Chapter 182

〈 Chapter 183 〉 182 Chapter – GOTY

*

Unlike Mom, Choco Hyung opened the door and welcomed me.

He looked just as impressive as before.

Except for one thing.

[……Why the f*ck is this idiot regressing?］

‘Finally heading towards the title of the novel.’

There was a number floating above Choco Hyung’s head.

It was a small number, suggesting he had recently regressed, but still meant he could regress.

It’s really all coming true, just like the title of the novel.

I extended my fist to Choco Hyung, and he responded with a bro fist.

Bro affection at its finest.

Of course, the heroines didn’t seem to feel the same way.

They greeted Choco Hyung with sour expressions.

“…Hello, we know each other, right?”

“Bark! Bark! Bark!”

“……Nice to meet you. I’m Jeong Ahyeon.”

Choco Hyung nudged me, congratulating me on getting pretty girlfriends.

I thanked him while handing over gifts and the kimchi tub Mom packed.

Choco Hyung expressed his thanks while wondering why I brought such a thing.

Truly, family at its best.

As we entered the house, the surprisingly spacious interior revealed itself.

Considering it’s a two-room officetel, it was quite big. I decided to overlook the fact since it was new.

Soon, my eyes were drawn to Choco Hyung’s girlfriends.

Pomeranians. Huskies. Poodles. Bengal cats. And.

“Who?”

“……Who are you?”

A woman half-dressed and wearing a leash.

The unfamiliar visitor made Choco Hyung’s girlfriends growl at me, displaying obvious hostility.

“Who the hell are you?!”

Even the half-dressed woman joined in.

Then Elcia jumped in aggressively.

“Arrrrr!!! Woof!!! Woof!!!!”

“Ugh! You sure do speak some fancy words!”

Hearing Elcia’s barks, the woman showed a confused expression and acknowledged Elcia.

[What the f*ck! Do you seriously think it’s right to understand dog barks?!］

‘Of course, you can understand. That’s species discrimination.’

[…Yeah. In a world with idiots like you, stuff like that isn’t rare.］

But then, as Hyeji approached, the situation shifted slightly.

Choco Hyung’s girlfriends began to shrink back, whimpering.

“What’s with you guys?”

“……Please save us.”

The half-dressed woman was trembling, kneeling and bowing her head to Hyeji.

Just like beasts, they instinctively recognized a stronger individual.

Then the woman spotted Ayeon and revealed her teeth.

“So you’re a little bat trying to target my master!”

“Shut up! She already has a partner!”

But the woman didn’t seem interested in listening.

Instead, she provoked Ayeon further.

“You think that filthy body can charm my master? Dream on! Our master has no interest in whores!”

“She’s not a whore; she’s a succubus!”

Ayeon, perhaps annoyed, looked at me and earnestly pleaded.

“Please, would you mind hitting that crazy lady just once? No, twice.”

“Go ahead and try!”

The atmosphere between Ayeon and the half-dressed woman turned tense.

Even the other Choco Hyung’s girlfriends chimed in, adding to the escalating tension.

It was a situation on the verge of explosion.

In that moment, Choco Hyung hurriedly arrived, introducing me as his little brother while sorting gifts.

Only then did his girlfriends begin to lower their guard.

“I’ll let it slide this time!”

She was still grinding her teeth in hostility.

Meanwhile, I asked Choco Hyung how he ended up with so many girlfriends.

Upon hearing this, the woman jumped in proudly, saying,

“We all say that our master ‘saved’ us!”

As if that was the truth, Choco Hyung’s girlfriends nodded in agreement.

Choco Hyung scratched his head, looking a little awkward, and simply said, “Yeah, that’s right.”

“That’s my brother!”

I bumped fists with Choco Hyung again.

On the other hand, the woman who was watching our cheerful interaction frowned disapprovingly.

Followed by uncomfortable glances and murmurs.

“His little brother, huh.”

The other girlfriends seemed to share similar sentiments.

The looks they shot at me were far from kind.

No matter how much Choco Hyung introduced me, they clearly weren’t ready to accept me.

At that moment, the woman pointed her finger at me and shot back sharply.

“Hmph! If you’re the master’s little brother, you should at least be able to bark a little!”

“Of course. I’m the top tier of barking in this novel, you b*tch.”

“Let’s see you try!”

Looks like they weren’t going to accept me easily.

I took a deep breath and showcased the best line of barking I had previously heard.

“This policy proposal will surely push for an economic policy for the common people.”

“Approved. That’s an excellent bark.”

Choco Hyung’s girlfriends erupted into applause.

Even Choco Hyung was shedding tears.

Then, in a gesture of praise for my growth, he patted my shoulder twice.

That day, I was acknowledged by all of Choco Hyung’s girlfriends.

*

My first impression wasn’t great, but we soon became fast friends.

Since the conversation wasn’t flowing well, I hurried to buy a ton of drinks, and before I knew it, we were all chatting joyfully together.

Truly, alcohol is the universal conversation catalyst.

Watching everyone becoming like dogs was honestly heartwarming.

[Heartwarming? You fcking btch!］

‘As long as we’re all friendly, that’s what matters.’

Of course, midway through, I got another call from Caressy.

­ “Why did you all go to drink using my card without me?!”

“Sorry. What should I buy this time?”

­ “……Make sure to get the dogberry wood. It’s a prohibited item in the Beastman Kingdom.”

Ending the short call with Caressy, I turned my attention back to everyone huddled together.

Currently, a barking competition was in full swing, showcasing everyone’s vocabulary prowess.

Naturally, I didn’t participate and just watched in silence.

If I joined, it would undoubtedly break the balance, so I understood the decision.

Right then, it was Elcia’s turn.

She knelt down, clasped her hands together, and started speaking earnestly.

“Sisters! I promise I won’t cause any trouble, so please back me up!”

Elcia’s barking ended with a loud round of applause.

The half-dressed woman looked at Elcia with a touching expression.

“You have excellent verbal skills! There’s so much to learn from you!”

Thanks to the praise, Elcia’s mood lifted, smiling brightly.

Of course, that didn’t mean anyone actually agreed to back her up.

Failing to find a guarantor, Elcia resorted to her frustrations and dragged Ayeon, who was sitting a distance away, over.

“Let go! Let go!”

“Come on, Ayeon, say something!”

All eyes turned to Ayeon.

Realizing she had no choice, Ayeon cleared her throat a few times.

Trying to start with a simple introduction, she said, “I am Cheonma (？？）.”

Before she could finish her introduction, a tremendous wave of cheers erupted.

The response was light-years away from what Elcia received earlier.

Even the woman who had previously been hostile toward Ayeon nodded in acknowledgment, saying this was something she couldn’t deny.

“A bat saying it’s the Cheonma? I can’t help but acknowledge that.”

“No, f*ck!”

Everyone agreed that she could rightfully be considered a candidate for GOTY (Barking Of The Year).

That meant it was that good.

In the end, Ayeon was the winner, a conclusion everyone accepted.

Except for Ayeon herself.

However, all good times must come to an end.

Before long, the night had begun to drape its curtain outside.

“Well then, see you all again.”

I parted ways with Choco Hyung and his girlfriends, who saw me off.

Now it was time to decide where to go back to.

I casually asked the heroines where they were headed.

“I’m going home. Want to tag along?”

This time, the heroines wore slightly fearful expressions.

It seemed being in front of Mom, who wields the sharp knife of pure language, was too daunting for them.

“……Shinwoo, I’m going to Dad’s house.”

Ultimately, Hyeji decided to lean on her dad’s power.

Then Elcia and Ayeon quickly clung to Hyeji.

They looked like a pack of wolves zeroing in on their prey.

“Please take me with you, Hyeji unnie!”

“Please, I ask of you!”

“…I’ll see what I can do.”

Hyeji sighed and stepped away to make a call for a moment.

She returned swiftly, but her expression seemed complicated.

“They said they’d gladly take as many friends as you want. They’ll treat you to anything.”

“That’s great.”

“But they also said Shinwoo, if you show up, they might not let you go easily.”

“Yeah, I figured.”

I’d expected at least that much.

We’d meet again one day, so there was no need to rush.

Actually, the thought of meeting them again was frightening.

[Tell them to call me father-in-law as soon as you get there.］

‘What’s the difference from saying “just go die”?’

Anyway, we decided to take a taxi back.

The heroines to Hyeji’s house. Me to mine.

When I got home, Mom looked surprised.

“Son? Where are the daughters-in-law?”

“They said they’ll sleep at Hyeji’s.”

Mom’s gaze turned icy.

“…So, you’re sleeping alone? With all those lovely daughters-in-law left behind?”

“It seems the girls have something urgent to discuss privately.”

Her stare was so fierce that I hastily made excuses, but Mom’s gaze remained locked on me.

Soon after, a cold dagger pierced through my heart.

“You idiot son of a b*tch.”

“…….F*ck.”

With that parting line, Mom closed the bedroom door behind her.

She was still trying to get that last jab in.

[Tell your mom to check the meter. I bet it’ll be the highest.］

‘That just hurts my feelings, so shut up.’

Clutching my aching heart, I quietly lay down to sleep.

And the next day.

A bit early, but I was preparing to return to the academy.

I figured I couldn’t endure Mom’s barbs much longer by staying home.

I asked the heroines, but they said they’d stay a bit longer, so this time I decided to head back alone.

After all, I also had something very important to do.

That being, a return.

*