章節 46: Chapter 45

Time flows like water. In the blink of an eye, the three children had already started elementary school.

Clark was now ten, while Eric and Charles were seven.

In the bathroom, Mike looked at himself in the mirror and muttered discontentedly, "After all these years, how am I still this handsome? How is it fair for others to live with this?"

He shook his head lightly and sighed.

"Dad, what did you just say?"

Clark opened the bathroom door, looking amused, with a playful glint in his eye.

"Ahem!" Mike's face turned slightly red, and he cleared his throat as he quickly hung up his towel. "What's up?" he asked. "Has your friend arrived?"

Clark had invited a friend over to their home today.

Clark shook his head. "Not yet. It's still early."

He paused, eyeing his dad eagerly. "What are you going to make for lunch, Dad?"

Noticing his son's hungry expression, Mike tapped him on the forehead, sighing at Clark's nonchalant response. "What do you want to eat?"

"Hot pot!" Clark's eyes lit up. "I told her I'd treat her to some Korean food."

"Her?" Mike quickly picked up on the clue.

Clark blinked, blushing faintly. "Didn't I mention that?"

Mike raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "No! But—well done!"

He reached out and gave Clark a congratulatory pat on the head.

Clark chuckled.

"What are you grinning at?" Mike said, rolling his eyes. "Go help out in the kitchen and wash the vegetables."

"No problem!" Clark called back, obediently heading downstairs. As he walked off, Mike heard him tease over his shoulder, "Dad, you're so handsome! Just incredibly handsome!"

Mike was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. "This kid…"

Leaving the bathroom, he went toward Eric and Charles' room.

Upon opening the door, he saw the two boys sitting up straight, each with a broad smile plastered across their faces.

Mike raised an eyebrow. "So, did you finish memorising it?"

Charles jumped off his chair, standing tall with a mock salute, and said loudly, "Reporting to the commander, sir! I have it memorised!"

Mike nodded, then looked over at Eric.

With a confident grin, Eric said, "It was easy! Your very smart son has it all down perfectly."

"Alright," Mike replied approvingly as he walked over to sit on the bed. "Let's hear it then. Eric, you first."

Eric began to recite, "Nine times one equals nine, nine times two equals eighteen…"

A few minutes later, after both boys finished, Mike nodded. "Alright, you're free to watch TV now."

The two cheered and sprinted out of the room, heading downstairs at full speed.

Mike shook his head in amusement.

"This school doesn't even teach multiplication tables! Every student has a calculator at school. Without it, even the simplest math takes them forever! How's that going to work?"

Luckily, he thought, his kids were quick learners. All three of them were bright and, thankfully, didn't give him any trouble when it came to their studies.

"Yep, it's all thanks to my excellent teaching," he muttered with satisfaction as he made his way downstairs.

Hot pot was a relatively simple meal, but it still required some preparation.

Half an hour later, with all the ingredients ready, the doorbell rang.

"Here they are!" Mike's eyes brightened as he walked quickly to the door. Clark followed behind, looking a bit nervous. "Dad, please don't ask anything embarrassing."

"I know, I know," Mike said, waving a hand dismissively.

Clark, however, wasn't reassured and thought, 'You don't look like you know!'

When Mike opened the door, he was surprised to see not only Clark's friend but also a middle-aged man standing beside her.

Mike quickly composed himself, stepping aside to make room for them. "Come on in."

The middle-aged man gave a polite nod. "Sorry for the unannounced visit," he explained. "We live a bit far from here, and I didn't feel comfortable letting Hope travel alone. Clark, you don't mind, do you?"

Clark shook his head quickly. "No, sir. I didn't even think about it."

The man smiled, clearly impressed with Clark's manners.

Then he turned to his daughter. "Hope, didn't you have something for Clark?"

Hope nodded, pulling out a gift box she'd hidden behind her back and handing it to Clark.

"Thank you," Clark said warmly, accepting the gift.

"You're welcome!" Hope responded, with a small smile. Then she gave her dad a sideways look. "Dad insisted on coming with me. He can be a bit… protective."

Hank Pym's face went a bit red. "This kid…"

As Mike glanced at the father and daughter, he gestured for them to enter.

"Come on in," Mike invited, offering his hand to the man. "Mike Kent."

"Hank Pym. But just call me Hank."

'Ant-Man?' Mike thought, blinking in surprise. 'School, making friends, and now meeting superhero parents?' Keeping a calm smile, he gestured toward the dining area. "Please, have a seat. I hope you're okay with Korean food?"

"Absolutely!" Hank replied with a grin. "I have it every so often and really enjoy it."

"Glad to hear it," Mike said, seating them. He called Eric and Charles from the TV, introduced them to Hank and Hope, and then served the dishes, setting up the pot in the center.

The pot was something he'd picked up in Korea-town specifically for meals like this.

The two sides of the pot—one spicy red soup, the other a fragrant clear broth—made a striking contrast, and the steam carried a mouthwatering aroma that filled the room.

"Dig in!" Mike said cheerfully, nodding at the father and daughter. "I made the soup base myself."

"My dad's cooking is the best!" Charles declared proudly.

Mike shot him a warning look but couldn't hide his own pleasure, especially as he saw Clark and Eric nodding enthusiastically beside him.

'This kid sure knows how to make me look good,' he thought, sharing a subtle wink with Charles, who grinned back.

Hank picked up a piece of meat from the clear broth and took a bite, his eyes lighting up. "This is delicious!"

Then, noticing that the Kent family wasn't touching the mild side, he tentatively dipped into the spicy soup.

It can't be that spicy, right?

But as soon as he tasted it, Hank felt the fire. His mouth began to burn, and he couldn't help gasping. Seeing his reaction, Hope was just about to try it, but he warned her, "It's pretty spicy. You might want to stick to the clear soup."

Hope looked at her dad, gasping for air, and hesitated.

"Spicy?" Eric looked up from his bowl in genuine confusion and said, "It's not spicy at all! Even I can eat this much spicy food!"

As he spoke, he patted his chest with pride.

Everyone at the table, including Hope, couldn't help but look at Hank with amusement.