Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Dancing with Mangmung
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After picking up Mangmung.
My mornings started spinning even busier.
"Everyone, open your eyes and eat."
"Yesss..."
"Here, Mangmung, you eat too."
Clink—
I placed a bowl of kibble in front of the tiny Mangmung.
The little guy wriggled over, shoved his face in the bowl, and started munching on the food.
Crunch crunch—
Mangmung chomped away at the kibble with his tiny teeth.
"Maybe it's because he's a stray. He eats anything."
Hwaryeon paused with her spoon midway to her mouth, staring at Mangmung as he ate and muttering under her breath.
"Ew, that looks tasty...!"
"That doesn't taste good, Hwaryeon. Wipe your mouth and eat."
I grabbed a tissue and wiped the drool from Hwaryeon's mouth.
Only then did her face get clean.
"You have to go to kindergarten nice and clean."
"Ah, Dad! I think something's on my face too!"
Choryeon's voice came from the side.
I turned my head to check her face.
Choryeon's face was smeared messily with red ketchup.
'She didn't even touch the sausages, so how did ketchup end up all over her face?'
It was weird, but whatever.
I pulled out a tissue and carefully wiped Choryeon's face.
"You're such a messy eater, Choryeon. How does so much stuff end up on your face?"
"I'll try not to get it on my face next time, Dad!"
"Good girl. Nice posture."
Pat pat—
I stroked Choryeon's little head.
It hit me again—dragon kids really had small heads.
'They could make a living as child models. Too bad they have to hide.'
What a waste of my daughters' shining talent.
My daughters were so cute, the whole world should know.
It was a real shame.
Anyway.
"Suryeon."
"...What, Dad?"
"Your spoon's been stopped for too long. Why are you just staring at the ketchup?"
"..."
Suryeon stared at me with a blank face.
Then she suddenly turned her head away from me and muttered.
"...It's nothing. Don't worry about me."
"Fine, just eat quickly. We have to head out soon."
"...Okay."
What could she have been thinking about?
Anyway.
The dragon kids finished their meals and got ready to head out.
But there was one problem with their preparations.
"Choryeon."
"Y-Yes! Dad!"
"Turn around!"
Choryeon hesitated for a moment before turning around to show me her bag.
Mangmung had poked his head out—tongue lolling, panting happily.
"Mang mang—!"
"I said get ready. I didn't say stuff Mangmung in your bag."
Thwack—
I tapped my forehead, and Choryeon fidgeted with her fingers as she explained.
"W-Well, you see... When we leave the house... Mangmung would be all alone... That would be so sad for him..."
"Mang..."
Choryeon's horns drooped down, and Mangmung's ears flopped down too.
Their pitiful looks tugged at my heartstrings somehow.
"Sigh, you're right, but... Can we even bring Mangmung to kindergarten in the first place...?"
"I don't think we can leave him home alone, Dad..."
"Ugh... ughhh..."
Seeing me hesitate.
Hwaryeon and Suryeon chimed in from the side.
"Hmph, Mangmung's still little too! He needs to go to kindergarten!"
"Mm-hmm, he has the right to receive an education."
Hwaryeon and Suryeon nodded along in agreement.
'...No helping it.'
After some serious thought, I reluctantly nodded.
"Fine. We're keeping him until we find his owner anyway. Let's take him to kindergarten."
"Yay! Thank you, Dad!"
"But if Mangmung disrupts class, that's it. No more bringing him."
We're only keeping him until his owner shows up anyway.
A quick kindergarten trip shouldn't be a problem.
I thought as I looked at Mangmung, who had his head poking out of the bag.
"Mang mang—!"
"...Lucky mutt."
And so.
Mangmung rode along inside Choryeon's little bag toward kindergarten.
He seemed happy, just basking in the morning sun, panting contentedly and smiling.
***
Work wrapped up.
I picked up the dragon kids and came home.
I was lying in the living room taking a break.
When the kids came over to tell me about what happened at kindergarten today.
"Dad! Aren't you curious what happened today!?"
"No."
"You are! Say you're curious! Tell me to tell you!"
Thump thump thump—
Hwaryeon drummed on my stomach like it was a drum.
Her hands were annoyingly strong, so I gave in and asked.
"You're really curious? What on earth happened today?"
"Hmph, shoulda said so sooner! I'll tell you!"
Hwaryeon put on a confident face and said.
"We took Mangmung today! And all the other kids kept staring at him!"
"Mm-hmm, I see."
"But get this! While I wasn't looking, the kids came up and started petting Mangmung!"
"So? What happened?"
"Hmph, they touched Mangmung without my permission! So I gave them a good scolding!"
Whoosh—whoosh—
Hwaryeon shadowboxed the air.
But I hadn't heard a word from Teacher Gu about it.
I asked Suryeon, who was sitting quietly next to me fiddling with her smartphone.
"Did Hwaryeon really scold the kids?"
"Yeah, she scolded them. Didn't hit anyone though."
"Then why's she swinging her fists around?"
"Just for show."
For show, huh.
She just exaggerated the story to sound cool.
Choryeon, who was petting Mangmung beside me, whispered quietly in my ear.
"She didn't hit anyone. Just told them to wait their turn to pet him."
"Ah."
"And even the kids who didn't like Hwaryeon much before seemed to get along a bit better after this."
So that's what happened.
Thanks to Mangmung, the kids were getting along better.
A good result in the end.
"By the way, Suryeon secretly tripped the kids who tried to pet Mangmung."
"..."
"She said she didn't like humans touching Mangmung."
Whisper whisper—
Choryeon quietly told me everything that happened today.
Looks like Suryeon still wasn't getting along great with the other kids.
"Mangmung can keep going to kindergarten until we find his owner. Good that everyone likes him."
"Yeah! But just until we find his owner..."
Droop—
Had Choryeon become friends with Mangmung in this short time?
I could sense the reluctance in her expression as she petted him.
"Don't you want to say goodbye to Mangmung?"
"Y-Yeah, I want to keep living with him. Mangmung's super nice..."
Mangmung was nice, sure.
Not sure if he was smart yet since he was still young.
I picked up Mangmung from Choryeon's hands and looked him in the eyes.
"Mangmung."
"Mang mang—!"
"You smart?"
"Mang mang—?"
"Hmm..."
I stared right through Mangmung.
He started off panting and smiling, but then he got nervous and looked away from me.
As I kept staring at him for a while, suddenly warm liquid splashed onto my face.
Splish splish—
"Y-You little Mangmung mutt! You peed on my face out of nowhere?!"
My words might've been too harsh.
But nah, it wasn't a curse.
Mangmung really was a dog bastard.
I set Mangmung down on the floor and quickly wiped my face.
"Ugh, Mangmung!! He didn't pee at kindergarten at all today!!"
"Nope, not even once."
"He's been holding it since yesterday! Ugh, for real!"
Sigh—
I washed my face in the bathroom and came out.
I was still pissed.
But Hwaryeon and Suryeon were laughing at me as I emerged.
"Puhahaha!! Dad got peed on! Dad's totally gross now!"
"Pfft, Dad. You're funny getting mad after Mangmung peed on you. You look hilarious when you're angry."
Giggle giggle—
The dragon kids laughed at me for getting peed on.
I sighed and glared at Mangmung.
"Hey, Mangmung!"
"Yelp—!"
Smart little guy.
Did Mangmung know he did wrong?
As soon as I called his name, he bolted on his stubby legs.
"Yelp—! Yelp—!"
Patter patter— patter patter—
The white fluffball scurried toward the corner.
I easily scooped him up and locked eyes with him again, yelling.
"You, Mangmung! How dare you pee on Dad's face!?"
"Yelp— yelp—"
"Potty training first thing! You do that again, and you're out!"
"Yelp..."
"Go on, stay there!"
I set Mangmung down, and he scurried on his short legs to hide next to Choryeon.
Choryeon petted him sternly.
"How could you pee on Dad's face, Mangmung? Don't do it again! If Dad gets mad, he'll kick you out!"
"Yelp..."
"Got it!?"
"Mang mang—!"
Mangmung answered Choryeon energetically.
He peed on my face, but he seemed pretty smart.
That wrapped up the evening commotion.
"Goodnight, kids."
Bedtime for everyone.
In the dark room, we closed our eyes and drifted off together.
The dragon kids always slept next to me.
But tonight, something warm weighed on my stomach.
"Mang... mang..."
"Mangmung... sleeping soundly..."
Heh—
Mangmung, the white fluffball, sleeping soundly on my belly.
Our sleeping spot had one more now.
Temporary family or not.
We were already sleeping together like real family.