Chapter 544 – Shiba Has Few Friends (完)

“Beep!”
“What’s the matter this time…? Sis.”

Bam, living in a squalid semi-basement, was once again pulled into the daylight by the ever sunny Shiba’s insistence.

‘I should never have shared my address…’

Had Bam known that Shiba would visit this frequently, she would not have disclosed her address and password.
With a heavy sigh, Bam observed Shiba. What else was she lugging around in her hands? Shiba, carrying an armful of canned drinks, entered the room with a sly smirk.

“Housewarming!”
“I didn’t move. What’s all that stuff?”
“It’s soft drinks, 3-minute curry, ramen… I brought them for you.”

Ever since they watched a movie together, Shiba has been relentlessly giving things away.
It all started with a coke.
Bam reflected on their past encounters.

-Do you like Coke?
-It’s… tasty. Why do you ask, sis?

The previous day, Shiba had grinned mischievously while watching Bam sipping her Coke.
Was Shiba teasing her because she once confessed that she didn’t like Coke because she couldn’t afford it? Or was she still upset about Bam declining her invitation to go to a café?
Shiba’s generosity was becoming overwhelming.

‘…Can’t believe she’s our academy’s top student.’

Even among her peers, Lee Shiba stood out as a peculiar character, subject of many whispers.

Whether she’s being bold, fragile or pure-hearted…
Reminiscing about the academy’s entrance ceremony, wasn’t it Shiba who boldly announced her provocative statement in front of all the students?

-Beep! They’re all hopeless!

Regardless of her reasons for uttering those words,
such a statement could have easily soured the mood, yet her unique charm seemed to diffuse any potential tension.

‘Should I say she’s brazen?’

Bam scrutinized Shiba’s face.

“Beep. Why?”

Hmm.

‘People are kind-hearted.’

To put it bluntly, she’s just a rich daughter with little sense of reality.
She doesn’t even understand how burdensome such gestures can be….

“Here, take these!”

Bam stared at the instant food that Shiba handed over.
She had no money left for the month, and was feeling gloomy about having to subsist on cheap ramen, yet accepting these items stirred up feelings of obligation and unease.

‘…How much money is in my wallet?’

Exactly 12,500 won.
Bam’s empty purse was crying out, the next month’s gas bill looming ominously.

‘But, to actually accept these…’

She swallowed her saliva.

‘It’s too much of a burden.’

Bam’s mind was already filled with the tantalizing thought of tasting that heavenly instant food.

Three-minute curry, slightly tangy compared to home-cooked curry, paired with expensive instant rice – no flawed grains here.
Finish off a meal with meatballs on the side and replenish your sugar levels with a fruity bottled drink. Perfection.

Ah, it’s making me drool.
Bam’s hands twitched with anticipation.

“Why, why are you giving these to me?” Bam asked, unable to refuse the goodwill. As she organized the gifted food in the cupboard, Shiba responded with a clear tone.

“Do you want to be friends?”

“…Excuse me?”

Such a bizarre response left Bam startled, her words stretching in surprise. ‘Do the daughters of the wealthy think differently?’ she wondered. This relationship seemed impure. Friendship was not about one-sidedly giving and receiving.

“Um, sister… I believe there might be a misunderstanding.”

Friendship wasn’t about material objects. Even Bam, who had fallen into a pseudoscientific life without a name, understood this fact. However, she was oblivious to the vast difference in life experience between herself, a nineteen-year-old, and four-year-old Shiba. Shiba, with her fair skin, appeared nothing more than a young woman in her twenties. Bam looked even younger than that.

“Even if you don’t give me these… we can still be friends,” she insisted, teaching Shiba like a naive child.

At Bam’s words, Shiba tilted her head, then firmly grasped Bam’s hand. “Let’s go to the cafe,” she suggested out of the blue. “I’ll treat you.”

Taken aback by the sudden proposition, Bam tried shaking off Shiba’s hand. However, she froze at Shiba’s next words, “Let’s go have a Caramel Chocolate Cookie Crumble Frappuccino!”

“Caramel, Choco, Cookie Crumble?” Bam echoed, bewildered. She was unable to afford such luxuries, and now Shiba was suggesting three. A Frappuccino, no less. Wasn’t that the incredibly refreshing drink made by crushing ice?

She’d never experienced anything sweet and cold before. The best she could afford was a thousand-won popsicle. Her eyes swirled at the thought. As much as she despised the idea of befriending someone because of money, she couldn’t resist the temptation.

“Alright…” she gave in to the capital.

Had Shiba’s favorability increased? As Shiba emerged from the basement, she winked at the King of Trees who was standing in the alley.

The King of Trees, who had been observing from the shadows, raised his thumb in approval, checking if Shiba and Bam were getting along.

* * * * * * * * * * *

“Hehehe,” Shiba sat in the cafe, laughing in a slightly sinister manner.

“Thanks to you, everything went smoothly,” she stated.

“Is that so?” he replied.

“Beep~ If I seduce her a little more, we’ll become friends, right?”

The King had by now transformed into a man with a genteel smile. Affectionately, he watched his daughter with loving eyes. As if in high spirits, Shiba drank her chocolate latte and slammed the cup down on the table with gusto.

“Beep~!!” she exclaimed, her face covered in foam.

The King’s hand instinctively sought the tissue box, extracting several sheets and tendering them to Shiva.

“Thank you, sir.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Now, I plan to experience many things. There were so many activities I wanted to indulge in with my friends!”

“Indeed. You should relish life. You’ve earned the right to.”

“Right…? I’m not sure about that, but my aunts are always so busy… Oh yes, I mentioned my friends to my mother, and she was overjoyed.”

Innocence personified, she would find joy in anything you undertake. The King rested his chin on his hand, attentively listening to Shiva’s tale till the end.

“So, it’s alright for me to do all sorts of things with my friends, isn’t it?”

“Certainly.”

A grin unfolded on Shiva’s face, followed by a peal of laughter.

“Now, take a look at this.”

From her pocket, Shiva drew forth an item: an all-access pass to an amusement park. The King’s brows furrowed.

“Sir, you too are a friend.”

“…”

“Let’s go to the amusement park together.”

“Are you serious?”

“Beep? Why wouldn’t I be serious? I’ve planned to visit another delightful place with Bam later.”

I, too, am a friend. The King, unable to suppress a chuckle at Shiva’s words, shook his head. He lacked the obstinacy to deny his daughter’s request, and thus, he reluctantly acquiesced with a nod.

“Is it for today?”

“Yes!”

Let’s proceed then.

“Beep!”

Thus began the journey of Shiva and the King.

They immediately boarded a bus to the amusement park. Regardless of the economic downturn, at least one amusement park in every metropolis remained operational.

-Click!

“Beep!”

First, a commemorative photo at the entrance. It wasn’t an ordinary snapshot. A rabbit headband was placed atop their heads, and – Click!

“Beep, look at your expression.”

“…”

“Smile, smile!”

An excited Shiva seized the King’s arm and began to hop around. There was much to enjoy. First, the bumper cars.

-Thud!

Shiva, holding the steering wheel of the bumper car they both rode in, put on a show of bravado. Just as she locked eyes with a couple in front, a glint sparked in Shiva’s eyes, and she dramatically swerved the car.

-Bang!

“Kyaaak! Beep hee hee hee!”

Unfazed by any impact or speed, the King remained expressionless. However, Shiva was always within his line of sight.

Next was the Viking ship.

-Whoosh!

“Bbaaaah!”

Then the rollercoaster.

-Wooosh!

“Bbaaaah!”

The tallest and fastest ride in the world, the Hell Train.

-Rumble!

“Beep-a-beep-a-beep!!”

Adding a bit of variety, they took sticker photos.

-Click!

Was this the essence of enjoyment with all one’s might? The King was practically led around by Shiva, yet he fulfilled her requests without any complaint.

Time invariably flies when you’re having fun. As the blue sky began to darken, and the crowd started to gather towards the exit, Shiva, seated on a bench, handed the King an ice cream cone and flipped through their photos.

“Look at this, sir, it turned out quite humorous.”

I had such a delightful time today.
Shiba’s face, lit with a smile, appeared rather weary.

“Here, this is exactly half.”

Shiba, her hand brimming with photos, flipping through them.
The King observed Shiba’s hand for a considerable length of time.

“Sir?”

A photo taken of just the two of them.
Beside his neutral expression, the image of his daughter looking cheerful flickered in his gaze.

The King was immobile, lost in contemplation for a considerable amount of time.

“Thank you.”
“Hmm?”

A minute crease formed on the photograph held in the King’s hand.

‘If only. If only our Shiba had grown up like this.’

Like this.
Just like this…

The King’s hair drooped, shrouding his face. Shiba appeared puzzled.
The King, who had been shivering in solitude for a while. As the ice cream he was holding melted and fell onto the pavement, Shiba, startled, moved towards him.

“Sir?”
“…I had fun.”
“Is your ice cream alright? Would you like mine?”
“No. I don’t particularly like sweets.”

Shiba, scratching the back of her head, shrugged.

“Anyway, it was truly fun. Sir. Let’s remain friends forever.”

Forever. Could that be possible?
Lee Si-heon and the King of this world cannot coexist.
The interference between world-lines cannot last for too long. Perhaps after a few years… one of them has to perish.
It bears a striking resemblance to a doppelganger ghost story that only ends when one of them dies.

Now, it is like this… it’s nice, I’m even laughing.
Compared to my father’s life, I wouldn’t be affected at all.

– Squeeze.

The King gripped his hand tightly.
Yet, his desire to be with this child remained the same.

What if,
Shiba remains oblivious of her father’s existence for her entire life… and before that, the King kills Lee Si-heon?

‘…Then.’

A tiny hope that I might become an old friend of this child.

It’s a cowardly method.
Nothing can be more despicable than this.

Even if it means causing pain to Shiba someday, if only I could continue leading this life…
I would be willing to sell my soul to the devil.
Ironically, in this world, it was none other than the King who was treated as a devil.

“……”
“Mister, look there. The sun and the moon have risen simultaneously.”

Shiba pointed towards the clear sky.
The King opened his mouth slightly and murmured to himself.

“Yes, it is beautiful.”

* * * * * * * * * * *

“Are you suggesting we kill him?”
“Oh… such a pity.”

In the dim room, two men were chuckling, toying with their daggers.
In the photo they were examining together, was a lovely Shiba with her light green hair.

“Can I play with her?”

“Arthur, how do you ascertain who’s around him? If we pull this off, we can live out our days in indulgence. We can’t botch it by playing around with a single prick.”
“Hmm, isn’t it reasonable to stake our lives for a kid this significant?”
“…Indeed, it could be.”

Objectively and subjectively, they are in pursuit of the pinnacle of external standards.
The man caressing the photograph chuckled mischievously.
With a woman of this caliber… he might dare to commit adultery even on the brink of death.
There have been tips about their exceptional abilities, but they are a duo adept at assassination.

“However, why is the cult targeting this child?”
“Don’t let curiosity get the better of you. Have you not seen one too many who’ve been injured in their quest for knowledge?”
“True that. We ought to stick to our own tasks.”

How shall I prepare this dish?

Such a thought fleetingly crossed his mind.

-Thump!

“…Eh?”

The sound of flesh compressing then bursting.
A long tentacle descends from the ceiling, impaling the man’s brain.

As if refusing to grant a simple death, magic surges, tearing and bursting flesh with fierce intensity.

“Oh, uh, AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!”

A long tail is bound to be caught.
However, in their case, even the most concealed evidence had a way of being unearthed.

“Damn it… What’s happening?!”

Putting the already assaulted man aside, another man, striving to escape, dashed towards the door.

-Crack!

But there was yet another.
A sword sprang forth, slicing through the air.

“Gurgle!?”

Lee Si-heon, having transformed mistletoe into a sword, stormed in through the door.

Assassins neutralized within an instant.
They targeted the wrong person. Who dared to meddle with his daughter?
Lee Si-heon, looking up at the ceiling, replied with a dismissive toss.

“Show yourself.”

[Zuin-nim, he’s over there!]

A wooden sprite, clinging tightly to his chest, chirped, pointing towards where the King of Trees was hiding.