“Our kid... is she a genius?”
Still wrapped in On Ijo’s arms, Guru had a head full of question marks.
Genius? Out of nowhere?
“U-uncwe. Gwuu hasta go. Gwuu hasta find Yuwian.”
“Already?”
On Ijo let the squirming Guru go and stood up.
“Then uncle will go too.”
He firmly held Guru’s hand.
Guru glanced at him, then tried to slip her hand away with a small shake.
But he didn’t look like he had any intention of letting go.
What do I do...
“...Daddy said.”
Guru mumbled, and On Ijo tilted his head.
“What did he say?”
“He said uncwe ish ushewess so just stay stiww and don’t make twoubwe...”
“Ahaha! Jurim, really...”
“Not twue?”
“It’s true.”
“Ushewess?”
“Mm-hm.”
On Ijo laughed sheepishly.
“Then you gotta stay hewe. Gwuu wiww go and come back fast.”
“But if uncle’s alone, it’s scary.”
“Cuz I’m ushewess?”
“Yeah. If scawy peopwe come when uncle’s by himsewf, what then? You couwd get kidnapped like Yuwian.”
“Gasp!”
“Da wowwd’s gweatest supew supew huntew Gwuu hasta pwotect uncwe.”
“Huuh!”
On Ijo struck right at Guru’s heart with words she loved.
World’s greatest! Super hunter!
Guru’s lips twitched.
“Th-then Gwuu gotta go and come back without getting caught. Cuz it’s a secwet dat uncwe’s hewe.”
The reason On Ijo was holed up in the hospital wasn’t only for the tests—it was also because his public disclosure hadn’t been negotiated yet.
From the government’s side, they’d want to reveal him when it worked best for them, and On Jurim was in the middle of that negotiation.
As for On Ijo himself, anything was fine.
“Of course.”
If my daughter says she has to sneak out and back, then that’s how it should be.
He accepted the star-shaped sunglasses and the TiniPing mask that Guru hurriedly handed over.
Peeking.
Peeking.
Guru and On Ijo cracked the hospital room door open and poked their heads out.
A guard stood by the elevator, a bit away from the VIP ward, keeping watch.
His job was to check the identities of everyone entering the VIP floor.
Every time Guru came to visit, she had to be checked too.
The problem was, they didn’t just check visitors coming in—they also checked those going out.
Especially if On Ijo tried to leave...
‘Stop right there!’
Guru pictured the guard’s stern face blocking their way.
As the [Spy Ladybug ver.2] buzzed toward the elevator, the guard, curious, turned his eyes to it.
The ladybug’s head blinked, tracking Yurian’s scent and locking onto Guru’s position.
“Looks like we hafta take the elevator.”
“Shhh!”
Guru looked up at On Ijo and pressed her finger to her lips.
Shhh. On Ijo mimicked her, nodding.
He was right—the elevator was the way.
But first, they had to shake off the guard.
Guru dug into her bag and pulled out a duck toy.
Catching On Ijo’s curious glance, she gave him a mischievous grin, then rolled the toy on the floor.
Rolly rolly roll.
The duck rolled all the way to the guard’s feet and raised its head.
The guard flinched when his eyes met the duck toy’s grotesque googly eyes.
That’s when Guru stuck her head boldly out the door.
“Misteww! Pwease pick up Gwuu’s toy!”
“Uh... one sec.”
The guard took a step to grab it.
And then—
Rolly.
The duck rolled the other way, opposite the elevator.
Each step the guard took, the duck rolled once.
When he took two steps, it rolled twice.
It was as if it were mocking him.
Finally, when the guard strode after it, the duck rolled faster, darting toward the far end away from the elevator.
Guru waited patiently.
Until the guard rushed past their door chasing it!
Once he was far enough, Guru grabbed On Ijo’s hand, and they slipped out of the room.
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
They dashed for the elevator.
“Hey—!”
A nurse at the ward desk pointed them out.
The guard spun around at once.
When he saw Guru and On Ijo boarding the elevator, his eyes went wide and he sprinted after them.
“H-Hunter On Ijo! You can’t leave!”
As the guard shouted frantically, On Ijo waggled his fingers in a playful wave.
Beside him, Guru frantically mashed the close button.
[The doors are closing.]
The elevator doors were sliding shut, but the guard was faster than expected.
It looked like he’d grab them before the doors closed.
‘I-it’s gonna fail!’
Just as Guru was about to despair—
On Ijo lowered his sunglasses slightly.
The guard °• N o v e l i g h t •° met his coral-colored eyes.
And slowed. Like he was in slow motion.
Before his hand could touch the elevator door—
[Going down.]
The doors shut safely.
Beyond the closed doors, Guru blinked her eyes.
What just happened?
“Lucky, huh?”
“But, the guawd went aww swowy.”
“Maybe running was too hard for him.”
Was the guard weaker than I thought?
Guru felt even more certain she’d done the right thing taking On Ijo with her.
No way could I leave my useless uncle to such a feeble guard.
What if there really were villains who kidnapped Yurian here in the hospital? If she left him behind, he’d be kidnapped just like Yurian.
‘I’ll protect uncle!’
Guru puffed out two strong breaths through her nose and squeezed On Ijo’s hand tight.
“You hasta hohd Gwuu’s hand tight. You can’t get wost.”
On Ijo grinned wide and nodded.
“Got it. I won’t let go.”
Guru laced her fingers with his big hand and looked up at the floor display.
She had pressed 1F for now, but was this really the right way?
The ladybug circling above her head didn’t show what floor to go to.
Should she go one floor at a time? As Guru wondered, On Ijo pressed both 3F and 5F together.
“Huh?”
When Guru looked up at him, he tapped the buttons and said:
“See here? There’s no 4F.”
“Yesh.”
“So it must be hidden.”
“Umm...?”
Guru remembered hearing before that hospitals sometimes skipped 4F and labeled it 5F instead.
“So if we press both, we can reach 4F.”
On Ijo gave her a calm, smiling squint.
Guru’s mouth fell open.
What do I do?
She looked at him with pity.
Uncwe... you lost your memowy, and now you’ve gotten kinda siwwy, haven’t you?
“What?”
After she stared at him a while, On Ijo asked.
To protect the heart of her useless, silly uncle, Guru nodded.
“Uh-huh. We can go. To 4F.”
Guru quickly wiped her tears.
Gwuu shouwd pway awong too.
If 3F appeared, she’d just pretend it was 4F.
Finally, the elevator rumbled past 5F and stopped.
Ding!
[4th floor.]
Guru’s mouth dropped wide open.
So pressing 3 and 5 together really does take you to 4F?

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