"Uwo!"
Hanguru’s face, which had been dull just moments ago, suddenly brightened. A child as innocent as him always wore his emotions openly, whether he was happy or displeased.
Jurim smirked unconsciously and gave Hanguru’s chubby cheeks a light tug. His soft, squishy cheek stretched out like a mochi rice cake.
"No more illegal transactions, got it?"
"Neaaang!"
Still buzzing with excitement, Hanguru mumbled an answer, his cheeks still stretched.
‘Hun! Ter! Re! Gis! Tra! Tion!’
The words he had longed to hear! A brilliant light filled his mind, and the voice of an Olympic commentator echoed in his head.
"And here we have contestant Hanguru, officially stepping into the world of hunters! His parents will surely be proud!"
Hanguru, bowing to the imaginary crowd in his head, turned his sparkling eyes toward Jurim to express his gratitude.
"Of course, Guildmaster! Hanguru will give you a biiig commission fee!"
Jurim, who had been turning the wheel, narrowed his eyes.
"Second rule—no bribery."
He tugged on Hanguru’s cheek even harder.
"Neeeaaang...!"
Hing. Hanguru rubbed his sore cheek with teary eyes.
Did Guildmaster not like money?
Hanguru recalled playing Sprout Bank at kindergarten.
His friend, who played both the director of Sprout Bank and the hidden villain, had told him something when Hanguru refused to take the role of a bank robber.
"Hanguru, can you refuse this money too?"
"Th-this is...!"
His friend had held out an enormous stack of Sprout Bank bills in front of him.
"I give you money that you can’t refuse!"
That day, Hanguru had learned an important life lesson: If someone doesn’t like an offer, just give them more money until they can’t refuse.
‘Alright! I’ll work hard!’
He vowed to show his appreciation to Guildmaster in a way that could not be refused.
"Wooooow!"
Following Jurim into the high-rise apartment, Hanguru’s jaw dropped at the luxurious interior that looked straight out of a drama.
"The TV is bigger than me!"
Since the orphanage was in poor condition, he had grown used to its worn-out furniture. Everything here was a constant series of shocks.
Then, in the corner of the living room, he spotted something familiar.
"Oh! Bike!"
It was definitely his bike.
So Jurim had found it along with the teddy bear that day.
To think they would be reunited here!
"I thought I’d never see it again."
Hanguru patted the old bike over and over.
A tingling warmth spread through his chest. The worms in his heart were growing bigger and bigger.
He had to express his gratitude—at the highest level possible.
Hanguru stood before Jurim, who was drinking a bottle of water from the fridge.
"To my great Guildmaster, who has greatly contributed to the growth of my heartworms, may you be blessed!"
He knelt, bent forward, and touched his forehead to the floor. Then, just as he jumped into a grand bow flip (a gesture where one bows while doing a handstand), a spitting sound came from behind him, followed by a firm grip on his scruff lifting him upright.
Jurim spoke in a low voice, as if restraining himself.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Grand bow..."
"No more grand bows. No handstand-bowing either."
"But that’s the same thing."
"All of it. Banned."
"Too many bans... Everything’s not allowed."
"Then just act normally. And you need to eat more. Why are you so light?"
Tucking Hanguru under his arm, Jurim carried him around, showing him each room.
There were five large rooms and three bathrooms.
Hanguru’s room was at the very end, attached to a bathroom.
There were three main rules:
If you need something, say so.No doing anything dangerous.Don’t open the door for just anyone.
After laying out the rules, Jurim set down the limp Hanguru.
"Got it?"
"Yeeees!"
Hanguru threw his hand up and repeated the three rules perfectly.
Jurim finally gave a satisfied nod.
"Good. Go ahead and look around."
‘Uhehehe!’
Hanguru happily toddled around, looking in every direction before heading into the bathroom.
"Since I just came home, I need to wash my hands."
Standing in front of the sink, Hanguru called out.
"Guildmaster!"
"What?"
"When you go outside, you gotta wash your hands!"
"Ah."
Hanguru pointed at the sink on his tiptoes.
He was still too small to reach the faucet.
Jurim went into the living room, grabbed a stool, and placed Hanguru on top of it.
Humming a song he had learned at kindergarten, Hanguru washed his hands.
"Scrub, scrub~ between my fingers~"
Then, Hanguru grabbed Jurim’s hand and pulled it under the water.
"So big."
Jurim’s hands were even larger and longer than the orphanage director’s.
"And the other hand...?"
Noticing Hanguru’s gaze lingering on his gloved hand, Jurim spoke.
“Just wash my right hand.”
"Neaang."
Did Guildmaster’s left hand have some kind of secret?
‘I hope he tells me someday.’
After lathering soap onto the large hand and scrubbing it clean, Jurim took out a bottle of lotion from the cupboard and applied it to both of Hanguru’s hands.
Moist!
"Feels nice!"
Hanguru sniffed at the lotion’s scent as he stepped outside.
Jurim contacted his secretary, instructing them to buy essential supplies for a kindergarten-age child. Then, he turned to Hanguru.
“Hanguru, take it easy today. We’re going to register you as a hunter tomorrow.”
“Right away?”
Hanguru tilted his head.
“There’s already someone who knows you’ve awakened. No reason to delay.”
It was best to handle things before strange rumors started spreading. Jurim checked his phone and reviewed the schedule.
Chapter 2: Hunter License
The next morning.
Hanguru’s eyes snapped open in bed, but the cozy warmth quickly lured him back under the blankets.
Fluffy. Soft. So comfy.
But after a brief moment of snuggling, Hanguru shot up.
"Gotta brush my teeth!"
Brushing his teeth first thing in the morning was the start of his daily routine.
The oversized t-shirt that Jurim had hurriedly bought for him from the apartment’s shopping mall the night before slipped down past his shoulders. Hanguru let out a big yawn before stepping out of his room.
Chop chop chop.
Barefoot, he padded across the marble floor of the living room.
"So quiet."
Maybe it was because the house was so big, but the silence felt even heavier. The orphanage had always been noisy and lively, making this stillness feel unfamiliar.
From the large two-story-high window, the soft morning light spilled in.
The gentle waves of the Han River shimmered beautifully.
As Hanguru stared blankly at the view, a pop-up appeared.
[Quest: No Lazy Mornings! Start your day with light activity to build a healthy routine.]
Help your lazy guardian start their morning!
[Reward: 100 Filial Piety Points]
Morning activity...
"Ah! Brushing my teeth!".
Hanguru quickly scurried to Jurim’s bedroom and pushed the door open.
"Huh, there’s nothing here."
The room was nearly empty, containing only a large bed and a massive window covered by blinds.
Hanguru tiptoed closer to where Jurim was sleeping, face turned to the side.
“Guildmaster.”
Should he call him again?
Just then, Jurim’s eyelashes quivered slightly before his long eyes slowly opened.
“Huh?”
Hanguru stared directly into his eyes.
For a brief moment, it looked like there was a golden tint in them.
As he blinked absentmindedly, a low, sleepy voice murmured.
“...Did you wake me up?”
Hanguru leaned close to his ear and whispered.
"Yeees."
Rubbing his eyes in confusion, Jurim asked.
“How?”
“Like this. ‘Guildmaster.’”
Hanguru whispered into his ear again, making Jurim chuckle.
“Why are you whispering?”
“Just because.”
The house was so quiet that it felt natural.
Smirking, Jurim sat up on the edge of the bed, and Hanguru took his hand.
“Guildmaster, help Hanguru brush teeth.”
“...Mm.”
Still half-asleep, Jurim groggily followed Hanguru out of the room.

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