I PICKED UP A CHILD IN A DUMPSTER-Chapter 118: YOU WANT THIS? (ꐦ」ఠロఠ)」)
[A mischievous spellbook that looks powerful... is actually powerful but permanently makes the user irresistibly cute — ✧✧✧✧✧]
Si Hon stared.
"The hell?"
His expression flattened almost immediately, eyes lingering on the glowing five star rating, like what the fuck.
He flipped the book open slightly— then shut it just as fast.
"No. She’ll get mad if she suddenly noticed it."
Without hesitation, he slid it right back into place like it had never existed.
His hand moved again, faster this time, grabbing another.
[Fire Balls!!!! — ✧]
"You’ve got to be kidding me."
One star.
One.
He didn’t even bother opening it.
"Who wrote this? A caveman with anger issues?" he muttered under his breath, already shoving it back and moving on.
Another book.
[Advanced Mana Threading — ✧✧✧]
He paused.
Tilted his head slightly.
"Okay, not terrible."
He flipped through a page or two, scanning quickly. The structure was solid. The concept useful. But something about it felt... slow. Technical. The kind of thing that required patience. Well... even though he flipped two pages doesn’t mean he wanna learn it so It didn’t register as a book that was learned.
Si Hon glanced back again.
Aeloria.
Still holding his wrist.
Still watching with that stare.
And still not letting go.
"Yeah," he muttered under his breath, eyes half-lidded as he turned back to the shelf, sliding the book in his hand right back into place. "She’s not reading this."
The thought came easy— dismissive, almost automatic— but it didn’t quite shake off the awareness of her presence behind him. It lingered anyway, quiet and persistent, like something he refused to name but couldn’t fully ignore either.
So he did the next best thing.
He kept moving.
Book after book passed through his hand, his pace steady, his expression flattening further with each new title that popped into view. The system flickered obediently, revealing ratings as his eyes skimmed over them, filtering without hesitation.
[Water Sphere Manipulation — ✧✧]
[Beginner’s Guide to Mana Control — ✧]
[How to Look Cool While Casting — ✧✧]
[TSUNDERE BOOK MAGIC ETC — ✧✧✧]
"...ಠ_ಠ..."
"Absolute nah."
He exhaled softly, dragging a hand through his hair as his steps slowed, the casual rhythm from earlier fading into something more focused. The humor thinned out, replaced by a quieter kind of intent as his gaze sharpened, scanning more carefully now.
(There has to be something better...)
His hand lifted again— then stopped.
Not because of the title.
Not at first..
But because of the glow.
It wasn’t loud. Didn’t demand attention like the others. No flashy shimmer, no exaggerated aura. Not even that exaggerated name. Just a faint, steady pulse— subtle enough to miss if you weren’t already looking for something more.
Waiting.
His fingers hovered for a fraction of a second before brushing against the spine, then curling around it as he pulled the book free.
[Pulse Step — ✧✧✧✧]
Si Hon’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"Movement?"
He flipped it open, not fully— just enough to catch the core idea. His gaze moved quickly, scanning lines, breaking down the structure in seconds.
Mana-based footwork.
Short bursts of acceleration.
Minimal casting delay.
High adaptability.
His grip tightened just a little.
"Oh."
Now that—
That had weight.
Not the flashy kind. Not the kind that screamed power or begged to be shown off. But the quiet kind. The kind that settled into your body and stayed there, turning every movement sharper, faster, more precise.
Efficient.
Fast.
Practical.
His gaze flickered for a brief moment, not at the page— but somewhere else entirely, like he was already picturing it in motion. The shift of steps. The timing. The way it would feel mid fight.
Then—
Slowly—
He turned his head.
Not all the way.
Just enough.
"Oi..." he called, tone casual— almost lazy— as he lifted the book slightly with his free hand, like it didn’t matter much. "Alori... Blue hair."
On the surface, nothing about him changed. His expression stayed flat, eyes half-lidded, voice carrying that same uninterested edge as if he’d just picked up something mildly decent and nothing more.
But—
His grip told a completely different story.
His fingers had tightened around the spine without him realizing it, knuckles faintly tensing as if the book might vanish the second he loosened up.
Even the way he held it— slightly closer than necessary, angled just enough to keep it firmly within his control— betrayed him in the smallest, most stubborn ways.
Like someone trying very hard not to look excited— and failing in very specific places.
"Y... you fight close range, right?" he added, just as casually, giving the book a small, absent tilt in his hand— but not once loosening his grip on it.
The question landed softer than expected, but it carried intention now— clear, deliberate, threaded with the kind of focus he only slipped into when something actually caught his interest.
Behind him—
Her grip hadn’t loosened.
Not even slightly.
If anything, it felt... steadier now.
Like she was waiting too.
Aeloria didn’t even hesitate.
"No...?" she said, her brows knitting slightly as she stared at him like he had just asked something completely unreasonable.
"Why would I fight close range...?" There was a faint edge of disbelief in her voice now, subtle but sharp enough to be felt. "I don’t want dirt getting on me."
Her gaze didn’t waver.
Not even a little.
And her hand—
Still firmly around his wrist.
Not tighter. Not looser. Just there, constant and unyielding, like she had quietly decided this was acceptable behavior and saw no reason to change it.
Si Hon blinked.
Once.
Then, without another word, he turned back and casually slid the book he had been holding into his pajama top like it had suddenly lost all relevance.
"Well, okay... yeah. I know, hoho," he muttered, nodding to himself with a small, oddly satisfied grin that didn’t quite match the situation.
There was a flicker of excitement in his eyes, something quick and restless, like his brain had already started running ahead of him again.
But then—
It stopped.
Mid-thought.
Like a gear snapping out of its place.
(Wait...)
