Chapter 65
Chapter 65
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Anyone Want to Watch TV?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The first family trip with the kids had been a resounding success.
It had been a while since I'd gotten to enjoy the beach myself, and Su-ryeon had even overcome her agoraphobia.
‘Maybe I got too much sun after all.’
In hindsight,
I'd forgotten to apply sunscreen.
Before heading to work, I checked my reflection in the mirror.
“Tsk, I got way too tanned. Should've put on some sunscreen.”
The UV rays had been intense.
I confirmed my slightly browned face and left the bathroom.
Naturally, the dragon sprawled out in the living room had gotten a light tan too.
“Ugh, why did my skin end up like this?”
“My skin isn't perfect anymore. I'm upset.”
“I absorbed the sun's energy! This is proof that we're healthier now!”
Yay—!
Cho-ryeon insisted that the sunlight had made her healthier.
But Hwa-ryeon and Su-ryeon's glares were sharp.
“What do you mean healthier! You just got charred from the fire—you think that's getting stronger!?”
“Be reasonable, Cho-ryeon. Don't say ridiculous things.”
Wilt...
Cho-ryeon deflated under the combined assault from her sisters.
Then, she hid behind me and let out a small complaint.
“Dad, my sisters are bullying me... I just said what I thought... It hurts my feelings...”
Cowardly ganging up on her like that.
I needed to give them a stern talking-to.
I fully shielded Cho-ryeon behind me and addressed the kids.
“What's the big idea, picking on your little sister like that! Apologize to Cho-ryeon, all of you!”
“Dad! What did I even do! This is unfair!”
“Hey now, you two ganged up and scared our youngest. Apologize already?”
“Th-this is favoritism! This is outrageous tyranny!”
Hwa-ryeon stomped the floor with a thud in protest at the injustice.
I mulled over Hwa-ryeon's words.
‘She even knows words like favoritism and tyranny now. Her vocabulary's really improved, huh?’
Was she finally starting to get smart like a proper dragon?
I didn't get why she was mad, but the growth moved me to tears—I clamped my mouth shut.
Choke—!
“Hwa-ryeon's finally starting to get smart...!”
“What did you think I was until now! I'm offended!”
Anyway.
After rescuing Cho-ryeon from the threat and giving the kids a stern lecture,
I had a summons today, so I quickly got ready for work.
‘Had my vacation fun—time to work hard again.’
I still had a ton of debt to pay off.
Once I finished preparing, I headed to the entrance.
The kids watched me like meerkats, seeing me off.
‘We've been on a trip and all. Their itch for going out should be scratched for now.’
I waved to them.
“Dad's off.”
Without adding the usual “don't cause trouble and behave.”
In response, the kids waved back.
“Bye!”
“...Come back soon.”
“Take care, Father!”
Bye-bye—
I took one last look at the kids seeing me off, closed the door, and headed to work.
I felt like I could work hard again today.
‘Let's hustle and make some money today too.’
Their send-off put some automatic pep in my step.
***
With Dad gone from the house,
only the kids remained.
“How about we watch some TV while Dad's away!”
Hwa-ryeon, the highest in the pecking order, turned on the TV.
She always decided the channel.
‘Rules are set by the strong! Survival of the fittest! This is the Red Dragon way! Come at me if you dare!’
Hwa-ryeon struck a majestic pose while watching TV.
She'd gone to all that effort to pose,
but disappointingly, no one paid her any attention.
“I'll read a book.”
“I'm gonna draw!”
Flop—
Su-ryeon and Cho-ryeon found their own toys to play with.
Hwa-ryeon muttered to herself while staring at the TV screen alone.
‘Doesn't anyone want to watch TV? There's so much fun stuff on! Lately, it feels like I'm the only one watching.’
Was it not fun alone?
While watching TV, Hwa-ryeon snuck glances at Su-ryeon and Cho-ryeon.
‘Everyone else is having fun without me! Why won't they watch TV together!’
It bothered her.
Hwa-ryeon puffed out her cheeks like a pufferfish.
Turning into a single venomous pufferfish, she quietly approached Su-ryeon, who was reading her book, and said,
“Hey, Su-ryeon!”
“What, Hwa-ryeon sis?”
“Why aren't you watching TV! There's tons of knowledge you like on there!”
“Hmm.”
Why was Hwa-ryeon sis acting like this all of a sudden?
Su-ryeon was annoyed but answered as best she could.
“You always pick weird channels.”
“Wh-what do you mean I pick weird channels! Don't make me out to be some weird dragon!”
“Masked Ranger, pro wrestling, Dinosaur Expedition, Martial Arts Fighting. You watch weird stuff all the time. It's not fun. Total bore. Complete snoozefest.”
“N-not fun!?”
When someone says something you like isn't fun for them, you get mad—that's the rule.
Hwa-ryeon flushed red and pointed at Su-ryeon's book while yelling,
“That book's not fun either! Better than that paper scrap! TV's way more fun!”
Su-ryeon lightly parried Hwa-ryeon's sharp attack.
“If you're dumb, you might hate books. That can happen.”
“You're the one causing trouble every day! Who's calling who dumb! You're the dumb one!”
“Hwa-ryeon sis. You done talking?”
“And what if I am! Bring it!”
Swish swish—
Hwa-ryeon menaced by swinging her fists at the air.
Su-ryeon eyed the punches and thought to herself,
‘...Pretty fast, actually.’
Su-ryeon confirmed the punches' power and turned back to her book.
“Fighting's barbaric. Pass.”
“Hmph, you're just scared! I win!”
Victory—!
Hwa-ryeon openly struck a victory pose in front of Su-ryeon.
Su-ryeon felt a surge of anger but reined in her emotions and endured.
‘Dad wouldn't get swept up in emotions—he'd hold back. He's an adult. Adults hold back.’
I'm an adult.
With that thought, Su-ryeon endured Hwa-ryeon's tee-bagging.
As Su-ryeon's reactions faded, Hwa-ryeon quickly lost interest.
“Hmph, boring!”
Hwa-ryeon decided to leave Su-ryeon be
and approached Cho-ryeon, who was lying a good distance away.
Cho-ryeon was diligently drawing on her sketchbook with crayons.
‘Today, I got scolded by Dad for no reason because of this Cho-ryeon. What's so great about being the youngest?’
The tiniest one, Cho-ryeon.
Hwa-ryeon sat beside her and casually asked,
“Hey, Cho-ryeon. Why aren't you watching TV?”
“Me?”
“Yeah, who else!”
“Um, the reason I don't watch TV is!”
Cho-ryeon smiled brightly and said,
“The channels you pick don't match my tastes!”
“You saying the channels I watch aren't fun?!”
Spring—!
Hwa-ryeon shot to her feet, fuming.
Cho-ryeon calmly gestured for her to sit.
“That's not it, Hwa-ryeon sis. I mean it's a difference in tastes.”
“Difference in tastes?”
“Yeah, like how you hate veggies but I like them. We just like different things. Not that it's not fun.”
“Um... I kinda get what you mean! So you didn't say it wasn't fun?!”
“Yeah.”
“Then we're good! I'm not mad anymore!”
The conversation passed without a fight, thanks to pacifist Cho-ryeon.
So, Hwa-ryeon naturally grew interested in the drawing Cho-ryeon was doing.
Hwa-ryeon looked at it and asked,
“But what were you drawing?”
Cho-ryeon shyly hid her face with her hair.
“Ah, it's embarrassing. I was drawing what happened yesterday. I wanted to capture our beach trip in a picture.”
“Ooh, lemme see it close up!”
Let's see.
Hwa-ryeon peered closely at the sketchbook.
A killer whale and Yi Hwa-ryeon swimming in the ocean.
Cho-ryeon swimming with Dad, wearing floaties.
Su-ryeon sitting still under a parasol.
“Huh?”
Then Hwa-ryeon noticed something odd.
For some reason, only Su-ryeon was under a parasol far from Dad.
“You said you drew what happened yesterday...? Didn't Su-ryeon stick to Dad a lot yesterday? Cho-ryeon, you got your memory wrong or something?”
“...”
Slide—
Cho-ryeon wordlessly picked up her sketchbook.
Then, she looked Hwa-ryeon straight in the eye with a smile and said,
“It's a difference in tastes, Hwa-ryeon sis.”
“Uh, uh?”
“It's however I feel like drawing. Can I have my picture back, sis?”
“Uh, yeah...”
Flustered—
Hwa-ryeon handed the picture back right away.
Then Cho-ryeon returned to her usual self.
‘What was that? Something's off.’
It smelled suspicious.
The smell of conflict.
Hwa-ryeon had a nose for fights like no other, so she picked up on the tension between the two dragons.
However.
‘Whatever, I like it if they fight! I can just watch and break it up later!’
She had no intention of mediating between the two.
It wasn't what mattered to Hwa-ryeon anyway.
‘Anyway, combining Su-ryeon and Cho-ryeon's opinions... they don't like my TV channels! So if I switch to what they want, maybe they'll watch?’
Honestly, it's no fun alone.
Hwa-ryeon picked up the remote and started changing channels.
Focusing on ones different from her usuals, various channels.
To draw the kids' attention, Hwa-ryeon yelled loudly,
“Wow, nature's on TV! Even Petite Pretty Q! Anyone wanna watch?!”
At that, the kids who took interest in Hwa-ryeon's actions gathered in front of the TV.
“This looks fun.”
“Seems like it, Miss Su-ryeon.”
“...? What did you just say?”
“Nothing, Su-ryeon sis. I misspoke. My bad.”
“Hmm...”
A subtle war of nerves passed between the two dragons.
Still, both soon focused on the TV.
It wasn't Hwa-ryeon's usual channel, but it felt way more fun than watching alone.
‘Hate to admit it, but TV's better with company!’
Today,
Hwa-ryeon learned the joy of compromise and togetherness.
She was still clumsy at it, but unbeknownst to herself, she was picking up and learning the behaviors of an eldest daughter.
Meanwhile, her sisters' gears weren't meshing—they were grinding awkwardly.