Chapter 134: Negotiation Skills (2) (1/2)
TL: Lollies -> Gummies
Bom did not miss Gyeoul throwing a glance at the gummies and a faint trace of a smile appeared in her indifferent expression. Did she miss it that much? She thought, but asked calmly without showing any signs on the outside.
“What is yours?”
“…Gummies.”
“Gummies?”
“…Nn. They’re, mine.”
“Hmm~ I can’t give you gummies. Our dear Gyeoul always eats these gummies and is picky during the meal.”
“…But, I’m not, picky with gummies.”
Bom looked into her eyes.
“Really?”
“…I can, eat anything.”
“So you mean you’re fine with just eating gummies?”
“…Nn.”
“What if there aren’t any gummies in the world?”
“…?”
“There aren’t any gummies in Askalifa. So Gyeoul, will you be starving when we go back?”
“…!”
“Gyeoul might die of starvation then, so I can’tt. Your unni can’t give you these gummies.”
Gyeoul pondered for a bit, before slowly opening her mouth.
“…I won’t, from now on.”
“You won’t do what?”
“…Being picky.”
“Really?”
“…Nn. You can, trust.”
“What a good girl.”
After finally receiving a positive response, Gyeoul’s lips curled up slightly.
“Then, I’ll give it back to you once you’re no longer picky with food.”
But soon went back down.
“…Unni, you don’t, trust me?”
“You? I trust you of course.”
“…Then?”
“But as you know, gummies are sour and sweet.”
Nod, nod.
“And they’re savoury and chewy.”
Nod, nod…!
“It makes you happy to eat them, right?”
Is that even a question? Gyeoul nodded with a bright expression.
“That’s why I can’t trust gummies.”
Kwagwang.
Something visibly crumbled in Gyeoul’s expression.
She thought to herself that the first negotiation skill, ‘calm conversation’ had failed. To be fair, this skill had never really worked on anyone other than Yu Jitae.
Now that things had come to this, she needed to start with the second negotiation skill…!
The second negotiation skill was a skill that was already confirmed to work through a test with Kaeul-unni.
Gyeoul reached her arms out at Bom, asking for a hug. Since Bom hugged Gyeoul the most after Yu Jitae, she naturally raised her up and placed the child on her lap.
After coming right up to her nose, Gyeoul hesitated for a bit before lifting her head up. The pair of water-coloured eyes closed in.
Bom watched on, doubtful of what she was trying to do when the child kissed on her unni’s cheek.
Slightly surprised, Bom gazed down at Gyeoul.
“What was that? What was that just then, Gyeoul.”
“…Mhmm, bribe?”
She gave a wide smile. Finding that cute, Bom also smiled gently.
But Bom wasn’t that easy. Grabbing onto her two arms, Bom slowly carried her lips to the child’s forehead. She then kissed with a loud ‘chu’.
Gyeoul was the one that then became flustered.
The child quickly went through a calculation in her head. She gave a bribe, but it was returned. Isn’t that plus minus 0?
“…!”
“The bribe’s been cancelled now. Isn’t it?”
“…It is.”
But that wasn’t the end. With a crafty and a deep gaze, Bom looked into her eyes before carrying out a baptism of kisses on her forehead and cheeks.
“…S, stop.”
Having received too many bribes, Gyeoul waved her hands and blocked Bom’s face from coming closer.
“Now Gyeoul is a corrupt official.”
“…”
Gyeoul covered her face with her two hands and murmured “…I’m, a corrupt official…?” She was thinking of the corrupt official that had appeared in a fairy tale read by the protector.
Seeing the child sincerely concerned, Bom giggled.
This time as well, Gyeoul accepted her defeat with the failure of her ‘bribes’, the second negotiation skill. Bom-unni was terrifying.
The blue-haired girl who instead became a debtor heaved a sigh.
Now, the only one that remained was the third negotiation skill. She didn’t want to go this far, but there was no other way around it at this point.
Surrounding herself with magic, Gyeoul slowly flew forward before sitting down next to Bom’s laptop.
The smile on Bom’s face vanished.
“What are you doing?”
“…It’s, a hostage.”
“Hostage?”
“…Give me, gummies.”
Gyeoul reached her hand out with a rigid look on her face. She was copying what she saw from Yeorum’s favourite American drama.
Bom smiled dumbfoundedly and asked.
“What if I don’t?”
“…If you, don’t give me gummies…”
She glanced at the laptop and pondered. She couldn’t fold the laptop in half, nor did she know how to use a device.
“…”
Gyeoul wanted to threaten, but couldn’t do anything even after holding something hostage.
What should she do…
After some time, something decent popped up in her mind.
Creating water in mid-air with mana, she gathered it to one place and carried it until it was above the laptop. Buoyantly, a ball of water fluctuated in mid-air, as if it was in a vacuum.
“…There will be no tomorrow, for Laptop.”
That was the threat she barely came up with after deep contemplation. Bom, who was indifferently staring at Gyeoul, waited for a bit before opening her mouth.
“I dun care?”
“…Nn?”
Gyeoul asked back, thinking she heard it wrong.
“…The novel, will be gone?”
“Of course I saved it somewhere else, you blue devil.”
“…”
Even the third method proved to be a fail. Heaving a sigh, she shook her head, and water which had been formed with mana returned to its original state.
And she probably didn’t know;
In fact, Bom wasn’t that interested in writing novels.
“Come down if you’re done. Let me write.”
“…Nn.”
In the end, she used everything that she had prepared but failed. Gyeoul powerlessly walked out of the room. It was her complete defeat.
Bom watched her powerless back leave the room. She then gave a faint smile.
*
She couldn’t just give up like this.
Gyeoul went to Yu Jitae and whinged. Gummies. Bom-unni. Corrupt official. Behind flower pot. Help please. Seeing her diligently explain with an awkward and slow tone of voice, the Regressor patted her head.
“You need help?”
“…Yes.”
Wearing a pitiful look on her face, she nodded. Unlike usual, it was easier to understand her expressions and actions. The Regressor pondered.
“How should I help.”
“…Mhmm.”
Didn’t everything fail despite her trying whatever she could? Gyeoul’s eyes turned into a glare. After thinking for a while, she placed her hands on top of her head and shook it.
She had no idea what to do.
“Come here.”
Yu Jitae raised the child and sat her on his lap.