Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Polymorph (1)
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"Good work."
As usual, after finishing work, I returned home.
I'd been worried the kids might have caused some trouble.
"You guys behaved yourselves."
"Shaa-?"
"You're doing great."
Everyone except Choryun, who came to greet me.
The others were sitting together amiably, staring up at the TV.
Choryun had probably been sitting there quietly with them, watching TV.
Even dragons couldn't resist the pull of the television.
"You all must be hungry. Let's eat."
I set the plastic bag I was carrying down on the dining table.
Hwaryun must have been curious about tonight's dinner menu, because she leaped onto the table and shoved her face into the bag.
"Shaaak-? Shaaak-?"
"Hey, get your face out of there. Wait patiently."
"Shaaak-!!"
"You impatient little rascal. Stay put. I'll give you something delicious soon."
Ignoring Hwaryun's surprise attack, I pulled tonight's dinner out of the bag.
Tonight's dinner was...
"You've never had ramen before, right? You're gonna be blown away."
Ramen.
Ramen was cheap, came in good portions, tasted great, and was super convenient.
You could even buy it in bulk for an even better deal.
It was the perfect food for a commoner like me.
'I can't feed them meat every day anyway. Until money starts rolling in, we'll make do with ramen.'
With the gas and water cut off, I couldn't grill meat even if I bought it.
And I had no intention of feeding them raw meat like some idiot.
'Ramen's delicious too.'
I poured the hot water I'd smuggled from the staffing agency in my thermos into a pot.
"Temperature's just right. Water amount's perfect too."
I dumped the noodles and seasoning packet into the pot and covered it.
Luxuries like eggs were, of course, out of the question.
After a bit, I lifted the lid, and there was a pretty decent bowl of ramen.
To get their attention, I clapped my hands.
Clap-!
"Come eat."
"Shaaak-!!"
"Shaa-"
"Shaaah-!"
They must have been starving, because they jumped right up onto the chairs.
Their faces were full of anticipation—they'd clearly been waiting for dinner.
I scooped ramen onto the disposable plates I'd swiped from the agency.
"Ramen's tastier than meat. And before you eat, everyone say 'thanks for the meal'—"
"Shaaak-!!"
"...They're totally ignoring their dad."
Hwaryun had plunged her head into the bowl and started slurping up the noodles before I even finished.
Slurp— slurp—
Impressive speed.
She seemed to like it well enough, because the moment she emptied her bowl, she let out a big cry.
"Shaaak-!!"
"Want more?"
"Shaaak-!"
Hwaryun nodded her head furiously.
At a speed that was hard to follow with the eyes.
I was tempted to flick her forehead, but since we were at the table, I held back.
Table manners are important.
'I wonder if the others are eating okay.'
Suryun was managing her ramen decently.
The difference from Hwaryun was that Suryun was breaking off the noodles and eating them piece by piece instead of inhaling them.
She kept glancing at Hwaryun eating next to her, so she probably didn't like the slurping.
She was eating nicely without me having to say anything.
I turned to check on Choryun.
"Shaaah-?"
"You're eating well."
"Shaaah-!"
She wasn't devouring it like it was the best thing ever.
Choryun timidly nibbled and slurped the noodles.
The spiciness made her stick out her tongue and pant—heh heh.
At least she didn't seem to hate it, which was a relief.
'I thought I'd have to feed them meat every day. Good thing they're eating this fine.'
With all the debt I had to pay back.
I couldn't have all my earnings go straight to food costs.
From today on, ramen was the dragons' staple food—not meat.
"Any dragons want more ramen? Speak up! I'll give you seconds!"
"Shaaak-! Shaaak-!"
It was an utterly plebeian dinner time.
***
Dinner was ramen.
But there was a bigger problem.
"Hmm, what about water?"
Drip— drip—
No matter how desperately I twisted the faucet, no water came out.
I couldn't even wash up like this, let alone live normally.
"I could get bottled water from the agency if needed..."
The future looked bleak.
I couldn't just ignore the water issue.
But going to the landlord would just get me told to get out.
If you don't have money, you're supposed to leave anyway.
"If I were alone, I could go somewhere else. But I'm not alone anymore..."
Sigh.
This was frustrating enough to die over.
Maybe I should just close my eyes and sell a kidney.
Just as my water woes were driving me to such extreme thoughts.
"...Shaa."
Uncharacteristically, Suryun started nudging my ankle with her front paw.
I jumped in surprise and asked her.
"You usually ignore me completely. What's up, Suryun? Dad's busy."
"Shaa- Shaa-"
Suryun walked past me into the bathroom.
When I didn't follow, she stopped and stared at me.
"Shaa-"
"What."
"Shaa-"
"Want me to follow?"
Nod.
Suryun nodded and headed deeper into the bathroom.
She stopped in front of the washbasin rolling around on the bathroom floor.
'What is she up to?'
I had no idea what she was trying to do.
Just as I was about to ask why she'd brought me here.
Suryun opened her mouth slightly toward the washbasin.
And then.
"Shaa-"
Fire.
Splashhhh—
Water poured from Suryun's mouth, filling the washbasin.
It quickly turned the basin into a little lake.
Just like a stone statue spouting water in a bathhouse.
Suryun filled the huge washbasin with her own water.
'...She can produce water too?'
I'd just learned about Suryun's new ability.
"Shaa-"
Suryun gave me a look that said, "Use it however you want."
Then she coolly left the bathroom and headed back to the TV.
Left alone in the bathroom, I stared at the washbasin full of Suryun's water.
"...She saw I needed water and made some for me."
I'd thought she just avoided my touch and had no interest in me.
She had her cold yet cute side.
"She couldn't just stand by and watch her dad in trouble, huh? You really see me as your father too, don't you, Suryun?"
I officially accepted her as my daughter now.
Her name was entered into the family register in my heart.
'That aside.'
I wondered if it was okay for me to use this water.
Even if it was water made by my daughter.
"Isn't this saliva?"
It was saliva produced in Suryun's mouth and expelled.
It looked fine on the surface, and touching it felt normal.
But the essence of this liquid was saliva.
Dragon saliva, at that.
Which meant.
"...I could sell this for a fortune."
If I sold dragon saliva, buyers would line up around the world.
They say eating a dragon heart grants immortality.
I'd heard the leaders of various countries scour for dragon-related items to extend their health and lifespan.
In that sense, a washbasin full of Suryun's saliva would fetch a hefty price.
"If I could sell it without any risk."
But that was realistically impossible.
Selling dragon items would put me in grave danger.
So, I decided to drop the foolish idea.
Things were different now—I wasn't alone.
No need to take risks.
Plus, it was the first gift from Suryun.
I'd use it myself.
"I'll use this for washing up."
And so, I stored the precious water my daughter had made for me in the corner of the bathroom.
Suryun's saliva—no, my daughter's gift.
"I could sip it when I'm thirsty sometimes, right? It's not saliva. It's water..."
With no idea what changes this water might bring to my body.
***
"I'm off. No causing trouble—be good. Got it?"
"Kuwool-"
"..."
"Shaaah-!"
Bang-!
Lee Ha-jun firmly closed the iron gate and left for work.
Breakfast and lunch were the leftover dry ramen from yesterday.
With the seasoning sprinkled and mixed in, it looked like snacks.
Suryun picked up her plate in her mouth and brought it to the front of the TV, starting her meal.
"Shaa-"
Crunch! Crunch!
Chewing it herself was a hassle.
The texture overall wasn't to her liking.
But Suryun didn't complain.
"Shaa-"
It couldn't be helped.
She had a rough idea of how things were going.
Suryun understood the situation rationally.
-Choryun, come eat too. If Hwaryun wakes up, there might not be any left for you.
-I get a tummy ache from that stuff...
-Eat it anyway. It's edible.
-Okaay...
Choryun wasn't thrilled.
But she put the dry ramen in her mouth and bit down.
Crunch-!
-Ow, it hurts! But it's from Dad, so I'll eat it... hurts though...!
Choryun grumbled a little but kept chewing the dry ramen.
Right then, Hwaryun woke up to the chewing sounds and yelled in surprise.
-What? You guys are sneak-eating without me? Give me some too!
Crunch! Crunch!
Hwaryun chomped down on the dry ramen with her sturdy teeth.
And so, the dragons' light breakfast time passed.
As always, the dragons gathered in front of the TV to observe the world.
They learned how the world worked and what humans looked like.
Imagining the human forms they wanted to take.
Growing ever closer to not just dragons, but humans.
-Hwaryun.
-What, Suryun.
-Hwaryun. Do you want to be a boy or a girl?
-Do I have to pick just one? I was gonna do both.
-...Don't be greedy. Pick one.
-No way. Why should I? I'm gonna be both a girl and a boy!
-Even if we turn human, we'll still be dragons underneath. As for identity, we have to choose one or the other. That's what dragon knowledge says.
-Tch, fine.
Exchanging info and refining their ideas through talk.
In their parents' absence, the dragons were steadily drawing closer to humanity.