Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Stage Preparation is Always Thorough
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Kiosk.
To me, someone under 140 cm tall, it was a towering wall and a mortal enemy.
But things were different now.
Unlike before, when I had to glance around nervously and couldn't touch the thing, now I didn't need to worry about a soul.
【Christmas Champ Champ Burger (Limited Special)
Single 3700₩ │ Set 5600₩】
Standing in front of the kiosk, the recommended menu featured the Christmas event item.
"Hee hee hee..."
With big sis slowly approaching from behind, I needed to pick a menu fast and show her how reliable I could be.
I clambered up the kiosk, dangled there precariously, and stretched out for the Christmas Champ Champ Burger single.
The moment my finger was about to touch the screen...
"What're you doing, that's dangerous."
"...Hng?!"
My body floated up as Mi-ra unnie scooped me into her arms.
I'd almost conquered my kiosk trauma—the kind that popped up in nightmares sometimes—only for it to get blocked like this.
"No fair...! Hng?"
"There. Now you can reach it, right?"
Just as I was about to complain, the touchscreen was perfectly at eye level.
"Unnie...?"
"Pick whatever you want. I'll buy it for you."
With the tall unnie holding me up, my eyes were level with the kiosk.
"Th-this is...!"
Unlike before, when I could only reach the bottom, now the whole screen was mine.
Mi-ra unnie + Dragon fusion!
Nothing could stop me now!
【Christmas Champ Champ Burger (Limited Special)
Single 3700₩ │ Set 5600₩】
Poke.—I immediately tapped the Christmas Champ Champ Burger single.
I tested my tail too, just in case, and even hidden under my pajamas, it registered the touch.
...Ooh. My tail's got skills.
"What do you want, unnie?"
"I'll take coleslaw and six Champ Nuggets."
While she had me lifted, I picked out unnie's order too.
"Takeout or dine-in?"
"Takeout. We'll eat at the hotel."
Whirr.—The kiosk spat out a receipt once the order was done.
My battle with the kiosk ended in a perfect one-two punch victory.
Anyway.
I sat at a nearby spot, swinging my legs back and forth while waiting for the food.
"Hum hum~..."
I hummed a cute tune, swaying my head side to side. Mi-ra unnie propped her chin on her hand, spacing out.
Even her blank stare was beautiful.
She always shocked me—in a good way—with how perfectly stunning she was.
"...Hng?"
Snapping out of my thoughts, I realized I was staring right into unnie's eyes.
Meeting her ruby gaze, she placed a hand on my head and gently stroked it.
"Grrr..."
"Pretty girls like Lua attract a lot of bad guys, so you gotta be careful, okay?"
Her voice was soft, like advice to a little sister.
"I'm gonna marry a hamburger instead... mng."
"You can't marry a hamburger."
"But I waaant to..."
I stretched my cheeks and got rejected from burger matrimony again.
"When's our little lizard gonna grow up?"
"I'm not a lizaaard, I'm a draaagon..."
"Then you're a lizard dragon."
"Waaah..."
A lizard...? Comparing a noble dragon like me to some lowly reptile was way too insulting.
Lizards had tails, climbed walls, some even had horns...
...That's me?
"I wonder what grown-up Lua will look like."
"...Hng?"
Unnie let go of my cheek and chuckled softly.
I couldn't even imagine what I'd look like as an older dragon girl.
"You'll definitely be way prettier than me."
"Waaah...! No way...! Unnie's way prettier...!"
"I'm a wilted flower now."
"Flowers wilt so they can bloom again, right?"
"To bloom again... Our Lua's got a way with words, huh?"
"Ehehe...! I'm pretty smart, right?!"
I purred under her tickling fingers during our back-and-forth. Then the pickup alarm rang—the food was ready.
"Shall we?"
"Mng!"
I dashed to the counter. The bagged order waited there.
"Order 182~. Your food's rea—hup?!"
"Champ Champ Burger!"
A tiny dinosaur barreled toward the counter, and the part-timer clamped their mouth shut.
First time seeing something this cute must've hit 'em hard.
"Ehehe...! Thank you!"
I thanked the hardworking part-timer, hoisted the bag over my head, and scampered back to unnie.
"Where's the hotel?"
"Booked one nearby."
We headed to the hotel through the darkening streets.
After check-in, we entered the five-star hotel room.
"Whoaaa..."
The luxury suite was huge—one room felt like over 100 pyeong. A massive living room where I could've run around freely. Unnie and I set out our takeout burgers side by side.
In a space screaming for million-won gourmet meals, we had cheap thousand-won fast food...
This must be the kind of luxury only the real rich could afford.
"Yerin booked us an amazing room..."
Unnie seemed surprised too—MooD:iN's leader Yerin had reserved it, and even she hadn't expected this level of luxury.
"Let's eat first. It's getting late."
"Yes! Dig in!"
And so we began our decadent feast of instant food in a five-star hotel.
"Champ Champ Burger... Finally mine...!"
Unwrapping the neatly packaged burger revealed the Christmas Champ Champ Burger in all its glory.
Turkey patty, crispy baked bacon.
Caramelized onions and mushrooms from long cooking.
Smoked cheese and BBQ sauce to top it off.
The Christmas special Champ Champ Burger.
"Unnie!"
I offered her the first bite before even opening her coleslaw and Champ Nuggets.
"This is too good to eat alone!"
"Eh? I'm fine, really..."
Unnie started to refuse, but caved at my sparkling eyes and took a bite.
"How is it...?"
I was dying to know if it suited her tastes.
"Hm... It's kinda chewy."
"...Hng?! For real!?"
It didn't look bad at all—chewy?
"Kyuu..."
I took a bite to check, and sure enough, the turkey patty was surprisingly tough.
Not bad enough to spit out, but that distinct turkey chewiness kept getting in the way.
"...It's chewyyy."
"That's what happens when you grill the patty on high heat. If they'd watched the moisture, it'd be delicious."
"Mmm... Yeah..."
As expected from a burger expert—unnie nailed the reason in seconds.
"I'll make you a proper turkey burger sometime."
"Waaah? For real...!?"
"Yeah. Christmas is coming up soon, right?"
"Unnie's the best!!"
"Hee hee... I'll make it super tasty, so look forward to it."
"Mng!"
With a promise for a Christmas turkey burger, unnie and I finished our late dinner.
"Haaah..."
After my pre-bed bath, I lounged on the sofa in a bathrobe, tail swishing lazily side to side, wings flapping gently.
"Lua, bedtime."
"Mng!"
Unnie appeared soon after, makeup off and bare-faced. I hopped up and toddled over.
"Hyap?!"
Running in the adult-sized bathrobe, my foot caught, and I pitched forward.
Skiiid.
The dragon slid across the marble floor, stopping at unnie's feet.
"..."
Silence fell over the 100-pyeong suite, so quiet I could hear breathing.
"Sniff sniff..."
To break the awkwardness, I pretended to sniff the floor.
I'm a robot vacuum that crawls on the floor...
I slowly wriggled toward the bedroom like a lizard.
"Lua?! What're you doing, that's gross!"
Unnie scooped me up at my sudden antics and dusted the dirt off my face.
"Pchoo..."
Dust tickled my nose into a cute sneeze. Mortified, I buried my face in her chest.
Dust-eating dragon...
The next morning.
"Yaaawn... Bweep?"
As I groggily stretched, still-deep-asleep unnie pulled me into her arms.
"U-unnie?"
"...Mmm. Just five more minutes..."
Soft, ample warmth approached...!
"Bwee..."
Before the mini-Luas in my head could riot and melt my brain again, I squeezed my eyes shut and went limp.
Dragon bodies fall asleep whenever they want—super convenient. I started drifting off...
...But couldn't.
"Mmm..."
"Kee?!"
Unnie hugged me like a body pillow, squeezing the air out.
Guh...! Too...! Tight...!
But... so soft...!
Trapped by Mi-ra unnie, the dragon girl melted without escape.
"...Lua?"
"Good morninggg... ehehe......"
Unnie woke soon after and found her idiot dragon.
Intelligence-plummeting dragon...
"Hey Mi-ra! What's up with Lua... she's all loopy?"
"No idea... She's been all mushy since morning. Won't snap out of it."
"...Miyaaang."
Time passed, and we rejoined MooD:iN at EM Enter's basement level 3 auditorium.
(For the record, I was still wobbly from unnie's scent.)
"Hee hee... Lua's so cute..."
Arisa snuck up and poked my cheek.
"Yum..."
"Eek?! She bit it!"
I gently nibbled her finger.
Biting with teeth would've hurt, so just lips munching away...
As Arisa squealed and ran off, Mi-ra unnie and Yerin discussed the day's schedule.
"We nailed choreography yesterday, so movement lines today, right?"
"As expected from the leader—you know it all."
"Learned it in class. ...Oh, yesterday's outfits were stiff for moves, so let's tweak the styling too."
"Got it. I'll tell the stylist."
The two veteran leaders wrapped up and took the stage.
"Lua, you can wait in the seats, right?"
"Mng."
Like yesterday, I settled in to watch practice.
Music started, and movement drills began.
Mi-ra unnie stepped back as Yerin came forward; Arisa shifted aside as Adella and Seol filled in.
Years of teamwork shone—no mistakes, perfect sync.
"If we move like that, we'll bump during choreo. Widen the spacing a bit."
"Yeah, good call."
Still, unnie spotted flaws and gave feedback, refining it further.
Even from the seats, her pro idol skills made me forget she wasn't one.
"Good work, everyone. See you at tomorrow's rehearsal."
As practice wrapped, unnie bid a reluctant farewell.
"You too, Mi-ra!"
"Great job, Mi-ra unnie."
"See ya tomorrow!"
"Bye, Mi-ra sunbae!"
Yerin, Seol, Arisa, and Adella had other stages to prep, so they stayed while exchanging goodbyes.
...What were they prepping for tomorrow that had everyone so fired up?
"...Unnie, what's tomorrow?"
I toddled up to sweat-wiping unnie and asked.
"Hm? Oh, I'm guesting at MooD:iN's solo concert."
"Solo concert guest...? For real?!"
World-class idols MooD:iN's solo concert—with her as guest.
"Can I watch too?"
"Duh. Got a VIP seat just for you, no worries."
"Waaah! I love you, Mi-ra unnie!"
"...Hee hee."
Knowing she'd fulfill her old dream hit me harder than her.
...I'd watched practice alone today, but I hoped Luna could join when unnie took the stage.
With the concert tomorrow, we hurried back to rest and recharge.