Daybreak Park, due to its large size, was often a stage for various incidents.
From drinking in alcohol-prohibited areas to exhibiting excessive displays of affection.
It attracted its fair share of unsavory individuals, much to the dismay of park-goers.
But today, a section of the park was unusually quiet.
Not even the soft chatter of couples or families could be heard.
With so many people around, why was it so?
Choi Jin-hyuk, patrolling the park for a break, realized that people's attention was focused intently on one spot.
'That's...'
Gyeoul, who had recently become a topic of discussion in the area, was sitting on a bench.
Right next to Gyeoul was the newly arrived horned rabbit child.
No approaching.
No filming.
No initiating conversation out of curiosity.
Park visitors had created their own set of rules to protect the children.
Though one of them was not a child but an elder.
But why was everyone's attention focused today?
Choi Jin-hyuk, curious, moved behind Gyeoul and soon found the reason.
The horned rabbit girl, with the innocent voice typical of a child, had blurted out something.
"I should eat all the food when I have it?!"
She spoke loud enough for everyone around to hear, as if it didn't matter.
This allowed everyone to clearly hear Gyeoul's quiet response.
"Yeah. Last time, the red bean bread was so delicious that I saved it for a month. But then, it got moldy, and I had to throw it all away."
"Really?! Couldn't you just eat the parts without mold?!"
"No, you can't eat it if it gets moldy. I was so hungry once that I ate only the non-moldy parts, and I thought I was going to die that day."
The child, clad in shabby clothes, made such a shocking statement.
A middle-aged man drinking water choked in surprise, coughing violently.
"What a shame! I wanted to save the precious chocolate as much as possible!"
"Precious?"
"Yeah! Chocolate is a snack only for high-ranking people!"
"Oh, is that so...?"
What kind of chocolate is it that only the high-ranking can eat?
Choi Jin-hyuk, careful not to be noticed, glanced at the chocolate in the child's hand.
It was just ordinary chocolate, worth about five thousand won at the nearby supermarket.
"But Levinas once ate chocolate only once, years ago! This is just the second time, isn't it amazing?!"
Ahem.
Levinas, with her hand above her waist, puffed out her chest proudly.
The citizens felt a pang of sympathy for the child, boasting as she did.
"It's the same for me. This is only my second time too."
"What?! For Levinas, eating chocolate is one of the greatest experiences in life! The king has already done it all..."
"Uh, yeah."
The conversation between the two children was heart-wrenchingly sweet.
Sigh
Somewhere, a sensitive woman wiped her tears.
"Then, has the king ever tried yogurt?!"
"Yo-yogurt?"
"Yeah! Levinas gets yogurt as a snack once a month!"
Levinas, closing her eyes as if savoring the taste of yogurt, was lost in a blissful expression.
Gyeoul watched her face and slowly shook her head.
At least in this life, she had no memory of ever trying yogurt.
"I haven't had yogurt yet."
"Is that so!"
Was it because of her one victory?
Levinas showed a triumphant expression.
"It's okay! Yogurt is really hard to get!"
"That much...?"
"Yes! It's like a reward given only to those who work to death for a month! You haven't worked to death yet, have you, king?"
Because he's the king.
There's no need for him to work to death when he has subordinates.
Confident, Levinas leaned toward Gyeoul, closing the distance between them on the bench.
"Ye, yes. I've fainted from working too hard, but never to death..."
"Hahaha! The king has lived a privileged life!"
"Is, is that so...?"
Fainting from exhaustion is quite common in modern society.
Gyeoul nodded in understanding.
"Yes! But Levinas worked hard so the adults wouldn't beat her!"
"I'm a bit envious of that. I got hit sometimes."
"You, you were hit...?"
"Yes. Once I got kicked and couldn't breathe, I thought I was going to die."
What kind of conversation were these two young children having?
Choi Jin-hyuk and the nearby citizens were enveloped in a stunned silence.
'She was kicked...?'
Violence was prohibited in areas under the guild's watch.
Surely, she must have been hit somewhere out of sight.
Choi Jin-hyuk consoling himself with a quickly conjured excuse, clenched his fist.
He realized no excuse was valid in this situation.
"Ha..."
He had intended to exchange light greetings since he was here.
But he ended up hearing about the child's wounds.
Wounds that had begun due to his own negligence.
What should he do now?
As Choi Jin-hyuk lingered near the children, a middle-aged couple approached him.
It was the man who had choked on his water earlier and his wife.
"Are you from Daybreak Guild?"
"Yes, yes... I am, but..."
"Come here for a moment."
"No, no, it's not what you think..."
Choi Jin-hyuk knew why the couple had called him.
They were concerned about the children.
Being children from Daybreak Park, it was inevitable for the guild to be under suspicion.
"Those beast-kin kids sitting on the bench, they live in that shabby container, right?"
"Well, yes, but that's not..."
It was definitely not what we wanted.
Even as Choi Jin-hyuk struggled to explain to the middle-aged couple, the children's conversation continued.
"Wow, the king has also had a tough life..."
"Yeah. But I'm okay now. I have a decent home."
Gyeoul pointed to the container.
The used container, its paint peeling and rusting in places, sported patches of orange.
"It's amazing... Levinas is still sleeping on the streets..."
"I used to do that too. If you work hard like me, you'll have a decent home too."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I'll teach you all sorts of things."
The thought of living well like a king filled Levinas with joy.
Just then, as she hopped around like a horned rabbit, Sophia approached them, leaning on her cane.
"Gyeoul, can we talk for a moment?"
"Yes. What is it?"
"It's about sleeping arrangements."
Sleeping arrangements?
Gyeoul glanced around, puzzled.
"It's not the season for dragonflies yet."
"I'm talking about beds. Beds."
"Oh."
That kind of sleeping arrangement.
Gyeoul scratched the back of her head in embarrassment.
"It seems we need to find another mattress..."
"Mattresses are hard to find. I'll just sleep in the box."
"...Are you sure?"
"Yes. Sophia, you have difficulty moving, and Levinas is still young."
Huh?
Isn't Gyeoul the youngest?
Sophia tilted her head but didn't voice her thoughts, knowing too well how mentally mature a child who has lived a hard life can be.
"Hmm... No. I'll buy a mattress myself."
"Really? Are you sure?"
"Yes, I have nowhere else to spend my money anyway."
"Wow...!"
Perhaps Gyeoul preferred a mattress over a box too.
She clapped her hands in joy.
"I'll get ready to go out. Just wait a moment."
"Okay..."
Gyeoul watched as Sophia headed back to the container, her ears perking up at a familiar sound.
Turning around, she saw Choi Jin-hyuk trudging after an elderly couple.
'His parents?'
It seemed only parents could suppress the aura of a great adventurer like Choi Jin-hyuk.
Gyeoul watched Choi Jin-hyuk's retreating figure with a tinge of envy.
< + >
Before Sophia returned from her outing, Gyeoul planned to teach Levinas something simple.
At least enough so she could do as much as her.
She felt elated with her newfound life goal, her tail wagging uncontrollably.
'This is nice.'
Teaching a child was an important task, contributing to society.
She remembered the feeling she had when she first bought her container and got up from the bench.
"First of all..."
What should she teach her first?
She briefly thought of horned rabbit hunting but quickly abandoned the idea, realizing Levinas was a horned rabbit herself.
It would be too much to teach hunting to young Levinas.
She'd have to start with the very basics.
"Levinas, have you ever earned money yourself?"
"No! Only adults can earn money!"
"Huh? Didn't you say you've worked before?"
"Yes! But I was paid in yogurt instead of money!"
Oh.
Hadn't she mentioned receiving only one yogurt per month?
Was that all her labor was worth?
As these questions arose, Gyeoul heard the sound of a woman sobbing nearby.
There must be some trouble.
Well, the park was a place where many people came and went.
She decided not to concern herself with it.
"Then I'll teach you how to earn money."
"Earn money? Even though I'm not an adult?"
"Yes. There's money lying around here."
"Really?!"
Levinas, her eyes wide as if a horned rabbit, looked around.
However, her gaze failed to notice the empty bottles scattered around.
"Hmm..."
Perhaps she was still a novice in homelessness.
She resolved to teach her quickly about the greatness of empty bottles.
<+>
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