I Became a Raid Boss-Chapter 228: I hope we become friends

“Hmm....”

A long, nasal sound lingered in °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° the desolate atmosphere of the office.

Soon, slender fingers lightly tapped the desk.

“You’ve thought this through.”

The owner of the office, Edel, stared at the large monitor with interest.

[Those who know, know, but Kana prefers meat over vegetables. No, wait. He doesn’t even try vegetables, so it’s more accurate to say he only eats meat. Anyway, whenever I try to feed him vegetables out of concern, he just clamps his mouth shut and shakes his head. Seeing that, I get soft-hearted and keep giving up...] [Enough...]

The monitor Edel was looking at was playing a live stream.

If you looked, you’d immediately think the two figures on the screen were cute: a small, pink-haired girl and a beauty with slightly raised eyes.

Their conversation, in contrast to the high-end, cold office where Edel was, had a cozy feel to it.

It was a strange combination, as though mismatched elements were fused together, but still...

Since Edel was the only one in the office, no one was watching, and even if someone did, Edel wouldn’t have cared.

“Humans can be as cruel as they want to those weaker than them. But at the same time, they’re also capable of showing mercy.”

Kana’s power is strong.

Even if you consider both Earth and Celia, there are only a handful of people who could be compared to him...

However, that’s only when you talk about raw strength.

If someone were to ask whether there’s anyone stronger than Kana among humans, Edel would answer no.

A child, regretting the past, starved for affection.

Of course, when he has a goal, he pushes through the storm, but the truly strong don’t falter in the face of a mere storm.

To use a metaphor, it’s like a child holding a razor-sharp sword.

“Ah, wait. It’s not just a metaphor, it’s the truth.”

That’s why Edel found the current situation so interesting.

He displayed a human side by revealing his ordinary life while exposing the hardships of his past, showing his weaknesses.

By doing this, people could see him not as a ‘superhuman with unknown powers,’ but as ‘a child with a sad past.’

Making people feel pity for him.

“You’ve got quite a sharp mind, huh?”

In fact, the reactions of those watching the broadcast were just the same.

Kana, who casually talked about rummaging through trash and almost being sold to a slave trader, spoke so nonchalantly that it felt more sincere than if he had spoken with exaggerated gestures.

Seeing people cry in response, while he looked confused as to why, made viewers naturally think:

‘He must have lived such a hard life that he doesn’t even realize how difficult it was.’

Of course, unlike Edel’s thinking, Kana was only answering because Da-eun asked, not because he meant to elicit sympathy. But Da-eun’s intention to make him appear more approachable had worked perfectly.

Though, of course, Kana was squirming in humiliation, something he’d never experienced before.

“I don’t think we need to worry about this side anymore.”

Edel had checked just to make sure Kana wasn’t getting swept away by the current, but it seems her concern was unfounded.

With a smile, Edel closed the broadcast and the office returned to its usual atmosphere.

Squeak.

Edel lightly pushed her chair back and left the sterile office without a single orchid in sight.

Instead of the divine energy-laden air, the slightly stale air broke as it neared Edel.

Walking down the hallway, she looked out through a window at the outside.

The vast parking lot was filled with cars, and a crowd had gathered in front of the building.

Though the noise could not reach her, the scene was so chaotic that it almost felt like she could hear it.

Just then, Edel mumbled as she saw a reporter trying to enter the building only to end up falling on his behind due to the guards.

“Well, then, I suppose it’s time for me to do my part, huh?”

That was their issue.

This was her issue.

As a god, her work overseeing a child from her world was done. Now, as the CEO of Demonins, it was time to get to work.

I spoke without hiding my exhaustion.

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“...Is it all over now?”

“Honestly, I could go on all day...”

Da-eun responded with a hint of regret to my question.

‘Even so, isn’t going on for a whole day a bit much?’

...I wanted to say that, but for some reason, Da-eun seemed like she really could do it, so I held back.

It would be foolish to try and rekindle a spark on a wick that had barely gone out.

“Then Kana would definitely melt into a rice cake, so I’ll hold off.”

“...Thanks.”

“Ah, but it’s a bit of a shame to finish it now...”

“A shame?”

Da-eun had started fussing about how cute I was 30 minutes ago.

In other words, for 30 minutes, she’d been going on and on about me, and she still didn’t seem satisfied.

Seeing her lick her lips gave me goosebumps...

“I haven’t even said all of Kana’s charms yet, of course it’s a shame!”

“....”

Kill... me...I think I’m going insane, I think I’m going insane, I think I’m going insane, I think I’m going insaneKana is the cutest in the world, and this is a fact that even appears in the Goryeo watermelon dialect.Am I the only one jealous? I wish I had a sibling like KanaㅠSeriously, I think I’m going to lose my mind out of jealousy.Bitiq stop!!!KanaKana, it’s not too late, so could you come to my house instead of Journey?I can give Kana as much chocolate as he likes...Officer, it’s here!

It wasn’t just me who was suffering for the past 30 minutes.

At first, people had joined in on Da-eun’s chatter, laughing warmly about how cute I was. But after about 15 minutes, their words began to slow, and after 30 minutes, they responded mechanically as if brainwashed.

All conversations were ending with “cute,” so it was no wonder they were exhausted.

Wasn’t that why I was screaming in response to Da-eun’s words?

It’s been a while since I’ve felt my energy drain just from listening.It felt like I was hearing a proud father bragging about his daughter.Honestly, if Kana hadn’t been around, I would’ve run away by now, right?ㄹㅇ I’d be gone already.Kana, if you’re by my side, please stop this...

“I can’t stop Journey.”

If I had expected them to stop after hearing me, I would have never even started.

And then—

I narrowed my eyes and glared at the camera.

“...I tried to stop, but you guys kept pushing me to go on.”

I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorryAh...AhhWe’re sorry...Honestly, I didn’t expect it to go this far...Sob sob Kana, we didn’t know the depth of your intentions...From now on, anyone who contradicts Kana will be executed.

I clearly told them to stop when Da-eun started her story.

But it was these idiots... the ones chatting live at this very moment who argued against me.

When they begged for more because they thought me being embarrassed was cute, now they’re trying to pass the blame onto me?

They even subtly notified Da-eun every time I tried to distance myself unnoticed.

Thanks to that, I got a very detailed understanding of how my actions were being perceived by Da-eun.

Honestly, I think these guys played a big part in Da-eun riding the mood.

“Heh heh.”

“...Why are you laughing?”

“Because it’s nice to see.”

“What’s nice?”

“It’s a secret.”

“...?”

Seeing that mischievous smile, I was sure she was thinking something strange.

She wouldn’t answer when I asked, and since I didn’t have any mind-reading abilities, there was no way to know what Da-eun was thinking.

“Shall we talk about what happened during all this time?”

“...Suddenly? Changing the topic like that feels unnatural.”

“Hmm. Then, how about we discuss Kana’s cuteness again—”

“Where should I start? Should I say something?”

The viewers laughed at my sudden shift in tone, but I looked up with no trace of shame.

Pride doesn’t feed me anyway.

Every little thing I do...

Even yawning or blinking is given meaning and discussed as cute. I’d rather lower my pride a little and just go with it.

For a moment, I wondered if Da-eun was a parrot instead of a human.

“What would be good... Ah! How about talking about the camping trip?”

“That sounds good.”

It wasn’t provocative, and it wasn’t a bad memory, so I nodded in agreement.

Da-eun and I continued to talk as if having a conversation.

We mentioned how amazed we were by the self-driving cars, how we did a bit of training after arriving at the campsite, how we ate expensive meat, and how it started to rain after the meal.

“-So we packed up quickly and went to bed, but guess what happened?”

“What happened?”

“It happened! I thought I’d be chatting with Kana until I fell asleep, but as soon as Kana laid his head down, he just fell asleep! I thought Kana was pretending to sleep for a moment.”

“...Ah.”

“It was a bit disappointing, so I just fell asleep too, but when I woke up in the morning, Kana wasn’t waking up! I had to wake him up, and he said, ‘What morning is it?’ when I tried. It turns out he just thought he had closed his eyes and opened them again. Heh heh... Isn’t that just so cute?”

“...Is that really that funny?”

It didn’t seem all that funny to me, but the chat was filling with laughter.

We continued with more such stories.

We talked about shopping together, and meeting Yuki.

In the meantime, when Da-eun stopped for a moment to drink water, one particular comment in the chat caught my eye.

Do your parents know?

It might have been a casual question, but...

It was a question I couldn’t just ignore, and I quietly held my breath.