Chapter 137
Chapter 137
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: Blue Blue Aquarium (1)
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Summer vacation.
A peaceful morning.
The time when the kids were lost in dreamland.
I was busily moving around in the kitchen.
"Gimbap for me and Suryeon, and just enough for the kids' lunch—that should do it."
Hwaryeon eats a ton.
My hands were going to be busy.
I started stir-frying the gimbap ingredients in a frying pan.
Carrots, spinach, egg omelet, burdock root, ham, crab sticks.
I blanched the fillings for the gimbap and neatly arranged them.
Then, on the spread-out sheets of dried seaweed, I piled steaming rice, and stuffed in the ingredients.
"Hwaryeon's gimbap gets two hams... Suryeon's with less rice... Choryeon's without ham, just veggies..."
I filled each roll according to the kids' tastes.
A brush of sesame oil on the finished gimbap, and done.
"Whew, all made."
A towering mountain of gimbap on the dining table.
I packed Suryeon's into a lunchbox and headed to the master bedroom.
The dragon kids and Mangmung were tangled up on my bed.
With vacation in full swing, it was even messier than usual.
"...If you're gonna do this, just sleep in your own beds, you idiots. Is Daddy really that great?"
The life of a celebrity is exhausting.
I picked out Suryeon from the tangle and shook her awake.
"Suryeon."
"...Yeah."
"Today's the day we go to the aquarium. Get up and get ready quick."
She bolted upright!
Suryeon had clearly been looking forward to the aquarium too.
"...I'll get ready and come out fast."
"Okay."
Suryeon dashed to the bathroom to prepare for the aquarium trip.
Not long after, she reappeared, fully ready.
Unable to beat the heat, she was wearing a blue sundress.
"Aquarium. Let's go."
"...My hair's still wet. Sit on that chair over there."
She'd rushed out without drying it.
I dried Suryeon's long hair with the hairdryer.
No need for fancy shampoo—her hair was silky smooth like satin.
"You gotta dry your hair properly, Suryeon. Are you that excited for the aquarium?"
"...Not really. Same as always."
"Yeah?"
"...Yeah. I'd rather go to a PC bang."
Still so honest.
Suryeon didn't seem to notice her feet happily swinging back and forth.
"Cute."
"I'm not cute. Don't judge me like that."
"Whatever. Hair's dry now. Let's go."
"Okay."
I grabbed the lunchbox and headed to the entrance.
Unable to hide her excitement, Suryeon trotted after me to the door.
Early morning.
And so, Suryeon and I set off for the aquarium—full of all sorts of sea creatures—to gather material for our summer vacation field trip report.
"This is gonna be fun, Suryeon. Right?"
"...Not really."
She grumbled a bit.
But Suryeon had a face full of anticipation.
***
As soon as we stepped outside.
A car was waiting for us in front of the apartment.
"Bro!"
"Yeah, Tubby. This the car you mentioned on the phone?"
"Yes, exactly! Bro!"
He bowed deeply.
Tubby greeted me politely upon seeing me.
Long time no see—his tattoos, stretched thin by the fat, had faded.
"Looks like you're getting them removed properly."
"Yeah, it costs a fortune, but I'm doing it, bro. It hurts so much, I'm thinking of switching to that new steel skin instead."
Apparently, skin-to-steel surgery was trending lately.
Tubby was considering replacing his skin because removing the tattoos hurt too much.
Suryeon crossed her arms at Tubby's words and spoke in a cold tone.
"Pig human. Idiot? If you turn your body into a machine, are you still human? You'd just be a machine."
"Pig...?"
"Probably, once you get that surgery, companies will implant chips in pig human's body. Then pig human loses intelligence and becomes a real slave to the corporations, like a pig."
Suryeon spouting terrifying stuff.
I lightly flicked her crown with my finger to rein her in.
"...Ow, Daddy."
"What's with that mouth of yours, Lee Suryeon? And I told you to stop with the conspiracy theories."
"...It's not a conspiracy. It's fact."
"Sigh, this is why they say the internet ruins kids."
Anyway.
I got into the car Tubby had prepared.
A spacious mid-size with plush seats.
Top-grade AC perfect for beating the heat.
"Even as a used car, she'll run smooth, bro."
"Good, thanks as always, Tubby."
"Yes, bro! Call me anytime!"
He bowed a solid 90 degrees.
I waved back at Tubby, got in with Suryeon, and we headed off to the aquarium.
"Buckle up, Suryeon."
"...Why do dragons need seatbelts? Doesn't make sense."
Grumbling, but she buckled up.
Suryeon and I drove into the city.
Since it was in 04 District, just 30 minutes away.
'On a hot day like this, no car means no going anywhere.'
Suryeon gazed out the window.
I relaxed while driving, and before long.
We arrived safely at the "Aqua Delirium" Aquarium.
Summer vacation meant lots of parents and kids.
"I'll buy tickets, so wait here nicely—hey, where'd she go?"
Suryeon had vanished already.
She was already trying to head inside.
I hurried over and stopped her.
"Suryeon."
"What, Daddy."
"No tickets yet."
"...Oh?"
Suryeon turned her head, embarrassed at her own excitement.
"You're hopeless. Today, you hold Daddy's hand the whole time."
"...Annoying. Fine."
Suryeon took my hand without complaint.
Hand in hand, we entered the aquarium.
"Wowww..."
Suryeon entered the aquarium teeming with fish swimming around.
Her eyes sparkling as she followed the fish and said,
"Daddy, let's go there. I wanna see that fish."
"Got it, kiddo. We'll go, so walk slow!"
"Hurry up."
Pat pat pat—
Pulling me along because she wanted to see it so bad.
Suryeon pressed her face to the glass and started observing the fish.
"They all look so unique. Seems like they evolved differently based on their ecosystems. The colors are all different—beautiful."
Tropical fish section, huh.
Yeah, tropical fish are pretty colorful.
Suryeon stared intently at the vibrant fish in the tank.
Her eyes reflected in the glass looked even bluer.
"Dolphins over there too."
"Dolphins."
Pat pat pat—
Off she went at the word dolphin.
Then Suryeon faced the white beluga and let out an exclamation.
"Hmm, didn't expect to find someone here I could actually talk to."
"Oh right. You can talk to fish, can't you?"
"Regular fish have low intelligence, so no real conversation. But beluga's smart enough. Like the orcas I saw in the ocean."
The beluga stared at Suryeon and cried out.
-Kyukyu!
"Suryeon, what'd it say?"
" Said hi."
Suryeon placed her hand on the glass and looked around inside as she spoke.
"Beluga. Isn't it cramped here? I can send you back to the sea. My orca friend is there too."
What are you saying, Suryeon?
'Is Suryeon some kind of fish rights activist?'
Suddenly declaring she'd release the beluga to the sea.
The beluga gave a short reply toward her.
-Kyu!
"What'd it say, Suryeon?"
"...Told me to quit talking nonsense."
"Huh?"
"...Says outside is dangerous. Ocean temps are all weird, and deep-sea monsters pop up sometimes and kill everything. This place is the best."
"That's good news, then."
I'd been worried Suryeon might pull a "Beluga, you gotta live free outside!"
But the beluga preferred the aquarium.
Makes sense—outside, with dimensional gates and freak weather wrecking the ecosystem.
From the beluga's view, living under human care was better.
"...I wanted to give the beluga its freedom. But it doesn't want it."
Suryeon expressed a bit of regret and bowed her head.
Then she started sharing her thoughts.
"But why do humans make places like this, Daddy? Like the beluga said, outside's tough with dimensional gates and weird weather. Why spend money on this? Seems like a waste to me."
"A waste..."
Suryeon was enjoying the aquarium emotionally.
But rationally, she saw it as wasteful.
Fish trapped in tanks.
Parents and kids happily holding hands, watching the fish.
"I can't understand humans' intentions."
I stroked the head of questioning Suryeon and said,
"No matter how messed up the world gets, kids need to play and grow up happy, right?"
"..."
"That's why places like this exist, maybe."
"..."
Suryeon nodded slightly at my words.
"Yeah, maybe. Human childhood seems really important."
Suryeon said that and headed toward the penguins.
In my view, Suryeon still didn't quite get it.
'Dragons seem to need a proper childhood too.'
Might change later.
But growing dragons didn't seem much different from humans.
***
Suryeon was staring quietly at the penguins.
"Hmm..."
-Kkigik!
What were they saying?
Penguins with cute looks but weird cries.
Curious, I asked Suryeon.
"Suryeon, what're they saying?"
She answered simply.
"They say it's dangerous here."
"What?"
Right then.
Rumble rumble boom—!!
A massive roar echoed through the aquarium.
Of all times, while with Suryeon.
As I took a moment to assess,
Suryeon looked at me and said,
"Daddy, it's that time."
"That time what?"
"Time to hide in the shadows and show my true power."
Covering one eye, she grinned and said it.
"Kukuku... My time has come, humans..."
"...Time for your meds, looks like."
No cure for chuunibyou?
Suryeon looked like she needed a prescription stat.