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[Thanks, Hunter. I was secretly worried we'd have to start from scratch, but as expected of my son. You never let your old man down. If Lauren hadn't been pestering me for days to have a 'chat' with you, I would never have bothered you with this. You can trust me on that.]
Hunter gave a small smirk as he buttoned his shirt. Seeing how the shoulders and forearms of the shirt he'd had tailored not long ago were slightly tight, it seemed he had grown again in the meantime. These days, he had to buy new shirts and sneakers every three months.
Feeling good that the conversation had ended sooner than expected, Hunter smiled thinly.
[I trust you. Then, let's wrap this up here. Leave the 200 dollars on the desk and close the door on your way out.]
Jerard clapped his hands once and pushed himself up from his seat.
[Okay. Oh, you said you're going somewhere today?]
[There's a joint 8th-grade party. It's called the Spring Fling.]
[Spring Fling, huh... I know that one well.]
As if remembering something, Jerard rummaged through the inner pocket of the jacket draped over his arm and pulled out his wallet. He took something out of it, wedged it between his fingers, and flicked it toward Hunter.
Standing still, Hunter quickly reached out his arm and snatched the small wrapper flying over his head. He didn't even need to open it to know what was in his hand.
With a dead-serious expression, Jerard pointed to the condom.
[Just in case, keep one in your wallet.]
[Why on earth would I put this in my wallet...!]
The moment Hunter deduced the reason, his face twisted in disgust.
Ugh. He felt nauseous.
He didn't want to know about his parents' sex life even if it killed him.
[You know how to use it, right? When putting on a condom, twist the tip with your fingers to get the air—]
[Father!]
Hunter cut Jerard off, looking appalled.
[Hey, call me Dad. 'Father' feels so distant.]
Hunter ignored Jerard, who wore a mock-hurt expression. At his age, he couldn't bring himself to call him 'Daddy' like Daisy did.
[I know how to put on a condom. Why are you suddenly talking about condoms in the middle of a conversation about a party!]
As Hunter frowned in disbelief, Jerard asked back with a surprised look.
[Don't kids have sex after parties these days? Especially a joint party. Is the vibe different from when I was young? Keep in mind, this is about protecting not only your partner but yourself. Hunter, back when I was a teenager—]
[Father.]
Hunter gritted his teeth and cut him off once more. He didn't have a shred of interest in the stories of a man who had been a teenager thirty years ago.
However, Jerard wagged his index finger, signaling that he wasn't finished. Whenever the conversation turned to the 80s or 90s—his prime—he always became long-winded.
Ah, the faded glory.
[You just don't know, but the late 80s! Whew! It was incredible. Compared to that, modern-day Manhattan is just a children's playground. When I was young, all of Manhattan was just... alcohol, drugs, music, parties, sex... Wait, let me clarify one thing. I'm not saying those things are desirable; I'm simply stating the fact that it was like that back then.]
Hunter rolled his eyes. What era was this?
Of course, there were still kids who touched drugs or bragged about sex with their girlfriends like they were war stories. But these days, if one acted as recklessly as the teenagers of the 80s, they were likely to be counseled out of the private school they had worked so hard to enter.
If that happened, they would be exiled to some strict boarding school located in the cold, desolate wilderness of the East, carrying the burden of dishonor.
[Anyway! Whether then or now, parties where teenagers gather can't be that different. I'm speaking from experience; boys your age aren't ruled by their heads, but by here, the lower body.]
Jerard pointed toward the crotch. Hunter pressed a hand to his forehead and extended his other arm to point toward the door.
[Get out.]
Jerard let out a hearty, boisterous laugh.
[Alright, alright. I'll stop teasing. Is there anyone you're dating?]
Making a scratching sound in his throat, Hunter let out a sigh of patience toward the ceiling.
[Of course there is, look how handsome I am. How far have you gone? First base? Second? Third?]
Hunter's brow furrowed sharply.
[Stop talking nonsense, leave the money, and get out! Five minutes have already passed.]
[Ah, do kids not use these expressions anymore? In my day, first base was kissing, second base was breasts, third base was... Son, any questions about baseball? Technical ways to hit a home run, or perhaps areas for improvement in terms of content?]
As Hunter glared silently and pointed to the door, Jerard met his eyes with a serious face.
[Son, you can call me an old fogey like Lafayette, but I'll emphasize this one more time. Unless it's someone you want to share the last name Hamilton with forever, contraception is a must. Got it?]
Jerard smiled slyly and tapped his finger against Hunter's fist, which was clutching the condom.
[I'm always ready to be your mentor, Hunter. Always stay safe, and don't forget to play with consideration for your partner.]
[I have absolutely no intention of sharing my sex life with you, so keep dreaming. And I never, ever, ever want to hear about yours. Also, don't people usually start by telling you not to do it? Something about having sexual relations at an age where you're not yet mentally mature, blah blah blah.]
Jerard, who had been about to leave, stopped and chuckled, ruffling Hunter's hair. Hunter recoiled in disgust and swatted his hand away.
[It's not like you'd stop just because your parents told you not to. Lauren and I were actually more worried because you didn't seem interested in the opposite sex. By your age, I already had my third girlfriend. Oh, for the record, I didn't hit a home run. I only made it to second base.]
[I'm going to testify against you in court when you divorce Mom about everything you just said. My mouth doesn't open for free.]
At that, Jerard fished out a few hundred-dollar bills from his wallet and stuffed them into the back pocket of Hunter's pants.
[Hey, in my day, being a playboy wasn't a flaw; it was a charm point. The important thing is to be strictly faithful once you meet the person you love. Sigh... kids these days are too uptight.]
He shook his head.
Hunter pulled out the bills from his back pocket, counted them, and smirked as he pushed Jerard toward the door. At this rate, it was a profitable deal.
[Your five minutes ended a while ago. Now leave.]
As he was pushed out, Jerard asked urgently,
[Son, is there really no girl you like? Or maybe, are you gay? Even if you are, as long as you're happy, Lauren and I can accept it. Though I can't vouch for your maternal grandfather's reaction.]
[......]
When Hunter remained silent, Jerard stopped abruptly and turned back with a serious face.
[Are you really gay? Son, your dad just wants you to be happy—]
Hunter frowned and replied irritably,
[What are you talking about? I like girls.]
Considering the fact that he'd been kissing a girl in his dreams before waking up this morning, that was certain.
[Oh, really? Is there a girl you like?]
[It's not exactly that...]
Feeling a strange tightness in his chest, Hunter looked up to find Jerard grinning with eyes sparkling with curiosity. It seemed he had fallen for the sly man's trap.
[Not exactly that?]
Jerard picked up where he left off. After hesitating for a long while, Hunter suddenly asked,
[How can you tell if you like someone? Are there specific symptoms? I mean, what is the definitive evidence that you like someone?]
Jerard crossed his arms and nodded with a very serious expression.
[Hmm. Good question. I had the same doubt until I met your mother. The fact that you're wondering about it means you haven't met someone you truly like yet. When you genuinely like someone, you can't even doubt whether you like them or not. Your body will react frantically before your mind does.]
Hunter blinked, looking confused. Jerard gave a thin smile.
[At your age, the girl you're interested in can change twelve times a year. And that is a perfectly normal process. You might fall madly in love with the first person of the opposite sex who catches your eye. The kind of person people usually call a 'first love.']
Jerard continued, subtly gauging Hunter's reaction.
Seeing him frozen like a stone with a serious face, listening intently, it seemed there was someone on his mind. However, judging by the deep sigh he let out, things didn't seem to be going his way.
Knowing Hunter's personality well, Jerard predicted that his son's first romance would be like a war.
'He'll try to swing things his own way. He'll mistakenly believe he holds the upper hand.'
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