There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)-Chapter 750: Side Story 4. Endless Journey - 33

"Lu!"

Lucy gasped and immediately stood up the moment he heard her brother’s voice, before running with all her might to the front door. "Asa!"

One thing that never changed from the twins was that Asa would always be the one to pass the door first--and he would always do it as if he wanted to break said door. Lucy jumped into her brother’s arm with a hearty laugh, shrieking as she was thrown to her oldest brother, who easily spun her in the air until she was out of breath.

She sighed in disappointment as Kar carried her inside. She used to be able to tire them out, but now her oldest brother had gotten so strong that even after Lucy took him to play all day, the teenager barely sweated. She missed the time they still begged her to stop.

"You’re here?" Zein’s smile grew brighter when Asa tackled him with a big hug, as usual. And every year, he had to brace himself even more because they grew heavier, taller, and stronger.

But that was a price he was happy to pay, to know his children grew up well. However, growing up also meant they came home less and less. At first, they returned at least once a month--sometimes more. But once they entered advanced classes, they only came when they weren’t so busy anymore or if there was an important event at home--like birthdays.

Haa...he could already tell how the future would be.

"Good day, Father," Kar hugged him with one hand since he was still carrying Lucy.

And then there was his oldest, who already talked like a grown-up. Zein tilted his head and patted the black hair. "Did you grow up again? I think you’re as tall as me, now."

"I sure hope so," Kar smirked while his sister joined in to pat his head. "I’m taller than Asa now."

"Oh, shut it!" the younger twin rolled his eyes. "That’s because Espers had a different diet."

"Why are you bickering as soon as you come back, huh?" Bassena gripped his sons’ heads from behind. "Go and change, you unruly boys."

The children screamed playfully--especially Lucy--and ran upstairs, leaving their fathers shaking heads in exasperation. "Oh, well...at least I know Kar still has a childish side," Zein chuckled.

"He looks more like your father now," Bassena stroked his chin. "Is it because he’s an esper?"

"Maybe," Zein shrugged. "If Grandpa were still alive, he’d weep."

"He still has another Grandpa that might weep," Bassena smirked, thinking back to Old Man Yu whose eyes were glazed when he met the twins for the first time in the past. "Should I call him to visit during summer break, or will a hike be better?"

"Might as well go somewhere new," Zein nodded. "I’ll tell him about it."

Ah, it was nice planning something with the whole family again. Actually, it was nice just to see the dining table full again, to see Lucy brightened up even more than usual, because she had four people to talk to during meal time.

And Bassena could finally make the food he could only make when there were a lot of people to eat it.

"Dad, can we take Lu downtown tomorrow?" Asa asked during their first family meal, which they decided to have in the garden. "She can maintain her mana level now, can she?"

Bassena raised his brow. "Just the three of you?"

"Nari and Byul too," Kar added.

"Can we, Papa?" Lucy turned toward Zein, fully using her pleading eyes. "Brothers said they’ll take Lu to Lu’s birthday present."

The fathers raised their brows. That was a new strategy--the boys usually loved preparing gifts in advance and made it a surprise.

"We’re going to Seven Ether," Kar explained.

Indeed, the best accessory was the one picked by the recipients themselves. Unless the person had no sense like Zein. The fathers glanced at each other. "Wow, acting rich now," Bassena whistled. He did give them a generous allowance--what with them leaving away from home--but he was careful not to make it excessive.

Asa shrugged. "What use is our saving money if not for spoiling Lu?"

"I’m impressed," Zein clapped slowly. "You sound exactly like your Dad."

"Heh," Bassena smirked.

"However," Zein shot the twins a look. "Your saving money should be used to fund yourself while you are waiting to get a job."

"Jobs been waiting for us to graduate and get our license, Father," Kar shrugged. "Don’t worry about that."

"Confident, I see."

Asa smirked and sprinkled the table with a bunch of recruitment emails from his commlinks, much to his fathers’ amusement. "So?" he asked again.

"Sure," Bassena finally gave his permission after exchanging glances with his husband. "Just let the guards follow you."

"Yes, Sir!" Asa made a salute with a grin.

"And don’t get into a fight."

The younger twin pursed his lips. "Why would you assume we’d get into a fight?"

"Because you did all the time in the academy," Bassena rolled his eyes. How many times had they received a report about duels happening involving the twins? It was to a point that when a call came from the bodyguards, they would expect another report of a fight.

"But we never started it!" Asa protested.

And he told the truth. People just loved making trouble with them. Things people didn’t dare to do when they were in Lucre. But the world was vast, and so did people’s characters. Some people stupidly thought that challenging the children of famous people would make them...famous.

Perhaps they thought that those famous people couldn’t do much because it would affect their image. It was easy for media predators to twist a story and make it seem like the public figure doing too much for a mere children’s fight. Some people even intentionally asked the students to provoke the twins just to bait a reaction from Bassena, who was known to be temperamental during his youth.

That was why, Zein had told them to never start a fight, no matter what people said about them. But that didn’t mean they should take it when people threw a punch at them. He told them to not shirk away from challenges and to defend themselves well.

"And we always go according to the rule," Kar added with a scoff. They always made sure the other person started it, and took it to the faculty for an official duel.

If an official duel was not possible, then...well, no one needed to know about it. One phone call to their Uncle Dia was enough.

"And brothers always win!" Lucy followed energetically, raising her hands to make high-fives with her brothers.

"You’d be in trouble if you didn’t win," Bassena clicked his tongue. "But you’ll be taking your sisters and Byul this time, so don’t get into trouble."

"Aren’t the guards there for that?" Asa shrugged.

"Smartass," Bassena rolled his eyes. "Why do you have to be famous for your fights?"

"We’re famous for many things, Dad," Kar replied. "People just love controversial things more."

"And you keep doing it despite knowing that?"

The twins looked at each other and had a high-five above their giggling sister’s head, prompting Bassena to groan. "Who are they taking after?"

Zein flicked the esper’s forehead. "You, mad dog."

Did this man forget that he had to be restrained and beaten up by Joon and Radia because he kept sending students to the infirmary in the past? Bassena still had a notorious reputation even when Zein first joined Trinity.

"Oh," the esper grinned sheepishly, once again receiving a flick from his husband.

"But I expect you to do better than your Dad," Zein looked at his boys, who subconsciously straightened their backs. "I’ll trust you, Kar."

The older twin flinched a little bit, and replied heavily. "...okay."

* * *

"Say yay!" Rina raised her arms, and the children in the middle seat energetically followed her.

"Yaaaay!"

"I didn’t know Father would send you, Uncle," Asa laughed from the rear seat.

There were more bodyguards following them in the shadows, but Zein had Cohen driving the van for them--because the twins couldn’t have a driving license yet. Of course, his beautiful wife came along as a chaperone.

"Don’t worry, we’re not going to babysit you," Rina chuckled from the front seat. "Zein just wanted to give this stubborn man an excuse to have a date with me."

"We can have a date anytime," Cohen muttered.

"Nyenyenyenye!" Rina twisted her lips, making a face at her driving husband.

Of course, the children were more than glad to follow her. "Nyenyenyenye~" Lucy and Nari giggled; even Byul was following quietly.

Cohen sighed. "Haa...even though I had planned to let you make something too..."

"Of course, we can have a date anytime!" Rina clasped her hands and smiled innocently. "I’m a very patient wife, you know."

She laughed and kissed her husband’s cheek, prompting the children to giggle again. It didn’t matter even if she could easily buy something herself--it always felt nicer to have her stiff husband do something romantic once in a while.

Oh, it was already fun before they even reached the city!