"Future wife? What—oh, that..." Ken remembered what he'd said several months ago. But things had changed since then. Besides, even if he did get married, the house was spacious enough for all five of them to live in."We broke up. And I have no plans to get married anytime soon.""You... wasn't your girlfriend that girl from the neighboring residential complex? You two had been dating since high school.""Ex-girlfriend, Mom. Please respect the past.""Tsk! You little brat!"The atmosphere in the room finally grew lighter. At least for a while, they could talk like an ordinary family without constantly worrying about hospital bills or the incident that had landed his father in that bed.However, once their laughter subsided, Ken turned to look at his parents again."I'm not asking you to give me an answer now. Dad still needs to rest, and we also need to discuss this with my younger sister. But please think it over carefully, okay?"His mother nodded slowly.His father didn't answer ri

"But that must have been a while ago. Just eat a little. There's plenty of food here."Ken glanced at the lunch box, then smiled faintly."Mom, you can eat. I'll eat later when I'm hungry. Besides, I can go downstairs and buy something to eat."His mother shook her head with a smile, then closed the lunch box again and placed it on the table."All right. If you've already eaten, you don't have to force yourself."She studied Ken more carefully before adding, "But you need to rest, too. Go home and get some sleep. You can come back here later."Ken was about to refuse instinctively. He had only just arrived, and he didn't feel right about leaving his father, especially after learning that the older man hadn't fully recovered yet.However, when he glanced at the clock on the wall, he began to consider his mother's suggestion.The journey from the city had been exhausting, and he hadn't really rested since setting off. If he wanted to keep his father company tonight, forcing himself to st

They finally arrived at the hospital parking lot. Near a car parked beneath the shade of several trees, a middle-aged man stood checking his phone. As soon as he saw Ken and Kienna approaching, he slipped his phone into his pocket and greeted them with a friendly smile.“Oh, Ken, you’re back!”“Uncle Abrams.” Ken greeted him, immediately walking over and giving him a polite nod. “Sorry for making you wait for us, Uncle. Thank you for bringing Kienna to the hospital, too.”The man named Abrams waved his hand as though it were nothing worth mentioning.“Don’t mention it. We’ve been neighbors for years. Helping your family a little isn’t a big deal.”He took one of the bags from Kienna’s hand to help her carry it.“Come on, put your things in the car. You must want to go home and get some rest.”Ken opened the back door and placed his backpack inside, then helped arrange the bags of local specialties and gifts so they wouldn’t be piled up haphazardly. Kienna sat beside him, still hugging

Once everything was reasonably organized, Ken picked up his backpack and carried it to his room. He placed it beside the wardrobe, then looked around the room for a moment before letting out a soft breath.The room was still simple, with an old study desk in the corner and a bed that hadn’t yet been fitted with fresh sheets. There was nothing luxurious about it, but that was precisely what made it feel familiar.After living in the city for so long and facing all sorts of events he could never have imagined before, being here made Ken feel as though part of him had returned to the past.Unfortunately, he didn’t have much time to reminisce.He still needed to visit Uncle Abrams and thank him in a more appropriate way. He had already prepared a special bag containing several gifts for the man.Ken left his room and found Kienna carrying her clothes and skincare set toward her own bedroom.“Hey, don’t forget to put fresh sheets on my bed,” he said.Kienna turned to him with an expression

Uncle Abrams appeared from inside the house with his wife. Both looked shocked when they saw the damaged barrier, the scattered ornamental plants, and a motorcycle lying in the middle of the wreckage. Their gazes then shifted to the two young men standing nearby, their clothes covered in dust and their expressions anything but composed.Uncle Abrams’s wife immediately approached them.“Oh, my goodness! Are you two all right? Is anyone hurt?” she asked anxiously, checking Ken and Conal from head to toe.“We’re fine, Auntie,” Ken answered quickly. He brushed the dust off his clothes, then bowed his head sincerely. “We’re sorry. It’s our fault for damaging the barrier and the plants in front of your house.”Conal, who had been busy mourning his motorcycle, immediately straightened up. He bowed as well, although his movements were a little awkward because one hand was still holding his waist.“I’m sorry, Uncle! Auntie! I really didn’t mean to do it. I’ll take responsibility for all the da