Chapter 09
Yeongho suddenly felt a chill as his son-in-law’s expression darkened, and he shivered.
As Yeongho stepped back, shaking his head, Jurim smiled faintly.
“Shouldn’t we be honest with each other?”
The child began to hiccup.
“I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I’m really sorry.”
Seeing Yeongho looking almost on the verge of tears, Jurim immediately deactivated the skill.
“Let’s be friends, alright?”
“Y-yes!”
Yeongho nodded repeatedly and cautiously stepped forward.
“Will you apologize?”
“Y-yes…”
Jurim lowered Gru to the ground.
“Gru, I’m sorry…”
Gru wriggled his hands and shook his head.
“…It’s okay.”
“…I felt sad too, seeing you cry.”
“Gru… I’m sorry too, for getting upset when you asked to be friends.”
Asked to be friends? Jurim blinked, surprised at the early love affairs of children, glancing between the two of them.
“No, I’m more sorry. Let’s just be good friends from now on.”
“Okay, deal.”
Gru and Yeongho held hands and shook them up and down.
How sweet. Watching this reconciliation, Jurim gently patted Gru on the head.
At that moment, the orphanage teachers, noticing a stranger’s presence, rushed over.
The teachers couldn’t hide their astonishment upon seeing who had come to the orphanage. From their expressions alone, it seemed as if they were silently asking, “Is that really Jurim On?”
“Are you a childcare teacher? Nice to meet you. I’m Jurim On.”
“Huh? Y-yes… Hello, Guildmaster Jurim On. But, may I ask what brings you here…?”
In South Korea, there are few who wouldn’t recognize Guildmaster Jurim On’s face.
He smiled elegantly, the same smile occasionally seen in interviews.
“I came to pick up my child.”
“Your… child?”
The teachers’ eyes dropped toward the floor.
Jurim lightly tapped the top of the child’s head, and Gru blinked blankly.
Gru sat on the director’s office sofa, staring blankly at the director and the guildmaster.
The bald director was a kind man but easily excitable, and the visit of a celebrity seemed to have thrilled him immensely.
After taking photos shaking hands with Jurim and smiling together, he introduced his autobiography, Children Like Seeds.
Then he brought out a stack of A4 paper, had Jurim sign dozens of sheets, and only then began discussing the adoption procedures.
Once all the formalities were complete, Jurim, sitting beside Gru, looked more tired than usual.
“I plan to raise Gru properly in the String Division.”
When Jurim said this in front of the director, Gru had to cover his mouth to keep from shouting.
He had been half in disbelief at the news that Jurim came to pick him up.
“He’s going to raise me in the String Division!”
It felt as if a swarm of birthday worms were wriggling in his chest, rolling and tumbling, shooting out celebration fireworks.
The director, equally stunned, stammered.
“So… you’re saying… Gru… is… an Awakened?”
“Yes, he’s technically not yet registered with the Management Bureau, but he is an Awakened.”
“My goodness!”
The director slammed the armrest.
“Our Gru has been a beautiful, outstanding child since he was tiny—rarely crying, always smiling!”
The director’s praise overflowed as he beamed, and Gru puffed up proudly.
Please praise me even more in front of the guildmaster, director!
But Jurim, not knowing Gru’s feelings, immediately dampened the moment.
“He’s not that extraordinary, just slightly above average.”
Ding!
How mean!
“But still, the youngest Awakened, right? Wow, Gru! Awakening in the String Division! Amazing!”
“Hehe, right?” Gru smiled broadly and laughed weakly.
The director lavished Gru with attention and then turned back to Jurim, drawing close. Jurim subtly leaned back, but the director firmly held both of his hands.
“Oh, Guildmaster. Making such a difficult decision—truly blessed. The country actively supports adoptions by socially reputable people like you. Don’t worry about anything else. As long as the paperwork is correct, everything’s fine.”
While the director insisted that Jurim trust him completely, Jurim felt an odd, diminishing trust.
“I’d like to ask if something is possible,” Jurim continued, gently withdrawing his hands.
“Yes, yes! Anything is possible. Please, tell me.”
“Regarding Gru’s residence—would it be possible to move him to my home tomorrow?”
“Eh? Tomorrow?”
“Actually, I’m concerned about Gru’s awakening being unstable.”
The director’s face turned pale.
He must have seen news reports of unstable Awakened causing harm due to losing control.
The truth, however, was that Jurim wanted to prevent Gru from being illegally trafficked on the black market.
Feigning casualness, Jurim glanced at Gru.
“B-Bruan…”
Gru muttered “unstable” with a pale, shocked expression.
Only after Jurim whispered that it was a lie did Gru break into a mischievous giggle.
“If Guildmaster On sees me personally, I’d even be grateful… Gru, are you okay going straight with Guildmaster On?”
“Yesss!”
Gru beamed and held Jurim’s hand.
Because Gru is in the String Division! Hearing that he would now live with the guildmaster made his heart race.
Seeing Gru’s excitement, the director called somewhere to start emergency procedures to move Gru to Jurim’s home.
At the same time, a status window appeared before Gru’s eyes.
[Quest: The child needs a reliable protector.]
[Completed!]
A cat-paw stamp slapped onto the completion notice.
Gru’s eyes widened, and he covered his cheeks with both hands.
A protector… I have one now!
Gru finally settled that night.
He had spent the entire day answering questions about Jurim from older siblings, friends, and visitors.
Only after lights out could he finally organize his thoughts.
“Guildmaster On is adopting me. So… does that make him my dad now?”
His heart pounded.
Family… Nervous excitement made his heart race wildly.
Then—
“Gru, there’s a baby in Auntie’s belly.”
A memory cut across his mind like a blade.
The pounding heart stiffened like a dry leaf.
Children might not fully understand, but Gru had been adopted once before, if only for three months.
“Our beautiful Gru. I’d be so happy if you called me ‘Mom.’”
The warm, middle-aged couple had showered the adopted Gru with gentle love.
Their soft words, loving gaze, and tender embrace filled him with an almost tangible happiness, spilling out like overflowing laughter.
But it lasted less than three months.
“Gru, there’s a baby in Auntie’s belly.”
The day his mother returned from the hospital, she said the same thing.
“You can’t call me Mom anymore.”
And so, like clockwork, Gru returned to the orphanage.
The couple cried, worried that a new child might make Gru feel neglected, and hoped he would find a happier family.
Gru would have been fine with a sibling—he felt confident he could care for a younger one, just like his mother had.
He rubbed his eyes, which had gone misty.
“Not Dad… Guildmaster On.”
He now understood that a non-blood adopted child could always return to the orphanage.
But if it’s the guildmaster and guild members? If Gru is being taken because he’s S-rank, his place will always remain in the String Division.
