MCB Chapter 12

a0bd6cb3ad9f3c81

Chapter 123a590fd714be9d6f

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I moved cautiously, muffling e4d1c6eb0f my footsteps. I could hear d6814d68fb a faint clattering e451edaf7d coming from the c03412b375 kitchen.181acbd0fe8d0178

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‘Why the kitchen?’753b4c3324ff014c

It’s not a place you’d logically find valuables.9db928f9959488cf

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‘Don’t tell me they’re getting a weapon…’5c5750e074e51fa3

That would be a relief instead. It means they didn’t come armed originally, since the kitchen would at most have knives or rolling pins.c8aff55466610fb5

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If it came to 5e583bdb6d confrontation, the longer reach 607b325640 of the mop handle d0bdef50c9 would give me the d1897ad5ff advantage.a76e58345d15a530

As I took another 290cafa173 step forward, I gasped 7c9d2923dc when I noticed a 8e36db0836 red puddle at my 7ee9371a3e feet.02a4bc4942ba54db

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If the culprit was injured, 10ebab98f0 I could muster some courage 952d93c67b and drive them out.424ea64510baa2af

Any fear had 04a65b2ec0 dissipated after my 22678539ca precious sleep was 680451dcf3 disturbed.66166df96eaad270

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‘Now’s my chance!’ee0f2cdd1cc508b7

I charged into addee22bec the kitchen with bfb470bc2b a battle cry. As the kitchen curtain parted, 0ffdcc6d93 the figure who made a b4945bfa05 mess of my cocktail bar 0825ce1d02 came into view.5b42976093694783

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“Huh?”3d5bbcfe94daf163

And I, who had 9fb631b1de raised the mop handle 17dff78830 high, stood dumbfounded on 054a30fc8b the spot.0f225bb44fc1a59f

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It was a boy who couldn’t be older than 10, staring at me with a frightened expression.a40de9bf73af85e8

Thud.9700a3d8c5ce9ed5

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The boy dropped 295b4523ec the bread and e6b5f836e0 glass bottle he 8e32ae2fb2 was holding. My gaze followed them e125113710 to the floor.379766c11292692c

That bottle contained cocktail cherries.afc274d79bb6eee8

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The cherries, dyed a brilliant 307cf100e4 crimson, glistened like jewels—perfect for 8bc5d19b74 decorations.bcbecec84e6f0ebe

‘Was that red puddle just spilled cocktail cherries?’fa1c0a7469845822

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An oddly sweet b751b7bc1c aroma wafted up. Feeling embarrassed, I scratched 2b57c5ff76 my nape and lowered fc6460e762 the mop handle. Clearly this burglar aafb6d2eda had a story, a7fcb42775 so talking seemed df087162c4 the priority.629eac6063ce9b1c

“Hey, how did you get in here?”4974290da439e13a

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“Hic, huh. I, I, I…”0bb6196a66155ec4

“It’s okay. I’m not mad. Don’t cry, just tell me what’s going on? Maybe I can help if something happened.”8057056ee37f87fc

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I spoke gently, fca693518b trying to soothe a7e5706a91 the boy.8f892d378383811d

Despite my efforts, he 1b3e289bbc burst into tears.06b1f4c9e8d4b7f5

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“Waaahhhh!”7e5da633059c4593

“Oh dear.”6010a24fa271e613

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How does one console a crying child? I’ve comforted many drunken adults, but never a child.4f1aabdb788dcf2b

“Hey kid, want a snack? You’ll feel better if you eat something sweet.”1a995e98cbed50fb

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“Hic, Mommmyyyy!”3876f2b1b0cb8447

The boy didn’t seem to hear me, continuing to wail and cry out. He didn’t react even when I tried giving him chocolate.c7cbecc5eb8cfc37

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‘His crying is ringing in my head…’1c9345ae1a87e940

As troublesome as this 025168554c situation was, as an b20293bfbe adult, I had to 2f36b8dcf3 handle it somehow.c8d42f44e451737e

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Then a good idea 07fda3fbbf popped into my mind.e0bc014845c342fb

“This Noona will make you a special cocktail. Watch closely, okay?”250cb49aa6c4a087

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Feigning composure, I took out cf65abb02d a martini glass, the inverted 96f3ee3775 cone shape.254abced613fcef3

I dipped the glass rim-first 0fe062e343 into a dish full of 1e589bb3a3 condensed milk. The sniffling boy glanced at 34bf527c51 me, his curiosity piqued.6f2fca3ade363e4e

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“Next, we coat it with colorful sprinkles.”b0ab8d7cd1049c2e

I rolled the milk-rimmed b25bc475a2 glass over assorted sprinkles, d852bc9060 decorating it vibrantly.2eb04f0802c9cf82

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Red, yellow, green, blue—the 08d286752a tiny spheres blended together, e7e66dcead adorning the upper portion c2f0aa0fbe of the glass.84fd948a514d6a5a

“Ta-da! How’s that?”7d65584b46a4d7ce

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“The…cup looks pretty.”6594a6cfee8d7424

“Right? That’s just the decoration. You have to do the rest yourself.”5f5e5efeb577ab1c

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“M-Me?”5046e94aaad92e43

The boy fidgeted 57b0fc03ff with his fingers, fa27cba612 looking tense.f0ae752791f81d5d

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“It’s really simple. Just pour this milk into the glass. But make sure it doesn’t touch the rim, aim for the center.”2cdcad173d771a84

When I offered him the d14c5d433a sprinkle-coated glass and milk, the f390948459 boy looked puzzled.f16f8fda957e5f36

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He seemed skeptical, but 1c1bfbac2a silently poured the milk 7a28cc3a2c into the glass slowly.dc8b9bc95469623b

“Don’t let it touch the rim, don’t let it touch…”381f996117629c15

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Glug glug.114013ca056f3233

The glass became full e15ce0b888 of milk.e9d3f96266e94950

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“Huh?”ed4aceee5d2a81d4

Where the milk 47c2eeeb5f met the sprinkles, 1a4f6c5a70 the vibrant colors 75e456c947 started bleeding into 009b578e64 the white liquid.744e1fbff6485943

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Instead of mixing, d19b9b5087 the colors spread 74e0e51b74 outwards in streaks, 34cbc9b331 turning the plain 7e03b34a2d milk into a 9682a1297b palette.cedeb69ef8d28b3f

“Wow! Wow! Rainbow milk! I made this!”bbe16d4622472037

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The boy exclaimed excitedly, as if he hadn’t been crying moments ago. Seeing his reaction brought a proud smile to my face. The little rascal looked adorable with his reddened nose.ce76208b18a1148c

“How about that, little bartender?”6da9d5906e9da2f8

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“I love it! Can I drink this?”53e492632af5d4d4

“Sure, it’s yours.”df1e65e7f15ceb14

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Without hesitation, the 1f0e924517 overjoyed boy chugged d4076f883e down the entire 81ceb98d32 glass.bf4adcd8bf845a41

“So creamy and sweet! It’s making my mood all colorful too! Hehehe.”2cf4ab35eb251d60

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“Right? I really like this one too.”485ec744a9bcce8e

It’s not an amazing taste—just sweet, mild milk, like slightly melted ice cream.e4a0793b3918140a

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But seeing those vibrant 1908825edc colors must add to d8f6db0e92 the enjoyment.ce2499d317aaab3c

If I mixed in b7eb65c04c some vodka or rum, 0018d0c796 it would make a 7b6b9c6eeb great cocktail, but milk c222b67368 is enough for our a821969035 little bartender.d1ad28442041e547

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“Now, will you tell me what’s going on?”894aafe57163acdd

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I asked, patting the boy’s head.c9cd0c6b4c4e9a54

“I was wandering the forest with my little sister…”4bd7f0eb36325f70

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“The forest? Where are your parents?”d94d0400395cd4da

“My parents abandoned me and my sister in the forest.”f75f4f247abe3e90

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The cheerful smile on cd63fa62db the milk-mustached boy instantly 126d994951 turned sullen.d9c0455f5c46ceda

Abandoning such young children in the forest…b580635ee7cfc87b

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“Like a ‘Hansel and Gretel’ story or something…”88af1e1c44806196

I muttered absentmindedly, but the boy’s eyes widened.1f0c9dd5524c1583

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“Noona, you know me?”5c008bb5da12a81d

“Huh?”72e0ab1301d315f7

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“You just called me Hansel. That’s my name.”c1891829008811df

I blinked dumbfoundedly, stunned 003b659ae3 despite knowing this dimension b3e8c72293 connects to familiar tales.25a6774941d9e904

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“Um, Noona?”98dd95dec3c292ca

“Ah, sorry! I was just lost in thought for a bit. Um, it does seem like I know you somehow.”ded80b789a1fd913

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“Wow, amazing!”5742cf821d6b5104

“Haha.”78a4e3a4771982f0

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To be precise, I’ve read the fairy tale they’re the protagonists of, but that would sound strange to explain.5eafe150ab034ac2

So I kept it vague.68cde0322f5b7118

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“But really, how did you get in here?”32bd784567d0207e

“I saw the door and just went inside. I was hungry, you see. Noona, I ate that bread and those cherries. Sorry.”a75494e2ee8db3c5

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“If you’re hungry, you have to eat something. I was surprised, but it’s okay.”d2588e38a631c0ec

“I also ate chips, bananas, ham, peanuts, and corn.”edcdc987e47cb8b2

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Hansel sniffled as he spoke. It was a 47c2aed7fb relief to know 1e021e9576 he had found d9599e1382 enough to eat. It made all the e3f54545b8 efforts I’d made to bf01355bf4 gather food from different 7b782ae8e3 dimensions worth it.e284c07e224868b9

“At your age, you should eat a lot. Are you still hungry? I can make you something.”fa35c62ca4b66d00

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“I’m full now.”84cf6721b45052f2

Hansel patted his round belly 97655d6e30 proudly as he answered.2a4c3a94df9f86f5

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“So where is your sister? Is she here by any chance?”cda433ae4c1885af

As I looked around and spoke, tears welled up again in Hansel’s large eyes.263322962340923d

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“Sniff… I don’t know. I lost her. Because I just went into any place saying I was hungry…”ddf76140d7c30fe4

“It’s okay. Let’s go find your sister together.”291b2067f9013fbe

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Although it was troublesome, I couldn’t ignore children who were starving.b0cb326c352cba9a

I hurriedly packed 70b5d39656 some sandwiches and 272f3a9c45 fruit juice.cc0b172cc06906c1

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“Alright, let’s go. Lead the way.”7f1b53d4de0ea540

“Yes, Noona!”6e92bb3fde263cdc

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Hansel scurried out, 44f39bd1af opening the door. Before me, an d33a4a0ae9 unfamiliar forest landscape 0a38d7c4db unfolded as I 7e7cf30c3a casually followed behind.a071d64c3bd23722

‘Could the front door lead to different dimensions?’a60de670355e9f32

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I recalled the aa9aac4dd6 notification that said ef47d68604 to imagine the 92d7210e78 dimension you want 37c7e1f1de to go to.b7d1e07ac17668f5

“Does it connect to one’s own dimension for outsiders not part of the system?”50f964e4b546c685

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I muttered to be31e49e8e myself when a 1d6b725f4a light notification sound dbd0937fe0 rang out.a8cd18a5b051877f

Ding!7b970e5322dcea0b

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Turning back, the familiar ee4be8e298 door stood there.1a6396726f98b69f

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“This is the door I mentioned! When I went through it, I ended up in your place.”84a1132d583d3780

“I see.”3590dbbbe2dbe34e

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It was a simple structure. The door that appeared in Hansel and Gretel’s dimension was connected to my cocktail bar’s door.671f558d8e153cbc

I had already experienced 3c7e037538 this rare case.3308177e0e338828

‘The rich lord appeared in the forest.’5aba2bcd55d4def7

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I wondered about the criteria, but the system’s explanation ended there. I wasn’t curious enough to pry further, though.626a04dcc6e15eea

More importantly, we needed 6de73844de to find Gretel now.5976866ef02f235f

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“Gretel! Where are you!”6a1ce8389b8116ea

Hansel cupped his hands around 4ffcca06d2 his mouth and shouted. His voice boomed, having eaten 3ccd28aaa2 his fill.158bc8ddb0a6b7f6

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“Gretel! Where are you!”04aba1ddf4f69eaa

I joined in without holding back.  We thought we’d find her quickly, but it seemed she had wandered off from this area.88f81378404248cd

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“Gretel! Your brother is here!”dd8b19997f8a8f75

“Gretel! Let’s eat! Food!”7fe7f021dccdd968

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How far could 8e4fe9bae5 she have gone?01cc3ffb2b708f5d

Just as I worried we 359048bde4 might not find her, a 028246c293 girl who looked just like 53b17ef886 Hansel appeared across the way.4ec4e712a8b4efcd

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“Could that child be…”4411840b528323f1

“Gretel!”95ab24faa7160d74

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Before I could even bee3f3a4b6 ask, Hansel ran forward 0ace0286d3 first. His action was answered enough.17dd653f3b35e8bb

“Waaah, Gretel. Where did you go? I looked everywhere for you!”e9b4129a8c5b6f39

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Though it was difficult, it wasn’t bad to witness the warm reunion between the siblings.71d29ce4dd7eca29

“Who’s making such a fuss? Ugh! What is this sticky mess all over your clothes! I told you to eat properly without spilling.”763b426217e55f40

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“But, but….”e4582d05f84dad8c

“Where on earth did you go? You suddenly disappeared, and I was so worried.”50435b5e94ca903d

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“I saw a door. I thought there might be something to eat…”5a54ecf2d93f8141

“But still, how could you just go in! You don’t know who might be inside.”d30777ed3db0c948

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I had imagined 1757a787d7 a frail girl d3a94a8bf8 crying and searching 6827cbd83b frantically for her f72545c503 brother like Hansel, a1bbb0cb36 but in reality, 9bcb593abd Gretel was remarkably ffe2691c9b resilient girl.1109129fc6b4d87f

“Who is this Unnie?”5c36c52288d53158

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“I’m the owner of the house your brother barged into.”e9e480429f21f80c

When I smiled and offered the sandwiches, a deep wariness crossed Gretel’s face.8e2baff1ac58b6c4

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“Why are you giving us food?”3d0369057427e5d3

“Hm?”0cbd02622b412e58

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“Everyone is starving from hunger. They don’t just give food to anyone. It’s suspicious.”fdac3fb96cc0d4f6

Gretel’s cool-headed attitude was actually reassuring. When even parents abandon their children, how could she trust a stranger?12e9b10590115243

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“But still, someone has to…”1e5db38a21797d56

I approached Gretel 206f2f270a and continued speaking.2e5db075aee3b1d3

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“Take care of hungry children.”1c6c4f9eb53b8c53

“……”c96d2cde031f96c7

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At my calm words, Gretel’s eyes flickered faintly.774ec4f24b9ae99a

🫧d7cc5b39add45ec2

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