Shiba spoke.
"…Peep?"
My daughter was squirming like a tadpole. My daughter, who wouldn't hurt even if placed in my eye.
As I was lost in memories, she had learned to speak.
"Kyah~ So cute! How about it, Little Brother? Isn't Shiba amazing?"
Hwangdo made a fuss, slapping my shoulders repeatedly.
Shiba looked uneasy, gauging my expression, and I sat in front of her, stretching out my hand to stroke my daughter's head.
Soft hair filled my hand.
"…Daddy?"
I was moved.
It felt like I hadn't done anything for her, but when did she grow up so well?
She's totally a baby but could even speak.
A baby not even a year old speaking Korean and saying daddy… Wasn't she a genius of the century?
Even Harvard couldn't contain our child, I could assure you that.
"Dada."
Shiba looked at me, unable to hide her unease.
It was because I looked so surprised that I appeared serious.
I crouched down to match eye levels with Shiba.
"Our daughter."
I smiled amidst my stern face and opened my arms wide.
Then, Shiba's face brightened, and she snugly embraced me.
"Peep~!"
Shiba pressed her head against my chest, rubbing her nose and cheeks vigorously from side to side.
Her tiny hands grabbed my collar and shoulder.
-Flash!
Up into the sky. Higher.
I lifted her up so our cheeks touched, and Shiba, excited, raised her voice.
"Daddy~! Welcome back, welcome back~!"
"Yeah, your daddy's back!"
My tears vanished.
I took off my shoes and went into the room, continuing the conversation with Shiba.
"When did Shiba start talking?"
"Peep?"
"She still can't speak difficult words well. But… the very first word she said was daddy."
"Ah, Dada!"
Shiba proudly called me daddy while looking at me.
It seemed she was more used to saying Dada than daddy. What could we do about this or that? The important thing was that Shiba had said the word daddy to me.
Look at those hopeful green eyes filled with innocence.
Who could speak of inherent evil upon seeing this child?
With a sunny smile, she whispered "daddy," like whispering to leaves, through her tiny mouth that barely fit a thumb.
Without changing, I lay in bed and hugged Shiba, and she hopped on top of me.
"It seems she's really happy. It's only been 3 days."
"That's right."
I thought it would be really awkward. But thanks to Shiba, the conversation with Hwangdo naturally continued.
"Actually, Shiba was really upset. Do you know how hard it was to comfort her?"
"Really?"
"Yeah. She wouldn't talk or eat anything and kept… asking where's daddy. But seeing her talk, I wanted her to hear it directly. Hehe. Isn't your sister the best?"
"Hwangdo is the best."
Of course, she was not better than Shiba.
"So, did Shiba skip meals until now?"
"…She hardly ate. She did eat, but only a mouthful."
"Is it because of your cooking?"
"…What's wrong with my cooking?"
Hwangdo pouted like a duck.
I put Shiba down, laughing, and rummaged through the kitchen fridge.
Since there were some ingredients left, I decided to prepare a simple meal.
"We shouldn't skip meals for the kid. I wonder if it's okay since wooden beings can live on just water. Sister, what would you like to eat?"
"I like everything Little Brother makes!"
Rice cake left untouched for a while. Beef. A carton of eggs and a slightly insufficient amount of frozen dumplings for steaming.
I considered making tteok-mandu-guk (rice cake and dumpling soup) topped with kimchi.
It's easy to make and good as a meal.
As I tied the apron, Hwangdo's eyes sparkled.
"…Apron."
Our gazes fixed in place.
I had pre-soaked the rice cakes in water and separated the eggs into a bowl. It's been a really long time since I had held a knife in reality. The most recent memory of cooking was when I occasionally made meals for Hongyeon in the past.
I remember her dazed face after tasting my food.
Now that I thought of her as someone I couldn't see anymore, it's somewhat bitter.
I quickly mixed them with chopsticks and made an egg garnish.
Just about the level of a person living alone, I hummed while stir-frying the beef next.
Suddenly, I felt a soft touch beside me.
"Rice cake soup?"
Hwangdo looked at the gas range and slapped my back from behind.
"Do you dislike it?"
"Uh-uh~ I like anything Little Brother makes."
Hwangdo shook her head coquettishly, her voice full of affection.
Shiba was in the kitchen right now.
I gently pushed her away, and she puffed her cheeks.
"It's strange, isn't it? Eating food with Little Brother makes me feel really at ease."
She continued to speak.
I paused my busy hands for a moment.
"…Really?"
"Yeah. It feels like I'm back in my hometown. I don't have one now, haha."
I smiled once more as I chopped the green onions.
"Is this flattery?"
"I'm serious! Do you think I always have ulterior motives?"
"Yes."
"…Busted."
The cooking itself ended relatively quickly.
Rice cake and dumpling soup topped with ground beef, egg garnish, and sesame oil. In our house, we added a lot of sesame oil, but since it's a matter of taste, I didn't add it.
If it were Baekdo, I would add sesame oil since her taste was pretty much like mine. But Shiba and Hwangdo were different.
Rice cake and dumpling soup with kimchi.
As we sat at the table, Hwangdo stuffed her mouth full of dumplings.
"Uhm~!"
She immediately rolled her feet from the taste of the food.
It's just like when we were in Dowon. The young Hwangdo who followed me around calling me "Brother" was exactly the same.
Tap tap.
While watching Hwangdo's eating show, a young hand tapped my knee.
"Peep."
"Huh? Got it."
Shiba, sitting on my lap, waited for her meal. As if she never skipped a meal, she eagerly bit into a dumpling I blew on.
Munch munch.
After I wiped her mouth smeared with soup with a tissue, Shiba happily cried.
"Is it tasty?"
Teaching words was all about guidance.
As I taught her to use this phrase for moments like these, speaking clearly, Shiba swallowed her dumpling and beamed.
"Tasty!"
"Right."
"Right?"
I handed her a spoon, and now she was able to eat by herself. Hwangdo, much like Shiba, seemed to have not taken good care of herself in my absence, devouring her food eagerly.
Watching them eat in silence… Shiba resembled my daughter, and Hwangdo seemed just like a dear younger sister.
Despite our complex relationship.
The image of Hwangdo, holding a tree branch and smiling brightly, flashed through my mind.
-February issue! Limited edition~ Kyaa! Brother is the best!
This person who had grown up so much.
Her conspicuously large chest due to her light outfit… the longest hair among the sisters.
It seemed the youngest's growth couldn't be ignored.
"There's a kindergarten performance coming up."
Hwangdo's words snapped me back to reality.
"Ah~ I heard about that. It's mandatory for parents to attend."
"Right, but I won't be here then."
I had returned from the retreat, and soon, Cheondo, Baekdo, and Hwangdo would have to leave due to their commitments. This bustling dormitory would soon be left with just Shiba and me.
"We have a lot of work to do at Dowon. It's time to get back to work with Roshi, P, and Bob."
It's been a while since I heard those names.
Roshi, the tree man who concocted potions, P, a broadcaster from Paprika, and Bob from the Baobab tree. I haven't forgotten their names since we once depended on each other alongside Sansuyu.
"So, what are you going to do? Planning to take her alone?"
"We planned to go together with Dallae."
"Eh… A classmate? Don't tell me, your girlfriend?"
"That's right."
Click.
The spoon stopped.
Before Hwangdo could react, I quickly added.
"...Little brother, that's-"
"Of course, you're a girlfriend too."
"...Eh?"
Hwangdo, with her eyes wide open, was speechless, frozen as if time had stopped.
"…Me, me? I was Little Brother's girlfriend?"
"Yes."
I answered while stroking Shiba's head.
Our Shiba… had many moms.
I was sorry for being such a lousy dad.
"Do you dislike it? I have no intention of letting go."
It's true that seeing young Hwangdo again felt odd.
But now, it's too late to back out.
"...Eh."
"Didn't we settle this before?"
"That, that was just something said in the moment… I thought."
"Anyway, that's how it is."
"Eh, really!...Why has Little Brother become so sly? You're like a widowed old man."
Lee Seyeong said the exact same thing.
I had no intention of retracting my words.
Even if Baekdo or Cheondo were awake inside Hwangdo, it was necessary for them to know.
"...."
Hwangdo, surprised by my words, stopped eating her favorite rice cake and dumpling soup and repeatedly fanned her flushed face.
"…Playboy."
"That's a bit…"
I wasn't secretly dating anyone. And truthfully, wasn't Hwangdo the one who made the first move on me?
The responsibility should be on Hwangdo, not me.
I'm confident I can be a pillar of support and handle household chores well if asked.
"Goodness. Girlfriend, girlfriend. How many so far?"
"...."
Lee Seyeong, Jin Dallae… Hwangdo.
Oh, right, and Byeol.
That made four.
I felt a headache coming on.
"Octopus."
"We're not quite there yet."
"You'll fill that up soon."
How many legs did an octopus have again?
Eight? Ah… surely not.
Hwangdo, pretending to be serious, spread out her fingers.
"Little Brother, should I make a prediction?"
"What prediction?"
"When I, Cheondo, and Baekdo return after finishing our work… by then, Little Brother will have at least six girlfriends."
Two more?
That's unlikely.
I already had plenty to do… It's not possible to add more women.
Especially since there were no women to add without Baekdo or Cheondo.
"I'm confident, we can even bet on it."
Hwangdo's serious statement made me stroke my chin.
While continuing to stroke Shiba with one hand, I quietly spoke.
Deal.
"What's the stake?"
"...If I win, you have to embrace me every day for a week."
It sounded like something Hwangdo would wish for.
But a week seems a bit excessive… Wasn't that overdoing it?
Trusting in the enhanced abilities of the lustful demon.
"If I win."
"You can embrace me for a week."
"…??"
What was this? A miraculous wager?
"Hehehe. Is that so?"
"Heehee. Isn't it nice for siblings to reunite, especially since it's difficult for us to meet… Is my request too much? Just between lovers~ Can't we create some sweet memories?"
As if fluency was the key, Hwangdo's sweet voice melted into my ear.
If that's the request, then yes.
I could oblige many times over.
Carefully, after taking a sip of water, I broached the subject with Hwangdo.
"…Let's discuss it later, over dinner."
"All the kids are asleep."
Baekdo and Cheondo had fallen asleep. Hwangdo came looking for me.
After putting Shiba to bed, I quietly followed Hwangdo to the kitchen.
"…So, what is it?"
"I have a favor to ask."
Dressed in indoor clothes that revealed quite a bit, Hwangdo approached with a slightly flushed face.
The anticipation in those eyes was so evident, it could be seen from afar.
Especially the scent of peaches.
It's a fragrance so potent it could make one dizzy if inhaled for too long.
"…Has it been a while since we did this?"
"Do you want to?"
"…I've already gotten my hopes up. Hehe."
As my fingers traced between her legs, a faint moan escaped her.
"Ah."
My fingers quickly became soaked.
Bringing my fingers to my nose, the strong scent of peaches was unmistakable.
It would be tempting to proceed further and talk later, but… Shiba was here, so it's not possible.
"We have our daughter here. It's not appropriate."
"Should we go to a motel?"
"More importantly, what's the favor?"
In a way, it's leveraging the situation.
But still… It was necessary.
The three sisters of peaches, vanished from my knowledge of the future.
Cheondo, Baekdo, and Hwangdo vanished from my contact list, leaving me unable to reach anyone.
To call it a disappearance felt insufficient. It's more about not knowing when and where they met their demise.
'…Sansuyu.'
In the end, I was the only one who could prevent it.
I gently bent Hwangdo's waist with my hand.
"Sister."
"Yeah, yeah… Little Brother."
"…Can you tell me in detail where you'll be and what you'll be doing from now on? Without the master knowing. It would be helpful if you could mark the coordinates too."
So that I could find them at any moment.
Because Cheondo had a strong sense of responsibility, she would never divulge anything, even if something happened.
Baekdo respected Cheondo, so if Cheondo wishes for it, she wouldn't share that secret with me either.
The only one who could inform me about this was Hwangdo.
Even though there's a reason why secrets were kept. Sometimes, you had to unearth them yourself.
"Why though?"
"Just, it's nothing important."
There's a reason behind it.
Unable to admit that you might die in the future, I silently hugged Hwangdo, pressing my weight onto her body as if to shield her completely.
"Little Brother? …Ah."
The hand supporting Hwangdo's back trembled fiercely.
Not because of the weight, but… because of the hand, worn out by anxiety.
Symptoms that have persisted from the past may be familiar to me, but to Hwangdo, my condition might have seemed significantly weakened.
"What's wrong?"
Let's change the future and live more comfortably.
I might start going bald at this rate.
"I have something to do. I can't tell Sister about it."
"…Really? Seems like Little Brother has a lot on his mind."
After a long pause, Hwangdo finally managed to speak.
"Yeah, yeah, got it. Little Brother… No, since it's a request from a lover, I can't refuse. It's not that big of a deal."
Just where to go and what to do.
Just talking about that.
I believed that just that alone would significantly help change the future.
The one person I couldn't control right now was none other than the Master. Because it was Cheondo.
"So, is it time for sex now?"
"There should be give and take! What, do I have to repay your request with my body?"
I said weakly, my voice feeble.
"Yeah."
Even if it's a request, must I repay it with my body?
Was I in such a miserable position?
Even if I said that, nothing will change.
Today too… it was going to be dry and twisted.