Dad

2

Cale relished one of the cherished moments of peace in the Harris Village.

The joyous laughter of the Wolf Children echoed around the outskirts of the villa, infusing the entire village with a tranquil atmosphere. A gentle breeze wafted through the trees, carrying with it the pure scent of nature and the forest, creating an ambiance of unparalleled serenity.

It was an incredibly peaceful day.

The children, averaging seven years of age, were engaged in a game of hide and seek, their gleeful energy palpable. They had initially invited Cale to join, but a single glance from him prompted them to carry on the game independently.

Meanwhile, Choi Han accompanied Mary in the heart of the forest. Choi Han dedicated his time to travel and training, while Mary, in her own way, was occupied crafting more skeletons for her little skeleton party. Cale found himself pleased that the two of them were getting along; their companionship had the potential to enhance his own life significantly.

He noticed it was time for Hong to search for On and Raon. On swiftly transformed into fog, vanishing from sight, while Raon soared high, hiding on the roof of a building.

As Hong finished counting, he began sprinting around, eagerly attempting to follow the scent of his siblings. Racing from one area to another, he darted around, sniffing the air, wholly engrossed in locating the others.

Approaching a tree near Cale, he started to climb, following a distinct scent and remaining entirely focused on the trail. Unbeknownst to him, the branch he was scaling began to crack and break under his weight. Cale noticed, though.

"Hong," Cale called out, seeking the child's attention.

There was no response from the engrossed and focused child.

"Hong," Cale called once more, trying to get the child's attention.

Still receiving no reply, but observing the cat standing ready to jump, Cale persisted, "Hong!"

"Yes, Dad?!" The cat responded before comprehending what he had just said. Both froze, the red kitten slowly turning to look at Cale with wide, panicked eyes.

As the branch began to break, Cale acted swiftly, surrounding the cat with his shield to protect him from the fall and gently lowering him to the ground. They both fell into a silence, one out of sheer nervousness and the other due to a flood of emotions he vehemently attempted to ignore.

"Hong," Cale said, maintaining an emotionless facade to conceal the surge of feelings he was experiencing at that moment. "Be careful, pay more attention to your surroundings; you could get hurt."

"Y-yes, Cale-nim," the cat answered, their voice tinged with awkwardness before glancing down nervously. "Are you mad because I called you that?"

Cale looked at the red kitten and let out a sigh. "No."

"Oh?" the child looked up, slight sparkles in their eyes. "Can I call you that?"

"Do whatever you please," Cale responded.

The child's face lit up with a broad smile before nodding, then darted off to resume their game. Cale leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, pretending to shut out the world to calm down his racing heart.