Ch.115Chapter 115. Gift (1)

“Ms. Juliane! I can see everything! Bend down more!”

“What? I am bent down as much as I can…”

“Your butt is showing! Who told you to have such a big butt!”

“Y-you don’t have to comment on that…”

This is driving me crazy.

Hiding behind the flower bed and scolding Ms. Juliane, I was suddenly overwhelmed with self-doubt.

What the hell am I even doing here?

Two adults crouching in the middle of the plaza putting on a ridiculous show—no wonder passersby were giving us strange looks.

“Wait. Cuss is looking this way.”

“What?”

“Duck down!”

Shit. She’s looking over here.

I reflexively grabbed Ms. Juliane and pulled her behind the flower bed.

I could see Ms. Juliane’s face turning bright red as she clutched my collar.

This is embarrassing for me too, so let’s just endure it a little longer…

“D-do we really have to go this far?”

“Yes, we do.”

So why exactly are we rolling around on the street like performance artists trying to avoid Cuss’s gaze?

To explain this, we need to go back to yesterday.

*

“Chew your food properly. You’re not gaining weight because you just swallow everything.”

“Ugh… Fine.”

“Hehe! I’m home!”

It was an ordinary evening.

Ms. Juliane coming home.

Me struggling with Cuss who, as always, was trying to rush through dinner to go watch TV.

It should have been just another ordinary evening.

“Cuss is on school break and Jinsoo is on vacation too, right?”

“I’m working remotely.”

“You’re not working at all. That’s paid leave, isn’t it?”

“…Let’s say it is.”

How did she know I wasn’t working?

“I’ve saved up enough vacation days to take about three weeks off!”

“Wow, really?”

“Yes! Let’s all go on a trip together then! We have plenty of time, so we could even go abroad!”

“That… does sound nice…”

“…?”

I stared blankly at Cuss, who returned an equally blank stare.

Can she even board a plane?

If she gets caught in an X-ray or something, her tentacles would be exposed.

Even if that doesn’t happen, we don’t know what’s inside those tentacles, so we can’t tell if they’d set off metal detectors.

Planes with strict security might be too risky.

“Travel. So where do you want to go?”

“How about visiting Jinsoo’s hometown?”

“Jinsoo’s hometown? I’m curious too!”

She wants to go to Korea?

If we’re talking about my hometown, it’s a tiny rural village that requires crossing three mountains to get out of.

I’m not sure what it’s like now.

When I lived there, it was mostly old grandmas and grandpas who were close to dying. Maybe no one lives there anymore.

Or perhaps they’ve bulldozed everything and built fancy vacation homes for rich people to experience rural life occasionally.

“Well… If you both really want to, I suppose we could go.”

“…”

I wasn’t particularly enthusiastic.

Those were touching times that still bring tears to my eyes when I think about them, but I don’t particularly miss them…

If we went to Korea, I’d probably just want to tour Seoul instead of visiting my hometown.

“Hmm… Or how about visiting my hometown?”

“Where’s that?”

“Austria. Well, it’s not actually my hometown, but my father’s.”

“Oh. I’ve been there a few times. Kangaroo meat is quite edible.”

“That’s Australia…”

They’re different places…?

So the Australia I occasionally visited during joint naval exercises was actually Australia.

I thought the Serbians were crazy for waging war with a country so far away.

Well, Serbians are probably crazy anyway.

Either way, it was a shocking revelation.

“What is there to see?”

“To see? Well… There are castles.”

“Yes.”

“Really old castles.”

“Yes.”

“And cathedrals.”

“Yes.”

“Really old cathedrals…?”

“…”

Okay. I think I get it even without having been there.

Austria must be an incredibly boring country.

Seeing Ms. Juliane struggle to explain its appeal made it obvious.

“Sounds boring.”

“Waaah…!”

Cuss bluntly stated what I couldn’t bring myself to say.

Whether Ms. Juliane was upset or not, I felt a sense of relief.

“I want to see penguins.”

“Penguins? Is that really all you want?”

What does she mean?

You’d have to go to the Arctic to see penguins, so I don’t understand what Ms. Juliane is saying.

Does she travel so much that going to the Arctic doesn’t even count as a proper trip abroad?

The mindset of the wealthy is sometimes hard to comprehend.

“Hmm… Wouldn’t ten days be a bit tight? I think we’d need about twenty-one days to be comfortable.”

“What? That long just for sightseeing?”

“Well, most of that time would be for travel.”

“Hmm…?”

Ms. Juliane’s expression became strange.

It felt like our conversation wasn’t connecting properly.

“Well, if that’s what Cuss wants, I’m fine with anywhere. What matters isn’t the place but that the three of us are together.”

“Ughh…”

Cuss, caught in Ms. Juliane’s surprise hug, groaned and blinked at me, silently begging for help.

Serves you right.

Pretty annoying, isn’t it?

That’s exactly how I felt when you kept pestering me.

To let her experience what it’s like to be in my shoes, I cheerfully ignored her and took a swig of lemonade.

“Blech! Ack!”

“What’s wrong, Jinsoo?”

“Ugh… This is way too sweet.”

My tongue felt like it was shriveling up after just one sip.

I had mixed this a few days ago, saying I’d try making it, and left it in the refrigerator.

Not tasting it then was a mistake.

But the lemonade Cuss spilled on my hand before wasn’t this sweet.

Did she add water to it then?

“Too sweet? Hmm… It tastes fine to me.”

“What? Cuss, how is it for you?”

“It’s fine for me too.”

“Do both of you have something wrong with your taste buds?”

The two of them took turns sipping from the cup and looked at me with nonchalant expressions.

This is crazy.

How can this possibly be okay?

Maybe the part I just drank had sugar crystals that had settled at the bottom.

I stirred it and tried again.

“Ugh… damn…”

It was still inedible.

These people’s sensitivity to sweetness was way too low.

Fruit juice is supposed to be mild with just a hint of sweetness.

I was worried they might both develop diabetes later.

I should make sure they get proper check-ups every year.

I went to the water dispenser and added plenty of water to my lemonade cup.

“Ah…”

“What’s wrong?”

Suddenly, Ms. Juliane’s expression froze.

“Excuse me. It suddenly came out…”

“Oh.”

Then she awkwardly shuffled toward the bathroom.

Did her menstrual blood suddenly flow out?

If I calculated her cycle correctly, yesterday or today would have been her expected period.

I wasn’t specifically tracking her cycle with an app or anything, but somehow I knew. Really.

‘So she’s not pregnant yet.’

Come to think of it, we’ve been doing it almost every day since Ms. Juliane and I started dating.

We had unprotected sex more often than not, so it wouldn’t have been strange if she got pregnant by now.

But she still wasn’t pregnant.

I had an ominous feeling.

A feeling that either Ms. Juliane or I might have a problem.

It’s probably not me.

I’ve already had a daughter once.

So that would mean…

“Jinsoo.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m going out tomorrow.”

“Okay. What for?”

“I’m meeting Jake.”

“…”

I was so shocked by this even more shocking news that I spat my lemonade back into the cup.

What the fuck? Is she talking about the Jake I know, that little shit?

“What are you meeting him for?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“Jake just said he wanted to see me. Said he’d buy me a meal.”

“…”

This fucking bastard.

I was trying to let it slide, but he’s really pushing it?

My fist clenched involuntarily.

“No. You can’t go.”

“Why?”

“I said you can’t go, so you can’t.”

“That’s not right, Jinsoo!”

Just then, Ms. Juliane burst out of the bathroom.

“Who Cuss meets on her day off should be entirely up to her!”

“So would you allow her to meet some bleached-blond, tanned delinquent?”

“Well… that wouldn’t be okay.”

“See! In my opinion, Jake is more dangerous than someone like that!”

Ms. Juliane hasn’t seen him, so she doesn’t know.

She doesn’t know that middle school punk with his slick, nauseating appearance who looks like he’s destined to grow up to be a pretty boy.

This is all because Korean idols have poisoned the well.

American teenagers who used to idolize rugged, muscular macho men have somehow started aspiring to be skinny pretty boys…

The future of this country was bleak indeed.

“That’s not it, Jinsoo.”

“…?”

Ms. Juliane sighed deeply as if I was being dense, then came close and whispered in my ear.

“If you completely block everything they want because it’s dangerous, children end up resenting their parents.”

“So what should I do?”

“Let her meet him. Then we secretly follow her, and if things seem to cross a line, we intervene. If Cuss directly witnesses pure human malice, she’ll learn to be careful.”

“Oh…”

So basically, let her walk into the fire pit herself, and then pull her out when she starts screaming “Ah, hot, fuck!”

It was a brilliant idea.

This way, Cuss would see for herself what a sinister bastard Jake is.

“Alright, fine, Cuss. Go. I’ll teach you how to use public transportation so you can go by yourself.”

“Huh? Aren’t you coming with me?”

“What?”

I was momentarily stunned.

“Didn’t that bastard Jake tell you to come alone?”

“He didn’t say anything like that.”

“…”

So I could go with her?

Jake probably expected Cuss to come alone, but that wasn’t my problem.

If he had an issue with it, he should have specified she come alone.

But when I looked at Ms. Juliane for guidance, she was quietly shaking her head.

We needed to catch him in the act…

Personally, I’d prefer to go along and eliminate any potential danger.

But to expose Jake’s true nature, I couldn’t go with her.

Damn it. How am I supposed to decide?

“Argh, go alone, Cuss.”

“Huh? Why do I have to go alone?”

“Because that’s what Jake would want.”

“I thought you didn’t like Jake?”

“Just go! Do you not want to go alone?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Ah…”

I thought she would insist I come along.

Suddenly, I felt tears welling up.

Fine. Go alone, you brat.

Do you think I’d bat an eye no matter what happens to someone like you?

*

“Jinsoo, please stop shaking.”

“What?”

“You’re trembling all over.”

“…”

Back to the present.

We were watching Cuss from a distance at the meeting place.

“It’s ten minutes early.”

“This bastard doesn’t even have basic manners…”

Isn’t it proper etiquette to arrive at least 10 minutes before the appointed time?

Damn it.

Does he think Cuss is already a fish he’s caught?

This was a glimpse into Jake’s arrogant mindset.

“Jake! Over here!”

Just then, Cuss’s clear voice rang out.

What? He’s already here?

That shouldn’t happen!

I was startled and raised my head to scan the plaza.

Ms. Juliane also stood on her tiptoes looking around, then said:

“Ah. Could that be the boy over there?”

She seemed to have spotted him and pointed.

Oh. Let’s see.

In the direction Ms. Juliane was pointing, Jake was awkwardly walking over in a black suit.

What the fuck, has this kid lost his mind?

Is he going to a funeral or something?

What’s with that outfit?

“Cuss! Could you hold this for me?”

“Huh…?”

Then he suddenly revealed what he had been hiding behind his back.

A bouquet of flowers.

Red roses.

Fuck. My vision suddenly turned red.

“I’ll kill him. That bastard.”

“J-Jinsoo! Control yourself!”

I’m going to kill that bastard and accept the death penalty.