Don't Try the Noodles

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Bailey

"And who was it that said Ethan would be the perfect son-in-law?" my dad asks.

My parents are in the middle of another heated argument in Korean. I'm in my room pretending not to hear. If only it can be about their problems. Why must they feud over the most absurd topics that involve me?

"I still stand by that claim," my mom says. "But I also think this Caleb boy is a good match for Bailey too. A face like him is hard to come by."

"Didn't Bailey say he is a musician?" My dad scoffs. "Many people who play music for a living tend to be troublemakers. Their quality cannot even be compared to my well-disciplined Ethan. And that Caleb boy was much too short in my eyes."

"Eh? What kind of crazy pill did you swallow this morning? He looked to be at least 183 centimeters. Maybe a little more than that even. He only seemed short because Ethan is simply too tall. 193 centimeters is a bit gross."

"G-Gross?! My Ethan is the perfect man height—"

There's a thud, the familiar sound of my mom smacking my dad's head. "Then, you must be the farthest from perfect. 173."

My dad coughs. "We're going to be late for the movies..." The sound of defeat is in his voice.

"Bailey!" my mom calls, causing my eavesdropping self to jump.

"Y-Yes?"

"Your dad and I will probably be back quite late. When you get hungry, heat up the rest of the kimchi jjigae for dinner."

"Okay, mom."

My parents head out. It's been a while since the two of them got to have a casual date night. Meanwhile, I'm stuck in my room with no plans like usual. I don't mind. I've learned to enjoy the silence of an empty home. High school taught me that.

Last Sunday was the first time in a very long while I sincerely had fun with other people during a weekend. If it wasn't for Emma and Ethan, I might've forgotten what it feels like to belong somewhere, surrounded by those who care about you. (Excluding family, of course.) With all those two have done for me, it only makes me want to work harder to get them together. The more I think about it, the more potential couple goals I'm seeing for them. They'll truly make a great pair.

Just as I'm looking at a new picture Emma has posted on Instagram, I get a call from none other than Ethan. This is actually the first time he has ever called me. I didn't even know he had my number. Then again, we have been coworkers for a year now. It'd be stranger for him not to have my number.

I'm too caught up wondering—borderline panicking—over why Ethan decided to call me on a day off that the phone goes to voicemail. I immediately start panicking some more. I didn't mean to ignore him like that.

A message arrives. Hey, Bae. I have some news.

I guess Ethan has really taken a liking to Emma's nickname for me since middle school. He's been referring to me as Bae all the time these days. It is a bit weird for a guy to be calling me that, but I've been trying not to put any unnecessary meaning to it. My name simply happens to be Bailey.

Not wanting to keep Ethan waiting for another second, I press the call button.

"Hello," Ethan says, picking up right away. "Sorry for bothering you like this."

"Not at all," I reply. "I'm sorry for missing your call."

"No worries. It's your day off. You have to enjoy it to your fullest. I understand."

"Right..." I let out a dry laugh. I wouldn't exactly consider lying on my bed streaming through hours of anime to be enjoying my day to the fullest. It's definitely not the most productive thing I can be doing on a Sunday. Thankfully, Emma is the only one who knows what I get up to when I'm not working.

Speaking of Emma, I should be paying more attention to what Ethan is talking about right now.

"...And that's why—" Ethan pauses for a few seconds. "I'm going to finally ask her out tomorrow."

"What?" I blurt out. "That's great news."

He laughs. "Yeah, but I'm shaking already."

"You'll be fine." I can't stop smiling.

"So, about the reason I called. You've been so much help to me as is, but can I ask for one last favor?"

"Of course. I'm always glad to help."

"Thanks, Bae." His smile comes through in his relieved voice. "Alright, my last favor is if you can get me some absolute alone time with Emma tomorrow night during the closing hour. Perhaps keep Mrs. Cho and Master Cho a little busy in the kitchen. I think I'll be more nervous with so many people around, especially Master Cho."

All of my sudden excitement for tomorrow has made me feel a little cheeky as I reply, "Two distracted parents, coming right up."

. . .

A/N: This is where the old DTTN chapters have finally ended. So, please make sure to vote (especially for old readers) and leave a comment with your thoughts on stuff. 

Also, since the topic of height came up earlier in the chapter, here are the characters' actual heights.

Bailey - 169cm/5'6.5 

Caleb - 185cm/6'1

Joel - 190cm/6'3 (Uses 6'2 for work.)

Matt - 188cm/6'2

Emma - 175cm/5'9

Ethan - 193/6'4

Noah - 200cm/6'6.7 (Definitely 6'7 now, but he's scared to check his height again because he wants to stop growing.)

Mallory - 170cm/5'7

Roy - 178cm/5'10

Aiden - 183cm/6'0

Mr. Cho - 173cm/5'8

Mrs. Cho - 164cm/5'4

(Mrs. Cho < Bailey < Mallory < Mr. Cho < Emma < Roy < Aiden < Caleb < Matt < Joel < Ethan << Noah)

An apology to my shorter readers for making everyone so tall. I think it's because I decided on Bailey and Caleb's height first and had to work around them for the rest.