Chapter 67: Party (2)

Guild Master Jang Jin-yu had expected some grand request after such a bold approach.

What?

All this fuss just to ask him to help make the children happy?

Him, of all people?

He wondered what kind of thoughts could lead someone to come up with such an idea.

“Do you even know who I am to make such a request?”

Even at his cold voice, Gyeonwoo didn’t bat an eye.

“Hmph! What matters is a person’s inner self, not their outward appearance!”

“Yeah! Mama’s still Mama even without moneyyy!”

Even Pureumi, standing beside Gyeonwoo, nodded vigorously in agreement.

Well, damn.

Were these really children?

Maybe they just looked like kids but had some strange Awakened ability?

It was the first time he’d felt such curiosity about others.

Perhaps that’s why.

Normally he would have dismissed this as bothersome.

“Fine, tell me exactly what you want me to do.”

“B-brother!”

Guild Master Jang Jin-yu decided to watch Gyeonwoo’s actions until the end, smirking.

Right.

Let’s see what grand plan that tiny head has come up with.

Only then did Gyeonwoo lower her arms from her hips and take Pureumi’s hand.

“Mama?”

Pureumi still didn’t know what Gyeonwoo had in mind.

She tilted her head but obediently followed Gyeonwoo’s lead.

“Our Pureumi can control water.”

“That little one’s an Awakened?”

“Hehe… the details are a secret!”

“Whatever. Let’s say she is. Then what?”

Gyeonwoo’s plan was this:

“If I’m right, your Awakened ability is related to ice?”

“Correct. I don’t even need water – blood or moisture in the air is enough.”

Guild Master Jang Jin-yu’s power involved ice. Combined with Pureumi’s ability, Gyeonwoo thought it would be enough to distract the traumatized children.

“Make an ice slide! One that goes straight from the rooftop to the ground!”

“Huh.”

It was such a childishly pure idea.

He’d wondered what amazing plan would require his help, but this was it?

He could just freeze those noisy kids and take them away, or blow them away with a blizzard.

There were much simpler methods.

Sometimes she acted so mature.
Other times so childlike.

She was hard to figure out.

It was the first time he’d been this intrigued by someone else.

Was this why that blockhead wanted to adopt her as his daughter?

Hmm…

As Guild Master Jang Jin-yu pondered, an interesting thought occurred to him.

How would Lee Sunghwan react if his precious daughter willingly went to another man?

He might witness the historic sight of Guild Master Lee losing his mind.

“Go ahead.”

Guild Master Jang Jin-yu silently led the way to the railing.

The others naturally followed behind him.

“Children, don’t get too close to the edge – it’s dangerous!”

Han Dayeon made sure to hold Gyeonwoo and Pureumi’s hands tightly just in case.

The five of them strode forward.

“What are you all up to now?”

As they gathered at the railing, the children and parents’ attention naturally turned to them.

However.

“Ugh…”

“What’s wrong, sweetie?”

Trembling eyes wandered lost around Gyeonwoo and Pureumi.

Like the girl who had called Gyeonwoo a beggar.

Unlike their initial curiosity, the frightened children now seemed uncomfortable.

Even the adults could sense this atmosphere, though they tried not to show it.

“Gyeonwoo… will you be okay?”

Unable to watch anymore, Han Dayeon subtly moved to shield Gyeonwoo and Pureumi.

Though she understood why the traumatized children might react this way.

She didn’t like seeing Gyeonwoo, who was just a victim, being treated like this.

The kids hadn’t done anything wrong…

Shouldn’t the adults step in and stop this?

Han Dayeon wasn’t the only one who felt this discomfort.

“Mama, I don’t wanna… They’re all looking at us weird!”

Pureumi, sensitive to others’ stares, whined with her lips pushed out.

It was a fair complaint from Pureumi.

They were just trying to help, yet they got these looks.

Everyone was being too mean!

Just as Gyeonwoo was about to respond-

“Well, my sibling’s right. It’s not like you did anything wrong or hurt anyone. Why bother helping kids who act like that?”

Guild Master Jang Jin-yu chimed in, agreeing with Pureumi.

This time it wasn’t just about pride or mischief.

Meeting Gyeonwoo’s gaze directly as if trying to read her thoughts, he added quietly:

“You’re too young to understand this, but if you admit fault and try to fix things you didn’t do wrong, you’ll just end up taking all the blame.”

There was genuine sincerity in his voice.

His playfully twinkling eyes now held deep contempt.

“…”

Gyeonwoo quickly sensed he must have his own circumstances.

But even so.

“Mm-mm. No. Thank you for worrying, but… I just want to do this.”

Gyeonwoo awkwardly scratched her head and met the eyes of each person worried about her.

“Ha, I really can’t understand what’s going on in that head of yours.”

It wasn’t that such looks didn’t bother Gyeonwoo.

Part of her still felt all this was her fault.

“I don’t think it’s my fault anymore either.”

That’s exactly why she couldn’t abandon the other children.

“Thanks to our Pureumi, I learned that giving up is easy, but taking responsibility is hard.”

Gyeonwoo reached out and hugged Pureumi’s small head.

“Mama?”

“Hehe, isn’t it better if everyone becomes happy instead of spending time regretting?”

If she had done something wrong, she could fix her mistakes and atone, just as she always had.

“I know now. Where there are bad people, there are good people, and where there are good people, there are bad people.”

Gyeonwoo’s expression was more mature and determined than ever.

“Gyeonwoo…”

This was the same Gyeonwoo who had recently been shouting about internet users being demons who needed to be killed to repent!

Han Dayeon shed a tear of emotion at how much she had grown.

“See? Even though our sister likes women, she hasn’t jumped on me or Pureumi.”

“…Huh?”

But those tears of emotion quickly turned to tears of indignation.

Wait, do they all seriously think I’m gay?!

Just because I read and enjoy some of those manga and novels!

Don’t keep calling me a yuri-obsessed pervert over something like that!

“So she was like that? No wonder she looked at me in disgust when I proposed marriage.”

Guild Master Jang Jin-yu seized the opportunity.

Though he hadn’t seriously proposed to the Han sisters, how could he resist the chance to tease?

“N-no, that’s not it.”

“Why so flustered? It’s an age of diversity. It’s fine.”

“Kyaaah! That’s not it!!”

Sure she’d had some, at most, weird thoughts about Gyeonwoo occasionally…

But she would never cross that line with a minor!

“Gyeonwoo, you believe in your sister, right?!”

“Of course! You’ve been so good to me and Pureumi!”

“See!”

“Hehe, though I wouldn’t mind if it was sister.”

“…Huh? R-really?”

It was just a brief exchange with some teasing.

But thanks to it, everyone could now smile happily instead of worrying.

“Gyeonwoo? Really? Hey? Gyeonwoo?”

“Waaah! Mama’s gonna marry me! You thief!”

Though a small argument broke out over Gyeonwoo.

“Fine, let’s do it. I’m just helping, so I’ll follow what the person in charge wants.”

“I knew you weren’t a bad person, Guild Master!”

At least they succeeded in getting Guild Master Jang Jin-yu’s help.

“Kid. I never actually spread rumors, you know? Do you have any idea what people around you say about my brother?”

“Hmph. Just because everyone does it doesn’t make it okay! It’s like jaywalking! You know, the broken windows theory and stuff!”

“Hah… anyway, let’s continue this talk later. First let’s deal with those eyes.”

Using Awakened abilities in the city was illegal, but such trivial matters meant nothing to a Guild Master of the big three.

One phone call was all it took to get permission.

“I’ll handle the construction, just spray lots of water below the railing.”

“Pureumi, please help.”

“Mm, trust Pureumi!”

And so, before everyone’s eyes, Pureumi and Guild Master Jang Jin-yu’s abilities unfolded.

Water droplets gathered around Pureumi’s small hands stretched out over the railing.

A waterfall-like stream poured down from the cloudless sky.

“Good, that’s enough.”

The moment the water stream touched the ground on the first floor.

Guild Master Jang Jin-yu moved one finger as if conducting.

“Wooow…!”

Crystals gathered with a crackling sound, forming a smooth slide.

And it wasn’t just an ordinary slide.

“Looked a bit boring, so I added some flair.”

Since children would be riding it, he decorated the sides with rounded railings carved like penguins.

Rather than going straight down, it curved in S-shapes like waves for more fun.

“I-I want to ride that!”

“Me too! I wanna ride too!”

The beauty was enough to startle even the children who had been uncomfortable and afraid.

“Huh, making something like this just for one use?”

Even the parents, used to luxury items, gaped in amazement.

“See? Everyone’s happy, right?”

“Well… we’ll see how it turns out.”

Everyone had gathered around the slide.

Just as Gyeonwoo was feeling proud watching them compete to go first-

“Um…”

A girl separated from the group and approached Gyeonwoo hesitantly.

Guild Master Jang Jin-yu naturally assumed she wanted his autograph or had some request from her parents, so he ignored her.

“…I’m sorry about earlier.”

To his wounded pride, the girl showed no interest in him at all, instead bowing her head to Gyeonwoo.

Meeting the girl’s serious eyes, Gyeonwoo immediately remembered who she was.

She was the one who had called her a beggar when they were coming up for lunch.