Uju studied Geuru’s face. The kid was pretty enough to look like a doll, and yet…
Even among all the cute and beautiful child actors Uju had seen countless times while working in the entertainment industry, that face would have immediately stood out.
Uju abruptly asked,
“Are you in this industry too?”
“Indus… tree?”
“You don’t even know that? I mean, do you do something similar to me?”
Something similar? Don’t tell me…
Was Uju a hunter too? So that was why he seemed to have magical power.
With a hunter his own age right in front of him, Geuru’s wariness began to rise. He scrutinized Uju with the sharp gaze of a hawk.
Uju could speak clearly, with much more polished pronunciation than other children his age, and both his clothes and manner of speaking were quite mature.
‘Somehow, I feel like I’ve lost…’
“Is Uju in the indus-tree too?”
“You don’t know me?”
He was even famous?! No wonder his face had looked familiar. Geuru answered hesitantly.
“Ge-Geuru hasn’t been in the indus-tree for long…”
“Figured as much.”
What did that mean? Did Geuru look too much like a beginner? Feeling sulky, Geuru stuck out his lower lip.
It was all right. He would show off the skills of an S-rank now.
“But, pretty Uju. Are you sure it’s next to us? The thing you stole.”
“Don’t call me pretty Uju, I told you. It is next to us. I saw them putting it inside the water tank.”
“Then let’s take it and get out!”
Geuru swung his backpack around to the front and took out an item.
“Tada!”
It was an item with a propeller attached to a claw like the ones found on claw machines.
“Wh-what’s that?”
“Claw Claw! If we use this to grab it and lift it, we can take it out.”
Uju looked back and forth between Geuru and the item with an expression that said it was impossible.
“This is why kids…”
“Hmm? Uju is a kid too.”
“I’m more of an adult than you are.”
Uju replied sulkily. He even grumbled about what they could possibly do with a toy like that, but Geuru merely smiled and told him to wait and see.
As soon as Geuru lifted the claw, the propeller began to move.
Vroooom—
Claw Claw flew crookedly upward and moved into the adjacent stall.
“That thing flies?”
Uju stared at Claw Claw, his face asking whether it really worked.
That was when it happened.
Clack!
Thud—
Claw Claw was knocked to the floor by something. At the same time, they heard the heavy thump of the door shaking.
Both children flinched and their shoulders trembled.
Geuru and Uju raised their heads at the same time.
A woman with a scar at the corner of her mouth was sneering at them.
“Well, look at you two, hiding here so adorably.”
Eeeeeek!
When the woman tried to cross over into the adjacent stall, Geuru hurriedly rummaged through his bag.
‘Anything, just come out!’
At last, a chick toy popped out, and its neck stretched straight up.
“Cackle-cackle-cackle! Cackle-cackle-cackle! Cackle-cackle-cackle-cackle!”
As its beak split open at great length, it began to laugh like a scene from a horror movie.
[Updated Spooky-Laughing Chick Toy (D)]
Laughs frighteningly at the automatically detected target. A target that hears the laughter has a high probability of falling into a panic for 10 seconds.
It was a toy Geuru had once found useful during a string-infiltration mission.
An effect resembling something spinning appeared before the pickpocket’s eyes, then vanished. The panic had successfully taken hold.
Thump!
A loud crash rang out as she fell onto the floor of the bathroom in the adjacent stall.
“Let’s go!”
Geuru took Uju and ran outside.
“W-wait!”
*
“Gasp!”
Jeong Miryeon got up from the bathroom floor, shook her head, and slapped her cheeks several times.
‘Everything just started spinning in front of my eyes!’
Before she could even figure out what had happened to her, she hurriedly left the bathroom.
Who would have thought there were brats in the bathroom? She couldn’t let them ruin her plan like this.
She had been momentarily distracted when children came running up to ask her to take their pictures, since they were wearing expensive things.
But the only reason she had come to the amusement park wearing this ridiculous outfit was to steal Chairman Nam Jiwon’s USB.
She had received the request to steal the USB containing the will a week ago.
She did not know whether it was an inheritance dispute or a succession struggle, but it seemed to be part of a family affair. The client had said they absolutely needed to confirm the contents of the will and had promised her a large sum of money.
Chairman Nam Jiwon always carried the USB on his person. All she had to do was bring it to them.
After that, the plan had come together swiftly.
Perhaps because of his unhappy childhood, Chairman Nam was particularly fond of amusement parks.
The crowded amusement park. The environment that made it easy to hide with a disguise. Everything indicated that the plan had to be carried out now. If not now, there was no way a mere pickpocket could approach someone like Chairman Nam.
‘I can’t let this be ruined.’
She glanced around the exhibition hall, clenched her teeth, and ran toward her partner.
*
Peek.
Peek.
From behind a large display statue, Geuru and Uju cautiously poked their heads up and down.
“Is she gone?”
“I don’t see her.”
Geuru rolled his eyes around.
An old woman with a young woman, a family of four, teachers leading groups and children. Hmm, she wasn’t there.
“Let’s go out and tell an adult.”
Although it was an exhibition hall for children, visitors and teachers leading their respective groups could be seen throughout the place.
There were more than enough people to ask for help.
But…
“Who are you going to tell? Without proof, they’ll listen to that shitty woman instead of little brats like us.”
Shitty woman?! Geuru’s shoulders shook at such improper language, and he scolded Uju sternly.
“Shh. Don’t say bad words.”
“Y-you idiot! It’s okay to use them against bad people!”
“…Really?”
“Yeah!”
If that was the case…
Nod, nod.
When Geuru accepted this matter calmly, Uju, who had been fidgeting uneasily, added in a small voice, looking uncomfortable,
“I learned it while filming. I don’t use it very often either.”
“Hmm, okay.”
Uju stuck out his lower lip and sharply turned his head away.
“Still, Uju. If we tell an adult, they might believe us.”
Uju hesitated a little, as if thinking something over, then blurted out,
“No. Adults are all like that. Every single one of them.”
Geuru couldn’t bring himself to answer Uju’s words rashly and firmly shut his mouth.
He knew that adults really did not take children’s words seriously.
“Even if I tell them… she’ll just tell Dad that I lost the necklace.”
Uju spoke as though he had already given up.
‘It would be sad if I couldn’t find the necklace Mom gave me.’
Of course, Guildmaster would be disappointed too if he said he had lost the watch.
‘I really have to get it back!’
“Then shall we go back to the bathroom?”
“We have to try.”
Hmmm. Geuru glared fiercely at the bathroom.
The bathroom was in the center of the exhibition hall, so it could be seen from anywhere simply by turning one’s head.
If they went back to the bathroom, they might be caught.
If they were caught this time, they might be tied up and turned into canned food.
Trembling, Geuru searched through his bag. Maybe there was something that could help…
Ah!
“Then…”
Geuru whispered into Uju’s ear.
“…What if we do this?”
“Can you really do something like that?”
Nod, nod.
“You saw it earlier. Geuru doesn’t lie.”
Uju remained doubtful, but he remembered the item that had frightened Princess Saurus earlier.
“But it’ll take a little time.”
“…”
“Can’t we?”
Geuru tilted his head to the side.
“No.”
Uju sighed and stepped out from behind the statue.
“Can’t be helped.”
Uju held out his hand.
“Let’s go.”
Geuru took Uju’s outstretched hand, and together they headed toward the entrance, where the teacher in charge was standing.
“We said we’d meet over there.”
That was when it happened.
“Hey, Chickpea.”
Huh? That voice was…
“Why are you so late? Did you find anything?”
The delinquent toad!
He and his gang blocked Geuru and Uju’s path.
This villain. He was after Geuru’s treasures again! Geuru clenched both fists and glared back at him with a hostile gaze.
Beside him, Uju asked,
“Who’s that? The villain?”
“How did you know?”
“He looks like one.”
Uju was a child who held prejudices based on appearances.