Epilogue Chapter 16 - Cherry Blossom Ending (2)

“My beautiful babies~ How was school?”

Oh Kang-Woo ran to the front door at supersonic speed once the doorbell rang and opened the door with a wide smile.

“Beloved Father!”

Lilia ran to Kang-Woo like a wild beast once the door opened. Kang-Woo hugged his adorable youngest daughter and turned to see Kang-Hee with a sad expression.

“Huh?” Kang-Woo narrowed his eyes and looked around. “Where’s Kang-Hyun?”

“Oppa... said he’s staying at school for a bit because he has something to do.”

“Oh, is he on cleanup duty today?”

“N-No!” Kang-Hee shook her head and clenched Kang-Woo’s clothes. “Oppa’s cleanup duty day should be next Thursday!”

“Oh... really?”

‘Why does she know when they’re in different grades?’

“I sent over three hundred texts asking what it’s about but he hasn’t answered!” Kang-Hee shouted.

“You sent over three hundred texts?”

“And fifty calls!”

“Oh... I-Is that so?”

‘Looks like Kang-Hee cares a lot about her big brother.’

“Could something have happened to—”

“Haaa, that’s enough, you brocon,” Lilia sighed deeply and shook her head.

“B-Brocon?! Th-That’s not true!”

“Hmph. What else would you call someone who’s been fidgeting nonstop like a dog needing to pee because they couldn’t walk home with Brother for just one day?”

“Sh-Shut it! I don’t wanna hear that from you when all you do is follow Daddy around even as an elementary school student!”

“Wh-What’s wrong with clinging to our beloved Father?!”

Lia and Kang-Hee glared at each other.

“Now, now. Stop it, both of you. Your mother made snacks for you so wash your hands before you eat them.”

Kang-Woo calmed his daughters down with Han Seol-Ah’s cookies.

“Ah. Yes, Daddy!”

“Right away, Father!”

They stopped glaring at each other and ran to the bathroom, unable to resist the temptation of cookies.

‘That aside, I wonder what’s wrong?’

It was rare for Kang-Hyun to leave Lia and Kang-Hee to stay at school— even in such cases, he always called Kang-Woo, asking him to pick them up.

‘He let Lia and Kang-Hee walk home by themselves without calling me...’

Kang-Woo was sure something was wrong.

“Darling, I’m gonna go find Kang-Hyun.”

“Oh, let me go with you.”

“No, you watch Lia and Kang-Hee.”

“Hmm. Yes, honey.”

Kang-Woo turned away from the worried Seol-Ah and left the house.

“Let’s see. I wonder where my son could be?”

Kang-Woo placed his hand on the ground and closed his eyes.

‘Authority of the Beholder.’

A tsunami of three-dimensional information flowed into his brain. His head used to hurt just from several hundred meters’ worth of information but he could now endure several dozen kilometers.

‘Found him. He’s in...’

“An animal hospital?”

Kang-Woo tilted his head in wonder as he activated the Authority of Leap. He melted into the ground and instantly arrived in front of the animal hospital where Kang-Hyun was. Just in time, Kang-Hyun walked out of the hospital, holding a dog who seemed to have been operated on, in his arms.

“Yo,” Kang-Woo called.

“F-Father?!” Kang-Hyun jumped in surprise.

“Why are you so surprised?”

“I-I just never expected to meet you here.”

“I went to look for you after Lia and Kang-Hee told me about you.”

“Oh... I-I see.” Kang-Hyun smiled awkwardly and nodded.

“What’s with the dog?”

It seemed like a stray based on its unkempt brown fur and nails.

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

“Umm... I found a wounded dog as I was walking down the street.”

“And that’s why you visited the animal hospital?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.” Kang-Woo stared intently at the restless Kang-Hyun. He called, “Kang-Hyun.”

“Y-Yes?”

Kang-Hyun flinched. Kang-Woo clicked his tongue and frowned.

“Are you gonna keep lying to Daddy?”

“...”

Kang-Hyun softly bit his lip and looked away from Kang-Woo.

Kang-Woo gently touched Kang-Hyun’s cheek and asked in a deep voice, “Who hit you?”

“U-Umm...!”

“Who... hit you?”

“...” The restless Kang-Hyun answered hesitantly, “I fought... with a class friend.”

“Hmm. Is that so? A friend, huh? Looks like you have a lot of friends.”

It was not done by one person based on the location and number of wounds.

“...”

Realizing there was no point in hiding it anymore, Kang-Hyun explained in detail what happened after some silence. He found his classmates hurting a dog, one of which was a Player, and Si-Hun’s daughter saved him from them.

“Jeon Yeong-Woong, huh...?”

“I-I’m sorry for hiding it.”

“Hm? No, it’s okay. Stuff like this is normal for your age.”

It was nothing but an immature scuffle from an adult’s perspective but the children involved would have difficulty telling their parents about it since violence had been involved.

“But you handled it wrong,” Kang-Woo remarked.

“Yes... I will reflect on using violence—”

“No, not that.”

“Pardon?”

“You said there were five of them, one being a Player, right?”

Kang-Hyun was likely well aware he couldn’t beat them head-on.

“Then you should’ve taken video evidence of them in the act to use as blackmail.”

“But if I did, the dog would’ve—”

“The dog would’ve died regardless if Si-Ah hadn’t come to the rescue. And I’m not saying you should’ve watched the dog die. I’m saying you should’ve used it to blackmail them. I’m sure you had at least ten seconds to film, right?”

“That’s...”

As Kang-Woo had mentioned, Kang-Hyun would’ve had more time to take a video if he hadn’t wasted time hiding and thinking about whether to run.

“Blackmail would’ve been ineffective,” Kang-Hyun argued.

“Just as ineffective as taking them head-on.”

“...”

“Bullies or not, they’re the same age as you. Do you think they wouldn’t have cared if a video of them hurting a dog spread throughout the school?”

There was no way— humans were social creatures and society demanded them to be social. Even ten-year-olds knew how important one’s reputation was. No, children reacted even more strongly to possible damage to their reputation. After all, a child’s world revolved around school.

“As you said, it might not have worked, but it would’ve been more effective than charging in blind. Kang-Hyun, use any means necessary to defeat your opponent. Especially if they’re stronger than you.”

“Father...”

“That aside, you said there was a Player among them, right?”

Kang-Woo’s eyes narrowed. He could brush aside the fact that they hurt a dog or that they ganged up on Kang-Hyun. But...

“It seems... I’ll need to chat with him.”

It was a different story if they were a Player. Since they could use mana, they were practically weapons in and of themselves. It was like a Grade 2 brat shooting up a school with a semi-automatic.

‘I’ll have to deal with this.’

It didn’t matter if they were a minor; with great power came great responsibility.

“P-Please wait, Father!”

“Huh?”

“Umm... could you let this matter go?”

“...” Kang-Woo narrowed his eyes. “Are you worried I might do something to him?”

‘You’re too kind, my son. He’s worried about someone who beat the crap out of him.’

“No, not that...”

Kang-Hyun clenched his fists and bared his teeth ferociously. It was only for a moment but his eyes turned black.

“I want to deal with him myself.”

“...”

Kang-Woo was left blank-faced at his son’s unexpected answer. He let out a chuckle after some silence.

‘Well, well.’

He had forgotten. Kang-Hyun was only nine years old. He was very mature for his age and kind-hearted enough to risk his life for a stray dog, but...

“That’s my son for you.” Kang-Woo smiled widely and patted his son’s head. “Right. Everyone is worried sick, so let’s go back home.”

“Oh. Yes, Father.”

“Especially Kang-Hee...”

‘Who knows what she’ll do if we don’t get home quickly.’

“Ahaha. Kang-Hee tends to worry a lot because she’s so tender-hearted,” Kang-Hyun remarked.

“R-Right?”

‘How worried must she have been to send over three hundred texts and call fifty times just because she didn’t get to walk home with her big brother?’

“Oh, but what are you gonna do with that dog?” Kang-Woo asked.

“Well...”

Kang-Hyun pitifully stared at the dog in his arms, his lips quivering as if hesitating to say something.

Kang-Woo asked, “Wanna raise it?”

“I-Is it okay?!” shouted Kang-Hyun excitedly.

It was rare to see him so energetic.

“Of course. If it’s what you want.”

“Th-Thank you very much, Father!”

“Do you know its name?”

“N-No.”

‘Figures. How would you know the name of a stray with no collar?’

“Then you should name it.”

“Me...?”

“Yup.”

It might be an overexaggeration but Kang-Woo wanted Kang-Hyun to know what it was like to be responsible for a life.

“How about Poppy or Choco?”

“That’s a bit too generic.”

“Th-Then what about Gilgamesh?”

“That’s a bit much.”

‘Giving a dog a name like that borders on animal cruelty.’

“Then... Oh!” Kang-Hyun examined the area between the dog’s hind legs and said with sparkling eyes, “How about François?!”

“No.”

‘Anything... but that name.’