Chick 268
by Cristae268
Joorim was quite used to taking responsibility, but this time he felt truly wronged.
Why did he have to clean up Shea’s mess?
Why, of all things, was he forced to wear this ridiculous mascot costume?
And why did he, of all people, have to appear in a Groo-centered video like “Today’s Groo”?
He was tangled in countless questions and emotions, yet Joorim obediently followed behind Yoon Arin, the staff member Jin Siwon had assigned to him.
At their destination, a cute platinum-haired child, with a bird perched on her head, was holding a camcorder and whispering to the camera.
It looked like she was making an opening greeting before filming her vlog.
“Hi, Groo! Long time no see!”
“Hello! Arin unni.”
After a polite bow, the child spotted Joorim in the mascot suit and gaped in awe.
“This is Honghong, the Management Bureau mascot, who will be your guide today, Groo!”
“Wowww!”
Unaware that her own father was inside the costume, Groo cheered excitedly.
The built-in camera inside the mascot would no doubt catch her every reaction. After all, this was the “hidden camera” segment.
The String Orchestra PR team’s current project, “Today’s Groo,” had chosen a surprise camera, secretly filmed by the father, as this episode’s theme.
Joorim, his dislike written plain on his face, gave a half-hearted wave.
Groo and Mephisto both looked astonished at his lack of enthusiasm.
Yoon Arin, serving as today’s children’s program guide, was left with a look that was neither a smile nor a frown.
Why does this have to happen on my shift of all days…?
“Um, maybe Honghong is upset because your greeting was too quiet? Let’s try again! Say hello to Honghong!”
“Hello, Honghong!”
Annoyed, Joorim narrowed his eyes and shot Yoon Arin a glare, then sighed and spoke.
- Hello.
The deep, distorted voice came out.
Its only distinguishing feature was the unmistakable tone announcing how sick he was of all this.
But Groo and Mephisto quietly muttered,
“Honghong sounds like Dad…”
“Beep beep…”
Startled, Joorim’s shoulders jerked, and Yoon Arin quickly took charge.
“S-shall we start today’s program?”
“Okaaay.”
“Beep!”
Groo and Mephisto raised their hands and wings.
Yoon Arin smiled and began explaining the program, and Joorim let out a sigh of relief.
For the next month, the Awakened Management Bureau would be running a children’s safety education program.
The program was designed to foster safety awareness, strengthen response skills in children, and to show them what the Management Bureau actually did—serving double duty as PR.
Since Awakened generally avoided lower-paying public service jobs, the hope was to plant the dream of becoming a Bureau official in the minds of promising young sprouts.
Groo, as a child influencer, had come to experience the program firsthand and help promote it.
Filming “Today’s Groo” was a convenient bonus.
“First, let’s find out how the program works, okay?”
Yoon Arin produced a simple map of the Bureau and handed it to Groo.
“Today, you’ll team up with Honghong and go exploring throughout the Bureau. You’ll experience the classrooms and quiz rooms, and you’ll get stickers for every correct answer. If you collect all the stickers, what do you think happens?”
“Prize?!”
“That’s right!”
“Wowww!”
Groo, eager for a prize, snorted excitedly and eyed Honghong, while Joorim folded his arms with a sullen look.
“But, unni, I think Honghong doesn’t want to do this.”
“…No, Honghong is full of enthusiasm! Really!”
Groo looked at Honghong.
Honghong replied sluggishly.
- Wow… I’m. So. Excited…
“…”
“…”
Groo looked at Yoon Arin with eyes begging for mercy, certain that their team was doomed.
Yoon Arin pointedly ignored the look and continued.
“If you see someone wearing a necklace like mine, that means they’re Bureau staff. You can ask them to give you a quiz.”
[Children’s Special Education Supervisor]
Groo read the tag on the necklace and nodded.
Yoon Arin pointed out the various circles on the map, marking the different classrooms they’d be visiting. With that, she led Groo to the first room.
Groo pointed her camcorder at the sign at the door.
[Dungeon Simulation Classroom]
The first classroom was designed to look like the entrance to a real dungeon.
“In this room, Mr. Kim Jinhoo will lead us, so pay close attention.”
Yoon Arin passed the baton, and Kim Jinhoo waved.
“Hello, Groo!”
“Hello!”
At Groo’s trademark bow, Kim Jinhoo smiled and moved as if to hug the adorable child.
However, he stopped when he was suddenly struck by a wave of murderous intent.
“…?”
A deadly aura seemed to radiate from the ugly Honghong costume.
“…?!”
Kim Jinhoo swallowed hard and stepped back.
Only Jin Siwon and Yoon Arin knew that Joorim was inside Honghong. Kim Jinhoo, meanwhile, started the dungeon safety lesson with confusion written all over his face.
“Groo, do you know what this is?”
“A gate!”
“That’s right! You know your stuff!”
“I see it all the time!”
Proud, Groo declared her knowledge, and Honghong let out a big sigh.
“…?”
Groo and Kim Jinhoo both glanced at Honghong, gauging his mood.
Honghong waved a hand, indicating he should keep going.
“Well, since you already have a hunter’s license, maybe this isn’t new to you. This wavy area here is the dungeon entrance, the ‘gate’. Now, quiz time! What should you do when you find a gate?”
Quiz! Stickers! Prizes! Groo raised her hand, eyes sparkling.
“Take out a fork!”
“Wrong!”
“…!”
Groo, shocked, clapped her hands over her mouth, and Honghong rubbed his face in exasperation.
“Then… Call Dad?”
Kim Jinhoo was about to say “Wrong!” again, but Honghong stepped up beside him and spoke in his rough voice.
- Correct!
Kim Jinhoo gaped.
‘How is that correct?!’
The actual answer was to leave the area without touching anything and report it to the police or dungeon bureau.
He couldn’t possibly allow that as a correct response!
But Honghong ignored him, snatching the sticker sheet from Kim Jinhoo and sticking one in Groo’s notebook.
“Wowww!”
After patting Groo’s head in congratulations, Honghong gave Kim Jinhoo a quick nod to continue.
“…?”
Utterly lost, Kim Jinhoo pulled out a monster plush from outside the classroom.
“Next: after a dungeon gate turns red, if a lot of time passes, all the monsters come pouring out. What’s that called?”
Groo answered confidently.
“Dungeon flake!”
- Correct!
“…?”
Kim Jinhoo’s eyes darted.
Honghong just started sticking two stickers at a time in Groo’s notebook.
…Should I say something? Kim Jinhoo reconsidered after remembering that earlier killing aura.
“Hmm. Sometimes, even before a dungeon break, monsters can escape or even appear outside. Do you know what to do then?”
“Yes!”
“What should you do in that case?”
“Um! Take out a fork…?”
“…”
What was with this fork? By now, Kim Jinhoo was genuinely curious about what kind of weapon this fork was supposed to be.
For whatever reason, Groo seemed ready to brandish it at any provocation.
- Wrong, wrong, wrong!
While Kim Jinhoo was lost in thought, Honghong cut in, crossing both arms loudly.
- No forks allowed!
Tsk! Groo clicked her tongue.
“Then, then… Call Dad.”
- Correct!
“Sigh, this isn’t fun anymore.”
- Enough out of you.
Kim Jinhoo, now redundant, silently watched the two.
From the very first lesson, he’d ended up instilling some questionable education in the child.
Groo, now thoroughly bored, started answering every question with “Call Dad,” while Honghong treated every one as correct.
While Groo yawned, Kim Jinhoo, displaced from his own lesson by Honghong, fought back tears.
By the time the chaotic and noisy first session finally ended—
While they were preparing new ads, having just enjoyed a run-away hit with a drink commercial aired on the last “Today’s Groo,”
Groo’s phone vibrated with a message.
Hello, friend.
Want to go treasure hunting with me? 🙂