Chapter 21: The Sound of Laughter

By the time I brought the computer and laptops home, the sun was setting.

Contrary to my expectations, it wasn’t quite evening yet when I arrived.

Carrying the computer and laptops, I stepped into the house.

Empty.

The house was completely silent.

As I moved slowly through the quiet space, I felt an odd unease.

It’s only been a few days, but the silence feels… off.

When the kids weren’t around, a quiet house was normal.

But now, the absence of sound left a bitter taste.

With a small chuckle, I set the laptops on the dining table.

Guess I’ll head to Marcello’s.

With that, I left the house and made my way to Marcello’s place.

***

Marcello had a lot of experience looking after kids.

After losing his wife and son because of his past, his mind couldn’t bear the weight.

To atone, he began volunteering at churches and orphanages.

It was partly to ease his unforgivable sins, but oddly, being around kids reminded him of his son.

I’m a criminal, after all.

Throughout his volunteering, Marcello never forgot he was a criminal.

Because of this, he avoided forming deep bonds with kids, choosing instead to act like a clown in their presence.

It was the best he could do, with blood on his hands.

“Grandpa!”

“Cosa sta succedendo? (What’s going on?)”

Though he couldn’t understand the language, Marcello knew Jiyu was calling him.

As she ran over from playing with the dogs, he snapped out of his thoughts and quickly responded.

“Grandpa! I wanna go play outside!”

He didn’t know what she was saying.

But Jiyu kept pointing at the back door.

Beyond it was the backyard where the dogs could be walked.

“Vuoi fare una passeggiata? (Want to go for a walk?)”

“I don’t know what you’re saying! I wanna play outside!”

Marcello glanced at the other kids.

The Samoyeds’ thick fur probably made the air feel stuffy, so they likely wanted to go out.

I haven’t cleaned the yard…

Though it had snowed heavily, he hadn’t bothered clearing the backyard.

Even when walking the Samoyeds, he avoided using it.

“Ok, usciamo. (Alright, let’s go.)”

Still, he couldn’t ignore the kids’ wishes.

Marcello stood and slowly headed to the backyard.

So much…

Opening the back door, he was greeted by a frigid breeze and a pristine white world.

With temperatures dropping to -20°C, the snow hadn’t melted at all.

Looking at the untouched snow, Marcello quickly got to work.

Gotta clear it.

Worried the kids might get hurt, he grabbed a shovel and broom.

“Are you clearing the snow?”

Seeing him, Hye-yeon picked up a shovel too.

“I’ll help!”

Yuri followed, grabbing another shovel.

“Huh?”

Seeing her sisters, Jiyu picked up a small gardening trowel.

The backyard had a garden bed, so tools like that were lying around.

“Oh! Mamma mia! Ragazzi, non dovete farlo! (Oh! Kids, you don’t have to do that!)”

Marcello hurried over.

This was an adult’s job, and he didn’t want the kids handling rough tools.

“Is he asking for help?”

“No, I think he’s saying don’t do it. He’s shaking his head.”

“Jiyu’s gonna play in the snow!”

Hye-yeon and Yuri tried to figure out what Marcello meant, but Jiyu didn’t care.

She started digging into the snow with her trowel.

She’d wanted to build a snowman since arriving in Canada, but the timing hadn’t been right.

-Whine?

-Whine!

Seeing Jiyu, the dogs, peering through the open door, slipped outside.

-Woof woof!

They followed her, diving into the snow.

-Woof woof!

-Whine!

Swish swish swish!

Though their legs were short, the puppies dug through the snow with surprising speed.

“No, don’t!”

“It’s cold, you’ll catch a cold!”

Hye-yeon and Yuri rushed to stop the dogs.

Of course, Samoyeds, built for snowy environments, wouldn’t catch colds that easily, but the kids, worried, lifted the snow-covered pups.

“Heh…”

But soon, the kids naturally started playing in the snow.

Marcello, who’d been clearing it to keep them safe, set down his shovel and broom.

“They’re having fun…”

He quietly watched the kids play.

Some families raise kids quietly these days, but he believed kids should be loud and lively.

Kids laughing means… peace.

Even in his tough days, kids in the market laughed and made noise.

They didn’t need entertaining.

The natural environment was their playground, and Marcello smiled softly.

“…Let’s rest.”

Sitting on a snow-covered chair, he watched the kids with a quiet smile.

***

When I reached Marcello’s house, the kids were all asleep on the sofa.

They must’ve played hard, as even the adult Samoyeds were out cold.

Those energy monsters are knocked out.

Samoyeds, once sled dogs, were exhausted like this?

It showed how much fun the kids had.

They must’ve had a blast.

The kids slept with happy smiles.

The anxious looks they had when they first arrived at my house were gone, replaced by pure joy.

“They made snowmen, had a snowball fight, built an igloo… they had a great time.”

They’ll catch colds. Shouldn’t we warm the house more?

“It’s warm enough.”

Marcello set a coffee mug in front of me.

I was surprised to see hot Americano inside.

Americano?

“What? Don’t like it?”

No, it’s not that… what’s the occasion?

As an Italian, Marcello despised Americano, especially iced ones.

He’d once threatened to kill me if I drank one in front of him again.

“Just felt like it.”

Felt like it… alright.

I decided to drink what was offered.

I couldn’t handle espresso’s bitterness, so I was grateful for the Americano.

“By the way.”

After a sip, Marcello stared at me.

“Something good happen to you?”

Huh? Like what?

“Hmm.”

He studied me, then crossed his arms.

“This morning, you looked tired, but now you seem… in a good mood. Did you get a girl’s number at the computer store?”

No, it’s not that… Do I really show my emotions that much?

Mijeong noticed it too, and now Marcello.

I’d never been told my expressions were obvious, but they both picked up on my mood instantly.

“The less expressive someone is, the easier it is to notice. And…”

Marcello gave me a knowing look.

“For someone like you, who’s had no luck with women, it’s even more obvious.”

Hey, I’ve had relationships…

“What, ten years ago? Five? That’s how long it’s been, right?”

Well… yeah.

“Exactly. Heh…”

Marcello chuckled.

“So, you got a girl you like?”

I… don’t know.

I’d had plenty of women confess to me.

From casual flings to serious offers.

I turned most down, but with Nicole, I couldn’t.

I don’t plan to date. Still don’t. But… there’s this woman I can’t ignore.

“You get along well?”

I guess we click. Her reactions are great… something like that.

“Heh…”

Marcello grinned, clearly amused.

“So? You like her?”

I don’t know.

We’d barely talked in person, and today was just texting.

I only kept talking because it was fun.

I wasn’t sure if I liked her or not.

I told her I’d think about meeting…

Meeting wasn’t easy.

She lived in Vancouver, and as a flight attendant, her schedule was tight.

“You’re so dense.”

Huh?

“Why overthink it? Just meet her and figure it out.”

But… she lives so far.

“So what? Distance doesn’t matter when you’re getting to know someone. It’s about the heart.”

The heart?

“Yeah. Figure out if she’s worth giving your life for, you little punk. Heh…”

In his youth, Marcello met many women.

Most were after his power or money, and meeting only those types made love feel empty.

He regretted realizing true love’s meaning too late, wishing he’d escaped that cycle sooner.

“Clicking in conversation is already a good sign. Did she ask you for money?”

No…

“Then meet her. Talk, eat, drink coffee, and figure it out then, you coward.”

Coward.

I didn’t need to know Italian to understand the word.

I was definitely a coward.

Was I… too scared?

Some people love public attention, but I didn’t.

Yet the public loved my writing, showering me with praise.

Some asked for signatures on their underwear, others on their chests.

One guy even stripped and ran at me.

Maybe…

I acted annoyed by the attention, but maybe it was just fear disguised as indifference.

I’ll think about it.

“Do what you want, you dull kid.”

As I sorted my thoughts and sipped my coffee, my phone chimed with an unfamiliar alert.

It was the sound for important emails, so I quickly checked it.

Oh.

The email contained the script for Papa.