Superstar From Age 0 - Chapter 501

Chapter 501

“Hmm?”

“Why?”

As Seo-jun tilted his head while holding Harang and heading to the filming site where the teachers and children were, Park Iden asked.

“Harang seems a bit heavier. Is it just me?”

As Seo-jun shook his arms this way and that, as if to gauge the weight, Harang laughed as if he was having fun. Park Iden also chuckled and said.

“You don’t know how well the kids eat these days. Harang must have grown a lot stronger too.”

“Really? That’s good.”

“That’s great!”

It seemed that not only his mind but also his body had grown.

Seo-jun and Park Iden headed towards the teachers and children who were waving their hands and smiling.

“This is mugwort.”

“Mug!”

“This is grass.”

“Grass!”

Seo-jun and Park Iden were squatting by the faucet, sorting out the grass and herbs that the children had picked. The vegetables for dinner were already washed and placed next to them.

The children who had been sorting out the herbs with the two teachers had gone to play early because they were bored, but Harang was stuck to Seo-jun’s side, putting the grass he had picked into the basket, following Seo-jun.

“Harang can do it too!”

“Our Harang is awesome. He’s better than Iden teacher!”

It was a problem that the inedible weeds went into the herb basket and the mugwort went into the grass basket.

Seo-jun quickly moved his hand so that Harang wouldn’t notice and switched the mugwort and the weeds. Park Iden laughed at the sight of Seo-jun.

“Iden, that’s grass.”

“…Isn’t it shepherd’s purse?”

“Shepherd’s purse looks like this.”

Seo-jun showed him the well-trimmed shepherd’s purse. Seeing the clearly different appearance from the grass he was holding, Park Iden closed his mouth and carefully picked out the grass from the herb basket.

Seo-jun and Park Iden sorted out the edible herbs from the many weeds by type and headed to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, they were busy preparing to fry some fritters. It could be dangerous to use oil, so Heo Unseong and Jeong Nahee blocked the children from approaching and played with them. Both of them looked exhausted.

“Hehehehe.”

The more they were told not to, the more they wanted to do it.

Park Iden, who noticed the children sneaking up to the kitchen, shouted and ran. The children laughed and ran away.

“I’m going to catch Harang!”

“Kyahaha!”

Harang was already in there.

“They’re having fun.”

“You don’t know how much energy they have.”

Seo-jun laughed at the sight of the children who were more lively and energetic than the last time he came, and the teachers who looked more detached than the last time.

“What can I help you with?”

Seo-jun rolled up his sleeves and asked. He had a certificate in Korean cuisine. Kim Jayoung smiled brightly and said.

“I’m going to make fried chicken and seasoned chicken, and vegetable fritters with the herbs that the kids brought. Can you chop some chicken and vegetables for me?”

“Sure. Do you want me to chop them small?”

“Yes.”

As Seo-jun took out the vegetables and herbs from the basket and chopped them into small pieces that were easy for the children to eat, Kim Jayoung made the sauce for the seasoned chicken. She focused on the sweet taste that the children liked. Kim Jayoung, who was tasting the sauce, looked at Seo-jun, who was cutting the carrots evenly as if he had measured them.

“Do you want me to make something separate for the teachers? It’s quite sweet to suit the kids’ taste.”

“Yes. It would be nice if you made it a bit spicy.”

“Then I’ll make a super spicy sauce too!”

Kim Jayoung laughed like a witch stirring a big pot of seasoned chicken sauce, as if she was thinking of playing a game of chance.

“But there’s more than last time.”

Seo-jun, who was trimming the mountain of chicken, said. Kim Jayoung laughed.

“The kids eat so well. It’s hard to prepare the rice!”

She said it was hard, but her expression was bright. Seo-jun also smiled and said. It was better than not eating, even if it was hard to prepare.

“Shall we fry them now?”

It was time to fry everything.

They prepared a cold batter to make the fritters crispy and Seo-jun poured oil into the home fryer. When the temperature was right, Kim Jayoung put the chicken coated with batter into the fryer. The chicken sizzled and bubbled as it plunged into the hot oil.

“The sound of frying is so good. You could make it into an ASMR.”

“I know, right?”

The sound of frying mixed with the sound of rain as the chicken turned golden brown. They fried the chicken once, drained the oil, and fried it again to make it crispier. They also made vegetable fritters with canned herbs. In the meantime, the egg soup, rice, and side dishes were ready.

The large dining table was filled with delicious food. The children rushed over without anyone calling them. It was thanks to the crispy chicken smell that filled the [Chick Class in the Forest].

“Chicken! It’s chicken!”

“Kids! You have to wash your hands before you eat!”

Heo Unseong and Jeong Nahee, who had half-lost their souls, followed the children and wiped their hands.

“Teacher! Harang’s hand!”

Harang, who was playing with Park Iden, ran over to Seo-jun without looking back and held out his tiny hands. Seo-jun smiled and wiped Harang’s hands. Park Iden, who was looking for a wet tissue to wipe Harang’s hands, shouted.

“Yu Harang! You traitor! The teacher even lifted you up high!”

“Hehehehe!”

Harang didn’t care at all.

The children who had cleaned their hands sat in their seats. Heo Unseong looked at the monitor that occupied the head of the table.

“Do we need a monitor today?”

“We have him here!”

Everyone looked at Seo-jun and laughed. Seo-jun also smiled.

The teachers sat down between the children and Seo-jun sat next to Harang.

“Let’s eat well.”

“Let’s eat well!”

The children shouted loudly and reached for the chicken first. Harang’s fork also stabbed a fried chicken. He bit off a piece of fried chicken and chewed hard. Harang’s cheeks looked like a hamster eating sunflower seeds.

“Delicious!”

“The chicken is yummy!”

The children’s faces bloomed with smiles.

It was a pleasant mealtime.

After dinner, the children who had played for a while gathered in the study room. In the center of the low table where the children sat, there were colorful papers, colored pencils, sketchbooks, and crayons.

Kim Jayoung smiled and said.

“It’s Parents’ Day soon, so let’s make some carnations for mom and dad.”

“Yay!”

Under the guidance of the teachers, the children made carnations. There were origami ones and ones that were made by cutting and gluing petals. The children smiled brightly as they looked at the carnations that they liked.

Heo Unseong held a sheet of paper and said.

“Who wants to write a letter to mom and dad, saying I love you? You can also draw pictures and use these stickers to make it pretty.”

“I do!”

“Me too!”

The older kids who knew some Korean wrote letters on the pretty paper with pencils, while the younger ones who didn’t know much Korean copied the letters that the teachers wrote.

“Teacher. Teacher.”

“Hmm?”

Seo-jun sat next to Myeongjin, who called him. He seemed to have trouble thinking of a word to write, so Seo-jun smiled and wrote it in large letters on a sketchbook so he could see it well.

Harang, who was watching Seo-jun, moved closer and tapped Bak Ideun’s leg. Bak Ideun looked at Harang with a puzzled expression.

“Teacher. Teacher.”

“Huh? Seo-jun, can you call the teacher for me?”

Bak Ideun said that reflexively, as if Harang had been looking for Seo-jun for a long time. Harang shook his head vigorously.

“No!”

“No? Then why?”

“Harang letter!”

“Letter? Oh, you want to write a letter too.”

“Yeah!”

Bak Ideun thought for a moment and whispered to Harang.

“To Seo-jun teacher?”

“Yeah yeah!”

“Okay. What do you want to write?”

Harang whispered in Bak Ideun’s ear. Bak Ideun smiled and wrote the letters with a crayon on a large sketchbook. Harang stuck to him like glue. On the screen, Harang copied the letters that Bak Ideun wrote with his crooked handwriting.

He also drew a heart and a picture of himself and Seo-jun. He giggled happily. Bak Ideun whispered to Harang, who was drawing.

“Harang, draw Ideun teacher too. Ideun teacher also wants a letter.”

“No!”

“Hey!”

Bak Ideun tickled Harang, who laughed out loud. Seo-jun, who was smiling contentedly as he saw Myeongjin finish his letter, turned around.

“What are you two doing?”

Bak Ideun and Harang looked at each other and grinned.

“It’s a secret!”

“Secret!”

Seo-jun blinked at the two who were in sync.

***

After writing the letters for their parents, the sky darkened. Harang, who was looking at the darkening sky, turned his head and looked at Seo-jun. He seemed to be holding something behind his back, fiddling with something.

“Seo-jun teacher.”

“Hmm?”

“Harang say bye-bye?”

Seo-jun widened his eyes and then smiled and said. He must have thought that he would leave when it got dark, like last time.

“Today, teacher will sleep here too.”

Harang’s fiddling stopped.

His round eyes and pouty lips opened wide.

No way!

Seo-jun teacher is staying!

Harang’s cheeks flushed. His heart pounded with surprise and excitement. He forgot about the colorful handkerchief he had hidden behind his back and clung to Seo-jun.

“Sleep with Harang?!”

“Yeah. With Harang.”

“Wow!”

The teachers laughed at Harang’s joy, who raised his hands high.

The next morning.

After finishing their last meal at [Chick Class in the Forest], the children packed their things from home, while the teachers brought gifts for the children. The children were excited to tear the wrapping paper of the surprise gifts.

Thanks to their careful observation, the gifts that the teachers gave were perfect for the children.

“Wow! Doggy!”

Harang hugged the doggy doll (werewolf-wolf version (renewal)/made by Monster Co.) that Seo-jun gave him and smiled widely.

“Harang like it?”

“Like it!”

Harang clung to Seo-jun and nodded his head repeatedly at his question. Seeing his happy face, he felt that it was worth asking Uncle Heesang for a favor at the last minute.

The children showed off their gifts to each other, and they saw cars coming from afar. It was their parents’ cars. They saw the cars and shouted happily, “Mommy!” “Daddy!” and ran towards them. They looked back as if they realized something.

In front of the beautiful and cool [Chick Class], the five teachers wearing different colored aprons were smiling and standing. Jeong Nahee and Bak Ideun were a little teary-eyed.

The children looked back and forth between the cars and the teachers, and then ran back to the teachers with sad faces. They hugged their favorite teachers. Bak Ideun hugged the sobbing Yerin and Jeong Nahee hugged Myeongjin, looking like she was about to cry more.

Seo-jun also comforted Harang, who hugged him. Harang seemed to have already burst into tears, as his body was shaking. Even if it was a prepared farewell, it was still sad.

“Harang, shall we say goodbye now?”

“…Yeah.”

Harang sniffled and stomped his feet. He meant to ask him to put him down, so Seo-jun put Harang on the ground. He ran to the bags and brought something from his bag. It was a letter envelope with a sticker on the side that opened, neatly folded.

“This… Seo-jun teacher’s!”

“Teacher’s gift?”

“Yeah!”

He sniveled but bravely said everything he wanted to say, and Seo-jun smiled and opened the envelope. It was thicker and bigger than a normal envelope, and there was a handkerchief inside.

Seo-jun unfolded the handkerchief. It was white with colorful paints stained all over. He didn’t know yet because it hadn’t been broadcasted, but he could imagine how hard Harang had worked on it. It was so pretty and precious that he felt like he couldn’t use it.

“What a pretty handkerchief! Teacher will treasure it.”

“Hehehe.”

Harang smiled shyly as he hugged Seo-jun. There was not only a handkerchief but also a letter in the envelope. It looked like a sketchbook, but the part that was supposed to be on the spring was neatly cut. Bak Ideun must have helped him.

Seo-jun opened the letter. Harang wiggled his butt.

On the white sketchbook, a tall person who looked like Seo-jun and a small person who looked like Harang were holding hands and smiling.

There were also big hearts everywhere and shiny star-shaped stickers.

Next to it, there were crooked letters. He must have written them hard, as there were marks of pressing hard.

[Seo-jun teacher I love you Harang]

“Seo-jun teacher love you! Harang like teacher best!”

With a face full of tears and snot, Harang smiled brightly and said. Seo-jun paused for a moment and looked back and forth between the letter and Harang, then said with a choked voice.

“…Teacher loves Harang too. Really.”

“Hehehe.”

The tender scene of Harang and Seo-jun was captured on the camera.