Chapter 184

The Great Mandu Cheek Championship

It was a peaceful afternoon in the Kim-Manoban household.

Well…

Peaceful until four-year-old Ruby suddenly climbed onto the couch and placed both tiny hands on her fluffy cheeks.

“Mommy.”

Jennie looked up from her phone.

“Yes, baby dumpling?”

Ruby squished her cheeks dramatically.

“I think my cheeks are fluffier than yours now.”

Silence.

Jennie slowly lowered her phone.

“…Excuse me?”

From the kitchen, Lisa immediately sensed danger.

“Oh no.”

Ruby nodded confidently.

“Teacher said I have very squishy cheeks.”

Jennie gasped.

“My own daughter challenging my Mandu title?”

Ruby crossed her tiny arms.

“I challenge you.”

Lisa peeked around the corner.

“A challenge?”

“YES!” both mother and daughter yelled.

Lisa sighed.

There went her peaceful afternoon.

—

Five minutes later.

The living room had somehow transformed into a competition arena.

Ruby stood on one side of the couch.

Jennie stood on the other.

Lisa sat in the middle holding a wooden spoon like a microphone.

“Welcome to the First Annual Mandu Cheek Championship.”

Ruby cheered.

Jennie cheered louder.

Lisa was already questioning her life choices.

“Contestant number one!”

Jennie dramatically flipped her hair.

“The original Mandu. The undefeated champion. Kim Jennie!”

Jennie bowed.

“Thank you. Thank you.”

Ruby booed loudly.

Lisa snorted.

“Contestant number two!”

Ruby puffed her cheeks.

“The Baby Dumpling. The Tiny Mandu. The Challenger!”

Ruby raised both hands.

“I WILL WIN!”

—

Round One.

The Squish Test.

Lisa gently poked Jennie’s cheek.

Poke.

The cheek bounced adorably.

“Ooooh.”

Then she poked Ruby’s.

Poke.

Even squishier.

Ruby immediately celebrated.

“I WIN!”

“We haven’t finished yet,” Lisa laughed.

—

Round Two.

The Puff Test.

Both mother and daughter puffed their cheeks as much as possible.

Jennie’s cheeks looked like two giant dumplings.

Ruby’s looked like tiny steamed buns.

Lisa stared.

“…Why do you both actually look identical?”

Because they really did.

Same eyes.

Same pout.

Same fluffy cheeks.

Just one was adult-sized and the other was pocket-sized.

—

Round Three.

The Ultimate Mandu Face.

Jennie made her famous pout.

Ruby copied it perfectly.

Jennie tilted her head.

Ruby copied that too.

Jennie blinked.

Ruby blinked.

Lisa nearly fell off the couch laughing.

“It’s like looking at a photocopy machine.”

—

After much serious judging…

And absolutely no bias whatsoever.

Lisa stood up dramatically.

“I have reached my verdict.”

Ruby bounced excitedly.

Jennie folded her arms confidently.

“The winner of the First Annual Mandu Cheek Championship is…”

Suspense.

More suspense.

Even more suspense.

“JENNIE!”

Jennie jumped up.

“YES!”

Ruby froze.

“…What?”

Jennie celebrated immediately.

“I still got it!”

Ruby stared at Lisa.

Then at Jennie.

Then back at Lisa.

“…No.”

Lisa blinked.

“No?”

“No.”

“You don’t accept the results?”

Ruby shook her head aggressively.

“No.”

“But I’m the judge.”

“No.”

“The official judge.”

“No.”

“The unbiased judge.”

Ruby pointed dramatically.

“YOU ARE MOMMY’S WIFE!”

Lisa immediately burst into laughter.

Jennie nearly choked.

Ruby continued her argument.

“You kissed Mommy this morning.”

“That’s true.”

“You hugged Mommy.”

“Also true.”

“You love Mommy.”

“Very true.”

Ruby gasped.

“BIAS!”

Jennie was laughing so hard she couldn’t breathe.

Lisa pulled Ruby onto her lap.

“Baby.”

Ruby pouted.

“Mama…”

Lisa kissed one fluffy cheek.

Then the other.

“Accept it.”

Ruby grumbled.

“No.”

Lisa gently squished her daughter’s cheeks.

“Baby, accept it. Mommy still holds the fluffiest Mandu cheeks.”

Ruby looked offended.

“But-“

“Mama still loves you.”

Ruby’s pout softened slightly.

“But Mommy is still the winner.”

Ruby looked at Jennie’s face.

Then her own reflection on the TV screen.

Then back to Jennie.

“…By how much?”

Lisa held up two fingers.

“This much.”

“A lot?”

“No.”

Ruby considered this carefully.

Then pointed at Jennie.

“Rematch tomorrow.”

Jennie laughed.

“You’re challenging me again?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Ruby climbed off Lisa’s lap and proudly declared,

“Because my cheeks are still growing.”

The room went silent.

Then Lisa and Jennie burst into laughter.

Jennie scooped Ruby into her arms and covered both cheeks with kisses.

“My competitive little dumpling.”

Ruby giggled.

And despite losing the championship…

She still secretly believed she was the real winner.

After all-

Mommy’s cheeks might be fluffier.

But Ruby got unlimited cuddles from both Mommy and Mama.

And that was worth more than any trophy.