Novelhitam

“Huff! Huff…!”

He ran like a madman. It was far more intense and fierce than any battle he had ever fought. He kept running, and running, and running.

Finally, in the distance, the Ggonggaram Kindergarten appeared.

The current time was 1:29 PM.

Cutting it close, but he made it just in time.

“Phew-!”

As the tension eased, the muscles that had been contracted suddenly relaxed. He took a deep breath when he saw a woman who he had met during the childcare admission briefing days ago, and she greeted him cheerfully.

“Isn’t this Spring’s father? Wow, you’re sweating. Here, at least wipe yourself with this.”

“Ah, thank you. I haven’t arrived late, right?”

“Huh. Even if you’re a little late, it’s okay.”

“Huff, I had promised Spring.”

“Promising… That’s right. Promises are important. Spring’s father is such a good dad.”

This was Auntie Hyunji, who was well-known for her positive demeanor, and he had a good impression of her.

After wiping his face with the handkerchief given by Auntie Hyunji, he glanced at the window.

Tiny children and the kindergarten teacher he had seen before were visible. It seemed like they were about to finish as there was a list of necessary things written on the blackboard, but the children were clearly not focused.

Kids were peering around, trying to spot their mothers.

And there, standing out among them, was our Spring.

With a princess hairstyle, Spring sat solemnly.

But he knew. That composed appearance was actually the result of being frozen with anxiety.

Perhaps because she couldn’t see him among the mothers.

He waved his hand vigorously to show his face to Spring. When their eyes finally met, he watched as their precious daughter melted, releasing the stiff posture she had been holding.

How adorable.

“My daughter is just too cute.”

“Haha. Isn’t she adorable? Spring’s father really loves Spring a lot.”

“Excuse me, Auntie Hyunji, who is this young person…?”

“Oh! This is Spring’s father who just got admitted. Spring’s father, over here….”

Women gathered around him.

They were all mothers who were enrolling their children in Ggonggaram Kindergarten this time.

The mothers were looking at him with curiosity. To be fair, it would be natural for them to be curious about a young man who suddenly appeared in their community.

Questions followed.

How old are you? Where do you live? What’s your job?

Maybe because it’s a relatively prestigious kindergarten, no particularly rude questions came. Just simple background inquiries.

They were understandable questions from the perspective of a parent.

Of course, even in this atmosphere, there were people who crossed the line.

“Tsk, how old were you when you had the kid? And what about the mother? Where is she…?”

“Hey, you mother of Seongmin, is this really proper for a first meeting?”

“That’s right. No manners whatsoever.”

It got cut off naturally.

At this point, a new fact came to light: Auntie Hyunji was unexpectedly the representative of this community. That explained why she had been so thoughtful about everything.

“By the way, Mr. Spring’s father, is Spring looking forward to kindergarten?”

“No, she cried a lot today too.”

Spring agreed to come only after making several promises, promising, and even making a pinky promise.

“Ah, that’s why you rushed.”

“That goes for your child too. Our child did the same. This morning, our child cried so much that they didn’t want to go to kindergarten.”

“Hae soo too? Our Yeonwoo makes it like a battle every morning.”

Separation anxiety.

It’s a term you might have heard if you’ve ever raised a pet dog or cat. Simply put, it’s the anxiety experienced when separated from something you’re attached to.

While it sounds fancy, it’s actually a common symptom among children at this age.

One could say it’s a natural part of growing up.

Why wouldn’t it be? A child who has grown up only seeing their parents will experience tension when separated from them for the first time.

Into this new environment called kindergarten.

Even adults feel tension when entering a new environment, so how could a child, who hasn’t even fully developed their body and sense of self, feel otherwise?

That’s why kindergarten only offers morning classes for a few months after enrollment whenever possible.

“You don’t have to worry too much. They’ll adapt soon. Our first child used to throw tantrums and refused to go at first, but later they would wake up by themselves and even pack their bag.”

“Is your first child a son?”

“Yes, how did you know?”

“Heh, it’s obvious. A hundred out of a hundred, he probably has a crush on a girl.”

“How did you know that? Ho ho. Come to think of it, our third child too…”

But Spring’s separation anxiety was different from these typical children’s cases. While theirs were psychological growing pains, Spring’s was a different matter entirely.

“Ahhpuuu!!”

“Spring.”

He picked the rushing Spring up without hesitation.

As expected, the first thing he noticed were the puffed-up, swollen eyes.

“My little girl, how many times did you cry today?”

“Only twice, I promise.”

“Really?”

“… Three times.”

“Really?”

“… Four times. Sorry.”

“My dear, what are you sorry for?”

Rather, I’m the one who’s sorry.

The reason Spring was so desperately looking for her father wasn’t due to psychological reasons but rather a problem etched into her soul, or more precisely, her ‘existence.’

He embraced the aga tightly pressing his head against his without a word.

—

This is a story from the past, the time when Spring was kidnapped by the Evolutionary Group and hovered on the brink of d*ath, immersed in blue solution.

Looking back now, the situation back then was truly the worst.

The Evolutionary Group’s experiment involved forcibly achieving ‘bloodline succession.’

To put it simply, it’s similar to organ transplantation. Just like transplanting someone else’s organ, the bloodline’s power is transplanted into the subject.

As evidence, Spring’s body at the time contained 16 types of bloodlines, including ‘Dancer,’ ‘Evil Cat,’ and ‘Virtuoso.’

They had crammed an alarming 16 bloodlines into this tiny body of a child who hadn’t even developed properly.

It was an absurd act.

Didn’t I mention that this ‘bloodline succession’ was a force that defies logic?

Like a swordsman who instinctively wields sword mastery with just a sword in hand or the ‘Truth’ of magic that the Jin-ryong could glimpse without any cost—would you consider that normal power?

Absolutely not.

Forces that defy such logic to be perfectly transplanted with just a few drops of bl**d?

Ridiculous talk.

The exchange ratio doesn’t even make sense, right?

However, regardless of the circumstances, bloodlines were implanted into Spring’s body. Not one but 16 kinds!

And the worst part?

These implanted bloodlines were waging war inside Spring’s body, each trying to claim it as their own.

Naturally, there was no way young Spring’s body could endure it.

Although he barely managed to stabilize her body through ‘Alive,’ unless he resolved the fundamental issue of these numerous bloodlines, Spring’s body was in a precarious state, like a sandcastle under a heavy downpour that could collapse at any moment.

That’s why he gave her a part of himself.

To prevent the sandcastle from breaking apart under the raging storm and to ensure Spring didn’t fall apart, he became her pillar.

Yes.

In the truest sense, Spring was the embodiment of his existence, carrying a part of “Park Ki-hyuk.”

—

With one hand holding Spring, he grabbed the doorknob of the club room and pushed it open.

Whoom!

The heavy door of the “No Exit Hell” club swung open, and as usual, familiar faces greeted him warmly.

“You’re here. Spring, come on in too.”

That was Joon-woo, deep into his squat routine with the rack.

“You’ve arrived, Ki-hyuk. We had lunch amongst ourselves since we didn’t hear from you. We’ll need to order more now. Give me a moment.”

Mary whipped out her phone without even waiting for his reply.

And then there she was, bounding in like a tap-dancer.

“Boo-ma!!”

Jin Yu-ri.

She’s the wild one in this district.

“Ow! Spring, say hello. Let’s put you down.”

“Okay.”

With a hop, Spring reached her belly and said:

“I’m back.”

“Huuuuuuh!!”

“…..!!”

Time seemed to stop.

Everyone was stunned.

Could this possibly be the definition of cuteness?

It was a daily dose of sweetness, but it always exhilarated, always felt fresh.

And Jin Yu-ri, who was 200% in agreement with this sentiment, was already rolling on the floor.

“I can’t breathe. I’m passing out~.”

It might seem showy, but it was such a lethal level of cuteness.

Meanwhile, our sweet Spring seemed concerned about this crazy sister lying sprawled on the floor. Spring scampered over and clutched Jin Yu-ri with watery eyes.

“Sister Strawberry, don’t be in pain.”

That’s it. Game over. Who could withstand that?

Joon-woo swayed with a barbell on his shoulders and collapsed sideways, while Mary collapsed into her chair.

And I? I had been lying down for a long time.

“Gift Auntie! Sing uncle!” Spring shouted.

For reference, Gift Auntie is Mary because she always brings a bundle of gifts every time. The Sing uncle is Joon-woo because he does the “Baby Whale” exercise from TV well.

After the commotion settled down, we all returned to our spots.

Joon-wo and Mary entered the sparring coat.

“Don’t forget, lunch bet.”

“I’ll enjoy the fish cutlet.”

Jin Yu-ri, as always, was playing with Spring. Their current engagement of choice was doll play.

“Sister, I got a new doll for Spring… Ta-da!! Super Hero Edition! And look, here’s your favorite great sword. What do you think?”

“Wowww! Daddy! Sister is the best!!”

“Heeheehee. If I’m the best, give me a kiss.”

“A hundred times! Puck puck puck.”

And finally, I sat next to Spring reading the childcare noticeboard.

“Hmm? Is it a picnic the day after tomorrow? What about the lunchbox…?”

It’s a scene we have seen countless times in the last year.

Until the shared existence stabilized, Spring couldn’t leave my side, so she even had to visit the academy with me.

The professors had a lot to say about this arrangement, but it was easily resolved.

Through a duel with Cheon Su-man.

“I’m in my first year. There are three years left until graduation. It feels so long, doesn’t it?”

“……”

These three years—whether I turn into an angel or a demon is up to you.

Will you control me?

Naturally, Cheon Su-man chose to let Spring attend classes with me.

So we were always together. During lectures, while eating, while sleeping… and even when going through the Gate.

Now that Spring is going to kindergarten, I found myself lost in thought while fiddling with her school bag.

But the reflection was brief.

Our little ones don’t leave us much time for sentimentality.

“Hmm- I am the Evil Dragon. I have arrived in the land of humans. The stench of weakness fills the air. This place must be destroyed by my hand.”

“Annnd!!”

“What?! You!”

“I’m the guardian of justice, Captain Tiger! I shall destroy you!”

“Hohoho. Youngster! It’s impossible for you!”

“Ugh! No! Justice shall prevail! Take this!!”

Evil Dragon? Captain Tiger? Who wrote this scenario? It’s actually quite tight.

Glancing over, the dolls were really fighting impressively.

Not just in metaphor but genuinely “impressively.”

Yahoo! Yahoo!

Clang! Clang!

Dolls wielding swords were colliding fiercely. With no external mechanisms, they moved solely powered by mana.

These “educational dolls” were from the Jin-ryong family.

Born with mana already within them, members of the Jin-ryong family train from a young age to naturally control it. These dolls are a product of this educational process.

Learning mana control through dolls that children love.

A great method that captures both their interest and their skill development.

“Pretty well done, right?”

Though they’re called dolls, their mechanism works similarly to golems and war-armor-like familiars we use.

It’s amazing to realize it’s considered a toy for toddlers.

On another note, it’s remarkable how our Spring naturally handles the Jin-ryong’s toys.

“Youngster! You’re still too far from that level. Fall!”

“No! Captain Tiger doesn’t fall!”

“Hmph, you are already defeated!”

“No! Spring, I mean, Captain Tiger has a special move!”

Saying that, Spring looked towards me, her eyes resembling a hero seeking the approval to release a forbidden technique.

Hmm, are you planning to show that?

With a stern expression, I nodded.

At that moment, Spring’s eyes widened as the fallen Captain Tiger suddenly stood up.

Then he extended a hand… and a sword flew towards him?

“Isn’t that double casting?”

Startled, Jin Yu-ri blurted out.

Double Casting (Double Casting)

To put it simply, it’s the technique of simultaneously activating two independent magics, but it requires quite a high level of skill.

By this point, I had put down the noticeboard and focused on the doll play.

Captain Tiger grabbed a sword. Not just any sword, but a great sword.

Since I always used a great sword, the notion of “dad = great sword” had been engraved in Spring’s mind, and naturally, her favored sword choice became the great sword.

Spring shouted,

“Special Move!”

Captain Tiger took the initiating stance.

The great sword, standing as if piercing the sky.

“What’s that…?”

You’d be familiar with it. We’ve seen it a lot while hunting.

As if in response to Jin Yu-ri’s question, Spring cried out,

“Giant Dragon!”

This technique I’m using quite frequently these days,

“Strong Swordsmanship!”

And one I am the most confident in.

“Mountain Avalanche!”