Chapter 159 - 158: Lena Johnson, The Nightmare
’Yeah... just disappeared into a mysterious realm for a few decades to master painting and stuff. Nothing too serious.’
He offered a sheepish grin, trying to downplay it, but Uncle Johnson’s gaze lingered a second longer, raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it but choosing, for the moment, not to press.
After a few seconds, Johnson’s gaze softened just slightly, and a smile tugged at his lips as he glanced over Rex’s appearance.
"Looking at your clothes and demeanor... seems like you’re finally starting to pull yourself together." Uncle Johnson said, his tone light but with a hint of approval underneath. He leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing in a way that said he was quietly assessing more than just Rex’s outfit. "Heard from your professors too. Apparently, you’ve been pretty engaged in class lately."
Rex chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah, well... I figured I couldn’t keep drifting forever." His voice held a note of self-mockery, but there was honesty in it too. "My parents wouldn’t have liked that. Especially Mom—she would’ve scolded the hell out of me if she saw me like this.
He paused, then added with a small grin, "She used to lecture me for thirty minutes straight if I so much as forgot to do the dishes. If she knew I was skipping classes and just wasting my time... I don’t even want to imagine the rant."
A quiet chuckle escaped Uncle Johnson, the corner of his mouth lifting in a way that suggested both amusement and approval. "It’s good that you’re thinking like that. I won’t ask what you’re up to... you’re an adult now. You know what’s right and wrong. And what you’re doing—at least much better than old bones like me. Saying this he gave a brief pause and his smile changed into a serious expression. "Just... don’t do anything that will bring shame to you parents name"
He hadn’t even considered doing something like that, but he still nodded seriously.
"I won’t."