Chapter 174 – Ishiba the Kirin (6)

Azalea and Shiba returned to the dormitory together. There wasn’t much to do, but she felt drowsy and wanted to rest.

Playing with Shiba after a long time seemed like a good idea. In any case, she planned to lie down comfortably today.

To avoid any potential scandal, she made sure to stay out of sight as they made their way to Azalea’s room. When they reached the door, Azalea hugged her with a happy smile.

“You’ll be busy again soon, right?”

“Yeah. The Forest Keeper selection contest is coming up soon… I need to prepare for that as well.”

Azalea nodded, as if understanding the situation. Shiba clung to her leg. She affectionately stroked Shiba’s head and bent her knees to meet Shiba’s gaze.

“Shiba, you shouldn’t act so clingy just because your dad’s around, okay?”

“…”

“You’ll listen to your mom, right?”

“…Beep.”

Shiba replied, turning her head away coyly.

“Hehe, how cute… If Siheon has any difficulties, be sure to tell me.”
“Hmm? You’re speaking informally this time?”
“I’m trying to do it gradually. Now it feels… like I’m getting used to it.”

With a bashful expression, Azalea slowly brought her face closer, closed her eyes, and pressed her lips against mine.
A brief exchange of affection lasting less than a minute.

-Smack.

Soon after, Azalea, who had withdrawn her tongue from my mouth, grinned slyly.

“Beep!”

As I momentarily spaced out, basking in the afterglow of the kiss, Shiba pinched my leg.

“Ouch!”

Surprisingly strong for a child.

“…No, Daddy!”

Shiba slapped Azalea’s thigh and pushed her away from me. At Shiba’s plaintive cry, we looked at each other and chuckled.

“I guess I should just go. Shiba doesn’t like it.”
“Hehe. Please take good care of our daughter… And don’t suddenly disappear like before.”
“Alright. If I need to go somewhere, I’ll leave her with you.”

“Mmm… If you want to meet, just contact me. Don’t neglect me too much. I’m not an easy woman.”

One last embrace. I do my best to ignore Shiba’s sorrowful face. Azalea enters the dormitory with a satisfied expression, and I scoop up Shiba and head toward my room.

– Beep beep beep. Swish!

Several pairs of shoes lay in the entranceway, which I hadn’t noticed when I first came out. Has Heaven arrived? When I step into my room, it’s not Heaven but White Peach sitting on the bed, legs crossed, engrossed in a comic magazine.

“……”

Upon seeing me, White Peach offers a light nod before returning her gaze to the magazine. We haven’t seen each other since that time, and her personality remains as abrasive as ever.

I too roll my eyes and take in White Peach’s appearance. Dolphin shorts that barely conceal her underwear, thighs extending down from beneath them. Her white toes wiggle in my direction.

“…What are you looking at?”

Were the gazes too blatant? White Peach, who had sharply scrutinized me, snorted with amusement.

‘…Look at this person.’

There used to be a hint of innocence when younger.
Had their feelings changed upon hearing about becoming lovers with Zodiac?

Their demeanor had grown considerably rougher than before.

“…Dad.”
“Hm?”
“Turn on the TV!”

Shiba pointed at the television and tugged at my pants.

– Gulp.

Having heard Shiba’s words, White Peach turned on the TV with the remote control, moving only their arm while keeping their gaze fixed on the magazine. A rerun of a scandalous drama that aired in the afternoon. Shiba cheerfully rushed to the bed, lying down and fixing their eyes on the TV.

“Shiba, you should wash your hands first.”
“……”

My words went unheeded. As I walked over to the bed where Shiba was sitting, I brought along Shiba’s loungewear that was hanging on the chair by the small table.

“But why is Shiba watching such a drama already? Let’s change clothes first. Come on, put your hands up!”
“Three!”

Hands raised to the sky!

– Plop.

I removed Shiba’s top and used a cleansing spell on her, as she had become grimy from exercising in the morning.

– Whoosh!

Dirt and dust were washed away, leaving only smooth, baby-soft skin behind. If she already knows the convenience of magic, she won’t develop any bad habits, right?

After safely cleaning Shiba and helping her change clothes, she became engrossed in the world of the TV.

“…What’s so enjoyable about this?”

I left Shiba to watch TV at the front of the bed, and I stretched out my legs comfortably at the edge of the bed and lay down. Just then, White Peach’s face appeared right next to mine.

“When did she start watching TV? It feels like just a few days ago we were putting puzzles together.”
“…It hasn’t been long.”

White Peach responded curtly.

She brought the magazine she was reading even closer, as if trying to keep me out of her line of sight as much as possible.

Seeing her try to ignore me to this extent makes me feel stubborn.

“Aha, so this is why Shiba learned to speak so quickly?”
“…”
“What kind of magazine are you looking at? A comic? What brought on this change for someone who usually dislikes this stuff?”
“…”

Persistently speaking, she playfully poked White Peach’s waist with her finger.

“Ah…!”

Startled, White Peach dropped the manga magazine. The page she was looking at flipped over, and it went straight to the cover without a bookmark. With her ears reddened, White Peach widened her eyes like a ghost and finally looked at me.

– Wham!

A swift slap immediately followed.

“Ouch!”

I received a hefty blow to the forehead. Behold the merciless nature of White Peach, who didn’t hesitate to strike. A tear welled up in my eye, and I saw four stars dancing in front of my vision.

– The dance of the stars…dancing.

…Did I get hit right on a weak spot? I felt powerless throughout my entire body. The strength drained from me, and I collapsed onto the bed.

“…So, why did you touch me? You’re suddenly touching me, and now we’re in this rough situation!”
“It hurts so much.”

Seeing Baekdo genuinely worried, it seems I really did hit her hard.

“I’m sorry… Did I not break your skull?”

Baekdo gently stroked the top of my head with her hand that had a scar on the palm.

I was fortunate not to have unintentionally broken any rules.
If it had been a week ago, I might have actually killed her or left her paralyzed, forcing her to use her powers.

I shook my head a few times at the ringing in my ears and looked at Baekdo again.

“…So why are you ignoring me now? All of a sudden.”
“Shut up. You don’t know anything.”
“We’re going to part ways soon. Have you already forgotten that I asked you to leave with a smile on your face?”

That’s right.

Before I went to the retreat, I had a conversation with Baekdo, who had gotten heavier after drinking and making mistakes repeatedly.

It wasn’t a conversation of physicality. It was a conversation of violence.

Baekdo, having thoroughly struck me, said she thought the same.
I hoped that our relationship might improve, but after the retreat, her temperament only worsened.

“…Third-class disciple.”

Baekdo checked that my body was in good shape and then let out a relieved sigh before speaking to me.

“Yes.”
“Really… Sigh. Alright. They’re both sleeping, so it should be fine.”
“What is it? What happened?”
“It’s because of you, you!”

Baekdo pressed down on my forehead.

“You. You truly like Hwangdo, right?”

The same words as Cheondo.
I already knew they cared for each other, so I sullenly nodded my head.

“I do.”
“…No. You don’t actually like Hwangdo.”

What is she talking about now?
Baekdo, who spoke with certainty, furrowed her brow and let out a deep sigh.

-Beep, beep~

Below the two of them, Shiba watched the drama unfold.

Without covering themselves with a blanket, they sat on the mat with their backs against the wall, gazing at each other.

“What nonsense are you talking about? Not liking it.”
“…If you really liked my sibling… Shouldn’t that incident have happened then?”

That incident?
Ah.

“Aha. When I was drinking and touched your knot-“

-Kwak!

“Ouch!”

This time, the attack was controlled.

“What are you saying in front of them! Yes, that’s it! That’s it!”
“So you deliberately changed it to ‘knot’… Why?”
“Is it right to be dating one woman and touching another?”

White Peach’s temper flared, and her voice rose. Suddenly, it occurred to her that he might be her karmic retribution.

“Ah… that.”
“It’s sordid. It’s lewd. You said you weren’t cheating, but it turns out you were deceiving peaches.”
“You call it ‘wind’?”

Previously, she had nothing to say, but now she could speak her mind.

“At first, I intended to behave like you. Ugh, these women must let me go.”

It’s not entirely incorrect.
It’s just a somewhat sarcastic remark.

Baekdo’s expression transcended a mere scowl, appearing as if she were gazing upon the dregs of society.
A look seemingly more disdainful than when she first met Azalea.

“Disgusting. Break up.”
“That’s up to Zodiac.”
“Ugh, if you want to break up, then break up! I won’t hand my sister over to a parasite-like scoundrel such as yourself!”
“What can I do if she likes me?!”

Bickering ensued.

It seemed as though words alone might resolve the matter, but whenever Baekdo caught sight of him, her irritation mounted, leaving her mouth itching to speak.
Ultimately, it was Baekdo who first threw a punch, her revulsion crossing the line.

Her bare foot struck his solar plexus, sending him straight under the bed.
I reached out, yanking Baekdo by the shoulder, and we both tumbled to the ground.

“Ugh, why are you so angry?”

In the back-mount position, White Peach adjusted her strength while clenching her fists. As she concentrated and chased the fists to block them, they grew faster, as if fueled by some stimulant.

Still, she could stop them now.

After enduring the blows for a while, a memory of something Zodiac had once told her surfaced.

“…No way.”

At her words, White Peach paused her fists.

“Because our master likes me?”

She said it as humorously as possible.

“Because it feels wrong to be dating Zodiac—”

That was her final remark.

White Peach’s face hardened into a truly fierce expression, her furious cheeks flushing red as she radiated heat.

“What, what? You insane jerk!”

Fists rained down before her.

“Beep, beep~ beep? Dad?”

Shiba, memorizing the ending song of the drama, glanced at them with pity before returning her gaze to the TV.

“…Beep.”

* * * * * * *

“Why does your face look like that?”
“It’s because I was hit and it swelled up.”

Cheondo looked at me with pity and clucked her tongue.

“…Sigh. What a mess you are. If you keep getting beaten like this, it’s hard not to worry about leaving you behind.”
“It’s not about leaving me behind… please hurry and take me with you. Every time we meet, fists are thrown. At this rate, the master’s top disciple might die soon.”

Cheondo gently stroked my swollen cheek with her hand.
Then, with a mischievous glint in her eye, she playfully pinched and pulled my cheek.

-Squiiish.

“Ah, ahhh.”

As the pain-filled moan escaped my lips, Cheondo chuckled.

“Deal with it on your own… The schedule has been moved up a bit. We leave tomorrow.”
“…Really?”

I didn’t expect the schedule to be pushed up so much, even if I had asked her to take me to White Peach quickly.

Cheondo picked up my cell phone from the table, entered a number, and handed it back to me.

“It’s a different phone number. When you contact me later, use this number… I plan to dispose of the cell phone I’m using now.”

“…You’re hiding your number too?”

“Yes. That’s how Do-won operates. In case you can’t reach me, I’ll also give you the contact information for Rossi and P.”

One by one, the list of contacts grew. Cheondo, as if remembering something, pulled out my bankbook from the corner of her clothes and handed it to me.

“Oh, and… I apologize for taking it without asking. I sent you some money. Use it for living expenses.”

“Really? You don’t have to…”

“Anyway, I have no use for the money I save. It’s much better for you to have it while you’re in a position to spend.”

Upon examining my bankbook, I saw an impressive sum. The amount I’ve saved so far isn’t small, but with this much, I could even start a company by adding a little debt.

“Wasn’t Do-won’s activity meant to make money?”

Cheondo shrugged at my question.

“That’s the contract with the Association. I have work to do.”

Association.

Hunter Association… How much does a star know about this? As soon as I heard Cheondo’s story, I immediately had a question in my mind.

“Even though there’s a lot to do… well, it’s mostly going around subduing Flowers or punishing terrorists.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. Don’t worry too much. You’ll have to do the Forest Keeper selection by yourself, but… if you follow my advice, there won’t be any major setbacks.”

Cheondo, shrugging her shoulders, looked at me with a kind expression that seemed fitting for a mentor.

“Do you understand?”
“…Yes.”

-Ding-a-ling!

That’s when the cell phone notification rang. I ended the conversation with Cheondo, which was roughly finished, took out my cell phone, and looked at the screen.

– Dancing with the Grain: Si-heon, can you get in touch now? I’d like to discuss what I mentioned last time.

Just then, there was a message from Byul.