Chapter 17: Visiting Neighbors with Family (2)

Raising a dog would definitely help with security.

Whether it’s a weasel or a raccoon, a big dog would keep them at bay.

…But there’s no way it’d actually guard anything.

I shook my head.

The innocent, smiling face of the Samoyed made the idea of “security” vanish.

“Security? That face looks like it’d play with a thief instead.”

“Come on, they’re sled dogs. They’re sensitive to hierarchy. Just take one and raise it.”

“…”

Marcello’s face, looking at the kids like they were his grandkids, made me sigh inwardly.

Security, huh…

Honestly, what’s the point?

Even if I took one, it’d be a puppy, and its expression screamed “I don’t want to fight.”

The kids loved them, so I briefly considered it but shook my head again.

Too much work.

It’d only been two days since the kids arrived, and the household chores had already piled up.

Taking care of a dog on top of that would be overwhelming.

“Uncllle!”

Jiyu, holding a puppy, stared at me.

“Jiyu won’t eat much! Let’s raise a puppy!”

No, that’s not the issue.

As if Jiyu eats that much anyway.

That wasn’t the problem.

“Then Jiyu will play with the puppy!”

That’s not it either…

“Jiyu will raise it!”

I mean…

“Jiyu can be trusted!”

“…”

When Jiyu begged for chocolate, Hye-yeon and Yuri were there to stop her.

But now, even they seemed to want a dog, glancing at me cautiously.

They wanted one but knew I was against it, so they stayed quiet.

No way.

I held onto my resolve.

Some things are just not allowed, especially living creatures.

“Hmph…”

Jiyu’s face fell, looking like she might cry.

Seeing her like that shook me, but I steadied myself and shook my head firmly.

Living things aren’t toys. You have to be careful, really careful.

“But…”

You can come back tomorrow or the day after. Just think it over carefully. I’m asking you, okay?

“…Okay.”

Jiyu petted the puppy in her arms.

-Whine…

Lick lick.

The puppy, liking Jiyu, licked her fingers.

Seeing this, Jiyu nodded.

“Okay… Jiyu understands.”

Thank you.

Marcello approached me quietly.

“Looks like the talk’s over…”

Yeah, we’re not taking one.

“The kids want one. Isn’t one okay?”

Living things need careful thought. Getting swayed by their cuteness now—what happens when they grow up?

“Heh…”

Marcello nodded, understanding.

“I’ll make some tea. Let the kids play with the dogs a bit more.”

Thanks.

I sat on the sofa, watching the kids play with the puppies.

I’d seen them smile a lot since coming here, but today’s smiles were the purest yet.

…Animals.

My reluctance to get a pet wasn’t just about responsibility—it was also because of past memories.

It’s better now, but it was a big shock back then.

When I was a kid, we had a yard, and we raised a small yellow dog my grandfather brought from the market.

It became my friend.

A year later, when summer came, the dog suddenly disappeared.

It’s a miracle I didn’t get traumatized.

When the dog days of summer arrived, my grandfather and the neighbors ate the dog.

Thankfully, I thought it had escaped at the time.

I only found out a year later, so while it didn’t traumatize me, it left a scar.

“What’re you thinking about?”

Hye-yeon came over while I was staring blankly at the kids.

Of course, she was holding a puppy.

Oh, nothing. By the way, Hye-yeon.

“Yes?”

Did your mom like animals?

Hye-yeon thought for a moment, then shook her head.

“I’m not sure. But I think she probably did. She wasn’t afraid of them.”

Really?

The mention of animals made me curious.

It’d been so long, I wondered if my sister liked them.

“No! Mom loved animals!”

Yuri, overhearing us, came over holding a puppy.

Did she?

“Yeah! Mom really loved animals, especially cats.”

Once, when Yuri went with her mom to take out the trash, they found a kitten.

Yuri thought it was cute but felt it was dirty from the garbage.

But her mom didn’t.

“Mom brought a cat home once!”

Your mom?

Hye-yeon seemed surprised by Yuri’s words.

“Yeah! Don’t you remember? One evening, she brought a cat home… Oh, wait, you weren’t there.”

“Why not?”

“You were on a school trip.”

“Oh…”

But they couldn’t keep the cat because of the high vet and food costs, so they gave it to a friend.

A cat…

As I got lost in thought,

“Hey, move it, you rascals.”

-Whine…

Marcello came out of the kitchen.

He shooed away the dogs clinging to him, drawn by the delicious smell, and approached the sofa.

“I baked a pie this morning just in case, and it’s perfect timing.”

He set a tray on the table with a perfectly baked fruit pie.

“Wow!”

“Buon appetito.”

Marcello smiled warmly at the kids.

***

Exploring the village didn’t take long.

It’s a small place, and while I knew most people, we weren’t super close.

Still, it was good for the kids to get familiar with the neighbors, so we went around.

It’s already past lunchtime.

We’d spent too long at Marcello’s.

The kids loved the dogs, and Marcello, despite the language barrier, entertained them like a clown.

You guys hungry?

“No! Jiyu’s not hungry! Full!”

“I’m not hungry either.”

“We ate so much at Grandpa Marcello’s, I’m not hungry.”

We should’ve eaten, but they weren’t hungry.

Every time we finished food, Marcello brought more.

What a kind old man.

Marcello only shared his past with Ryan and me.

The reason was simple: we were the same age as his son, who passed away in an accident.

Despite his past, Marcello was just a warm grandfather to us.

What now…

Back home, there wasn’t much to do.

I thought about finding something, but I was bored.

Turning on the TV was pointless since the kids wouldn’t understand.

“Oh, Uncle.”

As I zoned out, Yuri, who was on her phone, came over.

Yeah? What?

“Can I post a picture with you on SNS?”

SNS?

“Yeah, the group photo from last night.”

Oh.

Before eating yesterday, Yuri had taken a group photo.

She probably wanted to show her friends but hesitated since our faces were in it.

Makes sense…

I wasn’t super famous, but I had 20 million followers as a writer.

Since we weren’t just random acquaintances but family now, she probably didn’t want to cause trouble.

What should I do?

I didn’t mind our relationship being known, but the issue was paparazzi.

You might think a writer wouldn’t attract them, but even minor fame draws aggressive reporters.

In any country.

They could target the kids…

That’s why I hesitated.

I didn’t care about myself, but they might dig into the kids’ pasts.

That’s why celebrities often hide their kids.

Go ahead and post it.

“Really? Just like that?”

I patted Yuri’s head.

She was only 10 but thought like an adult.

Of course.

I’d protect the kids.

That belief hadn’t changed, so I was confident I could handle any backlash.

“Awesome! I’ll post it!”

Yuri beamed and uploaded the photo to SNS.

ID: @glass1111  

[Group photo]  

Second day after moving to Canada!  

With Uncle, my sister, my little sister, and the neighbor’s family!  

My uncle’s a writer, and he’s friends with super famous actors!

Yuri didn’t yet realize the extent of Yongsu’s fame.

For now, she was just happy to post a photo with her uncle.

By the way, what’s for dinner? Anything you want?

“Chicken! Jiyu wants chicken!”

Chicken?

“Yeah! Western chicken!”

Chicken, huh…

Since we had the chicken Ryan gave us, making some wouldn’t be a bad idea.

We rested until dinner time.

***

Yongsu’s pen name, Adele Louis.

By combining the female name Adele and the male name Louis, he chose it to symbolize creating a new world from a neutral perspective.

It had a touch of teenage edginess, but the name ignited the literary world upon his debut.

I was curious about who Adele Louis was.

Adele Louis was a fascinating writer.

Active on SNS but secretive about his past.

Always staying home, just writing.

Prolific, producing over two works a year, yet avoiding outside communication.

That was Adele Louis.

“Hmm… I didn’t know he had a family.”

Kang Ki-hyung, a Korean film director and Oscar winner, smirked while looking at his phone.

Less than four hours after the photo was posted, it had already spread like wildfire in the industry.

“I wanted to adapt Rat Hole so badly… tch.”

Called Korea’s greatest director, Kang Ki-hyung was so influential that even Hollywood actors begged to be in his films.

Some said Korean cinema wouldn’t have advanced without him.

He desperately wanted to adapt Rat Hole, but Yongsu had turned him down.

“Hmm…”

Kang Ki-hyung stared at the SNS post for a while.

Then, with a sly smile, he left a comment.