Chapter 139

The Kim family kitchen was filled with the smell of fresh bread, roasted garlic, and Lisa’s newest brownie experiment that she swore would “change dessert history forever.”

Jennie sat at the dining table with their daughter, Ruby Kim, who was currently stuffing tiny strawberries into her cheeks like a squirrel preparing for winter.

“Baby Mandu,” Jennie Kim sighed, pinching Ruby’s puffed cheeks, “you look exactly like Mama when she steals snacks.”

Ruby gasped dramatically. “I not stealing! I harvesting!”

Across the table, Lisa Manoban snorted so hard she nearly inhaled powdered sugar.

Then Jennie’s mother walked into the kitchen carrying tea.

The moment Lisa saw her, she immediately straightened up with sparkling eyes.

“Mom,” Lisa said seriously, “I need to know.”

Jennie narrowed her eyes instantly. “No.”

“Yes,” Lisa nodded firmly. “It is time.”

“For what?”

Lisa placed both palms on the table dramatically.

“For the story.”

Jennie already looked exhausted. “Babe-“

“The Birth of Mandu.”

Ruby gasped. “MOMMY WAS BORN?!”

“I would hope so,” Jennie muttered.

Her mother burst into laughter while sitting down. “You still call her Mandu?”

Lisa looked personally offended. “Still? Ma’am, your daughter IS the blueprint of all dumplings.”

Jennie hid her face behind her hands.

Ruby proudly pointed at herself. “And I baby dumpling.”

“That’s right,” Lisa said proudly.

Jennie’s mother smiled warmly before looking at Lisa. “You really want to hear the labor story?”

Lisa scooted closer so fast the chair squeaked.

“Every detail.”

Jennie groaned. “Why are you so obsessed with my birth?”

“Because,” Lisa whispered emotionally, “that was the day the universe gifted humanity with tiny angry mochi.”

Ruby nodded wisely. “So brave.”

Jennie looked at both of them in betrayal. “I hate this family.”

“You love us,” Lisa corrected immediately.

“…Unfortunately.”

Her mother laughed again before beginning.

“Well… Jennie was already stubborn even before she was born.”

Lisa gasped softly. “I KNEW IT.”

Jennie pointed at her. “Don’t encourage her.”

Her mother continued anyway.

“The doctor said Jennie was supposed to come earlier. But no… she stayed comfortable and refused.”

Lisa slapped the table dramatically. “Of course she did.”

“She kicked nonstop too,” her mother said fondly. “Especially whenever I ate dumplings.”

Lisa froze.

Slowly, dramatically, she turned toward Jennie.

“You were literally a Mandu before birth.”

Jennie deadpanned, “Amazing. Fantastic. Thank you.”

Ruby climbed onto Jennie’s lap proudly. “Mommy born as dumpling.”

“Yes apparently,” Jennie sighed.

Her mother continued with sparkling eyes.

“And when labor finally started? Oh… your wife gave me the hardest time.”

Lisa looked horrified. “Tiny Mandu fought back?!”

“She refused to come out for HOURS.”

Jennie crossed her arms. “Maybe because outside looked stressful.”

“You came out grumpy,” her mother added.

Lisa gasped louder this time.

“NO WAY.”

“The nurses even laughed because most babies cry loudly after birth…”

She pointed at Jennie.

“…but this one frowned.”

Lisa lost control instantly.

She folded over the table wheezing while Ruby copied her laugh.

Jennie looked deeply offended. “I DID NOT FROWN.”

Her mother nodded confidently. “You did. Tiny face all scrunched up like someone disturbed your nap.”

Lisa wiped fake tears from her eyes.

“Oh my God… babe… you were born annoyed at existence.”

Jennie mumbled under her breath, “Still am.”

“But,” her mother smiled softly, “the second they placed her in my arms… she stopped crying.”

The kitchen quieted gently.

“She was so tiny,” her mother whispered fondly. “Tiny cheeks. Tiny hands. Big grumpy eyes staring at everyone.”

Lisa looked at Jennie with the softest expression ever.

“I wanna see baby pictures again.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

Ruby joined immediately. “YES.”

Jennie stared at the traitors surrounding her.

Her mother chuckled before continuing.

“The nurses kept saying she was one of the cutest babies in the ward.”

Lisa placed both hands on her chest dramatically. “Obviously.”

“But also the moodiest.”

“That too,” Lisa agreed instantly.

Jennie smacked Lisa’s arm while trying not to laugh.

“And then,” her mother added with a grin, “the first thing baby Jennie did after waking up…”

Lisa leaned forward intensely.

“…was glare at the doctor.”

Lisa collapsed against the table cackling.

Ruby was laughing too despite not fully understanding.

Jennie finally broke and laughed helplessly into her hands.

“This is slander.”

“No,” Lisa said between laughs, “this is lore.”

Her mother smiled warmly at the two of them.

“You know… seeing you love her this much makes me happy.”

Lisa immediately softened.

Then she reached for Jennie’s hand and kissed it gently.

“How could I not?” she murmured. “She’s my favorite Mandu.”

Jennie rolled her eyes affectionately.

“Too cheesy.”

“But true,” Lisa whispered.

Ruby suddenly climbed between them and squished both their cheeks together.

“Mama,” she announced proudly, “when Mommy born, universe say-“

She lifted both tiny hands dramatically.

“BEHOLD. THE MANDU.”

Lisa nearly fell off her chair laughing.

Jennie groaned into her daughter’s shoulder while her mother laughed so hard she had tears in her eyes.

And somewhere between the laughter, warm tea, brownies, and endless teasing-

Jennie realized maybe being born as the family Mandu wasn’t the worst thing in the world after all.