Chapter 38

38. Whoa, what the heck~?

Jongsu's house was located behind the supermarket.

"Jongsu and your father are rivals, rivals."

Grandma told Dojin.

"Yes, I heard. They play Go whenever they have time."

Grandpa shook his head.

"What rivals? I have a much higher win rate. That old man is just right below me. No way~"

Dojin and Hyunju smiled at Grandpa's joke.

He looked healthy and happy.

Like Siwoo's grandfather's house, Jongsu's house was also a countryside house with a yard.

There was no pretty garden, but the yard was larger than Siwoo's grandfather's.

A few elderly neighbors were gathered around a wooden platform in the yard.

"Hey~ Jongsu! Did your grandson come to visit?"

Siwoo's grandfather entered the yard with a cool swagger and waved.

Jongsu, who had been smiling at his grandson's antics, suddenly had a sharp look in his eyes.

His rival was crossing the open yard gate and approaching.

"O~ Seokho~! News travels fast. I was just about to call you, but you're already here? And why do you always speak informally? I told you to treat me as an elder because I'm one year older, didn't I?"

"I said 'fast,' didn't I?"

"What do you mean? This isn't school; we don't need to be formal. You should ask politely, 'Can we be friends?' and then I might consider it."

"Can we be friends~"

"Sure~"

The neighborhood people burst into laughter at the banter between Grandpa Seokho and Grandpa Jongsu.

Siwoo's grandfather, Yun Seokho, led Siwoo to the wooden platform.

"Our grandson is here too~ Should we let the kids play together?"

Jongsu, seeing Siwoo, readily agreed.

"Sure~! Oh, what a handsome boy! He doesn't look like his grandfather at all. What a relief."

"What are you talking about? I look just like him, and I'm handsome."

Siwoo, receiving attention from the neighbors, climbed onto the platform and looked ahead.

A baby wearing a cool T-shirt with Iron Man's face was holding a pink pororo vitamin in his hand.

‘...Oops, I lose in the outfit department first.’

Siwoo admitted.

He suddenly missed the golden skull T-shirt his mother-in-law bought, which he couldn't wear now due to its size.

Maybe that could have beaten Iron Man.

The baby in front of him...

‘...He’s a bit big to be called a baby.’

He seemed older in months than Siwoo.

Anyway, to the adults, the baby in front of him was just another little one. The baby held the individually wrapped vitamin and peeled it off in one go.

Praises from the surrounding adults poured out.

"Wow~ Look at those skilled hands. He can do it by himself."

"What a smart baby. How old did you say he is?"

The baby's mother, sitting at the end of the platform, laughed and answered.

"He's three years old~"

To be precise, he was 29 months old, four months older than Siwoo.

The neighborhood elders then asked Hyunju.

"How old is this one?"

"Our child is also three years old."

"Then they can be friends. Does this one talk much? I heard Jongsu's grandson talks like an adult."

"Ah... Yes, a little."

The neighborhood elders, with eyes full of admiration, asked the newly arrived little Siwoo.

"Little one~ Can you say something? Let's hear your voice~"

The neighborhood elders, who had been impressed by Jongsu's grandson, waited with eager faces for Siwoo to speak.

Siwoo mumbled.

"Ahbuubuubu~"

The baby talk that came out of Siwoo's mouth was something he used to do when he was younger.

It was still a time for exploration.

He couldn't reveal his full strength without knowing the opponent's level.

"Can't he talk yet?"

"Hei, all kids are different. At three, they're still young~ Jongsu's grandson is just exceptionally smart~"

Jongsu's daughter-in-law asked her son.

"Yeongsoo, is the vitamin tasty?"

Yeongsoo opened his mouth.

"Yes~ It's yummy. Give me more."

"Okay. Since Yeongsoo is tired, should I peel it for you?"

"I will~ I will peel it myself~"

"Can you do it?"

"Sure I can~ Yeongsoo can do it~"

"What should you say when you want a vitamin?"

"Please give me a vitamin~"

Siwoo quietly nodded.

Noted.

This was the level.

In fact, being quick to talk doesn't necessarily mean being smart, and being slow to talk doesn't mean being not smart.

‘But the old men in the countryside might think that way. Let's give them a little satisfaction.’

Siwoo took a deep breath and said to his mother.

"Mom~ I want a vitamin~ Please give me one~"

"......!"

The eyes of the neighborhood elders widened.

"Oh, he can talk too?"

Hyunju was also surprised.

Just a moment ago, at the other grandfather's house, he had said "Please give me one~" but after hearing Yeongsoo, he said "Please give me one~" more clearly.

She had heard from other mothers that children learn more by imitating their peers or older siblings than from adults, and it might be true.

"Should we give Siwoo a vitamin too?"

Siwoo clapped his hands in response.

Clap clap!

"Yeees~!"

Suddenly, Siwoo's polite speech exploded.

"Look at him saying 'yes'! Oh, how cute!"

As the neighborhood elders' attention shifted to Siwoo, Yeongsoo's mother glanced at Hyunju and then spoke to Yeongsoo.

"Yeongsoo, should we ask Grandpa to take us for a ride on the tractor later?"

"Tractor? What's a tractor~?"

"The red vehicle outside~ The one you said was cool~ Do you want to ride it?"

"Yes! I want to ride it~"

"Then what should you say to Grandpa?"

Yeongsoo turned to Jongsu.

"Grandpa~ I want to ride the tractor~ Please take me for a ride~"

The neighborhood elders were impressed again.

"Wow, you can have a conversation with a three-year-old baby. It's amazing~"

Without being asked, the adults' gaze naturally turned to Siwoo, who was sitting opposite.

Siwoo, seeing the adults' gaze going back and forth between him and Yeongsoo, thought.

‘Drop the beat-.’

Let's raise the level a bit.

Without taking his eyes off Jongsu and Yeongsoo, Siwoo opened his mouth in a baby-like voice.

"The tractor is cool~ The tractor is so cool~ Vroom vroom~ It's fun~"

"......!"

The eyes of the neighborhood elders widened to their limit.

"Hehe, that's right~ Your words are correct! The tractor is cool~!"

"What a smart little one, saying such things?"

"Wow~ I'm amazed~"

Yeongsoo's mother was a bit flustered.

He was clearly younger in months than Yeongsoo, but she hadn't expected him to speak so well.

Just as Yeongsoo's mother was about to speak to her son again,

Yeongsoo said on his own.

"It's okay~! Grandpa, the tractor isn't scary~ It's not dangerous~"

Siwoo smiled slightly at Yeongsoo's words.

‘Not scary and not dangerous. He's using the negative well. He's a good talker. A cute kid.’

"Is it not dangerous? Then can I ride it too?"

Yeongsoo answered with a wide smile.

"Sure! It's great! Let's hold hands and ride it~"

Seeing the three-year-olds making plans together, the neighborhood elders burst into laughter.

Yeongsoo's mother asked him again.

"Yeongsoo, are you going to play with your friend?"

"Yes. I want to play."

"What are you going to do? Where do you want to go on the tractor?"

"Waterpark~ Waterpark~"

The neighborhood elders asked.

"Waterpark? What's a waterpark?"

Yeongsoo's mother explained.

"Oh~ A water park~ It's a swimming pool. 'Waterpark' is the English word for a swimming pool~"

"English... He knows English!? Wow~ What a three-year-old is speaking English?"

Jongsu laughed.

"I told you my grandson is smart~ Our Yeongsoo is already speaking two languages at three~ Hey, Seokho~ What do you think? Isn't my grandson smart? You have to admit it when it's true~"

At that moment,

Siwoo's cute voice echoed through the yard.

"Whoa, what the heck~?"

"Hehe!"

Yeongsoo's mother, finding Siwoo's cuteness irresistible, burst into laughter, forgetting that they were in a competition.

...She had noticed how incredibly cute he was.

Yeongsoo's mother's laughter triggered a loud burst of laughter from the neighborhood elders.

"He can speak two languages too~! Both of them are prodigies! Both of them are prodigies! Hahaha!"

In the warm atmosphere, Yeongsoo got up and went to Siwoo.

Standing up, he was clearly taller than Siwoo.

Yeongsoo sat next to Siwoo, hugged him tightly, and said.

"Let's play~ Let's go ride the tractor~?"

Siwoo answered with a bright smile.

"Yes~ Sure~ The tractor is great~"

Jongsu, looking at the two children with satisfaction, suddenly stood up.

"Hey, wait a moment. I'll bring some snacks for the kids."

"Sir, I'll bring them. Please play with Yeongsoo."

Yeongsoo's mother went into the house first.

Jongsu, who had stood up awkwardly and sat down again, said to his friend Grandpa Seokho.

"Since you're here, let the kids play a bit longer~ Now, let's send the guests off... Hey, wait! There's a water park here too. Since the weather is warm, should we go catch some clams with the kids?"

Siwoo's grandfather responded.

"Sure~! If we make clam soup for the kids, they'll eat it well~! Can our family ride the tractor too?"

"I'll take your family, but I won't take you, so you'll have to run here. Hahaha!"

"Hey~! Hahaha!"

* * *

Siwoo opened his eyes.

He saw the ceiling of the kindergarten.

Jina and Kyungho were lying on either side of him.

Both were sound asleep due to the magic of nap time.

It was a blessed class where all the children took their naps on time.

Siwoo yawned and stretched, recalling the dream he had just had.

Two months ago, he had visited his grandfather's house and caught clams with the Yeongsoo family.

‘Clams... I kept catching them as if I was under a spell.’

His father, mother, and the Yeongsoo family spent hours catching clams in the stream, just like people who had come down to the countryside to catch clams.

Shiver.

Siwoo, feeling a bit cold from the air conditioner, used a heat spell to warm the air slightly.

‘The children might catch a cold. I need to pay attention to the temperature difference.’

It was August, the peak of the scorching heat.

‘It's already August. Next month is Chuseok. This time, my grandparents are coming up. Hmm... Oh, by the way, today is the first episode of The King's Path, right? I hope it goes well.’

He decided to trust the reputation of the historical drama master, Lee Honggyun.

After finishing his day's work at the kindergarten, Siwoo got into his car and headed home.

"Siwoo~ Did you have fun at the kindergarten?"

"Yes~ It was fun~"

"Our Siwoo is on TV today~ I'm very nervous."

"It's okay~ Mom~"

Playing with Boksil, Nero, and the others, the night soon arrived.

Dojin, who had just gotten off work, called Siwoo's maternal grandmother and was now calling his paternal grandmother.

"Yes, Mother. I'll be out a bit later. No, I'm not in the second episode tomorrow, only today. From tomorrow, a middle school student older than Siwoo will act."

After hanging up, Dojin told Hyunju, who was sitting on the sofa.

"...The neighborhood people are all gathered at the community center, waiting for Siwoo to appear on TV?"

"Whoa..."

"Siwoo, come here."

Siwoo ran and climbed onto the sofa.

The first episode of The King's Path was about to be broadcast nationwide.

Oh