"Do you really dislike the idea of coloring so much?"
"…No, that's not it. Give it to me. If my hyung wants it, I'll do it."
Kwon Jihan, who had been awkwardly refusing, looked at Yoon Seo's expression and felt he had no choice but to comply. He left Riceball in Yoon Seo's hands, who widened his eyes in surprise.
There was a crack on the surface of the egg. It was quite a large fissure that made Yoon Seo wonder why he hadn't noticed it sooner.
"St- Sticky Rice, stop for a moment."
"Yes, I'll pull over nearby."
The car came to a halt, and Yoon Seo nervously examined Riceball.
"Wait, is Riceball finally hatching?"
Kwon Jihan spotted the crack too. He dropped the colored pencils and coloring book, eyes sparkling with excitement. Sticky Rice suddenly turned on the interior lights.
"Master, it seems Riceball is waking up!"
"Whoa, Sticky Rice, Riceball is waking up!"
Yoon Seo replied in a daze, unaware that Kwon Jihan was trying to suppress a laugh beside him.
Yoon Seo laid a soft cushion under Riceball and watched closely. Coloring wasn't important right now.
He had expected Riceball to wake up yesterday or today. What if he hadn't noticed the crack and got lost in coloring with Kwon Jihan while Riceball hatched?
…It would have been a nightmare. He shivered at the thought.
Crack!
The fissure widened.
"Wow! This is my first time seeing an item being born!"
Kwon Jihan exclaimed with childlike wonder. Yoon Seo swallowed hard.
"Riceball."
As soon as Yoon Seo called, the crack grew larger, and small shell fragments fell away with a soft thud.
Peep.
A small chirping sound emerged.
Kwon Jihan's eyes sparkled with curiosity. Yoon Seo placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heart race.
Through the white eggshell, the damp feathers glowed a vibrant blue. A yellow beak diligently broke the remaining pieces apart. Peep, peep, peep! The little blue bird emerged from the shell, chirping continuously. It first locked eyes with Kwon Jihan, blinking its pebble-like black eyes before turning its gaze to Yoon Seo. Then it flapped its tiny wings.
It was a reunion after ten years.
The little bird he thought had died.
In that hell, Riceball…
This item, which wouldn't perish as long as he lived, was an incredibly precious existence.
If Kwon Jihan hadn't been by his side, Yoon Seo might have cried.
"Riceball…"
Pee-yoo…
It was truly a touching moment.
Pee-yoo! Pee-yoo!
"Ah!"
But Riceball landed not on Yoon Seo's finger, but on his head.
Pee-yoo! Pee-yoo! Pee-yoo!
"Oh, Riceball."
Pee-yoo!
"Sorry, just a moment."
The little bird ignored Yoon Seo's apology and began to mess up his black hair with its beak, claws, and wings. The small bird seemed very angry and perhaps even sorrowful. Yoon Seo kept apologizing, as if to say he understood its frustration.
After a while of tormenting Yoon Seo, Riceball finally started to cry, little tears falling onto Yoon Seo's palm.
Pee-yoo! Pee-yoo! Pee-yoo!
"I'm sorry. If I had known you were alive, I would have found you right away."
Pee-yoo!
"Yeah, I was foolish not to notice."
Pee-yoo! Pee-yoo! Pee-yoo!
"Okay, let's not fall again."
Yoon Seo gently cradled the little bird, accommodating all its grievances. Riceball sobbed while burying its beak and head between Yoon Seo's fingers, flapping its tiny feet. It was so cute, but Yoon Seo struggled to suppress a smile.
After their heartfelt reunion ended, the AI that had been waiting for an opportunity chimed in.
"Hello, Riceball. I'm Sticky Rice. I look forward to working with you."
Pee?
"Just don't make a mess in the car."
"It's okay, Sticky Rice. Riceball is an item, so it doesn't poop."
"Oh, that's a relief."
Pee-yoo.
"Hello, Riceball."
This time it was Kwon Jihan.
The 'existing soul' rolled its dark eyes to look at Kwon Jihan. They exchanged glances for a moment, and Kwon Jihan smiled with interest, extending his finger.
…Poke.
Riceball haughtily pecked Kwon Jihan's finger.
"It just greeted you."
"Really cute."
"Right?"
Yoon Seo's voice trembled, still overwhelmed with emotion. As he carefully stroked Riceball with his finger, Kwon Jihan withdrew his finger.
"…"
An S-rank item shedding tears like chick droppings. An item that pouted at its owner. An item that seemed to have a sense of self.
The 'existing soul' was a fascinating being, yet Kwon Jihan's gaze was fixed on Yoon Seo. Yoon Seo, flustered by the small, round bird. Yoon Seo, trying to hold back tears in his reddened eyes. Yoon Seo, carefully touching the item as if it were a real bird…
It was a rare sight, one that made him grateful to Riceball for hatching while they were together.
***
Yoon Seo went to the Seokyoung headquarters with a blue bird perched on his head. As he rode the elevator from the basement parking lot to the 50th floor, he encountered dozens of people. The Seokyoung employees in the elevator noticed Kwon Jihan first and greeted him, but then paused when they saw the beautiful person next to him with a blue bird on their head. They looked as if they couldn't believe their eyes. Unable to contain himself, Yoon Seo tried to hide behind Kwon Jihan. Although Kwon Jihan chuckled and attempted to cover him with his broad back, he failed.
Pee-yoo!
It was because the attention-seeking bird, Riceball, squawked loudly.
In the end, Yoon Seo had no choice but to ascend the remaining 50 floors while enduring the stares of the onlookers. Every time people were shocked to see him, Riceball puffed out its round chest with pride. When the elevator arrived at the 100th floor, Yoon Seo hurriedly stepped out.
"Ah, hyung. So cute! I have to check the guild's male community today. There's definitely going to be a post about you. If there's a post asking if anyone saw a beautiful person getting their hair pulled by a blue bird in the elevator, I'll comment as Yoon Seo."
"If such a post exists, please delete it."
Yoon Seo weakly pleaded as he held his employee ID next to the perfect waiting room door. Beep! The door opened.
There were a few members of Team 2 inside. As soon as they saw Kwon Jihan and Yoon Seo, their eyes widened. Especially when they saw Yoon Seo's face, they seemed to have a fit. Yoon Seo, realizing he had been recognized, braced himself for their excitement. They would probably call him Seo Chaeyoon or stutter in surprise. They might even ask for an autograph. While he hadn't specifically prepared for that, he thought he could at least write his name legibly.
The two guild members exchanged determined looks as if they had made a pact.
"Hello, Hunter Kwon Jihan. Hunter Yoon Seo. It's been a while."
"Yeah, it has."
"I heard Hunter Yoon Seo was coming on Wednesday?"
"Oh, I had some work, so I came today."
"I see. Please, come in."
Their greeting was surprisingly neat. Yoon Seo was taken aback that they didn't fuss about meeting Seo Chaeyoon.
Pee-yoo.
Riceball puffed up its chest to announce its presence to the poor souls who still hadn't noticed it.
"…!"
"…Gasp!"
The guild members widened their eyes and covered their mouths. Their cheeks twitched, as if they were about to have a fit. However, they soon spoke stiffly.
"What a small, cute bird…?"
"It's an 'existing soul.' Its name is Riceball."
"Riceball was still in an egg… wasn't it? I heard from Vice Guild Master Do Deungsoo that it was still an egg…"
"It just hatched on the way here. Please say hello."
"I see. It just hatched. Nice to meet you, Riceball."
Pee-yoo!
"You're so cute! You're so blue, Riceball."
Pee-yoo!
"We'll be off to train now. Have a wonderful time."
"Wishing you a peaceful and leisurely day. Well then, goodbye…"
Both of them spoke with trembling voices, their tone awkward like foreigners who had just learned Korean, but the content of their greetings was perfectly ordinary.
After the members of Team 2 left, only Kwon Jihan and Yoon Seo remained in the waiting room. Riceball spread its small wings and flew around the spacious interior, seemingly exploring its new territory. It appeared to be enjoying itself as its tail feathers flicked back and forth.
Yoon Seo, however, couldn't share in that joy. This was the first time he was seeing Seo Chaeyoon since the last dungeon, and yet everyone was acting so calm? Shouldn't they be marveling at him like a unicorn? There was no way they would just greet him and leave!
Of course, Yoon Seo preferred this quiet reaction and wished it would continue. But it didn't make sense, which made him a bit suspicious. When he glanced at Kwon Jihan with a questioning look, Kwon Jihan chuckled and pointed to the wall.
On one side of the wall, there was a bulletin board with a notice posted.
September 1st, Wednesday: Hunter Yoon Seo's Arrival
☆ Please follow these rules! ☆
1. Do not mention the name Seo Chaeyoon.
2. No autographs or photographs (videos are also prohibited).
3. Do not be surprised when meeting Hunter Yoon Seo; please greet him normally.
4. Please refrain from excessive conversation.
5. You may offer food (he likes spicy food).
6. If you see someone holding a white egg or an animal nearby, greet them and say they are cute. The name is Riceball.
If everyone remains calm and follows the rules, Hunter Yoon Seo won't be surprised and run away~!
Let's enjoy this together while being considerate of each other, and not just think, "It's just me!"~
What is this? Is this a warning for a wild animal sighting? What do they mean by "running away"?
Yoon Seo was left speechless, and just then, he heard hurried footsteps coming down the hallway, and the door swung open.
"Ahaha…"
The two guild members from earlier awkwardly laughed as they quickly approached and tore the notice from the bulletin board, hiding it behind their backs.
"Well, have a great time…"
"Goodbye…"
The guild members said their farewells and disappeared through the door.
Kwon Jihan was shaking with laughter.
Yoon Seo sighed deeply and covered his face.