I PICKED UP A CHILD IN A DUMPSTER-Chapter 125: for Seong and Suha.
***
(Back to Si Hon)
Si Hon watched Aeloria drag Mihu away, the girl practically being carried off by sheer force of will and unresolved emotions. For a brief second, he just stood there, eyes following them as they disappeared deeper into the shelves, Aeloria’s presence still somehow lingering even after she was gone.
And then—
Smack.
"OOuch!"
The impact landed clean across his back, sharp enough to jolt him forward a step. He turned immediately, half offended, half confused— only to met Seong’s glare already locked onto him, her hand raised again like she fully intended to continue.
"Wait— what did I even do?!" He shot back, but he didn’t get an answer.
Smack. Smack. Smack.
"Hey— wait— s-stop!" Si Hon raised his arms, shielding his head as the hits came in quick succession, not wild, not out of control— just very deliberate. Each one landed with enough force to make a point he clearly did not understand.
"You— do you even know how ma—" Seong started, her voice sharp, ready to deliver something heavy—
Then she stopped.
Mid sentence.
Her hand froze slightly before slowly lowering, her expression shifting into something much more confused than angry. "Wait."
She covered her mouth with one hand briefly, brows knitting together. "What was I going to say?"
There was a pause.
A weird one.
Si Hon slowly lowered his arms, blinking at her because she somehow stopped mid attack. "That hurt," he muttered, rubbing his back. "Why did you hit me...?"
Seong crossed her arms like nothing had happened, posture straight, expression back to neutral— aside from the faint annoyance still lingering in her eyes. "Nothing," she said flatly. "I just felt like it."
"You just felt like it....?"
"Yeah."
"...ಠ_ಠ..."
Beside her, Suha clung lightly to the hem of Seong’s shirt, watching the entire exchange like it was just another normal event in her day. Completely unbothered.
Then Seong shifted her weight slightly, glancing at him again. "You were right earlier," she added, more casually now. "We wasted time."
A small pause.
"So?" her gaze sharpened just a little. "What are you going to give?"
That flipped the switch instantly.
Si Hon straightened, the earlier confusion fading as something more confident slipped back into place.
Without hesitation, he reached into his shirt and pulled out the book, holding it up with a faint smirk that carried just enough arrogance to be annoying.
"This," he said. "Is overpowered. Trust. Just trust."
Seong stared at it. "Kay." No excitement. No reaction. Just acceptance.
And then—
Si Hon crouched.
Without much explanation, he reached for Suha’s hand, gently placing the book into her small palm. The movement was calm, deliberate— like it was already decided.
He glanced at the cover again briefly, nodding to himself. "Yeah... this is it."
[Sanctum Genesis: The First Light Codex — ✧✧✧✧✧]
Suha blinked.
Then looked at the book.
Then back at him.
"Mine?" she asked, voice small, like she wasn’t fully sure she heard that right.
Si Hon nodded once. "Yours."
A second passed.
And then—
It hit.
Suha’s expression crumpled slightly as her eyes watered, emotion rushing in all at once before she suddenly threw her arms around his head, hugging him tightly without hesitation. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦
"Suha... thank dad..." she mumbled, voice shaky but full of happiness. "This second time Suha got gift... beside brother Han..."
Si Hon froze for half a second— then relaxed, letting out a quiet breath as his hand came up to pat her head gently. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, awkward but soft, lightly patting her back in return.
Beside them, Seong moved almost immediately, her hand coming up to rest on Suha’s head as well, fingers brushing through her hair with a quiet care.
She didn’t say anything, but the way she stayed close, the way her posture softened slightly— it said enough.
For a moment—
They just stayed like that.
No tension.
No chaos.
Just something... quiet.
Then, after a while, Suha finally pulled back, sniffing lightly as she reached for Seong’s hand again, holding it firmly like nothing had changed.
A second passed.
Then her brows furrowed.
"Wait..." she said, tapping her chin thoughtfully before looking up at Si Hon again. "Dad."
He looked down. "Yeah?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly, serious now in the way only a child could be. "Why Suha only get book?"
A pause.
Then—
"Why mom not get one?"
(◍′•_•`◍)
Si Hon flinched.
Actually flinched.
"Oh."
His gaze slowly shifted toward Seong.
She was already looking away.
Arms crossed.
Expression carefully neutral.
"Yeah," she added after a second, voice quieter now. "What about me?"
"Right." Si Hon scratched the back of his head, already turning away. "I’ll... find you one too, I guess."
And just like that, he was moving again, scanning the shelves like someone who absolutely did not look like he could casually pick out broken abilities from a glance.
After a bit of wandering through the magic section, he slowed, then glanced back over his shoulder. Suha and Seong stood together, still holding hands, watching him.
"What’s your main trait?" he asked.
Seong tilted her head slightly, thinking, one finger lightly touching her lip. "Hmm... stealth, I guess," she said casually. "I’m an assassin."
"Woah... that’s cool," Si Hon replied automatically.
(Assassin... kinda cringe.) He didn’t say it out loud, of course.
He just turned, scanning the rows of books again.
And then—
It did.
His hand paused mid motion, hovering just slightly as his eyes locked onto something deeper within the shelf. Not loud. Not flashy. But there was something about it— something that settled wrong in the quietest way possible.
His gaze sharpened.
A faint shift in his expression followed, barely noticeable unless you were watching closely. Then, just like before, the system responded.
A window flickered into existence.
「........... STRATEGY GUIDE
[Celestial Thread Invocation — ✧✧✧✧✧]
Allows the user to summon invisible mana threads that bind, cut, or manipulate objects and enemies.
More:
• High precision control magic
• Can immobilize or dissect targets
• Requires high dexterity and mental multitasking 」
Si Hon’s eyes moved quickly, breaking it down in seconds. QControl based. Precision heavy. Versatile. The kind of ability that didn’t just hit hard— but decided how a fight ended before it even got there.
His fingers curled slightly.
(Yeah... this fits.)
Behind him, Seong shifted.
Her eye twitched— small, subtle, but there.
"Thats... cool." Seong repeated. "I feel pissed for some reason," she muttered under her breath, tone flat but clearly bothered. "That’s weird."
Si Hon didn’t answer.
Didn’t even react.
Because he was already moving.
Quick steps closing the distance— only to stop abruptly.
Because someone was already there.
