Chapter 69: Hoes before Bros
Nina stared at Leo in disbelief.
"Huh? What the hell? Aren’t you a little too old to be doing something like this?"
Leo didn’t look the slightest bit embarrassed.
"What? Are you scared?" he asked calmly. "Or were you just talking big? Weren’t you planning to keep your promise?"
Nina reacted as if someone had stepped on her tail.
"W-Who’s scared? I, Nina, am a man... woman of my word!"
She then extended her little finger and linked it with Leo’s.
Leo nodded, satisfied.
"Good. Now you can’t go back on your word. A pinky promise is sacred. If you break it, the ghosts of the Netherworld will come to claim your soul ."
Nina scrunched up her face.
"Jeez... you’re all grown up, yet you still believe in childish stuff like that."
She turned around and sat back down, but Leo caught the faint shiver that ran through her shoulders.
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips before he could stop it.
He turned to Linda, the heavy cloud that had hung over his face lifting to reveal a rare lightheartedness.
"What’s for dinner today?"
Linda offered a small, apologetic smile.
"Just rice with some leftover vegetables from yesterday."
Leo nodded, stood up, and headed into the truck.
Grandpa Jiro watched him go, a soft smile appearing on his weathered face. The young man seemed to have finally shaken off some of the heavy darkness weighing on his heart.
A moment later, Lily toddled over, waving a protein bar in her tiny hands. She looked up at Grandpa Jiro with wide, expectant eyes.
The old man’s expression softened.
"Oh? Little one , Do you want Grandpa to open it for you?"
Lily nodded with a bright grin.
"Come here, then. Grandpa will help you."
Before Lily could take another step, Linda rushed over and pulled her daughter behind her back.
The air around the fire turned stiff and awkward.
Grandpa Jiro’s smile froze.
Rex’s face darkened.
Only then did Linda realize how her actions looked. Her face drained of color from the realization, but she still kept Lily shielded behind her, looking at Grandpa Jiro with deep hesitation.
Rex couldn’t hold his tongue any longer.
"How dare you?"
"You actually believe those rumors?"
Before things could boil over, Grandpa Jiro raised a hand to stop him.
"Kid, don’t."
"She didn’t do anything wrong."
He turned back to Linda, offering her a gentle, reassuring smile.
"I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable."
"I’ll keep my distance from your child ."
"So don’t worry."
With those words, he pushed himself up. A flash of sadness crossed his eyes before he looked over at Rex.
"And don’t give them a hard time."
Rex stared at the old man with a complicated expression before giving a silent nod.
Without another word, Grandpa Jiro walked away into the shadows beyond the campfire.
As she watched the old man walk away, a conflicted expression crossed Linda’s face. She began thinking that perhaps she had misunderstood the old man .
With a quiet sigh, she returned to the fire and resumed cooking.
A few minutes later, Leo returned from the truck carrying a sealed pack of meat, a bottle of cooking oil, and a small pouch of spices.
He handed them over to Linda.
"Could you make something nice with these?"
Linda took them, her eyes wide with surprise.
"Of course."
Leo pointed toward Nina.
"Give her a bigger portion."
"Add plenty of meat."
"And... if possible, warm up a cup of milk for her."
Linda smiled warmly.
"No problem. I’m happy to help."
Nina blinked, caught off guard. She hadn’t expected Leo to treat her so well out of nowhere. For a fleeting second, a cozy warmth spread through her chest.
Before she could say a word, Rex leaned over with a cheeky grin.
"Hey, bro."
"Aren’t we best buddies too?"
"What about me?"
Leo shot him a flat, side-eye glance.
"She’s going to take care of my future meals."
"We made a deal."
Rex broke into a shameless grin.
"Oh? If that’s all it takes, I can make a pinky promise too."
Leo reached out his hand.
"Sure."
"But for you..."
"I’ll need a security deposit."
"One thousand nucleus crystals."
Rex’s smile froze solid.
"..."
Rex stood there, dead silent.
A second later, he clicked his tongue and looked at Leo with dramatic disdain.
"Hah... hoes before bros."
He folded his arms and let out a heavy sigh.
"I bet if I were cuter and a little more feminine, you’d probably give me a discount."
Leo shot him a look of pure disgust.
Ignoring Rex’s nonsense, Leo glanced around the campfire. Only then did he notice Grandpa Jiro was missing.
He turned to Nina.
"Where’s the old man?"
Nina’s expression stiffened. She opened her mouth, only to hesitate, unsure of how to explain what had happened.
Before she could find the words, Rex cut in.
"The old man’s a pervert."
"He probably wandered off to peek at some ladies."
Leo didn’t bother to reply. He went back to his seat, closed his eyes, and fell into quiet meditation.
Before long, dinner was ready.
A rich, savory aroma drifted through the campsite, making mouths water. The moment the scent reached Nina’s nose, her stomach let out a loud, traitorous growl.
Her face flushed bright red.
Linda shared a warm smile before dishing out the food. She placed a generous portion in front of Leo, followed by an equally large serving for Nina.
When she reached Rex, Leo spoke up.
"Just give him the rice and vegetable soup."
"There’s no need to give him any meat."
Rex looked deeply offended.
"Bro... you don’t have to play favorites."
"Where’s the brotherhood?"
Leo opened one eye and looked at him.
"You probably earn more than I do selling that shitty paper , you call intelligence."
"You’re practically freeloading here ."
"If you’ve got a problem with it, don’t eat."
"Go find yourself a better meal."
Rex shut his mouth. He turned to Linda with his most innocent, pleading smile.
"...Please?"
Just then, a burly man in a military uniform walked up to them . One of his arms was wrapped in a thick cast, and he limped heavily with every step.
The moment Leo saw him, his eyes sharpened.
It was Bear.
Bear walked straight over and stopped right in front of Rex.
"Oi."
"Freedom Convoy’s information broker."
"I’ve got a job for you."
"Complete it, and you’ll be generously rewarded."
Rex leaned back, looking bored.
"Go on."
"Let’s hear it first."
Bear nodded.
"I’m looking for someone."
"He wears a black hooded robe."
"His weapon is a pair of bladed gauntlets."
"Know anything?"
Rex shook his head.
"Never heard of this person"
Bear frowned.
"If you happen to hear any..."
Before he could finish, an excited voice echoed from behind him.
"Nina! Nina!"
"Wow! It smells amazing!"
"Is Big Brother treating us to dinner again?"
Atlas came jogging over, a bright grin plastered across his face. But in his excitement, his foot caught on a loose stone, and he stumbled forward, crashing straight into Bear.
Caught off balance, Bear went down hard onto the dirt.
The color drained from Atlas’s face.
"S-Sorry!"
"I didn’t mean to!"
Bear scrambled back to his feet, his face twisted with rage. He glared down at Atlas.
"The hell is wrong with you, you defect?"
"Can’t you watch where you’re going?"
"Did your eyes stop working along with your brain?"
Atlas lowered his head, staring at the ground in silence.
Before Bear could say another word, Nina strode over and planted herself right between them, pointing a finger at his chest.
"What the hell is your problem?"
"It was an accident."
"He already apologized, didn’t he?"
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