Chapter 150
Chapter 150
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: Dreamland Full of Childlike Innocence (1)
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A lot of time passed during the molting period.
In that time, the kids each came to their own realizations.
Hwayeon learned responsibility.
Suryeon learned humility.
Choryeon learned independence.
They each gained different insights from the same situation.
Though I wondered if it was okay for dragons with such strong independent spirits.
‘Well, it’s not like I was the only one who molted.’
It wouldn’t be wrong to say our whole family had molted.
Anyway.
After going through all that.
The kids eventually reached the end of summer vacation.
And so.
“Ahem, everyone gather in the living room!”
It was time for the vacation homework check.
At my words, the kids came out to the living room, each carrying their bags.
They handed me their bags with sullen expressions.
“Hmph, do we really have to check the homework?! So annoying!”
“Dad doesn’t trust me. I’m offended.”
“Couldn’t we check the homework later…? I think it’d be fine to check mine later, Father…!”
Hmm.
Did I really need to check?
The results were already obvious.
Still, it’d be unfair to scold them without evidence.
So I decided to pull out their vacation homework from their bags.
“Hand over the vacation homework.”
“No! Don’t!”
“You’re finally opening Pandora’s box, Dad.”
“Uwaaa… Nooo…!”
I brushed aside their desperately blocking hands.
And casually pulled out the vacation homework from their bags to check.
“…As expected, you didn’t do your vacation homework without me watching?”
“I-I was gonna do it later!”
This is what happens when supervision loosens even a little.
I wouldn’t scold them considering their young minds and bodies.
“Summer vacation’s almost over. You all planning to turn in your homework like this?”
“…”
“Other kids probably finished theirs. You dragons aren’t thinking of skipping out, right?”
I told them to get started on their vacation homework.
And spread out a large table in the living room.
The moment the “no leaving until homework’s done” room was complete.
‘Elementary school vacation homework doesn’t affect grades, but we still need to finish it somehow.’
Adults see vacation homework as unnecessary.
It doesn’t impact grades or help with college entrance at all.
But through the experience of finishing vacation homework at a young age, kids learn diligence.
‘Dragons that are smart but lazy absolutely need to finish their vacation homework.’
Through the diligence of childhood.
It might block even a little of their lazy nature.
Thinking that, I watched the kids diligently working on their overdue homework.
“Ugh, why do I have to solve this stuff…!”
Chatter chatter—
Hwayeon seemed full of complaints.
But she chattered while earnestly solving the problems.
“Heh, is this elementary school level? Too easy for me.”
Scribble scribble scribble—
Suryeon used her brilliant mind to breeze through the math problems without a hitch.
“I think Mangmung needs to get smart too. So Mangmung’s doing overdue homework with me! Got it?”
“M-Mangmang…”
Mangmung ended up doing vacation homework with Choryeon by surprise.
‘More importantly, how much of a genius dog is this Mangmung?’
At this rate, Mangmung might catch up to my education level.
Mangmung’s growth was starting to scare me a bit.
“Dad!”
“What, Hwayeon?”
Then Hwayeon pouted and pointed at Choryeon.
“That’s not Choryeon doing homework! Mangmung’s doing it for her! That’s unfair!”
Hwayeon claiming unfairness.
Suryeon, sitting next to her, sipped some cold water and said.
“Hmm, is it?”
“Anyone can see she’s having it done for her!”
“Hmm, is it worth getting mad over that level of problems?”
“Argh! This!”
Suryeon started needling Hwayeon.
I’d have to step in to mediate.
“Hwayeon. You don’t like that Mangmung’s doing Choryeon’s homework for her, right?”
“Yeah!”
“But Dad thinks that’s part of Choryeon’s ability too.”
What is vacation homework?
It’s about finishing it somehow without the teacher watching.
You can ask a neighborhood older brother, or get help from the internet.
In that sense, Choryeon’s Mangmung training ability.
Her druid power, essentially.
Shouldn’t we acknowledge that?
“In that sense, Choryeon is innocent.”
“No way!”
“Yay!”
Thud thud thud—
I delivered an impartial judgment without bias.
Absolutely not because Choryeon is cute.
“Unfair! I wanna make Mangmung do my homework too!”
Hwayeon’s cries of injustice continued.
“Mangmung’s my friend! Not like Hwayeon sis who always threatens to eat me!”
“Mangmang-!”
In the end, it fell through due to Choryeon and Mangmung’s bond.
And so, after the commotion passed.
I gave them orange juice and snacks in the middle.
Helping the kids finish their vacation homework.
The result.
“I’m done.”
“Me too!”
Suryeon and Choryeon finished all their vacation homework.
And finally, Hwayeon handed me a single sheet of paper.
“I’m done with this too, Dad!”
“What’s this?”
“Field trip worksheet! I’m the only one who didn’t go!”
Right.
Hwayeon had put it off saying she’d do it later.
I confidently asked Hwayeon, who held out the paper.
“So where do you want to go, Hwayeon?”
Hwayeon answered without hesitation.
“I wanna go to the amusement park!”
“Amusement park?”
“Yeah! I heard Game Ranger’s there!”
“Game Ranger, huh…”
I searched Game Ranger on my smartphone.
“Dreamland really has a Game Ranger event going on?”
“Yeah! I heard Game Ranger’s there! I wanna go meet Game Ranger!”
Sparkle sparkle—
Hwayeon looked at me with eyes full of anticipation.
‘Hwayeon held down the fort well while I was gone. We do need to do the field trip.’
No need to agonize long.
I immediately answered Hwayeon’s suggestion.
“Alright, let’s go to Dreamland, Hwayeon!”
“Yesss! I’m going to Dreamland!”
Bounce bounce—!
Hwayeon bounced around excitedly.
Was Hwayeon’s excitement making them jealous?
Suryeon and Choryeon cautiously spoke up.
“…I’m curious about Dreamland too. I want to satisfy my curiosity, Dad.”
“I want to be with Father… Can I go to Dreamland too…? I’ll hold back on protesting as much as possible…”
“Mangmang-! Mangmang-!”
The kids saying they wanted to go to Dreamland too.
Hwayeon stretched the skin under her eyes with her fingers and stuck out her tongue.
“Hmph, you guys went alone with Dad too! Nyah! I’m going alone with Dad!”
Nyah—
Hwayeon was firm about going just the two of us.
‘Can’t really say only Hwayeon can’t go with everyone.’
As Hwayeon said, I decided to go to Dreamland.
To cap off the end of vacation.
And for Hwayeon, who diligently took care of the house alone.
“Let’s go to Dreamland, Hwayeon!”
“Awesome! Let’s gooo!”
***
Amusement park.
From very early childhood.
I vaguely remember going with my now-deceased parents.
‘I don’t remember everything. But roughly.’
As a kid, I couldn’t ride the dangerous rides.
Maybe that’s why.
I remember the carousel we rode before leaving Dreamland.
The carousel at dusk, lit up brightly.
‘I think there are photos too. It’s so long ago, memories are fuzzy.’
Anyway.
Even as a dad raising three daughters.
I have some childhood innocence memories.
“Amusement park memories are hard to forget easily.”
“Hmph, doesn’t work on me! I can conquer all the scary rides!”
Whoosh whoosh—!
Hwayeon, buckled in, confidently threw punches.
She wasn’t hiding her excitement today.
‘She’s really looking forward to Dreamland.’
Hoping it’d be as fun as she expects.
Especially since it’s the day Game Ranger, her favorite, is there.
I placed my hand on Hwayeon’s head and said.
“Hwayeon, hold Dad’s hand tight today so you don’t get lost.”
“Hmph, what do you take me for? I won’t get lost!”
“Dreamland’s huge. Be careful.”
I hope there’s no announcement calling for lost child Lee Hwayeon.
As we chatted lightly in the car with Hwayeon.
“We’ve arrived.”
“Yay, Dreamland!”
We finally arrived at Dreamland.
‘Probably because Game Ranger’s here. Lots of people.’
I parked in the packed lot.
Got out and checked on Hwayeon.
“W-Wow! Looks kinda fun!”
Hmph—!
Hwayeon crossed her arms and snorted.
Even trying to hide it, her excitement was obvious.
“Even dragons can’t resist amusement parks, huh.”
“No way! I can resist!”
“Let’s go in. Hold Dad’s hand, Hwayeon.”
Reach—
I extended my hand to Hwayeon.
She pouted for a moment, then grabbed it.
“Hmph, I’ll hold it just this once!”
So cute.
I chuckled softly and held Hwayeon’s hand as we headed into Dreamland.
Hoping she’d make good memories today.
We slowly walked toward the Dreamland full of childlike innocence.