Chapter 91. A Happy Family...
Bustling noises echoed through the modest but warm living room, cluttered with the kind of disorganized happiness that only a well-loved home could carry.
The scent of sautéed onions and something rich and buttery wafted from the kitchen.
The clatter of utensils, the hum of the exhaust fan, and distant birdsong filtered through open windows, wrapping the house in a cocoon of life.
Near the dining table—nestled between a narrow hallway and the kitchen—a young girl sat with her arms crossed, her black hair tied into messy twin tails, her cheeks puffed out in defiance.
She glared at her mother with watery black eyes. "Mom!! Why can’t I go to the same school as him? I’m smart too, you know!"
Her voice cracked slightly at the end, betraying how much she meant those words.
The woman in the kitchen, a graceful lady with soft brunette hair falling over her shoulder and the same obsidian eyes, turned her head slightly, smiling faintly as she stirred something in the pan.
Her voice was calm, ever-patient. "Sweetie, your brother got into that school by cracking a really tough entrance exam. You haven’t even applied for it yet."
With practiced grace, she grabbed two plates filled with golden, steaming food, walked over, and set them on the table.
Then she crouched down beside the sulking girl, gently pinching her cheek with warm fingers. "I know my sweet girl is smart. Super smart. But let your brother have this win, okay? This is the only time he’s done something properly, and you know it."
The girl looked away, her lip trembling. "I know... but... he keeps bullying me."