Vesper turned back to the shelves, voice soft— honest for once.
"…Mortals have so many wonders."
Then suddenly, I drag the little plastic cart behind me, the wheels already squeaking like it regrets existing...
Ivy walks beside me, holding onto the hem of my jacket like a tiny duckling.
Vesper trails behind us with her head tilted up, still staring at the fluorescent lights like they're some kind of divine prophecy written across the heavens.
"Alright," I mutter, pulling the basket forward with purpose, "we need food. Real food. Nutritious food."
I stop.
Blinked.
Then 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 a chips. more chips. Then the spicy ones… Then the huge party-sized ones.....
Each bag slams into the cart with intense desperation.
Thud. ThUD. THUD.
Ivy giggles. "Dad is going crazy…"
I'll just ignore that.
Vesper nods seriously. "He is entering a ritual trance."
I leaned down and grabbed chocolates. Cookies. Candy. Random energy bars I've never eaten in my life...
This is good parenting. Probably. I know this is how it works.
By the time I stop, the cart looks like a shrine built to honor junk food.
I place a hand on my hips.
"Perfect," I whisper, proud and slightly dead inside. "We're set for… at least… uhh. Two days."
"What are you talking about, Dad?" Ivy asks.
"We're gonna survive for one thousand years!"
I ignore the 'Dad'.
Vesper looks overwhelmed but impressed.
Then—
I froze.
"…Wait."
I looked at my overflowing cart.
"…Do I need like… milk? And eggs? And actual food?"
Ivy nods quickly.
While Vesper nodded slowly, elegantly.
I sigh so hard my life might shortens. "Alright. Milk and eggs. Then we're done."
I grab the milk first. Cold, heavy, responsible. Then the eggs. Fragile, unlike my sanity.
I look at Ivy. Then at Vesper. Then at my cart full of snacks that could kill a grown man.
Yeah. this is…
"Alright," I mutter. "Just one more thing."
I turned to the next aisle.
And there they are.
Sausage vs. Hotdog.
Two legendary items. Two destinies. Two breakfast gods staring back at me.
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 five seconds, pondering the meaning of life.
Ivy tugs my jacket.
"Dad… you okay?"
"…No."
Vesper leans closer.
"This battle… it is shaking his soul."
I inhale.
Then exhale.
"eehhh. Screw it."
Then with absolute seriousness. I grab both.
Sausage in my left hand, hotdog in my right like dual-wielding weapons.
"They shall decide their worth at home,"
Ivy claps. Vesper bows like I made a royal decree.
Dun dun dun.
We walk to the counter, my cart is 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 begin unloading items. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. A snack ritual.
Then I reach for my wallet. Pull out my card.
The cashier lila stays professional.
But… the OTHER cashier, the one sitting in the corner eating cup noodles, suddenly froze mid slurp.
Her eyes widened. Her jaw drops and 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 elbowed her, but she ignored it.
I swipe the card.
Beep.
Silence.
The cup noodle ladyl gasps dramatically.
"OH… MY… GOD… IT WORKED."
"… Ma'am, it's just a card."
I smirk. "My card"
She looks back. "Yes. It's THE card."
Ivy giggles behind me. Vesper tilts her head, whispeing. "What happened? He just paid with that squared artifact."
***
I turned around after paying, sliding my card back into my wallet.
Then I noticed… Both of them froze.
staring at something with the same expression people have when they witness ghosts or tax papers.
The Slushie Machine.
A glowing monument of chaos.
Ivy presses her hands against the transparent tank. "Dad… it's MOVING…"
Vesper steps closer, eyes huge, voice trembling like she's discovering forbidden knowledge. "…T-the liquid… it spins eternally… yet never falls… is this— magic?"
"Its just sugar ice."
They look at me as if I insulted their ancestors. They're… looking at me like I'm a disgusting peace of shit…
Then Ivy bounces excitedly. "Dad, can we get one?! Blue! The blue looks like it'll make my tongue fall off!
I exhale. "…In one condition."
She sparkles. "What is it, Dad?"
"Stop calling me Dad."
Her smile collapsed instantly.
"But… you agreed earlier."
"…When?"
"You said no when I asked if you were okay. That means yes."
I stared at her.
…What kind of logic is that.
But she believes it with her entire soul.
"Just don't call me Dad, and I'll buy both of you slushies."
Ivy lowers her head dramatically. "…Okay…" she mutters quietly.
Vesper steps closer to the machine.
Eyes huge. "It… calls to me… The blue one hums… I hear it whisper…"
I squint. "Are you hearing voices?" I asked
She nods seriously. "Yes. And this one sounds like—"
She pauses.
"BBRRRRVVVVVMMMMMM.'"
Those are the coils.
But. Whatever.
They looked excited... And honestly… After surviving the Sausage vs Hotdog war, I deserve this tiny moment of peace.
"Alright," I sigh. "Go choose your flavors."
Ivy screams victory.
"YAYAYAYYAYAYA—"
She grabs a cup pulls the lever and—
FWOoOoOSH
Blue slush erupts like an angry water elemental Beast.
"W-WAAHH— H-HELP! IT'S ATTACKING—"
I gently fix her hand so she stops flooding the cup.
"You tilted too far, kid."
Meanwhile, Vesper…
She approaches her machine like a priest before an altar.
Hand Gently hovering.
Eyes wide.
Breath soft.
She slowly...slowwly… pulls the lever.
Perfect.
Smooth.
Red slush flows like a divine nectar.
Her soul might leave her body, the way she looks like she's about to ascend.
"…It obeys my will," she whispers.
Her eyes shimmer like she's about to cry tears of divine.
"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 take a sip of my own slushie.
Brain freeze hits instantly.
"Agh— ah... UGH... I want to die..."
Ivy giggles.
"ahjussi you're weak!"
Vesper nods in agreement. "A mortal flaw is insufficient brain capacity."
"Shut up." I hissed, sipping again like an idiot.
We walk out.
One hyper child.
One mysterious goddess woman.
One dying man.
All with slushies in hand.
And I… Feel like I forgot something.
Something important.
Something vital.
Like something I left behind.
Something that—