Ch.170Chapter 170. Tales (2)

“Um… Ms. Juliane. Is that you?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Do you have any plans later?”

“Yes, yes… I do. I have some important plans. Yes, that’s right.”

Alice’s mother looked puzzled.

What was her name again?

Sarah, was it?

In front of her, Ms. Juliane couldn’t make eye contact and kept fidgeting.

She seemed embarrassed.

As soon as Sarah turned her head, I saw Ms. Juliane hastily removing her earrings.

Even I could tell those enormous earrings looked like they might tear her earlobes off.

“Cuss! I prepared the food you like!”

“Is that true?!”

Come to think of it, this was Cuss’s first time visiting a friend’s house since Bella.

Strictly speaking, Bella’s wasn’t even her own house, so this was actually her first time.

“Want to see my room? Come quick!”

“Oh! I want to see it!”

“You two should come in too.”

Cuss seemed very excited.

As Cuss was led inside by Alice’s hand, we also slowly made our way in.

“Ah…”

“Oh…”

Our eyes met as we both instinctively bent down to take off our shoes.

The puzzled looks we received made me feel a bit embarrassed too.

Right, in America, people typically keep their shoes on indoors.

I cleared my throat and entered the hallway.

Ms. Juliane, however, changed into indoor slippers, perhaps because her high heels were uncomfortable.

“You’re a district attorney, right?”

“Haha. Yes, that’s correct.”

Alice’s father’s name was… Alexander, if I remember correctly.

He looked quite young to be a district attorney—a promising young man with a bright future.

After walking down a long hallway, we entered a spacious living room.

I noticed the ceiling was unusually high, and there was a staircase—it was a two-story home.

Are all apartments in this building like this?

I was surprised by the scene, which looked like something from a drama about wealthy families.

It made me think that my father-in-law and mother-in-law were quite modest in comparison.

“Alice! You need to come out soon! We’re about to eat!”

“Okay! I’ll just show Cuss my room and come right out!”

A voice echoed from a room on the second floor.

Even shouting in this house was a task.

It seemed like the kind of place where you might need to use a phone to communicate within the same house.

“By the way, you said you prepared food that Cuss likes…”

“Ah, yes. You both must be hungry? Let’s eat first.”

Sarah clapped her hands and awkwardly guided us inside.

As expected of a wealthy home, the dining area was different too.

Instead of having a dining table in the kitchen, the cooking area and dining room were separate.

“Jinsoo! Jinsoo! Alice’s room is super spacious!”

“I see. Let’s wash our hands. We need to eat now.”

“The bathroom is this way.”

By the time we finished washing our hands side by side in the bathroom, a cart had arrived in the dining room with dishes being transferred to the table.

All the dishes were covered with those metal restaurant-style cloches.

I was a bit nervous about what food they had prepared for Cuss…

Knowing Cuss, she probably told everyone at school she liked Big M.

But surely they wouldn’t serve hamburgers with such ceremony.

“My favorite food…!”

Cuss was already sitting at the table, breathing heavily with excitement.

Soon Alexander came over and lifted the metal cover.

What was revealed underneath was…

“Huh?”

Thin noodles topped with bright red sauce.

Isn’t this bibim naengmyeon?

Cuss had never tried naengmyeon before.

Sure enough, she looked confused.

“What is this?”

“You said on the first day that you like ‘binaeng.’ I looked up what kind of food that was and discovered it’s Korean! So mom took cooking classes to learn how to make binaeng…”

“W-wait! Alice! I told you the last part was a secret!”

“Binaeng…?”

Oh boy.

This disaster happened because of that girl’s pronunciation issues with Big M.

How did they even figure that out?

It wouldn’t even be in the dictionary since it’s slang.

But Alice looked so proud that I felt bad telling her she was wrong.

I gave Cuss a subtle look.

“Wow! How did you figure that out? Cuss, you love binaeng, don’t you?”

“Y-yeah! Yes! I love it so much! Thanks for preparing this, Alice! And Alice’s mom!”

“Hehe. I’m glad you like it.”

“Haha…”

Alice’s parents seemed to have caught on, judging by their troubled expressions.

But still, how bad could bibim naengmyeon taste?

Since they learned it at a cooking class, the taste should be decent.

We all took our seats at the table.

The noodles were divided into individual bowls and topped with sauce.

The noodles’ texture and the sauce’s color and consistency looked right.

It looked exactly like bibim naengmyeon.

Now for the taste.

“Thank you for the meal.”

“Thank you for the food.”

“Let’s eat!”

After mixing it well, I picked up some noodles with my fork and slurped them up.

“How is it? Does it taste good?”

Alice and her parents were watching us with expectant expressions.

Ms. Juliane had her mouth full of noodles and glanced at me.

Her expression told me everything I needed to know.

I subtly pushed my water glass toward her.

“Did you taste this beforehand?”

“Ah, no. We were in a hurry so… Is it not good?”

“No, it tastes fine. It’s just a bit spicy…”

“Aaaagh! My mouth is on fire!”

“Cough! Cough! Hack! Ugh…”

After a slight delay, Cuss and Ms. Juliane began expressing their distress.

Being used to spicy food, it wasn’t that bad for me, but my mouth was definitely tingling.

It was certainly much spicier than typical bibim naengmyeon.

“Is it too spicy for you, Cuss?”

“Kuhuh… It’s okay. It’s edible. Alice, why don’t you try some too?”

“Hmm? No, I’m full…”

“Sarah and Alexander, please try some too. It’s a bit spicy but really delicious.”

“Ahaha…”

When I casually suggested they try it, they all looked troubled.

Delicious food should be shared.

They had made so many noodles too.

In the end, Alice’s family tried some with just a tiny bit of sauce…

“Urgh! What on earth did you make!”

“Kuhp! Kuh! Ugh, hack…”

“M-mom. Water… water please…”

They immediately looked pained.

Yes, that’s the expression I wanted to see.

“I’ll make something else. I’m sorry.”

“No, I’ll eat this. It’s deliciously spicy.”

“Slurp… Haah! It’s a bit spicy, but I like it too!”

It seemed to suit Cuss’s and my taste buds perfectly.

Eventually, Sarah went to the kitchen and quickly made aglio e olio pasta for the other four, including Ms. Juliane.

On one side of the table, they were elegantly twirling pasta around their forks, while we were panting and gulping down water—the contrast was striking.

It was like there was an invisible border at the table, with different countries eating different cuisines on either side.

“Phew! I finished it! It was super delicious!”

“Let me wipe your lips. They need cleaning.”

After finishing, Cuss’s small lips had turned bright red and were swollen like those of South American beauties.

It must have been extremely spicy.

I carefully wiped around her mouth with a tissue.

Even a little residue would make her lips sting.

“Now that we’ve eaten, shall we go to the playroom?”

“You have a playroom? Do you have a PlayStation there? Xbox?”

“Hmm? We don’t have those, but we do have a play kitchen set!”

“Play kitchen…?”

“Hehe. I’ll teach you. Follow me!”

Unable to wait, the kids had already gotten up and thundered up to the second floor.

Soon the dishes were cleared, and wine with simple appetizers appeared on the table.

Perhaps the adults wanted to have a light drink together.

I couldn’t help but smile seeing Sarah nervously pouring wine into glasses.

“Let me do that. I’ll pour for you.”

“Oh, that’s fine…”

The red wine filled the glass.

After filling it appropriately and placing the bottle back on the table, a moment of silence followed.

I noticed Sarah had lowered her head and was cautiously watching us.

She finally spoke with difficulty.

“Sarah, you said you would talk to them.”

“I was just about to! You be quiet for a moment!”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Sigh… Cuss’s father. I behaved terribly on the day of the entrance ceremony. I looked down on you for being Asian and an engineer, and I made you uncomfortable. I also acted childishly about Cuss being tall for a first-grader. I’m truly sorry…”

This was unexpected.

I thought the invitation itself was already an apology of sorts, showing they had swallowed their pride.

I didn’t expect a verbal apology like this.

“I was foolish. I had a realization when I saw Alice getting along so well with Cuss, and a second realization when I saw Cuss still being friends with Alice even after skipping to 7th grade. I was judging people based on things that didn’t matter… I’m sorry.”

“I’d like to apologize too. By saying nothing that day, I was essentially condoning her behavior. Will you forgive us?”

With Alexander patting her back, Sarah slowly revealed her true feelings.

To be honest, I barely remembered what was said on the entrance ceremony day.

I only remembered feeling bad.

“I forgave you long ago. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here.”

“Cuss’s father…!”

“Call me Jinsoo from now on. We’re friends now.”

I gave a light hug to Sarah, who had tears in her eyes.

Then I shook hands with Alexander.

That settled it.

‘Connections in the district prosecutor’s office…!’

Impressive.

My wife is a federal investigation officer (future federal prosecutor), my father-in-law is a congressman, my boss is a networking king, and my friends include a slum cartel boss and a district attorney?

If this isn’t a successful life, what is?

Honestly, with connections like these, I could probably get away with minor crimes like theft.

I rested my chin on my hand and thought about it for a moment.

Maybe I should test it.

“Um… Ms. Juliane?”

I noticed Ms. Juliane had been unusually quiet.

Wondering what was wrong, I looked over to find…

“Hehehe. Jinsoo… This turned out well, didn’t it?”

“How much did you drink…”

Her wine glass was already empty.

She gets drunk after just a few sips, yet she drank so hastily.

Ms. Juliane, now completely intoxicated, was wobbling before leaning her weight against me.

“We should go now.”

“Should I call a driver for you?”

“A driver? Why?”

“…?”

I wasn’t drunk enough from one glass of wine to be unable to drive.

I wondered what they meant.

Anyway, it really was time to go home.

It was almost Cuss’s bedtime.

“Cuss! Come out now! We need to go home!”

“Huh? Can we stay a little longer?”

“We’ll be right out! Please wait a moment!”

She never listens when told.

After waiting and waiting with no sign of her, I finally had to go upstairs and drag her out.

“It’s not like today is the only day. You can come play again next time.”

“Mmm… I don’t want to go.”

“I had so much fun today, Cuss. See you at school!”

“Okay… I’ll definitely see you at school.”

Cuss and Alice waved at each other for a long time before separating.

When we reached the entrance, the Tales couple came out to see us off.

“If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’ll help you as a friend.”

“…”

Alexander took out his business card and handed it to me.

This time it was a crisp, unwrinkled card.

I looked at it for a moment before putting it in my inner pocket.

With a wife who’s an investigator (future federal prosecutor) and a father-in-law who’s a congressman, I probably wouldn’t need help from a district attorney.

“Thank you. That’s reassuring.”

“Take care, Juliane too.”

“Hehehe… Bye, Sarah. *hiccup*”

The door closed with a thud, and our surroundings darkened.

It was almost eerily dark, but…

“Shall we go home? *hiccup*”

“Why is Juliane acting like this again…?”

“Hehe. It’s because I love our daughter sooo much!”

“Ugh! Get away! You smell like alcohol!”

It quickly became noisy, dispelling any creepy feelings.

I realized that our relationship with Alice’s family was formed thanks to Cuss.

Without her, we would never have reconciled, or even met these people in the first place.

Thinking about it that way made Cuss even more precious to me.

I can say with certainty now.

The reason I still keep Cuss with me is not out of responsibility or obligation.

It’s because I love her. I love Cuss more than anything, which is why I could never send her away.

I suddenly realized that I depend on Cuss just as much as, if not more than, she depends on me and shows affection toward me.

.

.

.

-Screech. Vehicle approaching.

“Roger.”

The radio crackled with noise.

A man picked up his telescope and looked into the distance.

In a suburban residential area.

A car stopped in front of an old house.

From inside emerged a staggering blonde woman, an Asian man with facial scars, and…

“Target confirmed. Withdrawing.”

-Roger.

A silver-haired girl.

After watching the three enter the house and seeing the lights turn on inside, the man slowly lowered his telescope.

“Finally found you, Slasher…”

It was time to end the long chase.