Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: The Dragon's First Christmas (2)
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Snow was falling in the winter.
The dragon kids worked hard on household chores to receive gifts from Santa Grandpa.
"Dad, I'm a good kid! I threw out the trash!"
"That's just what you're supposed to do."
"Anyway, I did it! Praise me right now! Hurry!"
Hwaryeon threw the trash into the bin.
"Dad, I made all the dirty clothes clean. I'm a good kid."
"W-What? This white tee looks brand new...?"
Suryeon showed off her astonishing laundry skills.
"Father! I'm restoring this Earth to normal! Who else could be a good kid if not me?"
Choryeon was normalizing the Earth.
To become good kids, the children diligently helped with all sorts of household chores.
'Choryeon’s scale is a bit too grand.'
Anyway.
As a result of their hard work to become good kids by doing good deeds.
The slightly exhausted kids fell deep into thought while staring at the Christmas tree.
"What the heck is a good kid anyway!"
What is a good kid?
It was a philosophical question in one sense, but a materialistic one aimed at getting gifts from Santa.
The kids racked their brains to figure out how to be good kids.
I watched them quietly and secretly smiled.
"You really want to be good kids that much to get gifts from Santa, huh."
So cute.
Seeing the kids get excited as Christmas approached brought a warm smile to my face.
Even though they were dragons, kids were still kids, I thought.
I ruffled the heads of the kids who were thinking too deeply and said.
"You're just kids yourselves—why think so deeply about this?"
They each reacted differently.
"Eek! Don't touch my hair!"
"Dad, let go of my hair."
"It's fine even if you do it more, Father!"
They all liked it inside but pretended to hate it.
I spoke simply to the kids who were overthinking.
"Hmm, from Dad's perspective, you don't need to worry about that."
"You're not Santa, so what do you know!"
"That Yi Hwaryeon..."
"Hmph!"
Hwaryeon huffed pettily and turned her head away.
'I know because I am Santa. Should I make only Hwaryeon a bad kid.'
No, I'd hold back thinking of Christmas Day.
The flow was broken a bit, but I decided to continue.
"Ahem. From what Dad sees, Santa would probably think you're good kids by now."
"So? What are you trying to say?"
"Don't you think it's about time to worry about what gifts to ask Santa for... What do you think...?"
"!!!"
At that, the kids seized the moment and poured out their words.
Hwaryeon was the first to speak.
"Me! I want that! A sandbag!"
"A sandbag? Why?"
"Because I can't hit Dad!"
"..."
Her intentions were impure.
Should I just label her a bad kid?
But since her heart was good, I'd let it slide this time too.
"And Suryeon?"
"I want some electronics. It's hard sharing a smartphone with Dad. I'd like an iPad. If Santa exists."
Suryeon's expressionless face showed half doubt, half expectation.
She doubted Santa's existence but couldn't help anticipating.
"An iPad would cost a pretty penny... Then, Choryeon?"
Choryeon sparkled with starlight in her eyes and said.
"Father, I have exactly one wish for Santa Grandpa."
"For some reason, I'm scared to ask, but what is it?"
"It's to stop global warming! I want the Earth back to how it—"
Her environmentalism flared up again.
I quickly cut off Choryeon.
"That's something even dragons can't do, Choryeon. Santa isn't a dragon."
"But he said he'd give me a gift!"
"Even Santa Grandpa would find that too big a gift."
"I-Is that so? That's disappointing, but... a house for Mangmung would be nice."
Choryeon deflated, crestfallen that she couldn't solve global warming.
Still, it was a relief she asked for something within my means.
'My wallet hurts now and will hurt even more... But it's Christmas, so...'
No helping it.
I handed the kids one stocking each and a piece of paper.
"Write your desired gift on the paper, stuff it in the stocking, and hang it on the tree. Then, gifts will be waiting inside the Christmas tree stockings. Give it a try."
Scribble-scribble—
The kids each wrote down what they wanted on their papers.
Then, they stuffed the papers deep into the stockings and began decorating the tree with them.
Mostly on tiptoes.
"Ungh, I'm hanging mine the highest! Everyone, move!"
They diligently stood on tiptoes, jumped, and decorated spots they liked.
While the kids decorated their stockings, I wrote my own wish on a paper and put it in a stocking.
Seeing that, Choryeon approached and asked.
"Father also has a gift he wants from Santa Grandpa!? What do you want?"
I waved it off and answered.
"Nothing in particular. I'm past the age for getting gifts from Santa anyway."
"Then why did you write a wish in the stocking?"
"..."
It was embarrassing to say myself.
Feeling awkward, I pinched and pulled Choryeon's glutinous rice ball cheeks.
"You don't need to know! You rascal!"
"Uwaaaah—It huuuurts—"
I played with Choryeon's glutinous, stretchy white cheeks.
Playing with her sticky rice ball cheeks was always thrilling and fun.
'Still, I hope the wish in the stocking comes true.'
The paper stuffed deep in the stocking.
My wish written on it was the kids' happiness.
Santa would have to work hard to make that wish come true as a gift.
***
Christmas evening.
We gathered at the dinner table and set off small fireworks.
Bang—!
"Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas!"
"Mang-mang—!"
The dragon kids wore Santa hats on their heads and celebrated the once-a-year Christmas.
A Christmas celebration cake I'd splurged on sat on the table.
I said to Hwaryeon, who was drooling at the sight of the cake.
"Hey, hold on."
"Grrr...!"
"I'll give it soon, so wait!"
Hwaryeon stared at the cake like she might pounce any second.
With a Rudolph nose on, she looked just like Rudolph, not a dragon.
'She's got horns too—exactly like Rudolph.'
Well, since I was Santa, it fit.
Hwaryeon could count as Rudolph too.
Anyway.
We enjoyed Christmas together with the kids, eating cake and setting off fireworks.
And then, late into the night.
"...Are they all asleep?"
I sprang up, taking advantage of the kids being deep in sleep.
It was time to get ready.
"Careful... careful..."
I quietly headed to the entrance, making sure my footsteps didn't make a sound.
On the way, I carefully avoided stepping on the kids' tails, just in case.
"Good thing I tired them out with the Christmas party..."
Creak—
I cautiously opened the door, went outside, and began changing into the prepared Santa outfit.
"Santa hat. Santa beard. Santa suit."
And.
"My daughters' gifts."
Damn.
Seeing the wrapping reminded me of the price.
'This bled my wallet more than expected...'
Sob-sob—
Holding back tears, I entered the house with the gifts.
Then, I carefully headed toward the Christmas tree where the kids had hung their stockings.
"Hmmnya... Hmm... Nyaang..."
"Not awake, right...? Sleep-talking...?"
Whew—
As stealthily as possible.
Slowly, very slowly.
Like a thief, I crept toward the tree.
Then.
"Maaang...!"
"Hey, quiet...! Mangmung...! Get lost, you mutt...!"
"Maaang...!"
"You dung dog who can't even recognize your owner...!"
Grrrr—
Mangmung must have caught my scent and approached growling.
I waved him off to go away, but he showed no sign of backing down.
"This is why you don't take in beasts...! Mangmung...! I didn't bring you to guard the house...!!"
"Maaaang...!!"
"Damn...!"
The other dragon kids started sensing Mangmung's presence too.
Their eyes twitched, and they stirred.
If this continued, my identity would be exposed.
To complete Santa's mission, I had to make a choice.
"Oh, screw it!"
"Mang-mang—!!"
"Take your gift!!"
Dash-dash—
I placed the gifts under the tree and bolted to the entrance.
Hearing Mangmung, the half-asleep kids pointed at me and yelled.
"Nue... What is it...! That's Santa...!!"
"Santa... He really exists..."
"Hmmnya... Daddy... Mangmung's barking..."
Excluding Choryeon, who was sleep-talking.
Hwaryeon and Suryeon ended up spotting me.
To dodge suspicion, I cleared my throat and left a kindly grandpa voice behind.
"Ohohoho—! Merry Christmas—!"
"Santa! Where you going! No way! I gotta catch him! Dragon Breath!"
Roooaaar—!
Hot heat from behind.
Before my butt caught fire, I barely shut the front door and escaped the house.
"Y-You Yi Hwaryeon...! What if you use Breath indoors...!! I almost got caught...!!"
Still.
This should mean I didn't get fully busted, right?
I waited outside for about 10 minutes.
Then changed clothes and returned home, saying.
"Ah, Santa got away. Did you kids see him?"
Suryeon eyed me suspiciously and asked.
"He just left. Where were you, Dad?"
"Me? I chased after Santa. Didn't you see me running?"
"Nope."
"Really? Maybe you missed it because you weren't fully awake, Suryeon?"
"Doesn't seem like—"
"Ugh, we're all tired since we saw Santa too. Let's sleep. It's late. Too bad we didn't catch him."
I bluffed my way through.
Then I bullshitted the kids like that and lay down in the living room to sleep.
Suryeon stared at me suspiciously until I fell deep asleep.
But since I'd achieved my goal, I decided not to worry much.
It was a bit iffy.
But I'd done my best as Santa.
***
Morning.
The fool dragon kids woke up and checked their gifts.
They had no clear memory of what happened last night.
"Gifts! A super big sandbag! Udada—!!"
Pang-pang-pang-pang—!
Big sis Hwaryeon rapidly punched the sandbag.
She didn't seem to harbor any doubts about Santa.
"This is Mangmung's house! Mangmung got a house! I'll assemble it for you!"
"Mang-mang—!"
Choryeon Yi and Mangmung smiled brightly while assembling the new house.
I, Yi Suryeon, thought they looked so foolish.
"Why is no one questioning Santa's identity? It's full of suspicious points. He was an intruder in our nest."
It irked me.
Those foolish faces didn't suit our dignity as dragons.
Irked, Suryeon unwrapped her gift, tearing the fancy packaging.
"Familiar scent. The one from yesterday. And it's the usual scent too."
She turned her gaze to the kitchen.
There, Dad was frowning as he tasted the kimchi stew.
"Santa doesn't exist after all."
Suryeon realized the harsh red truth of the world.
But on the other hand.
Suryeon unwrapped the packaging and held the comforting iPad.
"Nice texture. Perfect for games."
Then she looked at her reflection in the mirror.
She realized she wasn't much different from those fools rejoicing over their gifts.
"...So this is Christmas. Now I get it."
The truth wasn't that important.
A day when family gathers to enjoy each other, kids do good deeds and receive gifts.
"Christmas."
Squeeze—
Suryeon hugged the iPad tight and smiled at Dad in the kitchen.
"Fool Santa."
It was a certain winter day as spring approached.