Chapter 85: New Life (2)

Gyeonwoo’s newfound confidence showed clear changes.

Her usually gentle eyebrows pointed sharply upward.

Her lips pursed in an “s” shape while she snorted proudly.

Plus her hands planted on her hips like she was trying to show “I’m really powerful!”

It was a heartening sight for Guild Master Jang Jin-yu who’d been trying to change Gyeonwoo.

“H-how long have you known we were here…?”

“That’s not important! Quickly, come sit here!”

“Oh! Y-yes, right away!”

The sisters had no choice but to sit across from Gyeonwoo, overwhelmed by her forceful attitude – which was understandable.

Actually, this wasn’t their first time seeing Gyeonwoo like this.

Having spent more time with her than anyone except the monks and Guild Master Lee Sunghwan…

They knew no one could stop her when Mia’s consciousness shared her mind in the past, or when facing demons.

Could Gyeonwoo be thinking we’re demons?

Then apologizing now wouldn’t change anything…!

This is bad!

We’re too late!

Though Han Yuyeon managed to act calm, Han Dayeon couldn’t control her trembling even with Jang Jin-yu watching.

Fortunately for the sisters…

Gyeonwoo didn’t know how she changed when sharing consciousness with Mia or facing demons.

So she thought these changes felt natural.

Her newfound confidence made her ignore minor concerns.

Ahem! I’m strong!

I can do what I want!

So if the sisters won’t admit they were wrong and keep fighting, I’ll have to scold them!

This is all for their own good!

Gyeonwoo met the eyes of the sisters nervously watching from across the table.

“Sisters!”

“Y-yes…”

But I don’t like them looking down at me!

It undermines my authority while scolding them!

After thinking, Gyeonwoo forcefully smacked the table, jumped up to stand on her chair, and shouted:

“Hug each other and make up right here in front of me!”

Despite her forceful actions, it was quite a cute demand.

She must have worried so much seeing them fight playfully to try forcing them to make up like this.

But while Gyeonwoo thought “I must look so powerful!”, the sisters struggled to hold back their laughter.

Ah, ahhhh! She’s too cute!

Her upturned eyes looked like a prim cat.

Standing on the chair to look bigger only emphasized her tiny frame that could fit in one arm.

The sisters’ fear quickly melted away at this lethal cuteness.

“Hck, hnngh…”

Even if it was Gyeonwoo’s request, rather than hugging that flat-chested Han Yuyeon, Han Dayeon wanted to jump up and squeeze Gyeonwoo!

She wanted to pinch those soft cheeks, give her kisses, bury her nose in that cotton candy hair and sniff sniff while showering her with affection!

Han Dayeon trembled like someone having a seizure trying to suppress these urges.

She looked so serious that…

“Control yourself. Want to go to the police station before getting Gyeonwoo’s forgiveness?”

Han Yuyeon couldn’t hide her exasperation.

“Hmph! Hurry up! Family shouldn’t act like this!”

Worried they might refuse to make up, Gyeonwoo flapped her clenched fists urgently.

Finally.

“Yuyeon, I’m sorry…”

“Haah… I’m sorry too, sister.”

Han Dayeon and Han Yuyeon hugged as Gyeonwoo demanded.

Han Dayeon’s huge breasts squished against Han Yuyeon’s flat chest like pudding.

Though their teeth clenched at the humiliation, they could endure this much for Gyeonwoo!

They even suppressed their usual telepathic bickering in case Gyeonwoo noticed something odd.

“Hehe, good! Doesn’t this look so much better!”

The sisters’ sacrifice earned Gyeonwoo’s smile.

Her usual bright, innocent smile.

Really…

Angry or sulking Gyeonwoo was cute too, but smiles suited her best.

Without planning it, Han Dayeon and Han Yuyeon naturally continued apologizing.

“Sorry for always mocking and looking down on your small chest, it’s actually strategic evolution.”

“Sorry for being jealous of your size when they’re just useless lumps except for making milk.”

They’d already promised to make up after fighting all night for Gyeonwoo anyway.

If a few words could make Gyeonwoo happy, they could apologize any number of times.

Seeing the sisters’ sincere reconciliation…

Gyeonwoo thought of her dead parents – I never got to apologize to them.

But I’m glad the sisters apologized like this.

Tears threatened to well up as she quietly approached Han Yuyeon and Han Dayeon.

“You won’t fight anymore now, right?”

“Never! We’ll absolutely never fight again!”

She wiggled her small head between the still-hugging sisters’ arms to join their sandwich hug.

“Do you know how worried I was?”

“Yes… sorry.”

“Why did you do it?”

The sisters couldn’t answer Gyeonwoo’s question.

Though they’d made up, the knot in their hearts hadn’t completely untied.

They knew anything the guilty said would sound like excuses.

That’s when…

“You don’t understand because you don’t have siblings, but fighting is natural between brothers and sisters.”

Jang Jin-yu, who’d been watching like it was a drama, cut in.

“What? Why is fighting natural?”

“You have to split everything you have in half. And that half isn’t even split exactly. Sometimes the other person gets more than you. When it feels unfair, you end up fighting.”

But even with this explanation, Gyeonwoo couldn’t understand easily.

“I could give everything to Pureumi though?”

Gyeonwoo thought of Pureumi as her real daughter and little sister.

Before, her love for Pureumi was so sincere she might have died for her.

Of course, to Jang Jin-yu this sounded like childish sophistry.

“Didn’t your chest hurt seeing Pureumi play with other kids?”

“Yes.”

“When only Pureumi got gifts, only Pureumi was happy. That pain you felt each time was jealousy, kid.”

Though Gyeonwoo hadn’t realized it herself, she was gradually discovering childlike emotions.

Not just jealousy.

“And when you left home after fighting with the sisters, why did you take Pureumi?”

The sudden question made Gyeonwoo blink in confusion.

Huh? Wait?

Was I not supposed to bring Pureumi?

“W-well, because she’s my sister…”

“No. You didn’t ask Pureumi’s opinion before bringing her. You brought her because you needed her.”

“That’s…”

“That’s what blood ties and siblings are – something you can trust in any situation. After holding back your whole life outside, isn’t it natural to show your true feelings with family?”

Of course, this didn’t mean you could look down on or mistreat family.

He just meant there were true feelings you could only show because they were family.

The surroundings grew quiet.

Without realizing it, Gyeonwoo burrowed into Han Dayeon’s chest and closed her eyes.

“Fuck, those damn tits for real.”

Though Han Yuyeon ground her teeth in jealousy, Han Dayeon smiled maternally as if possessed by a saint and started stroking Gyeonwoo’s head.

“Was I… jealous of Pureumi?”

“Everyone has those feelings. Sister’s been jealous of others quite a lot too.”

She wanted to deny it, say she wasn’t jealous of Pureumi…

Just trying to take care of her as an older sister…

But that would be a lie.

I didn’t want to be alone again.

Even when I left angry at the sisters, I took Pureumi with me.

Without ever asking her opinion.

Instead of meddling in the sisters’ fight, I should have examined myself first!

“It’s okay. It’s natural. Not being jealous means having no desires? Sister’s actually happy seeing our Gyeonwoo finally wanting something?”

Though Han Dayeon tried comforting her before she could dig herself deeper…

Neither the sisters nor Jang Jin-yu who’d caused Gyeonwoo’s change expected…

“Right! And if you do something wrong, you just need to apologize!”

The problem was Gyeonwoo had way more confidence than expected.

If I’d known the sisters would make up this easily, I would’ve done this earlier!

Maybe I’m talented at solving these problems!

So I should go apologize to Pureumi too!

“Right. Let’s go apologize together with the sisters.”

“I-I’ll go!”

Her mind was so set on apologizing there was no room for other voices.

Gyeonwoo immediately slipped from the sisters’ arms and used her ability with a “yap!”

“Argh! Not again?!”

The sisters wailed at this déjà vu happening within a day, but it was too late.

She’d vanished without a trace before they could grab her.

“Wow, really want that ability.”

At this rate, wouldn’t she surpass even Guild Master Lee Sunghwan to become the world’s strongest Awakened when she grows up?

The sisters snapped at Jang Jin-yu’s laid-back muttering.

“How can you be so casual when you’re supposed to be watching the kid?!”

“Here we thought you’d changed seeing how you treated Gyeonwoo, but you’re still trash?”

Han Dayeon and Han Yuyeon’s masks came off as they raised their voices angrily.

At least they could guess where Gyeonwoo went this time, but it would be impossible to handle if she kept disappearing like this.

“Why the fuss? She probably went to brother, just take your time heading back with all these packed desserts.”

But as if things weren’t bad enough…

The sisters’ vague sense of foreboding wasn’t just baseless anxiety.

Gyeonwoo silently appeared in the conference room where Lee Sunghwan and Pureumi remained.

“She agreed to help make Gyeonwoo accept adoption.”

“Yeah! Pureumi likes it!”

Adoption?

What exactly was going on?

“Eek! M-mama’s here!”

“What?!”

She discovered uncle and Pureumi sharing secret smiles and plotting together.