Chapter 98
Chapter 98
“Hi, charlie!”
“Hi!”
Charlie was popular here too.
Seo-jun and Charlie played together all over the playground.
They saw some toys and dolls with the logo of Monster Inc.
Seo-jun and Charlie tried all the rides on the playground.
The couple gave them drinks when they came back from having fun.
“The Halloween festival is fun, but the clothes are annoying, right?”
“Yeah. The hat keeps falling off. And the tail is uncomfortable too.”
“That’s why I didn’t wear the mask that dad gave me. I have more fun playing on the playground than dressing up.”
No wonder.
Charlie’s dad was wearing a cool mask, but Charlie only wore a headband with wolf ears.
He could have made or bought one for his son, but Charlie must have refused.
“But it’s still fun, right?”
“Yeah!”
Seo-jun and Charlie got up from their seats after catching their breath.
“Do you want to play hide and seek?”
“Shall we? Let’s call the other kids and play together.”
“Yeah!”
Seo-jun and Charlie disappeared into the playground in an instant.
Seo Eun-hye and Lee Min-jun shrugged their shoulders.
“They have amazing stamina. I’m already tired.”
“Same here.”
***
“This time, Jun is the seeker!”
The kids took turns being the seeker. Charlie acted like a leader and decided the order, so there was no fighting.
“Okay. Shall I count to 30?”
“There are zombies too, so you have to count to 60!”
“Zombies are fast these days… Okay.”
Seo-jun buried his face in the wall.
Charlie didn’t forget to play with the settings while playing hide and seek.
Zombies were slow, but the seeker had to touch them to avoid being bitten. Witches and wizards could say a spell and get another chance to run away.
“One!”
The kids scattered like a swarm of bees.
“Two!”
But even so, the kids often forgot the rules and were caught quickly.
Seo-jun counted with a smile. The playground, which was full of the kids’ laughter, became quiet. Only Seo-jun’s voice was heard.
“Sixty! I’m coming!”
‘I didn’t prepare this ability for this.’
Seo-jun decided to use a trick to get back at Charlie, who found him quickly.
[(선)Shadow Werewolf’s Wolf Transformation is activated.]
[(선)Shadow Werewolf’s Wolf Transformation-Low Intermediate]
You are a werewolf who lives with a wolf made of your own shadow.
You usually live as a human, but you turn into a wolf when the moon is full.
You can walk on four legs more comfortably and your sense of smell is enhanced.
You can control your shadow wolf.
There was no obvious change like when he was a Blue Dragon Hatchling. When he tried it at home, his eye color turned yellow, his nails and claws became sharp, and his sense of smell became stronger.
Seo-jun let out a low howl. His sense of smell became stronger. His nails and claws, hidden by gloves and sneakers, became sharp. His eyes, hidden by the shadow of his hat, turned yellow.
Sniff.
He smelled the kids.
Seo-jun’s sense of smell quickly found the hiding kids.
From the young wizard who turned his back and covered only his eyes in the corner of the ride, to the Jack O’Lantern with a pumpkin head under the bench.
And finally, the werewolf Charlie, who was hiding skillfully, he found them all.
No, there was one more person left.
Sniff.
Seo-jun’s nose twitched. It was a human smell mixed with water.
“Next, I’ll be the seeker… Jun, where are you going!”
“Just a minute! I think there’s one more person hiding!”
“What? We’re all here!”
Seo-jun walked toward the corner where the smell came from.
The corner of the playground, a little dark.
There was one person there.
A girl with a black witch hat was crouching.
“Found you!”
The tearful girl lifted her head at the sound of his voice.
Seo-jun reached out his hand and the girl, who was looking at the jelly shaped like a dog’s paw, grabbed his hand.
***
Charlie left the kids to play and ran back to where Seo-jun and the girl were.
The girl and Seo-jun were still holding hands.
“Hi. I’m Jun. I’m a werewolf.”
“I’m Charlie. I don’t have a tail, but I’m a werewolf too.”
“What’s your name?”
The blonde girl, who looked cute like a doll, slowly opened her mouth.
She met the kids who spoke the same language as her for the first time among the scary-looking people who spoke an unknown language. They didn’t look scary either.
“…Grace.”
“Grace, huh. Grace, where are your mom and dad?”
“…I don’t know.”
Tears welled up in Grace’s eyes.
She followed the people with the witch’s broom because she was curious, and then she lost her mom and dad.
The fun Halloween festival became scary in an instant.
She walked to the brightest place and saw a playground where the kids were playing. They were all having fun, but she couldn’t join them, so Grace hid in the corner.
‘Mom, dad… sister…’
Please find me.
She was cold and hungry. Grace wanted to eat the waffle that she refused to eat earlier because she was full. She missed her dad who quenched her thirst, her mom who hugged her tightly, and her sister who teased her.
She felt like she would be sadder if she cried, so she leaned against the corner and curled up.
“Found you!”
She heard a bright voice right in front of her. She lifted her head and saw a round wolf. No, it was a kid with a wolf hat.
The wolf kid stretched out his jelly paw to Grace. It felt like she had entered a fairy tale.
Grace also reached out and grabbed his paw. As expected, the paw was fluffy.
As Grace told them her story in a stuttering voice, seo-jun and Charlie thought.
“We need to contact the missing children’s shelter.”
“Let’s go together.”
Seo-jun and Charlie held the girl’s hand and walked toward the couple.
“What’s going on?”
Seo-jun and Charlie, who were playing well, brought a girl in a witch costume. Grace hid behind Seo-jun and Charlie, afraid of the strangers.
“She lost her mom and dad.”
At Seo-jun’s words, seo Eun-hye and Lee Min-jun were surprised and got up from their seats and packed their things.
“Then we have to go to the missing children’s shelter right away!”
They felt sorry for the little girl who lost her parents.
As parents themselves, they felt heartbroken just thinking about it.
Lee Min-jun carried the bag and looked for the way. Seo Eun-hye bent her knees and looked at Grace.
She was still hiding behind Seo-jun and Charlie.
“Can I hug you, ma’am?”
Grace clutched the clothes of the two children. Seo-jun felt her trembling from the end of the fabric and realized her fear. He rubbed his wrist.
[(Active) The calming scent of apple blossoms is activated.]
A sweet fragrance flowed from Seo-jun.
Grace’s heart, which had been beating irregularly, gradually began to beat steadily. Her fearful mind slowly calmed down. As Grace’s hand loosened, seo-jun stopped his ability.
“It’ll be faster if you go with the lady.”
“…Okay.”
Grace hugged Seo Eun-hye. Seo Eun-hye felt sorry for her cold body. How cold and scared she must have been? Seo Eun-hye hugged Grace tightly as if to share her warmth.
“Mom.”
“I know. Let’s go.”
The couple and the children quickly headed to the missing children’s shelter. Lee min-jun and Charlie shouted “Excuse us!” and made way for them, while Seo-jun and Seo Eun-hye followed behind, comforting Grace.
“Here, we have a missing child!”
The staff at the shelter got up from their seats.
The peaceful shelter became busy.
They asked Grace’s name and checked her appearance.
They radioed the staff who were roaming the plaza to search for the child’s parents and started broadcasting.
[…The parents of Grace Welton, who came from the United States, new York. Grace Welton is now at the missing children’s shelter. We repeat…]
Charlie boasted his wide network of contacts. He managed to get some delicious cookies and warm hot chocolate from the city hall staff.
“This is usually only for the missing children…”
“Hey. We brought a missing child here!”
“That’s right. Good job.”
Today was the first time Grace was missing, and there were plenty of cookies and hot chocolate prepared. Charlie brought three cups of cookies and hot chocolate, and Seo-jun smiled brightly and prepared a place to put the tray.
“Thank you!”
“Don’t mention it!”
The two children seemed to have become close friends in no time.
Seo-jun gave Grace a hot chocolate.
Grace sipped the hot chocolate. Her empty stomach warmed up.
The three children wrapped themselves in blankets and sat together in a corner of the shelter, chatting.
“After the contest, the vampire team, the blue werewolf team, and the witch team will perform, and my dad will be there too. He’s the leader of the werewolves! He performed with his uncles last year and it was awesome. I want to perform on stage when I grow up too!”
“Charlie’s dad looked cool in his werewolf costume.”
“I like Jun’s costume better.”
Seo-jun smiled broadly at Grace’s words.
“Right?”
“You’re cute.”
Seo-jun blushed at Grace’s words.
“I can’t be cute. Werewolves are usually very scary and cool, you know.”
“Like our dad! You can’t win first place with such a round face, can you? Why did you make it like that?”
“It was originally a cool wolf hat like Charlie’s dad, but it got too heavy as I added this and that. So I made this instead.”
“It’ll be hard to win first place with that.”
“But what is the contest?”
Grace asked, and Charlie answered. Seo-jun listened carefully.
“You go up on the stage in the center and act. Vampires act like vampires, witches act like witches. You can also make and use props, but they can’t be too big. The first place is decided by the audience’s reaction.”
“What if the reactions are similar?”
Charlie shrugged.
“Then it’s a tie, I guess. It happened quite often. A tie.”
“I see.”
“By the way, Jun, did you apply for the contest?”
“Yeah. I did it as soon as the festival started.”
“What’s the title?”
“The Transformation of a Werewolf.”
“I’ll cheer for you. My voice will be the loudest!”
Charlie’s words made Seo-jun and Grace laugh.
The staff and the couple at the MIA Shelter, who were worried that Grace might be anxious, were relieved and waited for Grace’s family. How long had it been?
“Grace!”
The tent of the MIA Shelter opened wide. Grace’s parents and a girl who looked like her sister rushed in.
Grace, who had been laughing until a moment ago, burst into tears as soon as she saw her parents’ faces.
“Mom! Dad! Sister!”
“Grace! Where on earth were you…? No, never mind. I’m glad you’re safe.”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
The couple examined Grace all over.
The girl and the parents both had tear-stained faces.
Soon, Grace’s parents, who were relieved that Grace was safe, thanked the staff and Seo Eun-hye and Lee min-jun repeatedly.
“This is Jun and this is Charlie. They found me.”
“Thank you so much.”
Wiping away her tears, Grace introduced Seo-jun and Charlie with the brightest smile. Grace’s mother, who also thanked Seo-jun and Charlie, asked Grace.
“Do you want to go back to the hotel now?”
She looked worried that Grace might hate the Halloween festival now, or that she might have a little trauma. Grace’s father and sister also looked at Grace.
“No.”
Grace hugged her warm mother and smiled brightly.
“Jun is in the contest. I want to see that too. Jun wants to be first, but he needs my support to be first. Mom and dad, let’s cheer for him together!”
Seo-jun and Charlie laughed at Grace’s words.
They thought she was a quiet child, but she must have been silent because she was nervous.
“Then you have to be first! I’ll cheer for you.”
Grace and her family left the MIA Shelter to have dinner they hadn’t eaten yet.
Charlie looked at the clock in the Mia Shelter.
“Jun, you have to go and prepare for the contest now.”
At that, seo-jun and the couple checked the clock. The time that the organizers had told them was almost up.
“How did you know?”
“It’s my tenth time participating.”
“Which one do you remember?”
“Um. The fifth?”
The two kids laughed.
“I went to see my dad perform.”
“Do you want to go with me?”
“Yeah. I’ll show you what my dad is preparing.”
Seo-jun smiled brightly at Charlie’s words.
He would be able to see that cool wolf mask up close!