Chapter 147
Chapter 147
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: Molting (4)
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Mangmung's day starts off busy.
"Mang mang!"
It jumps out of bed with a lively bark.
And runs circles around the listless dragon.
"Mang mang! Mang mang!"
"Umm, I wanna sleep more..."
"Mang mang-!"
Don't talk nonsense!
Mangmung barks firmly and snatches away the blanket covering Choryeon.
Choryeon has no choice but to sit up.
"Ahh, seriously... Dad's still sleeping anyway, so you don't need to wake me..."
"Mang mang-!"
Grr-!
Mangmung cuts off Choryeon's nonsense.
It couldn't let her lie around listlessly all day just because Lee Ha-jun had stepped away for a bit.
"Mang mang-!"
"This is the toothbrush... When did you squeeze out the toothpaste too?"
"Mang mang-!"
Hurry up and brush your teeth!
At Mangmung's command, Choryeon reluctantly starts brushing.
Mangmung is the only one taking care of the listless Choryeon.
And then.
"Hey, Lee Suryeon!"
Bam-!
Hwaryeon kicks the door open with her foot, and Suryeon turns her head, looking at her with hollow eyes.
"It's morning! Get up!"
"...I'm already up."
"You didn't sleep again?!"
"..."
Suryeon nods.
Just as Hwaryeon said, she had pulled an all-nighter.
Hwaryeon asks angrily.
"Why didn't you sleep!?"
"...Dad hasn't woken up yet. He might wake up soon."
"It's only been a week?"
"...He might wake up early."
"Ha!"
Hwaryeon is dumbfounded by Suryeon's words.
Even to Hwaryeon, that response made no sense.
"You're always going on about how rational and smart you are! Why are you saying something so stupid!?"
"..."
"You idiots!!"
Haa-
Hwaryeon sighs.
It's been a week since Dad entered molting.
Suryeon and Choryeon's listless states are so frustrating.
"If Dad's not here, we should be working harder, you idiots!"
"...Working harder, huh."
Is it because Hwaryeon's words rubbed her the wrong way?
Suryeon responds with a slightly sharp tone.
"Fine, let's say we work harder without Dad. What would change?"
"Something would change!"
"No, nothing would change at all. Without Dad, we can't do anything. Realistically, we're still too young."
Suryeon lets out some seriously pessimistic words.
"And in this society, there's so little you can do without parents. Without Dad, we can't do anything in the end. Even as dragons."
Kukukuk-
Suryeon says this while exuding a heavy gloom.
Hwaryeon recoils in disgust.
"Ugh, that's creepy! Dad's gone and she's turned into a total idiot!"
"Without Dad, I can't do anything. Without Dad, I'm a failure. The world will call me a failure. Kukuku."
"Ugh, creepy! Just stay in your room quietly!"
Slam-!
Hwaryeon slams the door shut as if sealing away something she shouldn't have seen.
It felt like peering into the abyss.
"I should only talk to Lee Suryeon when it's time to feed her! Something's wrong with her!"
Lee Suryeon sealed.
Hwaryeon thinks that and heads to the living room.
There, Choryeon has finished brushing her teeth and is lying on the floor.
"Dad..."
Choryeon is staring at Lee Ha-jun on the floor as usual.
Having given up on all daily routines.
'I don't get why she's like this just because Dad's not here!'
Once Dad entered the molting process.
Suryeon and Choryeon stopped all daily activities.
They even forgot the things they usually enjoyed, just staring at Dad's molting.
Obsession.
An obsession fixated solely on Dad.
Hwaryeon thinks to herself.
'Maybe if I feed these idiots some tasty food, they'll snap out of it!?'
Dad's words.
Following Dad's instruction to take responsibility for the kids even in his absence.
Hwaryeon decides to prepare tasty food for the kids.
"How do I order chicken?!"
Of course, she has no intention of cooking.
She knows full well she has no talent for it.
She's surprisingly good at self-objectifying.
***
The food at home has all run out.
But I want to eat something tasty.
So what should I do?
"The answer is chicken!"
That's right.
Just eat food made by someone else.
Hwaryeon remembers this perfectly.
"Dad would sometimes order tasty food! So, I just need to order it! I'm a genius!"
Shrug-!
Hwaryeon shrugs, impressed by her own idea.
Mangmung claps enthusiastically beside her with its jelly-like paws.
"Mang mang-!"
"Mangmung! You want to eat chicken bones too?!"
"Mang mang-! Mang mang-!!"
Pant pant-
Mangmung drools at the thought of chicken bones.
Mangmung is tired of eating only feed every day.
"No helping it! Lunch today is chicken!"
"Mang mang-!"
"But how do we order delivery?"
"Ma, mang mang..."
Mangmung hangs its head dejectedly.
Food delivery.
Even Mangmung doesn't know much about that.
"I think Dad did it with his phone...!"
"Maaang..."
"Mangmung! Go get Dad's phone!"
"Mang mang-!"
Loyal-!
Mangmung receives the order and dashes straight to Suryeon's room.
"Mang mang-!"
"Mangmung...?"
And there, Suryeon is fiddling with Dad's smartphone.
"Ma, mang mang...!"
Strong opponent from the start.
Mangmung feels a slight threat to its life.
But it barks loudly at the smartphone.
"Mang mang-!"
"What, Mangmung."
"Mang mang-!"
"You want this smartphone?"
"Mang-!"
Nod nod-
Mangmung nods rapidly at Suryeon's response.
But the reply is cold.
"Why would I?"
"Ma, mang mang..."
"This is Dad's smartphone. It's mine. No way I'm giving it up."
"Mang mang..."
Mangmung steps back from Suryeon's intense aura.
Mangmung sighs and leaves the room.
"Mangmung! Did you get Dad's phone?"
"Maaang..."
Shake shake-
Mangmung shakes its head in regret.
Hwaryeon says quietly.
"Hmph, no choice then! For lunch today, we'll eat Mangmung!"
"Mang mang-!!"
Absolutely not!
Feeling its life in danger.
Mangmung quickly racks its brain to survive.
Then, as if struck by a good idea.
"Mang-!"
It dashes into the master bedroom.
Mangmung rummages through the drawer and pulls out an item.
"Mang-!"
It was Lee Ha-jun's blue panties.
Mangmung bites Lee Ha-jun's panties in its mouth and heads back to Suryeon's room.
"Mang mang-!"
"...That's."
"Mang mang-!"
"...Hmm."
Suryeon glances back and forth between the panties and the smartphone, pondering.
And her deliberation doesn't last long.
"1 hour."
"Mang-!"
"...Fine, 2 hours."
"Mang mang-!"
To get what you want, offer what the other wants.
A perfect deal.
And so, Mangmung completes the trade, bites the smartphone, and brings it to Hwaryeon.
"Mang mang-!"
"Awesome! Good job, Mangmung!"
Pat pat-
Hwaryeon pets Mangmung.
Then, she starts tapping wildly on the smartphone to order chicken.
"Umm, how do I order food! Is it this one!?"
"Mang-!"
"Nope! Wrong call! Then this one!?"
"Mang-!"
Hwaryeon taps whatever she sees.
There are a few trial-and-error moments.
"Found it! Delivery clan!"
She finds the delivery app relatively smoothly.
Hwaryeon confidently taps the delivery app.
"Korean food! Chicken! Pizza! All kinds of food! No more worries about meals!"
"Mang mang-!"
"Yahoo!"
Finally, no more meal worries.
Hwaryeon and Mangmung breathe a sigh of relief.
"Dad pays anyway! We can order whatever!"
"Mang mang-!"
"Then for lunch today, chicken it is!"
Hwaryeon taps chicken and clicks on a shop that looks tasty.
She adds all the chicken menus she wants.
"Fried! Seasoned! Soy sauce!"
"Mang mang-!"
"What? Choryeon eats a lot of pickled radish, so add lots of that?"
"Mang mang-!"
"Got it! 10 pickled radishes!"
"Mang mang-!!"
She adds 10 pickled radishes.
Hwaryeon taps the screen like mad, adding tasty foods.
"Hey Mangmung! Should we get boneless for easy eating?"
"...Mang mang?"
"Oh, not that? Gotcha!"
Mangmung straightens up for a moment.
Hwaryeon and Mangmung team up to fill the cart with food.
And then.
"Order delivery!"
"Mang mang-!"
"Pay!"
"Mang mang-!"
Payment completes successfully.
Lee Ha-jun, lying on the floor, sleeps on, oblivious to the hefty order total.
"Chicken's gonna be so good! Right!?"
"Mang mang-!"
Time passes like that.
Knock knock-
"Chicken's here!"
At the knocking, Hwaryeon and Mangmung rush out.
Hwaryeon carefully opens the door and says.
"Delivery arri-"
"It's chicken!"
Snatch-!
Hwaryeon snatches the chicken from the delivery person's hand.
'What? When did she take it?'
The delivery person is left stunned.
Hwaryeon opens the bag to check the chicken and glares sharply.
"Human!"
"Uh, yeah?"
"You didn't skim some, right!? I'd be tempted! How do you resist!?"
"I didn't skim any..."
"Really? Fine then! Go careful or whatever! Thanks for delivery! Bye!"
Slam-!
Hwaryeon says her piece and slams the door.
Humming, she heads to the living room with the chicken.
"You guys! Eat chicken! It's tasty!"
Let's eat this and perk up.
Hwaryeon carries the chicken to the table.
"Chicken...?"
"Pickled radish..."
Suryeon and Choryeon swarm the table, drawn by the smell.
Hwaryeon, who found a way to eat tasty meals even without Dad.
Even so, as she tears into the chicken, she thinks to herself.
'It'd taste even better with Dad!'
When will Dad open his eyes?
Hwaryeon starts worrying about Dad a bit.
He'll wake soon enough.
But if Dad doesn't wake and fails the molt.
Even she, fueled by hope and effort, would collapse.
Without Dad, there's no eldest daughter.
"Wake up already, Dad! I'll eat all the chicken!? I'll take all the drumsticks!"
Does that provocation work?
Crack-
Faint cracks begin to appear on Lee Ha-jun's skin.
Cracks so minute, you'd miss them unless staring all day.