“Really?” Justin pulled over to the side of the road and extended his hand. “Let me listen to it.”
Although it was an old phone, it had everything except for games.
Bryce merely glanced at him before turning his head to the other side. Stella noticed the tension between the father and son and couldn’t help but ask, “Are you guys hungry?”
Justin looked at her, his gaze questioning.
“Students usually eat on time at school,” she explained, pointing to her stomach and then to Bryce’s. “He could be hungry later if we don’t get to the restaurant soon.”
Justin’s expression softened slightly. “Why are you pointing to your stomach if you think he could be hungry later?”
Stella scratched her head awkwardly. “I eat on time, too.”
When Justin heard this, he burst into laughter, shaking his head. “You’re still a kid after all.”
A small grin appeared on Bryce’s face. Though he laughed along with them, there was a hint of disdain in his eyes.
She was only ten years older than him. Justin was in his forties, and the age difference between them felt vast. Even someone as young as Bryce could tell what was going on.
Once they arrived at the restaurant, Bryce instinctively walked beside Justin, while Stella trailed behind them. Justin noticed this and shot her a glance before grabbing her hand and pulling her along. At first, Stella wanted to pull away from his warm touch, but when their eyes met, she let her hand intertwine with his.
Bryce, who had been observing, pursed his lips, silently watching the affectionate display. He turned his head away, clearly uncomfortable with the intimacy between the two. Despite being only 12 years old, he was already almost as tall as Stella.
Stella couldn’t help but sigh, wondering why children today were all so tall.
Roger had been the same way when he was younger. By middle school, he had grown taller than her.
Justin grinned proudly, looking at Bryce. “These days, kids need enough nutrients to grow taller. And, of course…”
“I’m tall, so naturally, my kid would be tall, too,” he added, pausing to glance at Stella. Justin stood at 180 cm, a decent height for a man.
Out of nowhere, Bryce interrupted, “My mom is tall, too. She’s 170 cm. Everyone says I’m tall like her.”
The moment he said this, the atmosphere at the table shifted. Tension filled the air, and Justin’s grin faltered as he shot Bryce a perplexed, almost warning look.
Bryce, sensing the change in tone, avoided his gaze and lowered his head. Stella, however, didn’t notice the tension and innocently asked, “Do you look more like your mom or your dad?”
While Bryce had said this with bad intentions, he wasn’t expecting Stella to ask about his mother so genuinely. This irritated him, but instead of answering, he kept his lips pressed together and focused on his meal.
The atmosphere became noticeably uncomfortable, and Stella, sensing his resistance, wisely stopped pressing him for more answers.
Her mind was too simple, and she hadn’t realized the subtle dynamics at play. Dealing with kids at this age would require effort and patience.
Justin’s face had darkened, but before he could say anything, Stella cut him off. “How’s my makeup?”
Justin paused, realizing she didn’t want him to argue with his son. He closed his eyes and, with patience, replied, “It seems to have worn off a little. Do you want to go touch up?”
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