“...Guru-ya, what’s this?”
Swallowing a thousand questions, Jurim gently pointed at the sprout and asked.
“Um?”
Ah—Guru beamed with a proud smile.
“Gwuu’s waising dis kiddo.”
Guru gently patted the withered little sprout.
Seriously? On top of her head?
Jurim looked at her as if staring at a being from another world, thinking she was using her own head as a flowerpot—
...Well, she’s cute, so whatever.
He decided to just accept his daughter as she was.
She didn’t seem hurt, and she claimed the alien sprout was something she was raising herself...
Jurim held Guru close and checked on Serhi.
The treatment seemed nearly complete. The acorn was now fully {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} absorbed into Serhi’s chest.
So that’s the elixir...
It was the same acorn Guru had often shown off.
She’d always carried it around like a treasure, saying it was from an [RP-Rank Dungeon], and he had just thought it was adorable.
Guess it really was a treasure.
If it truly was an elixir, then maybe using it now had been the best outcome.
If anyone had realized Guru possessed an elixir...
Jurim stroked her gently, steadying his thoughts.
So then—was everything finally wrapped up?
Suddenly, Jurim glanced at his left hand.
The moment he saw Guru, he’d felt the 99th floor’s owner relax.
It gave Jurim a strange feeling.
For the first time, that entity had felt like a living being to him.
Whether that was good or bad... Jurim’s brow furrowed with displeasure.
Who does he think he is to Guru?
Just because they shared senses—what, does he think he’s her dad too?
At that moment, the helicopter for transporting Serhi to the hospital arrived, along with the emergency medics—and Jin Siwon.
“Where’s the patient?”
“Over there.”
Holding Guru, Jurim stepped aside, trying to shake off the uncomfortable thought.
After accompanying Serhi to the hospital and getting scanned in a massive machine, Guru finally stepped out of the examination room with a sigh.
It was all because Jurim had been worried about the alien sprout growing on his daughter’s head.
Only after hearing multiple reassurances from the doctor that the sprout was simply resting on her scalp did Jurim seem satisfied.
Once all the exams were done—
Jurim stopped in place on the way to Serhi’s room.
“Let’s just go for today.”
“Ehh? Not gonna see Sewuhi Oppaw?”
“He’s up now.”
“Oh!”
Jurim lowered his gaze as if focusing intently and continued.
“Looks like he’ll be discharged soon. Let’s not bother him today.”
“Boddew?”
Bother? What did he mean? Guru tilted her head in confusion, but Jurim just gave her back a little pat.
Huh?
Well, he said it’s fine, so it must be fine.
Did Daddy hear somethin’?
Guru was an S-Rank too—she should be able to hear stuff.
Hup!
She tried to gather all her energy—
But no matter how much she focused, nothing came through. Guru pouted her lips.
Still! Oppaw woke up! Sewuhi Oppaw woke up!
Feeling happy again, Guru smiled from ear to ear and swung her hand, clasped with Jurim’s, back and forth.
“Did we finish evewyfin’ we needed in Jeju?”
“Uum? ...Haht!”
Guru turned to him with startled eyes.
Jurim had probably meant Serhi and Gidan’s situation—but there was definitely still something she had to do.
Clearing her throat and standing upright, Guru asked in a serious tone,
“Daddyyy. Did you do wuv-wuv wif Unni Nayeon?”
“Nayeon? Shin Nayeon?”
Jurim repeated, “Wuv-wuv with Shin Nayeon?” and made a face like he’d bitten into a bug, prompting Guru to hastily clarify.
“M-Matchmake!!”
“Sigh... Who told you about that?”
Oops!
“Uum? Gwuu not sure whooo...”
Guru rolled her eyes and stammered, trying to act innocent. Jurim pinched her cheek.
“Huwaaeng!”
“Chairman Nam?”
“Fuuuung...”
“You shouldn’t say stuff like that in front of kids... It wasn’t Nayeon—it was someone else.”
Someone else? Guru, rubbing her sore cheek, asked again.
“Whooo?”
“Someone you don’t know.”
“Whooo?”
“Why do you keep asking?”
“Cauuuse... If Daddyyy doin’ wuv-wuv, Gwuu need to knooow too.”
She twisted her little body as she spoke. Jurim let out a chuckle.
“Then you don’t have to know. I got rejected.”
“Gasp!”
Jurim stroked Guru’s head as she gasped in shock, then took her hand and led her out of the hospital.
Guru stared up at him, still drawing attention even inside the building, and mumbled,
“Def’nitwy cuz of da minus...”
“Definitely?”
“Daddyyy, issokayyy... Gwuu here for you.”
Standing at the hospital entrance, Guru hugged him like she was comforting him. Her tiny hands patted his butt, and Jurim barely held back laughter as he trailed off,
“Yeah... Without Guru, I’d be a mess.”
“Let’s go to kindy togethew watew.”
As long as Daddy learned some manners, he’d be perfect!
“...Outta nowhere?”
Guru ignored his confusion, wearing a sad little smile, as she held his hand and patted the back of it with her other one.
Grown-up goin’ to kindy must be embawwassin’.
She decided she’d secretly sneak him in so he wouldn’t lose face.
Later—
It didn’t take long before rumors spread throughout Hyeonak that On Jurim had been rejected... thanks to a kindergartener who couldn’t keep secrets.
Chapter Title: Raising Life Requires Responsibility
Two days after returning from Jeju.
All that remained was waiting for Serhi to be discharged in good health—joyful days.
At least, that’s how it should’ve been...
Guru stood tall in front of Jurim, who was seated on the living room sofa, and spoke crisply.
“I’mma take it fow wawks evewy day, and Gwuu gonna eat only hawf a boww so da babies can eat moaw!”
Jurim stared at Guru laying out her future plans with great determination, then tilted his head.
“Onguru.”
“Yeesh!”
“If you only eat half a bowl of rice, would Daddy be happy?”
“...Nooo.”
“Exactly.”
Tch. Judging by his reaction, Plan A was a fail.
Time to move on to Plan B.
Guru casually slid her head downward.
“Sowwybowwy.”
As she flopped down into a deep bow, Jurim pressed a hand to his forehead.
“Onguru. Be honest.”
“Owkayyy.”
“Where did you get this thing?”
He pointed at what looked like a roughly sculpted hamster made of modeling clay.
The hamster sat beside Guru on its knees, lifeless like a frozen fish.
Gwuu shouwd’a been mowe cawefuw...
She’d managed to sneak it home in her bag—but couldn’t keep it in there forever.
It gotta eat somefing!
That’s why she’d tried to pull it out and sneak it to the fridge to find food...
“What’s that?”
“Hik!”
Jurim had caught her by the nape mid-sneak.
Pouting, Guru stammered,
“J-Jeju Island...”
Jurim let out a long sigh and looked up at the ceiling.
“...Figures. Only place something like this would show up.”
An SSS-Class monster wasn’t just going to be lying around outside a dungeon. Someone had to have gone out of their way to extract and prettify it.
“And Gwuu can waise it weallyyy well...”
Of course it was his daughter who picked it up...
Just then, the hamster yawned like it was bored. Its rows of shark-like teeth glinted.
Would’ve been better if she’d picked up a stray kitten or a puppy like other kids...
Why does my kid always pick up the most terrifying stuff? Not even a slime—but an SSS-Class monster?
Clueless to Jurim’s frustration, Guru smiled innocently.
“Now Gwuu da ownuh. Wight?”
Nod.
The damn hamster smugly nodded.

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