.
The pale child pressed his forehead to Groo’s small shoulder, rubbing his soft hair as if seeking comfort.
Seeing this, Wooju, brimming with jealousy, grabbed Groo’s hand.
“I’ll help you up. Hold on tight.”
“Ah, okay.”
Groo took Wooju’s hand and sprang up.
She glanced at Mephisto, who rose to his feet without assistance, and Wooju turned his head away with a huff.
“…?”
Groo glanced between the two, sensing the subtle tension, twiddled her index fingers, and hesitantly spoke.
“So… what were you two doing without me?”
“Uh, that’s…!”
“He said he wanted to play the prince, so I told him to pick up the trash first. That’s what we were doing.”
Before Wooju could answer, Mephisto replied slyly.
Doesn’t he know how to feel embarrassed? Wooju seethed inwardly, trying to quell his irritation at Mephisto’s constant, unflappable confidence.
“Play the prince?”
“Yeah, that’s…”
Wooju nodded, ear tips red.
“It’s not weird—I just… wanted to take part in the play.”
You were thinking weird things.
Mephisto shot him a look, but Wooju silently mouthed, “What, what’s the problem?”
“Oh, you wanted to join the play. You could have told me…”
At that moment, shadows churned wildly behind Groo, who was pouting her lips.
“…?!”
Some part of Fenbraum remained—the roots had sprouted new stems, rising up from the ground.
The grotesque, ghastly sight made Mephisto’s brow furrow.
The corrupted part, now tainted, seemed able to disobey commands.
‘If I use my powers again this time…’
He might not be able to maintain his human form.
But he couldn’t let Groo be in danger.
Just as Mephisto resolved to use his power once more—
Poke!
A pink fork stabbed into the shadow.
“Kiiii!”
Poke! Poke! Poke!
The fork stabbed the remaining stems with practiced precision.
Presently, Groo, nonchalantly observing Fenbraum flow away like oil, turned her gaze to the two of them and blinked.
Wooju and Mephisto were both left speechless by the sheer prowess of Groo’s forking.
Groo tilted her head, as if she couldn’t understand their reaction, and asked,
“What’s wrong?”
“No! Are you… are you okay?”
“Groo, you’re amazing.”
As Wooju asked, Mephisto, loose sleeves fluttering, applauded enthusiastically.
Hmph.
Groo, proud, tilted her chin up, then suddenly remembered something.
“About that prince role… do you two really want to play it?”
“Yes. I want to.”
“I will.”
Wooju and Mephisto answered at once.
Huh? Groo furrowed her brow in confusion.
“But this play only has one line for the prince.”
“What?”
Groo dug through her bag and pulled out the script.
[Snow White Warrior]
Rustle, rustle—
Glancing at the script’s cover, both their faces turned to stone.
Scanning the content in haste, they saw that, far from the prince waking the princess with a kiss—
[Prince: I am awed by your swordsmanship, Snow White Warrior!]
There was only one line.
“Buy a poor old woman’s apple, merciful warrior.”
To rehearse “Snow White Warrior,” they took to the stage.
Dressed as an old woman, Goo Hyeon offered her an apple.
The dagger in the Snow White Warrior’s belt flashed with cold steel.
With firm, precise motion, Groo sliced the apple in two.
Slash! Slash!
“No! How did you know it was a poisoned apple?”
Sliding her sword back into its sheath, Groo spoke solemnly.
“I am Snow White. I am a child who never eats food from unfamiliar adults!”
The adaptation of “Snow White Warrior” was meant to teach children caution.
Since there was no scene of fainting from a poisoned apple, there was certainly no moment for the prince to awaken Snow White with a kiss.
Watching the rehearsal, Mephisto applauded with gusto, while Wooju collapsed back in his seat, drained.
‘…So this is what the play was?’
The play’s director, Kwak Nabi, smiled and asked,
“Well then, who wants to play the prince who will become Snow White Warrior’s apprentice?”
Smiling radiantly, Mephisto pointed at Wooju.
“…”