Chicago, Outside Ned's Apartment Building.
After leaving the funeral home in a huff, Ian ran all the way back here in one breath, heartbroken, instinctively hoping to seek comfort from Ned.
But at this hour, Ned was at work. Although he had answered the phone earlier, he didn't appear.
Ian didn't have a key; he couldn't even get into the apartment building.
Subconsciously, Ian gritted his teeth and called Ned again.
Ned declined the call and immediately sent a text back: "Sorry, in a meeting. Call you later."
Honestly, Ned was getting a little annoyed.
He was just playing around with Ian; Ned had no other intentions. But now, Ian was bringing his personal problems, looking for emotional validation...
At his age, Ned could easily see that Ian was gradually developing an attachment to him.
And this kind of attachment was something Ned didn't want.
When people hang out, it should be simple and happy.
Discussing feelings? Really inappropriate, and a total buzzkill.
Seeing the text, Ian hesitated, but in the end, he didn't call back. He turned around and slumped onto the curb.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
Ian suddenly felt incredibly sad. He felt like this unrealistic dream with Ned had just shattered, the pieces scattered all over the ground.
The next second.
The grief he had been holding back all the way here flooded out. Ian's eyes turned red, and tears streamed down his face.
The father he had known for years was fake.
His real father obviously had no sense of responsibility.
And Ned clearly didn't care...
Kinship, family, lover—it seemed like he had lost them all at once.
In this period of his life, Ian, whose heart was actually quite fragile, truly couldn't withstand this series of blows.
Perhaps... most ordinary people couldn't handle it either.
Ian lowered his head, buried his face between his knees, and cried silently just like that.
People walked by, cars flowed past, and no one cared.
That's the adult world for you.
A long time passed.
Ian cried enough. He took a harsh, deep breath, lifted his head, wiped his tears, and then mustered his strength to stand up and walk back.
Although this place was prosperous and upscale, it had nothing to do with him.
The South Side was his home. He needed to return to the South Side.
Walking into the L train, Ian chose a window seat, sat down, and turned his head to stare blankly out the window.
Watching the scenery, inexplicably, Ian thought of Mickey, and then, began to miss Mickey.
Hopeless romantics, regardless of gender, take feelings very seriously and always need someone to love. Ian was exactly like this.
Throughout the journey, uncontrollably, Ian recalled every little detail of his time with Mickey until he got off the train. Following the crowd out, his chaotic thoughts slowly settled, returning to reality.
Exiting the station and standing at the intersection, Ian suddenly felt very lost, unsure of where to go.
Go home?
That home didn't seem to be his anymore.
Go find Mickey?
It was destined to have no result, so what was the point?
Ian stood there for a long time, thinking it over, and finally thought of a destination.
No matter what, life had to go on, and to go on, he needed a job.
Ian took a deep breath and walked toward the grocery store not far away.
Inside the Grocery Store.
Kash, who was always struggling and living in a daze, hadn't made a decision yet. He still sat behind the counter with a lifeless expression, killing time.
Ian pushed the door open and walked in.
Seeing him, Kash was genuinely surprised, given that Ian had left without a word for quite a few days.
Ian wasn't unreasonable; he knew disappearing for so many days without a word was wrong. He gave Kash an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I had some issues. It's okay now..."
Pausing, Ian asked tentatively, "Can I still work here?"
This grocery store actually belonged to Linda, and Linda controlled the money. The say was basically all Linda's.
Kash blinked. Honestly, he still resented Ian's betrayal a little, but seeing Ian looking like he had obviously been crying hard, he felt somewhat sympathetic.
After a brief hesitation, Kash spoke, "I'll ask Linda. She was very unhappy about your absence."
Getting this answer made Ian very happy already. He smiled gratefully and nodded. "Okay, thanks."
Kash didn't reply, taking out his phone to call Linda.
The fact was, this store did need a helper, and Ian had worked here for a long time and had always done a decent job...
Linda thought for a moment and said she'd come over immediately.
"Wait a bit, wait for Linda to come talk to you," Kash told Ian after hanging up.
Ian nodded, having no objections. He moved to the side, found a spot out of the way to stand, and then looked at Kash again.
Humans are very interesting.
After experiencing Mickey and Ned, having two rather strange relationships, looking back now, standing here and looking at his former lover, Ian couldn't help but feel emotional, missing the simplicity and beauty of the beginning.
Driven by nostalgia, after hesitating repeatedly, Ian couldn't help but speak up. "Are you okay now?"
Hearing the voice.
Kash felt a stir, and his expression softened significantly.
Yes, Kash still had feelings for Ian.
"Not very good. Life is hard after Linda got pregnant," Kash replied.
Given his age, Ian currently had very little understanding of adult life. So, hearing this, he really didn't know how to answer. After a silence, he could only use a cliché. "It should be much better once the baby is born."
Kash gave a bitter smile. "Hope so."
Pausing, Kash asked back, "What about you? How have you been lately?"
Ian heard this and smiled bitterly too, shaking his head. "Not good. A lot happened."
Hearing this, a spark of hope suddenly ignited in Kash's heart. "With Mickey?"
Ian shook his head again. "We're not together anymore."
Ding-dong.
Instantly, that spark of hope turned into a lot of hope. Kash was even more expectant. "Sorry to hear that."
Ian smiled and didn't speak.
Kash wanted to resume his previous life with Ian, but looking at such a sorrowful Ian, he felt it wasn't appropriate to bring it up right after reuniting. He didn't know what to say for a moment.
Time flashed by, and Linda, who seemed never to smile, walked into the grocery store with a stern face. She arrived in front of Ian and looked him up and down.
Ian's sadness was practically written on his face. Linda, who wasn't stupid, saw it clearly.
Then.
Linda might be fierce, but she wasn't actually bad. She immediately put away a bit of her fierceness silently and said, "Leaving without a word. Give me an explanation."
Having a chance to explain meant there was hope.
At this moment, Ian was truly lost. Apart from coming here, he really couldn't think of anywhere else to go. So, hearing this, his mind raced immediately, and he replied, "I had an emotional breakdown for a few days, felt life was meaningless. A bunch of stuff happened at home, and my grandma died the day before yesterday... I'm sorry."
Ian actually hadn't been gone too long, just a week or so.
Hearing that so much happened in just a week, Linda's expression softened a lot.
After a brief thought, Linda asked, "If I agree to let you come back to work, can you stick to it? Will you disappear suddenly again?"
Hearing this, Ian nodded heavily immediately. "Absolutely not! I promise!"
Hearing this, Linda snapped decisively, "Then what are you standing there for? Get to work!"
Ian smiled, his mood instantly improving. "Thanks."
Linda couldn't be bothered to reply. Instead, she gave Kash a few fierce instructions, then waddled away briskly with her big belly.
Ian didn't delay and got busy with enthusiasm.
...
It's funny to say.
Actually, the Gallagher family always had many people offering kind help, giving them chances to change their lives.
It's just that these guys either didn't cherish them or missed them directly.
This situation is really amusing.
—
The Alibi Room.
Dexter and the others returned.
Kev opened the door and greeted everyone domineeringly, "Alright, drunks, drink to your heart's content until midnight tonight."
Like Carl, Kev was never stingy and had always been very tolerant of these drunks.
Hearing this.
The drunks cheered excitedly on the spot.
In a way, these drunks were actually quite cute.
Dexter couldn't help but smile. Then, an idea struck him. "Since Kev is providing the booze, how about I go grill some BBQ for everyone as snacks?"
BBQ from Dex Restaurant!
Good lord!
Instantly, and naturally, the drunks went crazy with joy.
"Of course that's good!"
"Dexter, cut the crap, hurry up and go!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm starving!"
"..."
Driven by excitement, Tommy and the other drunks started shouting one after another.
The atmosphere was very joyous. Even Carl was infected by it, a hint of joy appearing on his small face.
"Okay, that's it then. A few of you come with me to move the grill and meat over. I'll grill right here," Dexter proposed.
The drunks had absolutely no objections.
In the blink of an eye, a large group moved mightily toward Dex Restaurant. The posture was a bit scary; if one didn't know better, one would definitely think this group was going for a gang fight.
Time flew.
Everyone returned to the Alibi Room.
Dexter didn't waste time. He lit a cigarette, then took off his suit jacket and handed it to Carl. "Help me put this back in the car."
Carl didn't resist at all and obediently did as told.
Dexter then neatly rolled up his shirt sleeves. Thinking for a moment, he took out his phone and handed it to Kev. "Take a picture of me. I'll send it to Bianca to see if she can get off work early to come play."
"You got it." With booze to drink and delicious BBQ to eat, Kev was in a great mood.
Not long after.
Bianca, who was working hard in the hospital, received the photo. Looking closely, the corner of her mouth hooked up instinctively in a sweet smile.
Can't help it.
Dexter dressed so formally looked truly handsome.
Immediately after, she couldn't help but feel even more bitter.
"This bastard, I'm working hard here, and he's having so much fun!" Bianca muttered.
Just then, her best friend quietly leaned her head over to look at Bianca's phone. "Wow! How come I feel Dexter is getting more and more handsome!"
Hearing this out of the blue, Bianca was startled. "You scared me to death! When did you come over?"
The best friend smiled slyly and winked playfully. "That's not important. How about it, shall we both ask for leave? I want to eat BBQ."
"..." Bianca was speechless for a moment, but she was indeed tempted. She hesitated for a few seconds. "It's not good..."
"What's not good about it? It's not busy today anyway," the best friend, basically a foodie, instigated. "Besides, if anyone's unlucky, I'm worse off than you, okay? Worst case, you quit and marry Dexter, become a rich lady. I don't have your luck."
Bianca's pretty face blushed slightly. "What nonsense are you talking about."
"Hehe," the foodie best friend smiled mischievously. "I'm telling the truth. I..."
Bianca dared not let this unreliable best friend talk nonsense anymore and hurriedly interrupted. "Okay, okay. I have one more patient to check. After the check, we'll go ask for leave, okay?"
"Okay, hurry up," the foodie best friend urged proudly.
Twenty minutes later.
Bianca and her friend walked briskly out of the hospital, got into the car, and rushed toward the Alibi Room.
The Alibi Room.
Not long ago, Frank and Monica arrived.
You have to know, when it comes to creating an atmosphere, Frank and Monica are very formidable.
So, the atmosphere in the Alibi became flawlessly much more lively.
Everyone was laughing, even Carl.
Carl held a beer in one hand and a handful of BBQ in the other, truly happy... This was the happiest Carl had been in two days.
And all this was mainly Dexter's credit.
Carl had limited intelligence, yes, but he could at least distinguish this much.
Carl was very grateful to Dexter.
Just then, Kev found a sound system from somewhere and started playing music.
"Everyone, have fun, make noise, but don't break anything! Whoever breaks something, I won't be polite!" Kev shouted with a smile.
Hearing this, the drunks shouted cheerfully, giving their guarantees.
Not too long after.
Bianca and her foodie best friend arrived.
Seeing them, Dexter immediately flashed a brilliant smile at Bianca, then grabbed a handful of grilled meat and handed it to her. "Ms. Green, please enjoy."
Seeing Dexter like this, Bianca grinned from ear to ear, took the meat, and took a big bite.
The foodie best friend couldn't handle it. "Cough, cough, don't treat me like I don't exist! Dexter, where's my meat?"
Dexter was amused. He deliberately pretended to turn his head in confusion, shouting, "Who? Who is speaking?"
Foodie best friend: "?????"
All the drunks laughed together, "Hahahaha."
"Okay, not teasing you anymore. Here, please eat," Dexter grabbed another handful of meat and handed it to Bianca's foodie best friend.
Being a foodie, as long as there was good food, nothing else mattered.
The foodie best friend immediately beamed and started gorging herself.
The liveliness continued.
After busy working for a while, Dexter called Kev. "Kev, your turn to grill. I'll rest for a bit."
"You got it!" Kev agreed readily, saying foolishly, "Watch me!"
Dexter smiled, sat leaning against the bar, and watched the lively scene with a smile.
Chicago's South Side was indeed a slum, and these guys were basically all shameless people.
But everything has two sides.
Looking at it from another angle, this place, these people, also had a good side, didn't they?