Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: I Am a Dragon (1)
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“Dad, I’m heading out. Everyone—”
“Don’t cause any trouble, and stay put.”
“…Yeah, okay. I’m off.”
Bang—!
Early in the morning.
Dad left with a sullen expression.
Suryeon headed to the living room.
“Hmmnya… Hmm…”
“Zzz…”
Hwaryeon and Choryeon were still fast asleep.
“You idiots. Get up already.”
Poke poke.
Suryeon prodded Hwaryeon and Choryeon’s bodies with her toes.
At that, Hwaryeon and Choryeon groaned as they sat up.
“What…! I was sleeping so good…!”
“Suryeon sis… If there’s not a good reason for waking me… I’m gonna get mad…!”
Hwaryeon and Choryeon pouted, voicing their complaints.
Suryeon pointed to the dining table without changing her expression.
“Dad made breakfast before he left. It’ll get cold if you don’t eat soon.”
“…Why didn’t you say so sooner!”
“That’s a valid reason, so I accept…”
Dash dash dash—
Hwaryeon and Choryeon shuffled to the table, eyes half-closed.
Fried eggs and sausages were laid out on the table.
“Looks good!”
“Itadakimasu.”
“Bon appétit…!”
Nom nom.
The kids chewed thoroughly before the food could get cold.
“All done!”
They cleared their plates spotless.
Then the kids carried their own dishes to the sink.
And gave them a quick rinse with water.
“Hurry up and bring your plates! Dad’ll flip if you don’t!”
No nagging!
After moving all the plates to the sink.
The kids turned their gazes to the top of the fridge.
Snacks like cookies were neatly stacked there.
“Hmph, as if we couldn’t reach! You underestimate us dragons! Everyone, to your positions!”
“Okay.”
“Got it, Hwaryeon sis!”
Scamper scamper!
Suryeon and Choryeon dragged dining chairs over and placed them in front of the fridge.
“I’m going up! Jump!”
Hwaryeon leaped up and landed lightly on the chair.
Suryeon and Choryeon steadied her body so she wouldn’t fall.
“Hurry up, sis.”
“W-Wait! I can’t reach! Why’d Dad put it so high up! We’d find a way anyway!”
Groan groan.
Hwaryeon stretched her arms desperately to grab the tasty snacks.
Standing on tiptoes, leaning in as far as she could.
“Got it!”
Squeeze.
Hwaryeon finally snatched the snacks.
After breaking a sweat, she managed to grab a total of three.
Hwaryeon gathered the kids and distributed the snacks.
“Distribution time! Suryeon, you get the choco cones! Choryeon likes chocolate, so chocolate for you! I’ll take the potato chips!”
“Okay.”
“Thanks, Hwaryeon sis!”
A fairly fair distribution.
The kids enjoyed their allotted snacks.
Among them, Suryeon played by sticking a snack on her finger.
“Dragon Claw.”
Swish swish.
Taking advantage when the others weren’t looking.
Suryeon amused herself alone in the corner with the snack.
After enjoying their brief snack time.
“Nothing to do now. What should we do?”
Suryeon hit a wall.
She liked playing alone best.
But only when there was a smartphone.
Yi Ha-jun had taken the smartphone to work, leaving Suryeon a total bum with nothing to do.
“…What should I do? I finished all the books.”
She’d read The Little Prince, and got stuck on page 10 of The Stranger.
No books left to read, nothing to do.
So, Suryeon made up her mind.
“I’m going outside.”
“What’d you say, Suryeon sis…?”
“I’m going out to see the world. There’s no more knowledge to gain here.”
Whoosh!
Suryeon stood up and headed for the front door.
Choryeon immediately grabbed her pant leg to stop her.
“N-No…! Sis…! Dad said not to cause trouble…! We can’t…!”
“Don’t stop me, Choryeon. I’ve decided. I’m going out. There’s no more knowledge to gain here.”
“Y-You’re just bored and acting on impulse, Suryeon sis…!!”
“…”
Suryeon clamped her mouth shut.
It was spot on.
‘Choryeon’s sharper than she looks.’
Truth was, she just wanted to go out because she was bored.
Suryeon dragged Choryeon, clinging to her leg, toward the front door.
And.
Click!
She ended up opening the door.
Choryeon freaked out and pleaded with Hwaryeon for help.
“H-Hwaryeon sis! Help me! Suryeon sis lost her mind! She’s trying to go outside!”
Please help!
Choryeon looked at Hwaryeon with desperate eyes.
But Hwaryeon couldn’t care less.
“Game Ranger’s starting soon! I’m busy!”
“H-Hwaryeon sis…”
“No way! Turn back! Not helping! Suryeon can handle herself!”
She’s a dragon.
What’s there to worry about?
“She’ll be fine on her own!”
“B-But aren’t you worried…?”
“She’s the only one who’ll get in trouble, so who cares! Let Suryeon go free!”
“Y-Yes…”
Downcast.
Choryeon reluctantly let go.
Suryeon felt liberated and smiled faintly.
“I’m free now. I’m off.”
Swish.
Suryeon hid her horns and tail, pulled up her hood, and headed outside.
“B-Be safe…! Suryeon sis…!”
Choryeon waved worriedly at Suryeon’s departing figure.
Suryeon gave a light nod in response and climbed the stairs to the outside.
“Me exploring the outside world alone.”
Muttering something like a webnovel title.
Suryeon headed out into the world, brimming with curiosity and excitement.
Unaware that the world was far harsher than she imagined.
“Sounds fun.”
An action born of a dragon’s typical arrogance.
***
There’s one good thing about going out alone.
You can wander wherever and however you want.
“What’s this building for?”
Hmm.
“Shall I check it out?”
Suryeon walked toward a half-collapsed building out of curiosity.
Its walls were mostly crumbled, letting wind whistle through.
She stepped over small piles of broken bricks, exploring the interior.
“Doesn’t look like anyone lives here. Makes sense—temperatures drop at night, they said. Fragile human bodies would freeze in a place like this.”
She checked all the way to the rooftop.
Then Suryeon descended the stairs to head somewhere else.
Along the way, she spotted something interesting on the stairs.
“This is called a syringe. Why’s it here? I thought they were used in hospitals.”
Weird.
Not something you’d find in a place like this.
Suryeon tilted her head, examining the syringe closely.
Then she reached a conclusion.
“If there’s hospital stuff here, there must be sick people nearby.”
No other reason it’d be in a place like this.
“Learned something new.”
Heh.
Suryeon felt a bit amused and left the building.
Then she walked the streets as before.
“Where to next? That way?”
A creepy alley caught her eye.
Feeling curious about the eerie vibe, Suryeon stepped into the alley.
“Gotta check why it feels dangerous.”
Curiosity winning out, Suryeon ventured deeper into the darkening alley.
The smell forced her to cover her nose.
“…What’s that smell? N-Never smelled anything like it. My nose hurts.”
The unfamiliar stench made her head ache.
Suryeon covered her nose with her clothes and pressed deeper into the alley.
To find the source.
“…I’m curious. Gotta see it with my own eyes.”
She wouldn’t sleep if she didn’t check.
Suryeon went even deeper into the dark alley.
“How far does this go?”
Deep.
Deeper still.
No end in sight, irritation starting to build.
Finally, Suryeon emerged from the alley onto a wide-open street.
“…”
But the street was far from what she’d imagined.
.
“What… is this place…?”
Suryeon muttered in confusion at the scene before her.
“That smell… What the heck are these humans doing…?”
Empty cans lined the street, with countless people sprawled around them.
Humans with long, matted hair and beards reaching their stomachs.
Flies buzzed around them.
Suryeon gaped in shock.
“Th-These are humans…? They look nothing like the ones I know…?”
What were these humans doing, lying there like that?
Suryeon stood still, watching.
Perhaps sensing her presence.
One homeless person lifted his head and said,
“Hey, it’s a kid…”
Flash!
At his words, the sprawled homeless folks all raised their heads.
“A kid here…”
“How long since I’ve seen a kid…?”
“Grab her… Grab her now…!!”
With that, the homeless charged at Suryeon.
Suryeon faced their malicious, gleaming eyes.
“G-Get away…! Stay back…!! W-Water cannon…!”
Pwaang—!!
Suryeon shot water from her palm and bolted back toward the alley she’d come from.
“Grab her…! Don’t let her go…!!”
“A mana-awakened kid…!! Get her no matter what…!!”
Pant pant.
Suryeon fled from the humans reaching out behind her.
To avoid getting caught.
“D-Don’t come…! Humans…!”
This was her first time facing human malice head-on.
Suryeon forgot she was a dragon and ran for all she was worth.
“D-Dad…! Help me…!”
Tears welling up.
The little child desperately searched for Dad, running on short legs through the dark alley.