“Overseas gifted program, preparing for study abroad.”
“You read really well.”
Proud! Guru shrugged her shoulders proudly.
“It’s one of the best places in the U.S. Great for building connections, and the curriculum is top-tier.”
Curricuwum? Guru responded with her go-to all-purpose answer that could get her out of any situation.
“Okaaay.”
He handed her another brochure and continued speaking
“The U.K. is good too.”
“Yew-Kay.”
Guru clumsily repeated after him while flipping through the brochure.
He once again said, “Well done,” and Guru gave another bashful smile in return.
But... why does this situation feel so familiar? There’s no way it should.
America, England, study abroad...
As her brain, stuffed full of TV shows and YouTube clips, rolled and tumbled through its catalog of pseudo-experiences, a channel suddenly flipped and stopped at a certain scene. And with it, a lightbulb lit up in her head.
Oh—this is that. The kind of scene that always showed up in YouTube highlight clips.
[(Warning: Frustrating to Watch) “For my daughter’s sake, please leave. The chairman’s secret request?”]
— “You’ve wanted to study design, haven’t you? It’s time you actually do it. Here’s a ticket to America. Take this money and just leave.”
Guru recalled the moment where the powerful figure hands the protagonist a plane ticket and money, and her expression hardened.
This doesn’t seem like a time to be smiling, does it?
Guru clasped her hands together and squeezed her eyes shut.
“It’s a major crisis—again!”
So far, she had defeated an S-Rank monster, caught a pickpocket, and even saved Nayun unni when she was being controlled by a high-level Awakened.
She had overcome countless dangers, but this time, this crisis couldn’t be solved with her duck-bill grabber performance.
Still, thanks to YouTube knowledge kicking in at the right moment, she managed to hold back a disaster.
She had nearly blurted out, “Guru likes England, the cloud drawn here looks like a baby shark,” without knowing anything.
She had almost boarded a flight to the U.K. just to see a baby shark-shaped cloud.
An airplane... she’d never been on one before.
Airplane... maybe it’d be nice...
Hot!
Shake shake.
Not nice! Guru had promised to be someone the Guildmaster could rely on. Wasn’t it precisely at times like this, when the Guildmaster was struggling, that Guru needed to be by his side?
As a member of Hyeonak Guild, and as his foster daughter and housemate.
Guru rolled her eyes sideways and peeked at the chairman.
“Does the Guildmaster’s dad want Guru to go far away?”
Suddenly looking glum, Guru fidgeted with both hands.
Out of nowhere, memories of being disowned surfaced. It’s always hard to accept not being wanted.
That feeling of hurt and disappointment, like her heart had filled with thumbtacks that pricked and stung.
How could she explain this feeling? How could she say she wanted to stay by the Guildmaster’s side in a way they’d listen?
“Just say whatever it is you want.”
“Whatevew I want?”
“Yes. Go ahead, say it.”
Well, if that’s the case. Guru decided not to hold back and state her demand proudly.
“Meat.”
On Suhyeong blinked as if questioning whether he had heard her right.
“Meat? ...You mean food?”
“Yesh. Rice and meat.”
Just thinking about the Guildmaster made her lose her appetite. She’d barely touched lunch and had even given her snack to a friend.
She wasn’t especially greedy with food, but giving up her snack was something that had never happened before in her long kindergarten career.
Guru, you made a fatal mistake.
Today’s snack was her all-time favorite—strawberry yogurt. She’d let it go in a moment of foolish impulse.
Now she wasn’t even sure how to deal with this situation—she just knew she was hungry.
And meat, of course, is the ultimate side dish to rice. As a proud carnivorous kindergartener, Guru imagined meat so juicy it dripped with fat.
Growwwl!
Right on cue, her stomach protested loudly.
Whimper! Guru hugged her belly, and On Suhyeong, who had maintained a blank expression the whole time, suddenly looked a bit flustered.
“White Knight, to the Olson Hotel. As quickly as possible.”
It was a restaurant with a panoramic view of skyscrapers through massive windows.
Guru stared at a huge banner dropping down from one building that practically covered an entire wall, then turned her gaze to the plate in front of her.
Hmm...
She gripped her fork and poked straight into the center of the steak, making the juices ooze out.
Just as she was about to lift it and devour it wildly—
On Suhyeong hurriedly swapped his plate with hers. The steak that he had neatly sliced up as soon as it came out was now in front of her.
“Thank youu.”
She bowed her head politely and stuffed a big bite into her mouth, chewing and chewing.
As her cheeks puffed out adorably, the corners of his stiff lips twitched into the faintest smile.
But the moment their eyes met, he turned his head away and covered his mouth.
“Ahem.”
On Suhyeong cleared his throat as he picked up his knife, and Guru tilted her head in confusion.
He was only cutting the meat and barely taking a bite.
If that were the Guildmaster, he’d call it picking at your food.
Because Jurim always made sure she ate well, Guru had lately been the one picking at her meals—just like he said.
And when that happened, Jurim would sit her on his lap and turn into a mama bird, spooning food into her mouth one bite at a time.
Watching On Suhyeong absentmindedly pick at his steak, Guru poked two pieces with her fork and toddled over to him, offering them up to his mouth.
Suhyeong looked between the # Nоvеlight # steak pieces approaching his lips and Guru’s face.
“Aah—”
“......”
When he carefully accepted the bite, Guru waddled back to her seat, then scooted her chair right up next to his.
Sitting by his side now, Guru took one bite for herself, then fed him two.
The plate emptied quickly, and when Suhyeong offered a piece from his own plate, Guru accepted it like a baby bird.
Maybe it was the meat that lifted her mood, or maybe it was the act of feeding each other—but Guru’s cheeks flushed, and she beamed with a bright smile.
And Suhyeong, unable to hold it in anymore, let out a small, snorted laugh through his nose.
Covering his mouth with his hand, he muttered softly,
“You’re really something, you know.”
He had thought he’d be lucky if the child didn’t feel intimidated by him. He never imagined that just days after meeting, they’d be feeding each other like this.
Given his naturally stoic nature, he’d always been terrible with kids—downright incompatible.
Which is why this unexpected moment left the grandfather feeling slightly overwhelmed.
While he tried to settle his amused expression, the server, seeing that they had finished, approached and said they would bring out dessert before clearing the plates.
Guru returned to her seat across from him and cleared her throat.
With her stomach full, it was finally time to say what needed to be said.
Just in case, Guru pushed the water glass far off to the side of the table.
I can do this!
Then, clenching both tiny fists, she opened her mouth.
“M-Mister Chaiwman!”
At the sudden address, On Suhyeong’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
“Do you not like Guru?”
As he was sipping wine, On Suhyeong let out a small cough.
He raised a hand to stop the people who started to approach with concern, signaling them to stay back.
That such a question came from the very child who had been feeding him steak just a moment ago was... utterly shocking.
He stared, dumbfounded, and asked again,
“Why would you think that?”
“Guru doesn’t wanna go far away. Guru wants to stay by the Guildmastew’s side.”
“Ah...”
A faint smile tugged at the corners of On Suhyeong’s lips.
As the atmosphere softened completely, Guru blinked wide-eyed.
“You want to be with Jurim?”
Nod, nod.
Especially now, when the Guildmaster was struggling—she wanted to be right there by his side, lending him her strength.
As her nodding grew more dramatic, Suhyeong spoke in an offhand tone, as if it were nothing at all.
“If that’s what you want, then that’s what we’ll do.”
Huh?
Just like that? Guru’s eyes rolled around in confusion.
But in dramas they always throw water and yell and stuff...
Maybe he was just lowering her guard...
Guru pulled the water glass back over, kept a wary eye on him, and gulped it down to the last drop.
Then, as if to make a point, she plunked the empty glass down on the table. She still couldn’t bring herself to touch the wine, so she remained alert.

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