“Grandpa can buy our Guru everything she wants, so take your time and pick out more. It’s the first birthday we’re spending together, and there are so many things I want to do for you.”
Birthday!
Guru, cheeks blushing red, opened her mouth in a daze and nodded her head enthusiastically.
At the orphanage, they celebrated all the kids' birthdays together each month. So this was the first time someone had called her out separately to buy her a birthday present.
It felt nice to buy things with her own money, but getting them as birthday presents like this made it feel completely different.
A little more fluttery.
It was probably because it was filled with love.
Guru beamed with a wide smile as she wandered around looking for just the right LEGO set.
Suhyeong watched the tiny girl’s back fondly, then took out his phone.
He was about to take a picture when a message window with Jurim, which he had left open earlier, caught his eye.
A few days ago, Jurim had suddenly sent him a photo. It was a picture of a handwritten wish list to Santa.
From the uneven handwriting, it was clearly from Guru.
It was full of humble little items, so it wasn’t like he was being told to buy the gifts instead.
Suhyeong quickly caught on to Jurim’s real reason for sending it.
So this is it.
The part where ‘Guildmastuh’ had been written was erased and replaced with ‘Dad.’
In other words...
It was just bragging.
He was bragging that Guru called him “Dad,” and he did it with a single piece of paper.
Unbelievable.
Even though he found that sly bragging ridiculous, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy.
On Jurim
(photo)
Guru’s handwriting is adorable too.
Didn’t she write anything about Grandpa?
Jurim, take a photo of the back too.
Jurim?
On Jurim, can’t you answer the phone?
If you’re that busy, I’ll send someone. Just give me the paper.
Even though he’d sent a flood of clingy messages that didn’t suit his usual demeanor, his son—like he knew exactly how to drive people crazy—remained completely silent.
Still, Suhyeong wasn’t the type to give up.
Until just recently, he’d never expected to have a granddaughter at all, and now he was finally feeling what it meant to love someone so much it hurt.
He thought it’d be enough to just give her everything, but apparently, he was only human—his desires were growing too.
Today’s trip to the department store was entirely to win points with Guru.
Suhyeong quietly stepped up beside her and pointed down a whole LEGO aisle with his index finger.
“Grandpa thinks it would be perfectly fine to buy this entire line.”
He smiled at Guru, who stared at him in shock, and then—uncharacteristically—started talking more.
“Grandpa could build you a LEGO Land too...”
“Hmm, hmm. You see, Grandpa builds buildings at his company. You’re always welcome to visit.”
“Oh, do you like factories? Grandpa’s company builds factories too. Want to come see?”
As she picked up a giant LEGO set from the factory series, Guru opened her mouth again in awe.
Something felt off.
Today, the Chairman was acting different from usual.
It was like he had a disease where he’d die if he didn’t say “Grandpa” in every sentence, and every time he said it, he snuck glances at Guru.
...Hmm.
A cold sweat trickled down Guru’s back.
Even someone clueless could tell there was some kind of pressure behind his words.
Guru rolled her eyes around.
Dis wittwe much!
Still...
Thinking that he was accepting her as his granddaughter made her heart flutter.
Daddy’s daddy, Grandpa!
Grandpa was family too.
That thought made her feel all floaty, like she was wrapped in clouds.
Still holding the LEGO box in her arms, Guru stood up straight in front of Suhyeong and gulped.
“H-Ha...”
Ha? Suhyeong blinked his eyes wide and waited quietly for her to speak.
“Harabuhji!”
With a smushed pronunciation, she blurted it out, her face turning beet red.
“Tank yuu fow buyeeeng Gwu’s birdday pwezent today!”
She set the LEGO box down on the floor for a moment, hesitated, and then threw her arms around Suhyeong in a hug.
When the tiny girl hugged him, Suhyeong held his breath.
“Gwuu’s sho, sho happy Grandpa’s hewe. Gwu heawt goin’ doki doki!”
Bzzzt—
Suhyeong took a deep breath and smiled, hugging her tightly in return.
“Thank you for becoming the granddaughter of this foolish old man, Guru. I’m just as happy.”
Guru giggled and kissed Suhyeong on the cheek. He hugged her tight and kissed her cheek back with little smooches.
Then, suddenly, Suhyeong started digging around and picked up his phone, stepping back a bit.
“Guru, could you call me Grandpa just one more time?”
“Tank yuu, Harabuhji!”
He recorded a video of her with his phone, then smiled contentedly as he sent it off somewhere.
“Umm?”
As Guru blinked with a question mark floating over her head, Suhyeong opened his photo album and showed her a picture.
It was a large two-story standalone house surrounded by a long wall.
“This house is near Grandpa’s place. The yard’s big, so it’s great for running around.”
Ahem, Suhyeong cleared his throat.
“How about coming over to Grandpa’s place sometime and checking out this house too?”
“Okaay~”
Seeing Guru respond so sweetly, Suhyeong smiled in satisfaction.
He hoped she would love it, so the effort (and bribe) it took to kick out the previous owner would feel worth it.
He wasn’t pleased that Jurim always dismissed house talks with, “Guru’s calm, she’s fine where she is.”
Maybe Jurim just didn’t like the idea of her living close to his own place.
But whatever. If Guru said she wanted to move, that brat would have no choice but to follow.
Beaming, Suhyeong offered to ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) get her another present and started walking.
The secretary standing nearby stared at his smiling face, a little stunned, and followed after him.
Vrrrr—
On Jurim, attending the International Trade Forum, checked the message with a bored expression.
From: Suhyeong
Came to the department store with Guru
Got her a birthday gift, will feed her dinner and send her back. Don’t worry.
(squirrel shooting hearts emoji)
(thumbnail of video with Guru standing)
– Tank yuu, Harabuhji!
“...?”
Jurim sat up straight and almost crushed his phone.
He was brought back to his senses by someone calling his name.
“Guildmastuh On?”
He looked up and saw the translator. Next to them, a UAE minister was smiling politely.
“Ah, I’m On Jurim. It’s an honor to meet you.”
He stood and shook hands, and the translator translated his words.
Facing the minister with polite courtesy, Jurim forced himself to stay composed.
He was only attending this trade forum as a guild representative because of the potion crisis. He didn’t have the luxury to be distracted.
As the national crisis unfolded, he was supposed to act like a responsible Korean guild leader... Wait, what?
Grandpa?
He hadn’t even gotten used to being called Dad yet—and now it was Grandpa?
His head boiled over.
If he’d known this would happen, he wouldn’t have let her watch all those dramas with the old Chairman characters.
Jurim tapped the table repeatedly, doing his best to suppress his irritation. If the world weren’t in this state, he’d have rushed to the department store that instant.
He convinced himself that just staying in this seat meant he was doing his duty.
As ministers and CEOs talked to him from all directions, their words barely registered. His mind was such a mess of petty jealousy, he couldn’t hear a thing.
That’s when Ko Gang, Director of the Awakened Management Bureau, jabbed him in the side.
“On Jurim, fix your face.”
“Director. How much longer is this going to take?”
“Give it up. This isn’t wrapping up in a day or two.”
Jurim scowled.
“...This sucks.”
Guru’s birthday was almost here, and now he was stuck, unable to even go home properly.
He’d barely managed to free up time to help with morning drop-offs, but that was it.
At this rate, he was about to become the world’s worst dad. She was probably going to be so disappointed.
Before long, Guru might become the kind of kid who says “Grandpa” more than “Dad.”
When his thoughts spun that far, his insides started boiling again.

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