Chapter 137

The whole Kim-Manobal household had one very serious problem.

Nobody called Ruby by her actual name anymore.

Not the maids.

Not their friends.

Not even her own parents.

To the entire family, five-year-old Ruby was simply-

“Baby Mandu!”

And honestly?

Ruby preferred it that way.

It all started the day she was born.

Or more specifically…

The moment the doctor placed the newborn onto Jennie’s chest.

The delivery room had gone unusually quiet.

Not because something was wrong.

But because everyone was staring.

The nurses stared.

The doctor stared.

Even Lisa looked completely speechless for a solid ten seconds.

Because the baby was…

Round.

Very round.

A perfectly steamed dumpling wrapped in blankets.

Tiny eyes.

Chubby cheeks.

Little pout.

And the exact same cat-like face as Jennie.

Lisa had immediately burst out laughing through her tears.

“How the heck did she fit inside your tiny body, babe?!”

Jennie, exhausted and sweaty, weakly glared at her wife while cradling the baby.

“Stop laughing…”

“I can’t!” Lisa wheezed. “She looks exactly like you!”

The newborn then scrunched her face.

Pouted.

And somehow looked even more offended.

Lisa gasped dramatically.

“Oh my god.”

Jennie blinked. “What?”

“She has your attitude already.”

One of the nurses couldn’t stop smiling.

“She really looks like a little dumpling.”

Lisa immediately pointed at the baby.

“Exactly!”

Then she looked at Jennie.

“Original Mandu.”

Then at the baby again.

“Fluffy Baby Mandu.”

And unfortunately for Ruby…

The nickname stayed forever.

–

Five years later.

“BABY MANDU!”

Tiny footsteps thundered down the stairs.

“I’M COMING!”

Jennie sighed fondly while flipping pancakes.

“See?” she told Lisa. “She doesn’t answer when we call her Ruby anymore.”

Lisa looked entirely unapologetic while sipping coffee.

“That’s because Baby Mandu is superior.”

“Babe, she needs to know her real name.”

Right on cue-

The little girl ran into the kitchen wearing mismatched socks, fluffy bunny pajamas, and bed hair that looked suspiciously identical to Jennie’s morning hair.

Ruby climbed onto Lisa’s lap immediately.

“Mamaaaa.”

Lisa kissed her cheek loudly.

“There’s my fluffy mandu.”

Ruby giggled.

Jennie watched the two with disbelief.

“They’re literally the same person.”

Ruby suddenly looked at Jennie with wide eyes.

“Mommy.”

“Hm?”

“Can I have twelve pancakes?”

Lisa gasped proudly.

“That’s my daughter.”

Jennie pinched the bridge of her nose.

“You are BOTH impossible.”

–

The nickname problem became especially obvious in public.

One day at the mall-

“Baby Mandu, wait for Mama!”

Half the crowd turned.

Because Lisa yelled it with zero shame.

Ruby, carrying three plushies and cotton candy bigger than her face, happily waddled back.

“Yes Mama?”

Jennie hid her face.

“I can’t believe we raised her like this.”

Lisa blinked innocently.

“Raised her with love?”

“With dumpling propaganda.”

Ruby nodded seriously.

“I am fluffy baby mandu.”

“There!” Jennie pointed accusingly. “That!”

Lisa only grinned.

“You made the original face. I just made the title.”

Jennie tried not to laugh.

Failed instantly.

Because honestly?

Ruby truly was her miniature clone.

Same cheeks.

Same eyes.

Same dramatic expressions.

Even the same habit of pouting whenever she wanted cuddles.

Sometimes Lisa genuinely felt like she was raising two Jennies at once.

And both were clingy.

Very clingy.

–

Every night before bed followed the exact same ritual.

Ruby would climb between them while carrying her giant dumpling pillow.

Lisa would tuck the blanket around her dramatically.

Then Jennie would kiss her forehead.

And together they’d say-

“Goodnight, fluffy baby mandu.”

The five-year-old always smiled sleepily afterward like it was the greatest title in the world.

Because to Ruby…

Being their “Baby Mandu” meant being loved.

It meant warmth.

Soft kisses.

Morning cuddles.

Movie nights.

Forehead boops.

And being squeezed between her moms every single day.

So naturally…

She became extremely proud of it.

–

Which led directly to the disaster known as:

Kindergarten Nickname Day.

Jennie should’ve known something terrible would happen when Ruby woke up unusually excited.

“Mommy!”

“Yes, baby?”

“We’re sharing nicknames today!”

Jennie smiled while brushing Ruby’s hair.

“Oh really?”

“Yes! Teacher said everyone has special names at home!”

Lisa immediately appeared beside them.

“Oh no.”

Jennie narrowed her eyes.

“What do you mean ‘oh no’?”

Lisa looked nervous for once.

“I just realized…”

“What?”

“…we may have overcommitted to the mandu thing.”

Jennie snorted.

“You think?”

Ruby proudly raised her hand.

“I know my nickname!”

Lisa groaned softly.

Too late.

–

At school, the classroom buzzed with excited children.

One kid’s nickname was Peanut.

Another was Bunny.

Someone else was Potato.

The teacher smiled warmly from the front.

“Okay everyone! Let’s share our special nicknames from home!”

Ruby sat proudly in her tiny chair.

Her little legs swung back and forth excitedly.

The teacher pointed toward one child.

“What’s your nickname?”

“Princess!”

“Aww!”

Another child stood up.

“My dad calls me Captain Dino!”

The class erupted into laughter.

Finally-

The teacher smiled at Ruby.

“And what about you, Ruby?”

Ruby stood immediately.

Confidence radiated from her tiny dumpling body.

“My nickname is Mandu.”

The class blinked.

The teacher blinked.

“Mandu?”

Ruby nodded proudly.

“No.”

She lifted her chin higher.

“Fluffy Baby Mandu.”

A few children giggled.

One boy raised his hand.

“What’s a mandu?”

Ruby gasped dramatically like he’d committed a crime.

“A dumpling!”

Then she proudly pointed at her cheeks.

“Because I look like my mommy.”

The teacher bit back laughter.

“That’s very sweet.”

Ruby continued proudly.

“My mama said Mommy is Original Mandu.”

Now the teacher was struggling not to laugh completely.

“And you’re fluffy baby mandu?”

Ruby nodded.

“Yes.”

Then she whispered proudly-

“Mama says I was born extra fluffy.”

The entire class burst into laughter.

Not mean laughter.

Just delighted five-year-old laughter.

Soon another child raised their hand.

“I wanna be dumpling too.”

“No,” Ruby informed seriously. “You need a mandu face.”

The teacher almost choked.

–

Pickup time arrived later that afternoon.

Lisa and Jennie walked toward the classroom holding hands.

Before they even entered-

They heard chaos.

“Mandu!”

“Baby Mandu!”

“Fluffy dumpling!”

Jennie froze.

Lisa immediately covered her face.

“Oh no.”

The classroom door burst open.

And suddenly six tiny children ran toward Ruby.

“BYE MANDU!”

Ruby waved proudly.

“BYE EVERYONE!”

The teacher approached the couple trying-and failing-not to laugh.

“So…”

Jennie already knew.

“She told everyone?”

“Oh yes.”

Lisa groaned into her hands.

The teacher smiled warmly.

“She was actually adorable.”

“That’s what makes it worse,” Jennie muttered.

The teacher crouched slightly beside Ruby.

“She gave a very passionate speech about dumplings.”

Ruby beamed.

“I did good!”

“You certainly did,” the teacher replied.

Then she looked at Lisa and Jennie again.

“I think the entire class now wants dumplings for lunch.”

Lisa immediately pointed proudly at Ruby.

“That’s my daughter.”

Jennie smacked her arm lightly.

“This is your fault!”

“My fault?! Babe, YOU are the original mandu!”

Ruby tugged Lisa’s sleeve.

“Mama.”

“Yes baby?”

“Can we eat dumplings?”

Lisa gasped dramatically.

“She’s perfect.”

Jennie laughed helplessly.

–

The nickname situation somehow became worse after that.

Because now Ruby’s classmates also called her Mandu.

Even the teachers accidentally slipped sometimes.

One afternoon-

Jennie arrived to pick Ruby up early.

The receptionist smiled immediately.

“Oh! You’re here for Mandu.”

Jennie stared.

“…I’m sorry?”

The receptionist looked horrified.

“I mean Ruby!”

Jennie slowly turned toward Lisa, who was trying very hard not to laugh beside her.

“This has spread.”

Lisa wheezed.

“You created a legacy, babe.”

Jennie buried her face in her hands.

–

At home later that night-

Ruby climbed onto the couch between her moms.

“Mommy?”

“Hm?”

“Can I ask question?”

“Of course.”

Ruby looked genuinely curious.

“Why am I baby mandu?”

Jennie smiled softly.

Before she could answer-

Lisa immediately grabbed Ruby’s cheeks.

“Because you were the fluffiest dumpling baby ever born.”

Ruby giggled loudly.

“And because you look exactly like Mommy.”

Jennie poked Ruby’s nose gently.

“Especially these cheeks.”

Ruby puffed them out proudly.

Lisa nearly cried on the spot.

“LOOK AT HER.”

“She’s literally doing it on purpose,” Jennie laughed.

Ruby suddenly hugged both of them tightly.

“I like being Baby Mandu.”

Jennie kissed the top of her head.

“Really?”

Ruby nodded immediately.

“Because it’s from Mommy and Mama.”

Silence filled the room for a moment.

Soft.

Warm.

The kind only family creates.

Lisa melted first, obviously.

“Oh my god, I’m emotional.”

Jennie smiled fondly.

“You’re always emotional.”

“I can’t help it!”

Ruby squeezed them tighter.

“I’m your baby forever.”

Jennie and Lisa exchanged looks instantly.

That dangerous parent look.

The one that meant mutual destruction through affection.

“Oh no,” Ruby whispered.

Too late.

Lisa attacked first with kisses.

“Mwah mwah mwah!”

Jennie joined immediately.

“Our fluffy baby!”

“Our tiny mandu!”

“Our dumpling!”

Ruby shrieked with laughter while being trapped between cuddles.

“Noooo!”

“Yes!”

The little girl laughed so hard she nearly fell sideways.

And honestly?

Moments like this were exactly why the nickname stayed.

Because “Baby Mandu” wasn’t just teasing.

It wasn’t just about Ruby looking like Jennie.

It became something softer over the years.

A reminder of the first moment they saw her.

Their tiny steamed dumpling.

Round cheeks.

Tiny pout.

Big eyes.

And endless love.

–

A few weeks later, the family attended a school fair.

Ruby ran ahead wearing a hoodie with little dumpling prints all over it.

Lisa had bought it immediately after seeing it online.

Jennie claimed she disapproved.

But she took fifty pictures of Ruby wearing it.

So her opinion clearly didn’t count.

At the fair, Ruby participated in a simple game booth.

The worker smiled kindly.

“What’s your name, sweetheart?”

Ruby answered automatically.

“Mandu.”

Jennie and Lisa both burst out laughing instantly.

The worker blinked.

“…Mandu?”

Ruby paused.

Then gasped dramatically.

“Oh.”

She straightened proudly.

“Ruby Mandu.”

Lisa collapsed against Jennie laughing.

“That’s it. It’s official now.”

Jennie laughed into her shoulder.

“We’ve lost her forever.”

Ruby grinned proudly.

Then she grabbed both their hands.

“Come on Mommy! Come on Mama!”

The couple followed immediately.

Because honestly?

Neither of them could ever resist their fluffy baby mandu.

Not when she smiled like Jennie.

Not when she clung like Lisa.

Not when she looked at them like they hung the moon itself.

And definitely not when she still curled between them every night whispering-

“Goodnight Mommy.”

“Goodnight Mama.”

“Goodnight Baby Mandu,” they’d answer together.

Every single time.

Without fail.

Because no matter how much older Ruby grew…

To Lisa and Jennie-

She would always be their tiny fluffy dumpling baby forever.