Chapter 88
After picking up Mangmung, my mornings became even busier.
"Everyone, open your eyes and eat."
"Yes..."
"Here, Mangmung, eat your food too."
Clatter-
I placed a bowl of dog food in front of tiny Mangmung. He buried his face in the bowl and ate the food, wiggling.
Crunch- Crunch-
Mangmung chewed the food diligently with his small teeth.
"Maybe because he's a mutt. He eats anything well."
Hwaryeon paused with her spoon, watching Mangmung eat his food, and muttered.
"Woah, that looks tasty...!"
"That doesn't taste good, Hwaryeon. Wipe your drool and eat your food."
I took a tissue and wiped the drool flowing from Hwaryeon's mouth. Only then did Hwaryeon's face become clean.
"You should go to kindergarten looking clean."
"Ah, Father! I think I have something on my face too!"
Choryeon's voice came from beside me. I turned my head to check Choryeon's face. Red ketchup was smeared indiscriminately on Choryeon's face.
'She doesn't even dip her sausages, why is there ketchup on her face?'
It was a bit strange, but I pulled out a tissue and carefully wiped Choryeon's face.
"You're so messy. How do you eat with so much on your face, Choryeon?"
"I'll try not to get it on my face next time, Father!"
"Okay, okay. Your attitude is good."
Pat, pat-
I patted Choryeon's small head. Come to think of it, the dragon kids had really small heads.
'They could really make a living as child models. It's a shame they have to live in hiding.'
My daughter's shining talent is wasted. My daughter is so cute that everyone in the world should know about her. It felt like such a shame.
Anyway.
"Suryeon."
"...What, Dad?"
"Hasn't your spoon been stopped for too long? Why are you just staring at the ketchup?"
"..."
Suryeon looked at me with an expressionless face. Then she suddenly turned her head away from me and muttered.
"...It's nothing. Don't mind me."
"Okay, just eat quickly. We need to leave soon."
"...Okay."
I wonder what she was thinking about so deeply.
Anyway. The dragon kids finished their meals and got ready to go out, but there was one problem with their preparation.
"Lee Choryeon."
"Y-Yes! Father!"
"Turn around!"
Choryeon hesitated for a moment, then turned around to show her backpack. Mangmung was peeking his face out of the bag, sticking out his tongue and panting.
"Woof woof-!"
"I told you to get ready. I didn't tell you to put Mangmung in your bag."
Thump-
As I put my hand to my forehead, Choryeon fidgeted with her fingers and explained to me.
"W-Well, you see... When we leave home... Mangmung will be alone at home... Isn't that too pitiful for Mangmung...?"
"Woof..."
Choryeon's horns drooped down, and Mangmung's ears drooped down too. That pitiful sight somehow tugged at my heartstrings.
"Sigh, you have a point... But can we even take Mangmung to kindergarten in the first place...?"
"I don't think we can leave him alone at home, Father..."
"Ugh, uuugh..."
Seeing me hesitate for a moment, Hwaryeon and Suryeon chimed in from the side.
"Hmph, Mangmung is young too! Mangmung should go to kindergarten too!"
"Mm-hmm, he does have the right to receive education."
Hwaryeon and Suryeon nodded in agreement.
'...I guess there's no choice.'
After long deliberation, I reluctantly nodded and said.
"Okay, since we're keeping him until we find an owner anyway. Let's take him to kindergarten."
"Yay! Thank you, Father!"
"But if Mangmung disrupts the class, we can never bring him again."
Since we're planning to keep him until we find an owner anyway, it shouldn't be a problem to take him to kindergarten for a while.
Thinking this, I looked at Mangmung peeking his face out of the bag.
"Woof woof-!"
"...This lucky guy."
And so, Mangmung went to kindergarten inside Choryeon's small bag.
He seemed happy, just panting quietly and smiling in the morning sunlight.
***
After work and coming home with the dragon kids, I was resting while lying down in the living room when the kids came over and told me about what happened at kindergarten today.
"Dad! Aren't you curious about what happened today?!"
"No."
"You are curious! Say you're curious! Say it!"
Thump, thump-
Hwaryeon pounded on my stomach like a drum. Her hands were unnecessarily strong, so I had no choice but to say it.
"I'm really curious? What on earth happened today?"
"Hmph, you should have said so from the start! I'll tell you!"
Hwaryeon showed a confident face and said.
"We took Mangmung today! And the other kids kept staring at Mangmung!"
"Mm-hmm, I see."
"But you know what! While I was gone, the kids came up to Mangmung and touched him!"
"And then? What happened?"
"Hmph, of course, since they touched Mangmung without my permission! I scolded them a lot!"
Whoosh- Whoosh-
Hwaryeon started shadow boxing in the air. For all that, she didn't get any scolding from Gu Bong-gu. I asked Suryeon, who was quietly sitting next to me fiddling with her smartphone.
"Did Hwaryeon really scold the kids?"
"Yeah, she scolded them. But she didn't hit them."
"Then why is Hwaryeon swinging her fists?"
"It's just for show."
Just for show, huh. Seems like she just wanted to exaggerate and look cool.
Choryeon, who was petting Mangmung beside me, whispered quietly in my ear.
"She didn't hit them. She just used words. Told them to take turns petting Mangmung."
"I see."
"Even the kids who didn't like Hwaryeon before seemed to get along a bit better after this."
So that's what happened. Thanks to Mangmung, the friends' relationships improved.
I felt relieved that it turned out well 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 what happened today. It seems Suryeon still doesn't get along well with the other kids.
"Looks like Mangmung will be able to go to kindergarten well until we find his owner. I'm glad everyone likes him."
"That's right! But only until we find Mangmung's owner..."
Sulk-
Did Choryeon become friends with Mangmung in this short time? I could sense regret in her expression as she petted Mangmung.
"Don't you want to part with Mangmung?"
"Yes, I'd like to stay with Mangmung. Mangmung is really nice..."
Mangmung is nice indeed. He's still young, so I'm not sure if he's smart, but.
I picked up Mangmung, who Choryeon was petting, and made eye contact with him.
"Mangmung."
"Woof woof-!"
"Are you smart?"
"Woof woof-?"
"Hmm..."
I stared intently at Mangmung.
At first, he was panting and smiling, but suddenly, as if feeling uneasy, he avoided my gaze. As I was observing him for a while, suddenly warm liquid splashed on my face.
Splatter-
"Y-You Mangmung, you little mutt! You suddenly pee on my face?!"
I thought my words might have been too harsh. But thinking about it, it wasn't really an insult.
Mangmung is actually a dog's offspring. I put Mangmung down on the floor and quickly wiped my face.
"Oh, Mangmung!! Did he not pee at kindergarten today?!"
"No, not even once."
"He must have been holding it since yesterday! Oh, really!"
Sigh-
I came out of the bathroom after washing my face. I was still heated up, but Hwaryeon and Suryeon were laughing when they saw me come out of the bathroom.
"Hahaha!! Dad got peed on his face! Dad's totally dirty!"
"Pfft, Dad. It's funny seeing you get angry after being peed on by Mangmung. Dad's angry face. It's amusing."
Giggle, giggle-
The dragon kids laughing at me getting peed on.
I sighed and looked at Mangmung.
"Hey, Mangmung!"
"Whine-!"
This quick-witted guy.
Does Mangmung know he did something wrong? As soon as I called his name, he started running away on his short legs.
"Whine-! Whine-!"
Pitter-patter- Pitter-patter-
The white fluffball running hard towards the corner. I easily picked him up and made eye contact with him again, shouting.
"You Mangmung! How dare you pee on Dad's face?!"
"Whine- Whine-"
"We need to start potty training! You little! Just try doing that again! I'll kick you out right away!"
"Whine..."
"Go over there!"
When I put Mangmung down on the floor, he moved his short legs and ran to Choryeon's side. Choryeon petted him and scolded him sternly.
"How could you pee on Father's face, Mangmung! Don't do that again! Father will kick you out if he gets angry!"
"Whine..."
"Do you understand?!"
"Woof woof-!"
Mangmung answered Choryeon's words energetically. Even though he peed on my face, he seemed quite smart. And so, after this incident passed in the evening…
"Good night, everyone."
As everyone was falling asleep in the dark room, we all closed our eyes and fell asleep together.
The dragon kids always slept next to me, but tonight, I felt a warm sensation on my belly.
"Woof... Woof..."
"Mangmung... is sleeping well..."
Chuckle-
The white fluffball Mangmung sleeping soundly on my belly.
Our sleeping group had grown by one more.
Though he's a temporary family member, he was already sleeping with us as if he had become part of the family.