# Chapter 31
While drinking iced tea with a shot added, Mo Eunje searched for the current time in Louisiana on his phone. Fortunately, it wasn’t his grandmother’s bedtime yet. Getting up early today was definitely worth it. With a smirk, Mo Eunje immediately made a video call to Ila.
“How’s my little cutie doing?”
His grandmother’s face appeared after just a couple of rings. She definitely seemed healthier since returning to her hometown; her complexion looked better with each video call.
“Grandma, I miss you so much.”
Mo Eunje’s voice turned sweet and affectionate. Perhaps because they had been closer than his own parents when he was young, he naturally became aegyo-filled and childlike with his grandmother. His attachment to her was that strong. Though his heart was boundless, he could only apologize for not visiting her often, using his busy schedule as an excuse.
“Actually, your grandfather has been missing his friends, so we’re thinking of coming to Korea this year.”
“Really? I’ll come pick you up at the airport! Does that mean I can finally have your gumbo again?”
“Only if you have castella to eat with it.”
“Actually, I’m eating some right now. I was thinking about gumbo, which is why I called you. Igyeol went out at the crack of dawn to buy this for me, and it’s super moist and delicious.”
Mo Eunje stuffed some castella into his mouth proudly, chewing as he showed it off. His grandmother’s face was filled with affection and warmth, as if she found him absolutely adorable.
“That’s good. As long as you eat well, it doesn’t matter if it’s castella or gumbo.”
“Castella and gumbo are a perfect pair. Just like me and Igyeol.”
“You two are a perfect match.”
“Right. You always said we’re a ‘match made in heaven.’ But what’s Grandpa doing? He’s your perfect match. I want to say hi to him too.”
“Your grandfather has been snoring since 9 o’clock.”
Even when they lived in Korea, his grandfather would go to bed at 10 PM. In elementary school, when Mo Eunje wanted to play late with Tae Igyeol, it was routine for them to insist on staying overnight at his grandmother’s house, even when their parents came to pick them up after work.
Grandmother would tell them to play quietly because Grandfather was sleeping, but if he woke up from the noise and scolded them, she would defend the children, asking why he was being harsh with them.
It was only much later that he discovered his grandmother received a monthly payment from both sets of parents for taking care of them, but he quickly realized that no amount of money could buy such genuine affection. The money his parents gave was the best way they could express their gratitude. Looking back, his grandmother probably spent most of that money on food, clothes, shoes, school supplies, and books for them.
“Grandma, I’m having trouble writing these days.”
“Is my little cutie having a lot on his mind? No inspiration?”
“I just don’t know what to write. I’m scared I might stop writing altogether.”
The truth that he hadn’t shared with family, friends, or even Tae Igyeol flowed easily when talking to his grandmother. Maybe this was a habit too. Since the old days, sharing his worries with her didn’t necessarily solve them but made him feel better. He had long noticed that even Tae Igyeol often told her things he wouldn’t tell Mo Eunje.
“Eunje, you don’t need to be afraid. You’re not only good at writing, but you’d be good at anything you do.”
“Right? You always recognize my true value. I could be good at anything if I just tried. But I don’t want to do other things; I want to write good, warm stories.”
“If you don’t know what to write, just write when you feel like writing.”
“But Grandma… what if my prime has already passed?”
“Why worry about such things? Even if your prime has passed, you can create a second prime or a third prime.”
Listening to his grandmother’s advice, Mo Eunje wondered if he could become as detached from worldly concerns as she was as he grew older. Instead of stressing and fretting, he wanted to maintain a center of humble transcendence, unswayed by anything. But that seemed impossible now, when his anxiety was causing sleep disorders.
“Eunje, why don’t you and Igyeol come visit sometime? Traveling might refresh you and clear your head.”
“Should we? We could take walks with you, drink wine, and heal a bit? When are you and Grandpa coming to Korea? We could go a few days earlier and bring you back, or escort you out when you return to America.”
It was an exciting plan just to think about. While Mo Eunje was making plans with his grandmother in an enthusiastic voice, eating castella, suddenly there was a loud thump! Startled, he turned around to see Tae Igyeol, who had loudly slid open the kitchen door rather than coming through the glass entrance.
“You scared me. What’s up? Is the stock market closed?”
Tae Igyeol was trying to contain his visibly excited expression. It was obvious that the stock he mentioned earlier must have hit the upper limit.
How nice. Our Igyeol is raking in money.
Mixed feelings of envy, pride, admiration, and pleasure, with just a dust-sized particle of jealousy, washed over him.
“Grandma, I think Igyeol made a lot of money. He’s thrilled but trying to act cool. Tell him to buy me something delicious.”
He lowered his voice for the last sentence but pronounced each word clearly enough to be heard. Meanwhile, Tae Igyeol positioned himself behind Mo Eunje’s dining chair.
“I was going to anyway.”
Tae Igyeol wrapped one arm around Mo Eunje’s neck from behind, like putting him in a headlock. Though Mo Eunje couldn’t turn his head due to his neck being fixed in place, he could see Tae Igyeol’s face in the screen with a rare, splendid smile in full bloom, confirming that he was indeed in a great mood.
“Grandma, it’s almost 10 PM there. Go to bed early.”
“Alright, my pretty boy.”
“Hey, I’m still talking to Grandma. I’ve barely had a chance to chat with her.”
“Grandma wakes up at 5 AM these days. She needs to sleep early.”
“Really? If she goes to bed around 10, then 11, 12… 4, 5.”
Mo Eunje carefully counted his grandmother’s sleep hours on his fingers, then made a strange “heek!” sound. Then he started making a fuss as if something terrible had happened.
“Grandma, a person needs at least 8 hours of sleep a day, but you’re only getting 7! Starting tomorrow, you need to be in bed before 9 PM. Or sleep in late like me.”
“I will. Seeing my kids together like this makes me so happy.”
“Of course we’re cute, we’re your kids. By the way, this is a secret, but I’m a little prettier than Igyeol. Good night, Grandma. Next time, I’ll call when it’s daytime for you.”
“Don’t worry about that. Call whenever you want.”
“Okay. Grandma, you know I truly love you, right? You have to stay healthy for a long time. Say hi to Grandpa for me. Bye bye. Love you, Grandma.”
Mo Eunje waved goodbye and made tiny finger hearts, sending them enthusiastically to his grandmother. He also shook his shoulders and made kissing gestures, showing all kinds of affection. Although his neck was somewhat constrained by the thick arm wrapped around it, it had loosened at some point and wasn’t uncomfortable.
“I love my cute Eunje and pretty Igyeol too. Take good care of each other.”
“We will. Take care of your meals, Grandma. I’ll call again soon.”
Tae Igyeol gave a closing greeting, and until his grandmother disappeared from the screen, Mo Eunje continued to send hearts with a bright smile, genuinely grateful that such a wonderful person was also his grandmother.
&
After ending the video call with his grandmother, Tae Igyeol naturally released his arm from around Mo Eunje’s neck. Earlier, he had been so happy that he acted before thinking, but after making contact, he was anxious about revealing his rapidly beating heart.
The fortunate thing was that he now had a plausible excuse. He had made the biggest profit of the year. It was such an achievement that he wouldn’t need to look at the stock market screen for months. In three months, he had increased his initial investment from the beginning of the year by 2.2 times. Even if Mo Eunje had asked why his heart was beating so fast, he could just reveal the amount of profit and it would be immediately understood. Mo Eunje would probably be even more excited and wouldn’t hesitate to initiate even more intimate skinship.
“Looks like you made a lot of money?”
“The highest this year.”
“Oh, congratulations. Does that mean you’ve escaped all your losses?”
“I cut my losses and went all in. What do you want for lunch? Just name it. Hyung will treat you to anything today.”
Tae Igyeol spoke triumphantly with his shoulders tensed up, in an arrogant tone. However, contrary to his expectation that Mo Eunje would speak in baby talk and act cute, his response was lukewarm.
“…Lunch? Now?”
“You usually eat your first meal around this time after waking up.”
“But I’m totally full right now?”
“What?”
Mo Eunje fidgeted with his hands on the table. Detecting the movement, Tae Igyeol’s gaze fell to those hands. His neat, long fingers were covered here and there with castella crumbs. And in front of his sticky-looking hands, the empty bread mold caught his eye.
