Chick 298
by Cristae298
Meanwhile, Joorim, seeing that Gru was safe, brushed his face lightly, looking noticeably relieved.
When Cheon Gyuri nodded and said, “Gru is completely unharmed,” Joorim offered a short bow.
At that moment, Gru craned her neck like a meerkat and waved at Joorim.
Joorim tried to walk over to her, but frowned as reporters swarmed between them.
He wanted nothing more than to push them all aside and take Gru up in his arms, but antagonizing the pen-wielders would be unwise.
He had no idea how articles about both himself and Gru might turn out.
Perhaps he should wait until the reporters settle down.
While Joorim suppressed a sigh, Kwon Riyeong, holding Gru, was answering the reporters’ questions with a troubled expression.
“Since I was guiding the children today, I only thought about putting their safety first…”
Click! Click! Click!
“I don’t think it was an especially brave decision; I just did what had to be done.”
Click! Click! Click!
Scattered applause erupted, and the Chick class teacher dabbed at tears.
And in Kwon Riyeong’s arms, Gru…
‘My hair…!’
Gru whimpered as Kwon Riyeong’s brooch caught in her hair.
She needed to rush over to Joorim and boast that she’d defeated all the monsters and become a hero!
She bounced impatiently, struggling to free her hair.
“Riyeong!”
Pushing through the crowd of reporters, Kwon Honggyun hurried over to Kwon Riyeong.
“Are you hurt? Anywhere?”
“Father…”
He took Kwon Riyeong’s scratched face in his hands.
“What were you thinking? Why would you stay in such a dangerous place…!”
“There were children there. As an adult, I couldn’t just pretend not to see.”
Click! Click! Click!
The reporters’ mics crowded in, eager to capture every word between the two.
Without realizing it, Kwon Riyeong had become both the hero and central figure of the incident.
Flooded with emotion, Kwon Honggyun pulled her into a tight embrace.
Where did fortune like this come from? She’d handled everything so perfectly.
With Kwon Riyeong pressed to his chest, she whispered in his ear.
“Amnesty.”
“As much as you want.”
Yes, he could give her anything she asked. She’d done so well!
Meanwhile—
‘So frustrating!’
Stuck between Kwon Honggyun and Kwon Riyeong, Gru shot a pleading look at Joorim, who came closer to pick her up.
Just as Kwon Riyeong passed Gru over to Joorim—
Pop—
Kwon Riyeong’s brooch fell from Gru’s tangled hair.
Kwon Riyeong’s black locks rapidly turned red, her once gentle gaze sharpening, her nose growing more prominent, and a dusting of freckles blooming across her white skin.
Her physique, hair, and face changed dramatically.
There was a sudden, stunned silence. Everyone wore blank, astonished faces.
But Kwon Riyeong herself, unaware, continued playing her role.
“Father, I’m sorry. You must have been so worried.”
Holding Kwon Riyeong’s hand, Kwon Honggyun’s face flushed red, then pale.
Click!
Click! Click! Click!
Even louder shutter sounds filled the air.
‘What’s going on?’
Kwon Riyeong started to sense something was wrong.
‘Did I do something to upset them?’
Wondering if it was a problem handing Gru over to her father, she glanced at the child—only to see Gru, wide-eyed in the same confusion.
‘Why are they looking at me like that?’
Just then, Joorim picked up the brooch from the ground.
The moment Samantha Lee—formerly Kwon Riyeong—saw the brooch in Joorim’s hand, her eyes shook violently.
Examining the brooch, Joorim remarked for all to hear,
“It’s a transformation item.”
Then, he held it up for the cameras to see.
Click! Click! Click!
‘Damn!’
Only then did Samantha try to cover her face with both hands, but it was too late. The snapping of shutters was relentless as a barrage of questions erupted.
“Is that tattoo on your hand the mark of Obsidian?”
“Why did you impersonate Kwon Riyeong with a transformation item?”
“Deputy Chief Kwon Honggyun, what is the meaning of all this?”
“Did you send someone else in place of your daughter?”
“Why did you do it? Did you foresee today’s events? Or were you behind the incident?”
The situation had turned disastrous for both Samantha and Kwon Honggyun.
“Deputy Chief Kwon Honggyun! Please answer!”
Kwon Honggyun, stiff-faced, shook his head as microphones pressed against his lips.
“I—I don’t know anything…! I know nothing!”
He tried to escape in a hurry, but breaking through the crowd was no easy feat.
Samantha, surrounded by S-ranks, couldn’t even think of running and just sighed.
Annoyed, she flipped her curly hair back. It dawned on her, with a terrible clarity, that her mercenary days were over.
Flaring with anger, she grabbed Kwon Honggyun by the scruff of his neck.
“I only took a job from this man.”
“You crazy…!”
He turned on her with a savage glare, but Samantha’s rant didn’t stop.
“We struck a deal for our commander’s amnesty. And what do you know, he told me to attack the children!”
Gasps sounded from all sides.
Guests and reporters alike stared at Kwon Honggyun as if he were garbage.
“You bastard—!”
Kwon Honggyun reached to clamp a hand over her mouth, but before his fingers could reach her lips, Samantha twisted his arm.
“Aaagh! Let go! Do you even know who I am? I said, let go! Hey!”
The ridiculous scene set off laughter from every corner.
Click! Click! Click!
Reporters swarmed like piranhas around their juicy story.
[Headline News>
[Exclusive: Deputy Chief Kwon Honggyun indicted as ringleader in Chick Class attack case]
[Exclusive: Obsidian mercenary Samantha Lee arrested at the scene]
[President: Claims ignorance… but feels deep responsibility for the recent events]
[Special Focus ON: Chick Class Attacked? What is Mephisto Series Mk.3’s fate?]
[Photo: Deputy Chief Kwon Honggyun’s arm, decisively twisted]
Obsidian mercenary Samantha Lee was arrested on the spot.
As for the mastermind behind the attack—the deputy chief—articles poured out from the Blue House labeling it as “a single individual’s deviation.”
And though Gru, armed with luck, had thwarted the conspiracy, she was not exempt from the return of discipline hour.
Proudly confessing that she had returned to the scene to solve the crisis herself, she had asked to be brought back.
Kneeling before Joorim, Gru bowed her head.
“How many times do I have to tell you? Is it okay to jump into dangerous situations or not?”
“No waaay.”
“Then why did you do it?”
Gru glanced up at him, then dropped her gaze and pouted.
“It wasn’t dangerous.”
“What?”
Joorim, incredulous, pressed the question. Gru explained her logic in detail.
“I had Bei, and the Duck Tongs, and the fork, and the Mephisto Series, too…”
“….”
Watching her fold her tiny maple-leaf hands one by one for each item, Joorim bit his lip, momentarily lost for words.
This little one had too many things at her disposal.
Joorim frowned, hearing Shea’s laughter ring in his head.
No wonder Shea hadn’t intervened even when Gru was in danger—she must have already known there was no real danger.
Letting out a sigh, Joorim slumped onto the sofa, grumbling softly.
“Dad…”
“Right! I have the strongest dad, too.”
Suddenly recalling something, Gru tapped her palm with her fist.
“And I have Chueu unni, too.”
“Chueu?”
“Yeeep.”
He’d seen those soap bubbles that held off the monsters before.
They were definitely Chuen’s.
‘Will we meet again?’
Gru opened her mouth, beaming, and Joorim prompted for an answer.
“Who’s Chueu?”
“She’s Gru’s friend.”
With that, Gru toddled over and climbed onto Joorim’s lap.
Joorim let out a deep sigh.
“Don’t make your dad worry.”
“Okaay. Gru loves dad.”
Gru hugged Joorim around the waist, rubbing her soft cheek against him.
Trying, as always, to get away with cuteness. Joorim pressed his palm to his forehead, then gave Gru’s cheek a gentle nibble.
“Eekyaaah!”
Gru’s laughter echoed through the air.
Playing with Joorim, Gru suddenly remembered something and spoke.
“But you know, something was a little weird.”
“What was weird?”
“Well, the monster. It had ‘failed prototype’ written on it.”
“Failed prototype?”
“Yup. So I asked the mercenary lady, but she said she didn’t know what had failed either.”
Mercenary lady—was that the Obsidian who’d just been caught?
Joorim mulled it over, idly kneading the child’s rice-cake cheeks.
“I’ll look into it.”
“Okay.”
Brrrr—
Just then, his phone vibrated.
Checking the number with a puzzled look, Joorim set Gru beside him and stood to take the call.
“Yes, this is On Joorim.”
He listened quietly to the greeting from the other end and replied,
“Yes, I’m available to talk, Mr. President.”