Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Dragon Searching (2)
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"Hmm."
"I need to check the search history."
Suryeon tapped away at the smartphone screen without hesitation.
She wanted to know what Lee Ha-jun was usually thinking about.
'They say search history reveals what a person thinks about on a daily basis and what they're interested in.'
Humans leave traces through their smartphones, or so it was said.
Follow those traces, and you'd uncover the true nature of that human.
With that in mind, Suryeon pressed the internet app icon with her little finger.
*Ding-dong—*
"How do I check the search history...? Tap this... and this... nope, not that... okay, tap this here then..."
Found it.
Search history.
"This is just basic stuff."
Suryeon grinned slightly as she scrolled through the search history.
But that smile vanished in an instant.
"Latest photobook... wildly jiggling D-cup...? Jiggling cups?"
Even looking at the search history, she had no idea what it meant.
Maybe she needed to check it out directly.
Suryeon tapped on "wildly jiggling D-cup."
Then, upon seeing the image that popped up, she yelped in shock and flung the smartphone away.
"W-what is that...! Why is that woman standing there in such thin clothes...?"
A woman with seductive eyes designed to entice males.
She emphasized her chest and occasionally shook her upper body.
Suryeon was quite shocked by the sight.
"N-now I get why the homeowner told me to wear clothes..."
Something felt off just looking at it.
It felt like she was seeing something she shouldn't.
Suryeon noticed her body temperature rising all over.
"H-human women grow up to have such amazing figures...?"
Would she end up like that when she grew up?
Suryeon looked down at her own body.
It was all just a small child's frame.
She felt oddly defeated by humans, which soured her mood.
"Hmm... looking again, that human woman's body isn't efficient at all. Those huge breasts would just get in the way."
Totally lame.
Smaller bodies are way better for survival.
I'm far superior as a dragon compared to that human.
Suryeon made her judgment and went back to checking the search history.
- Idol straight cam.
- Latest photobook collection.
- How to raise a dragon.
- 20s woman vlog.
- How to get a girlfriend.
- What do dragons eat? Real dragons, not game ones.
"It's good that he's searching questions about dragons. But why does he keep looking up human women in between?"
Not pleased.
It felt like she was losing to some nameless human woman.
Still, she now had a rough idea of what kind of person the homeowner was.
"A kind human who cares about us. But a pervert who likes women with big chests."
She had wanted to learn what kind of person Lee Ha-jun was.
But all she'd ended up discovering was his pointless tastes.
Suryeon sighed and handed the smartphone back to Lee Ha-jun.
"All done playing. Here."
"Already? You could play more."
"...Got stuff to think about. I'm good for now. I'll play later."
"Well, if you say so."
Lee Ha-jun reached for the phone in Suryeon's hand.
Suryeon quickly pulled her arm back.
"Hang on. Got a question first."
"What now, Suryeon?"
"Homeowner, you like women with big chests?"
"W-what?"
"Exactly what I said. That's your type?"
"..."
Oops.
Lee Ha-jun panicked and squeezed his eyes shut.
'...Did she look at my search history?'
He'd debated deleting it before handing it over.
Why did she have to go digging for it?
Lee Ha-jun sighed and answered Suryeon's question.
He resolved to be a dad who wouldn't back down.
"Yeah. If we're being precise, that's my type."
"...Isn't that a bit too brazen, homeowner?"
"So what? Is it wrong? Is it wrong to like someone!?"
He snapped.
Suryeon pouted her lips.
"...Not wrong. Fine. I get what kind of human you are now."
"What kind of human am I, then!"
"Someone with no money but trying to save up, only three contacts in his phone so a total loner, and a pervert who loves women."
"..."
"But a human who thinks deeply about us dragons and has a strong sense of responsibility."
Suryeon turned her head to hide her expression as she spoke.
"You know it's because you showed that hard-working side back then, Dad."
"...Dad? Did you just call me Dad? Suryeon?"
"...Yeah."
Even if he had no money and seemed like a pervert.
Since he'd shown responsibility.
Suryeon decided to trust Lee Ha-jun a little.
She judged him reliable to a certain degree.
"You adorable rascal! C'mere! Gimme those cheeks!"
"...Shouldn't have called you Dad. Pervert human."
Too late for regrets now.
Still, Suryeon understood why Hwaryeon had accepted him as a temporary dad.
Lee Ha-jun was always sincere about dragons.
"Suryeon! Dad'll give you an airplane ride! C'mere!"
"...I hate that kind of thing, though."
*Pat pat pat—!*
Suryeon fled desperately to avoid getting caught.
***
Lucky break amid the misfortune, I guess.
I got caught on the search history, but inwardly, I felt relieved.
'If she'd scrolled just one more page, it would've been disaster. Dodged a bullet.'
Whew—
I wiped off the cold sweat and deleted all the search history.
No traces left now.
'From today, I'm a clean human with nothing to be ashamed of.'
Lately, raising the dragon kids meant I hadn't used my phone much.
If she'd gone one page further, it would've shown my records from before meeting the dragon kids—a fit guy in his twenties whose life was a mess.
"Whew, total relief."
I let out a sigh of relief.
"No incidents besides the search history. Pretty tame overall."
I'd have no hesitation lending it to Suryeon next time if she asked.
Unlike the other dragons, she had a huge thirst for knowledge.
Better to give her the smartphone instead of books.
"These days, everyone learns via smartphones. Raising Suryeon that way should work fine."
I finished organizing my thoughts and flopped down in the living room.
"Ahh, fridge is sorted. Time to rest."
*Thud—*
I sprawled out spread-eagle in the center of the living room.
Then Choryeon climbed onto my stomach.
She looked down at me with a big smile.
"Dad, I'm bored!"
"Choryeon’s bored? Want Dad to give you an airplane ride?"
"Airplane's fun, but... I wanna play something different today!"
"Something different, huh..."
What fun ideas were there?
I racked my brain, trying to remember what I did as a kid.
"Hmm..."
"If nothing, should we just lie here and breathe?"
"That's a good one too, but hold on."
In this tiny one-room.
Fun games that'd satisfy Choryeon.
'Hide-and-seek or tag are out.'
What fit the bill...
"Guess that's the only one."
"What's that?"
"A super fun game you can play with Dad."
I picked up Choryeon from my belly and set her on the floor.
Then clapped to get the daughters' attention.
*Clap—!*
"Everyone focus. We're starting a game now."
"I don't wanna!"
Hwaryeon immediately voiced her complaint.
"Hmph, why should I play with Dad? No way. I'm not playing!"
"Then don't."
"B-but I don't want that! I'll play!"
Backtalk first, as expected.
I looked at the next potential issue, Suryeon.
"You in, Suryeon?"
"Don't know what it is, but I'm curious."
"You're playing?"
"..."
*Nod—*
Suryeon coolly nodded.
Everyone agreed.
Game on.
"We're playing Red Light, Green Light from now on."
"Waaah, the flower bloomed? When? I wanna see!"
"No, Choryeon, that's not it. The game’s called Red Light, Green Light."
A simple game where you move until I say "Red Light," and freeze when I turn around.
Suryeon raised a slight question after hearing the explanation.
"But Dad, why do we stop when the flower blooms?"
"Well... uh, good question...?"
Never thought about it before.
Why stop when the flower blooms?
I had no idea.
"I'd get 'A dragon has appeared' but stopping because a flower bloomed doesn't make sense. Why stop for a flower? Dragons don't stop for flowers."
Suryeon lectured seriously about 'why dragons don't stop' with the most earnest face.
Polish it up, and it could be a thesis.
"Fine, got it. We'll change it to 'A dragon has suddenly appeared.' That work for you, Suryeon?"
"Yeah."
Suryeon finally accepted the reason for stopping.
With that quick exchange.
We got ready—I stood against the one-room wall, the kids against the front door.
Then I started slowly.
"A dra...gon has... sud...denly... appeared!"
*Turn—*
I whipped around.
The kids had understood the rules well—they were frozen solid.
"Grrrrr...! Hurry! Look ahead!"
Hwaryeon trembled, struggling to stay still.
To build her patience, I looked forward a bit slower.
"Here we go again. A dra...gon... has... sud...denly... appeared!"
*Turn—!*
"Caught you, Choi Choryeon."
"Eeeek."
"Too slow on the reaction."
Choryeon had casually frozen.
She came to my side and took my hand.
Unless someone else got tagged and interrupted, she'd stay with me.
"By the way, there's a penalty."
"What!?"
"...You didn't mention that."
Hwaryeon and Suryeon glared at me with dragon-sharp eyes.
I explained to them without a care.
"Penalties always pop up suddenly. If you lose, you grant one wish of mine each."
"What if we win?"
"Hmm, I'll grant one wish for each of you."
Stakes make it more fun.
Maybe that fired them up.
Hwaryeon and Suryeon's eyes visibly sharpened.
Choryeon aside, they hated losing and were super competitive.
"Here we go. A dragon has suddenly appeared!"
*Freeze—*
Perfect timing freeze.
"Fast call, and you still nailed it?"
"Hmph."
Alright, next...
"A dra...gon... has... sud...den...ly... ap...peared..."
*Turn—*
Turning back, there was Suryeon, statue-still.
She barely moved to begin with, but now she looked lifeless.
Too slow, maybe?
"U-uaaaah! I'm done!!"
Hwaryeon's pebble-sized patience exploded.
She huffed and stood next to Choryeon.
Now it was just me versus Suryeon.
"Here goes. Dragon! Has! Suddenly! Appeared!!"
*Turn—*
I turned to check Suryeon's position.
She was mid-reach for my arm, frozen.
If she held still now, my loss was sealed.
'...Lost, huh.'
No, Dad doesn't lose.
Never.
'I set the penalty, but what would they even wish for...'
If I lost here, who knows what chaos.
That worry meant I couldn't lose.
So, I stayed silent, just staring at Suryeon.
"..."
"Ugh, sneaky! You want to beat a dragon that bad? Gross!"
"Dad really wants to win against baby dragons no matter what! So Dad-like!"
Hwaryeon and Choryeon poked at my resolve.
Still, I kept up the stare-down.
After about five minutes of that.
Something totally unexpected happened.
*Bang bang bang—!!*
-Hey, Lee Ha-jun! You wanna die!!?
"Gu Bong-gu? Collection day's not even here yet?"
Why'd he come to the house?
Startled, I glanced at the door.
Then, turning back to Suryeon.
"Okay, gotcha, Lee Suryeon!"
"..."
Gu Bong-gu's sudden visit?
Suryeon's stance crumbled, and she sat on the floor.
Exhausted, sweat dripped from her forehead.
Must've been tough.
"Sorry, Suryeon. Dad got a bit ug—"
-You don't pay up, and now prank calls at dinner!? Wanna fight!?
"...Prank call?"
*Glance—*
I focused back on Suryeon.
Looking closer, that sweat didn't seem from fatigue.
"Suryeon."
"...Yeah, Dad."
"Did you call Gu Bong-gu by any chance?"
"...Yeah."
Suryeon nodded.
Now I knew what that sweat really was.
Guilt sweat from getting caught.
Suryeon meekly admitted while sweating bullets.
"It was a mistake."
"Ugh, you little troublemaker."
Not a single accident-free day.
Fuming, I had to head to the door to deal with Gu Bong-gu.