*[Junior AI Chat]*
Juju: Ask me anything! Juju will tell you everything!
G: Juju, what's a blind date?
Juju: A blind date? That's a bit of an inappropriate question for children. Simply put, it's where a man and a woman have a serious meeting, I suppose?
*
Because Gidan had not shown up to his personal office lately either, Gru rode her bicycle to Hyeonak's communal locker room.
With the help of kind Hyeonak employees who pressed the elevator button for her, Gru safely arrived at the locker room and spotted the person she had been looking for among the bustling Team 1 guild members.
‘Found him.’
After clearing the dungeon, everyone seemed to have just finished showering.
"If it isn't Princess Gru. What brings you all the way here?"
"Oh, hey Gru!"
"Gruru!"
"Hewwo!"
After greeting the guild members who welcomed her warmly, Gru approached Gidan, who was drying his hair with a towel in front of the locker room, and parked her bicycle.
"Gwu, I have shumthing to tell oppa. Hop on."
What she had brought for today was a two-seater children's bicycle with a back seat.
For this birthday, she had received so many different bicycles as gifts that she could ride a different one every day for a month, allowing her to cover all sorts of situations.
Gidan looked at the tiny back seat, barely big enough for one doll, and smiled wryly.
"I don't think oppa can ride. Can't you just tell me here?"
If so, it couldn't be helped. Gru got off her bicycle and clenched both fists tightly.
"Then wisten, Gidi oppa!"
"Yeah."
As Gidan threaded his other arm through his jersey and downed a banana milk in one go—
"Go on a sewious date with Gru!"
"Huh?"
Thud!
So surprised that his hand lost strength, the banana milk fell to the floor.
"What did you say?"
"I'm a girl and oppa's a boy!"
The inside of the locker room became utterly silent.
As the gazes directed at Gidan increased one by one, he gulped dryly.
What was contained in those gazes was unmistakably murderous intent.
"W-why are you all looking at me like that? I haven't done anything..."
"Oppa, with Gru—!"
Regardless, Gru was on the verge of dropping another bomb.
Gidan tucked the little girl under his arm, grabbed the bicycle with his other hand, and dashed through the emergency exit to his office in one burst.
Bang!
"W-what was that— No, was that some kind of 'S-Rank Assassination Operation'? Did NAG send her?"
The guild members cherished Gru so much, calling her Hyeonak's daughter and a princess.
If Gru had said one more word there, he could have been buried alive unjustly.
However, Gru replied as if asking what nonsense he was talking about.
"Gwu is wequesting a blind date with oppa!"
As if presenting a challenge, when she said that, Gidan furrowed his brows.
"A blind date?"
"Mhm!"
A blind date all of a sudden? Gidan pondered for a moment before asking.
"Gru, do you know what a blind date is?"
"I do! It's when a man and a woman meet sewiously."
As she said that, she put on a resolute expression as if to show she was very serious.
At this, Gidan let out a light laugh.
Yeah, there was no way she'd know.
He had nearly been assassinated by a kindergarten assassin who didn't even know the meaning of a blind date.
Gidan calmed his still-pounding heart and suddenly asked.
"But where did you hear that?"
"Fwom Chairman Nam. Mhm, while Daddy was talking about a blind date?"
"What?!"
"Mhm?"
Gru flinched at Gidan's violent reaction. Why was he like that?
"A blind date, that's... I mean... Ah, how should I put it. Ah! It means you'll get a mommy, Gru."
"Gasp!"
"No, it's not definite! If it goes well...? Uh, I mean... first the two of them meet, and if they end up liking each other, it could turn out like that."
"If they gwo to wike each other?"
Gru covered her mouth and asked in a small voice.
"Wuv-wuv?"
"Yeah. Lovey-dovey."
Daddy? Lovey-dovey?!
She had never even thought of that before?!
While Gru was falling into confusion, Gidan asked with sparkling eyes.
"Who's the lady Hyung is going on a blind date with?"
"Ah, who is it..."
Gru tilted her head and recalled the memory she had secretly eavesdropped on.
"Gomongnyang."
"Huh?"
"Go, Gomongttang?"
"Gomyeongttal?"
"Mhm! That!"
"Silly Gru, that just means the daughter of some household..."
"Gasp!"
She thought it was a name!
"Hmm, who could it be?"
Gidan sat on the armrest of the sofa, frowning. By the look on his face, he was dying of curiosity.
‘Th-this is it!’
It was a chance she had been trying to summon Gidan to Jeju Island for a serious meeting anyway.
Though she had been briefly distracted by Daddy's lovey-dovey affairs, she mustn't forget the original goal.
Gru scurried up to Gidan and threw out the bait.
"Oppa, curious about the Meongnyang daughter?"
"Of course I'm curious."
Heh, he took the bait. Gru was certain Gidan had bitten the hook.
But the hesitating Gidan asked.
"Gru, is it okay?"
"Mhm?"
"If you get a mommy..."
"Ah, mhm."
Gru nodded lightly.
"I wike it..."
Family made Gru's heart feel sweet and sugary. Because loving and being loved was joyful and made your heart feel fluffy like clouds.
"If Daddy wikes her, then Gru wikes her too!"
Gidan broke into a grin.
"Yeah, we should know beforehand who Hyung is meeting. Let's go to Jeju Island."
"Yay—!"
*
After achieving her small goal.
‘I might get a mommy...’
Gru's heart wouldn't stop pounding the whole time.
‘What kind of person is she?’
Gru would welcome her immensely.
Setting off lots of fireworks, gifting all the snacks she had saved up.
She would make it abundantly clear that she was a mature, smart child that adults would adore.
And on top of that, Gru was a tremendous parachute, and a nouveau riche...
Recalling several titles she could proudly show off and certificates she had received from kindergarten, Gru smiled in satisfaction.
‘...It's not Gru's blind date!’
Gidan had said that for now, Daddy had to meet her first and the two had to be lovey-dovey together.
Daddy was cool and strong, so wouldn't they like him right away?
Ah, but one thing bothered her...
‘What if they don't like Daddy because he didn't graduate from kindergarten?’
And also, what if they had seen that interview from before?
Gru recalled the flustered anchor's face.
That's how it was last time too.
‘That's another minus... Come to think of it, that too...’
As she made a long list of minuses in her head and it began to grow too long, Gru fell into deep anguish.
‘Daddy, what do we do... there are too many minuses...’
With sad eyes, Gru stared at Joorim.
‘The Meongnyang daughter might not like him.’
Feeling Gru staring at him like a shy puppy standing behind the door, Joorim narrowed his eyes.
"...?"
He put down his phone and patted his thigh, gesturing for her to come closer. Then Gru scurried over.
Instead of quickly cuddling up, Gru circled around Joorim, examining him from every angle, before declaring resolutely.
"It's otay! Daddy is... um, handshome!"
"...All of a sudden?"
"Mhm!"
It was a face that said he had no idea what she was thinking, but soon a flower of a smile bloomed.
It was the gentle smile he made every time Gru called him Daddy.
Gru felt happy too, beaming as she spread both arms wide open.
At this, Joorim naturally lifted the child into his arms.
From beyond the phone he had put down, the stiff voice of the answering machine was leaking out.
Joorim hurriedly pressed the call end button, and Gru pressed her squishy cheek against Joorim's shoulder.
"Daddyy."
"Mm."
Joorim answered and gave a smacking kiss on her head.
‘Ehehe!’
"Daddyyy!"
"Yes."
Joorim, who had been smiling the whole time, instantly stiffened and asked with a serious face.
"...Don't tell me you caused another accident?"
She shook her head.
"Not yet!"
She hadn't done anything yet!
"Not yet?"
Oops! Gru quickly changed the subject.
"I-I want to go to Jeju Island too! With Daddy!"
"That was it?"
"Yesh. Gru wants to visit Grandpa's resort too and shee the ocean."
"Then shall we go have some fun?"
Gru nodded innocently while hiding her sly intentions.
Clueless Daddy.
It wasn't Gru, who was busy with Sereuhi and Gidan's matters, but Joorim who needed to spend serious time with the Meongnyang daughter.
But since the blind date talk was a secret from Daddy.
Chairman Nam had said that if they told Joorim, he would obviously huff and puff and say no, so they had to set the stage in secret.
Gru wrapped her arms tightly around Joorim's neck as he carried her out to the living room.
But would Daddy be okay? Did he even have the heart to like someone right now?
‘If he does... I'll have to hide well that he didn't graduate from kindergarten.’
As she felt another pitying gaze, Joorim raised a question mark again.
"...?"