Chapter 162

Kids who'd spent their whole lives learning nothing but combat — their first time at an amusement park was something else from the very start.

First ride: bumper cars.

The shape was closer to open-top go-karts running a track, but with thick rubber bumpers front and back, ramming to your heart's content looked plenty safe.

Everyone climbed into a car — I took an empty seat too, ready to enjoy a peaceful drive.

Vrooooom—!!

"Ahaha! Our Scissors Squad doesn't drive that tamely!"

Han Jewoon in his lion headband came tearing up from behind at ferocious speed and charged the twins' bumper car without mercy.

But right before impact —

"?!"

The twins' car drifted up into the air, buoyant as cotton candy.

While Han Jewoon, thrown, was left ramming nothing but empty air, the twins — high overhead — clutched their bellies and cackled.

"You think you can beat ush?!"

"Get the Guild Mashteeeer—!!"

The delighted little chicks pivoted midair and rocketed at Han Jewoon like missiles.

"Oh! Not half bad!"

Han Jewoon let out a whoop and cranked the wheel hard.

With the miraculous reflexes you'd expect from Korea's Rank One, he dodged the twins' aerial bombardment in one dazzling swerve after another.

"Argh! Why won't it hiiit?!"

Maybe the misses had thrown their concentration.

The telekinesis slowly gave way, and the cart hovering in midair began a helpless plummet toward the ground.

"Kyaaa! We're falling!"

The twins, who'd only just clocked gravity, let out a shriek — and —

Fwip.

Just before impact, someone streaked in and caught them light in both hands.

"Please be careful. You'll get hurt."

Bear-headband Kang Taemin — no telling when he'd even gotten there.

"Woahhh! He caught us!!"

"Super strong-mister!"

Even after a hair-raising drop, the kids just clapped, giddy with delight.

Meanwhile, while the spectacular aerial battle raged, the ground-level bumper cars were as peaceful as could be.

Ari led the way, shouting "Sihyeok, let's go!" and Sihyeok fondly matched her pace; Sea-ah and Cha Yul, too, were wearing bright, age-appropriate smiles for the first time in a long time.

At the cheerful scene, even I forgot the shame of the chicken comb and hummed to myself.

Perfect peace.

Then a cold prickle ran up my spine — and the moment I turned my head, that peace shattered into pieces.

"…huh?"

The chicks fresh off their aerial combat, Ari and Sihyeok playing train, Cha Yul and Sea-ah peacefully cruising, and Suho too.

At some point, seven little ones had, as if by prior arrangement, drawn a tight ring around my car.

Cute animal ears perched on their heads, sure — but the eyes gripping those wheels were as murderous as beasts homing in on prey.

"W-wait! Why me — all of you—!"

"Chaaaarge the Direektuuur—!!"

At Ari's booming battle cry, six bumper cars came at me at merciless speed.

"Hey! Hey!! Don't come!!"

I cranked the wheel in horror, but my escape routes had already been perfectly sealed off.

Kids who were used to hunting monsters as a team — the way they closed in with formation and pressure was honestly an art form.

Right — they're bumper cars, so it can't hurt that much.

Just as I'd given up and squeezed my eyes shut —

"Bwoiiing—! Boiing~!"

Instead of the dumb rubber-on-rubber thunk, cartoon sound effects rang out and the bumper cars bounced away in every direction.

"Urk!"

I snapped my eyes open, shoved back by the rebound, and saw a clear liquid barrier — like an enormous water droplet — enveloping my whole car.

Not just mine, either — the kids' cars were rounded up in transparent bubbles of their own.

Sea-ah…!

Just as I was privately marveling at Sea-ah's new barrier — even more flexible since her secondary awakening — my eyes met the kids', all mischief and giggles.

"Kyahaha! The Direektuh got shpooked!"

At the smug, adorable taunt, I couldn't hold it in — I burst out laughing.

"You brats, come back here!"

I put on a mock-thundering scold and launched into a ferocious revenge charge; the kids let out delighted whoops as if they'd been waiting for it and scattered in every direction.

"Kyahaha! The Direektuh's maaad~ everyone run!"

"Ppffft! Catch me if you can~!"

Rabbit, cat, and chicks tore around the track in every direction, laughing themselves silly.

Like that, for a solid thirty-plus minutes, we tore around the empty track working up a serious sweat.

Me chasing with a chicken comb flapping, the little ones fleeing — bright laughter filled the amusement-park sky.

After a good round of working up a sweat, the kids' next stop was, of all things, in front of an enormous roller coaster.

…r-roller coaster?

Back in my old kindergarten-teacher days, on the amusement-park field trip, it was the one ride I'd desperately dodged.

"Ahem — I'm a little tired at the moment—"

I tried to slip out casually, but Han Jewoon's and the kids' eyes flashed as one, predators locking on to prey.

"No fun if the Director doesn't ride!"

"Let's put him on!!!"

"Hey, wait, what are you all — aaaargh!"

There was no way a non-Awakened like me was going to overpower Awakened.

They dragged me — kicking and flailing — right up to the boarding gate of the coaster.

Faced with the dizzy rise of the rails and the menacing bulk of the train, my face was going gray-white — and then, like a rope let down from heaven, a staff member's voice rang out.

"Ah… I'm sorry, but the little ones don't meet the height requirement."

The staff member's kind but firm verdict came down.

"…What?"

Sihyeok scraped past the line, but the twins and Suho were well under.

At the bolt-from-the-blue verdict, the youngest ones' faces crumpled like they were about to burst into tears.

Just then, Yun Gyeongha in his monkey headband brightened and stepped smartly forward.

"I-I'll sit this one out! Someone's got to look after the kids—!"

"Whoever comes with me, I'll take on the carousel!!! Any takers?"

Before he could finish, I shouted it out like a thunderclap.

"D-Director…?"

Yun Gyeongha's gaze, dripping betrayal, stuck sharp to the side of my face, but I steadfastly ignored it and kept my eyes on the kids alone.

"Yaaaay! The carousel!!!"

"Me! I wanna go!!"

At my desperate offer, the wilting youngsters lit up and stuck fast to my legs.

The contest was over in one round.

"H-hey, Director! Wait a second! I — I could also—!"

"You're coming with me. There are three kids here too — you need two adults, don't you?"

Yun Gyeongha, I'm sorry… please take good care of the kids.

I offered a deep silent mourning to Yun Gyeongha as Han Jewoon caught the scruff of his neck and dragged him off.

Then, with the hands of the kids clinging to me safely in mine, I turned toward the carousel in triumph.

But the joy of victory was short-lived.

This time the staff at the carousel looked put out.

"Ah, this one's fine, but the twins are a bit short for solo riding. A guardian will need to hold each of them."

"Ah…"

I quietly glanced back at the bear-headband Kang Taemin, silent behind me.

I was going to ask him to take one, but the sharp-eyed twins had already latched onto one arm each and were gazing up at me, eyes bright as stars.

"I wanna go on with the Direektuh!"

"Me too! Me too!"

How on earth was I supposed to refuse these deadly little marshmallows dangling from my waist and bouncing?

In the end, I had to take turns carrying the twins one at a time onto the carousel.

"Woahhh! It bouncesh!"

Snug in my arms, Hajun burst into giggles.

The chick headband perked on that round little head and the warm little body pressed against my chest melted my weary soul clean through.

Without meaning to, I hugged him tighter, and Hajun — feeling it — burrowed into my chest.

"Hey now, you'll fall like that. Hold the pole, not the Director!"

Even as I said it in a mock-stern voice, I was quietly happy — happy for this moment where I could just love this child, no holding back.

"Aaaaaaargh—!!!"

At that moment, from way off at the top of the coaster rails, Yun Gyeongha's faint scream drifted through the air.

Sitting safe and peaceful on a horse listening to that scream, I felt afresh, down to the bones, how grateful I was not to be on that hell-train.

But —

The gratitude didn't take long to curdle into regret.

"One more tiiime!"

"This time I'll ride the white horshie!"

"H-hold on a second, kids, let's rest a little—"

"Whyyy, Direektuh! Let's ride more! Just once more! Please?"

I'd looked down on the leisurely carousel, and it bit me good.

The endless-ride marathon of the tireless Awakened had begun.

At first they were sprinting back on the second they got off; from round fifteen on, they didn't even bother getting off the horses.

Since I'd rented out the whole park, there wasn't anyone waiting, so not even the staff intervened.

If anything, they seemed to find the kids too cute, chuckling fondly and just pressing the start button again and again.

Worst of all, there were, tragically, two kids demanding this infinite loop.

The twins were taking turns, so even when one swapped out to rest, I — the guardian — couldn't get off the horse.

By the time we'd hit the insane feat of thirty back-to-back rides, I was fighting for dear life not to throw up.

My stomach on the verge of turning inside out, staggering — and finally, a savior's voice drifted into my ear.

"Anyone want to eat something good with the Guild Master? Grab on over here!"

At Han Jewoon's call from way over there, the kids on the carousel let out a "Yaaaay!" and scampered off in a swarm.

Right on cue, Han Jewoon threw open an enormous lunch spread with a flourish.

"Woooow…!"

The moment the lids came off, the kids' mouths fell open.

Tuna, bulgogi, katsu — every kind of kimbap, plus egg sandwiches with truffle oil.

Beautifully prepared premium melon and tropical fruit, chocolate cakes the kids loved, artisan macarons.

"Waaa! Thank you!"

"Sho tashty! Oppa, try thish one!"

"Guild Mashter, you're the best! Number one!"

Little chicks with sauce smeared around their mouths threw double thumbs up.

The older kids, too — not a single complaint about the sides — packed kimbap into their mouths and worked away, cheeks bulging.

Han Jewoon rested his chin on his hand with a smug expression and shot me a wink — as if to say, see? Nailed it.

Normally I'd have been exasperated, but just this once, I couldn't help being grateful.

I let out a small laugh and mouthed a quiet thanks, then picked up a piece of kimbap in good spirits.

Having polished off the meal and dessert with gusto, we headed off — to help it settle — toward the safari zoo tucked away in one corner of the park.

And no surprise, the one who loved it most there was, of course, Suho, our animal fan.

"D-Director! Look, a lion! And it's got exactly four legs!"

"The rabbits only have exactly two ears! It's amazing!"

Suho, deeply moved by the natural laws of the ecosystem, was so cute I burst out laughing.

"Ha ha, Suho — don't run, you'll trip!"

"Director! Look over there! It's a tiger! Wooow! Its teeth are so big!"

Placid Suho nowhere to be seen — eyes shining, bouncing around — and beside him Sea-ah stepped up, quiet.

"That's a Siberian tiger. The biggest of the cat family."

"Wooow, really?! No wonder it's so huge!"

Meanwhile, in front of the red-panda enclosure, a heated photo session was in full swing.

"Sihyeok, stand over there! I'm gonna take a picture to show Grandma. One, two, three!"

Ari captured Sihyeok crisply in the camera.

Sihyeok, as ever, was expressionless — but the shadow at his feet was making a V-sign.

"Okay, now take one of me!"

Ari held out the camera, and Sihyeok's shadow, as if it had been waiting, stretched long and took the phone.

"This one, flower-face! Now, arms up!"

Ari kept switching poses excitedly, and Sihyeok's shadow soared this way and that through the air, hitting the shutter with real dedication.

"Direektuh!! Over here! Come thish way! There's a monkey!"

And as for me, I was being dragged helplessly this way and that by two yellow chicks stuck fast to either side.

"Yeah, yeah, got it. Together — I'm coming."

My arms were aching like they'd fall clean off, but with the kids laughing and chattering as brightly as any ordinary child, a soft smile spread across my face without my meaning it to.

Before I'd noticed, an orange sunset was slowly sinking, and dainty little fairy lights across the park began flickering on, one by one.

Along with the cool evening breeze, a dreamy peace was settling over everything.

Just as I was starting to savor the afterglow of this perfect outing —

Suddenly the announcement speakers across the park crackled to life, an excited voice ringing out.

[Attention, everyone, attention! In a few moments, tonight's grand finale — an enormous fireworks show — will begin at the central plaza! Guests, please make your way to the plaza in good time!]