Chapter 86 – 3 Days of Happiness (6)
“Are you awake?”
As Cheondo casually asked, I nodded in response, and she gestured with her chin for me to tidy up my clothes. Buttoning up my shirt and straightening my attire, Cheondo, who had been watching, closed the book and lifted the luggage that was beside the bed.
“Preparations are complete, so there’s nothing else to do, right?”
She meant that we had played enough, so it was time to stop fooling around and start making our way back. I agreed, realizing that we couldn’t leave our daughter alone any longer, and nodded. Suddenly, a great idea came to mind.
Our daughter.
My child, who until now had been too busy to properly play and spend time with me.
I have no insignificant memories with my father, but can this truly be called a family relationship? It cannot be. Originally, when you are young, you must have a wealth of experiences to develop your sensitivity.
“Master, can we bring our Shiba?”
“Your daughter?”
I immediately asked Heaven, who shrugged as if there was nothing impossible.
“But why bring her all of a sudden?”
Why indeed.
“Shouldn’t I fulfill my role as a father? I must take her to the zoo on a day like today, so that I can become an adult who won’t be disregarded later.”
“You don’t even care about the academy.”
Life is meant to be lived with some cunning.
Would it be a significant flaw to enjoy a few days when death might be around the corner? If anything, I’ve been far too busy up until now.
* * * * *
Azalea held out a picture of Lee Si-heon on her phone and spoke to Shiba, who was dressed in chick-patterned pajamas.
“Copy me. Dad.”
“Pah.”
“Ah~ Dad.”
“Bah~ah?”
Shiba hugs her cell phone, smiling at Siheon’s picture.
Shiba’s body has grown to be about the same size as a five-year-old child.
The sprouts on her head have receded, and small branches have formed on both sides of her head. It was the typical appearance of a first-generation wooden being.
However, unlike her rapid growth, her language learning has not yet fully developed.
“Peep. Peep~”
Shiba rubs her cheek against the cell phone with the picture on it. Then, as her cheek presses against the screen and changes to another picture, she suddenly screams in surprise.
“Beep!”
When the picture is changed back, she giggles.
‘Is it strange to learn in just a few days?’
At least, Siheon wanted to teach her the word “dad” before he arrived.
Perhaps because she was recently born, she could only understand the meaning but couldn’t speak the language itself.
‘But she’ll do it soon, right?’
The growth of a magical being far surpasses that of a human. Azalea believed that Shiba would soon be able to speak the human language, as she was the offspring of the clever Lee Si-heon.
Particularly, Korean is considered an easy language, so Azalea thought it would be fine once Shiba started speaking.
Up until now, communication had been limited to beeps and chirps, but that couldn’t continue indefinitely. If Shiba could learn to speak like that, she might win Lee Si-heon’s favor once again.
Azalea imagined Si-heon’s face when he would hear Shiba’s words. Simultaneously, she recalled the pain from the blow she had received. Unsure of why that thought suddenly came to her, Azalea brought her right hand to her cheek and couldn’t help but smile.
_ Knock, knock, knock. _
A sudden knocking sound echoed. Shiba, beeping and clutching her phone, dashed towards the front door.
“Beep beep!”
“Goodness, I told you not to run!”
Having just received word from Lee Si-heon that he was on his way, Shiba’s anticipation wouldn’t be shattered. Wearing a light, non-transparent negligee, Azalea opened the door to the dormitory.
A strange smile formed on her familiar face.
“It’s been a while–”
“Squeak!”
Before Azalea and Lee Si-heon could exchange greetings, Shiba, who had jumped well over 1 meter, was tightly embraced in Si-heon’s arms. She was so overjoyed that tears welled up in her eyes. At a glance, it seemed as if Azalea had somehow wronged Shiba.
‘I didn’t treat her that badly…’
Azalea had provided the cleanest water, nutritious meals, and even though it wasn’t exceptional, she had given Shiba an education and toys. As Azalea worried about being misunderstood, Si-heon gently stroked Shiba’s head and spoke kindly.
“Do you like our daughter that much?”
It was the first time Azalea had heard such a honeyed voice since meeting him.
“Squeak~”
“What makes you so happy?”
“Beep!”
Everything!
It’s as if that’s what’s being said. Hearing the joyful cry, I knew there would be no misunderstanding. As the father and daughter rubbed their cheeks together, Azalea, who was standing at the entrance, couldn’t help but smirk with her arms folded.
“Hehe.”
“Why?”
“It’s just nice to see.”
“Really? Well, our Shiba is quite lovely.”
It’s astonishing to think about it. The large man who had taken the exam before the entrance ceremony now had a daughter and was living a respectable life. Even though it hadn’t been long since we first met.
Nevertheless, looking at Lee Si-heon now, it felt as if we had been together for a long time. Was it because the change was so extreme, or because the intensity of the experiences we shared was so high?
The fatigue that had built up from taking care of Shiba suddenly hit. Azalea yawned once, covered her mouth with her hand, and turned her back.
“Good job with your training.”
“Oh, right.”
What else could I say? I wanted to rest.
“I’m going to play with Shiba, do you want to join? I was originally planning to go with Master, but they want to rest.”
Azalea nodded.
It was the moment when the desire to rest vanished.
* * * * * *
– I feel like taking a break right now. My back seems to hurt for some reason…
Even though our bodies are different, it seemed as if certain sensations were connected. When Heaven mentioned this, I couldn’t help but avert my gaze. Zodiac appeared to be sound asleep. Anticipating that only White Peach would emerge even if we switched bodies, I quickly went to the dormitory and brought Shiba and Azalea along”Good job with your training.”
“Oh, right.”
What else could I say? I wanted to rest.
“I’m going to play with Shiba, do you want to join? I was originally planning to go with Master, but they want to rest.”
Azalea nodded.
It was the moment when the desire to rest vanished.
* * * * * *
– I feel like taking a break right now. My back seems to hurt for some reason…
Even though our bodies are different, it seemed as if certain sensations were connected. When Heaven mentioned this, I couldn’t help but avert my gaze. Zodiac appeared to be sound asleep. Anticipating that only White Peach would emerge even if we switched bodies, I quickly went to the dormitory and brought Shiba and Azalea along.
“Thank you~”
After paying for the tickets and entering the zoo, Shiba’s eyes widened in awe. A spectacular array of animals from numerous species unfolded before our eyes.
Some flaunt their flowing manes, while others display unique patterns on their coats. As I beheld this sight that captured the full range of a child’s imagination, I could feel Shiba’s tiny fist clenching tightly in my hand.
Azalea, observing us from behind, spoke up.
“…Is it really okay for me to join you?”
“What’s the problem?”
“It’s been a while since I’ve had some alone time with Shiba…”
“There’s no need to worry about that when we’re just having fun.”
“Is that so?”
She might be concerned about intruding on our bonding moment. Although she appeared somewhat uneasy, Shiba didn’t seem to mind at all. She was more interested in observing the passersby than the animals. It was as if she had never seen such a crowd before.
“What would you like to see first?”
“Beep, beep?”
Shiba, clutching the waist of my pants, surveyed the people around us. As I embraced her petite frame and lifted her up, her mouth broadened into a grin at the elevated view.
“Peep~!”
Everything in sight was fascinating. This moment seemed to exist for Shiba, whether it was for me or Azalea.
Where should we start?
We began by taking a leisurely stroll and exploring the surroundings.
A lion, its rugged mane flowing, walked confidently across the dirt field, while a tiger roared with majestic authority. Shiba pointed out each of these creatures, often seen on TV but never before encountered in person.
-Growl!
“Eep?!”
Startled by the tense standoff between the two tigers, Shiba clutched at my arms with both hands.
“Cheep… Cheep!”
“You must have been surprised.”
“Indeed.”
Rhinos, hippos, giraffes, and penguins. It seemed that in a society where magic was prevalent, the number of animals was significantly greater than in the zoos of my world. Perhaps the magic made it easier to create suitable environments for the animals.
“Oh.”
Suddenly, Azalea, who had been leading the way, stopped in her tracks.
Inside the well-decorated cage, small, adorable white bundles wandered about. The rabbits, with their ears perked up while nibbling on carrot-like treats, tilted their heads and gazed at us cutely.
“The rabbits seem nice.”
“Ah, yes.”
We placed Shiba inside the cage. Shiba, intrigued by the rabbits, reached out a tiny hand.
-Kkyu?
The rabbit, seemingly accustomed to human touch, rubbed its head against Shiba’s small hand.
“Squeak?”
-Hmm?
“Squeak!”
Perhaps enjoying the softness, Shiba knelt down on the sandy floor and embraced the rabbit. Then, she looked at me and stretched out one hand.
“Papa. Pa!”
“Seems like she wants a hug?”
As I tilted my head, Azalea was the first to translate Shiba’s words.
“Really?”
Could she understand the language? I prided myself on being able to comprehend Shiba’s words quite well, but I simply couldn’t decipher what she had just said.
As I embraced Shiba, thinking it couldn’t be, she whined joyfully, sandwiched between the rabbit and me.
“Beep~”
“Really.”
“We have been together for a few days, after all.”
As I stroked her soft hair, Shiba grinned with happiness. She seemed to be wholly content with the present moment, as if we had never been apart. Children are inherently simple, I thought, feeling a twinge of guilt for not having taken better care of her.
Azalea, who had been watching us with a warm smile, turned her gaze back to the rabbits.
“It’s been quite a while since I’ve been here.”
In a way, it was a bittersweet statement. She might have come here with her father in the past. Having cared deeply for her daughter, she might have reminisced about old times while looking at Shiba and me.
‘Well, that’s that.’
I returned the rabbit and placed Shiba on Azalea’s shoulder.
“Beep?”
“Wait, what are you doing?”
“So, what do you want to see next?”
There was still an abundance of time. There were countless things to show Shiba.
“I don’t think we’ll be able to see everything today, so we’ll have to come back later. Let’s come together.”
Azalea, momentarily taken aback by my words, gazed at me intently and soon broke into a warm smile.
“…Alright.”
We strolled around the zoo once more.
Purchasing cotton candy to share,
Touching dolphins and laughing together as we got splashed with water,
Joyful moments passed quickly, and our tour of the zoo came to an end in the blink of an eye.
“Peep! Peep!”
Shiba, perched on my shoulders, cheerfully called out and playfully swayed her legs. Her hands resting on my head felt warm.
“Shall we head back now?”
“Yes, we’ve seen everything.”
Soon, the zoo’s gates would close. Azalea seemed to agree.
The sky was awash with the colors of sunset. A cascade of orange light descended from the heavens. It was the perfect time to head back to the dormitory and part ways.
“We’ve had so much fun, even though it’s exam season. I wonder if that’s alright,” Azalea mused.
“Breaking the rules is what makes it enjoyable,” White Peach replied.
They laughed, recalling how entertaining it was to watch YouTube videos during exam periods. Azalea brought her index finger to her lips, her giggles dancing on the air.
“Chirp~ Chirp~”
As they walked along the sidewalk, they listened to the melodic sound of Shiba’s song. Before long, they spotted the motel where Hae-nul would soon be.
A voice emerged from beside Azalea, “Oh, right. I have something to say.”
“What now? It’s strange, you always have something to say whenever we meet,” she teased.
“No, it’s not like that,” White Peach insisted.
Azalea knew White Peach would often apologize, but she couldn’t understand why. After all, they had both made their fair share of mistakes.
However, this time felt different. White Peach spoke with a warmth and ease that hadn’t been there before.
“I just want to say that I’m always grateful.”
The voice seemed different from the melancholy tone it had before.
I, who had been scolding just moments ago, felt awkward and scratched the back of my neck while continuing to speak.
“It’s good.”
“Yes.”
Azalea nodded her head.
“Peep?”
Shiba uttered words that were incomprehensible.
“Let’s play like this again.”
I didn’t know when we would be able to play like this again, but for now, I nodded my head in agreement with Azalea’s words.
Tomorrow would be the third day – the end of the holiday I had set for myself.
What should I do with the time?
With that thought in mind, I took steps towards the academy.