Chapter 168: Crayons for Christmas! (2)

Chapter 168: Crayons for Christmas! (2)"I only dusted your room occasionally, but otherwise left everything untouched."

I stepped into my room after such a long time.

The desk.The computer.The bed.The bookshelf.Even the model kit I had assembled out of boredom.It was the room that occasionally appeared in my dreams.Coming back to it in reality felt nostalgic.

"What about my computer monitor?"

"Rumi sold that. It was about a week after you didn't come home..."

At my mother's words, I glared at my younger sister Ha Rumi. She flinched and stammered, "Well, you didn't come home... I thought it was just your usual running away..."

Whenever I didn't return home for a week, my younger sister would sell my belongings on the second-hand market. She was quite skilled at it.It seems she did the same this time during my disappearance.

"I'm surprised you didn't sell the tower."

"You were gone for so long..."

I see.She thought it was just a normal runaway, but when I completely vanished without a trace, she couldn't bring herself to sell my things anymore?

"Wow, holy shh!"

Pop—

At that moment, Naru jumped onto my bed.Following her lead, Cecily and Hina also stood on the bed.Children clearly have an instinct that beds are something to stand on.Of course, Tywin was well-behaved.Tywin looked around curiously before taking interest in the bookshelf.She opened a book - it was "The Little Prince" by Saint-Exupéry.

"Who's her mom?" my sister whispered, pointing at Tywin.She must have noticed that when I introduced the children with their mothers, Tywin was the only one without a paired mother.She's always been quick to pick up on things.

"Well, Tywin's situation is a bit complicated."

"Is that so? But seriously, you really married all three of them? How did that happen? You never even had a girlfriend until college-"

I don't know either.I still feel dazed about what happened sometimes.And they weren't just ordinary women, but all incredibly beautiful.

Beautiful.Their mere presence had the magical ability to make the surrounding atmosphere feel a bit warmer.When they smile, it's like spring has arrived with blooming flowers.In that sense, Brigitte, Salome, and Cariote were perfect beauties.Each with different tendencies, personalities, and appearances, it was fascinating to look at them.

"...How old are you?" my sister asked Brigitte.Perhaps Brigitte seemed the most approachable?Cariote had an unapproachable aura, and Salome exuded a sharp presence.Brigitte fumbled, seemingly flustered.

"I'm, well, how should I put it. I'm twenty-five this year... but now I'm six."

"You're so young! You're older than me, so I should call you unni! I'm Rumi! Ha Rumi. Weird name, right? But it's easy to remember because it's strange."

"Strange...?"

My sister's name was unusual for a Korean.She said she was even teased as a child, being called 'Narumi' from Pocket Monsters.But to Brigitte, Rumi probably didn't sound that strange.

"Wow, holy shh! It's similar to Naru's name!"

Whoosh—

Naru hugged Rumi's thighs tightly.They seemed to feel a sense of kinship, both having names starting with 'Ru'.Come to think of it, their personalities were somewhat similar too.

─Meow.

"Naru, what kind of animal is this?"

Still powerful in his 50s.I can't let my guard down.

"Then, begin-"

Pop—

I could feel my father's arm muscles bulging under his sleeve. Indeed, 600 pounds. It was powerful. But it was no match for me now.While I felt quite pleased about this fact, I also felt an indescribable sense of regret. The stronger I become, the older my parents grow.

Swish—

Finally, the match ended.

"See! I knew Dad would win!"

My sister boasted as if she had won herself.

However, my father silently looked at his palm. His expression was very subtle. He seemed somewhat disappointed yet also happy.What was certain was that I could vaguely sense that from now on, my father would not ask me to "arm wrestle" again.

"Naru, what do you want for a Christmas present?"

As the atmosphere was becoming lively, Mom asked Naru.Naru tilted her head at the mention of a Christmas present, then seemed to be thinking hard, going "Hmm-, umm-, hmm."

Mom soon asked Hina, Cecily, and Tywin as well.

"What presents do you want? If you answer now, Santa might bring them. Today is Christmas Eve and tomorrow is Christmas Day! Santa's sleigh probably hasn't left yet."

Santa Claus, huh.It brought back old memories.When Mom used to ask me like this, even though I usually wanted a transforming robot, I would get flustered by the sudden question and couldn't think of it.

"A present...""Hmm..."

Cecily and Hina were also silent.Tywin was just looking around, wondering what was going to happen next.

Mom chuckled at their hesitation.

"The way these kids are pondering reminds me of when my son was young. How about crayons?"

"Wow, holy shh! Crayons are good!""I want gold crayons. And some with noble purple.""Hina likes crayons too..."

The children seemed very happy to receive crayons as a gift. Mom was still quick to suggest something before the kids could ask for expensive gifts like "transforming robots."

* * *

After playing energetically, the children all fell asleep on blankets spread out in my room.My sister Ha Rumi kept opening the door to the room where the children were sleeping, until Mom pinched her side. Her excuse was peculiar.

"No, I just can't believe I've become an aunt! Let me look just one more time!"

Saying that, Ha Rumi scanned the faces of the sleeping children one by one. Even a petty thief of a sister finds her nieces and nephews cute, it seems?

"Wow, they all have clover-shaped birthmarks on their shoulders too."My sister had apparently even checked the birthmarks on the children's shoulders. Even Mom, who had been scolding my sister not to wake the children, was surprised.

"It really is amazing. But... to think I've already become a grandmother. There aren't many people becoming grandmothers at 50 these days."

It was a chaotic day in many ways.Tomorrow will probably be even more chaotic.I want to take a walk around the neighborhood, and we also need to find Tywin's mother, Elle Cladeco.