ALL NOVEL Chapter 180
180. We’re Family [Side – Glen]
“This way, this way! See? Smells great, doesn’t it?”
“Hey, don’t just run off like that!”
Seriously, we’re being hunted, and yet Sara doesn’t seem to care in the slightest.
She pulls me along through the streets, heading straight for whatever smells so good.
“Here it is, Glen! Let’s go in!”
Sara seems to have pinpointed the source of the scent and slips into a shop tucked away in a corner of the city.
That girl… She doesn’t even consider the fact that we have no money.
Well, it can’t be helped. Now that she’s gone in, we’ll have our meal here.
Sighing, I step inside, only to find Sara seated at a table in the back, browsing the menu with a grin.
“Hey, Glen, can you read?”
“…No, I can’t.”
“I can! No worries, I’ll read it for you!”
Something about this reeks of a setup.
With a smug expression, Sara scans the menu and starts ordering from the waiter.
I wanted to tell her to stop ordering on her own, but since I couldn’t read, I had no choice but to let her handle it.
After a few minutes, plates of meat dishes are brought to our table.
The aroma of roasted beef wafts through the air, immediately sparking my appetite.
The meat’s slightly pink hue, the sizzle, and the savory scent—it all looks and smells amazing.
“Hey! Glen! How many times do I have to tell you not to eat meat with your hands?!”
“It’s faster this way.”
“That’s not the point! Here, use the utensils!”
In front of me are two shiny utensils that look more like weapons than tools.
Sara, on the other hand, gracefully uses her silver utensils to cut the meat and bring it to her mouth.
Not long ago, I was eating dirty bread off the ground, so suddenly expecting me to use these things is a bit much.
Still, eating with my hands would indeed draw attention, and I’d rather avoid a scene.
Reluctantly, I decided to mimic Sara.
“…This is good.”
“Right? This meat is so tender and delicious!”
Now that she mentions it, the meat is indeed soft, and every bite releases a rich flavor.
I’ve never tasted anything this good before. It’s a far cry from the cold, tasteless rations in that prison.
“…Why does this meat taste so good?”
“Why do you ask?”
“This meat is better than anything I’ve ever eaten. What makes food so delicious?”
Sara pauses, a piece of meat halfway to her mouth, and then swallows before replying.
“Well, it depends on the chef, of course. But I think the most important thing is who you’re eating with.”
“Who you’re eating with?”
“Exactly! No matter how good the food is, it wouldn’t taste as great if you ate it alone.
Eating together with someone makes all the difference.”
I see. That does make sense. As I’m digesting her words, Sara continues cheerfully.
“My mom used to say, ‘When you share a meal, you’re family.’ So, Glen, that means we’re family now!”
“No, it’s the other way around. People share meals because they’re family—”
“We’re family! …We’re family, okay?”
Sara’s voice suddenly rises, only to drop to a whisper like the calm after a storm.
“…Do you want a family?”
“It’s just… when my mom and dad were gone, I promised I’d show them my happiest face when we met again.
But now they’re gone, and I might never see them again…”
I glance at Sara and see tears pooling in her big eyes.
Finally, I understand why she’s been so willful all this time.
She’s been pretending to be cheerful, masking her loneliness with bravado.
“…How ridiculous.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?! You don’t understand how I feel, Glen—”
“If sharing a meal makes us family, then you already have one. So why are you still whining about something so trivial?”
Fine. I’ll play along.
I might not understand the pain of losing someone precious since I never had anything to lose.
But I do know what it means to value something.
“…You’re right. We’re family, aren’t we?”
Sara’s mood lifts, and she starts devouring the meat with newfound vigor.
What a strange girl. She’s annoying, yet fragile in unexpected ways, and her perspective is so unlike mine.
Watching her across the table, I find myself lost in thought.