Chapter 18

18. Kids' Cafe

“Ahhhhh-!”

Baby bear Kyungho woke up.

‘How can this kid be 11 months old?’

Siwoo thought that Kyungho, who was waking up with a yawn, looked just like a polar bear rising and roaring.

His skin was also unusually white, which fit the image perfectly.

‘Honestly, aren’t you at least 18 months old? I can’t exactly ask a baby to show his ID.’

Although Kyungho was large, he still couldn’t speak well, so he was still a baby.

“Ehpuhpuhpuh!”

Kyungho pounced on the small Youngjun.

Youngjun, who was lying under Kyungho, started to whimper as he wriggled.

Youngjun’s mother, who couldn’t see her son’s expression due to her position, said,

“Kyungho wants to play with his big brother. Youngjun, give Kyungho a hug~”

‘Sigh...’

Siwoo sighed inwardly and crawled over to get between Kyungho and Youngjun.

It was a problem he couldn’t ignore if a child under his supervision started crying.

“Don’t hug.”

Siwoo separated Kyungho and Youngjun.

Youngjun, who had been half-covered by Kyungho, immediately got up and waddled behind Jina.

Jina was sucking her fingers and drooling.

Jina’s mother’s handkerchief suddenly appeared to wipe under Jina’s chin.

Meanwhile, Kyungho was hugging Siwoo instead of chasing Youngjun.

“Ahhhhh!”

Siwoo just let Kyungho do as he pleased.

If he shook, Siwoo would shake with him. If he pulled, Siwoo would be dragged along.

Playing with kids is all about that.

Kyungho, who was playing with Siwoo, became interested in the gold necklace Siwoo was wearing.

“Buhbuhbuh...”

Kyungho reached out for the gold necklace.

Siwoo slightly pulled his body back.

“Ooooh?”

Kyungho didn’t give up and kept trying.

Siwoo, confirming that the mothers were busy choosing the menu and not watching, used his boxing evasion skills to dodge Kyungho’s jabs, moving his upper body like a wave.

Siwoo provocatively smiled at Kyungho.

“Try to catch it. Baby, you can’t, can you?”

While whispering to Kyungho, Siwoo kept shaking his head in a U-shape.

The gold necklace also swayed.

Kyungho’s face, fixed on the gold necklace, swayed along.

“Ooooh...”

With repeated failures, a cry escaped from Kyungho’s mouth.

Siwoo stopped playing and gently stroked Kyungho’s fluffy face, then let him touch the gold necklace.

“Ahhhhh!”

“What is this? It’s a gold necklace I got for passing a rap test.”

“...Ooooh?”

“Just kidding. It’s actually a gold necklace I got for my first birthday.”

“Ahhhhh!”

“Do you want it? You probably have one too. Oh, right, you’re 11 months old. Just wait a bit. Soon you’ll get something shiny like this.”

Kyungho, though he didn’t understand Siwoo’s words, seemed to grasp the general meaning and opened his mouth wide, smiling.

Saliva dripped from his open mouth.

Right then,

Youngjun called out to his mother, who was looking at the menu.

“Mom~!”

When the mothers turned around, Youngjun stood with his legs spread, saying,

“Shiya... Shiya...”

“Our son, do you need a diaper change? I’ll change it right away.”

Youngjun’s mother took a diaper from her bag.

Seeing this, Kyungho’s mother said enviously,

“How nice. Mijoo, Youngjun speaks so well and expresses his needs clearly.”

Youngjun’s mother replied,

“Our child is 19 months old. They were born in different years. I’m actually envious of Kyungho. He won’t be intimidated anywhere he goes. Sigh, our child is a December baby and is even smaller than his peers... I’m worried he’ll be ignored at school.”

“That’s a concern. But kids who are small when they’re young often grow taller as adults. If he eats well, Youngjun will grow up fine.”

“I hope so. Don’t worry too much about Kyungho. He’s only 11 months old, and it’s normal he can’t speak yet.”

Youngjun’s mother nodded.

“Right. Siwoo didn’t speak much until he was one year old.”

Kyungho’s mother glanced at her son playing inside the train house and said in a heavy voice,

“Siwoo... said ‘Mom’ at 6 months. I know it’s not fair to compare, but Youngjun said it at 7 months, and Jina at 9 months... I wish our child would at least say ‘Mama’... but he doesn’t even do that.”

Kyungho’s mother had never heard her son say a word.

Many 11-month-olds haven’t started speaking yet.

However, the term “model child” exists for a reason.

Kyungho’s mother couldn’t help but compare her son to Siwoo, Youngjun, and Jina, who spoke early.

Jina’s mother patted Kyungho’s mother’s back.

“Speaking is more about personality than ability. Don’t worry too much about it now.”

“...I know. I’m sorry. Thank you.”

Kyungho’s mother gave her friends a slight smile.

From a distance, Youngjun’s voice was heard again.

“Mom... Shiya...”

“Oh, I need to change his diaper.”

Youngjun’s mother quickly ran to the train house.

“Ahhhhh!”

“Squeal! Squeal!”

The train house was in chaos.

Kyungho was biting Siwoo’s arm, making it wet with saliva, while Jina put on Siwoo’s sunglasses and repeatedly got up and fell, screaming at the darkened world.

In contrast, her son Youngjun...

was squatting in a corner of the train house, holding his pants.

Youngjun’s mother, trying to hold back her sadness, first changed her son’s diaper.

“Youngjun, go play with the other kids.”

“Silly... Mom... Hug...”

When she tried to send her son back to the train house, Youngjun clung to her, kicking.

“The other kids are playing so happily. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right here with the aunts. So...”

“Silly... Hiiing...”

If she tried to force his hand, he would start crying.

“Why don’t we go on the slide over there?”

“Silly... Scary...”

Kyungho’s mother, like Siwoo, wanted to hear her son speak.

Youngjun’s mother wished to see her son play energetically even once.

Social skills are crucial in kindergarten, elementary school, and beyond, and she was very worried about his lack of them.

Youngjun, who only wanted to be held by his mother and see Pinky Pororo, was her constant concern.

“Don’t want to play with the other kids?”

“...”

It’s frustrating.

It’s heart-wrenching.

Youngjun’s mother, seeing her son silently sucking his fingers, managed to smile.

“Okay. I’ll hold you.”

Just as she was about to pick up Youngjun, a Pinky Pororo doll appeared between her and her son.

It was Siwoo.

Youngjun’s mother, alternating her gaze between the doll and Siwoo, asked,

“Siwoo, why? Is this for Youngjun?”

Siwoo placed the doll in Youngjun’s arms, took his hand, and led him toward the train house.

Youngjun glanced at his mother and reluctantly followed Siwoo.

In fact, Youngjun also wanted to play with the other kids.

Youngjun’s mother, seeing her son’s back as he entered the train house with the other kids, smiled genuinely.

“Youngjun, play with the other kids. I’ll be watching from the side... Understand? Don’t cry.”

When Siwoo brought Youngjun back to the train house, he chose a cute doll from those the staff had placed inside, gave it to Youngjun, and sat down on the floor.

While gently scolding Kyungho, who was trying to climb onto his back, Siwoo quietly asked Youngjun,

“Do you not like the slide?”

“...Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Scary... Whoosh~”

“Whoosh?”

At least he can have a conversation.

While Siwoo was having a serious talk with Youngjun, the mothers returned.

Siwoo quickly shut his mouth.

The mothers, confirming that the babies were fine, sat at a nearby table where they could see the train house.

As the mothers moved away, Siwoo spoke again.

“Listen up, fluffy ones. These are my mom’s close friends, so you need to be nice to them.”

“Ooooh?”

Youngjun tilted his head, and Kyungho dropped saliva on Siwoo’s head.

“...”

Siwoo found his baseball cap on the floor and tried to put it back on, but realized it would be even more unpleasant with saliva on his head, so he threw it away.

Siwoo wiped his head on Kyungho’s clothes and addressed the two fluffy boys.

“Youngjun, you’re going to hold my hand and go on the slide today. Don’t worry, it won’t be scary. And you, bear, you’re going to master the words ‘Mom’ and ‘Mama’ today. You might not understand now... Ahhhhhh-!”

“Huh? Did I hear a voice?”

A kids’ cafe staff member, approaching the train house and seeing only the babies, turned back.

“Phew- Not an assassin, but sneaking in like that. Where was I? So...”

“Hiiing!”

Suddenly, a whining sound came from the side.

Jina, with her sunglasses on, was fidgeting uncomfortably.

Siwoo lifted her hand and took off the sunglasses.

Jina’s cute face, hidden by the sunglasses, was revealed.

Jina whined, wanting the sunglasses back.

“Hiiing!”

Siwoo put the sunglasses back on.

“Hiiing!”

She wanted them off.

“...What do you want?”

Siwoo handed the sunglasses to Jina.

“Do what you want.”

“Ooooh... Ooooh...”

This isn’t it either.

Just as she was about to cry, Siwoo noticed.

The sunglasses were just a prop.

“Tired?”

“Hmmm... Hiiing...”

“Go to sleep.”

‘But you slept in the taxi on the way here, right?’

Was he short on sleep?

As Jina started to throw a tantrum, Siwoo’s hand touched her forehead.

Jina, feeling the warmth on her forehead, relaxed her body.

Her frustration and discomfort disappeared instantly, and she felt better.

Siwoo gently pushed Jina to lie down on the soft floor.

Lying down, Jina blinked and said softly,

“Poo... Poo...”

Siwoo, like a caring father, held Jina’s face and kissed her forehead.

Click-

“Sleep well, have good dreams.”

Jina, hearing Siwoo’s