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It was moments like this that made it all worth it.
It's been difficult trying to juggle his sect duties, personal training, and studies with the addition of a baby on top of all that, but he made do. Cheong Mun was nothing if not a perfectionist at heart, and a few sleepless nights were of little trouble to a martial artist of his caliber. Sure, he had his work cut out for him; with having to learn all that went into childcare.
Trips down to Hua-Um for necessities also brought advice from helpful aunties, and a few of his sagos shared what they knew of it. And later, some tips for wrangling troublesome children from those that had siblings of their own.
But Cheong Myeong was family. Spoiled and a troublemaker; yet his.
"Eat slower, Myeong-ah," he chided, wiping crumbs from Cheong Myeong's face.
"Um, m'kay, sahyeong!"
Cheong Mun just sighed at his sajae; while Cheong Myeong acted all cute and innocent whenever in front of him, he was still a little mischief. Sneaking around and stealing from the kitchens, hiding his things or disappearing at the most inopportune moments.
"Oh ... Are there any more mooncakes, sahyeong ...?"
The sight made Cheong Mun sigh again; big, wet eyes and a pout. Cheong Myeong looked at him as if he were his last hope of salvation, and not trying to guilt him into more sweets. But he was a weak man in front of his little sibling.
"This is the last one, Myeong-ah. Any more will spoil your appetite," he said sternly.
"Thank you, sahyeong!" Cheong Myeong spoke while shoving the mooncake in his mouth quickly, choosing to take it before Cheong Mun could even think of changing his mind.
"Ah."
Another sad face turned to him, and he, like a fool, set down another plate of mooncakes on the table.
"You're the best!"
He was a weak, weak man.
But the happy little smile and bright eyes made it nigh impossible not to spoil Cheong Myeong rotten.
(If only he made less trouble ...)
Sizzle.
As he looked back at the sound, he made eye contact with a pair of reptilian eyes. There was some steam rising from it, obscuring it as if by fog; but that dissipated quickly while his confusion persisted.
"Huh."
Even though he prided himself as a martial artist, Cheong Mun couldn't help but freeze up when he saw what looked to be a ... A white snake ...? No ... Was that thing a ... Dragon? It certainly looked like one, but ...
(Wait. Where's Cheong Myeong?!)
"Cheong Myeong?!"
He stood up and looked at the window; did that dragon-like thing enter through there ...? Then looked under the table; looking for Cheong Myeong, thinking he may have hidden from the reptile. But wouldn't he have shouted, or hid behind Cheong Mun, or even gone right up to the dragon; who knew! The thoughts of worst-case scenarios quickly filled his mind, but before he even kneeled down; he heard him:
"Sahyeong?"
Cheong Mun shot up to face the child, worried.
"What's wrong?"
Cheong Myeong asked innocently; no, the dragon spoke using his sajae's voice.
"Cheong, Cheong Myeong-ah ...?"
(It couldn't be, could it ...?)
It tilted its head exactly like Cheong Myeong did whenever he was confused.
"Is something wrong, sahyeong?"
Cheong Mun just stood there, frozen.
Then slowly sat down in his seat again, holding onto the table for dear life.
"No, nothing. Nothing, really ... No, nothing ..."
"Are you sure, sahyeong?"
Cheong Myeong ...? Somehow pouted ...? A dragon pouted. And that dragon was ... Cheong Myeong? His sajae? Cheong Mun put his head in his hands, took a deep breath, and exhaled. Looking back up revealed that it was indeed not a hallucination or an illusion. It seemed that his little brother really became a dragon out of nowhere?
"Myeong-ah, you ... You, ah ..." There was just no sane way to explain it. "Can you look down at your hands ... Please?"
It ... He looked down at the now clawed hands.
"Woah ..."
He admired his newly sharpened nails; white scales almost shimmering in the sunlight, while still eating his mooncakes without trouble. Almost like he didn't even notice the change. It was all giving Cheong Mun a headache.
"Look, sahyeong! Look! I have claws!"
"Yes, you do. Yes, you do ..."
(Was it too much to ask for a normal human child ...?)