Eat The World Tree-Chapter 342: Breaking News

Breaking News

The scent of liquor, sharp yet sweet, filled the narrow bar.

-Pour.

She filled the wine glass halfway with alcohol.

She stared intently at the black martial arts uniform draped over the chair.

A piece of clothing that last hung on someone’s shoulder over ten years ago.

She had long since let go of her attachment to that increasingly forgotten garment.

She thought she had forgotten.

She believed she would now focus solely on revenge.

“Whatever it is, I thought it didn’t matter… How arrogant I was, Dowon. It seems human attachments aren’t so easily forgotten.”

Hongyeon placed her arm on the table, resting her chin on it, and stared at the clothes on the chair.

“Thank you.”

The man’s garment, still stained with blood.

Without it, she probably wouldn’t be here.

Gulp.

Hongyeon drank the liquor, suppressing the nausea rising within, and smiled bitterly.

“…I hope the day comes when you sit in that seat.”

The sharp yet sweet fragrance enveloped the mood pleasantly.

“Ppap!”

Shiba, who has stuffed herself with rice, puts finely chopped kimchi into her mouth and chews it noisily.

The branches on her head had grown much since before; she might look around 8 years old now.

With this growth rate, I worried she might wander off before winter ended.

“Shiba, is it good?”

“Ppi! …It’s even tastier because I ate it with Daddy!”

“Aaaaah!”

She was so cute it made me scream.

“Sorry, Shiba, for not taking care of you. Here’s a kiss from Daddy.”

“Ppihihi. Kiss!”

Chok.

Now she even understood what I said and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

I understood why fathers in this world went through all sorts of hardships at work, drank alcohol they didn’t like, and clung to their jobs like a lifeline.

The hardships of fathers trying to make a better home almost made me tear up.

“Does it suit your taste?”

Jin Dallae, untying her apron, offers me the deeply simmered soup.

It’s a clear, green miyeokguk that makes one exclaim in admiration.

Big, plump oysters rolled out two at a time with each stir of the spoon.

Since she said she was not picky, our Shiba’s mom had prepared a feast to the point of breaking the table legs.

“Miyeokguk is good for stress relief and anemia. Since you’ll likely get hurt, I prepared this… Is it okay?”

Even after doing all this, she asked cautiously.

I looked at Jin Dallae with wide eyes.

“……”

“Um, why? Don’t you like it?”

“No, just remembering when we first met.”

It was amazing. I just thought about it.

I realized that human connections could deepen this much in such a short time.

In my memory, Jin Dallae was still quite prickly.

-Do you have something to say to me?

-No, I was just surprised because I saw you in the newspaper.

-Ah, I see.

I remembered the cold gaze from the entrance exam when our eyes first met.

“Who would’ve thought it would turn out like this back then?”

“……”

Jin Dallae, looking embarrassed, lowered her head and made an excuse in a small voice.

“Back then… I didn’t really know.”

“Yeah, I didn’t expect this either.”

I chuckled and grabbed the soju bottle on the table.

It was not filled with alcohol but with sesame oil. It was the same in the world I lived in and this one.

As soon as I opened the slightly glossy lid, a rich, nutty aroma rose up.

Sprinkling a little on the soup, the delicious miyeokguk was complete. This step was essential.

First, I placed a large oyster, about two knuckles long, on a spoon, blew on it, and fed it to Shiba.

“Shiba, ah”

“Pbeah”

Chew chew.

Even though she didn’t like bibimbap, she loved seafood, her eyes sparkling.

Jin Dallae, who watched this, put an oyster on her spoon and offered it to me.

“Ah~”

“Am I a kid?”

“In my eyes, both of you are equally adorable.”

She spoke so sweetly, word by word.

I wondered if she took some lessons on being a gentle wife.

As I opened my mouth to eat, a bright, happy smile blooms on Jin Dallae’s face.

It was a very efficient form of happiness. I was a bit jealous.

“Come on, Shiba’s dad, hurry up and eat.”

“Mom, it’s all done.”

“Hehe.”

Jin Dallae started eating while gently stroking her neck.

The marks of a passionate relationship, like hickeys and handprints, were still visible.

Faint scars were scattered across the inside of her thighs.

I ate breakfast while occasionally feeding Shiba, something Jin Dallae usually does. However, due to Shiba’s tantrums, I couldn’t refuse when our daughter wanted to be close.

Even after finishing the meal, Shiba didn’t leave my side, so I lay down on the bed for a rest.

“Lie down right after eating? That’s not good for your health.”

Jin Dallae, having finished the dishes, came to the bedroom, saw us, and giggled.

“It’s okay today. Since Daddy’s here. Right~~? Our daughter!”

“Daddy!”

Shiba, excited, raised both arms high, jumping on my stomach, sending small shocks through me.

“Shiba really… Daddy says ouch, ouch.”

“Ouch?”

Though I was tired, I could handle it however many times.

However, perhaps thinking about our daughter’s habits, I chuckled, seeing Jin Dallae slightly raise her eyebrows.

“Ouch.”

“Ppi!?”

I pretended to be in pain to play along, and Shiba, surprised, came down from my stomach.

She burrowed into the blanket, quietly sticking out only her arms and legs, clinging to me.

“No need to correct her habits, huh?”

“…Ppii.”

“Really…”

What might Jin Dallae have thought, looking at our daughter?

She hung a towel used for drying hands on the doorknob and lay down next to Shiba.

Shiba, nestled between me and Jin Dallae, somehow made us face each other.

The bed was wide enough to accommodate four or five people.

“I’ve always wanted to do this.”

She spread her arms wide and pulled me into a hug.

Naturally, Shiba was hugged by both of us, rubbing her head against Jin Dallae’s chest, seeming content.

In the room, still not very hot, with gentle morning sunlight seeping through the window gaps.

It was the perfect time for a late sleep, so we closed our eyes, leaning our foreheads together.

“Haah.”

I felt as though all the fatigue was washing away from my body.

I understood the hearts of fathers all over the world.

The more so, the more determination and resolve bloom in my mind.

Work harder.

Somehow, fix this damn future.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Why?”

“You suddenly frowned. We’re a couple, right? If there’s something troubling, you should tell me.”

“Um, not that I’m clearing my throat, but are we a couple? Aren’t we still just dating?”

Jin Dallae, with narrowed eyes, smiled like a fox.

“Well… are we a couple or not?”

To think that Jin Dallae, who was timid and craving affection, would approach me so fiercely.

I chuckled and left a quick mark on Jin Dallae’s lips.

“Ppi?! Pba. Shiba wants a kiss too!”

Amid the jealousy of Shiba watching silently, a burst of laughter filled the room.

[Blue Cat] - 2 calls.

[Acorn] - 14 calls.

[Peach Sisters] - 7 calls.

[True Gamer] - 11 calls.

[Jung Siwoo] - 2 calls.

.

.

.

.

“This is a big mess.”

When I turned on my phone, countless missed calls and messages flooded in, dropping the battery by 20%.

I came back at dawn and, after eating breakfast and resting, this was an expected outcome, perhaps.

Seeing messages even from academy friends I barely know, it seems this incident is quite significant.

I even got a call from my advisor.

Basically, anyone who had even a slight connection with me tried to contact me.

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

‘Yeah, from one perspective, I was missing.’

I was too caught up in the sweet daily life to think about resolving it.

[Bao] - 61 calls.

[Hey, pick up.]

[Are you not answering?]

[I helped you, so I’m coming to you. Tell me your address.]

“Wow… she’s crazy.”

Overwhelmed by the sheer number of missed calls, I instinctively hit the block button.

But not before leaving one contact.

[Me: You win. I’ll give you the last location of Spring Peach Blossom I heard and your brother Bob’s phone number. Deal with it yourself.]

I sent it and blocked her immediately.

At least one issue was dealt with.

“Let’s see… I need to notify the academy of my return. I don’t want to be considered dead for no reason. Siwoo and Seyeong…”

“Are you talking about other women?”

Kvak!

I felt a pinch at my waist. It wasn’t that hard, but for some reason, it hurt, so I gently moved back.

“Stop… stop.”

These two never slept. They vowed to see my sleeping face, and they really didn’t sleep at all.

Still, I managed to rest and recover somewhat.

Though the aftereffects of self-destruction weren’t completely gone, this much could be treated over a week.

“But I should make calls.”

Having decided, I immediately called my master.

The phone was picked up the moment it rang once. Then, a voice boomed out.

[What is it?]

It was Baekdo.

“Ah… why her?”

[Do you want to die?]

“No, second master. If your disciple returns from a perilous situation, shouldn’t you have called earlier? Huh? I waited a lot. At least show some concern…”

Baekdo, sounding tired, ground her teeth.

The sound of her thumping her chest came through the phone.

[Do you think I enjoy waiting in shifts for a call from a disciple I don’t even like? I nearly got a stiff neck waiting.]

“Uh.”

[And if you only left one message until morning and then finally called, shouldn’t you say, ‘I’m sorry for being late. There was an issue.’ What? Why her? Why her? Are you itching to die?]

With the rapid-fire scolding, I subtly moved the phone away from my ear.

[Listen carefully! That’s always your problem!! Because of you, Cheondo and I… Ugh!]

I was caught right away.

Actually, it wouldn’t matter who it was, but for some reason, my body reacted automatically when it came to Baekdo.

Jin Dallae, lying next to me, giggled with her eyes wide open.

“You’re getting scolded~”

“Is Daddy in trouble?”

It was not being scolded; it’s being tormented.

I chuckled seeing the mother and daughter team up to tease me.

[Anyway. Cheondo told me to tell you. She’ll be there in a week, so book a hotel and keep your schedule free. Hang up! Seriously…]

Click.

She conveyed the message with machine-gun speed and hung up.

I tapped my dazed ear and asked Jin Dallae.

“…Isn’t my ear bleeding?”

“No blood. You should have placated the women around you better.”

How many times did I have to do this?

I tried to take down a few trees and ended up ruining my own fate.

I hesitated for a moment before calling the next person.

Click.

[Where are you?]

“Yeah, Seyeong…”

[Where are you now? Are you okay?]

“I’m fine. I’m at El Academy right now.”

[Stay there. I’m coming right away.]

Her authoritative voice made me shiver like a scared puppy.

Before I knew it, Jin Dallae and Shiba were stroking my head.

[Call me when I get there.]

Click-

As the call ended, silence approached. Jin Dallae, lying beside me, smiled at some thought.

“You.”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s go together this time.”

“Huh?”

“Everyone you love should meet. You have a daughter, too.”

Something was happening.

Cafe. A cozy place perfect for couples spending time together.

“Teacher. It’s been a while.”

“Ah ha… It’s Dallae?”

Byeol’s eyes were having a severe earthquake.

“…Hieeeek!”

A scary person met another scary person.

There was indeed a part of her that was scared of a young, newly adult, twenty-year-old girl.

Byeol remembered.

Lee Seyeong and Jin Dallae. How close their looks were to those of her bullies.

The ones who would look down with harsh eyes and say, ‘Why are you reading this?’ while messing with her comic books… those terrifying bullies!

If you put them in school uniforms, they’d fit perfectly.

Shiver shiver shiver shiver.

Her body responded.

It’s the defense mechanism of a nerd, ingrained in her DNA, not just in her body.

Women were scary.

They fought over the weirdest things, trying to be on top.

She didn’t know if these two were like that, but while Lee Seyeong had a unique side, she wondered how this girl named Jin Dallae would be.

‘Beta girls… can’t even compete in a staring contest.’

Byeol, who had followed purely to play the newly released game together, was just crouching like a baby rabbit, shivering.

“Breaking News.”

The person who lost in this battle of presence wasn’t just Byeol.