Ch.112Chapter 112. Bicycle

As the door creaked open, a dark interior came into view.

Not a sound could be heard; it was completely quiet.

Jinsoo and Cuss said they were going to meet a friend.

There was something I wanted to look at while Jinsoo was away.

Juliane went straight to the bedroom and pulled open the drawer of the bedside table.

Clatter…

In the empty drawer, only a single rusty metal ring sat alone.

At first, I thought it was sentimentality.

Something he couldn’t bring himself to throw away—a memento of his former wife.

I was even a little jealous when I saw it.

Thinking that his dead wife still occupied a place in his heart.

But that wasn’t it.

Jinsoo neither clung desperately to his dead wife and daughter, nor had he forgotten them.

Almost every week, he made time to visit their graves and reflect on the past.

Yet he still diligently cared for Cuss and loved me passionately.

How difficult it must have been for him.

How many times had he seen his dead daughter overlapping with Cuss?

Was it because he was insensitive that he never showed it outwardly?

Or was he deliberately holding it all in…?

“Sniff…”

Juliane pushed the drawer back in with a sob.

Faint, boisterous voices could be heard from outside.

They must be on their way back after having fun with Cuss.

If they came back to find me crying, they would be shocked.

Juliane desperately swallowed her tears and wiped her eyes.

She needed to greet them with her usual cheerful self…

“Yippee! Juliane! Look at this! I found a bicycle!”

“…?”

Just then, the door burst open and Jinsoo appeared holding a bicycle.

With Cuss clinging to him like a shadow.

“F-found it? That means you stole it!”

“The lock opened when I entered 1111! If I solved the puzzle, shouldn’t this be rightfully mine as a reward?”

“Oh my goodness…”

We agreed to call that stealing.

Juliane felt a throbbing headache coming on.

If she told this stubborn man to return it right now, would he even listen?

Moreover…

“A bicycle! Can I ride it too?”

“Of course, kiddo. I’ll teach you how.”

“Really?!”

Seeing Cuss’s excitement, she couldn’t say anything.

Right. The person who set their lock password to 1111 was at fault.

Thinking about it again, Jinsoo’s reasoning did make some sense.

“Let me see. Is there any GPS device attached?”

“No, nothing like that.”

“No registration stickers either?”

“No. Nothing.”

“Phew. Then we probably won’t get caught.”

Watching Juliane desperately inspect every part of the bicycle, Jinsoo smiled contentedly.

This was the advantage of having a detective girlfriend.

He could immediately know whether something he stole would be discovered or not.

“Jinsoo. I want to try the bicycle. Teach me now.”

“No, Cuss. According to LA County law, you must wear a helmet when riding a bicycle on the road. We don’t have helmets.”

“Hmm? So I can’t ride it right now?”

Seeing Cuss looking up with a disappointed expression made his heart ache.

Juliane couldn’t hold back anymore and rushed to hug Cuss tightly.

“Ugh…!”

“We’ll pay the fine if we get caught! Let’s go, Jinsoo!”

“What? It’s already night. Let’s go tomorrow. Yaaawn…”

“…”

Watching Jinsoo yawn lazily and head to the bedroom, Juliane and Cuss stood frozen in each other’s arms.

The two of them pouted and glared at Jinsoo, then their eyes met.

“He’s really too much, right?”

“Yes. Jinsoo has no human heart.”

“I’m telling you, he really doesn’t!”

“Ugh… It’s frustrating, Juliane…”

Perhaps this was the first time she and Cuss had been on the same page.

Hugging Cuss even tighter, Juliane smiled like a fool.

***

“Did I say that?”

“You did! You said you’d teach me how to ride a bicycle!”

“…”

It seemed that last night’s version of me had misspoken.

I said I’d teach her to ride a bicycle?

Why would I make such a troublesome promise…?

“That’s right, Jinsoo! You shouldn’t break promises! Let’s go now!”

“…”

Somehow, Juliane was already fully prepared to go out, even wearing a cute hat.

I thought it was unusually busy this morning—they had both woken up before me and were getting ready…

Usually, I’m the first one up, so this was an unfamiliar scene.

“Alright. Let’s go then.”

I would have liked to leave it to Juliane, but…

What else would I do on a holiday morning?

Lying in bed all day is for working fathers who put in overtime during the week, not for someone like me who comes home after goldbricking at work.

I quickly went to the bathroom, washed up, and prepared breakfast.

Seeing the two of them already seated at the table just staring at me, I wanted to give them both a knock on the head.

They weren’t baby birds waiting for their mother.

I don’t know what they’d do without me.

“Let’s just get this over with quickly.”

“What’s this?”

“Bibimbap.”

“Bibimbap? Is this the bibimbap from ‘Do you know kimchi, do you know bibimbap’?”

“Yes… that’s right…”

How much they must have suffered…

I had to shake my head at the achievements of the “ugly Koreans.”

“Is it good?”

“Mm! It tastes healthy!”

“Cuss, how about you?”

“It’s not good.”

“…”

A complete failure.

Perhaps throwing in every vegetable was the reason for the failure.

Maybe she doesn’t like the smell of vegetables.

How can she not appreciate the subtle deliciousness…?

In the end, I had to add more gochujang to both Cuss’s and Juliane’s bowls.

At that point, can you even call it bibimbap, or is it just rice mixed with gochujang?

I was quite annoyed but couldn’t scold them.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do, right?

After finishing the meal and quickly washing the dishes, we prepared to go out.

Cuss had to change clothes again because she got gochujang all over her outfit while eating.

“Ugh…”

“Pull it down tight.”

The sun was strong today.

I pulled a straw hat down over Cuss’s head, put on my sunglasses, and the three of us left the house.

The weather was really perfect.

This is why I love LA.

Even in midsummer, it doesn’t get as insanely hot as in Korea.

“Can’t we just ride the bicycle there, Juliane?”

“No! Bicycles are prohibited on sidewalks! And when riding on the road, you must wear a helmet!”

“…”

For that reason, we ended up pushing the bicycle to a nearby open space.

Why do we have to push a perfectly good bicycle…?

I was suddenly reminded of the story of brothers taking a donkey to market.

Still, chatting together as we walked, we soon reached the open space.

“Ready to learn, Cuss?”

“Ready!”

Sheesh. She’s excited.

I first had Cuss hold both handlebars.

“Jinsoo. Shouldn’t we attach training wheels first? There must be a hardware store nearby…”

“Training wheels?! What nonsense!”

“What?”

“Training wheels are for sissies! My daughter should know how to ride a bicycle without training wheels! Right, Cuss?”

“Well, I don’t understand what you’re saying, but it sounds right!”

“…”

That’s right. Well done.

I roughly patted Cuss’s head while Juliane stood behind us with an incredulous expression.

“Look at this. This is called a pedal. Get on the seat, put both feet on the pedals, and push! Got it so far?”

“Got it.”

“That’s all there is to it.”

“It seems easier than I thought. I think I can ride it.”

“That’s right! You can do it!”

While Cuss was getting on the seat, I held the bicycle steady and gave her various words of encouragement.

I think I read somewhere that people learn better when they’re encouraged.

“Go!”

“Hnng… here I go!”

Cuss pushed forcefully with her thighs.

I immediately let go and watched.

Her feet pushed the pedals and the bicycle moved forward, but then—

“Ack?!”

Before it could even complete half a rotation, it toppled sideways.

Afraid her leg would get caught under the bicycle, I quickly lunged forward to catch her.

Damn. I think I scraped my knee.

“Jinsoo! Cuss! Are you okay?”

“Yes, yes. I’m fine.”

“Jinsoo… I think my tentacle got a little crushed…”

“Bear with it, kiddo.”

I was wondering why she looked so pale.

As Juliane called out worriedly and ran toward us, I had to whisper to Cuss to endure it.

“This is frustrating. You can’t even ride this? Move aside. Let me show you how it’s done.”

“Ugh…”

Now that she seemed to have recovered a bit, I helped Cuss up and set the bicycle upright.

It’s been a while.

I used to ride a bicycle to university back in the day.

It’s been over 15 years since I last rode one.

Surely my body hasn’t forgotten how to ride.

I gently sat on the seat and tried pedaling.

“Jinsoo! It’s moving forward!”

The bicycle moved forward vigorously.

Maybe the gear is too high; it takes some effort to pedal.

I should lower the gear when Cuss rides.

“Ooh…”

Riding a bicycle after so long brought back memories.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t checked the bicycle’s performance yet.

I should test it before Cuss starts riding in earnest, in case there are any defects.

After crossing the open space once, I zigzagged by turning the handlebars, made a full circle, tried accelerating, and tested the brakes.

“Jinsoo! Huff… puff… I think I can ride now too!”

“Just a moment! Let me ride a little more!”

“Jinsoo…”

“Hehehehehe! Wow, it’s fast! So refreshing! This is it!”

Cuss, who had been running after me, finally collapsed from exhaustion.

Whatever.

This was unexpectedly too much fun to stop.

Ah, can’t I just keep this bicycle?

It would be perfect for taking a spin around the park when I’m bored.

I thought about buying Cuss a used tricycle instead.

“Jinsoo? Shouldn’t you stop playing and start teaching Cuss now?”

“Yes, yes! Just a moment! Let me ride a little more… ugh?!”

Suddenly my body lurched forward and the bicycle stopped.

No matter how hard I pedaled, it wouldn’t move forward.

Wondering what was happening, I looked back to find Juliane with an exasperated expression, lifting the back of the bicycle with one hand.

“What if Jinsoo gets too carried away?”

“I’m sorry…”

I felt remorseful.

I shouldn’t be hogging the only bicycle we have.

If I wanted to ride alone, I should have bought another bicycle for Cuss to learn on her own.

“Hey. Sit down. I’ll hold it from behind so you don’t lose balance.”

“Okay.”

“Now pedal. Go!”

“Hnng… ha!”

I decided to teach her properly this time.

Cuss would pedal, and if she started to lose balance, I would steady her.

“Don’t lose strength in the middle. Keep pedaling evenly.”

“Got it!”

At first, Cuss kept wobbling, but as she continued moving forward, she seemed to be getting the hang of it.

She was hardly losing balance anymore.

“Am I doing well, Jinsoo?”

“Yes. You’re doing great. For an alien.”

“Hmm… Jinsoo!”

“What?”

“Are you holding on well?”

“Yes. I’m holding on. Don’t worry.”

“Don’t let go, Jinsoo!”

“I won’t, so just focus on what’s ahead.”

“Ah, okay. Jinsoo.”

“…”

“Jinsoo?”

Only then did Cuss seem to notice something strange and glanced back.

When she discovered me already far behind, she was startled at first, but then her face lit up with joy.

“I’m riding a bicycle! I’m riding by myself without Jinsoo’s help!”

“Of course you should ride by yourself, kiddo.”

“Juliane! Look at this!”

“I see, Cuss! Amazing!”

“Hehehe!”

Since my reaction wasn’t enthusiastic enough, she immediately turned to Juliane.

And Juliane was all smiles and praise.

“Jinsoo! Look at this! I can even turn… eek?!”

“You need to look ahead, you idiot!”

After circling the open space once, Cuss suddenly jerked the handlebars and fell over.

When I rushed over, I saw that the skin on her shin was slightly scraped.

Against her white skin, it looked even more painful.

“Hehehe. I can ride a bicycle by myself now, Jinsoo.”

“What are you saying when you just fell? You still need more practice.”

“Okay. Hehe.”

But Cuss just smiled happily and came to hug me.

Cute kid.

I clicked my tongue and picked her up to set her back on her feet.

Seeing her limping slightly, it seemed unwise to continue riding today.

“H-hospital! Let’s go to the hospital, Jinsoo!”

“Come on. Just put some spit on it and it’ll heal quickly.”

“Why would you put spit on it?! That’s full of germs! Let’s take her to the hospital right now!”

“No, we have bandages at home…”

Why all this fuss over a scrape?

“It doesn’t hurt much, right, Cuss?”

“Actually, it’s starting to hurt a bit.”

“See! Jinsoo! We need to go to the hospital right—”

“So carry me, Jinsoo.”

“Oh boy…”

“…”

Suddenly Cuss looked at me with sparkling eyes and wrapped her arms around my neck.

She was genuinely hurt, so I couldn’t dismiss it as an act.

I grabbed Cuss by the waist and lifted her up.

She immediately wrapped her legs and arms tightly around me.

This is more tiring than walking, kiddo.

I felt like we were attracting stares from people around us, with me carrying such a grown person like this.

“Hehehe. She looks like a koala. If I hurt my leg too…”

“I won’t do it for you.”

“I wasn’t even finished speaking…”

Juliane, who was following us pulling the bicycle, hung her head.

Holding someone briefly was fine, but Juliane was too heavy to carry around like this.

If I could remove all her limbs, it might be possible.

“Will you teach me next time?”

“Juliane, you don’t know how to ride a bicycle?”

“No!”

Seeing Juliane’s bright smile, the mystery seemed to be solved.

No wonder she had been hesitant throughout the lesson and hadn’t offered any advice.

Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.

Would I have to teach Juliane the same way?

Should I dive to catch her if she falls?

It was fine with Cuss, but if I tried to catch Juliane, my bones wouldn’t survive.

“When we come out for Cuss to practice, I’ll come too—”

“Ah! I’m hungry! Right, Cuss?”

“Yes! I’m hungry!”

“Let’s go home!”

“Answer me! You’ll teach me, right? Yes?”

“We need to put a bandage on too! Let’s hurry!”

“Jinsoo!”

Ignoring Juliane’s whining, I ran toward home.

With all the jostling, Cuss clung tightly to me, and the feeling of her two mounds pressing against my chest was pleasant.

Have they grown again?

I thought I should buy her a new bra.

“I’m hungry, Jinsoo.”

“Alright. Stop nagging. I’ll make food.”

“Can I help, Jinsoo?”

“No. Please stay still. That would be the most helpful.”

“Waaah…!”

I dragged my tired body into the house.

As soon as we arrived, Juliane took Cuss’s hand and went to the bedroom to put a bandage on her.

Meanwhile, I could leisurely prepare the meal.

.

.

.

“I’m looking forward to Master Instructor Jinsoo’s bicycle lessons!”

“I never said I’d teach you, Juliane.”

“What! Why not!”

Early the next morning.

The door opened and three noisy people burst out.

“Now that we have helmets, can we ride while going?”

“That’s right!”

Juliane smiled contentedly at Cuss, who was wearing a bicycle helmet.

We had definitely locked the bicycle to the thin post next to the garage.

The three of them walked to the garage and froze.

“Uh… huh…?”

“The bicycle is gone, Jinsoo…”

The bicycle had vanished without a trace.

Only the broken lock remained.

Jinsoo was momentarily taken aback, but then a smile spread across his face.