Arena Chapter 79:
Arena Chapter 79 – Bella (Part 1)
“Let’s go, cutie . ”
“Yes, Mr . Genius . ”
We parked the Porsche cayenne in the parking lot and went into the entrance of the Incheon Airport .
We arrived at the entrance of the arrival doors where the people were pouring out .
People were reuniting and hugging each other . It was quite a sight .
“Oppa, but shouldn’t we be holding a picket (sign) or anything?”
“I wonder . ”
“How will you identify her?”
“He said his daughter is the prettiest blonde girl . ”
“… is that trustworthy information?”
“Anyway, it’s time so let’s take a look . ”
It was true that Odin was a handsome and gorgeous blonde man . If she is like him, she could be very beautiful .
It was about 9 am .
People started pouring out of the gate again .
And one group immediately popped out .
A small blond girl and a foreign woman in black formal wear .
“Oh my goodness! She’s really pretty!”
Min-jeong was in awe .
I was also in awe .
She was really cute!
With blonde hair, delicate and pale skin, round blue eyes .
Like Odin said, she is pretty and was immediately noticeable . Enough to be afraid of .
Audacious Min-jeong waved her hand like mad .
The middle-aged woman must have noticed us as well because she started heading in our direction .
“Kim?”
“Yes . ”
I was afraid she’d speak to me in a foreign tongue and say blah blah blah but thank goodness .
She handed a large trunk bag over to me .
I looked at the small girl .
“Bella?”
Bella smiled giddily and nodded her head .
“Oh my my . ”
At her fatal laughter, Min-jeong was once again hit directly in the heart .
I looked at Bella and introduced myself .
“Hyun-ho Kim . ”
“Hi-no . ”
“Hyun-ho . ”
“Hi-no . ”
“Hyun, Ho!”
“Hi, no!”
“Stop it already!”
Min-jeong slapped me on the back . The middle-aged foreign lady looked at this and smiled .
“Hi? I am Min-jeong Yoo . Min-jeong . ”
“Min-jeong . ”
“Why is that one so accurate!”
I said in anger and Min-jeong slapped my back again .
Bella lifted her skirt a little and greeted us .
“Oh my, oh my!”
I think Min-jeong’s eyes have turned into hearts .
Suddenly, in no time at all, Bella was embraced in Min-jeong’s arms . I was just left to drag the trunk bag full of Bella’s things .
The middle-aged lady gave Bella a kiss and said goodbye and left somewhere, and we left with Bella to the parking lot .
Min-jeong sat with Bella in the backseat and I drove in front all alone .
In one moment, a newlywed and now that there was a child I had become a non-priority husband .
From what I heard, Bella was nine years old that year .
Incredibly bright and not a shy child, she had no problem becoming to Min-jeong .
Well, Min-jeong has pretty tough skin too . They already seemed like a mother and daughter .
We arrived at the officetel (condo) in Bucheon and went up in the elevator when Bella suddenly wavered and nearly fell when Min-jeong caught her .
“Oh gosh, are you okay?”
She didn’t understand but got the gist of it and Bella nodded her head .
My face became grim .
It wasn’t like it happened while she was walking, it was weird that she nearly fell so suddenly while just standing . This could be what Odin was saying, Bella’s disease .
We guided Bella to the room that we had made the guest room .
“Let’s unpack your things together . ”
Min-jeong unpacked Bella’s things from her trunk and began to organize them in the closet .
Hanging the clothes on hangers and putting the undergarments and socks in the drawers .
She puts the couple picture books in Danish on the vanity .
And then an unexpected item appeared from the trunk bag .
“Violin?”
Min-jeong was surprised and asked and Bella just smiled and nodded her head .
It was definitely a small one, child sized .
“Play a bit, will you? Hmm?”
Min-jeong tried to hand her the violin and beg but Bella smiled uneasily and shook her head back and forth .
I stopped Min-jeong .
“She almost fell earlier too and I think she’s tired today . ”
“Oh right . Unni is sorry . ”
Min-jeong pecked Bella on the cheek with a kiss .
It was when the two amicably have unpacked and were hanging out when I got a call from Odin .
I went out to the terrace to take the call .
“Hello . ”
-Has Bella arrived?
“Yes, as you said, she is very beautiful . ”
-I do not lie .
“… …”
-Anyway, how is Bella’s condition?
“She nearly fell and we caught her . ”
-… is that so?
“What disease is Bella suffering from?”
-It is Lou Gehrig’s .
“Huh?”
At the sound of a scary disease, I’m completely surprised .
I don’t know it well, but the muscles progressively don’t listen and in the end, you are unable to breathe and thus die, a scary disease, is what I know of it .
The most famous person with this disease now is Stephen Hawking .
“Is the disease genetic?”
-Among this disease, patients have a 5 – 10 % of inheriting amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and of those, 20% of them are associated with a mutation on the 21stchromosome .
“… …”
The medical knowledge flowing from his lips .
How severe Odin’s heartache must be, that this is his way of expressing it .
-Before this, the symptoms had not really appeared, but not long ago, Bella cried . I asked her why . She said her fingers weren’t moving well and so she couldn’t play the violin… …
His voice sounded so miserable that I quickly changed the subject .
“I will try and fix her . Do not worry . ”
-Thank you .
I ended the call and returned to the room Min-jeong and Bella were in .
“Min-jeong, isn’t it about time to eat?”
“It’s only 10 now . ”
“Really? Then why do I feel so empty . ”
“Is our Bella hungry too?”
Min-jeong rubbed her belly and then pretended to eat something .
Bella made her especially cute smile and nodded her head .
“Okay, hold on just a wee bit . ”
Min-jeong whistled as she disappeared into the kitchen .
Now was the perfect time .
I made a flame of life .
Bella’s eyes became big and wide when she saw the flame that appeared on my hand . How could even her surprised face be so cute .
I push the flame into Bella’s body .
At first, Bella was completely surprised, but as the flame seeped into her, finally, her surprised face strangely changed .
“It feels good, right?”
I gave her a smile . Bella found it all interesting and followed up with a smile .
I handed the violin again to Bella .
To Bella’s hesitant hands, I suggested it again .
Briefly, across her face, she showed a nervous expression .
And then the performance began .
Monotonous but wonderful . It wa a melody I think I have heard somewhere before .
Our eyes met and Bella smiled again .
I smiled back .
His daughter is his treasure to Odin, Isabella was truly an adorable and lovable child .
Min-jeong had quickly rushed over to listen to Bella’s playing together .
“You are so good, dear Bella . ”
Having finished her performance, Bella hugged Min-jeong and rubbed her cheeks against her . Bella giggled happily .
Bella, with the flame of life administered, unlike earlier, has become much more spirited . The fatigue from riding longs hours on a plane, all of it has disappeared .
Min-jeong was hard at work on something in the kitchen for quite a long time .
“Should I come help?”
“It’s all done . ”
What she has made is a Korean sweet called Maejakgwa (Korean fried cake) .
Flour and cinnamon, ginger, sugar, honey, put together and whisked and shaped into a pretty shape and fried into a cookie .
“You, you know how to make this kind of stuff too?”
“I learned it a while ago . It takes a lot of work . Just know you’re being spoiled today . ”
“Wow, its thanks to my cutesy wife that I’m living in luxury . ”
“Hehehe . ”
I gently came up behind her and gave her a hug and she liked it quite a bit .
At the same time, we heard the sound of Bella’s violin again . Her hands have returned to their original state and she must have been excited so she started diligently playing .
What excellent background music this is . Thanks to a beautiful melody, a strange atmosphere flowed .
I could hear Min-jeong’s heartbeat in my ears .
The atmosphere such that I can’t not say something romantic . What is this? How did it suddenly get like this?
All of a sudden, plunged into too much pressure, I groaned inside and considered what to do .
I couldn’t help it and said .
“I guess I’ll have to repay you tonight . ”
Puk!
“Kuk!”
With all her might, Min-jeong stepped on my foot .
“What is that! And did I or did I not say earlier that my hips were hurting?”
“You, you did . I thought you were just saying that… …”
“Lately, the nighttime is scary! You’d strangely become really good and your stamina is monstrous!”
The romantic feeling has passed .
… is what I thought but that apparently wasn’t the case .
Min-jeong pushed out her hips to me and said something .
“Start over from the beginning . The music hasn’t stopped yet . ”
“Uh, okay . ”
She really isn’t your average girl . Who would ever say she wasn’t friends with Hyun-ji .
I hugged her again from behind and whispered in her ear .
“I love you . ”
“… again . ”
“I love you . ”
“With my name to it . ”
“Min-jeong, I love you . ”
“Again . ”
“I love you, Min-jeong Yoo . ”
“Again… … “
I glanced at her face . I could see the tears welling up in her eyes .
I gently grabbed face and kissed her .
“I love you . ”
Bella really enjoyed eating the maejakgwa . Crunch, crunch, chewy and sweet, the aftertaste that lingers is the best .
The whole while we’re eating we frequently looked at each other .
On account of how frequently our eyes met multiple times, we just laughed every time it happened .
We could call it the Bella Effect .
After that day, our relationship changed from how it was before . To say what was different would be difficult to explain in words .
After that day, bold and brazen and bubbly Min-jeong somehow was like a teenager and became very shy .
She was conscious of me and bashful, and even was shy changing her clothes in front of me .
Even while laying down using my arm as a pillow, a moment later, in case my arm hurt, sneakily separating and covering me to my neck with the blanket .
I used to like looking at each other but now, I like when she looks at me and I’m not looking .
Something has changed in a big way .
Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing, there is no way to know .
***
Every day, I gave 2 flames of life to Bella .
They were the flames of life that treated the great Tree of Life that reached to the sky .
Bella became very lively .
Considering that the beginning signs of Lou Gehrig’s had happened to this child, she was unbelievably mischievous .
‘That’s her real personality . ’
A bright personality that smiled easily and wasn’t shy, she became friends with others very easily .
I am sure that Bella was originally a brighter child than any other .
One day, Bella gave me the violin .
“You want me to try?”
We couldn’t communicate, but at my question, Bella nodded her head and pretended to play the violin .
“Alright, should I try and learn?”
I put the violin on my shoulder and put the bow to the strings and make a sound . Is this how to do it?
Keek .
Bella laughed ecstatically .
Alright, this time I won’t fail .
I tried to make a sound again .
Keek!
Bella covers both her ears with her hands .
After trying a couple times, I’m able to make a sound .
Jiiiing-
Bella looks surprised .
I’m surprised too .
‘You see, my reflex skill was intermediate level 1 . ’
I was even able to easily follow the mu ren zhuang training .
But making the right sound from the violin wasn’t easy . It is an atrociously difficult instrument to handle .
But it not being easy… …
‘Means it counts as training?’
I stared blankly at Bella’s child-sized violin .
I have found a new way to increase my reflex skill!