Chapter 23

23. E. v. e. r. y. t. h. i. n. g. i. s. b. e. c. a. u. s. e. o. f. i. m. m. u. n. i. t. y.

Bokshil, dressed in casual attire, appeared.

Lying on the living room floor, Bokshil made a squeaking sound with a vacant expression, as if her soul had left her body.

Bokshil's mouth moved naturally, like in the family movie [Paddington] she had seen recently.

"I've been so tired lately, I have no appetite and I don't feel well... I just want to sleep all day..."

At that moment, baby Siwoo, wearing a scientist's lab coat, entered dramatically with grand music.

Boom-!

Siwoo landed in the center of the living room like Iron Man and stood up.

With a serious gaze that contrasted his cute appearance, Siwoo spat out a lollipop with a puff-!

The lollipop flew like a bullet and stuck to the floor.

Bokshil's mouth dropped open, and she had a dazed look on her face.

Siwoo extended his hand dramatically towards Bokshil and let out a roar.

"Ahhhh-!"

Suddenly, Siwoo's surroundings transformed into space.

"Baaahhh-!"

In the middle of space, large letters appeared in a style reminiscent of a martial arts movie, as Siwoo cooed intensely.

E. v. e. r. y. t. h. i. n. g. i. s. b. e. c. a. u. s. e. o. f. i. m. m. u. n. i. t. y.

Bokshil, who had gained enlightenment, was shedding tears of emotion as she looked at Siwoo, who was glowing with a halo, in a style reminiscent of a manga.

"Aah... I see... That's what it was...!"

Siwoo sat in front of Bokshil and extended his hands reverently.

At the same time, a fancy food bowl appeared on the floor, and brown food pellets sprang up from Siwoo's empty hands to fill the bowl.

Suddenly, the music changed.

Bokshil, who had claimed to have no appetite, was seen eating the food frantically in slow motion.

Bokshil, who had licked the bowl clean, lifted her face and asked.

"Who are you?"

Boom- Boom- Boom- Boom-

Siwoo, walking towards the window, turned back and spoke.

With each word Siwoo said, the screen changed briefly, and his cute face was shown in close-up from various angles.

"Woof!"

- I am!

"Woahhh!"

- From PetPeeWorld!

"Whhh!"

- A scientist!

Whoosh-!

Siwoo flew out the window and instantly turned into a star.

A white screen appeared at the end.

In the center, the words [PetPeeWorld] were written, and at the bottom right, the words [Next Cat Snack Episode] were written.

Dohjin and Hyunju, who had watched the video, were speechless.

Regardless of the content,

Siwoo was...

Too cute.

* * *

The late heat had subsided, and a cool autumn breeze was blowing.

"The weather is really nice. It's autumn now. Before we know it, it'll be winter again."

Dohjin, drying his hair with a hairdryer, said to Hyunju.

Hyunju, who was looking for Siwoo's windbreaker, teased him with a smile.

"Brother, you must be getting old. They say you feel time passing quickly when you're old."

Dohjin, who was sitting on the sofa, felt a bit embarrassed and buried his face in a cushion.

Dohjin turned off the hairdryer and joked.

"Then, soldiers must be the youngest in Korea. Time really doesn't pass in the military."

Dohjin's eyes turned to his son Siwoo.

"…Our Siwoo will go to the military when he grows up, right? He's so small now."

Hyunju scolded Dohjin slightly.

"Brother, that's a long way off. Why are you talking about it already?"

This time, Dohjin teased Hyunju with a playful face.

"It's a long way off for young Siwoo, but it'll be soon for us old folks."

"No way. When Siwoo goes to the military, I'll worry so much I won't be able to sleep at night."

Dohjin, dressed for an outing, picked up Siwoo, who was lying on the sofa.

"Come on, our son. We'll go to the military when you grow up, but today, let's go see some fish with Dad!"

"Fish?"

"Siwoo, do you like fish?"

"Fish yummy."

Hyunju, putting a bright yellow windbreaker on Siwoo, said.

"No, Siwoo. Not the fish you eat. We're going to see fish friends. There are sharks there too~!"

"Sharks?"

"Yes. Sharks. Wow! Let's go see the scary sharks. They have sharp teeth."

Dohjin, holding Siwoo, headed for the front door.

"Then, I'll be back. Siwoo, say goodbye to Mom."

Siwoo waved to his mom.

Hyunju was both worried and pleased to see the father and son going out alone.

"Brother, do I really not have to go? Should I prepare now?"

Hyunju asked.

"Let Dad and Son spend some time together. Mom, you rest. You said you weren't feeling well. Got it?"

"Yes, I got it. Brother, be careful and come back. Call me if anything happens."

After saying goodbye to Bokshil and Nero, Dohjin and Siwoo left the house.

Dohjin, who went to the parking lot next to the building, opened the car door and put Siwoo in the backseat car seat.

While Dohjin fastened Siwoo's seatbelt and chest buckle, Siwoo noticed a sticker on the seat next to him.

When Siwoo was staring at the sticker, Dohjin's hand appeared and gently picked it up.

Dohjin, after checking Siwoo's seatbelt again, went to the back of the car, removed the sticker that said [Child in Car], and stuck a new sticker he had bought recently on the rear window.

Dohjin pressed the sticker with his palm to make sure it wouldn't fall off and got into the driver's seat, starting the car.

"Siwoo, shall we go now? We'll go to the zoo with Mom later. Dad will make today fun for you."

The car, leaving the parking lot, headed for the aquarium.

Siwoo silently watched his father's back as he drove for a while.

When they arrived at the shopping mall where the aquarium was located, Dohjin took the stroller out of the trunk.

He put Siwoo in the stroller and put a backpack containing diapers, a water bottle, and baby wipes on his back.

Dohjin pushed the stroller into the mall.

On the way, Siwoo said he was hungry, so Dohjin gave him a baby snack with a pumpkin flavor.

"Wow~ It's huge. Siwoo, isn't this cool? Let's go on an adventure, our son."

"Wow!"

Siwoo shouted.

The size of the mall made it feel like a dragon's lair.

Although Siwoo had done some preliminary research on his mother's phone early in the morning, seeing it in person was a completely different experience.

"Shall we take a quick look around before seeing the fish? Siwoo, what do you want to see?"

Dohjin asked.

Siwoo chose one of the words that came to mind and said it.

"Drone…"

"Huh? Money? What kind of thing, Siwoo?"

"Drone."

"…Are you hot? Should we take off your coat?"

"Drone~!"

"Got it. Dad will take off your coat. Come here."

Dohjin started to take off Siwoo's yellow windbreaker.

Siwoo, flailing his arms, said again.

"Dad~ Drone!"

Dohjin, feeling uncomfortable, tilted his head and said.

"Ha. Siwoo, I'm sorry. Dad will listen carefully. Say it again."

"…"

"…"

"…Drone."

The drone store, which occupied a large space on the third floor of the shopping mall, was currently running a discount event.

It was a special sale that lasted only three days, and today was the last day.

"Our Siwoo is really smart. You remember drones from when Dad taught you once while watching TV? Your vocabulary is growing so fast."

In front of the drone store, Dohjin picked up Siwoo.

Because of the discount event, there were so many people that it was a bit awkward to push the stroller around.

Dohjin left the stroller at the entrance and went further inside with Siwoo.

Whirr-!

Buzz-!

Whizz-!

Several drones were flying around the store.

"What are those flying things?"

"Yes! Customer! If you come this way, I'll show you the products."

"Excuse me, is this sale ending today? Until what time?"

"Yes! Customer! The sale ends at 5 PM today. Would you like to receive a consultation here? We have a wide variety of options."

"How much is that big one? Is it on sale too?"

"Yes! Customer! Of course it's on sale…"

The employees were busy with drone demonstrations and customer service.

The atmosphere was a bit chaotic with people who had come just to watch the drones fly.

Dohjin, with a baby, moved to a less crowded area.

"Let's watch here, Siwoo. Look at the planes. They're flying."

Siwoo, in his father's arms, watched the drones fly.

'This looks fun.'

He wanted one.

It would be a blast to play with Bokshil and Nero at night.

'What a wonderful world.'

To make something fly like that, a lot of mana would be needed, but here, it only takes a few batteries.

Or, no batteries at all.

Just charge it.

'If I ask for a drone as a Christmas gift... Ah, this is too expensive. Mom and Dad said they wouldn't touch the money I've earned, which they put in my account... Even if I earn more, it won't help.'

From the small amount he earned from a brief appearance on Mr. Moonlight to the substantial modeling fee from the PetPeeWorld commercial, Dohjin and Hyunju had put all of it into Siwoo's account.

They agreed to give it to Siwoo when he turned twenty.

As a result, Siwoo was just drooling over the flying drones.

Then,

A middle-aged man standing nearby approached Dohjin.

"Excuse me…"

"Yes?"

Dohjin and Siwoo turned around.

The man, after confirming Siwoo's face, put down the young girl he was holding and smiled widely.

"Oh? Is it you? Is it? Minseo, is this the baby you always imitate, saying 'Babu-ya'?"

The eyes of the girl, who looked to be around kindergarten age, grew wider.

Then,

"…Wow-!"

She let out a joyful exclamation, as if she had met Pink Pororo.

Dohjin, slightly blushing, greeted the middle-aged man who recognized Siwoo.

"Ah, hello. Haha."

"Is it? Is it?"

"Yes. Yes, it is."

"Oh! Minseo! It's the baby from 'Babu-ya.' Can we take a picture together?"

The loud voice of the middle-aged man caught the attention of the people around, who had been watching the drones.

"What's going on? What happened?"

"I don't know. Did the kids fight? No, wait. Is that baby…"

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! It's Babu-ya!"

High school boys in uniforms recognized Siwoo.

The shouts of the middle school boys, who were in the middle of their voice change, echoed throughout the drone store.

A young woman, who was looking at drones with her boyfriend, also recognized Siwoo.

"Kyaa! So cute! Even cuter in person! I want to take a picture. What should I do? What should I do?"

Her boyfriend, who was holding her arm, asked.

"What's the matter?"

"It's Babu-ya! The baby from 'Babu-ya'!"

"Ah~ That's all because of immunity?"

"Yes! It's the catchphrase after 'Bum-gu-dum-gu.' Babu-ya! Honey. If I can't take a picture, you have to take one of me with the baby from a distance. Got it?"

People gathered like a cloud.

Oh