Chapter 89: The Nostalgic Stationery Store

On the way home after kindergarten, the children were chattering about what happened today.

"Building blocks was fun today! Right?!"

"Hwaryeon, you didn't build blocks. You just knocked down other kids' blocks. How many kids did you make cry today?"

"I don't know! I lost count!"

It seems Hwaryeon bullied other kids during block playtime. From Suryeon's words, it sounds like she made many other kids cry.

I decided to scold Hwaryeon, who was walking carefreely.

"You should get along with other kids. Why did you knock down their block towers? You shouldn't do that."

"Hmph, it's their fault for not being able to protect their towers from me! It's survival of the fittest or whatever!"

Survival of the fittest. It's their fault for not being able to protect it.

Suryeon nodded at Hwaryeon's pearls of wisdom and muttered.

"Hehe, it is their fault for not being able to protect. If you don't have the power to protect something, you'll just lose everything. Hehehe..."

Snicker-

Suryeon covered one eye with her hair and grinned. Seeing this, I asked out of genuine curiosity.

"Suryeon, do you really need to cover one eye while saying that?"

"...It's my choice, Dad. Don't pry too much."

Suryeon blushed, seemingly embarrassed.

At least she seemed to know how to feel ashamed of herself.

Leaving Suryeon who had turned her blushing face away, I looked at Choryeon running ahead.

"Mangmung! Want to go smell that tree over there?"

"Woof woof-!"

Choryeon had Mangmung in her bag and was running around everywhere.

She seemed to be letting the young Mangmung smell the outdoor scents. I took out my smartphone and captured the scene on camera.

Click-!

"It came out cute."

The cooling weather felt momentarily warmer.

Just as we were heading home with the kids like that,

"Hey, Dad!"

"What is it, Hwaryeon?"

"What's that place? I want to go in!"

Hwaryeon started showing interest in a stationery store we were passing by. Watching Hwaryeon run towards the stationery store, I thought to myself.

'...That looks like a normal stationery store on the outside. But they actually sell weapons inside, so is it okay?'

But they do have proper stationery too. It should be fine to go in with the kids.

I called out to Choryeon, who was playing with Mangmung in the distance.

"Choryeon! We're going into the stationery store, so come over here!"

"Yes, Father! I'll be right there with Mangmung!"

And so, after a very long time, I entered a stationery store with the children.

Ding-

"What? Who is it?!"

As we entered, we heard an old man's voice startled by the bell. The old man who had been resting inside got up and approached us. Since the children were watching, I bowed politely and greeted him.

"Hello, Grandpa. Do you remember me?"

"Aren't you the guy Tubby and Weakling knew! The one who bought that sketchbook!"

"Yes, that's right. I came to look around with the kids for a bit."

I recently decided to be polite in front of the children. It's a bit difficult since I never properly learned manners from adults, but I asked as formally as I could.

"Do you have any toys the kids might like?"

"Plenty. I also sell toys adults like. Bang bang!"

The stationery store grandpa made a shooting gesture in the air. I frowned at this and said.

"Please don't do that in front of the kids."

"Ahem, I got excited seeing kids after a long time. Sorry about that."

It might be fine for other kids, but if those dragon kids learn about guns, it could be disastrous, especially Hwaryeon and Suryeon.

'One would find shooting fun, and the other would want to carry a gun around because it's cool.'

It's so predictable. Though my childhood was short, I once had such thoughts too.

Feeling my cheeks get slightly hot, I watched the children looking around the stationery store. Hwaryeon grabbed something and held it up high, shouting at me.

"Dad! What's this?! There's a delicious-looking picture on the plastic!"

"Oh, that? It's been a while since I've seen those too."

Chacani. It's junk food sold at stationery stores. I remember it was in stick form and dropped a lot of powder.

I asked the grandpa who was quietly watching beside me.

"How much is that Chacani?"

"1000 won."

"What? Why is junk food so expensive?"

"Inflation. Even junk food has inflation, you know."

Damn.

Junk food is no longer junk food. It should be enjoyed for its cheapness to be junk food.

I felt disappointed but gestured to Hwaryeon, who was staring at the packaging.

"I'll pay for that, so eat it!"

"Yay! I was hungry! I'll enjoy it!"

Hwaryeon smiled brightly and opened the packaging. Then, she picked up the Chacani with her fingers and took a bite.

Sprinkle, sprinkle-

"It's salty but tasty!"

Hwaryeon swallowed the Chacani in one bite. At the same time, countless Chacani powder fell to the floor.

Seeing this, the stationery store grandpa shouted loudly.

"Hey! How can you eat that in here! Go outside to eat it!!"

"Hmph, why should I? It's cold outside! I'm eating it here!"

Munch-

Hwaryeon defiantly took out the Chacani and bit into it. Then, she even licked the powder off her fingers. Seeing this, the grandpa trembled and rushed towards Hwaryeon.

"You brat!! My back's killing me from cleaning!! If I catch you, you're cleaning this up!!"

"Ha, try and catch me if you can, you mere human!"

Pitter-patter-!

Hwaryeon and the stationery store grandpa suddenly started a chase. I sighed while watching this scene.

"Sigh, she's always causing trouble."

Tsk-

I'll have to clean up later. Thinking this, I quietly checked where the broom was.

Just then, Suryeon came to me holding a toy and showed it to me.

"Dad, look at this."

"Huh?"

"Is this similar to a smartphone too?"

Swish-

Suryeon carefully held out the toy to me. It was one of the relics from an old era that even I wasn't familiar with.

"What was this called again? Tamagotchi, was it?"

"Tamagotchi?"

"Yeah, see that egg on the screen? It's a game where you can raise it."

"Hmm, a game... I wanted to play games too..."

Press, press-

Suryeon pressed the Tamagotchi buttons with a deeply contemplative face. However, she didn't directly ask me to buy it for her.

'...Is she too shy to ask me to buy it directly?'

Should I tease her a bit?

I turned my head as if uninterested and said.

"Oh? Then you can play games when you grow up."

"...I'm not young, Dad. Don't treat me like a child. I'm grown up."

"Oh really? Then you don't need to play games. Games are only for children."

"..."

Glare-

Suryeon puffed her cheeks and narrowed her eyes, glaring at me.

'Should I stop teasing her?'

But her reaction was fun. I dropped my uninterested expression and said with a slight smile.

"Alright. I'll buy that for you."

"Really? You're not lying? If you're lying, I won't trust Dad anymore."

"Suryeon, you don't trust Dad?"

"...No."

"I said I'll definitely buy it. Don't worry."

How cute. Suryeon seemed to really like the Tamagotchi.

I called out to the grandpa who was running around with Hwaryeon and asked.

"Grandpa. How much is this?"

"Ah, that...? Ah, I'm dying from running after so long..."

Pant, pant-

The grandpa answered while catching his breath.

"That's 100,000 won."

"...Why is it so expensive?"

"I told you, inflation."

"..."

Swish-

I looked at Suryeon's expectant face and said.

"I'm sorry, Suryeon. Dad can't buy-"

"Dad. From today, you're not my dad."

"It's too expensiv-"

"Who are you? Don't talk to me. It's unpleasant."

Suryeon looked at me with a contemptuous expression.

To look at her dad with such eyes.

That gaze is a bit hard to bear.

I had no choice but to make a decision.

"...I'll buy it, 100,000 won, right?"

"Great. Dad. As expected, there's only Dad."

Damn. We shouldn't have come into this stationery store. I didn't expect to spend so much.

As I was feeling disheartened looking at my bank balance, Choryeon approached with Mangmung and said.

"Father! There are many fun things here! I wish we could come often!"

"Dad doesn't want to come often. For once, Dad and daughter's hearts don't align."

"Is that so, Father? Anyway! I want this one thing!"

Ta-da!

Choryeon showed me an item.

It was none other than a set of colored pencils and markers. It seems she wanted to use them for drawing.

Choryeon held out those items and said to me with a serious face.

"You bought things for Hwaryeon and Suryeon. But if you don't buy for me, wouldn't that be discrimination? Discrimination should disappear from this world. Right, Father?"

"..."

This scary kid. When did she learn how to pressure people?

I felt a chill down my spine, feeling like Choryeon had acquired a strange ability at kindergarten.

"Sigh. How much is this, stationery store grandpa?"

"That's 50,000 won."

"Damn inflation..."

And so, I ended up buying what Choryeon held out too.

I shed tears looking at my bank balance that had decreased more than I imagined.

Perhaps because of this, the stationery store grandpa's expression looked happy in contrast.

Feeling a bit jealous, I spoke to him.

"Grandpa. Seems nice to earn a lot of money."

"Well, it's nice to earn a lot of money. But you know what? It's even nicer to see young children in the stationery store like this. It's the true face of a stationery store that I haven't seen in a long time. It reminds me of the old days."

The grandpa said this and closed his eyes as if lost in memories.

It was a face that seemed to be rewinding the scent of nostalgia.