Chapter 31: Our Ugly Shiba
It had already been two weeks since I was absent from the Academy.
A lot had happened during that time.
First, under the pretext of becoming friends, I resolved Jin Dallae’s grievances.
I killed Lee Seonghan and was taken to the hospital.
There, I encountered Byeol and was abducted.
I’d like to turn Mescom upside down with hospitality, but in this tilted forest, if I tried to avoid getting eaten by the World Tree, I would hear, “If it’s good, then why do you do this?”
Eventually, I sustained a wound that could not be washed away, and I poured my heart out to Lee Seyeong and healed it.
Of course, it’s not that I didn’t gain anything.
Firstly, affinity.
[Affinity menu will be updated.]
[World Tree Auction] - [Affinity Menu]
[World Tree(2)]
?World Tree of Purity: ?????(100/100)
?World Tree of Healing: ?????(71/100)
[Tree Person(3)]
?Lee Seyeong: ?????(86/100)
?Sansuyu: ?????(38/100)
?Jin Dallae: ?????(40/100)
※ Affinity registration is possible from (50→30). (The minimum affinity is reduced as a VIP1 customer privilege.)
[8030p will be deposited due to the new sacred tree and connection with the World Tree.]
There was particularly great progress in affinity.
Excluding that crazy World Tree of Healing, affinity was as expected, and since VIPs would spin the gacha, the rank naturally went up. Frankly, I gave up reading it since a new system appeared whenever I forgot about it.
Speaking of the results, the points spent through the gacha had been almost perfectly recovered. Now, I could spin the gacha with ease.
I drank the elixir received as an apology from Byeol, so my mana also increased.
[Stats]
-Strength 5.3
-Endurance 4.6
-Agility 4.0
-Vitality 4.7
-Mana 5.7
In exact numbers, it was like this. As my mana operation skills improved day by day, my physical growth was also accelerating. The closed growth plate opened thanks to mana, and I grew about 3 cm taller. Wasn’t this proof of the omnipotence of mana? Right, originally, the one with a lot of mana was strong, and to grow, one needed to consume an elixir. Sansuyu was an example. That girl was born with a mana tank attached to her.
Anyway, compared to when I first came here, I had undergone a perfect metamorphosis, like an ugly duckling.
I was no longer a pig. I might even be charming.
I had the skills, so now I could live by moderately showing my face value.
Yes, a colorful life.
Since my skills were even proven by the last incident, I thought I could enjoy a worthwhile life this time.
I should make rice cakes at an MT!
Sing songs brilliantly for the talent show!
Some girl would cure her insomnia by listening to my recorded songs!
I arrived at the Academy with such wicked delusions of becoming that kind of insider.
I was back.
“Shiba, you’ve been waiting a lot, haven’t you?”
As soon as I arrived at the Academy, the first thing I did was feed Shiba.
-…Swish.
Shiba’s sprout, which I was seeing for the first time in a while, was drooping. Shiba, as if to announce that it was upset, turned its sprout towards the window, away from me.
“Shi, Shiba.”
Swish, Squeak!
Now, it was making noise with its leaves. When did this kid become so smart?
While admiring inwardly and moving my seat to the window, Shiba once again turned its sprout towards the door. If I moved towards the door, it turned towards the window; if I moved towards the window, it turned to the door.
Seeing this, my heart began to burn.
‘…Your dad got slashed with a knife and was robbed by a tree. At least mourn on my behalf.’
It was upset just because I didn’t feed it for a few days. It surely wouldn’t have starved as I had asked Seyeong to water it occasionally during these two weeks.
In short, this Shiba was throwing a tantrum now. Oh. Thinking like this, it was cute.
Squeak! Swish!
Why didn’t Dad come!
Suddenly, Shiba’s actions started to sound like words. Was this… advanced prenatal education? I sprinkled clean mineral water and patted Shiba’s sprouts.
Squeak.
When I gently tapped it with my finger, it seemed a bit appeased and finally showed its sprout to me. Shiba’s sprout had grown quite a bit. It grew well, probably because it was young.
“Then, I’ve watered it. Shall we go out for a walk?”
At this time, it was time for the students to leave school. I should meet Sansuyu after such a long time and show off my growth. The thought of Sansuyu being surprised at my improved skills made me chuckle.
Thinking this, I reached out for my coat.
Thump.
Something was knocked over near the desk. Looking carefully, the mineral water had fallen and was spilling water.
“Ack!”
I quickly went over and wiped the water. I wiped the water with a nearby towel and prepared to go out again.
Thump!
Then, that sound was heard again. Turning my head, this time, a new water bottle was knocked over with its cap opened, spilling water.
Normally, this would be impossible. I wiped the water, and just in case, I prepared to go out again.
Thump.
The water fell again. Again, near the desk. I went towards the bed with a stiff face.
Squeak! Squeak!
Sitting on the bed, Shiba made a sound as if it was happy. It was extremely cute. But why did my child keep knocking over unrelated water bottles? And that, too, using some unknown force.
“Why did you do that, Shiba?”
Squeak? Squeak?
But I was a kind adult. It had been 10 years since I vowed to treat my child kindly, no matter what.
I knew very well that one should not scold one’s child for strange behavior.
“Shiba, why do you keep doing this, Shiba? Hmm? Shiba.”
I murmured while patting the sprout, and then Shiba seemed a little downcast.
Squeak, swish.
And it started to cry softly. My heart softened at this slightly pitiful, cute look.
Young children acted out to receive attention and love from their parents. So, maybe Shiba felt a bit uneasy watching me go in and out repeatedly.
“Shiba….”
Squeak….
I softly murmured to Shiba.
“…Why is this sprout so sensitive and dramatic? Grow up and become a novelist.”
Squeak?!
Shiba seemed to want me to stay here. I had no choice. They say no parent could win against their child, so since there was a fire attribute mom, I decided to become a water attribute dad.
But the counterpart was a sprout. What should I do to play with it?
I watched Shiba tilting its sprout as if tilting its head.
Squeak?
Then I thought. If this little one did well, wouldn’t she be able to talk? I sat in a formal pose and enunciated clearly to Shiba.
“Say it like me. A, I, U, E, O.”
“Squeak!”
“Ka-na-da.”
“Squeak!”
It didn’t seem to work. I crossed my arms and considered it. It hasn’t been long since it was born; maybe I was expecting too much.
“Then, let’s start with something easy? Left sprout.”
Squeak!
When I reached out my hand and said that, Shiba placed its left sprout on my finger.
“Right.”
Thump.
“Both.”
Thump.
I wonder if Shiba understood everything I said? It splendidly accomplished the tasks I gave it. I clapped continuously and expressed my admiration.
“Wow, my daughter is a genius! Can you do this, too? Bang!”
This time, I made a gun shape with my hand and pretended to fire. Then Shiba, with one leaf, propped up its central stem-
Squeak, Squeeeeeak!
And cried out in pain as it fell pathetically to the ground. I gave it a standing ovation. Shiba, hearing the enthusiastic response of the audience, seemed to ask me to pat it and pointed to its other leaf with its right leaf. I patted Shiba extensively.
Squeak, Squeak~?
Shiba seemed very happy, shaking its head from side to side every time it touched my hand.
What should I teach next? I also tried making a ‘V’ with my hand and placing the sprout there. Trying out various things that came to mind, time flew, and it became night.
The problem here was that the child would not get tired.
Squeak, Squeak.
Even after 9 o’clock, Shiba didn’t seem to know tiredness. It kept crying, asking to be petted and to play. Eventually, only after fulfilling all of Shiba’s requests was I able to go outside.
The spring dormitory was still warm.
Inside, a warm air filled with fresh spring was blossoming, and seasonal flowers were smiling in the hallway.
Gurgle.
‘I’m hungry.’
I hadn’t eaten anything because of my unknowing daughter. I considered visiting the gym and library, but I then turned my steps to the salad bar on the first floor with such thought and saw Guseul entering her room. She wore a neat suit; it looked quite nice.
Our eyes met, and she waved her hand with a bright expression.
“Siha! It means Shepherd Hi!”
Was she a shepherd dog today? The black suit suited her very well.
“It feels like it’s been a long time since we met like this. Are you alright? I heard it was a big deal.”
“I’m fine. It feels good to legally skip classes.”
“Hehehe. I know that feeling.”
Guseul laughed heartily.
To the eye, she really looked like a heavenly acquaintance, but she didn’t consider me a friend. I didn’t know why. I could only guess that there might be some inner thoughts since I approached her when she wasn’t at her most attractive.
I suggested with a smile.
“Do you want to go eat together?”
“Oh, I just ate.”
“Is that so? Then, it can’t be helped.”
“Let’s eat at the academy tomorrow.”
Alright.
I briefly responded and came down to the salad bar on the first floor, waving my hand. I submitted the Academy ID card, which hadn’t been used much and was dusty, entered the dining hall, chose food, and sat down.
Various Korean dishes filled my eyes. Sweet Bulgogi and spicy Jeyuk greeted me.
I devoured the food as if I were closing my eyes. I ate quickly, and my stomach quickly became full.
After eating to my content and leaving the restaurant, a familiar woman was entering near the entrance. A woman with short pink hair and a sweatshirt that matched her hair color was stiffened when she saw me.
“Ah.”
Eyes with slight dark circles. A skirt revealing her thighs. Jin Dallae lost her words upon seeing me in a mask.
“That, ah, when, when did you come?”
Stammering, she clenched her fists and spoke. Her face was a bit flushed.
Was she awkward in talking to others? I didn’t think that was the case considering Siwoo. Still, considering she regarded me as a friend, it was clear there was some level of affinity.
“I came today.”
Answering without much thought, Jin Dallae bowed her head and said,
“Ah, I see.”
The silence lingered. It was awkward. Perhaps Jin Dallae was still bothered by our last encounter? Sorry? It was hard to imagine that proud Jin Dallae would feel sorry.
I ended up being the first to speak.
“Don’t worry about last time.”
“…Pardon?”
Jin Dallae’s eyes widened at my seemingly gentle and proper words.
“I did it because I wanted to. If I didn’t like it, you can just overlook it.”
“What do you mean?”
Honestly, Jin Dallae’s affinity wasn’t that high right now. So, I answered sincerely. Don’t worry about it, it was nothing, it’s fine.
Jin Dallae might see me as her benefactor, but in another light, she was mine as well. To be precise, a twisted benefactor. If she had accepted me as a friend from the beginning, none of this would have happened, but that couldn’t be helped.
Since everything was over, neither I nor Jin Dallae should mind returning to how we were. Eventually, whether we got along or not was Jin Dallae’s choice.
“Then, take care.”
I went upstairs to my room. Jin Dallae, standing in the doorway, just stared at me with a puzzled expression.
I thought to myself as I returned to my room.
‘Oh, right. I have to give her the chocolates.’
The chocolates I bought a lot of on the way were still tucked away in a corner of my dorm room.
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