The Grand Adventures of the Adorable Penguin Viora and Her Loyal Disciples, Cyrus and Gwishin (Volume One, Abridged)

It had been officially a week since the Hellride Amusement Park incident.

The reason Viora and Cyrus hadn't returned to school yet was that the administration didn't want to force students who had been directly involved in the accident to return immediately. They believed those students needed time with their families to recover from such a traumatic event.

It was currently Sunday, seven in the morning.

Viora hadn't made any further progress in achieving the state of no-mind. Cyrus believed this was because she lacked real battle experience. He was certain that as she fought more life-threatening battles, she would eventually gain the experience necessary to re-enter that state. In the meantime, for the past few days, she had only been practicing basic martial arts under the guidance of both Gwishin and himself.

She had finally gone back home yesterday, so she wasn't there at the moment.

Cyrus was preparing breakfast with Gwishin by his side. For some reason, she looked tense.

He let out a lazy sigh, which caught Gwishin's attention. She glanced at him for a moment before offering a gentle smile.

"It's rare for you to be this tired, Cyrus. Did you get enough sleep last night?"

She was preparing pancakes with effortless grace.

Cyrus looked down at the scrambled eggs he was making, his voice still carrying traces of exhaustion.

"It's not that… It was just hard for me to get out of bed, that's all. I guess I got too used to Grandpa or Sui-Pōn waking me up."

Just as Gwishin was about to respond, a heavy knock echoed from the front door.

Cyrus let out a long sigh. "Who's knocking this early in the morning?"

Gwishin glanced at him and said in her usual tone, "I can answer it if you want."

He shook his head as he made his way to the door. "No, that's fine. I'll do it."

The knocking grew more intense. As he grabbed the handle and pulled the door open, he was met with the sight of a petite girl standing in front of him.

She had messy black and purple hair, with multiple small pink bandages scattered across her face. She wore a penguin pajama set and a pair of dinosaur slippers, her coat hanging loosely off her arms as if she hadn't bothered to wear it properly. Her dark eyes were heavy with exhaustion.

The girl at the door was Viora.

Cyrus stared at her for a moment before speaking, irritation clear in his voice.

"Viora, can you please tell me what the hell you're doing?"

With her eyes closed, she let out a lazy sigh. "I'm here to eat breakfast…"

He looked at her, dumbfounded.

As he studied the girl in front of him, a thought crossed his mind.

There's no way she actually woke up this early and came all the way here just so I'd offer her breakfast… Does this girl have no shame? What kind of friend is she?

"You know, Viora… Normally, friends don't just show up unannounced at seven in the morning demanding breakfast," Cyrus said flatly.

She looked at him with a confused expression, rubbing her eyes. Her tone held a hint of… sadness?

"So… I can't come?"

Cyrus stared at her for a moment, his face unreadable. Then, suddenly, he looked away, embarrassed. For some reason, his gaze lingered on her face.

The whole situation wasn't serious—especially with her standing there in those ridiculous pajamas—but still…

I don't know why… but why does she look so… strangely cute right now?

No, wait… What the hell am I even thinking about? Screw this!

He let out a tired sigh before swinging the door open wide.

"I'm too tired for this right now… Sure, come inside. You can eat breakfast with us. It's what friends do… I think?"

As she walked inside, she playfully tapped Cyrus on the chest—a punch so weak that it couldn't possibly hurt anyone.

"Thanks, C-Y-boy. You're the best…" she mumbled tiredly.

Cyrus blinked, stunned, before following her toward the kitchen. His face grew warm as he processed what had just happened.

What the hell did she just call me?

As they walked toward the kitchen, they heard Gwishin call out loudly while still preparing breakfast.

"Cyrus, we're almost out of milk!"

Hearing multiple footsteps approaching, she turned for a second—only to pause when she saw Viora, her tired eyes half-lidded, standing there in penguin pajamas and dinosaur slippers.

Gwishin let out a surprised gasp, then smiled warmly.

"Wow, Viora! You look so cute in that outfit!"

She had just finished making breakfast, so she hurried over to meet Viora in the kitchen.

Viora waved a hand lazily, offering a gentle yet tired smile of her own. "Thanks, Master…"

She then glanced down at her outfit before giggling—a rare sound coming from her.

"It so cute!"

Watching the whole scene unfold, Cyrus stared in shock.

What the hell? I've never seen Gwishin react this strongly to anything before…

Gwishin pulled down the penguin hoodie from Viora's head and took a closer look at her. Her hair was a complete mess—it was obvious she hadn't brushed it this morning.

"Are you going to eat breakfast with us?" she asked.

Before Viora could respond, Cyrus spoke up as he made his way to the table.

"Yeah… Apparently, she prefers eating breakfast here instead of at home."

Viora rubbed her eyes lazily and mumbled, "It's because you guys can make pancakes… Christine can't. So from now on, I'll eat breakfast here."

Cyrus froze mid-step, then turned to look at her, dumbfounded once again.

This girl… has no shame at all! No courtesy! Does she even hear what she's saying!?

Meanwhile, Gwishin walked over to the living room, grabbed a brush, and returned to the kitchen. She poured warm milk into a small glass and handed it to Viora with a gentle yet caring tone.

"Here, have a drink while waiting for breakfast."

Viora nodded, taking the glass. "Thanks, Master…" she murmured lazily.

Gwishin nodded back, then moved behind Viora. With a soft smile, she gently placed the brush in Viora's messy hair and began brushing it with care.

Viora glanced up at her, letting out a cute yet tired smile.

Gwishin continued in her usual tone, "Well, if that makes you happy, you can eat breakfast with us whenever you want, Viora."

As she sipped the milk, Viora let out a satisfied sigh and, in her usual tired tone for the morning, said, "Yeah… Thanks, Gwishin… You're the best…"

Cyrus grabbed one plate after another, each containing scrambled eggs, sausage, and pancakes, placing them at their usual spots on the table. He glanced over at Gwishin, who was brushing Viora's hair with great care, and couldn't help but think.

I didn't expect the two of them to get along so well.

It was surprising for Cyrus, considering the stark contrast in their personalities. He had assumed that Gwishin, being responsible, smart, and reserved, would find Viora's more energetic nature annoying.

But after this week, he realized that their personalities weren't as opposite as he'd originally thought. In fact, they were quite similar—Viora was just much more expressive.

They shared many things in common, and as Cyrus watched them interact, he could see how closely they'd grown in just one week. He'd almost say their relationship was like that of an older and younger sister, with Gwishin being the responsible older sister and Viora, the playful, sometimes obnoxious younger one.

After finishing brushing Viora's hair, Gwishin sat down next to her. Viora looked at her and spoke gently,

"Thanks, Gwishin…"

Gwishin nodded, but then her expression shifted with concern.

"Why do you have so many bandages, Viora?"

Viora took a bite of her sausage, chewing before responding between bites.

"I… got scratched in the face by a cat I was trying to hold in my arms while walking home yesterday…"

Cyrus watched her for a moment, his expression softening before he spoke.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Viora."

Viora looked at him with a smile and nodded.

"Sorry…"

As they ate, Gwishin and Cyrus watched as Viora's eyes sparkled with delight while she eagerly took bite after bite of her pancake. The sight was both cute and amusing.

Gwishin, noticing her enthusiasm, smirked in amusement.

"It looks like you're really enjoying the pancakes I made, Viora."

Viora was about to answer while still chewing, but the moment her eyes met Cyrus's, she quickly swallowed and spoke in an excited tone. She didn't seem as tired anymore.

"Yes! I love it! Pancakes are my favorite food ever! They're number one in my top ten number one spot of favorite foods!"

Cyrus gave her a puzzled look.

"What the hell is a 'top ten number one spot'?"

Viora paused, then grinned brightly.

"Oh! It's just that I have too many favorite foods that I love all at the same time, so I have a top ten in my number one spot!"

Gwishin tilted her head, her voice filled with both confusion and amusement.

"But… doesn't that just mean pancakes are your favorite food?"

Viora blinked, looking at Gwishin as she took another bite of her pancake. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she chewed, completely forgetting Cyrus's earlier advice.

"Oh! I guess you're right!"

Cyrus watched her response, and for a moment, he almost let out a laugh. As he took another bite of his own pancake, a thought crossed his mind.

That outfit really does look good on her…

chapter seventy-nine end