Chapter 44: The King of the Playground (2)

The playground is cold.

The playground children demonstrate this fact through their actions, ignoring the fallen Mingu and huddling together to discuss usurping the throne.

"Honestly, isn't she more suited to be boss than Mingu?"

"A defeated boss is no longer boss."

"I-I think so too..."

Whisper whisper-

From their talk, the children were aiming for regime change. Seems like a defeated boss is no longer needed.

"Hey, what are you all muttering about?!"

Step step-

Hwaryeon approached the whispering children. Not wanting to get hit, they immediately knelt down.

"W-we've decided to acknowledge you as boss!"

"J-just don't hit us...!!"

Hwaryeon looked troubled at the children groveling like flies.

"W-what's wrong with them?!"

"We don't want to get hit like Mingu! Please spare us, Boss!"

"Boss? Why am I your boss?!"

Hwaryeon didn't accept being their boss, but the children had already acknowledged her as boss. The reason was simple.

"The strongest person is always boss!"

The strongest is boss.

Thus, the playground children acknowledged Hwaryeon as boss. Even if that person doesn't accept it, if the children acknowledge them, they become boss.

Hwaryeon's reaction to suddenly becoming the children's boss...

"If the strongest is boss then of course it's me!"

Proudly-

Hwaryeon smiled with crossed arms. She seemed quite pleased. Then, she confidently shouted at her new subordinates.

"Hmph, since I'm strongest, of course I should be boss! You humans are pretty smart?!"

"Yes Boss! We're quite smart! We're useful!"

"You're dumber than me but! Okay, fine! I'm the boss!"

Phew-

The children finally sighed in relief, glad they didn't get hit, it seems. Watching from the swing, I thought to myself.

'Hwaryeon becoming a playground boss. Is this really okay?'

I was somewhat worried, especially worried about Hwaryeon being a bad influence on the children. Though she's my daughter, Hwaryeon is battle-crazy. Hwaryeon looked at her new subordinates and said.

"Subordinates! Everyone up!"

"Yes, Boss!"

Jump-!

The children immediately stood at Hwaryeon's command. Hwaryeon smiled with satisfaction and ordered.

"Attention!"

"A-attention!"

"You're too slow! My subordinates must move as one body and mind! Understand?!"

"Y-yes! Boss!"

"Attention again!"

The children synchronized their timing and stood at attention. It must be quite close, since their timing matched perfectly.

Hwaryeon clapped lightly after seeing this.

Clap clap clap-

"Yes yes! My subordinates moving well to my commands! It’s very nice to see!"

It looks more like a North Korean leader than playground boss. Is it just my imagination?

'Definitely not just my imagination.'

It’s scary that she might have gone red flavor. As I watched Hwaryeon's boss play quietly, The discarded leader Gu Mingu, who had been lying with a nosebleed, got up and gaped at the situation before him.

"W-what is this... G-guys...! What are you doing...!?!"

"Boss...!"

"I'm your boss...! Why are you listening to that Dragon Girl...!!"

Mingu's subordinates had become Hwaryeon's subordinates. Mingu desperately shouted at them.

"Y-you guys' boss is me! Listen to me! Stand down from attention right now!"

"S-sorrry, boss...! We've decided to follow the new boss now...! Y-you're no longer boss...!!"

They no longer listened to Mingu. It was natural enough. Their boss was now Hwaryeon, not Mingu.

"T-these... aren't my friends..."

Thump-

Mingu dropped his head. Hwaryeon proudly declared before him.

"They're my subordinates now, not yours!"

"Ugh..."

"Your subordinates are pretty smart! They'll be useful!"

"Uugh..."

Mingu made a grief-stricken sound, bitter about having all his subordinates taken. Hwaryeon spoke lightly to the dejected Mingu.

"But it'd be awkward to not take just you as subordinate! I'll specially make you a subordinate too!"

"Make me a subordinate...?"

"Yeah! I'll specially make you my subordinate!"

Mingu briefly pondered Hwaryeon's words. But maybe due to his strong pride, he got up irritably and shouted.

"Why should I be under someone? I'll never be under anyone!"

At that, Hwaryeon snickered and threw a punch.

"If I say you're my subordinate, you are! Dragon Punch!"

"Guhk-!"

Thump-

Mingu fell to the ground from the punch, blood flowing from his nose again.

'Isn't he bleeding too much? Is he okay?'

Just as I started worrying about Mingu, I overheard the children talking.

"Mingu's got another nosebleed."

"His nose is naturally weak. It’s something about high blood pressure."

Seems like he's prone to nosebleeds, so I immediately dismissed my worry about Mingu.

"Anyway! You're my subordinate! Got it?!"

"...Like I just said. I'll never be under anyone-"

"If I say you're a subordinate, you are! Dragon Punch!"

"Guhk-"

Planning to make him a subordinate till the end, Hwaryeon kept throwing Dragon Punches at Mingu. I decided to stop Hwaryeon before Mingu died of blood loss.

"Hwaryeon, that's enough."

"Dad!"

"He'll die before becoming your subordinate at this rate."

"Really?!"

Hwaryeon sealed her Dragon Punch, and Mingu sighed in relief. I helped the fallen Mingu up.

"How are you? Are you okay?"

"...My body's fine. But my heart isn't, because of those traitors."

Glare-

Mingu glared at his betraying subordinates. Hwaryeon's subordinates whistled and avoided his gaze, pretending not to know.

"You traitors...!!"

Hwaryeon spoke to the teeth-gritting Mingu:

"Hmph, if you're unhappy, become stronger than me!"

"..."

Mingu closed his mouth at Hwaryeon's words. Then, Hwaryeon looked up at me and asked.

"Dad! What should I do with subordinates?!"

"Hmm, whatever you want? Just play together with them."

"Hmph, I don't want to play together! Weak creatures naturally form groups! I prefer being alone!"

Step step-

After talking with me, Hwaryeon approached her subordinates with seeming resolve. The subordinates waited for her words with expectant faces.

Hwaryeon confidently told them.

"Hey, you guys!"

"Yes, Boss!"

"Just forget being my subordinates!"

"...Boss?"

"I don't want to be your boss! Strong creatures should be alone!"

Saying this, Hwaryeon turned and came to me.

"Dad, time's up! Let's go home!"

"Already?"

"Yeah! But I had fun!"

It’s good if Hwaryeon had fun. Then, I held her hand to prevent her falling again and looked back at the remaining children while heading home.

"B-boss..."

"Once a boss, always a boss...!!"

Despite being dismissed, the children still seemed to consider Hwaryeon their boss. They must have been truly impressed by her overwhelming force.

'Is this dragon leadership?'

Even with such strange behavior, the kids started following anyway.

Walking with Hwaryeon, I asked her.

"Hwaryeon."

"What!"

"So, can they play in the playground now?"

After claiming it as her territory, she said let's go home leaving the children.

What was the reason for this behavior?

When I asked, Hwaryeon looked straight in my eyes and said.

"Ah, right! I forgot!"

"..."

"Let's go back quickly! I need to drive them out!"

Pitter-patter-!

Hwaryeon sped up back to the playground and shouted at the remaining children.

"Hey, this is my territory! Get out now!"

"Boss, why are you doing this to us?!"

"Why am I your boss?! Get out now!!"

Like a park keeper chasing pigeons, Hwaryeon swung Dragon Punches at the children. The children ran around the playground, trying not to get hit.

"Boss, let us use the playground too!"

"Shut up! This is Lee Hwaryeon's territory!"

"Aaah! Save us, Boss!"

"Don't run! You're dead if I catch you!"

Hwaryeon and the children ran around the playground earnestly, like playing tag. Climbing up and down slides, facing off across seesaws, kicking up sand.

'Mingu was it? After being prideful, he's playing too.'

Maybe he’d be jealous if others played without him. Before I knew it, Mingu was also running from Hwaryeon in the playground. Their faces were full of childish smiles.

'Kids laugh just from running around at that age.'

Still, though Hwaryeon's a bit spicy, I'm glad she seems to have made new friends.

"You're dead if I catch you!!"

"Hehe. Try to catch us, Boss!"

A playground king doesn't just watch, but mingles and plays with the citizens.