Kwang—!
The closed infirmary door burst open with a crash, and beyond it Lee Jinwoo — looking spent — appeared alongside a set of achingly familiar little heads.
"Diirector!"
"Director!"
Shouting loud enough to bring the room down, the twins and Suho came flying onto the bed like bullets.
They dove into my arms and started drumming little fists against my chest — hard as they could, and not hurting a bit.
"Diirector dummy! You big dumb dummy stinky doggie!! Why do you keep gettin' hurt! I told ya we shouldn' gooo! Waaaaah!"
"Hic! Hic! Waaaaah……!"
Hayun clung to my sleeve like a lifeline and burst into full-blown sobbing, while beside her Hajun hiccupped through fat bead-like tears rolling down.
Some Owner I was — big talk and then keeling over day in, day out.
Reproaching my useless self to the bone inwardly, I hurriedly stroked the shaking little backs.
"Come on, do you really think I'd die from something like that? I'm perfectly fine, so please stop crying, okay?"
But the words seemed to only make it worse; they burrowed deeper into my chest, rubbing their wet faces against me.
To make things worse, Sihyeok — who'd worked his way over through the crowd — quietly pushed his head into the pile too.
In the end, four little kids were packed tight into my narrow embrace.
I stroked and soothed the small heads pressed against me for a long while, and only then was I able to look past the children.
Over by the doorway, Yul was leaning with his usual slouch.
"How about you? Hurt anywhere?"
At my question, Yul jerked his head away and, wearing an unmistakably sour face, snapped back curtly.
"Don't worry about me — worry about yourself. How many times is this now? Stop falling over every other day and just get stronger already."
The moment Yul's sharp jab landed, the sniffling children snapped their heads up all at once.
"Oppa! Don' talk to Diirector like dat when he's sick! Diirector's gonna get stressed and fall down!"
"Yeah! The Director's so fragile you could break him just by tapping him — if you keep pressuring him to get stronger, imagine how badly he'd be hurt!"
Even the shadow at Yul's feet stirred and rose up, drawing enormous X-marks at him in fierce protest.
Every word and gesture was clearly meant to defend me, born of deep affection…… but the more I listened, the more it felt like I was being punched square in the solar plexus.
……I'm being comforted right now, right?
At this rate my heart was going to end up in worse shape than my body — I hurriedly changed the subject.
"Where's Sea-ah? She's not hurt?"
At my urgent question, Lee Jinwoo nodded.
"No, Sea-ah's in the other infirmary right now. According to Ms. Kim Sunja, she needs to rest a bit longer."
"Rest more?"
"Her second awakening blew her mana capacity out all at once. Her body's straining to adapt, so absolute rest is a must."
I nodded slowly, relieved.
Once I'd confirmed Sea-ah was safe, the absurd reality that had had me knotted up came flooding back.
I looked between Han Soeun — still kneeling on the floor and sniffling — and a bone-tired Lee Jinwoo.
"So… how much has gotten out?"
At my resigned question, Lee Jinwoo — pale — dragged both hands down his face and silently picked up the remote.
"That's… it'll be faster if you just see for yourself."
Click—.
The moment Lee Jinwoo powered on the wall-mounted TV, a blaring breaking-news broadcast filled the screen.
The backdrop onscreen was the front of the institute, packed to bursting with crowds and press.
[I'm right now in front of Nest Guild! According to sources, Vice Guild Master Chae Junhyeok — who vanished a few days ago with one of his own Hunters — has succeeded, through some incredible secret training, in triggering a "second awakening" in one of the children!]
The reporter's flushed voice rang through the room.
[This second awakening — said to have been experienced by current world number-one Julia Morgan — elevates a Hunter's vessel and class into a whole different dimension——!]
Beep—!
The channel switched, and this time it wasn't a regular newscast but one of those high-strung evening infotainment shows.
[Viewers! You all remember that historic hearing scandal that turned Korea upside down, right? Our very own Director Chae Junhyeok, who revealed himself as a secret auditor in a shocking twist and showed us that tear-jerking "real, real love" for the test-subject children!
And now, wouldn't you know it, that very same man is back — as Vice Guild Master of a guild, no less! Not only that, but the news that this time he's succeeded in nothing less than an "artificial second awakening" has the whole world flipping out~!]
Sensational red captions like "Chae Junhyeok, Human Weapon Factory?!" and "The Man the World Wants!" flashed across the screen nonstop.
[A second awakening through training — imagine! Word is the U.S., China, Japan, and every other major power out there is offering blank checks as a starting point and even promising state-guest treatment at the national level to entice him to naturalize——!]
Beep—!
This time it was a program analyzing the Hunter community and online public opinion.
[Right now the global Hunter community is showing an explosive reaction. Among netizens, Vice Guild Master Chae Junhyeok's new nickname is spreading like a meme, and that would be… "SSS-Rank Kindergarten Teacher"!]
"……what?"
An empty sound slipped out of me before I could stop it.
Beside the screen, top posts from live Hunter community boards scrolled past nonstop.
[A non-Awakened can trigger a second awakening? Isn't this just tabloid crap? Guild PR is going hard lol]
[nah nah did you not watch the hearing? If it's that hyung he can pull it off. The miracle of true love, our SSS-Rank Kindergarten Teacher T_T]
[Any way I look at it it feels made up;; aren't they just hyping him up because he's Chae Ganghyeon's son;;]
[I'm a B-rank Hunter, how do I join Nest Guild? If I get held in SSS-Rank Kindergarten Teacher's arms, can I second-awaken and evolve into S-rank too?]
[As you can see, netizens are locked in heated debate over the truth of the second awakening and the SSS-Rank Kindergarten Teacher's abilities……]
"……gaaaaaah!"
I snatched the remote out of Lee Jinwoo's hand like lightning and mashed the power button without mercy.
Click—.
The screen went pitch-black, and the noisy anchor's voice evaporated in an instant.
"……"
"……"
Unlike me — face buried in my hands in despair — the little ones staring at the dead TV had eyes shining bright, all in unison.
"Whoaaa! Our Director is SSS-rank!"
Ecstatic, the twins glued themselves to my sides and started bouncing on the spot.
"Cough……!"
The heavy mental blow — like a punch square to the solar plexus — pulled an involuntary cough out of me.
"Director…… you really are amazing. The world's greatest childcare teacher……"
"S-Suho! That's not what it means! Really, it isn't……!"
I tried to stop them, face gone ashen, but the kids only dangled off my arms shouting "He's SSS-rank! Higher than us!"
and then burst into giggles.
Even Cha Yul, standing at the doorway with his arms crossed, was smirking maddeningly.
Oblivious to the way my insides were burning to a crisp, Lee Jinwoo — standing in the corner — landed a heavy finishing blow.
"Director…… this isn't the time to be embarrassed. Awakened trying to join the guild are pouring in by the truckload as we speak."
I was genuinely losing my mind.
The process by which Sea-ah had reached her second awakening was a horrific, agonizing experience I never wanted to put her through again — I regretted having taken her there to the bone.
And yet the whole world was raving about that grim outcome like it was some brilliant training method.
"……it hasn't gotten out who second-awakened yet, right?"
"Right. Thankfully the press only reported it as one of 'the children,' without naming anyone in particular."
"Draft an official press release, fast. Direction: total denial. Nail it down flat — there was no second awakening, it's all groundless rumor."
"Understood."
At my instructions, the two of them nodded firmly, resolute.
"And speed up the relocation prep too. The institute was already becoming a guild — the operations and systems all needed overhauling anyway — so this actually works out. Let's move before the kids get exposed to the press."
At my push, Lee Jinwoo made a difficult face and opened his mouth carefully.
"But there's nowhere obvious to go right now. Getting a facility with security perfect enough to block reporters from all over the world in a day is……"
"That…… I'll figure it out somehow, don't worry. First, both of you — blast that press release out right away. And pull every researcher off duty and rotate them onto security temporarily. Lock the entrance down so tight not an ant slips in."
At my firm orders, the two of them answered smartly, resolve on their faces.
"Yes sir! Understood!"
I nodded, then looked down at the kids, who were still gripping my sleeve like a lifeline.
"By the way — isn't it dinnertime for you all? Hurry back to your rooms and eat."
The moment the words left my mouth, the children clung to my waist even more tightly and shook their heads desperately.
"Nooo! I'm not eatin'! I'm gonna stick right next to Director!"
"Right! What if we leave you alone again and something happens!"
Faced with those solemn faces set on never letting go, there was no way I could pry them off.
"Sigh…. All right, all right. Let's all go together, then."
"!"
"The infirmary's already exposed anyway…… let's all eat in the Sunshine Room together for once."
Only then did the kids' faces brighten.
The little ones happily wriggled down out of my arms.
I tossed the sheet aside to go with them and swung my feet down onto the floor.
Then, just as I was drawing on all my strength to get up —
Wobble—!
"Directooor!!!!"
My body gave way, helpless as a punctured balloon.
But just before I could hit the floor, a dense shadow shot up from beneath my feet and caught my listing waist firmly.
Dangling in the shadow's grip, barely, I asked in disbelief,
"……Number One. How many days have I actually been lying here?"
"A full ten days you've been flat on your back! You've been on nothing but nutrient drips — of course your muscles have gone slack, you can't just suddenly start moving!"
Face gone chalk-white, Lee Jinwoo poured out a storm of nagging.
Just as I was struggling to try to get up again —
Whoosh—!
The shadow awkwardly propping me up began shifting and reshaping itself — and finally cradled under my back and behind my knees and swept me up in a perfect "princess carry"!
"Ngh……! Hey! Wait a minute!"
Mortified, I tried to thrash my way out, but by then the kids had swarmed around me from every side.
"Director is weak so no more touchin' da floor for you!"
"Right! Director, just stay carried like this all the time!"
Reduced overnight to a hothouse flower who couldn't walk on his own two feet — no, to a dandelion seed that would blow away in a breeze — I could only lie there flushed red to the neck, mouth opening and closing uselessly in midair.
…kids, in case you've forgotten, I'm a grown man over here.
Just as I was writhing in embarrassment, an odd flicker of wrongness struck me.
The big man who always stood silently at my back, keeping his post with that hulking frame, was nowhere in sight.
"Wait. Where's Number Three?"
In that instant, Number One's and Number Two's faces stiffened.
The two of them exchanged awkward looks in silence.
"What's wrong? Did something happen to Number Three?"
"……Director. The thing is, Number Three is right now……"
The account Number One reluctantly stammered out was more than enough to stiffen the back of my neck all over again.
"What? He locked himself in the isolation cell?!"
I smacked Sihyeok's shadow — still holding me in the "princess carry" — and urgently shouted,
"Sihyeok! Basement isolation cell! Top speed!"
Whoosh—!
Before the words were even out, the shadow holding me shot down the corridor like it had strapped on a booster.
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