Chapter 49: Home Without Dad (5)

Just one day.

I only left home for a day. How did the kids end up like this?

"Dad, you can't die!"

"You absolutely mustn't die, Father!"

Why would I die?

Not understanding at all, I gathered the children in the living room to hear their explanation.

"Hmm, so that's what happened."

"Yes!"

After hearing their story, I understood the flow of events.

"So because humans die quickly, you thought I died too. Your hearts were pounding with anxiety. Is that it?"

Nod nod-

Hwaryeon and Choryeon sat squarely in the middle of the living room nodding.

'How cute.'

They were worried, thinking I'd died. They were having needless worries while I was gone. I patted their heads and said.

"You're right. Unlike dragons, humans don't live long. Maybe about 100 years if we live long. Less if unlucky."

The dragons' faces grew gloomy at those words.

"Humans are weak...!"

"..."

"Father dying... I can't imagine it..."

These kids who haven't lived long already worrying about my death. It felt both ridiculous and endearing. I spoke gently to reassure them.

"But Dad will live long. I won't die quickly."

So.

"You just need to eat, play, and not cause trouble without thinking about anything. You're still young."

Children should act like children. Already thinking about a parent's death would be thinking too far ahead.

When I said this, Suryeon gently raised her hand and asked.

"Then Dad's not dying yet?"

"Not dying. I’ll live long."

"...Really live long?"

"Of course, how could Dad die quickly leaving you? That makes no sense."

"...Okay then."

Maybe regaining her composure, Suryeon nodded as if accepting my words. My daughters were just unbelievable.

'These young ones are thinking about death already?'

Even I don't know when I'll die. Isn't it too early to think about this even for dragons? I glanced around the house and gave them a mild glare.

"By the way, no trouble while I was gone? Did anyone cause trouble?"

"I didn't!"

"...Me neither."

"Me neither!"

The children all claimed they caused no trouble. Well, criminals never confess their crimes. But looking at their faces, they really seemed not to have caused trouble.

"I'll acknowledge your innocence."

Nothing was broken and there were no problems with the house anyway. I headed to the dining table that had bothered me since entering. The breakfast dishes remained on the table, not cleaned up.

"Cleaning right after getting home. What's this, someone didn't eat at all? Whose rice bowl is this?"

Flash-

I held up the rice bowl to show the children. Not a single spoon mark remained.

"You need to eat. Who didn't eat? Confess now."

The criminal should confess right now. Hwaryeon immediately answered.

"Not me!"

"Yeah, I knew that already."

There’s no way Hwaryeon wouldn't eat.

"Anyone else?"

Choryeon carefully came and checked the bowl.

"Not mine. I ate lots!"

Two confessions total. Hwaryeon and Choryeon.

Then, naturally the suspect narrows to one.

"Lee Suryeon."

"..."

"You didn't eat because Dad was gone?"

"...!"

Pitter-patter-

Suryeon ran to me, reaching for the bowl. But she couldn't reach due to our height difference.

"Give that back...! I didn't not eat because Dad was gone...!"

"Then why?"

"I just... had a lot to think about... that's all...!"

Hop hop-

Suryeon jumped earnestly, trying to snatch the bowl. She seemed desperate to deny she didn't eat because I was gone.

"Give it...! That's not mine...!"

"Seems Suryeon had a hard time while Dad was gone. This dad is sad Suryeon couldn't eat."

"Give it back...! Quickly...!"

Struggle struggle-

Suryeon stretched on tiptoes, reaching for the bowl. Of course she couldn't reach it.

'Ah, feels recharging.'

How much did I pound that black sphere to pass the test?

Teasing Suryeon feels like recharging my depleted energy. Though it seemed time to stop.

"G-give it back...!"

Suryeon's secretly a crybaby and will cry if teased more. I told her as she earnestly reached toward me.

"Okay. I'll stop now. But you have to eat all your lunch."

"..."

"Answer."

"...Okay."

Smile-

A smile naturally broke out on my face. Then, I immediately started preparing the children's lunch.

Even after returning from the test, like always, I performed my dad duties and prepared their meals.

My hands full of wounds from the test no longer hurt.

***

After coming home, I prepared the children's meals. Hwaryeon happily shouted while eating.

"Dad's food tastes better than that monster's after all!"

Maybe because of the wrinkles, Hwaryeon seems to have decided to call Granny a monster.

"Sigh, Hwaryeon. Can't treat Granny like that. Call her Granny, not monster from now on."

"Why! The wrinkled monster is a monster!"

"You still need to show respect to elders."

"Hmph, I know about respect! I'm a Confucian dragon! I know it well!"

I wonder where she learned about Confucianism, and what's this about being a Confucian dragon.

Though I didn't understand, I decided to just go with it since she seems satisfied with herself.

"Because I'm a Confucian dragon!"

Anyway, we had mealtime chatting together. This time, the children cleaned their bowls.

"You grow up well by eating well, Suryeon."

"...I know."

"Don't skip meals just because I'm gone next time."

"...I told you that's not why!"

Teasing Suryeon a bit after meals, and playing with the excited Hwaryeon who’s happy I'm back, giving airplane rides to Choryeon who wanted to play with me.

After coming home, I was busy taking care of and playing with them. Then, Choryeon noticed my injured fists and exclaimed in surprise.

"Father! Your hands are strange! Why are they like this?"

"From taking the test. I had to break something really hard with my fists. Want me to show you how Dad did it?"

Whoosh-

I swung my fists like breaking the black sphere in the air. Hwaryeon's eyes sparkled after seeing this.

"Wow, Dad! It’s not as cool as me but pretty cool! Your punches feel stronger! Those marks are cool too!"

"Well, they're honorable wounds from passing the test. Of course they're cool."

"Honorable wounds! I want those too! How do I get them?!"

Waaah-

Hwaryeon's red eyes started sparkling seeing my wounds, but the pacifist Choryeon seemed quite bothered.

"No getting hurt! It hurts! You die if it hurts!"

Choryeon grabbed my hands and checked the wounds. With a serious face, she brought her mouth to my wounds and started sticking out her tongue.

Lick-

"Why are you licking that, Choryeon?!"

"Stay still, Father! I'm treating you!"

Choryeon kept licking the wounded areas.

My daughter licking my wounds felt ticklish and embarrassing.

"How long will you do that, Choryeon…?"

"All done now. Father will be fine!"

Slide-

Choryeon confidently showed me the wounds.

"Oh?"

"Now there are no wounds at all!"

As Choryeon said, the wounds on my fists had completely disappeared.

"I forgot Choryeon had healing abilities too?"

"Yes! That's right!"

Hehe-

Choryeon smiled broadly at her successful treatment. I patted her head in return.

"Well done, Choryeon. You could be a doctor later. You can make lots of money."

"Doctor? I don't know what that is, but I'll try since Father says it's good!"

"Yes yes."

I looked at Choryeon with a fond smile. I felt an irresistible urge upon seeing her.

"Come here with those cheeks Choryeon-!!"

"Eek, Father!"

Squish squish-

I randomly stretched Choryeon's soft cheeks. Her cheeks stretched like rice cakes the more I pulled.

'Ah, this is healing.'

It feels like washing away the fatigue from the test.

As we spent time playing together, it was already getting close to bedtime. After having them all brush teeth, I laid out blankets in the living room.

"I’ll turn off the lights."

"Hmph, do it!"

"Okay, Dad."

"Yes!"

Click-

Darkness fell on the lively studio apartment, and I turned off the lights and lay down in my spot. As usual, Hwaryeon put her feet up and Choryeon rested her head on my arm.

"Hmm, want me to tell you what happened in the test before sleeping?"

"Yeah, tell us."

Suryeon, who usually slept a bit apart, came closer and answered. Seems like she's curious what happened too.

I decided to tell Dad's heroic tale as their lullaby.

"It was a test to break black spheres..."

I told them about the test.

About people giving up, injuries occurring, and the dimension where the sun never sets. The dragons grew more curious and asked questions.

"Did Dad pass first?!"

"Of course, Dad was the strongest there."

Answering Hwaryeon's question.

"How did Dad pass?"

"I just kept hitting one spot like crazy until I couldn't feel my hands."

"...Well done. You came back as fast as possible."

Hearing Suryeon's praise-mixed response,

"Didn't it hurt a lot, Father?"

"It did. But thinking of you made it better."

"Be careful next time, Father!"

And hearing Choryeon's worry, we filled in our time apart through bedtime conversation.

And the children's most common question…

"So what was the black sphere?!"

"What was the black sphere's identity?"

"What exactly was the black sphere?"

To their common question, I lightly told what Han Ji-soo had told me.

"I heard it was dragon poop? Apparently, there was a dimension dragons used as a bathroom right under the Hero Association."

Strangely enough, maybe because my answer was unexpected, the children had quite surprising reactions.

"Pfft, dragon poop!"

"...Pffft."

"That's funny, Father! Tell us more stories!"

Maybe they’re going crazy over poop talk because they're young. Seeing their good reactions, I continued the stories.

"This happened when I was young..."

Until the children fell asleep, I entertainingly told old stories, heard stories, and those I experienced.

Seeing them all asleep, I quietly said.

"...Nothing bad happened while I was gone after all."

I was worried but glad. Only after seeing them all sleeping could I finally let go of my worry.

I should sleep, too.

"Sweet dreams, everyone."

And so, our family gathered in one place and headed together to happy dreamland.