Yong-Yong kept a journal called the Nest Management Log, where he recorded the daily happenings at home. Whenever Do-Jun came home from work, he would present the log to him without being asked. The best time for this was as soon as Do-Jun sat on the sofa after dinner. Yong-Yong would carefully bring the log, looking around to ensure no one else saw it.
“Here’s today’s entry, Master.” Bowing deeply, Yong-Yong handed over the log.
Do-Jun opened the notebook and scanned the day’s events. One entry caught his attention: Byeol didn’t brush her teeth after lunch.
The journal entries were often just tattletales. Scratching his head, Do-Jun read through the lengthy page describing the day’s events. Karsiel was aware of the log, but Byeol seemed oblivious.
Byeol burst into the living room, clutching her Pororong doll that was nearly as big as she was. She saw Do-Jun, climbed onto his lap, and snuggled into his arms.
“Byeol,” Do-Jun said.
“Did you brush your teeth after lunch?”
Byeol flinched, her eyes darting nervously. She avoided her father’s gaze with great effort as she said, “I-I always bwush my teeth!”
Lifting Byeol high, Do-Jun looked her straight in the eyes.
Caught, Byeol lowered her head and mumbled, “I’m sowwy...”
Byeol then grabbed a sheet of paper and a short pencil, sat at the table, and started writing a reflection paper. Even though Do-Jun hadn’t asked her to, she always wrote one whenever she felt she had done something wrong and submitted it to him afterward.
I didn’t brush my teath after eating lunch. I will definitely do it next time.
Watching Byeol diligently write the paper, even asking Karsiel how to write unfamiliar words, Do-Jun couldn’t help but smile at the adorable sight.
“All done!” Byeol toddled over and handed him the reflection paper.
Do-Jun smiled and gently patted her on the head.
“But... how did you know I didn’t bwush my teeth?” Byeol asked him.
Knowing the full story, Karsiel chuckled as she put the short pencil back into the case.
The next day, Karsiel woke up earlier than anyone else, separated the recycling, and prepared lunch. Usually, they just reheated leftovers, but when she opened the fridge, she found a plate of stir-fried beef and bean sprouts neatly wrapped in plastic. Yoon-Hee must have made it early that morning.
While the microwave heated the side dishes, Karsiel scooped rice into bowls. Since Yong-Yong was still asleep, she prepared portions for only two. The still groggy Byeol shuffled from the sofa to the dining table.
“Meat!” She smiled at the beef and bean sprouts piled on the plate.
Karsiel served her a portion, and Byeol eagerly took a big bite of rice, using her fork to pick out pieces of beef.
“Eek!” Byeol yelped suddenly, as if she had just remembered something.
“What’s wrong?” Karsiel asked, startled.
“I need to eat the veggies too.”
“Or I have to write a refwection paper.”
To Byeol, her father was undoubtedly an omniscient being. Even when he was at the office, he somehow knew everything that happened at home. Eating only the beef and leaving the vegetables was clearly bad behavior, and if her father found out, she would have no choice but to write another reflection paper.
“Master won’t know,” Karsiel reassured her, recalling the still-asleep Yong-Yong. She knew Yong-Yong secretly wrote reports for Do-Jun but pretended not to know.
She added, “But it’s good to eat your veggies, Byeol.”
Byeol speared a piece of beef along with some bean sprouts and popped them into her mouth. About ten minutes later, she finished her meal. After eating two bowls of rice, she patted her round belly and got ready to go out.
“Where are you going?” Karsiel asked her.
“Ah, I see.” Karsiel smiled as she cleared the dishes. Byeol often referred to the squirrels in Huam-dong as her friends.
Packing a sketchbook, a forty-eight-color crayon set, and enough money to buy snacks from the store, Byeol headed to the entrance. She put on her shoes but then paused.
“I have to bwush my teeth.”
Though she found it bothersome, Byeol dutifully brushed her teeth before stepping outside.
Do-Jun stopped by the eighth floor of the Core after taking the second half of the day off. Since instructing the Rainbow Bird to clean up the World Tree last time, he wanted to check the progress for himself. Upon reaching the eighth floor, Do-Jun observed the area from above. There, he saw the Rainbow Bird leisurely napping atop the World Tree.
Do-Jun’s eyes narrowed as a resounding bang echoed through the air. He shot toward the Rainbow Bird like a comet. The booming sound startled nearby adventurers, causing them to freeze in their tracks.
Startled by the sudden surge of energy, the Rainbow Bird bolted to its feet and scanned its surroundings. Seeing the approaching Do-Jun, it hastily grabbed the cleaning tools at its feet and began polishing the World Tree.
“So you were slacking off,” Do-Jun said with cold eyes.
To clear the quest tied to the World Tree, the tree needed to regain its original power. After Do-Jun’s last visit, the Rainbow Bird no longer feasted on the World Tree, which allowed the tree to begin its self-healing process. However, Do-Jun wanted the tree restored faster.
At that moment, a voice reached Do-Jun’s ears. “Thank you.”
He turned toward the source, noticing a human-shaped carving on one of the branches of the World Tree. As he moved closer, he extended his senses and felt an immense concentration of magical energy—seeming to be the core of the World Tree.
“Thank you for saving me.”
Do-Jun remained silent.
The World Tree continued, “From the moment I first saw you, I sensed you were extraordinary.”
“Extraordinary?” Do-Jun asked.
“Despite the boundless demonic energy you carry, paradoxically, your aura feels pure and warm, even. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever encountered. You’re certainly no ordinary being.”
The World Tree had encountered countless entities, yet Do-Jun’s energy felt remarkably unique. He had even slain Antaras in a single blow.
“May I ask you one question?” the World Tree asked.
Do-Jun nodded slightly.
“Are you... the master of dimensions?”
The F-rank Fissure, the Horned Squirrel’s Cave, located in Huam-dong, held a secret that ordinary people didn’t know—it was connected to Anne’s nest, the eighth Dragon’s dwelling.
Byeol played in the garden with the Horned Squirrels, who were thrilled to see her after so long. They decided to play tag.
“This time, Byeol is it!”
The Horned Squirrels, energized by an Elixir of Speed Enhancement Byeol had obtained with a single Choco Pie from the Treasure Goblin Company, were impossibly fast—too fast for most Hunters to catch. Byeol was no exception.
“Catch me if you can!” one of the squirrels challenged Byeol.
“Wheee!” the squirrels teased Byeol, darting around her playfully.
“Stop wight there, you guys!”
Watching from afar, Anne chuckled softly, finding the scene adorable. Byeol was dressed in squirrel pajamas, blending perfectly with the playful group.
“Can’t do this anymore.” After chasing the squirrels for a while, Byeol finally slowed down, pouting slightly. She unzipped her yellow preschool backpack and pulled out a Choco Pie.
The sight of the bun brought the squirrels to an immediate halt.
“If you let me catch you, I’ll give you this.” Byeol made an intriguing offer.
The squirrels quickly switched gears, eagerly crowding around her.
After the game of tag, Byeol sat in a field, sketching the scenery of the nest. As the warm sunlight gently bathed her, she started to doze off but quickly woke up and pulled out a single gummy worm from her pocket to nibble on. This reminded her that she would need to brush her teeth after dinner. Content originally comes from novᴇlfire.net
Flipping to the next page of her sketchbook with a rustle, she absentmindedly wrote “Reflaction Payper” in crayon. If she didn’t brush her teeth, she’d have to write a reflection letter for her dad. Lying about brushing was out of the question—her dad always knew.
“Ah!” Staring at the words “Reflaction Payper” on the page, Byeol’s eyes widened. “I... I have a good idea...”
She blinked in shock, dropped the crayon in her hand, and muttered, “W-why didn’t I think of this before?”
Tonight’s dinner was hamburger steak. The large steak was topped with a sweet, special sauce. Byeol started with a bite of mushroom, then quickly devoured two bowls of rice. After her energetic day of playing, she was ravenous.
Still feeling a bit peckish, she toddled to the bedroom, retrieved a Choco Pie from under the bed, and munched on it as she returned to the living room. She gathered paper and a pencil, then sat at the table and started scribbling.
I didn’t brush my teath after eating lunch. I will definitely do it from now on.
Do-Jun looked at the clock. It wasn’t even 8 PM yet, plenty of time before bed, since Byeol usually went to sleep around 11 PM, so she still had three hours to brush her teeth.
Do-Jun picked her up.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Writing my reflection paper.”
“For not brushing your teeth?”
“But you still have lots of time before bed.”
“That’s why I’m writing it now. Then later, I just have to give it to you.”
Do-Jun set her down again. Byeol quickly started writing different reflection papers for various scenarios. That night, however, she brushed her teeth before going to bed.