Chapter 926 – [Eden’s Occupation of the Kindergarten]

Let’s be Christmas Eve, and this Christmas is going to be a white Christmas, it started to snow.

Let’s express our condolences to the soldiers who are spending Christmas in the army. It’s because of the pretty garbage that falls from the sky from the wind on Christmas morning, so I’m going to have to work on snow removal.

Anyway, I prepared the dishes to eat on Christmas Eve while watching the snow accumulating in the yard. Ji-hee, who lives next door, is also coming today, so I want to feed her her fill of delicious food if possible.

“I’m glad my parents gave me permission. I thought they wouldn’t let me do that at that house.”

“Normally, Christmas is a day when I can relax. I really should let people play on Christmas Eve and Christmas.”

Are there parents who send their children to private academies on Christmas Eve and Christmas? Even if it is questionable whether there will be academies that operate on holidays in the first place, that academy is a bastard. I’m not crazy, really.

Our Eden won’t let you have such a tight school days. Even at the academy, if there is something you want to learn, they will send it to you only then.

As long as you prepare and review your school studies, you can do the basics. If things don’t go well, Zion or I can teach you. I specialize in liberal arts and science, and Shion specializes in science, so it’s a fantastic combination.

“If I were to teach tutoring, I would be able to receive 1,200 won a month for tutoring.”

“The hourly wage my wife earns even if she just sits down…… No, it’s not even the grade level, but the beginner level seems to be more than that.”

“That’s what it says.”

Anyway, I prepared quite a lot of dishes to eat today. I even made a cake for dessert, so I can finish it well.

After getting ready, I waited for Jihee while watching TV with my family. Coincidentally, there was a special Christmas movie on TV, so everyone was able to enjoy it.

“But Jumanji brings back memories. Back then, Robin Williams was the main character, but these days, Dwayne Johnson and Jack Black are the main characters?”

“I personally like the first work. When I first saw Jumanji, I liked the feeling of being nervous about what would come out if I threw the dice.”

“So do I. Maybe it’s because an actor who used to be a professional wrestler came out, and I think I can knock out pretty much any gimmick with a rock bottom.”

“Ah!!!! I think so too!!!!”

In addition, the lead role in the first episode is like that in Legend. I’m also an actor that I personally like, and I’m a comedian, so it’s good to be funny when I’m funny.

Well, it was still a good enough movie to pass the time on Christmas Eve. After it was over, the sun was setting, so it was time for Jihee to come.

Ding-dong, the doorbell rings. Before we wake up, Eden runs towards the intercom.

“It’s Jihee unnie!!!!!!”

As Eden said, the face reflected on the intercom was Jihee. And Eden climbed onto the scaffold in front of the interphone and immediately pressed the button that opened the front door.

If you ask why there is a foothold, it is not Eden’s use, but Zion’s. Because Shion is short, there are footstools everywhere in the house.

Anyway, when Ji-hee arrives, she opens the front door and welcomes her. Ji-hee, wearing a scarf, was there with a much lighter face, probably because it was cold outside.

“Merry Christmas, mister”

“Okay, welcome. It’s going to be cold outside, so come inside quickly.”

“Yes, thank you for inviting me”

“Sister!!!! Welcome!!!!!”

Eden runs out and greets Jihee. Jihee is probably 5 or 6 years older than Eden, so she should be at the level of a senior in elementary school, but for some reason, their physiques don’t seem to differ that much. At most, it’s about one and a half heads.

Jihee was smaller than her peers, but Eden was taller than her peers. I’ll probably catch up in a few years.

Our Eden’s growth rate is so frightening…!!!!

“Jihee, I prepared a lot of things because you said you were coming. Don’t worry about it today, just eat and play.”

“I got permission from Ji-hee’s parents to stay a little late. So don’t hesitate and take a rest.”

“Thank you Mister, Mrs.”

All in all, they want to be parents on Christmas Eve, but they are parents who have no deep interest in their children in the first place. Dad’s side is at work today, and Mom’s side is busy with aunties’ gatherings or something.

But working even on a day like this, Dad will die young at a young age. Rest is also of the utmost importance.

I put aside my heavy thoughts for a moment and set the table.

Speaking of today’s main dishes, I can pick two main dishes, one being beef Wellington and turkey.

Beef Wellington is a dish that belongs to the delicious axis of the vicious British cuisine. However, if there is a downside, is it that it takes a lot of hands and is difficult to make? But a well-made Beef Wellington is really good thanks to the delicious meat and the crispy taste of the pastry.

And the turkey dish is a stranger in Korea, but if you look at overseas works with Christmas or Thanksgiving backgrounds, you will often see a large chicken-like whole roast. That’s why overseas people eat turkey for Christmas.

However, if there is one thing to be careful of, a whole-roasted turkey is not to the taste of Koreans. Turkey has a lot of breast meat, but pork meat doesn’t suit Korean taste well, and it smells like sour in some parts.

However, the whole roasted turkey is overwhelmingly visual. Of course, I cooked it and made it absolutely delicious, so it is a fantastic turkey that has both visual and taste unlike others.

“Wow!!!!!! That’s a really big chicken?”

“It’s not a chicken, it’s a turkey. That’s why it’s so good in movies and stuff.”

“Oh, this is a turkey. It’s huge. I’ve never eaten a turkey before…”

“It must be delicious because the uncle made it hard.”

Beef Wellington is also a dish that requires a lot of hands, but compared to the roast turkey I made this time, it’s a miracle.

The meaty part of the breast with the most volume, and there are parts that get tough if cooked for a long time, and it has a strong smell. After solving each of these, I had to put in enough effort to make more beef Wellington.

First of all, cook it once with sous vide to make the breast meat soft, put various spices in a plastic bag while cooking sous vide to get rid of the smell, and then put it back in the oven and bake it.

It looks simple at first glance, but if you consider that a turkey is a huge object weighing about 7 kilos each, it is more like hard work than cooking. Oh, for reference, the average chicken distributed in Korea is about 1 kg.

It’s 7 times the size of a chicken, even with a rough calculation…….. At least, I chose a relatively small turkey, but there are also large ones that weigh 10 kg, so if that was the case, I would have been more upset. A turkey this size just barely fit in my oven!!!!

Our oven is not too small. Rather, as I am a chef, I have prepared a large one. It’s just that it’s a big one for home use. Anything larger than that is for commercial use, not for home use.

“Eden, take a seat. I need to eat.”

“Uh!!!!!”

Sit together. Me, Shion, and Eden and Jihee…….. No, for some reason, I’m the only member who looks like an adult, but I start eating.

Even though the menu is not Korean, what is in front of each person is rice bowls filled with rice. To be honest, today’s menu is pretty salty, but how about just eating that? Korea is a rice heart!!!!!

The pre-meal prayer is skipped since none of them believe in religion. Ji-hee doesn’t have time to go to church because she goes to private academies, and we don’t care about religion, perhaps because of my influence.

“I will enjoy this food!!!!”

All you need before the meal is to wash your hands and eat well. Then, as the meal begins, I cut the beef Wellington and roast turkey into appropriate slices and distribute them to each person on their front plate.

This is what fathers do. Thanks to that, it was a position where I could share the most delicious parts, but I handed those parts over to the children and Zion.

“Dad, I want to eat a whole chicken leg!”

“The leg part? Can you eat it? It must be heavy.”

“Uh!!!!”

“Well, it wouldn’t be bad to eat that.”

One of the man’s romance!!!! Cartoon meat!!!!!

The last time I went to the valley, I ate T-bone steak, but this time it’s the type with a bone attached to the handle. Well, you can use something like chicken legs for this one.

Instead, it has to be grilled whole, and chicken doesn’t feel like it. It needs to be about the size of a turkey leg to give it the volume of cartoon meat.

I tore off a whole leg and gave it to Eden. It’s quite heavy, but Eden receives it and bites it vigorously.

“Delicious!!!!”

I made it and it tastes good, but it tastes better because it feels good. It’s a turkey leg that’s many times bigger than a chicken leg, almost the size of a club, but if it’s Eden, you’ll eat all of them.

“Would you like a turkey leg too?”

“No no no!!!!! I can’t eat all of that!!!!!”

“Ah, really. The amount must be quite large just now. Then, try to eat as much as you can. It would be a shame if you didn’t eat something because you were full for no reason.”

It’s good to taste different kinds of food to eat well. After that, even if you eat what you like, you feel like you’re losing money if you don’t eat.

So we ate. Beef Wellington or turkey were the main dishes, but it wasn’t that there weren’t other dishes, so I had a good time eating this and that and listening to reviews.

But in the end, the ship calls. The meal was over by the time Jihee, as well as Eden and Shion, who were gluttons, were full.

“I’m full……..”

“Is our Eden full? Then you can stop eating. We’re going to take a break later and eat cake anyway.”

“Wow!!!! Cake!!!!!”

Cake at Christmas too. In Korea, when it comes to Christmas, we usually prepare a Christmas cake.

Of course, the cake I prepared today is not a mass-produced cake that can be found in the general market.

I started putting away the finished table. Ji-hee tried to help me by removing the dishes from the table, but I stopped her.

“I’ll help you, mister.”

“It’s okay. The kids aren’t working on a day like today. Jihee, you and Eden should be playing together.”

“No, but I…”

“It’s okay to play on a day like today. At least there’s no one talking about it right here.”

“………..Yes”

Ji-hee smiled lightly along with the answer and went to play with Eden. Although there is a difference in age, they are still the same girl, so the two of them should be able to play well together.

I cleared the table with Zion. Most of the dishes were either all or almost all eaten, but the turkey side was so large that there was a relatively large portion left over.

“There’s quite a bit of this left. What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to separate the flesh and put it in a sandwich later. It’s delicious, right?”

“Hmm, it’s salty and delicious to eat as it is, but I think it’ll be okay to eat it as a sandwich.”

I am careful to eat all the dishes without throwing them away. No matter how tasteless a dish is, I try to eat it all at once. For me, there is no such thing as throwing away leftover dishes. Even if I happen to eat all of them.

Anyway, after setting the table and putting off the dishes until tomorrow, I watched the children play for a while.

“Ah, a villainous monster has appeared!!!! Robot Kick!!!!!”

“Kyaaaaagh! I lost!!!!”

“Justice wins!!!! Wahahahaha!!!!”

Two girls are gathered, so why are they playing a game like a scene from Jeondaemul…… No, Jihee is matching Eden.

Boys can just think of it as if they were watching Cardcaptor Cherry. To be honest, I’ve seen cherries too.

After watching the kids play happily, after a while, when I was a little digested, I brought out the Christmas cake I had prepared.

“Hey guys, let’s eat cake!”

“Wow!!!! Cake!!!!!”

It was said that women have a separate stomach for eating sweets. In particular, since cake is eaten only on special occasions, unless it is a piece of cake, it is a dessert that children look forward to more.

When I put the cake out of the refrigerator, Eden looked at the cake and asked curiously.

“Dad, is this a cake? It looks like a tree.”

“Isn’t it amazing? It’s a cake like this.”

Even in France, they eat cake at Christmas. Among those cakes, there is a cake called Bouche de Noel, which literally translates to Christmas log or firewood.

That’s why the shape of the cake looks like a log. Apply cream mixed with chocolate to make the bark part and add some decorations to make a cake that looks like a log on the outside.

Of course, the content is a cake I made separately. It was made by applying cream on a sponge cake and rolling it up like a roll cake.

However, by using a fairly thin sponge cake, I was able to make a cake that was more curled than a regular roll cake. It was characterized by a little bit of chocolate mixed with cream, and when it was sliced, circular marks were visible, just like the annual rings of a real log.

I cut the cake piece by piece and handed it out. If you can eat more, you can eat it, but after eating a lot, it’s good to eat it with your mouth. I’ll eat the leftovers later anyway, and I’ll take care of it for Jihee to eat separately.

“Ah…….!!! The cake is so delicious!!! The chocolate tastes so good”

“I’ll stay anyway, so I’ll pack some for you later. Go home and eat with your parents.”

“Thank you, mister. By the way, there’s a slight smell of mocha inside, too?”

“Well?”

While making Bouche de Noel, the chocolate inside was slightly flavored with mocha. If the outside and the inside are the same chocolate, the taste would easily get tired, so he made a little change.

However, it’s not that the cake smells like mocha, but if you know for sure that it smells like mocha, you have a pretty good sense of taste. I think I found an unexpected side to Ji-hee.

…….But Jihee’s parents won’t mind that. If you have a good sense of taste, that’s all you think about.

All I could do was treat Jihee with delicious food so that she could use her sense of taste. After all, I’m just the man who lives next door to Jihee.

I was eating cake in the middle of the day, and the day was over. Outside, the night got quite deep.

And like last year, he came on Christmas Eve, not Christmas.

“Uh?”

“Wow!!!!!! It’s Santa!!!!!!”

A large red sleigh landed outside the living room window, pulled by several reindeer. It descends from the sky and lands like a vertical take-off and landing.

And the benevolent Santa Claus, whom I saw last year, waved his hand toward me and greeted me.

“Hohoho!!!! Merry Christmas!!!!!”

“It’s Santa Claus!!!! It’s the real Santa Claus!!!!!”

Ji-hee had seen him on Christmas Eve last year, but it was a very sudden meeting, and at that time, she was dubious about whether Santa really existed. Besides, I didn’t even see a sleigh.

But now we know that Santa is real. If there is a Santa who appears on a sleigh flying in the sky in front of your eyes, you will have no doubt that the Santa is the real Santa.

The children immediately jumped out of their seats, opened the living room window, and ran out. There was snow in the yard, but I ran to him to see if it wasn’t cold even after stepping on it with my bare feet.

“Santa Grandpa!!!! I was a good kid this year too!!!!”

“Me, me too!!!! Me too!!!!!”

“Heh heh heh, don’t worry. Even Rudolph knows that both Eden and Jihee are good kids.”

Rudolph, the red nose who stood at the head of the sleigh, purrs and sends an affirmative response.

After seeing the real Rudolph, Ji-hee’s face was full of excitement. Ji-hee, who was so excited, was the first time I had ever seen her as a neighbor.

But on the other hand, it has to be that way. No matter what, Jihee is still an elementary school student. A child is the best, natural, and happy thing to be a child.

“Huh? But why did Santa visit on Christmas Eve… Come to think of it, why did he come to visit us on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas, just like last year?”

“It’s a secret, but the good kids among the good kids tend to hand out presents hours early. It’s like special treatment.”

“And me too?”

“Can’t you see that I’m here?”

Santa’s large, mittened hand stroked Jihee’s hair.

There might have been a lot of hardships while attending the academy this year, but at least Jihee was happy now. I heard that he is a very nice kid as a certified Santa.

Even if it’s close to a white lie… Well, I don’t intend to expose such a lie that destroys innocence.

“Jihee, here’s the gift you’ve been wanting to receive. Like last year’s miniature house, this time it’s a swimming pool version.”

“Wow!!!! Thanks, Santa Claus!!!!!”

Without even looking, Santa took out a large present from her gift package and handed it to Jihee. I couldn’t see the contents because of the wrapping paper, but it must be fun to open it.

And Santa’s gaze goes to Eden.

“The gift Eden wanted to receive this year was…”

“……Can’t I, Grandpa?”

When Eden asks, slightly worried, he shakes her head. Fortunately, it was in the shape of being able to meet Mangmungi in some way.

“You should talk to your parents about that for a second.”

The story seemed a bit long. I decided to prepare a drink to serve to Santa.

But can’t you drink? If you drink and drive a sleigh, that’s drunk driving!!!!!