Ch.14Werewolf Hwang-gu
by fnovelpia
Could a regular bicycle fit three girls?
Of course, if they maintained some awkward posture, everyone could ride, but I didn’t particularly want to do that.
In the end, with Hwang-gu joining us, we all ended up walking.
“Hwang-gu.”
“Yes!”
“You need to pull that carefully.”
“Yes!”
Hwang-gu nodded at my words.
The bicycle we couldn’t ride was resolved by having Hwang-gu pull it along.
Hwang-gu followed my instructions very well.
If she had a puppy tail, it would probably be spinning like a propeller.
“Hmm…”
Aurel seemed quite displeased with Hwang-gu’s joining.
She still glared at Hwang-gu suspiciously from time to time.
Despite those unpleasant looks, Hwang-gu kept showing a bright smile while perking up her ears repeatedly.
“Hmm…”
I silently looked back.
Because we were walking instead of riding the bicycle, we weren’t making much progress.
I thought we’d arrive in Seoul before sunrise, but at this rate, it seemed like we’d get there the next day.
Maybe it would be better if Hwang-gu ran while Aurel and I rode the bicycle?
While thinking that, my eyes met with Hwang-gu’s.
Those sparkling, innocent eyes. Her slightly upturned lips created an adorably cute smile.
“Hehe…”
Hwang-gu smiled foolishly at me.
Looking at her face, I recalled what had happened earlier.
How could I forget those pitiful eyes as she followed the bicycle?
That’s right.
I’m definitely weak to children.
Remembering Hwang-gu’s pitiful appearance made my heart ache.
To make such a cute and pitiful child run on all fours.
That would be cruel.
I shook my head as if to clear away the worries floating in my mind.
Hwang-gu, who had been making eye contact with me, looked a bit surprised at my sudden movement, then immediately shook her own head, mimicking my action.
“H-heya…!”
Aurel wasn’t one to just stand by watching.
As if to show she could follow me well too, she deliberately stepped slightly in front of me and shook her head vigorously.
Her golden hair fluttered wildly with her rapid head movements, blurring my vision.
What on earth are we doing?
I narrowed my eyes as I looked at Aurel and Hwang-gu.
Although they now have the appearance of small, cute girls, they might have been middle-aged men before.
As adults, aren’t they embarrassed to act like this?
Of course, it suits them very well right now…
After walking for a while with these useless thoughts…
Suddenly, I felt like the surroundings had gotten slightly brighter.
“Charlotte!”
I nodded at Aurel’s voice.
It wasn’t just my simple illusion.
The faint moon had begun to disappear, and what started to fill its empty space was the very detestable sun.
The comfortable darkness around us began to lift, signaling the arrival of morning.
“This way!”
I hurriedly moved my feet.
I needed to find a place where sunlight couldn’t enter, yet where we could rest comfortably.
Hwang-gu, who was following behind, tilted her head in confusion at my actions, but there was no time to explain.
As time passed, the hateful sun gradually approached.
Now there wasn’t much time left.
Just as I thought that,
I spotted a large staircase between collapsed buildings.
A path leading underground.
I wasn’t sure what the interior situation would be like, but at least it seemed better for avoiding the sun than the roofless buildings above ground.
“This way!”
At the bottom of the stairs leading underground.
It appeared to have been a bookstore.
I forcibly tore off the half-crushed door and pushed the children inside the bookstore.
A bookstore built underground.
A very safe place where sunlight could never enter.
Unlike the outside world, the interior of the bookstore was relatively intact.
Aside from the books scattered messily on the floor and broken bookshelves, it was quite surprising that the building itself was standing without any collapsed sections.
“This is…”
“Seems to be a bookstore.”
Just in case, I tried pressing a nearby light switch.
But of course, with the electricity cut off, there was no way the lights would come on.
Only the clicking sound of the button echoed desolately.
Aurel and Hwang-gu seemed quite intrigued by the smell of this place, constantly sniffing.
The mixture of mold, dust, and the distinctive ink smell of books did create quite a peculiar scent.
“Charlotte.”
“What?”
It was Hwang-gu who called me.
She was looking at me while firmly gripping the bicycle handlebars.
I told her to pull it carefully, and it seems she didn’t want to let go even here.
“Is this our destination?”
“No, this is just a place to rest for a while. And you can park the bicycle somewhere suitable.”
“Yes!”
Hwang-gu nodded at my answer.
She quickly ran to carefully park the bicycle in an appropriate spot.
After confirming that, I started pulling a nearby bookshelf that looked intact.
Screech-!
“Charlotte?”
“What?”
This time it was Aurel who spoke to me.
Aurel gently pushed the large bookshelf while asking me.
“Why are we moving this?”
“To create a suitable space.”
I answered while looking around the area.
Books that had spilled from the bookshelves were everywhere, leaving no room to step.
How could we rest in such a place?
So I was trying to use this huge bookshelf like a broom.
Understanding my intention, Aurel pulled over another bookshelf to help me.
Screech-!
Screech-!
The heavy, massive bookshelves made bizarre sounds, leaving numerous scratch marks on the floor.
If the owner of this bookstore saw this, wouldn’t they scream?
While worrying about the bookstore owner whose fate was uncertain, the space clearing was completed.
“Hmm…”
I rubbed my chin while looking at the empty space.
Not a bad space for a short rest.
I pulled out a sofa buried among piles of books and pushed it into the space.
The condition of the interior items was quite good. It seemed that because the entrance was blocked when the exterior building collapsed, people couldn’t enter the bookstore.
Just then, Hwang-gu, who had been watching me from the corner, came trotting over.
“What are we doing now?”
“Just rest for a while. We’ll leave when the sun sets.”
Hwang-gu seemed to have wanted to help.
But with all the organizing already done,
she just nodded with a slightly dejected expression.
Then she went to a suitable spot, lay on her stomach, and curled up.
Rather than human movement, it was more like the behavior dogs show when resting.
I looked at her with a somewhat disgruntled expression.
“Charlotte!”
Just then, Aurel’s voice called out.
Wondering what it was, I turned my head to see Aurel had created a large chair using books.
“Ta-da!”
Aurel proudly displayed her creation, puffing out her small chest.
“I prepared this for you!”
With my arms crossed, I admired the chair Aurel had made.
The book steps at the base and the massive chair built on top looked as majestic as a throne that might appear in a movie.
How did she stack the books in such a precise shape in such a short time?
“Please sit down!”
“Hmm…”
I walked over slowly with a slightly hesitant expression.
She made a book throne for me, so I could at least sit on it once to acknowledge her effort, right?
It’s absolutely not because I liked this throne made of books.
Thud-
The backrest wobbled precariously, so I couldn’t relax completely, but it looked quite presentable.
I crossed my legs and rested my chin on one hand, trying to find a comfortable position.
“Wow!”
Aurel was delighted seeing me.
Just then, Hwang-gu, who had been watching from a distance, suddenly got up and started gathering books from around her.
She seemed to be trying to make something as well.
Tap-tap-tap- The books she stacked diligently didn’t exceed her height.
There were three walls built with books.
Finally, Hwang-gu placed a wide wooden board on top to complete the roof.
Hwang-gu smiled proudly at her creation.
Then she slipped underneath and curled up into a ball.
Hwang-gu had used books to build a house.
I fell into thought watching her.
Sitting on this throne made of books reminded me of old memories.
Memories of childhood when I built secret bases using books, chairs, and blankets.
I suddenly raised my hand and made a fist.
A small hand, no different from childhood.
No, an even whiter and softer-looking hand than back then.
Just as Aurel and Hwang-gu had the appearance of girls, I too had the appearance of Charlotte, a small and cute vampire.
So.
Should I try it a little…?
Yes, just a little.
After all, there was nothing else to do until the sun set.
I nodded and got up from my seat.
“Charlotte?”
I didn’t bother answering Aurel’s call.
I naturally moved and started moving numerous books.
As I was building walls with books, Aurel approached and began helping with the work.
“What are you making?”
Aurel asked, looking at the extending wall of books.
After hesitating for a while, I answered.
“A castle…”
“A castle?”
“A castle!”
That’s when Hwang-gu, who had been holed up in her house, poked her head out and shouted.
Seeing her ears perk up, she must have heard the conversation between Aurel and me.
Hwang-gu showed deep interest in my mention of building a castle.
She came out of her house and ran toward me.
“Hey!”
Aurel blocked Hwang-gu’s path, but Hwang-gu didn’t seem to care.
“I want to build a castle too!”
After hesitating for a while, I nodded.
The embarrassment of adults playing like children was only momentary.
There were no onlookers. The children here didn’t know my original form.
So.
It would be natural to act like Charlotte, the little vampire girl.
I nodded and allowed Hwang-gu to join the construction.
Vampires and werewolves are really strong, so we could move many books at once.
And so, the three of us worked hard to build a castle.
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