Chapter 135
Chapter 135
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: Home Alone at a Friend's House
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Break time.
Choryun gathered with her friends and chattered away.
Among them, her close friend Ye-jin spoke up.
"Choryun, wanna come over to my house tomorrow? Let's hang out with Min-ji and Hye-ji after school!"
"Hmm, is that an invitation?"
An invitation.
Choryun thought it sounded pretty good.
She was friends with Ye-jin, and it seemed like it would be fun to go to her house.
'It'll definitely be fun. I can check out how other people live.'
Sounds fun!
With that, Choryun smiled brightly and replied.
"Sure! Let's hang out tomorrow!"
"Yay, awesome! Choryun! You've been to my house, so you'll come to yours later, right?!"
"No, that might not work."
Chilly—
Choryun turned serious.
For a dragon who valued her territory, the nest was extremely important.
No matter how close they were, inviting someone else over wasn't easy.
"Sorry, but our house is off-limits."
"Uh, uh-huh... I see... That makes sense..."
"Thanks for understanding!"
Hee-hee—
Choryun flashed her bright smile again.
No one could bring themselves to spit on that smiling face.
And so, Choryun made plans to go to her friends' house the next day.
'Right, I need to get permission from Dad!'
***
After dinner.
One hour before bedtime.
Choryun climbed onto Ha-jun's lap as he sat on the sofa watching TV.
"Choryun."
"Yeah?"
"I can't see the TV. Can you move? It's an important scene right now."
Ha-jun bobbed his head this way and that to see the screen.
Each time, Choryun followed his head movements to block him.
"No way! This isn't TV time right now!"
"Then what time is it? Time to admire the back of your head?"
"No! That's not it!"
Choryun puffed out her cheeks like a hamster, turned around, and changed her position.
She sat on Ha-jun's lap, faced him, and talked about what happened that day.
"I'm going to Ye-jin's house tomorrow! Is that okay?"
"You're going to play at a friend's house?"
"Yeah!"
"Hmm, a friend's house..."
Ha-jun's face clouded over at the mention of going to a friend's house.
Seeing that, Choryun thought to herself.
'Is it not okay...? But I want to play with my friends...'
Just as a flicker of anxiety stirred in her heart.
Ha-jun stood up from the sofa and headed to the kitchen.
He pulled out a prettily wrapped box from there.
"Choryun."
"Yeah...!"
"Put this in your bag and take it. It's chocolate from the Association Chairman. Give it to Ye-jin's parents."
"Oh, that's what it was?!"
Smile—
Relieved that she'd misunderstood, Choryun smiled again, took the chocolate box, and put it in her bag.
"All set now! Yay!"
"Mangmang-!"
Overjoyed, Choryun hugged Mangmung tight.
Ha-jun's lips curved up warmly as he patted her head.
"Have fun at your friend's house. Be polite."
"Yeah! I'll be super polite, Dad!"
Shrug—
Choryun replied confidently.
"Mangmang-!"
Mangmung backed her up confidently from the side.
And so, Choryun could keep her promise to play at Ye-jin's house.
"Where's my chocolate?! Who ate it?! Grrrrraaah!!"
Hwaryun's rage exploded briefly when she discovered her stashed chocolate was gone.
But overall, everything had gone smoothly without issue.
"H-Hwaryun! Put down the soy sauce! Don't spill it on the floor!"
"Grrrrraaah-!!"
...Probably.
***
After school.
The kids started heading home.
The dragons did the same, packing their bags to go home.
"Alright, let's head home! Everyone!"
"I was planning to go even without you saying it, sis."
"Who asked you to talk like that?! Gross!"
Hwaryun, firmly establishing the pecking order.
Of course, Suryun lightly ignored her sister's words.
Hwaryun turned to Choryun, who was moving extra slowly today.
"Lee Choryun! Stop dawdling and let's go home!"
"Ah, sis. I'm going to a friend's house today!"
"What?!"
"No way."
Going to a friend's house.
Hwaryun and Suryun were stunned and asked.
"You're going to a friend's house before me!? That hurts my feelings!"
"Hanging out closely with humans. Not very dragon-like, Lee Choryun."
Hwaryun and Suryun glared coldly at Choryun.
Choryun turned her back, ran off, and shouted.
"Anyway, I'm going to Ye-jin's! You sisters go home first!"
Thud-thud-thud-!
Choryun quickly left the classroom.
Ye-jin, Min-ji, and Hye-ji, who she'd made plans with, were waiting in the hallway.
Seeing Choryun emerge safely, the girls sighed in relief.
"G-Good, you made it out alive! Choryun's sisters are so scary!"
"I-I could barely even talk to them... Especially Suryun, she's the scariest..."
"I'm scared of Hwaryun... She's so aggressive..."
Shiver-shiver—
The kids trembled in fear.
They looked just like prey animals: rabbits, deer, guinea pigs.
The hamster-like Choryun stepped forward and said.
"Alright, let's head to Ye-jin's house! We're gonna have tons of fun! Let's go!"
And so, the kids walked together to Ye-jin's house.
Just like peaceful little herbivores.
***
Ye-jin's house was in a shiny new apartment complex next to the dragons' old apartment.
The complex was well-maintained and quite pricey.
"Ye-jin, you live in a nice place!"
"Nah, it's just a regular apartment. Let's go in!"
Choryun marveled at the card-key entrance gate for the first time.
She looked around as they walked through the complex.
Then they rode the elevator up over 20 floors.
Click—
"Come on in, everyone! This is my house!"
Ye-jin opened the door, and the kids stepped inside cautiously.
"'Scuse us!"
Perhaps hearing them come in.
Ye-jin's mom came out to greet them.
"Come on in, kids!"
"Oh, Ye-jin's mom! Hello!"
Bow—
Choryun bowed her head politely upon seeing Ye-jin's mom.
This was basic etiquette for a Confucian dragon.
'Right, I need to give the gift!'
Rustle—
Choryun pulled the chocolate gift from her bag and handed it to Ye-jin's mom.
"Dad said to give you this! It's a gift!"
"Oh my, you didn't have to. Thank you for being such good friends with Ye-jin."
Ye-jin's mom smiled warmly and thanked her.
Min-ji and Hye-ji also took out their own prepared gifts from their bags and handed them over.
"Let's go to my room, guys!"
The kids headed to Ye-jin's room.
They sat at the prepared desk and enjoyed games together.
"Wow, Choryun, you're good at drawing!"
"Heh-heh, this is basic. Thanks for the praise!"
They drew pictures.
"This is a liquid monster. Wanna touch it?"
"M-Monsters must all be defeated! It's s-sticky and won't let go!? Ah, Dad!"
They played with the liquid monster.
"Kids, have some snacks while you play."
"It's snacks, not meat, so I'm good with it."
They ate snacks like sausages—no, actual snacks.
Choryun had so much fun with the kids that time flew by unnoticed.
Then, as evening approached.
"I think I should head back now!"
Whoosh—!
Choryun stood up and started packing her bag.
The disappointed kids grabbed her.
"Choryun, wanna stay for dinner? Mom's making food."
"Yeah, eat with us!"
They wanted her to stay for dinner.
Choryun didn't agonize long over the request.
Actually, she didn't agonize at all before answering.
"No way! I'm eating dinner with Dad! I'll head out first!"
Rustle—
Choryun stood up without hesitation and headed outside.
She shouted to Ye-jin's mom, who was preparing dinner in the kitchen.
"We had so much fun today! Thank you! I'm heading out!"
Thud-thud-thud—
With that, Choryun left Ye-jin's house.
She took the elevator down and ran toward the nearby house she could see.
"Can't be late for dinner!"
Dinner with Dad.
Choryun hurried to keep that time.
Thanks to her rush, she soon reached the door and knocked.
Knock-knock—!
"I'm home, Dad!"
The door opened right away.
"Choryun's back."
"Yeah, Dad, I'm home!"
Then Mangmung came bounding over.
"Mangmang-!!"
"Eek, Mangmung! D-Don't lick! It tickles!"
Choryun had successfully returned home after playing at her friend's house.
Ye-jin's house was nice in its own way.
"But I like home best, where Dad and Mangmung are!"
Seeing that, Ha-jun grinned and said.
"Wash your hands and come to the table. Dinner's almost ready."
"Yeah, Dad! I'll tell you everything that happened at my friend's house!"
"Was it fun?"
"Yeah! It was fun! But home's the best! With my sisters too!"
Nothing beat home.
Because her most precious ones were in the nest.
Choryun loved her nest.
'I hope this time never ends!'
She even wished it could last forever.