Episode 4 – Feeding Shu
After Bbo-Bbo-Ro ended, I was wondering what to do next when Shu suddenly patted her round belly and said,
“Belly.”
“Huh?”
“Mama, belly.”
Was her stomach hurting? But then—gurgle—I heard a sound. It came from Shu’s belly.
Right. She hadn’t eaten anything since hatching. And after all that flying and dancing, she must be starving.
“You’re hungry, huh, Shu?”
“Hungry?”
“You should say, ‘I’m hungry.’”
“I’m hungry?”
“Yep. Just wait—I’ll go get you something to eat.”
But… what do baby dragons even eat?
Normally, newborns drink their mother’s milk, but Shu didn’t have a mother anymore. And I definitely didn’t produce milk either.
So I needed something similar.
Milk should work… right?
Luckily, I’d just bought some fresh milk at the store. I took it out from my inventory and found a bowl in the mess of a kitchen. Since Shu was still a baby, she probably couldn’t use a cup yet. A bowl seemed easier.
“Actually, maybe I should just feed you with a spoon instead. Shu, hold on, I’ll help you—”
Crash!
While I turned my head for just a second, the tiny, adorable troublemaker smacked the bowl with her little paw. Milk splashed everywhere, and the bowl shattered.
“Mama?”
“Shu! It’s dangerous — come here!”
I held my arms open, and Shu shouted, “Mama!” as she flew right into my arms. Honestly, moments like this made her so cute and lovable… but then I looked at the mess on the floor and just sighed.
“Mama, I’m hungry. Shu is hungry.”
Shu had no idea she’d done anything wrong. Still cuddled in my arms, she kept whining, and her stomach kept growling. I had to feed her first—broken dishes could wait.
“…Guess I need that after all…”
Still holding Shu, I rushed out of the house.
***
Even though there were dungeons and monsters in this world, I couldn’t just take Shu out in the open.
But I also couldn’t leave her home alone — it would be dangerous for her and for the house.
So I wrapped Shu tightly in a transparent cloak. I’d wanted to carry her on my back, but that was harder than I thought, so I carried her on my chest instead—awkward but secure.
The cloak was a magic item that made only the target invisible. So even with me holding her, only Shu turned invisible.
Like that, I headed back to the supermarket.
They had everything else… This should be there too.
I leaped over a few buildings and quickly arrived at the store—my second visit today, but for a totally different reason.
I ignored the meat section and snack aisles I looked at earlier and went straight to the baby section. I focused mana into my eyes to find what I needed fast.
There it is!
I spotted it in less than a second. I hurried over and gently picked it up.
A baby bottle.
This would stop Shu from smashing bowls and let her eat comfortably. I looked at the bottle with loving eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.
Actually, I’d better buy extras, just in case.
Shu was way stronger than any normal newborn. I mean, she was a dragon, but I still hadn’t expected her to break a bowl with just a paw tap.
So I filled the basket with bottles. Then, as Shu whined in my arms, I also grabbed a big stack of baby formula.
I quickly paid and rushed back home. Thankfully, Shu didn’t cry—but she kept calling, “Mama, mama,” clearly hungry and impatient.
Honestly, I should’ve bought formula and bottles a long time ago. But I was a total newbie guardian. I had installed a mana generator in the baby’s room… but forgot about food entirely.
I can’t believe I promised Shumi I’d take care of her child and forgot the most basic thing…
I felt ashamed and kept telling Shu to hang in there just a bit longer.
Since I was running, it didn’t take even five minutes to get home. I lived on the 12th floor, but I raced up the stairs like it was nothing. Just as I was unlocking the door, the elevator dinged and an old lady stepped out.
“Oh, are you the young man living across the hall?”
“Sorry?”
“I live here too. I knew someone moved in recently, but I haven’t seen you before.”
She must’ve been my neighbor. Figuring I should be polite, I bowed and introduced myself.
“Oh my, no need to be so formal.” “I meant to greet you earlier, but things have been hectic since moving in…” “Of course. Raising a child isn’t easy.”
Her eyes went to the bags I was carrying—full of baby bottles and formula. It was natural for her to assume I had a baby. And well… she wasn’t wrong.
I nodded and replied, “Yeah, it’s really tough…”
“If you ever have questions, feel free to ask me. Young people today are smart, but raising a kid and knowing how to raise a kid are two different things.”
“Thank you…”
I was caught off guard by her kindness but also very grateful. It was nice knowing my neighbor seemed like a good person.
Just then—
“Glasses!”
“…?!”
“Huh? Glasses?”
I panicked and gently covered Shu’s mouth. Not tightly — just enough to stop her words.
She probably remembered Bbo-Bbo-Ro, the cartoon we watched earlier. The main character wore glasses, and I had told her, “Those are glasses.”
Being the genius baby dragon she was, Shu remembered the word. And the lady in front of us was wearing glasses.
She just wanted to say what she knew.
The problem? Shu was invisible right now. So it must’ve been shocking to suddenly hear a child’s voice come from thin air.
“Did… did I just hear a kid’s voice…?”
“Ah, uh—I meant, your glasses look really great on you!”
“What?”
“Those bright red glasses really suit you!”
Our voices sounded nothing alike, but I had to bluff. The neighbor tilted her head, confused. But from her point of view, it was just her and me in the hallway.
“Ugh, my hearing must be going bad. No way a grown man’s voice could sound like a kid’s, right?”
“Haha… y-yeah. My voice is kind of… cute.”
“What?”
“Nothing! Have a great day! I have something urgent to do, so I’ll head in—”
I quickly tried to escape, but she stopped me again.
“Wait, young man!”
“Yes? Is there something else?”
I froze, wondering if the invisibility cloak had worn off, but it was still working just fine.
“Not a big deal. Just check your mailbox, okay?”
“Huh? Mailbox?”
“It’s overflowing with mail. What if something urgent is in there? I know you’re busy with the baby, but still…”
“Oh…”
Come to think of it, I hadn’t checked the mailbox at all.
Then again, after being gone for seven years, it’s not like I’d be getting important mail. I thanked her and finally went inside.
“Haa…”
As soon as I got in, I sighed deeply. I was more exhausted from that one conversation than running to the store at full speed.
I glanced down at the cause of all this trouble—but I couldn’t even pretend to be mad.
Still hungry, Shu had grabbed my finger and was sucking on it like it was a bottle.
“…Yeah. This is on me.”
I gently cradled her and quickly prepared the formula. I followed the instructions, though I wasn’t sure I did it right. I cooled it down, poured it into the bottle, and gave it to Shu.
She instinctively latched onto the nipple and started drinking eagerly.
“Tastes good, Shu?” “Yummy! Shu likes this!”
“I’m so glad…”
Watching her happily drinking, I smiled too. Shu hadn’t even been born that long ago, but I already felt worn out.
This whole day… had been more exhausting than fighting monsters.
With a blank stare, I let out a long sigh.
