Chapter 46
My life as Baek Hamin's babysitter—or rather, his bodyguard—was a succession of calmer days than I had expected. Perhaps it was because Yang Ji-hwan was quiet, but my daily routine consisted of waking up in the morning, dropping Baek Hamin off at the academy, taking care of my own business during his classes, picking him up when the academy ended, and then lounging around at home.
Plus, on weekends, since Baek Hamin didn't go to the academy, I could sleep in leisurely...
"Uncle!"
I guess I can't sleep. Even though I knew Baek Hamin was climbing onto the bed, I kept my eyes shut tight, pretending to be asleep.
"Uncle, are you asleep?"
Please, just let me sleep in for once today. Thanks to Baek Hamin, who woke up like a ghost at 6 AM every morning, I was forcibly becoming an early riser.
"I know you're awake."
Peeling my eyelids back with his tiny hands, Baek Hamin burst into a sunny smile the moment our eyes met.
"Uncle, since you're up, let's eat."
"Just 30 more minutes."
"Haa, Uncle always says 30 more minutes. And then you sleep even longer."
Letting out a deep sigh, Baek Hamin snuggled right up against my side. Feeling my body heat up from the uniquely warm body temperature of a child, I gently pushed him away, but he whined as he fell back and activated the temperature artifact.
Ah, I was purposely not turning it on because I didn't like the cold draft.
I frowned for a moment, but thanks to the artifact blowing out warm air, the heat subsided. My mind finally cleared as Baek Hamin rolled my body around on the bed, claiming it was a gimbap-rolling game, so I threw the blankets aside.
"Uncle, I'm hungry."
"Where's Hunter Choi Jae-geun?"
"He hasn't left for work yet."
That means it's not even 6 AM yet. I stared blankly at the industrious child of the new era before sitting up in bed. Leaving the room, instead of the cool air typical of the morning, the muggy weather already made it feel like it was hard to breathe.
Stretching my arms, I scooped up Baek Hamin, who was clinging to me and begging for omurice, and headed to the kitchen. Frying an egg and hiding the evidence, I looked back at Baek Hamin.
"Where's your uncle?"
"Still in the dungeon. He said he'll be out soon."
Baek Hamin shoveled the omurice into his mouth in a hurry. Since Choi Jae-geun hated having other people in his kitchen, we had to finish eating and clean up the evidence before he got back. It was only called omurice—it was just plain rice topped with an egg omelet and ketchup—but Baek Hamin was devouring it as if possessed.
"Eat slowly."
Baek Hamin nodded, but continued shoving rice into his mouth. No, when Choi Jae-geun cooked for him, he only picked at his food. This is exactly why Choi Jae-geun was so wary of me.
Recalling how Choi Jae-geun would quietly stare at me with wary eyes whenever I even passed near the kitchen, I immediately did the dishes the moment Baek Hamin emptied his bowl.
"You haven't eaten yet, got it?"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Try to at least pretend to enjoy the food Hunter Choi Jae-geun makes for you, too."
"But what Uncle makes is the best."
As I was wiping the ketchup off the pouting Baek Hamin's mouth, I sensed a presence. Turning his head at the same time as me, Baek Hamin whispered that it was okay to the rose that had reflexively sprouted at his feet, then ran to the front door and opened it.
"Did you hyungs come?"
"What were you doing?"
"Eating—ah, I was picking out pants."
"Pants?"
Baek Kyeong-min and Yang Ji-yul tilted their heads in confusion as they stepped inside. Baek Hamin made eye contact with me and let out a sigh of relief.
"Hello."
"Hello, we came to play because it's hot."
I was about to ask if they even knew what time it was, but I figured kids full of energy wouldn't have a concept of appropriate playtime, so I just nodded and said, "Is that so?" Then, I shut the door right in the face of Baek Ji-seong's secretary, who was following them in.
* * *
"Ah, it's hot. I want to swi... *gasp*."
The three kids, who had devoured the meal made by Choi Jae-geun before he left for work exactly at 7 AM, were huddled together playing games in the living room before stopping to gauge Baek Hamin's reaction. As if swimming was some kind of forbidden word, Yang Ji-yul clamped his mouth shut and couldn't even look at Baek Hamin.
"It's okay, hyung. It's my turn next, right?"
Even as he said it was okay, Baek Hamin forced a smile on a face that looked like he might cry at any moment. He hung his head for a moment, seemingly deep in thought, then suddenly looked up, surveyed his surroundings, and when our eyes met, he jumped up and ran toward me.
"Uncle!!"
"What, what?"
"Uncle. Can I swim?"
"...Why? Is there a reason you shouldn't swim?"
"Uh..."
Baek Hamin silently rubbed his knees. Ah, I had forgotten. Since he couldn't move his legs freely because of the curse, naturally he hadn't been able to swim either.
"It's fine if I'm with you, Uncle. Right?"
I rubbed my brow at Baek Hamin's pleading voice. This wasn't something I could decide on my own anyway.
"If your uncle gives permission."
At those words, Baek Hamin called Baek Eun-seong at the speed of light and asked for his permission in a rather serious tone. Hanging up shortly after, Baek Hamin said he got permission and dragged me outside. I thought I'd finally get to see the famous Baekwoo Guild's swimming pool in person, but there were things blocking my way.
I looked back and forth between Baek Kyeong-min and Yang Ji-yul, who stood firmly in front of me. The two kids didn't budge, even when Ah-sil nudged their insteps as if telling them to move.
"Hyungs, what's wrong?"
Keeping their mouths shut even at Baek Hamin's question, the kids glared at me with furious eyes.
The sun was high, so it was plenty hot now, and even if it were cold, I'd never heard of a hunter catching a cold, so I had no reservations about taking Baek Hamin out. I just wanted to take a look at that amazing swimming pool, but ending up on the receiving end of two kids' resentful glares out of nowhere felt a bit weird.
"What is wrong with you two?"
"Baek Hamin shouldn't swim!"
At Yang Ji-yul's fierce shout, Baek Hamin waved his limbs around vigorously.
"No I can! Look! I can swim now, okay!?"
"What if you fall in, you dummy!"
"You're the bigger dummy!"
Yang Ji-yul and Baek Hamin fought for a long time over who the bigger dummy was, but when no conclusion was easily reached, they both looked at me with faces like they were about to burst into tears.
I don't know why they expected me to resolve a fight they started themselves.
I looked at the pool sparkling in the sunlight, then stared straight into the eyes of Baek Kyeong-min, who was biting his lip, and spoke.
"What are you going to do?"
"Pardon?"
"I will take full responsibility for Baek Hamin's safety. So, are you going to play with Baek Hamin, or are you two going to play by yourselves?"
I looked at the hesitating Baek Kyeong-min and opened my skill window.
[Splish Splash]
Gathering a little mana at my fingertips and tossing it out, the rippling water split in half. Baek Kyeong-min went between the split water and carefully checked to make sure Baek Hamin wouldn't get hurt, but even after that, he couldn't easily nod his head.
"Hyung..."
Stomping his feet, Baek Hamin clung tightly to Baek Kyeong-min.
Baek Hamin insisted to Baek Kyeong-min by moving his whole body—his knees worked well now, look, his toes moved too—and finally, he dipped his hand into the pool and grew a giant water lily the size of his body.
"I'll only play inside this, okay? I really want to try swimming..."
While Baek Hamin clutched Baek Kyeong-min's arm, stuck his butt out, and stomped his feet, I handed a life jacket to Yang Ji-yul. Baek Hamin watched Yang Ji-yul with an envious gaze before flopping flat on his back on the floor.
"I wanna swim too..."
In the end, the stubbornness of Baek Hamin, who was looking up with teary eyes, won out, and Baek Kyeong-min took the life jacket from me. Watching Baek Hamin put on the life jacket, not knowing what to do with himself from joy, the older boy picked up a tube with a resolute face and slipped it over Baek Hamin's body.
When something didn't work right, they struggled together, and eventually Yang Ji-yul even joined in, trying his hardest. Stepping closer to look, I saw that the string was caught and tangled in the zipper part of the life jacket.
"Why? What's wrong?"
"Ah, it's fine. We can do it ourselves."
I looked at the calmly responding Baek Kyeong-min and took a step back. When Baek Ji-seong's secretary, who had been watching the situation and came inside to hover around the kids, tried to approach, Baek Kyeong-min shook his head at him too and focused back on the life jacket.
Baek Kyeong-min struggled and sighed heavily as if it was tough, but persistently tackled it again. Oh. Quite... commendable. Patiently untangling the knotted string and putting the vest on properly, Baek Kyeong-min held Baek Hamin's hand tightly.
"Go in very carefully. Okay?"
"Yeah!"
"Hey! Baek Hamin! Don't go in!"
Baek Hamin, with a face full of happiness, was heading toward the pool but then scowled at the loud voice. It was Yang Ji-yul, who had been glaring at Baek Hamin and Baek Kyeong-min's actions with both hands on his hips. The child walked over with confident strides and dipped his hand into the pool.
And a moment later, the transparent water began to glow with a soft silver light.
'Is he purifying the water?'
The older brother is a healer, and the younger is a purifier. Their family probably doesn't spend much on hospital bills. Since they can heal themselves even if they get hurt.
"Did you forget that we have to test for poison before going in?"
Snapping with a venomous voice, Yang Ji-yul grabbed Baek Hamin's wrist and started shaking it back and forth. I watched the kids do warm-up exercises together, then called Ah-sil and gestured toward Baek Hamin.
Ah-sil, who wrapped snugly around Baek Hamin's life jacket, hesitated for a moment before wrapping threads around Baek Kyeong-min and Yang Ji-yul as well.
I watched the kids giggling and playing even in the shallow water that barely reached my knees, then rubbed my brow.
Really... Me, Baek Ji-seong, and Yang Ji-hwan, too. While the adults are pondering how to use you kids for their own gain, you're all too busy looking out for each other.
Just as that realization hit me and I buried my face in my hands, I heard Baek Hamin's excited voice calling for me.
"Uncle! Do it like you did earlier!"
Haha. He doesn't give me a chance to get serious. At Baek Hamin's shout, I lightly snapped my fingers.
[Splish Splash]
Soon, gentle waves formed in the pool. Even though I was fully prepared, I stood up just in case an accident happened, watching the kids as they let their bodies be carried by the waves.
"Kyahahaha!"
"Kyaaah!"
"Uwah! Aaaack!"
Even though the waves weren't that high, the kids laughed like they were going to run out of breath. Baek Kyeong-min, who had been extremely tense, realized that the water lily was protecting him and began to enjoy himself, waiting for the taller waves to approach, while Yang Ji-yul was so thrilled he was practically drooling.
"Kyahah!"
Baek Hamin, too, was happily kicking his legs, but when our eyes met, he paddled over and snuggled right into my arms.
"Uncle, I like this so much..."
Panting with excitement as he nestled in my arms, Baek Hamin suddenly zoomed away on the waves when Baek Kyeong-min called him. I reminisced about the warmth left in my embrace, then calmed the flow of the water.
"Huh! Why?!"
Looking at Yang Ji-yul, who was glaring and demanding an explanation, Baek Kyeong-min, who was obviously disappointed, and Baek Hamin, who was on the verge of crying, I raised a hand and tapped my lips as I spoke.
"That's enough for now. Your lips are getting pruny."