Chapter 27: The Gift I Didn’t Expect

I do understand.

It’s just that he still looks like a baby to me, but Jae-yul is already growing into an adult.

Not only is he taller than me now, he’s also physically stronger than I am—even though I’m the one with the special ability—so I really shouldn’t treat him like a child anymore.

On top of that, objectively speaking, his face… yeah.

It would be weirder if he didn’t have people interested in him.

So of course he’d eventually end up liking someone.

“…You little brat.

Weren’t you the one who said we’d live together forever?”

Still, the bitterness sitting in my mouth won’t go away.

After seeing that secret gift last night, I barely slept at all.

It’s absolutely, absolutely, absolutely not because I’m thinking anything weird.

You know how sometimes daughters say, “I’m gonna marry Daddy when I grow up!” and then the moment they enter kindergarten they start dating someone?

I feel like this is kind of similar to that.

Not that I’ve ever had a daughter, so I can’t say for sure.

Come to think of it, he has been checking his phone a lot lately.

And whenever I’d walk by, he’d quickly lock the screen.

I thought it was just regular teenage behavior—turns out those were all signs of romance.

I really was clueless.

Well, to be fair, how many people reach eighteen without dating even once besides me?

“Whine… kiing….”

Maybe my sighs were too heavy.

Bbo-ppi hopped into my lap and whined like he was also dying.

…Cute bastard.

He eats a ridiculous amount of meat, but he still comforts me like this, so I can’t hate him.

“Yeah.

You and me forever, Bbo-ppi!

Aish, you adorable lit—”

Wait.

When I picked him up, his front paws felt… wet.

And something was all over his mouth too.

There was a strong smell of soy sauce.

Meaning—

“You—!

You little shit, did you eat Jae-yul’s food?!”

No doubt about it.

This was the braised beef I made earlier and left out to cool before work.

I rushed into the kitchen and clenched my teeth.

“Look at this! You ate all the meat! Wow, you damn—!”

It was the dish Jae-yul especially loves, so I always make sure we never run out.

But that damn Bbo-ppi ate all the beef and left only the sauce, splattering soy sauce everywhere.

And then the bastard had the nerve to come cuddle with me afterward.

Cunning little monster.

“Don’t wag your tail.

Right now I’m actually— haah—”

I was angry, but I couldn’t scold him too harshly.

He looks like a dog, but he’s actually a very dangerous monster.

I should be grateful he hasn’t gone outside and eaten a human or something.

“Haah… I told you it’s bad for you to eat salty stuff.

Animals aren’t the same as humans.

What if you get sick, huh? Then—”

…Wait.

Is he actually sick…?

While listening to me nag, Bbo-ppi suddenly lowered his head and started dry-heaving.

I panicked and crouched down.

If a monster gets sick, where the hell am I supposed to take it?

Can I treat indigestion with my guiding ability…?

While I was spiraling, Bbo-ppi suddenly lifted his head—holding something in his mouth.

“…What is that? Petra…?

No way… you think eating this makes you better?”

“Arf!”

What is this creature.

He knows Petra is something pulled out of a monster’s brain… and yet he just…

Savage little thing.

“Wait, how did that come out of your stomach…?

And when did you hide it there?!

Give it.

That’s for Jae-yul.”

When I reached out, Bbo-ppi swallowed the Petra whole.

I guess he really does have abilities I still don’t understand.

Maybe he has another pouch inside him besides a stomach.

He also swallowed that flash sphere Jae-yul shot once.

The more I know, the stranger he gets.

“Fine.

Then spit the beef back up, you brat.”

“Puuuuu….”

The monster dog sighed.

He really looked like he was saying, “Are you stupid? How would I spit out something I already ate.”

Haa… should I just kill him.

“…Who are you people?”

I ended up having to go buy more beef, make the dish again, and because of that, I got to work later than usual.

Not that it mattered.

In my shop, the owner is king.

If anyone has a problem, they can wait.

But then I saw a bunch of large men crowding in front of the shop.

“You the guide office owner?”

“…Yeah. And?”

Something felt off immediately.

Even without abilities, I could tell—these were professional mercenaries.

I briefly considered pretending not to be the owner, but a few faces were familiar Esper clients, so that would’ve failed anyway.

“We’d like to talk inside.”

Honestly?
I was intimidated.

One or two Espers I can handle.

But this many at once is a different story.

…Not that I’m helpless, but still.

I unlocked the door with a deliberately calm expression.

They followed me in—six large bodies instantly making the already small shop feel tiny.

“What do you want?
You didn’t all come here to get guided at once, right.”

I sat first.

The one who seemed like their leader sat opposite me.

Strong.

B-rank at least.

Maybe even A-rank.

“You know who we are, right.”

“…No.”

“We’re the Six—
Wait. You really don’t?”

What the hell.

Why would I know you.

Are you celebrities?

He cleared his throat proudly.

“We’re the Six-Star Mercenary Group.”

“Six… cough, Stars… huh….”

Don’t laugh.
Don’t laugh.
Don’t laugh.

These mercenary groups always come up with the dumbest names.

Six-Star. Because there are six of them.
How original.

“Six B-rank Espers are rare in one group.”

Right.

Big group.

Strong.

Blah blah.

“So?”

“One of our officers disappeared.

We heard he was a regular here.

You know him?”

He slid a photo across the table.

Of course I recognized him.

That pervert who disappeared after I guided him.

“I’ve seen him. But he hasn’t come recently.”

The leader stared sharply.

Too bad for him—I’d already heard the disappearance rumor earlier.

No reaction here.

“He left early that day and said he was stopping by here.”

“We get a lot of customers.
Hard to remember every single visit.”

He didn’t move.
Didn’t blink.
Didn’t drop it.

“Then we’ll get guided while we’re here.

I haven’t had one recently.
Wouldn’t want to go into a rampage.”

“…Sure.”

Throwing him out would look suspicious.

So I led him to the cot.

He even paid upfront—thick stack of bills.

Money is money.

He was quieter than Cheol-min.
More controlled.

“I’ll begin.”

I checked his mana.

Strong.
Messy, but not dangerous yet.

I guided him, slowly, professionally.

When I finished, he sat up and spoke.

“The rumors were true.”

“…Rumors?”

“That there’s a very skilled guide here.
Above expectation.

So—”

Ah.
Bad feeling.

“Become my comrade.”

Yeah.

That was greed.

The I want to own you kind.

And the line…

So embarrassing I almost died.

Today was hell.

The Six-Star idiots drained me dry.

When I refused to join them, they resorted to subtle intimidation—posting members outside and rotating through for guidings.

Yes, it paid well.

But guiding nearly ten people back-to-back is exhausting.

And the leader left saying:

“In the end, you’ll become one of us.”

Go die.

I’m not joining a criminal organization.

“…Haah… I’m drained.”

Instead of going home, I went to the department store.

I had plenty of money from the silverleaf and today’s work.

Retail therapy worked wonders.

Well… everything I bought was for Jae-yul.

Not just for stress relief, though.

After thinking about it calmly…

If he’s going to date someone, that’s something to congratulate.

And to date properly, you shouldn’t look shabby.

So I bought him clothes.
And a new phone.
And other things.

If I’m going to support him, I’ll support him fully.

“…Jae-yul…?”

But when I got home, the house was silent.

Completely dark.

Even the motion light didn’t turn on.

Bbo-ppi didn’t come running.

…Something was wrong.

His shoes were there.

My heart dropped.

“Jae-yul! Jae-yul!!”

I dropped everything and ran inside.

My mind flooded with the worst possibilities.

I flicked on the living room light—

“Happy birthday, hyung.”

Jae-yul walked toward me, smiling softly, holding a cake.