Chapter 84: A Father's Clumsy Lunchbox

After the commotion, we returned to our ordinary daily life.

As usual, I started a busy day as soon as I woke up, preparing to send the children to kindergarten.

"Everyone brush your teeth first! Open your eyes!"

"Nnngh..."

Shuffle, shuffle-

The dragon kids walked towards the bathroom like zombies. While they washed up, I had to busily prepare breakfast.

"Sigh, it's going to get even busier from today."

I'm already dying from busyness in the morning, and it's going to get busier. I sighed and looked at the dining table. Empty character lunchboxes were placed on it.

"What if the food at kindergarten isn't tasty? Well, it would be strange if Gu Bong-gu could cook well with that face."

I suddenly criticized Gu Bong-gu and washed my hands at the sink. To not be late for kindergarten, I had to start soon.

"Preparing lunchboxes... It might not be great since it's my first time. Just eat it, kids."

Setting up an excuse in advance, I took out the lunchbox ingredients I had bought from the refrigerator.

"Rice, eggs, sausages, seaweed, kimchi, cherry tomatoes."

This should be enough. Holding the knife I've become somewhat familiar with, I made cuts in the sausages.

Chop-! Chop-!

"This should do for the sausages."

Instantly, octopus sausages were born.

Just then, Hwaryeon, who had finished brushing her teeth, spotted the sausages and came running with sparkling eyes, saying:

"Dad! Give me that! I'm hungry!"

"This is for the lunchbox. Wait for now."

"No! I'm going to eat the sausages!"

Rawr-!

Hwaryeon suddenly jumped up, trying to snatch the octopus sausage from my hand. If I hadn't pulled my hand back, there was a high chance she would have eaten my fingers too.

"Hey, Lee Hwaryeon! I told you to stay still!"

"Hmph, you always tell me to stay still!"

"You almost ate my fingers just now, you know?"

"So what! I could eat them! Fine! I'm going to change my clothes!"

Pitter-patter-

Hwaryeon said this and started her day energetically. I wonder if she has too much energy, but I guess it's better than having no energy.

Anyway,

"I should grill the sausages."

Since mornings are busy, let's skip Hwaryeon's breath and use gas. I turned the gas valve for the first time in a while and lit the gas stove.

Click- Sizzle-!

It was the sound of the gas stove I hadn't heard in a long time. After the frying pan heated up properly, I lightly grilled the octopus sausages.

Just then, I heard Suryeon's voice, who had approached without a sound:

"...That's cruel, Dad."

"You startled me, Suryeon. When did you get here?"

"When Dad was making octopuses out of sausages."

Peek-

Suryeon stood on her tiptoes and stared at the octopuses dancing on the frying pan.

"The octopuses are moving hard. It looks like they're begging for their lives."

"You've suddenly become sentimental, Suryeon. Did you have an MBTI change recently?"

"No, there's been no change. I just thought of the octopuses in the sea. More importantly, Dad. Smart dragons don't believe in such superstitions. How dare they try to define dragons with one personality type? I don't understand."

"Hmm, that could be."

I think it was quite popular in my time. Maybe because it's been over 20 years since it was popular, Suryeon seemed to not understand at all.

"The octopus sausages are done."

As a result of the octopuses dancing hard on the frying pan, an appropriate amount of octopus sausages could be mass-produced.

I put the octopus sausages fairly into the children's character lunchboxes.

"Hwaryeon gets the Masked Ranger Red lunchbox..."

"Yay!"

"Suryeon gets the blue ninja with a strange eye lunchbox..."

"Good."

"Choryeon gets the green lunchbox with a lush forest drawn on it..."

"I like it, Father! Thank you!"

Done.

I distributed the octopus sausages fairly. Then I made three fried eggs, put rice with seaweed and kimchi, and finally cherry tomatoes for dessert to complete all the lunchboxes.

I wiped the flowing sweat and muttered:

"Whew, it's exhausting on the first day of making lunchboxes. I have to do this every day?"

I wonder if I'll get used to it later. I'm not sure.

I put the lunchboxes in the kids' bags and quickly wrapped some rice in seaweed to feed them. There wasn't much time left.

"Ah, we're late because I was preparing the lunchboxes! Everyone get ready quickly and come out!"

It doesn't really matter if we arrive late, but they should learn the concept of keeping time promises from a young age.

I hurriedly went outside while feeding the children rice wrapped in seaweed.

"I'm going to be first! Everyone move!"

"At this speed, we'll arrive just on time. No need to hurry."

"Father, let's go together! Don't leave me behind! I'll litter if you leave me behind!"

Pitter-patter-

I held the hand of Choryeon, who was lagging behind the most, and ran hard towards the kindergarten with the children.

Although the start of today was quite chaotic, still, bright smiles bloomed on our faces as we ran towards the kindergarten, unlike the sprouts that were starting to bow their heads in the chilly weather.

***

Lunchtime at kindergarten. The children were busily moving to suppress their growling stomachs.

"What did you bring for lunch today? I have kimbap!"

"I have inari sushi! My mom made it!"

Children with parents took out their lunchboxes and prepared to eat. They were subtly sneering at the children eating school lunch.

Seeing this, Hwaryeon frowned and stood up from her seat.

"Hey, are your eyes not open properly!? Do you want to die?!"

"..."

Of course, they quickly lowered their eyes due to Hwaryeon's suppression, but they were always looking for a chance to reclaim the throne.

Young children always want to shine the brightest.

"Hmph, just try looking at me like that again! You'll die!"

Hwaryeon settled the situation and sat down. Then she rummaged through her bag and took out the lunchbox Ha-jun had packed.

"Today's lunch is made by Dad! Finally, a delicious lunch! Hehe!"

Grinning-

Hwaryeon, unable to hide her smile, hummed as she opened her lunchbox lid.

"Ta-da!"

Deliciously packed octopus sausages with a fried egg on top of the rice. Seaweed and kimchi neatly arranged in the corner, and even cherry tomatoes for dessert.

Although the arrangement was a bit crooked, the quality of the lovingly prepared lunchbox was quite good.

"Let's eat!"

Slurp-

Hwaryeon wiped her drool and started eating the rice vigorously with her fork. Seeing this, Suryeon slightly grimaced and quietly muttered.

"Even for Hwaryeon, that's too undignified. She should eat like me."

Swish-

Suryeon tucked a tissue near her neck to make a bib. Then, she started eating with her fork like a noble.

"Dragons should maintain dignity like this, Hwaryeon. Unlike humans, we should show behavior befitting our power."

"Hmph, what are you saying! It just looks uncomfortable! I hate seeing that! Give it here!"

"What are you doing, Hwaryeon!"

Swoop-

Hwaryeon snatched the tissue and immediately brought it to her nose. And then,

"Hnnng-!!"

"..."

"Ah, that feels good! I had a runny nose because of the chilly weather! My nose is clear now! Want this?"

"...No thanks. Don't talk to me."

Glare-

Suryeon glared at Hwaryeon and just continued eating as usual. She tried to imitate something she saw on the internet, but it ended in failure.

"...It looked cool though."

Munch-

Suryeon expressed her disappointment as she put an octopus sausage in her mouth. On the other hand, Choryeon was quietly staring at her lunchbox with a troubled expression.

"Hmm... Hmmmm..."

Choryeon was deep in thought, frowning. Hwaryeon extended her fork and asked.

"Choryeon, aren't you eating? Can I eat your sausages?"

"Ah, no! I was thinking because Father made it! If you eat it, I'll never speak to you again, unnie!"

"Hmph, I won't eat it because you're being mean! Fine!"

Hwaryeon backed off at Choryeon's intense resistance.

"Hmmmm..."

Choryeon continued pondering while staring at her lunchbox. Then she nodded to herself and stood up with her lunchbox.

"It's a shame, but this seems right."

Choryeon took her lunchbox and headed to another table. At that table, Mingu's group was eating school lunch.

Choryeon held out her lunchbox to Mingu's group, who were staring at her intently, and said.

"Here are 5 octopus sausages! Share them nicely! It's okay because I'm a vegetarian and don't eat them!"

Swish-

The lunchbox extended towards Mingu's group. They exchanged glances for a moment, flustered.

But seeing the neatly cut octopus sausages, they swallowed their saliva and carefully extended their forks.

"Th-Thank you..."

"You're the first to give us lunchbox food..."

Bow-

Mingu's group bowed in thanks. Choryeon smiled brightly at their gratitude and replied:

"It's nothing! I just did what I wanted to do!"

Sparkle, sparkle-

Mingu's group shielded their eyes from her bright smile.

"Aaah! My eyes! I can't see!"

"It's light! I can only see light! She must be an angel!"

They were excellent at reactions. After sharing her food, Choryeon returned to her seat and started eating her lunchbox.

"Hmm, looking again, the fried egg is a bit burnt."

"Then don't eat it."

"When did I say I wouldn't eat it, Suryeon? I'm going to eat it!"

Munch-

The children spent their lunch at kindergarten eating their father's clumsy lunchbox. Perhaps because they could smell their father's scent even at kindergarten, the children's lunchboxes all returned home empty.

It was a peaceful and ordinary day.