Chapter 155

The kindergarten hallway was filled with tiny shoes squeaking against the floor, loud giggles, and teachers trying to keep tiny humans from climbing places they absolutely should not climb.

And in the middle of it all stood Ruby.

Tiny. Round-cheeked. Wearing her yellow duck backpack and a slightly crooked hairclip because she insisted on fixing it herself.

She sat dramatically on her little chair near the classroom door while waiting for pickup, hugging her stuffed bunny with a suspicious squint on her face.

Because today… her Mommy was fetching her.

Not Mama.

Mommy.

Which meant Jennie Kim entered the kindergarten looking unfairly pretty in a cream cardigan, sunglasses resting on her head, holding Ruby’s pink water tumbler like it was a luxury accessory.

The moment she appeared at the doorway-

Half the class gasped.

“Woaaah…”

Ruby instantly narrowed her eyes.

Uh oh.

One little boy beside her tugged his friend’s sleeve. “Ruby’s mommy is so pretty…”

Another kid nodded aggressively. “Like a princess!”

Ruby puffed her cheeks proudly. “I know.”

Jennie smiled warmly at the teacher before waving at her daughter. “Hi, my dumpling-“

But before Ruby could even run over-

A tiny classmate suddenly shouted:

“I WANT TO MARRY YOUR MOMMY!”

The room went silent.

Ruby froze.

Jennie froze.

Even the teacher blinked.

The tiny boy continued confidently, pointing at Jennie like he had just made the greatest life decision of his four years of existence.

“She’s soooo pretty! I wanna marry her when I grow up!”

Another kid joined in.

“ME TOO!”

“No! I saw her first!”

“She looks like a fairy!”

Ruby’s eye twitched.

Her tiny little jaw dropped in pure offense.

Excuse me?

EXCUSE ME???

That was HER Mommy.

HER personal cuddler.

HER cheek-kisser.

HER bedtime singer.

HER pancake maker.

And these random little gremlins thought they could just TAKE HER???

Ruby marched forward with the fury of a tiny angry dumpling.

“No.”

The class blinked.

Ruby crossed her arms.

“No marrying my Mommy.”

The little boy frowned. “But whyyyyy?”

Ruby looked personally betrayed by the question.

“Because she already married my Mama.”

Jennie bit her lip hard to stop laughing.

The boy gasped dramatically. “Oh…”

Another kid tilted her head. “Can she marry again?”

Ruby looked horrified.

“NO???”

She quickly waddled to Jennie and wrapped both arms around her leg possessively like a protective koala.

“My Mommy is TAKEN.”

Jennie finally lost it, laughing softly while lifting Ruby into her arms.

“Oh no,” Jennie teased. “Are you jealous?”

Ruby immediately huffed.

“Yes.”

The class erupted into giggles.

One little girl sighed dreamily at Jennie. “But your mommy is sooo beautiful…”

Ruby nodded seriously while clinging tighter.

“I KNOW.”

Then she pointed at herself proudly.

“And I look like her.”

Jennie almost choked laughing.

The teacher covered her mouth.

The tiny boy still looked heartbroken. “Can I at least hold her hand?”

Ruby gasped like he had committed a crime.

“TOO MUCH.”

“Ruby,” Jennie laughed.

“No!” Ruby whined dramatically, burying her face into Jennie’s shoulder. “Everybody wants my Mommy! It’s annoying!”

Jennie rubbed her back gently. “But I only want my Ruby.”

Ruby peeked up immediately.

“…And Mama?”

“And Mama too.”

Satisfied.

Ruby nodded with authority before glaring at the class one last time.

“You can look only.”

Jennie burst into laughter again.

Then Ruby added proudly while squishing Jennie’s cheeks:

“My Mommy is not for sale.”

The teacher had to sit down because she was laughing too hard.

And as Jennie carried her dramatic little dumpling out of the classroom, the kids kept waving goodbye.

One tiny voice shouted from inside:

“BYE RUBY’S PRETTY MOMMY!”

Ruby groaned loudly into Jennie’s neck.

“Mommyyyy… don’t come tomorrow.”

Jennie kissed her forehead.

“Too late, dumpling. Mama said she’s busy tomorrow.”

Ruby gasped in horror.

“…THEY’RE GONNA FALL IN LOVE AGAIN.”