Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss-Chapter 281 - 280: A meal as a family

"Stop, Seojun!" Elshienne hissed, grabbing his arm.

Nathan quickly pulled at his sleeve too. "You're getting attention!"

Seojun let go of the guy's wrist. The man stumbled back, rubbing his arm, but his friends didn't seem the least bit concerned about his pain. In fact, they barely acknowledged it.

Instead, their eyes locked onto Nathan and Elshienne, their expressions shifting.

"Wait a second… Don't they look kinda familiar?" one of them muttered.

Another stepped forward, narrowing his eyes. "Hey! Who are you?"

Elshienne quickly lowered her hat further over her face, while Nathan pulled down the brim of his cap.

But before the guys could get any closer, Seojun stepped in front of them, blocking their view.

The group sneered at him.

"Ha! You already showed that you're an Awakener," one of them scoffed. "But do you really think you can handle us?" He smirked, glancing at his friends. "One versus five? What do you think?"

Nathan and Elshienne immediately pulled at Seojun's arms again.

"We need to go," Nathan muttered urgently. "If they figure out we're Hamiltons, our peaceful vacation will be over!"

Seojun didn't move. His sharp gaze stayed locked onto the five troublemakers.

Elshienne bit her lip before leaning closer to whisper, "If we cause trouble and people recognize us… Mom won't be able to enjoy this trip."

That made Seojun pause.

He exhaled sharply, then, without a word, turned around and started walking away. Nathan and Elshienne let out quiet sighs of relief and hurried after him. The group of Awakeners behind them watched them go, still suspicious.

One of the guys in the group grabbed his friend's shoulder, stopping him about to follow them.

"Dude, don't. We're already getting attention."

"Tch, Lucky"

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The others looked around and realized people were glancing their way, some whispering. Annoyed, they clicked their tongues and turned away.

Seojun, who had stopped in his tracks, narrowed his eyes and turned around to look at them.

Nathan sighed. "What now, Seojun?"

"Don't do anything, okay?" Elshienne added quickly.

"We're used to it," Nathan muttered, adjusting his cap. "Besides, your… issue is still fresh."

Elshienne looked a little sad but nodded.

Seojun sighed. "Fine." He turned back around, continuing to walk.

…But that didn't mean he'd let them off that easily. As they walked away, he subtly moved his fingers. A second later, the ground beneath the group of Awakeners suddenly became extra slippery—like ice.

Thud!

"UWAH—!"

"WHAT THE—?!"

One of them slipped first, then another, and within seconds, all six of them were on the ground, tangled in an embarrassing heap.

People around them started laughing.

"Pfft—Did you see that?"

"Did they just trip over nothing?"

"Serves them right for acting so cocky!"

Even Nathan and Elshienne heard the commotion and turned back slightly. Elshienne's eyes widened, then she quickly looked at Seojun.

"…Did you?"

Seojun had a completely innocent face. "Did I what?"

Nathan stared at him, then at the group struggling on the ground.

"…Hah. Nice."

Elshienne couldn't help it—she grinned And just like that, her sadness from earlier disappeared. As the group scrambled to get up, Seojun wasn't done yet.

Just as the guy who had grabbed Elshienne's shoulder managed to stand, his pants suddenly ripped.

RRRIIIPPP!

A loud tearing sound echoed, making heads turn. The guy froze. His friends, still tangled on the floor, looked up.

"…PFFT—!"

"BWAHAHA! BRO, YOUR PANTS—!!"

Laughter exploded from the crowd.

A woman nearby gasped. "Oh dear, his underwear has little teddy bears on them!"

"HUH?!"

The guy's face turned beet red as he quickly covered himself with his jacket. "SHUT UP!"

But before he could escape, another one of his friends tried getting up—only to step on someone else's hand.

"OW, YOU IDIOT—"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN IDIOT?! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO MADE ME SLIP—"

Their leader, still flustered from his wardrobe malfunction, tried to maintain his pride. "We—We need to—"

THWACK!

Right then, a pigeon flew overhead… and pooped on his head.

"…."

The crowd went silent.

Then—

"PFFT—BAHAHAHA!"

Nathan and Elshienne, despite their best efforts, lost it.

Elshienne doubled over, holding her stomach. "I—I can't—"

Nathan wheezed. Seojun, meanwhile, looked completely innocent. "How unlucky of them."

Elshienne wiped tears from her eyes. "You're evil."

Nathan smirked. "I respect it."

As the group of humiliated Awakeners ran away, covering their faces, Seojun casually walked forward.

"Let's go," he said smoothly, as if nothing happened.

Nathan and Elshienne, still chuckling, followed behind. This vacation was starting to feel really fun.

When Seojun, Nathan, and Elshienne arrived at the restaurant, they quickly spotted their parents sitting at a table near the window. The restaurant was already packed with people, just as John had predicted.

"You're late," John said, raising an eyebrow. "Did something happen?"

Nathan and Elshienne, who were usually tired or annoyed, were… smiling. A bit too much.

Seoyang noticed it right away. "You two look happier than usual. What happened?" she asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

Elshienne just grinned and picked up a spoonful of rice. "Nothing~" she sang, before turning to Ji-Hye and feeding her.

Ji-Hye chewed, then turned to her mother with big, round eyes. "Mommy… sister is scary."

Elshienne only laughed, clearly in a very good mood.

John and Seoyang exchanged glances. Seojun, meanwhile, casually sat down as if nothing had happened.

"Anyway, let's eat," he said smoothly.

—

The table was already filled with food, but as soon as Nathan and Elshienne sat down, their eyes darted around, checking what was available.

Nathan immediately pointed at a sizzling plate in the middle. "What's this?"

"That's Jeju Black Pork BBQ," Seoyang answered, flipping a piece of pork on the grill. "Try it, it's famous here."

Elshienne sniffed the air. "Smells good!" She quickly grabbed some pork, wrapped it in a lettuce leaf with garlic and sauce, and took a huge bite. Her eyes widened. "Oh, wow. This is so good!"

Nathan, who was already chewing, nodded in agreement. "This might be the best pork I've ever had."

Then, he pointed at a steaming bowl. "And this one?"

"Abalone Porridge," John said. "It's good for stamina."

Elshienne scooped some up and blew on it before taking a bite. The soft, creamy texture and fresh abalone flavor made her hum in satisfaction. "Mmm~ I like this."

Nathan turned to another dish. "What about this hotpot?"

"Haemul Jeongol (Seafood Hotpot)," Seoyang answered. "It has fresh seafood, tofu, and vegetables in a spicy broth."

Nathan took a sip of the broth and coughed. "Ugh—spicy!"

Elshienne laughed at his reaction and grabbed a grilled fish. "This one?"

"Grilled Mackerel," John said. "Be careful of the bones."

Elshienne carefully picked at the fish and tasted it. "Crispy outside, soft inside. Not bad!"

Meanwhile, Ji-Hye was focused on the Tangerine Salad, happily munching on the sweet fruit.

As everyone enjoyed their meal, Nathan and Elshienne kept reaching for different dishes, trying everything.

Seojun was calmly eating when, out of nowhere, Elshienne placed a piece of braised beltfish onto his plate.

She did it quickly, as if she was embarrassed, avoiding his gaze. "Don't get the wrong idea," she muttered.

Seojun raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Then, a second later, Nathan placed a spoonful of abalone porridge on his plate too. "Yeah, same," Nathan said, not looking at him.

Seojun blinked, surprised for a moment. Then, he smiled slightly. "Thanks."

Across the table, Seoyang and John noticed the exchange. Seoyang leaned closer to Seojun and whispered, "What did you do?"

Seojun simply smirked. "It's a secret, Mom."

Then, as if returning the gesture, he placed a piece of sea urchin from the soup onto Seoyang's plate.

She looked down at the food, then at her son, a little surprised. Then, she smiled softly.

John, watching all this, chuckled. "Looks like you're getting along now, huh?"

Before anyone could say more, Ji-Hye, who had been busy eating her tangerine salad, suddenly grabbed a spoonful of pumpkin rice cake and put it on Seojun's plate too.

"Big brother eats too!" she said proudly.

Seojun stared at his plate, now filled with food from his siblings. Nathan and Elshienne froze, then burst into laughter.

Elshienne grinned. "Ahye loves Seojun more now Dad." John then just laughed.

Nathan smirked. "She probably just copied us."

Ahye puffed up her cheeks. "No! Ahye just wants big brother to eat lots!"

Everyone at the table laughed. Seojun shook his head, picked up his spoon, and took a bite of the food Ahye gave him.

"Thanks, Ahye."

The little girl giggled happily, swinging her legs under the table. eoyang and John exchanged another glance—happy, warm, and relieved.