Chapter 104
Chapter 104
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: The Dragon's First Christmas (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Wintertime meant the kids didn’t go outside much.
The weather was cold, and it wasn’t suitable for long play sessions.
Outdoor time averaged about an hour at most.
That was why quite a few kids hated winter.
“Looks like even Hwa-ryun dislikes it, maybe because she’s a Red Dragon.”
But.
Kids didn’t exactly hate winter.
Some even looked forward to it.
That was because of the big event just for them: Christmas.
“The dragons are experiencing their first Christmas. Since it’s their first time, I hope they enjoy it to the fullest.”
To make sure the kids had a good time, I needed to prepare properly.
It had been a while, so I went up to the back mountain to meet the elves and asked them about it.
“Long time no see. Doing well? How’s winter treating you?”
“We’ve adapted, but it’s cold. Anyway, have you brought the items?”
“Yeah, I’ll show you.”
I pulled out my smartphone and showed them the photos the elves had been eagerly awaiting.
“This one’s Hwa-ryun eating.”
“Ooh…!!”
“This is Su-ryun and Cho-ryun fighting while studying.”
“A-are there more…? We want to see more…!!”
The elves begged for more photos, their faces flushed with excitement.
Handsome guys and beautiful women, but their behavior felt straight-up perverted.
“The association chairman’s like that, and now the elves too. Why are all Dragon devotees like this?”
I sighed as I looked at the ones pleading for photos.
“We haven’t been able to gaze upon the Dragon faces often in this cold winter… Please, just a few more photos of the great Dragons…”
“Enough. Did you prepare all the stuff I asked for?”
“Yes, it’s inside the tent.”
Better grab the stuff and get out quick.
I hurried to the tent.
I opened it and checked the items inside.
“Must’ve been tough growing them in winter, but you did a great job.”
“We’re elves. Something like small trees is a piece of cake for us.”
The elves puffed up their chests proudly.
I picked up the packaged little tree they had prepared.
If they asked where I’d use this tree, there was only one answer.
‘Gotta go make a Christmas tree quick.’
Imagining decorating it with the kids.
I grabbed the small tree the elves had grown and left the back mountain for home.
***
I stuck the small tree into a pot and placed it in the corner of the house.
Cho-ryun immediately circled it, showing interest.
“Wow, a fresh green tree in weather like this?! Dad, how’d you get it? That’s amazing!”
“Heh, there’s nothing Dad can’t do, Cho-ryun.”
“You’re the best, Dad!”
I patted the head of Cho-ryun, who had latched onto me.
Then Hwa-ryun and Su-ryun approached, pointing at the tree and asking questions.
“Dad, is that edible!?”
“Dad, what’d you bring that for?”
I touched the tree’s lush leaves as I answered.
“It’s not for eating. It’s for decoration. Christmas is coming up soon.”
“Christmas?”
The kids tilted their heads at the word Christmas.
Su-ryun immediately tapped on her smartphone to search for Christmas.
“Christmas. Jesus’s birthday. December 25th. But what’s that got to do with this tree?”
“I’ll explain it myself.”
No need for Su-ryun to look it up when Dad was right here.
I took Christmas tree ornaments out of a box as I explained.
“On Christmas, you decorate the tree with shiny ornaments like this.”
“Why?”
“So Santa can find our house easily.”
“Santa? What’s Santa?”
Of course.
If they didn’t know Christmas, no way they knew Santa.
I decided to give them a rough explanation of who Santa was.
“Santa’s the grandpa who comes on Christmas. He gives presents to good kids. He doesn’t give to bad kids. Just think of him as a nice old man who brings gifts.”
I patted Su-ryun’s head.
That should settle their curiosity.
But Su-ryun still looked unsatisfied, frowning.
“He gives to good kids and skips bad ones. Santa judges good and evil? What even is good and evil to begin with?”
“…Su-ryun?”
“A grandpa deciding good and evil? Arrogant. And how’s he giving presents to kids? Is Santa a dragon or something? That’d make sense, at least.”
Su-ryun mumbled to herself, pondering Santa deeply.
Her serious expression left me at a loss.
‘S-Su-ryun’s too realistic and doesn’t believe in Santa…?’
This was bad.
I hadn’t expected her to reject Santa right away.
From the first Christmas, Su-ryun was denying Santa’s existence.
“That’s nonsense. He can’t give presents to every kid in the world. Santa’s a lie. Dad lied to me.”
Su-ryun glared at me sharply as she murmured.
“Dad, you lied to me?”
“N-no…”
“You tried to fool me with this Santa lie. Am I wrong?”
“That’s not…”
This was bad.
Was Su-ryun’s argument that convincing?
Hwa-ryun and Cho-ryun nearby started whispering.
“Dad lied?! Then no present for me!”
“I-I believe in Dad… but this time, Su-ryun sis’s point seems more reliable… Right, Dad…?”
Three pairs of eyes filled with doubt.
I wanted to protect their innocence, but here they were denying Santa already.
‘Screw it!’
Still.
Christmas had to revolve around belief in Santa.
I decided to go all in.
“Nah, you just haven’t gotten presents before, so you don’t know. I got one when I was little.”
“Dad, Santa’s real?”
“Yep! I was a good kid, so I got one! You guys might not get any ‘cause you’re bad kids who don’t believe in Santa!”
Snap!
Did “bad kids” hit a nerve?
The dragons flipped out and yelled at me.
“Why am I bad! I’m good!”
“That’s ridiculous. I’m not bad, Dad. Don’t say stupid stuff, Dad.”
“How well have I treated you, Dad… Am I bad…?”
Their expressions were all creepy.
Cho-ryun’s was the scariest.
But I didn’t yield to the dragon pressure and shouted back.
“Then check for yourselves on Christmas! See if Santa brings presents! If you’re good kids, he will. If bad, he won’t!”
Be good kids until Christmas, and you’ll get presents.
At that, the dragons’ eyes lit up.
“I’m obviously good! I’ll get a present from Santa!”
“I’m good too. I’ll get one. Definitely.”
“Santa grandpa will give me one…! It’s only natural…!”
The dragons resolved to be good kids.
The question was whether these spoiled dragons could stay good until Christmas.
‘Santa better judge right.’
I thought of the Santa suit I’d prepared outside and smiled warmly at the ones vowing to be good.
***
A few days before Christmas.
While preparing dinner.
Hwa-ryun poked her head into the kitchen and said.
“Dad! I’ll help with dinner!”
“No need, it’s fine. Just do your usual breath thing.”
“Shut up! I said I’ll help! Listen to me!”
So headstrong.
Did Hwa-ryun want to be a good kid that badly?
She snatched the onion from me.
“Hmph, like this, right!?”
Hwa-ryun raised her hand high and brought it down, yelling.
“Dragon Claw!”
Slice!
The onion split in two.
Hwa-ryun didn’t stop, slicing more onions.
“Dragon Claw! Dragon Claw! Dragon Claw!”
Slice! Slice! Slice!
Finely chopped onions.
Her eyes stung—her eyelids twitched—but she endured and shrugged at me proudly.
“Hmph, how’s that, Dad! I did great, right!? That’s what a good kid does!”
“You chopped well. But I wasn’t planning to dice the onions that fine…”
“Argh! Just use it! So many complaints!”
I appreciated the help, but.
Did this count as good kid behavior?
“Wanting to help is good kid stuff… Hmm…”
Tough call.
I put judgment on hold and finished dinner prep.
With Hwa-ryun’s minor help, we ate dinner together.
Then, relaxing in the living room, Su-ryun approached.
“Dad.”
“Yeah?”
“Honestly, I still don’t believe in this Santa guy. For him to be real, he’d have to be a dragon.”
“S-so…?”
“I’m gonna prove if he’s real or not this time.”
Su-ryun pointed at the undecorated Christmas tree as she said that.
With a hint of anticipation, she told me.
“So, I wanna enjoy Christmas my way first. You said we gotta decorate that tree, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll help. Let’s do it together, Dad. My sense of aesthetics will be useful.”
Su-ryun, boasting her artistic flair.
I agreed to decorate the Christmas tree with her.
Su-ryun stood on tiptoes despite her small height and started adorning the little tree.
“The star goes here… Shiny balls there…”
She added ornaments, showing off her sense of style.
‘…What’s that? Why clump all the ornaments in one spot?’
Her aesthetics were beyond me.
But it was probably Su-ryun’s art, so I let it slide.
As we decorated, the other kids took interest and came over.
“What’s this! I wanna do it too!”
“I wanna help too, Dad! I can do it well! I’m a good kid!”
“Mang-mang-!”
Su-ryun pouted a bit as her work got messed up.
But I beckoned the others over.
“You guys come decorate however you want.”
“Yay!”
All the kids joined in decorating the Christmas tree.
They hung socks, bells, shiny balls, sticks—even a star at the top.
My first Christmas enjoyed with the kids.
‘Brings back old memories.’
Memories from when I had a family.
Before the dimensional gates opened.
I smiled with the kids at the finished Christmas tree.
“I put the star on! I’m the best good kid!”
“No way, Hwa-ryun sis. This is my design. I was the goodest.”
“Hmm, I’m not sure! We all made it together!”
“Mang-mang-!”
It was the coldest winter, but the one that warmed my heart the most.