Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 102

Hot steam rose thickly in the air.

Yoon-Hee let out a sigh as she soaked in the bathtub.

The midterm exams were just around the corner, starting on Monday, which was only two days away. She felt confident in the written subjects and the mana manipulation techniques for Infusion, Release, and Transmutation, but one practical test worried her—water combat.

The fields inside the Fissures could vary widely, and some were even set in the ocean. Because of this, the Academy had recently placed an emphasis on water combat skills, adding a new category to the midterms.

“What should I do...” Yoon-Hee muttered, fretting over her impending problem.

She was a terrible swimmer—a really terrible swimmer. Let alone swimming swimming, she even struggled to hold her breath underwater.

For Hunters, practical experience was valued more than theory, so failing the underwater combat test would likely cost her the scholarship.

Thinking that she might as well practice here, Yoon-Hee sank deeper, submerging her head beneath the water. She decided to hold her breath for just one minute, counting silently in her mind.

***

“Mmm...” Yoon-Hee moaned.

Her body felt hot, but a gentle, cool breeze blowing against her was cooling her skin. Yoon-Hee cautiously opened her eyes and saw the soft moonlight streaming through the window.

Someone was fanning her.

“Are you feeling a bit better now?”

Of course, it was Do-Jun.

“Father...?”

Light spilled into the room from the slightly open door, and cheerful sounds drifted in from the living room. It sounded like the others were playing around.

However, Do-Jun was sitting on the bed, fanning her.

What happened...? Yoon-Hee tried to remember.

She had finished dinner, washed the dishes, showered, and then soaked in the bathtub to relax her mind. Then, she tried to practice holding her breath.

I don’t remember anything after that, she realized with a start.

Now, here she was, lying in bed, with Do-Jun fanning her.

“You might still be a bit dizzy. Next time, don’t stay in the bath so long,” Do-Jun said as he quietly closed the door behind him.

Left alone in the room, Yoon-Hee felt her face heat up.

“N-no way I passed out...”

She pulled the blanket over her head, wishing she could hide in a hole from embarrassment.

The door opened again. Then, Do-Jun spoke to Yoon-Hee, hiding under the blanket. “When you’re feeling better, let’s go practice.”

“What...?”

“Swimming.”

***

At 1 AM, Yoon-Hee carefully got out of bed, ensuring not to wake the soundly sleeping “children.” She crept over to the living room, where Do-Jun sat at the dining table, staring at a screen on his SpacePad.

“Um... F-father?” she called cautiously.

“Yes?”

“Wouldn’t the pools be closed at this hour...?”

Seeing right through her worries about the exams, Do-Jun had offered to help her with swimming practice. He told her to catch a few hours of sleep and wake up around 1 AM.

“We’re not going to a pool. Want to pick one of these three?” he said, holding out his SpacePad, showing a list of F-rank, C-rank, and B-rank Fissures.

Yoon-Hee tilted her head in confusion as she scrolled through the list, only to realize something—they were all ocean-based Fissures.

Realizing his intentions, she blurted out, “Wait, are we... practicing swimming in these...?”

She was already bad with water, so how was she supposed to practice in an ocean-based Fissure with monsters lurking in the water? Yoon-Hee wanted to refuse with all her heart, but since Do-Jun offered help, she couldn’t bring herself to say no.

“Let’s go with the F-rank one then...” she said and pointed to the Fissure where, fortunately, there were no sea monsters.

With a slight drop of her head, Yoon-Hee quietly accepted her fate.

***

Arriving at the F-rank Fissure, Abandoned Beach, Yoon-Hee felt a pleasantly cool breeze brush against her skin.

It was pretty dark, as the night had fallen over the beach, but thankfully, there were security lights powered by mana stones instead of electricity, making it just bright enough to see around. These lights were installed by the construction division of the Fissure Management Division.

“Oh? It seems like there are still quite a few people at this hour,” Yoon-Hee remarked.

Do-Jun nodded.

The Abandoned Beach was a unique Fissure with very few monster sightings. Thus, it was also open to the public as long as people came with at least one Hunter in their group. For safety, drinking and partying weren’t allowed, but light strolls and dates were permitted.

“Right. Let’s go practice right away,” Do-Jun said.

“Ah, yes.”

Yoon-Hee followed Do-Jun with quick, short steps.

When she looked around, she saw many couples holding hands and strolling along the beach, which made her feel slightly embarrassed for some reason.

***

Gentle waves rolled up onto the shore.

Do-Jun stood in water that reached to his shoulders while Yoon-Hee floated on her front, clinging to his palm. The night sea was pitch black, and Yoon-Hee was trembling.

“F-father, you’re not going to let go, right...?” she asked in a nearly tearful voice, looking up at Do-Jun.

She gripped his hand with all her might, fearful of him letting her go. Had he been an ordinary person, his palm would have been crushed by now.

“I told you I’m not going to let go...”

Do-Jun sighed, muttering to himself about how they’d been at this for half an hour already.

Yoon-Hee finally kicked at the water’s surface with her legs, splashing water everywhere. Do-Jun stepped back slowly, guiding her along with him.

“You’re doing great,” he said.

“Really...?”

“Of course.”

She was not. He was only saying it to boost her confidence.

When it came to things like swimming, confidence was crucial. With that in mind, Do-Jun led her gently, helping her overcome her fear of water. He also knew it was best to make a decisive move at times like this.

“I think you can do it without holding my hand now.”

Do-Jun gradually loosened his grip, letting go entirely. If she went under, he could just pull her up immediately.

Yoon-Hee’s eyes widened in alarm.

“Aah!”

Panicking, she swam—though barely a meter—to reach Do-Jun’s hand again, clutching it tightly.

“You said you wouldn’t let go!” she whined.

“It looks like you can swim now,” Do-Jun replied with a grin.

“Huh?”

Only then did Yoon-Hee realize that she’d actually swum back to grab his hand. Amazed, she murmured to herself, “I really did...”

“Want to try again?”

At Do-Jun’s suggestion, Yoon-Hee nodded slightly.

***

Wrapped in a swim towel over her swimsuit, Yoon-Hee sat on the sandy beach, resting.

Do-Jun handed her a can of warm drink he had picked up from a vending machine. Maybe because she’d just been in the water, she felt a bit cold, but warmth rose from the drink in her hands.

“Thank you...” she said to Do-Jun.

“You did well,” Do-Jun said and plopped down beside her.

It was so late that there was no one else around. Even if there were they’d be at least half a kilometer away.

“By the way, Father... did you know we had a water combat exam next week?”

“I didn’t, but Eun-Joo texted me about it.”

“Ah, I see... wait, Eun-Joo texted you?” Yoon-Hee asked, sounding a bit puzzled.

Eun-Joo could only mean one person—the Sword Emperor’s sister. It seemed they had exchanged numbers at some point.

Waves gently lapped up onto the sandy shore. Gazing out at the sea, Yoon-Hee sipped her drink, and then decided to say what was on her mind.

“Um, Father...” she murmured softly, biting her lip. “Please... don’t bring in any more women.”

A wave crashed strongly, creeping up the shore to the point of just nearly missing her feet, before retreating again.

Yoon-Hee buried her face between her knees, and for a moment, silence fell.

What on earth did I just say?! she thought, horrified.

Cold sweat ran down her back. Her face flushed as her lips trembled.

She couldn’t quite understand herself. The words had slipped out before she realized it. Had she actually said that out loud, or was it just a thought?

I’m pretty sure I actually said it. Yoon-Hee thought, mortified.

What should she do?

Yoon-Hee couldn’t bring herself to look up.

What would Do-Jun think?

He would surely think she was acting strange.

What had she just done?

What do I do now...

The thought of him texting Eun-Joo left her feeling oddly frustrated. Ever since she found out that Ae-Kyung had stayed at their place for a few days, she felt an inexplicable irritation building up, which seemed to have burst out just now.

What right do I have to tell him not to bring women around... and out of nowhere like that...

Boldness aside, at the end of the day, she was a daughter by contract. From Do-Jun’s perspective, she must seem utterly ridiculous.

I can’t look up...

He was probably looking at her with an expression of disbelief. But why hadn’t he said anything yet?

Yoon-Hee cautiously lifted her face from her knees and glanced to her right, where Do-Jun should have been sitting.

He wasn’t there.

She quickly looked around, scanning her surroundings. Then she spotted him about fifty meters away, walking back from the vending machine with another drink in hand—a bottle of barley tea.

“Father...?”

“Hm?”

“W-when did you leave...?”

Do-Jun held up the bottle and explained, “I thought I’d grab something to drink too.”

Yoon-Hee looked up at him, stunned.

“Did you... hear what I just said?” she asked, just to be sure.

“Hear what?”

He had a clueless expression. Yoon-Hee let out a long sigh of relief, placing her hand over her heart.

With a smile, she replied, “It was nothing.”

***

Stepping into the Fissure, the students found themselves on an uninhabited island in the middle of the sea.

This was where the practical test would take place today.

The Webbed Mermaids, a C-rank monster, were swarming under the surface.

Each student wore a suit equipped with a tiny camera on their chest. When a mermaid was taken down, the camera would record the kill and automatically send the score to the academy. The more monsters they defeated, the higher their score would be.

Yoon-Hee drew the dagger she had strapped to her waist. Though she could shoot with her mana gun from the island, she wouldn’t be able to take down many monsters that way.

“Hey, Yoon-Hee, wouldn’t it be better to use your mana gun?” Jin-Soo advised with concern.

Most of the class knew she couldn’t swim.

However, Jin-Soo was soon taken aback when Yoon-Hee dove into the water and skillfully took down the mermaids with surprising ease.

“Yoon-Hee really is amazing...” Jin-Soo mumbled to himself in awe.

Meanwhile, Hye-Jung watched this scene with a hint of displeasure and gave him a hard shove with her foot, sending him flying into the water.

Splash!

“Idiot.”

With a huff, Hye-Jung turned away and jumped into the water herself to begin her own hunt.