“Haruna.”
When Genjo reached his hand toward Haruna, she took a step back.
He looked at his now-empty hand for a moment, then clasped his hands behind his back and spoke.
“Hyeonak is a better place than I thought. Though the guild master is wearing ridiculous clothes.”
“……!”
Gru muttered, ‘But he’s cute…….’ and Jurim furrowed his brows.
Meanwhile, seeing Haruna show signs of incomprehension, Genjo adjusted the translator in his ear.
Then, Genjo’s icy voice, which Haruna had heard countless times, flowed out.
[“Even if Hyeonak is not a place for drifters, I cannot send you away. You are an Inoue.”]
Haruna clasped her hands tightly. Soon, her pale face poured out words in rapid succession.
[“I was always afraid of being evaluated. But in the Inoue family, I always had to be like that. I hate it now.”]
[“You truly—!”]
Flinch! Haruna hunched her shoulders.
Then, Gru, who had scooted up to Genjo, slapped a [Noise] sticker on him.
With three [Noise] stickers stuck on him, Genjo’s face turned red and blue.
[“You little brat……!”]
Before sparks could fly toward Gru for no reason, Jurim swiftly scooped her up in his arms.
Gru, huffing through her nose, opened her eyes fiercely like a fox borrowing a tiger’s might as she spoke from within Jurim’s arms.
“Grandpa. Unni is trembling.”
[“What?”]
At that moment, Kazuki wrapped his arms around Haruna’s shoulders as if to comfort her and shook his head slightly.
[“Teacher. Please let Haruna say what she wants to say.”]
At this, Genjo looked at Haruna, who hunched her shoulders with her head bowed.
It was a familiar sight. Haruna had always been intimidated and deathly pale in front of him.
But since when had he only ever looked at his granddaughter’s face like that?
He let out a sigh and ran his hand down his face.
[“Yes……. I was short-sighted. I’m sorry for getting excited.”]
Seeing his subdued demeanor, Gru beamed brightly at Haruna.
As if having received courage from Gru, Haruna opened her tightly shut mouth.
[“Grandfather. Wh-what I want to make is…….”]
Haruna, trailing off, hurriedly pulled a ‘tea bowl’ from her inventory. It was a teacup with a wide mouth like a bowl.
Its rank was merely F-grade. It had an option that regulated the temperature of tea.
Genjo received the tea bowl.
“…….”
[“I-it’s something like this. Not swords or blades…….”]
[“A tea bowl?”]
[“Yes. I couldn’t tell you until now…… but making weapons feels like wearing clothes that don’t suit me. I’m sorry…….”]
As Genjo fiddled with the tea bowl, his eyes wavered as if recalling the past.
[“……Before the Great Cataclysm, the Inoue was a family of artisans who excelled at making porcelain.”]
[“I know. When I was little, Grandfather made me toy dishes to play house with.”]
Genjo smiled, recalling that time.
[“There were days like that.”]
But after the Great Cataclysm, weapons were needed to deal with the pouring monsters, and the Inoue family focused on earnestly forging weapons.
And the swords made by the Inoue craftsmen brought even greater wealth and honor than when they made porcelain.
System grades allowed one to intuitively gauge the quality of items, but by the same token, they made people focus solely on the system’s evaluations.
The higher the grade, the more recognition and praise from people followed.
And Genjo Inoue, intoxicated by this, had long since focused only on that kind of ‘value worthy of evaluation.’
[“Honestly, I never properly intended to act as an S-rank from the beginning……. I’m sorry.”]
[“……What do you have to be sorry for. That was all my greed.”]
Haruna shook her head.
In accepting the proposal to become a fake S-rank, there had been her own desire to be acknowledged by her grandfather.
[“Grandfather. I have no talent. My crafting grade is only C-grade…… I can’t become someone like Amakusa-san whom you want.”]
Haruna’s head gradually lowered.
[“Still…… even if I have no talent, even if I have no value worth evaluating, I just wish you would accept me as I am.”]
Just as Haruna loved to craft even without praise-worthy talent.
She hoped her grandfather would accept her as she was too.
Genjo’s face crumpled as he looked at his granddaughter, who had bowed her head deeply.
He let out a groan and spoke.
[“……Still, I can’t send you to Korea.”]
Haruna looked up with a despairing expression.
Seeing that, Genjo quickly added.
[“You are my flesh and blood. I was not disappointed that you lack talent. I merely wanted to pass on to you the praise and recognition I receive. Rather, my actions may have disappointed you……. What I lack, what you lack. Filling in for each other as we live—is that not what family is?”]
[“…….”]
Haruna blinked her widely opened eyes.
Genjo adjusted the interpreter in his ear again.
“I’m sorry for making a fuss over family matters. I’ll offer a formal apology next time.”
Jurim nodded.
“And regarding the S-rank matter, I will soon organize and announce it, so could you wait a little?”
“Please do so.”
Gru looked at Genjo as he spoke his thanks.
“I’ve calmed down a bit thanks to you, you impertinent little brat.”
Gru pouted.
He flicked Gru’s cheek in an affectionate gesture, then beckoned to Haruna.
“Let’s go to the hotel, Haruna. I think we have much to talk about.”
Understanding his meaning, Haruna deeply bowed her head to Gru’s group.
Kazuki murmured worriedly as he watched Haruna and Genjo leave.
“Will they be alright?”
“It’ll work out. Because they’re family.”
Because they’re family……. Gru listened to Jurim’s words and rested her chin on his shoulder.
Grandfather Genjo had exploded in anger, yet at the sight of his granddaughter cowering, he had clearly looked at a loss.
Was that the magic of family?
How was a family bound by blood different from Gru’s own special family, and in what ways?
When would she come to know?
As Gru wrapped her arms around Jurim’s neck, Jurim patted the child’s back.
“Did you have enough fun today?”
Gru shook her head sadly. Then she whispered into Jurim’s ear.
“Dad, I got five PPLs left.”
“……Still?”
“Uh-huh.”
Gru hugged his neck tighter so he couldn’t escape.
*
Viral Video
1. ‘Today’s Gru’ - The Child Police Officer Policing Dad
[3,812 Comments]
@user-10e9or9
An ad video like this lolololol
Sure, Auntie will watch it 100 times~~
Sure, Auntie will get our Gru 500 more PPLs~~
Aunties who will watch Gru’s ad video, gather here 1/nnnn
Let Uncle in too haha
@di1da
The world has really improved, watching PPL filmed by On Jurim at home from my room ㅇㅅaㅇ
@zizi939
Is it true that On Jurim ok’d ad contracts because of his amnesia?
Passing-by Hyeonak member, this is real
lolololol no way lolololol
On Jurim’s rumors are so damn fresh lolololol
It’s funny so this is canon lolololol
@peo2242fq
At 3:40 when he says “Dad, are you crying?” I get slightly triggered too lolololol
Jurim-hyung, you can learn to act, don’t cry
Like father, like daughter lolololol
Our Gru can be a little annoying to On Jurim too👊
The strongest kindergartener who makes Korea’s #1 cry🐥👊
@wwdifmlove
Eh? Genjo-sama’s ad debut is here?wwww
Why is Genjo-sama here?wwww
As expected, we should have brought Gru-chan to Japanwww
But what’s this major announcement that Genjo-sama is talking about?
We’ll find out tomorrow