Chapter 68

The new sneakers were as white and clean as always. Since he couldn't wear adult clothes that didn't fit, Chahaya silently changed into different clothes. After tidying up his appearance, the sound of a camera shutter clicking repeatedly echoed. When Chahaya lifted his head, Seo-un lowered the phone he had been holding up.

"It's just so surprising... I'm not saying it's a good thing, but it's just surprising. Let's eat first."

Seo-un, with a red face, spread out the food he had brought on the desk. It was a children's set with an omelet and a hamburger steak. Since it wasn't something that could be sold in the cafeteria, it seemed to be a special request.

Seo-un, who couldn't even make eye contact, kept glancing over.

Do you like kids?

Thinking about it, Seo-un often said that children playing in the playground were cute when he was a student.

"Eat quickly."

Seo-un handed Chahaya a fork. Since the desk was too high to sit at, he had to stand.

Chahaya, who had been eating roughly and not just sleeping, wasn't hungry. Unaware of the situation, Seo-un cut the hamburger steak into bite-sized pieces with a disposable knife.

"Do you want me to feed you if it's uncomfortable?"

Ha... Chahaya wore a surprised smile on his innocent face.

"Seo-un, just because I look like this, does that mean my heart is black? If you're fooled by my appearance, will you try to save a mutant?"

"Who said that? It just looks like you're having trouble eating."

Seo-un continued in a softer tone than usual.

"You can eat on your own."

He then put down the spoon and fork.

"Ah."

"I know, why are you so annoyed?"

"Ah."

Thinking Seo-un would say something like "Damn it," Chahaya opened his mouth.

Seo-un, seeing the angel with its mouth open like a baby bird, quickly picked up the spoon and fork again. He put a proper amount of omelet on the spoon and placed a piece of hamburger steak on top. When he brought it to the small mouth, Chahaya chewed it well.

"You're so cute, really."

His true feelings slipped out without him realizing, but since it was the truth, he couldn't make an excuse.

"Hey, when you were little, your uncle thought you were super cute, right? The neighbors would carry you around and kiss you, right?"

"I lived alone."

"You're lying again."

This time, he put some kimchi, washed with water, into Chahaya's mouth. Chahaya's head, which had been curly since he was young, looked fluffy. Looking down from above, Seo-un noticed his long, thick eyelashes, which he usually couldn't see.

Seo-un, holding a spoon full of omelet, waited for Chahaya to finish chewing. Watching the child eat made him feel full, as adults often say. It felt as if the young Chahaya was healing the troubles of the adult Chahaya.

When Chahaya opened his mouth like a bird, Seo-un quickly raised the spoon. Chahaya, following the spoon, looked up at Seo-un. Seo-un, with a firm mouth, tried to suppress his smile.

Chahaya grabbed Seo-un's hand and took the spoon. Seo-un tried hard not to go along with it, but it was a force he couldn't resist, just like always.

"Hey... Can you use Cosmos now?"

Chahaya nodded.

"I just got smaller."

"Wow, that's really unfair."

I became a mole rat and lost all my strength and my ultimate move. Speaking of which, if I shout "My person, I will protect," will Chahaya return to normal?

No matter how cute he is, I can't leave Chahaya like this just for my own selfish desires. Even if he can use Cosmos, he can't wield a sword with this young body. I can imagine him being tossed around by the weight of the sword, but if his strength is the same, it's just a delusion.

"Hey... Should I use my ultimate move to change you back?"

Chahaya looked up blankly.

"With the Violent Rain from my sword?"

His lips, speaking of the ultimate move, looked playful.

"Besides that, do you have any other moves?"

Seo-un, feeling embarrassed, took a deep breath. It wasn't easy to shout "My person, I will protect" with Chahaya right in front of him.

<You have to shout it with desperation, or it won't work.>

Seo-un swallowed the deep breath. It didn't seem like he could shout with the same desperation as when he faced the salamander.

"Let's wait until tomorrow."

"Seo-un, are you saying that because you're disappointed?"

"You don't know, but the activation conditions are very strict."

He put more omelet on the spoon and fed it to Chahaya. He added some grumbling as a side dish due to the unnecessary embarrassment.

"If you tear it with your hands, you'll be poisoned. Do you hate jellyfish that much?"

"I was going to make you jellyfish salad."

"Thanks, but I don't eat jellyfish."

The kid laughed, probably thinking it was a joke. It was the first time Seo-un felt pity for a mutant.

"Is it true that you went out with Baebanggu?"

"Baebanggu?"

Chahaya frowned, not knowing what it was. It seemed like he was pretending not to know, just like when he asked about parasites, but his eyes were full of curiosity.

Seo-un put down the spoon and lifted Chahaya's body. He blew a long breath into Chahaya's belly, which he brought close to his face.

"Seo-un, are you crazy?"

Chahaya's strength to push him away was immense, but Seo-un blew again.

"Ha ha, this is Baebanggu, kid."

He blew again, making Chahaya's belly warm, and Chahaya fell out of his arms. Seo-un, looking at the bewildered Chahaya, acted confidently.

"You only do this when you're like this. When will I get to do it again?"

"I can't stand it, I need to grow up quickly."

Chahaya opened his mouth. His attitude of eating and growing up was so cute.

"Hey, why did you go into hiding?"

He managed to sound casual, but he had been timing it since earlier. It took a lot of courage to ask.

Chahaya, who had been chewing, suddenly headed for the mini-fridge. He took out a bottle of water but didn't drink it directly, pouring it into a cup instead.

Seo-un watched him, more tense than proud. If the reason for going into hiding was because of the kiss, he wasn't sure how Chahaya would answer.

Moreover, Chahaya didn't know that he was awake that night.

"I don't go into hiding like that mole rat."

But this kid was turning the conversation around without considering his feelings. Seo-un, pouting, kept feeding him.

"If it's not going into hiding, why can't we contact you?"

"Do you want to use your ultimate move?"

Chahaya looked at Seo-un with eyes brighter than a fluorescent light and spread his arms wide.

"I'll let you punch through my insides to calm you down."

<Thump thump, ultimate move activation ready.>

Seo-un's expression changed at the innocent face making such a terrifying statement. Even the messenger, which had been talking about desperation, joined in with a bark.

"Are you kidding? I'm not that angry."

"Han Don-hee made you extremely angry, right?"

"I don't believe that kid."

"I don't believe you either. I believe Seo-un."

It seemed that Chahaya didn't want to talk about the reason for going into hiding.

Could it be that the kiss didn't affect him at all, or was there another worry? If so, that would be a different kind of disappointment.

"Why did the kids from Ohseong come?"

Chahaya, with a fork, picked up a piece of pineapple and put it in his mouth. He wanted to squeeze his chubby cheeks, which had turned his stomach upside down.

"The Union told us to give up Nam-dong. Thanks to someone, the meeting was postponed, so call your uncle."

"Uncle can only be reached if he's in the city."

The omelet, which was a lot for a child to eat, was gradually finishing.

"Why did they ask us to give up?"

"Everything that Eomji-geun said was true, and as lower-level Seekers started to appear, the Union seems to want to take control early. They want to manage all the Seekers."

Chahaya picked up a piece of hamburger steak with his fork and brought it to Seo-un's lips. When he pressed it, Seo-un took a bite.

"So, Seo-un, do you want to give up?"

"Should I go to Hell and ask Abdul?"

"What if I don't want to give up?"

<'Master of Suspicion, Elephant Shrew Seo-un' has received a quest: 'Surrendering is not a virtue.' Defend Nam-dong at all costs!>

No matter what the messenger said, Seo-un had no intention of giving up Nam-dong.

"First, this is just my thought... What if we join the Union?"

After finishing his meal, Chahaya went to the bed and plopped down. The young kid folded his arms arrogantly, as if daring Seo-un to continue. His big eyes, blinking, were so cute.

"We don't have much information about Hell compared to the Union. If the Union finds a way to escape Hell, will they share it with us? They'll probably leave us behind. What if we join to keep an eye on them?"

"If we join, we'll lose Nam-dong."

"We can say we'll handle the security of Nam-dong. The problem is whether Han Don-hee or others will join the Union, which is worrying..."

When Seo-un trailed off, Chahaya, with a hop, got off the bed. If he were to appear in an advertisement, the loose bell-bottom pants would sell out.

Thinking he was going to the bathroom, Chahaya was wearing new shoes. The shoes were a bit big, and the laces were tightly tied.

"Why? Where are you going?"

Chahaya has many enemies, so Seo-un was worried.

"Call the kids to the office."

"...Now?"

"Now."

The kid added that it was time for a meeting.