Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: I Am a Dragon (4)
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The next day.
After stuffing the kids with a hearty breakfast.
I lined them up against the wall in a row and said,
"Since you've eaten well, it's time to do what needs to be done."
"I-Is it finally that time?!"
"..."
"It's the inevitable conclusion..."
They squeezed their eyes shut.
They looked terrified of getting scolded.
*Even if it hurts my heart, I have to discipline them.*
Yesterday's incident could have turned into a major disaster with just a bit of bad luck.
Those drug-addled homeless gangs don't hesitate to traffic people.
No matter how much you clean, trash keeps piling up.
Anyway.
"Choryeon, you can step out. If you don't want to get scolded."
"Dad, is that okay...?"
"Yeah, Choryeon didn't do anything wrong."
The only one I judged innocent.
Choryeon glanced at Hwaryeon and Suryeon before slipping behind me.
I decided to proceed with scolding time.
"First up, Hwaryeon."
"M-Me? Why me?!"
"I heard you didn't stop Suryeon when she tried to go out yesterday."
"Choryeon! You told him?!"
Hwaryeon whipped around and fired laser-beam glares at Choryeon.
Choryeon quickly turned her head away.
"I-I don't know anything about that!"
"You just wait, I'll get you later!"
Grrrr...
Hwaryeon ground her teeth at Choryeon.
I bent down to meet Hwaryeon's eyes and said,
"If I catch you saying anything to Choryeon later, you'll get it worse."
"Hmph."
"Hwaryeon. Tell me straight up. What did you do wrong? Say it with your own mouth."
"...!!"
She flinched.
Told to admit her own mistake, Hwaryeon's body trembled.
She hesitated, mumbling with her mouth.
"M-My fault... My fault is..."
"What's your fault, Hwaryeon? Say it yourself."
"My fault is... My fault is...!!"
She clenched her fists tight and finally squeezed out a yell.
"As the oldest sister! I didn't stop Suryeon from going out! I shouldn't have let her!"
"You know it well."
While Suryeon was gone for so long yesterday, Hwaryeon had apparently worried a lot, thinking *Should I have stopped her?*
*If she knows her mistake, no need to scold her more.*
I patted Hwaryeon's stiff, scared shoulders and said,
"Let's do better next time, Hwaryeon."
"Okay! I will!"
"Good. Hwaryeon, you can go too."
"Yeah!"
She flashed a big smile and scampered behind me.
She must have really hated getting scolded.
"Next, Suryeon."
"..."
"If you have something to say first, go ahead."
"..."
She hung her head glumly and mumbled,
"...Sorry. I was wrong. I shouldn't have gone out. I couldn't resist my curiosity. It was stupid."
"You get it."
What a clever little troublemaker.
Maybe because she'd been through something rough.
Her downcast vibe and eyes alone screamed remorse.
"You're not gonna cry again, are you?"
"No..."
"Doesn't look like it."
I crouched down and peered up at her lowered face.
*...She's about to cry?*
Ahem.
I decided not to tease her more.
But I still had to give her a stern talking-to.
"Suryeon."
"Uh-huh..."
"I know you're smart. I know you're always cooped up at home and feel stifled. But try to hold back your curiosity a bit."
"Uh-huh..."
"There's that saying—curiosity killed the cat."
"Curiosity killed the cat..."
Suryeon nodded as if she'd just had an epiphany.
Even without me getting heated, they seemed to know their mistakes on their own.
*Are they too smart...? Pretty sharp for six-month-olds...*
Sigh.
I hoped there'd be no next time.
When I realized Suryeon was missing, my heart had dropped.
"Kids."
"Yeah!"
"Uh-huh..."
"Yes!"
"Let's do better next time."
I stroked their heads one by one.
And with that, yesterday's incident was wrapped up nicely.
*...Being stuck at home all the time must be stifling.*
Maybe give them more chances to go out.
But that meant cleaning up the neighborhood first.
I'd think more on that later.
***
After the incident.
Suryeon started acting a bit off.
"Everyone, listen up."
She sat Hwaryeon and Choryeon down and launched into a speech.
"I realized something after going outside."
"What is it, Suryeon sis?"
"I've come to understand that all humans are trash—except Dad."
Chill.
Suryeon ranted her impressions of the outside world.
"I went out and headed down an alley. But humans chased after me. I had no choice but to run."
"Hold on!"
Hwaryeon shot her hand up, poking a hole in the story.
"But why run? You're a dragon! Just fight and win!"
"You didn't see those humans' eyes, Hwaryeon sis. Eyes full of venom. Eyes lost in darkness. Even you would've run."
Did thinking back give her chills?
Suryeon rubbed her goosebumped arms.
*Well, yeah. Homeless folks would shock any kid.*
Even adults wouldn't want to call them human.
Worried the kids might misunderstand, I jumped in.
"There's a misunderstanding here. There's Gu Bong-gu and Granny. Not everyone's trash. What was that called? Survivorship bias or something?"
I'd been out of school too long; couldn't recall exactly.
Something like that, anyway.
Suryeon nodded slightly at my words.
"You're right, Dad. Gu Bong-gu and Granny are good humans. But from what I've seen with my own eyes, most humans are trash."
Probably because she hadn't met many people.
The shock from the homeless encounter must've been huge.
Suryeon showed no signs of backing down.
*She'll change as she meets more folks over time.*
I glanced at Suryeon, who'd been through it all.
She'd stopped her speech and was muttering in the corner.
"Heh heh, all humans are trash... Humans except Dad are trash..."
"Man, she's deep in that eighth-grader syndrome."
"The world's probably trash too... The world is trash..."
"Lord help us."
Even a doctor couldn't cure that phase.
I sighed and stood up.
Suryeon looked at me and asked,
"Dad, where you going? Off to work today?"
"Just to the bathroom."
"Oh, okay..."
Why was she suddenly so clingy?
She'd never paid me this much attention before.
I handled my business in the bathroom and opened the door.
Suryeon, waiting right outside, spoke up.
"Dad, where to now?"
"Me? Was heading to the living room..."
"I'll go with you."
She reached out her hand to me.
Still dazed, I took it.
*What's with her? Not like separation anxiety.*
Holding Suryeon's hand, I headed to the living room.
Choryeon eyed us curiously.
"Dad, why are you holding hands with Suryeon sis?"
"Dunno...? She just asked me to."
"Suryeon sis never seemed interested in Dad before... Weird, huh?"
"Yeah, tell me about it."
I felt it was odd too.
Something had definitely changed in Suryeon after that incident.
*This ain't good...*
Feeling uneasy, I sat in the living room to rest.
Suryeon, who usually hunkered in the corner with her smartphone, sat beside me today, fiddling with hers.
Maybe that's why.
Hwaryeon and Choryeon started looking at her like she was some weirdo.
"Suryeon! Who are you?! You're not the Suryeon I know! Fake! Reveal your true identity!"
"Hwaryeon sis, you've been reading too many comics. I'm the same as always. Don't make a fuss."
Suryeon brushed off Hwaryeon's jab lightly.
Still, Choryeon kept staring at her funny.
Ziiiiing—
"Mmm... Mmmph..."
Like she had some grudge.
She even puffed her cheeks.
I rested uneasily in that awkward vibe.
Then, before dinner.
I steeled myself and said to the kids,
"Hey, kids. Wanna go for a walk together after a while? Dad's got time today."
Hwaryeon and Choryeon jumped up, thrilled.
"Yay! Let's go!"
"Me too, Dad! Let's hold hands!"
Beaming.
They started prepping to head out right away.
But Suryeon sat in the living room, staring at me blankly.
With a hint of unease.
"Do we have to go out, Dad?"
"Was planning to."
"I don't wanna go, Dad. I wanna stay home."
She'd play fine if we went.
But Suryeon declared she wouldn't.
Seeing that, I recalled yesterday's events and today's changes.
*Don't tell me... she's starting to fear the outside?*
Had Suryeon begun dreading outings?
Because of what happened when she snuck out alone yesterday?
A kid who should be running around wild, refusing to go out.
That was definitely not good.
*This is bad.*
Trauma?
Suryeon plopped in the living room, hand outstretched to me.
"Dad, don't go. Stay with me. I wanna stay home."
Fear flickered in her eyes.
Looks like Suryeon had developed a phobia of going out.
I scratched my head, glancing at Hwaryeon and Choryeon getting ready behind me.
"This is tricky."
What to do?
One crisis leads to another, huh.
"Don't wanna go. Outside is dangerous."
For some reason.
I had a bad feeling a hikikomori dragon was about to be born.