Guru returned to the room, struggling to drag the blanket that On Jurim had covered him with the previous night.
Like how Jurim had done for him, he tried to curl himself up in the blanket like a caterpillar, moving carefully as he draped it over himself.
At that moment, On Jurim's eyes snapped open, wide as threads. He blinked a few times before letting out a raspy voice.
“...You’re already up?”
I shouldn’t have woken him up!
Flustered, Guru began patting On Jurim’s chest.
“Sleep, sleep~ our Guildmaster~”
With a terribly off-key lullaby, Jurim swallowed a small laugh.
Stretching, he picked Guru up and carried him to the bathroom, setting him on the stool.
After squeezing some toothpaste for Guru, he made a call.
“This is On Jurim. No, it’s nothing. I’m taking him to kindergarten today. Yes, please.”
Guru perked up his ears.
‘Kindergarten? The Guildmaster’s going?’
The road to Saebom Kindergarten became a commotion due to the sudden appearance of a famous figure.
“What’s he doing here?”
Holding On Jurim’s hand, Guru was aware of the stares and kept his mouth tightly shut, walking stiffly like a robot.
He knew why people were looking at them. On Jurim, who usually paid little attention to his attire when going to work, was dressed more carefully today, looking even more impressive.
As praises erupted from all around, Guru tried to act nonchalant, raising his eyebrows to appear cool. He wanted to show his best side as a companion.
Then, On Jurim tilted his head slightly at the sight of Guru, who had become more serious than usual.
Was kindergarten really that hard for him?
Worrying that if Guru wasn’t feeling well, he might need to bring him back home, just as he was thinking about it, he heard a slightly suspicious greeting from the teacher of the chick class.
On Jurim smiled and greeted her.
“Apologies for the late introduction. I’m On Jurim, and I’ll be looking after Guru.”
The teacher, who was trying to make sense of why On Jurim was here, blushed and awkwardly bowed.
“Oh, no, it’s not late at all.”
Though the sitter had started helping with drop-offs and pick-ups, to think that the one who had adopted the child was On Jurim.
What about marriage? A wife? A thousand questions popped into her head, which she tried to suppress while greeting the other children arriving at the kindergarten.
Meanwhile, On Jurim bent down to Guru.
“I’ll come back to pick you up too.”
“This is more important.”
He said it nonchalantly, but Guru couldn’t hide the excitement in his heart.
Then, looking around at the other children arriving at kindergarten, On Jurim locked eyes with Guru and whispered.
“To me, you’re the prettiest princess out of all the children.”
Finally, Guru broke into a shy smile.
Feeling relieved, On Jurim lightly pinched Guru’s cheek.
“If you’re upset, you can be angry. You can fight too.”
Guru mumbled while glancing at the teacher, nervous about causing trouble, and On Jurim whispered in his ear like a secret.
“Do whatever you want. I’ll handle everything for you.”
On Jurim was the kind of person who would tell you that you were the most beautiful in the world and would always be on your side, no matter what happened.
A smile crept onto Guru’s face.
It felt like his chest was full of pom-poms, cheering him on like a cheerleader, non-stop.
Fluffy. A feeling of confidence, like a squirrel’s acorn jar preparing for winter, filled his heart.
Soon, the upset feeling disappeared like dust blown away by the wind.
‘The Guildmaster is amazing...!’
Guru puffed out his chest like a pigeon, blowing air from his nose and raising both arms high, as if asking to be hugged.
On Jurim awkwardly picked him up.
“Guru, you seem like you can do anything.”
“When kindergarten’s over, do you want to go with Auntie?”
The Guildmaster was busy, he was in the spotlight, and even without picking him up, Guru wouldn’t envy the other kids anymore.
On Jurim hesitated for a moment, then agreed.
“Okay. I’ll contact you when we get home.”
Guru squeezed On Jurim’s arms tightly.
“Guildmaster, I love you.”
On Jurim, who had been holding him, bit his lip. After a brief hesitation, a single word finally came out.
He didn’t say it back, but his voice was warm and affectionate, swallowing his smile.
Guru, chuckling, bounced into the kindergarten with a skip in his step.
On Jurim stood up, rubbing his throat, which had grown sore.
He then bowed deeply to the teacher.
“Please take good care of Guru.”
Hyeonak Guild meeting room.
On Jurim sat with his legs crossed, constantly checking the clock, looking restless.
It was already 5 PM. He should’ve been home by now, having finished picking Guru up from kindergarten, but there was no word yet.
He wondered if Guru had been bullied by his friends today, whether he had advanced in status from the stable boy, or if anything strange had happened.
On Jurim had spent the whole day tangled in self-loathing, contemplating a plan to scold the 4-year-old on Guru’s behalf at the kindergarten, and it had left his mind in disarray.
Amidst it all, reports kept coming in without pause.
The new guild member, Park Gu-seung, looked pale as [N O V E L I G H T] he noticed the Guildmaster lost in thought, wearing a dark expression.
When Park Gu-seung began tripping over his words, everyone in the meeting room became uneasy.
At that moment, On Jurim’s phone buzzed. He immediately stood up and grabbed it.
“Let’s take a break.”
Park Gu-seung called out with a high-pitched voice, and On Jurim frowned. Irritated, he waved his hand dismissively and grabbed the doorknob.
“Someone, please distract Park Gu-seung Hunter. If he keeps , I’m going to lose my mind.”
“Don’t let him cry,” On Jurim muttered, the tone a cold kindness.
The meeting room fell into an odd silence as On Jurim quickly stepped out and answered the call.
On the phone screen, Guru’s face was visible as he looked down.
It was clear Guru had made a video call, leaving the phone on the floor.
“Did you just get there?”
“With Harry? Did you make up?”
Guru’s voice was light and cheerful, and at that moment, Yun Seojun, who had quietly followed out, saw On Jurim smiling and Guru in the screen. He went back into the meeting room and closed the door.
“Guru, you can’t draw.”
Guru rummaged through his bag, pulled out a drawing, and tried to show it to the camera, asking for help from the sitter.
She chuckled and held the drawing up for the camera, showing it to On Jurim.
On Jurim, who had been slightly expecting something, narrowed his eyes.
The drawing on the paper depicted something with four legs on the ground like a dog.
‘Well, it’s not exactly human, is it?’
A fundamental question arose, but looking at the expectant eyes and all the hearts drawn in the background, he couldn’t help but smile.
“It’s fresh and creative. Put it in the study.”
Guru’s footsteps sounded as he ran off, and then he pushed his face back into the frame with a bright smile.
Seeing his bright, innocent face made On Jurim’s chest tighten in a warm, giddy way.
When Yun Seojun would show off photos of the children with a dumb smile, On Jurim always thought, “What’s so great about it?” but now, seeing his own face reflected on the screen, he frowned at how much it resembled Yun Seojun’s silly expression.
Guru kept chattering non-stop, though quietly, as if he were giving a little presentation.
There was so much to do, but On Jurim wanted to listen to every word of his seemingly trivial stories.