Re:life with Karmic Gacha (Modern Family)

Chapter 333 - 333: NYPC (9)

[Edward POV]

Loud thumping music, party girls dancing, and the DJ spinning his turntable became the spotlight after the concert ended. A lot of people wanted to talk to me afterward, but I headed to the VIP section, causing them to halt their approach.

They had to speak with the security guard about their intentions, and only if I approved would the guards let them into the VIP area to talk to me.

I walked straight to Mrs. Henderson's and Sage's table. They were munching on snacks while sipping their drinks. As soon as I arrived, I snatched a chip from Sage's plate and popped it into my mouth, feeling hungry.

Sage didn't mind and said, "That was for you." She had already anticipated my hunger and ordered the snacks for me.

I raised an eyebrow and asked the duo, "So... what's going on? I thought you guys couldn't be involved?"

"I think the first word that should come out of your mouth is 'thanks.'" Mrs. Henderson said sternly. I gulped and replied, "Oh. My bad, Sage. Thank you for ordering this for me and for handling that guy before I could."

Sage smiled and feigned innocence, "What guy? I didn't do anything."

"So I should act ignorant too, huh?" I smiled wearily, looking at her with disbelief.

Sage rubbed her chin in contemplation before replying, "No. I did help you. I made it seem like he's not injured right now. He'll have the same injuries after he gets out of the police station—so he can't claim it was from you."

"Won't you get in trouble for helping me?" I asked, feeling warm inside. Sage crossed her arms and said coyly, "No. There are no repercussions for doing things on my days off."

"Days off?" I was confused.

Sage smirked and said, "We're a corporation. We can apply for PTOs (Personal Time Off). The bosses aren't slave drivers who make us work 24/7, seven days a week."

"...PTOs?" My mind was blown for a second. "Anna, talk to him about the job," Mrs. Henderson reminded Sage.

"Job? What job?" My curiosity piqued, and I leaned forward interestedly.

Sage looked at Henderson in disbelief and said, "Really, right now?"

"There's no difference in doing this now or any other time. So why not let your mind be at ease and just ask him?" Mrs. Henderson advised.

Sage pondered while I called a waitress and ordered some food.

"Alright, I'm doing it now," she said as she turned to me.

"Shoot." I ate some chips as I waited for her to speak.

"I think I'm not suitable for a teaching job. So I have a proposition: I'll be your nurse for the duration of your world tour."

"Question." I interlocked my fingers, leaned forward, and grinned, "Will you wear a nurse outfit?"

She smacked my forehead as retribution for my perverted question. Mrs. Henderson added, "She has to be near you for her job. If you hire her, she'll be allowed to use her ability to heal any sort of physical ailment while fulfilling her responsibilities to the corporation—" @@novelbin@@

"Stop—" I raised my hand and shook my head dizzily. "You can be my nurse. Just make Mrs. Henderson stop talking."

Sage smiled excitedly as Mrs. Henderson gave me a death stare. "You know what? I think we should have a talk about your impulsivity and general course of action over the last few weeks."

"What's that? Pepper is calling me? Sorry, Teach. I need to go now." I attempted to stand but found I couldn't move my lower half. Shocked, I looked at Mrs. Henderson in disbelief.

"I'm also on a break, so I was granted permission to use my abilities too," she said, slurping her drink.

"So we're going to have a talk, Edward. Whether you like it or not." She grinned devilishly as I sat there, sweating heavily. Chilled by the sudden turn of events, Sage stood up and excused herself, "I'm going to go get some drinks... maybe make sure no one comes near you guys."

"Sage, come back." My voice cracked as I whispered, calling her for help. But she ignored me.

I avoided Mrs. Henderson's gaze as I turned back to her. She stared at me and began her lecture. "First off, I'm going to commend you."

"Really?" My body perked up, and I looked at her expectantly, finally meeting her eyes.

She nodded and said, "Even though you were anxious and wanted to interfere, you trusted your friends and the adults around you. Even if you eventually break down and become nosy in their work, you still try... to let them do their own jobs."

"Isn't that normal?" I asked in confusion.

"Not for a control addict," Mrs. Henderson said casually, her words digging deep into my heart. Suddenly, she patted my head slightly before pulling her hand away and continuing.

"Nice job. You tried really hard to let go," she complimented, making me feel giddy like a little boy.

"Now, let's talk about what you did wrong," she said sternly.

My face froze, and I lowered my gaze, accepting whatever was coming my way.

...

[General POV]

Ted and Frankie walked together, intending to talk to Edward when they suddenly bumped into Sage.

"Oh no, you don't want to go there," Sage said, stopping Ted in his tracks.

"Why not, Anna?" Ted asked, confused.

"I know you want to talk to him about what just happened, but believe me, he's currently getting the lecture of his life. If you go there, you'll just get caught in the crossfire," Sage explained with a mischievous smile.

Ted chuckled and replied, "Really? Who—oh, it's Henderson. I guess she found out what he did."

Sage smirked. "Exactly! Now you can still be the 'fun' dad without dealing with the serious talk."

As the duo giggled, Frankie raised an eyebrow at them. "I do want to be the 'fun' dad. I guess that's alright." Ted joked.

[Frankie's Commentary]

"Am I feeling jealous right now?... I didn't care about him talking to other pretty girls throwing themselves at him all night, but... Anna?"

[Commentary Ends]

Oblivious to the thoughts brewing in his girlfriend's mind, Ted joked around with Sage.

"Oh, I need to say this. Edward just hired me to be his nurse during the world tour. So I guess we'll be traveling together," Sage said casually.

An angry vein popped up on Frankie's forehead, and her left eye twitched slightly as she glared at the duo.

"I know you helped Edward just now. Thank you for that. Did you learn medical skills before?" Ted asked.

Sage nodded. "I did two years of medical school." She submitted her request before she even talked to Edward, and now, all of her files and abilities were updated by the corporation.

"Oh—medical? I thought you only had a teacher's degree. If this isn't a secret, can I know how many certificates you have?" Ted asked, skeptical about Sage and Edward's relationship from the start. He never really understood why they were really close with each other, but now, he has an inkling.

"Is this like a resume thing?" Sage asked.

Ted nodded slightly, smirking. "Yeah, we can consider it that." Frankie shot a death glare at Ted as she saw his expression, which made her fumed in silence even more.

Sage counted on her fingers casually. "EMT Certification, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Certification, Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) Certification, Trauma Surgery Certification, Wilderness Medicine Certification, Close Quarters Combat (CQC) Certification, Firearms Training Certification, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Certification, Hazardous Materials Handling Certification—"

Flabbergasted by the never-ending list, Frankie interjected quickly, "Wait. How many certificates do you have overall?"

"Around 40," Sage replied casually. All her credentials were legitimate, created by the corporation.

"Where did you go to study?" Frankie asked skeptically.

"I graduated summa cum laude from Stanford with a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences," Sage said.

"You have all of that—how old are you again?" Ted asked, surprised.

"...24? 25 this year," Sage replied. "So, am I good enough to work as Edward's nurse?" she added, a hint of excitement in her voice.

Frankie looked at her in disbelief. "Are you confused about your own age?"

"Yes," Sage replied curtly, leaving Frankie and Ted frazzled. Suddenly, Frankie's phone rang, snapping her out of her daze.

"Hmm, Claire is calling," Frankie muttered. Ted turned to her and asked, "Do you think she's calling because she heard about the punch?"

"Maybe. Why don't you talk more with your new girlfriend while I take this call?" Frankie said without thinking. Ted's eyes widened in disbelief.

Realizing her slip, she stammered, "W—Um..." but quickly left to answer the call, leaving behind Sage and Ted in their stunned state. As soon as she picked up, she blurted, "Claire, I think I made a mistake with Ted.."

"..." Claire was taken aback. "What happened?" she asked, wanting to know about the fights she heard rumors of, but her friend's problem took first priority.

...

[Edward POV]

"Don't depend on the Rest Skill to sleep. Try to rest on your own at least once or twice a week," Mrs. Henderson nagged.

"But if I don't, I won't fall asleep quickly, and my schedule for the next day will be messed up—" I tried to defend myself, but she cut me off.

"Then you shouldn't have a schedule for the next day. Take a few days of rest just for yourself. Can you do that, or are you too immature to manage your own time effectively?"

I pursed my lips sulkily. She continued, "Do you understand me?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'll manage my sleep routine better." I relented quickly, sensing the fire in her eyes. There was something different in her tone tonight, making me uneasy.

"Don't just change your sleep routine—change your work routine too. Don't work for more than eight hours a day."

"You want me to cut my work in half?" I stared at her, shocked.

She furrowed her brows. "Do you really think working for 16 to 20 hours a day is normal? Even if you don't feel tired, that's no excuse to throw everything into your work. You've been neglecting your friends for a while now."

"Yes, ma'am."

For almost 20 minutes, she nitpicked everything I had been doing, and my mind spun from her relentless lecture.

"Don't put yourself in dangerous situations. I know sometimes you can't help it, but there are times when you absolutely can. Think about how your family will feel if something happens to you."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Take care of your meals. You're not watching your nutritional intake. Eat more broccoli. Don't drink too much coffee. Don't eat too much candy."

"Yes, ma'am."

"You're going to some cold places on your tour—make sure to pack a sweater and warm clothes."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Don't think for a second that you're alone in the world." Her words made me fall into deep thought.

"Yes, ma'am." I replied with a stifled smile.

She sighed. "And don't do anything weird to Oda-sensei when you go to Japan."

I widened my eyes slightly and chuckled nervously, "I'm not going to do anything to him. Just take care of his health. T-that's all."

I avoided her gaze, feeling the weight of her stare. Just then, my food arrived, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

As the waitress placed my burger down, Mrs. Henderson said, "You should eat."

"You know, this surprised me a bit. I thought for sure you were going to bring up my relationship with Haley," I said, taking a huge bite of the burger.

"Who said this is over?" Mrs. Henderson smirked, causing me to choke a little.

"However, I have nothing to say about that," she added, leaving me confused.

"Huh? Why? I know several people who would have strong opinions about it... if they knew..."

She nodded slightly. "Regret is always harder to live with than the consequences."

"I guess that's why you made the decision to ask her out," she continued calmly. "It might not work, and it may lead to both of you getting hurt. But it's definitely better than doing nothing at all."

I smiled. "Thank you. I'll try my best not to let her get hurt. I won't even fight with her."

"That's a stupid decision," she shot back.

"Huh? Isn't that a good thing?" I asked, puzzled.

"No. You shouldn't avoid fights in a relationship," she explained. "Fighting is about insecurities and reassurances. It shows that you care enough about your partner to go through difficult moments just to hold on to their love."

She took a deep breath. "It's childish. There are many other ways to handle it. Relationships are inherently messy, which is why most people opt for this. Picking a fight, having it out, then making up afterward—that's normal. What hurts a relationship is shutting each other out, not letting each other in."

"You really are the wise old owl from that lollipop commercial," I remarked, amazed.

"That owl didn't even answer the question. He just ate the candy after three licks," she retorted, irritation creeping into her voice.

"I think he is wise. The annoying kid woke him up to ask a stupid question, and then he ate that kid's candy to teach him a lesson," I joked.

"A kid's curiosity shouldn't be punished. If he had encouraged the kid to experiment on his own, it would have led to a much better outcome," Mrs. Henderson argued.

I nodded in agreement. "Spoken like a true teacher. If I run into any problems during my tour, I'll definitely fly back to speak with you."

Suddenly, Mrs. Henderson fell silent. "Can I not do that?" I asked with a wry smile.

"No. It's not that you can't. I might not be here anymore," she replied.

"Are you leaving?" I furrowed my brows, concerned.

"Yes," she said after a moment of silence, looking deeply into my eyes.

"Does this mean I won't be able to see you again?" My chest felt heavy at the thought.

"It will be a long time before we can meet again," she replied, a kind smile gracing her face. She reached out, taking my hand for comfort. "For my last piece of advice, you need to learn how to let go."

She patted my hand gently before pulling it back. "People will come and go in your life, Edward. You need to learn to let them live their own lives. The sooner you learn to let go, the better."

I couldn't say anything after that. I sat in silence for a while with Mrs. Henderson, tapping the table with my fingers as I fell into contemplation.

"Aren't you going to continue eating?" she asked.

"In a moment," I replied.

"I sense that you have some scruples about what I just said," she noted, fully aware of my thoughts.

"What if I don't want to let go?" I asked solemnly.

"Then you'll just end up hurting the person you're holding onto and yourself," she replied.

Before we could speak longer, Sage returned to the table, worry etched on her face. "Um, it seems that I might've done something to your dad's relationship."

"Don't worry; they will be fine," Mrs. Henderson said comfortingly. "I think we should go back now."

Sage nodded. "Yeah, I'm already tired." She turned to me. "Edward, I'll see you on the tour."

I smiled at her. "Yeah, I'll see you later." I stood up and walked over to Mrs. Henderson, extending my hand for a handshake. "And I really hope that I can see you again."

Mrs. Henderson glanced at my hand, then approached me and gave me a light hug. "You won't," she whispered. "But I'm glad that you wanted to." She smiled softly, tightening her embrace.

After she left, I felt an emptiness settle in as I sat alone, finishing my dinner. Vanessa approached me as I was done eating, sitting across from me with Ashley Tisdale.

"Edward. Why do you look so glum?" Vanessa asked, while Ashley greeted me awkwardly, "Hello."

"Hello, Candace," I replied playfully, smiling at Ashley.

Vanessa looked confused. "Her name's Ashley?"

Ashley rolled her eyes. "Candace from my voice acting character—from Phineas and Ferb."

"Oh," Vanessa exclaimed shyly. "I forgot."

"She's plastered, I think. She's been smuggling Mai Tais from god knows where, and we don't even serve that here," I said seriously, making Ashley gasp in disbelief.

"Really? You did that?" she asked, astonished.

"Oh, you're like a lamb to slaughter in front of him," Vanessa teased, rolling her eyes at her friend. Ashley realized she'd been tricked and sulked slightly. "No wonder V told me I should be prepared when I'm talking with you."

"V, huh? That doesn't suit you at all," I joked, looking at Vanessa while laughing.

Ashley was confused, so Vanessa explained, "They all call me Ness here."

"Ness? Like the Loch Ness monster?" Ashley was taken aback by the connection. "Are you being bullied here?" she asked Vanessa with concern.

I chuckled at their interaction when suddenly someone shouted from afar, a bottle of vodka in hand.

"BRO!" Jacob shouted, his skin glossy with sweat, wearing pajamas that clung to him. He sprinted closer.

"What the?" I sat up immediately, preparing myself. "BROOOOOO!!!!!" Jacob tackled me, causing me to fall backward and crash into the table. Vanessa and Ashley jumped up, retreating from the crash site, eyes wide in surprise.

"Oh god, Jacob, how are you back?" I groaned, not trying to get him off me.

"I ran," Jacob replied, grinning as he stood back up.

"You ran?" I looked at him in shock as I stood up, dusting myself off. Mickey and my other bodyguards exchanged glances, unsure whether to intervene. I waved them away and asked Jacob, "You ran 15 miles to come back here?"

Some staff members immediately cleared away the broken table and replaced it with another one.

"No, bro. I ran 15 miles to come hang out with you," Jacob said cheerfully.

"Bro..." I grinned at him, then my gaze shifted to the vodka bottle in his hand. He caught my look and quickly explained, "I was thirsty, so I grabbed a bottle of water."

"That's... not water." I snatched the bottle from him and noticed it was already half empty.

"No, it's clear water. It just burns when I drink it," Jacob said, trying to process it all.

"I guess it makes sense you picked this one. It's made from potatoes," I joked, and we both burst into laughter. Then Jacob suddenly went silent and whispered, "I don't get it."

"Bro, you drank vodka," I teased, still chuckling.

He smiled back, "Really? Vodka... vodka?"

"You need to sit tight. I'll get you some coffee," I said, calling over the waitress.

"Water. I want water," Jacob whimpered before his head dropped to the table—he'd fallen asleep.

Vanessa and Ashley were still dumbfounded by the situation. "That was scary," Ashley commented. Vanessa sighed and pointed at me, "What's even scarier is that he just tackled you, and you sat here like it's nothing."

I shrugged and replied, "I was already prepared for it, so I'm not going to hurt myself."

I checked my watch and realized it was almost 3:30. Many partygoers had already passed out from exhaustion or intoxication. I told the bodyguard to let in anyone who wanted to meet me; I needed to send Jacob back to his house, so I was planning to leave soon.

"I should meet with them now."

Vanessa looked confused. "Wouldn't you be going there to make it simpler?"

I grimaced and said, "When have you ever seen a VIP mingle on his own? It'll ruins the whole concept of being... a VIP."