“Brother, your mouth seems to be getting rougher.”
“I learned.”
“You learned? What did you learn?”
“I guess I’ve been influenced by hanging out with my brother-in-law too much.”
“Why is it that you only learn bad things…?”
“Bad things are learned quickly.”
The childish bickering between the two continued, making it hard to tell whether they were grilling meat or just joking around.
“It’s unpleasant, but I’ll endure it.”
“Why endure? If you have something to say, say it.”
“I’m enduring it because I’m now married and have become a father.”
“Oh! My brother-in-law has matured!”
“You’ll understand when you get married and become a father too. But…”
Pausing for a moment, Hamza looked at Dylan grilling the meat, a mischievous glint appearing in his eyes. Dylan felt an uneasy premonition and frowned.
“Nowadays, many people have children first as part of their marriage preparations. Don’t you have any thoughts about that?”
“Brother-in-law, anything in excess can be harmful. Let’s keep the silly jokes to a minimum.”
“Nowadays, getting married early and having children is considered a great filial duty to parents. I’m not wrong, and it would be beneficial for you too, so think about it carefully.”
After saying this, Hamza waved his hand and called out to Gia.
“Hey, pretty! Come here quickly! Let’s eat some meat.”
The sweet-sounding “pretty” echoed loudly in Dylan’s ears.
“Brother-in-law, I’m begging you, can you please refrain from excessive displays of affection in front of me?”
Dylan asked with a shiver. Hamza smiled slyly.
“My brother hasn’t experienced a passionate love yet, so he doesn’t know. The more you do this, the better it is. It deepens the relationship. You should learn this, not the bad stuff.”
Hamza called out to Gia again with another cheesy line.
“Hey, pretty! Let’s eat some meat.”
Dylan shook his head, shaking off the goosebumps on his arms.
*******
The four of them gathered around the barbecue table. Hamza carefully poured cold beer into a glass and asked Lola.
“Is it okay for you to have a beer, Lola?”
“Yes.”
Lola nodded slightly. Hamza poured beer into Lola’s glass as well.
“Drink moderately so you don’t get drunk.”
Dylan, sitting next to Lola, whispered softly to caution her. Lola’s face turned slightly pink.
“If I get drunk, Dear can take care of me. What’s there to worry about? Right!”
“Brother-in-law!”
Dylan shot a glance at the grumbling Hamza. Lola lightly tapped Dylan’s arm and said softly.
“I’ll drink just enough not to get drunk, so you don’t have to worry, Dear.”
“Okay.”
Gia, quietly observing the two as they whispered to each other, turned to Lola and asked.
“Are you doing well with your exam preparations?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m envious. I still have two more years to go.”
Lola comforted Gia, who muttered bitterly.
“Time flies, so it will pass quickly.”
“Do well on your exam! To Lola, cheers!”
Gia raised her beer glass first. The other three clinked their glasses together.
“Have you heard any rumors?”
After taking a sip of beer, Gia asked Lola. The two men seemed uninterested in the women’s conversation, quietly sipping their beer.
“What rumors?”
“They say Kent Hollis is meeting his ex-wife again?”
Kent Hollis was a tall, handsome young professor who had recently joined the psychiatry department three years ago. He was exceptionally capable, had an unusual background, and perhaps because of his difficult personality, he was often the topic of conversation among many residents and nurses.
Just moments ago, the two men had shown no interest in the women’s conversation, but suddenly, hearing the name of an outsider made them perk up their ears. Their expressions turned cold in an instant. However, the two women had yet to notice the change in the men’s expressions.
“Really? Haven’t they been divorced for quite a while?”
“Yeah. I think it’s been a few years.”
Even though there weren’t many women present, the two women were talking non-stop about Kent Hollis, making quite a racket.
“Professor Kent Hollis! If only he had a good personality, he would have quite a few women following him. It’s a shame in a way. He’s capable and good-looking, so he’s not hard to overlook.”
Lola, forgetting that Dylan was sitting right next to her, blurted out a dangerously reckless comment. Gia added fuel to the fire.
“But if their relationship has already soured once, can they really live well together again?”
As the conversation about the outsider dragged on, Dylan quietly interjected.
“You two seem to be quite interested in this Kent Hollis guy?”
“I don’t understand why you bring up such unpleasant topics.”
Married for four years, Hamza was still infatuated with Gia’s beauty. But hearing her mention the name of an outsider multiple times was something he couldn’t tolerate, and with a frown, he openly complained.
