Ch.143Chapter 143. Bet Everything and Come at Me

*Click. Rattle…*

As the classroom door opened, all the students’ attention focused on one spot.

There stood Jake, awkwardly balancing with a cast on his right arm.

“Jake! Are you okay? I heard you fell down the stairs?”

“Uh… They say it’ll heal soon.”

“Hahaha! You bastard, I bet you were chasing after some girl and missed your step!”

“Jake wouldn’t do that! Right, Jake?”

“…”

The accusation was so accurate that Jake could only squeeze his eyes shut.

Ignoring the flood of attention, he sighed and started walking.

When he tumbled down the stairs yesterday, he had instinctively put his hand down to break his fall, causing his wrist to bend.

He went straight to the hospital, where the doctor diagnosed that only the ligaments were slightly stretched with no damage to the bones.

The cast would help it heal within two weeks, but the problem was that his right hand was essentially sealed off.

“Jake…”

While passing between desks, his eyes met with Cuss’s.

Cuss looked worried.

He couldn’t make the same mistake as yesterday.

Jake swallowed hard and awkwardly raised his left hand.

“H-hey, Cuss.”

“Jake. That arm…”

“It’s really fine. It’s not because of you, so don’t worry about it.”

“…”

Jake hurriedly made his excuse and sat down.

It was embarrassing enough that he had fallen down the stairs in front of Cuss.

It seemed he had made Cuss feel guilty about it.

Jake firmly believed that kind-hearted Cuss must be blaming herself.

Meanwhile, Cuss…

‘Hmm. Looks like I won’t have to worry about money issues.’

She pressed the stop recording button on her phone under the desk and breathed a sigh of relief.

Although Jake had simply fallen on his own, there could have been potential legal issues.

She had recorded Jake directly saying it wasn’t her fault, just in case.

This would ensure Jinsoo wouldn’t get into trouble.

Cuss smiled with satisfaction and put her phone back in her bag.

“…”

Suddenly, Cuss turned around and her smile faded.

Jake was laughing while dealing with the friends who had gathered around him.

But his movements were noticeably awkward as he tried to take out books and a tablet from his bag.

‘It’s not my fault. It’s not my fault…’

He just fell because of his own carelessness.

That’s all it was…

For some reason, Cuss felt a twinge of discomfort in a corner of her heart.

.

.

.

“Damn it…”

In the cafeteria during lunch.

Another challenge awaited Jake, who had barely managed to carry his tray using just his fingertips.

It was nearly impossible to pick up a fork and spoon.

The cast severely limited his finger mobility, making it difficult to properly grip a fork.

“Ugh…”

He had no choice but to try with his left hand.

While he could somewhat use the utensils, having never used his left hand his entire life meant he kept missing the food or letting it slip off.

Just as he was thinking it would take quite some time to get used to it…

“Huh?”

*Poke.*

A fork stabbed into Jake’s tray.

A small hand holding that fork.

Jake looked up to find the owner of that hand.

Across from him sat Cuss, resting her chin on her hand with an indifferent expression.

“Eat.”

“…?”

Cuss lifted the fork with a sausage and held it up to his mouth.

Jake was momentarily stunned, but when…

“If you don’t want it…”

“I-I’ll eat it!”

When Cuss started to withdraw the fork, Jake quickly leaned forward and bit the sausage.

Seeing this, Cuss couldn’t help but smile.

“You looked so pitiful, unable to eat properly. I’m just clearing a debt. Later, when I need help, you’ll have to help me too.”

“Thanks…”

“Didn’t you hear what I just said? I’m helping you because I expect something in return. There’s nothing to be grateful for.”

“I’m still thankful.”

“…”

Cuss was startled, realizing her assessment of Jake had been completely wrong.

She had thought he was a fairly sharp boy for his age, but he was actually just a fool.

“Cuss, did you finish your lunch?”

“I finished ages ago. Had three servings. Why are you eating so late?”

“I’m part of the student council, so I have to manage the traffic flow. I watch over the other kids eating in an orderly fashion, then eat last.”

“Hmm… Jake is simple-minded.”

“…”

That was a first.

He’d only ever heard comments like “dedicated,” “kind,” or “considerate.”

He had never once been called “simple-minded” by anyone.

Though it was clearly meant as criticism, Jake somehow found the comment resonating with him.

“Aren’t you being simple-minded too, feeding me like this?”

“I told you earlier. It’s to clear a debt. Since I expect something in return, it’s not simple-minded.”

“Then I’m also being simple-minded to get a good reputation as a reward.”

“That’s an excuse. Jake is naturally simple-minded. The reward is just an excuse you added later.”

“I think the same applies to you.”

“…”

Cuss pressed her lips together in displeasure.

Then she shoved a piece of broccoli into his mouth.

“Ugh. I don’t like broccoli.”

“You shouldn’t be picky about food.”

“Sigh… This is the first time I’ve eaten so balanced. Usually, no one says anything when I eat.”

In the cafeteria, now empty except for the two of them.

Jake chewed his food slowly and thoroughly.

For the first time, he savored each bite of the cafeteria food that he usually just quickly chewed and swallowed.

That day, Jake discovered something new.

Broccoli tasted better than he thought.

“…”

Meanwhile, at the cafeteria window.

A shadow that had been staring at the two of them silently slipped away.

***

“Damn it…”

It was the first time his mind felt so troubled on his way home from work.

A text message had arrived.

It was from Jake’s father, saying he wanted to meet one-on-one.

“You said he didn’t break it, you lying bastard…”

According to Cuss, Jake had fallen down on his own.

It seemed that was a lie.

He must have pushed or pulled Jake, and some evidence of fault was captured on CCTV.

He decided to prepare himself mentally.

Just in case the man started making unreasonable accusations against him.

He resolved not to make any decisions on the spot, but to go home and discuss with Juliane before agreeing to anything.

Currently, he knew even less about American law than Cuss did.

“This must be it…”

The meeting place was a parking lot near the lake park.

After parking his car in an empty spot, he was considering whether to make a call when he realized there was no need.

*Thud…*

The man opened the door of the sedan parked right next to him.

Snyder… Snyder… what was it again?

Anyway, he was an enormously large senator.

Looking at him now, his build raised concerns about diabetes.

He definitely didn’t look like someone who would live a long life.

“Jinsoo Kim.”

“What is it? Should we walk around the park while we talk?”

“No need. I’ll keep this brief.”

“If it’s about Jake…”

“This isn’t about my son.”

It wasn’t about breaking his son’s arm?

So Cuss really hadn’t touched him?

It was hard to believe.

He had assumed Cuss was hiding something she’d done because her voice was trembling.

“It’s something else.”

The man took out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, peeled off the sticker, and lit it.

Something felt off.

Standing beside him, Jinsoo activated the recording function on his wristwatch.

“I’ve been thinking a lot.”

“…”

“I thought I should give a chance, so I considered it ten times over ten days. Each time, I came to the same conclusion.”

“And what’s that?”

“I cannot allow my children to attend school with your daughter.”

“…”

This bastard.

Keep talking.

I’m recording everything.

“Why is that?”

Though he wanted to plant his fist in the man’s face, he decided to hold back.

Soon, Snyder exhaled smoke and spoke.

“I found out by chance. Your criminal record. Rape and murder. Two victims, a mother and daughter.”

“So what? You don’t want your children going to school with an ex-convict’s child? Is that it?”

“Exactly. It’s disgusting, and I can’t send my children to that school. I’ll give you plenty of time. Make Cuss withdraw from school within four weeks. If not, I’ll disclose your criminal record to the entire school.”

“…”

He felt like the inevitable had finally arrived.

It was strange that things had been quiet until now.

“Are you threatening me?”

“You could see it that way. Feel free to report me. But if you do, your criminal record will be immediately disclosed to the school. Let me be clear. I really hate discriminating against people, but I’m doing this all for my children. Let’s ask the parents in America: would they want to send their children to the same school as the child of an ex-convict? I have nothing to be ashamed of. I’m making the right choice as a parent.”

“…”

What nonsense.

He’d been fine with it all this time, and now suddenly he’s concerned about harm to his children and wants a withdrawal?

It was hard to tell if this was talk, gas, or diarrhea.

But there was something chilling about it.

Imagining Cuss having to live in a school and classroom where rumors about her father being a rapist and murderer were spreading made his hands tremble.

“Snyder, was it?”

“…?”

There were things he could compromise on and things he couldn’t.

He had lived too submissively until now.

Stupidly and stubbornly.

But there was no law saying he had to live that way until death.

“Go ahead and expose it if you’re so upset, you son of a bitch.”

He pulled the cigarette from the man’s shit-smelling mouth and threw it behind him.

The cigarette smell was so enticing that he couldn’t resist.

He had almost taken a drag before throwing it away.

“But I warn you, if you expose it, you’ll have to bet your life on it. Bet your entire political career as a senator. If you dare.”

“…”

*Poke.*

He pressed his index finger into the man’s chest and turned away.

As he roughly opened and closed his car door, he could see Snyder standing still through the rearview mirror.

Only then did he realize what he had done.

He had declared war on a senator.