.Her voice dropped — soft, honest for once.
.
"…Mortals have so many wonders"
.
Then suddenly, Si Hon drags the little plastic cart behind him, the wheels already squeaking like it regrets existing...
.
Ivy walks beside him, holding onto the hem of his jacket like a tiny duckling following its parent.
. (A/N. Quak quak)
Vesper trails behind with her head tilted up, still staring at fluorescent lights like they're divine revelations.
.
"Alright," I mutter, pulling the basket forward with purpose, "we need food. Real food. Nutritious food."
.
I stop.
Blinked.
Then I turn toward the snack aisle.
.
Ivy gasps. "Woahhh…"
.
Vesper covers her mouth. "These… colorful bags… they hum with temptation."
.
I ignore both of them.
.
I grab chips.
Then more chips..
Then the spicy ones...
Then the huge party-sized ones.....
.
Each bag slams into the cart with escalating insanity.
.
Thud.
Thud.
THUD.
.
Ivy giggles. "Dad is going crazy…"
.
I'll just ignore that...
.
Vesper nods seriously. "He is entering a ritual trance."
.
Then I leaned down grabbing chocolates.
Cookies...
Candy...
Random energy bars I've never eaten in my life...
.
This is good parenting. This is definitely how it works.
.
By the time I stop, the cart looks like a shrine built to honor junk food.
.
I place my hands on my hips. (Femboy!!!)
.
"Perfect," I whisper, proud and slightly dead inside. "We're surviving for at least… uhh… two days."
.
"What are you talking about, Dad," ivy said.
.
"we're gonna survive for one thousand years!"
.
I still ignored the 'Dad'.
.
Vesper looks overwhelmed but impressed.
.
Then—
I froze.
.
"…Wait."
.
I look at my overflowing cart.
.
"…Do I need like… milk? And eggs? And actual food?"
.
Ivy nods quickly.
.
While Vesper nods with divine intensity.
.
I sigh so hard my soul might leave my body.
.
"…Alright. Milk and eggs. Then I swear we're done."
.
I grab the milk first. Cold, heavy, responsible.
.
Then the eggs. Fragile, unlike my sanity.
.
I look at Ivy.
I look at Vesper.
I look at my cart full of snacks that could kill a grown man.
.
It probably does.
.
"Alright," I mutter. "Just one more thing. Maybe."
.
I turn to the next aisle.
.
And then—
.
There they are.
.
Sausage vs. Hotdog...
.
Two legendary items staring at me like they're part of an ancient prophecy.
.
I squint at the sausage pack.
.
"Sausage is… fancy."
"Elegant."
"Rich people breakfast."
"Easier to cook"
.
Then I look at the hotdog pack.
.
"and, Hotdog is… fun."
"Chaotic."
"Explodes if cooked wrong."
.
I stand there for a full five seconds, thinking deeply like it's life or death situation.
.
Ivy tugs my jacket.
. (A/N. CHAN... JACKET CHAN... OMG IM SO CORNY...)
"Dad… you okay?"
.
"…No."
.
Vesper leans in.
.
"This battle… I think... it's shaking his soul."
.
I inhale.
Then exhale.
Then with absolute seriousness...
.
"eehhh. Screw it."
.
I grab both.
.
Sausage in my left hand, hotdog in my right like dual-wielding weapons.
.
"They shall decide their worth at home," I declare, copying Vesper's tone.
.
Ivy claps.
.
Vesper bows like I made a royal decree.
.
.
*Dun dun dun*
.
.
We walk to the counter, my cart practically begging for mercy under the weight of snacks.
.
The cashier. A calm looking woman in uniform, glances up and instantly straightens.
.
"Good evening, Mr. Si Hon."
.
"Evening Lila"
.
She smiled.
.
I then start unloading the snacks. "thud. thud. thud. thud. thud" like offering sacrifice.
.
Then I reach for my wallet.
Pulls out my card.
.
The cashier stays professional.
.
But....
.
The OTHER cashier, the one sitting in the corner eating cup noodles, suddenly freezes mid slurp.
. (A/N. *EYE* EYE*)
Her eyes widen.
Her jaw drops.
Her soul might left her body, the way she's shaking aggressively.
.
She whispers. "Is this… is this the moment?"
.
"Am I... finally going to witness… the power… of Mr. Si Hon's card?"
.
Her coworker elbows her, but she continues staring with pure awe, like she's watching a Mythical creatures AWAKENING.
.
I swipe the card.
Beep.
Silence.
The corner cashier gasps dramatically.
.
"OH… MY… GOD… IT WORKED."
.
I look at her. "… Ma'am, it's just a card."
.
I smirked. "My card"
.
She looks back like "Yes. It's THE card."
.
Ivy giggles behind me.
.
Vesper tilts her head, whispering. "What's happening? He just paid with that squared card."
.
I turned around after paying, sliding my card back into my wallet like some kind of legendary artifact.
.
Then I notice them...
.
Ivy and Vesper… frozen… staring at something with the same expression people have when they witness a ghosts or tax papers.
. (A/N. NGL... TAX IS ACTUALLY SCARIER THAN GHOST.)
The Slushie Machine.
.
The glowing, swirling, sugar-filled monument of pure chaos.
.
Ivy presses her hands against the transparent tank.
.
"Dad… it's MOVING…"
.
I looked at ivy. Not saying anything.
.
Vesper steps closer, eyes huge, voice trembling like she's discovering forbidden cosmic knowledge.
.
"…T-the liquid… it spins eternally… yet never falls… is this… magic?"
.
I looked at the cashier Putting all the thing I bought in groceries bag.
.
Then I turned over to them. rubbing my face. "It's literally just sugar ice."
.
But the two look at me like I just committed crime...
.
They looked at me like I'm a disgusting peace of shit...
.
Then Ivy bounces excitedly.
.
"DAD, can we get one?! Pleaseeee! Blue one! The BLUE looks like it will make my tongue fall off!"
.
I exhale. "…In one condition."
.
Her eyes sparkle. "What is it, Dad?"
.
"Stop calling me Dad. You've been calling me Dad since earlier."
.
Her smile collapsed instantly. "But… you agreed to it."
.
"…When?"
.
"You've been letting me call you Dad, and when I asked if you were okay back in the hotdog aisle. You said no. That means yes."
.
I stared at her.
.
That makes absolutely zero sense. For me... dont know about her tho.
.
But she believes it with her whole soul.
.
"Just don't call me Dad, and I'll buy both of you slushie."
.
Ivy lowers her head dramatically. "…Okay."
.
Then vesper stares into the machine, awestruck.
.
"It… calls to me… The blue one hums… I hear it whisper…"
.
I squint. "You hearing voices?"
.
Vesper nods seriously.
.
"Yes. And this one sounds like—"
.
She pauses.
.
"BBRRRRVVVVVMMMMMM.'"
.
I pinch the bridge of my nose.
.
Those are the refrigeration coils.
.
But whatever.
.
They looked excited... And honestly… after surviving the Sausage vs Hotdog war, I deserve this tiny peace moment.
.
"Alright," I sigh. "Slushies. Go pick your flavors."
.
Ivy forgotten? the earlier conversation jumps like she just won the lottery.
.
"YAYAYAYAYYA!"
.
She grabs a cup, pulls the lever—
.
FWOOOSH
.
Bright blue slush explodes out like an water elemental beast finally freed from imprisonment.
.
Ivy: "WOAAHH— H-HELP! IT'S ATTACKING—"
.
I gently fix her hand so she stops flooding the cup.
.
"You tilted too far, kid."
.
Meanwhile.
.
Vesper stands before her machine like a priest at an altar.
.
Hand Gently hovering.
.
Eyes wide.
.
Breath soft.
.
She slowly...slowwly… pulls the lever.
.
And the red slush pours out, perfectly smooth~
.
Her soul might left her body, the way she look like she's about to ascend...
.
"…It obeys my will," she whispers.
.
Her eyes shimmer like she's about to cry tears of divine wonder.
.
"This… red frozen nectar… is truly a blessing…"
.
I take my own cup and fill it.
Blue. Obviously. Classic.
.
Ivy raises her drink triumphantly.
"Da- ahjussi look!!! If I drink this I'll get superpowers!!!"
.
Vesper lowers her cup with the grace of a saint.
"If I drink this… I may ascend…"
.
Sure.
.
I stare at them both.
.
Then take a sip of my own slushie.
.
Brain freeze hits instantly.
.
"agh—"
"aHh–"
"ah."
"I want to die..."
.
Ivy giggles.
"ahjussi you're weak!"
.
Vesper nods in agreement. "A mortal flaw insufficient brain capacity."
.
I glare at both of them, sipping again... like an idiot.
"…Shut up."
.
(A/n. Tsundere)
.
We walk out of the store, each holding a slushie — one hyper child, one ascended cosmic woman, and me, suffering in silence.
.
And... Forgetting something... Like something important that I left behind...
.
(A/N. Kay I really like writing rn. So Idk... Might make another one? Lol)
.
A/N. Quiz time!!! Why... Why did Ivy took Si Hon no to yes?.
.
(A/N. AHHHHHHHHH I ACTUALLY DIDN'T FAIL THE EXAM AND I PASSED MY grades!!!!(