On Thanksgiving Day, after Hugo was woken up in the morning by Charlize, he staggered up to the fourth floor and called Kal out of bed as well. "Charlize said that if we're making turkey today, it'll take at least seven hours. We have to start preparing in the morning." So the two guys were basically the kitchen laborers. While shouting at Kal, Hugo also looked around at the furnishings on the fourth floor.
The fourth floor's decor was even simpler than the third floor's, not only because Joseph and Kal spent most of their time on the third floor, so much of the furniture they bought was placed there; but also because Charlize, being a girl, lived on the third floor—though she was usually treated as one of the guys, it was still somewhat different. Yet in the corner near the dining room on the fourth floor sat a guitar, an electric keyboard, and a drum set, which made the difference clear.
"Your roommate still isn't around. I strongly suspect you guys are filming Ghost!" Hugo looked at the drum kit. It was kept very clean, clearly showing the owner took care of it often. The drumheads were covered in all kinds of graffiti—skulls, totems, and other patterns—that displayed the owner's personality.
Not just the drums, but the guitar and keyboard also had plenty of designs drawn on them. The most eye-catching was the huge red Western dragon painted along the side of the guitar, baring its teeth and claws as it bit the headstock—an image that grabbed attention immediately. Hugo couldn't tell if the drawings were made by the owner himself or by a professional.
Just from these instruments alone, the roommate's presence was obvious. At the very least, it proved this person really existed. But that only made it stranger. Hugo had been living there for more than half a year and still hadn't met this so-called roommate. Charlize hadn't seen him either. Only Alex had run into him a few times. That was truly strange.
"His schedule is the opposite of ours. It's normal you don't see him." Kal, however, wasn't surprised at all. "Even we rarely see him at home. We can only guess from the food in the fridge, whether it increases or decreases. The last time I talked to him, he said he always had performances at night, sometimes even traveling out of town for shows, so he doesn't stay home much. Besides, musicians aren't in the same circle as us."
It was exactly because this roommate was a musician that Hugo was curious. Otherwise, just another guy—Hugo wouldn't be interested in snooping around.
"He disappeared again yesterday, and it looks like he still hasn't come back. No idea whether he spent the night out or went home for Thanksgiving." Kal didn't know much about this roommate either, clearly showing they rarely interacted. "Come on, let's go downstairs and help, otherwise Charlize will start yelling for us again."
Hugo pulled his gaze away from the instruments and turned to head downstairs with Kal to help out.
Cooking a Thanksgiving turkey was an incredibly complicated task. From defrosting to marinating, the preparation alone took more than twelve hours. The night before, before going to bed, Charlize had taken the turkey out to thaw. That morning she began preparing the sauces, and then spent a long time rubbing and marinating the bird. By the time those steps were done, it was already ten-thirty—and that was only the beginning.
But with three young people gathered together, chatting while preparing dinner, the atmosphere remained lively and cheerful. Compared to the awkward family gatherings of Thanksgiving, this festive mood was actually much more enjoyable. The three of them made an agreement that each would prepare one dish, and then they'd enjoy the feast together.
At first, this arrangement seemed like a great idea, and Hugo agreed wholeheartedly. But very quickly, Hugo began to feel troubled. If he were asked to cook Chinese dishes, he could at least show some skill, not be completely helpless. But Western cuisine? That was a headache—it was an entirely different cooking system.
What made it even more frustrating was that this wasn't the internet era. He couldn't just look things up online and pull up any recipe he wanted. Although Hugo had grown used to living without a phone or internet over the past six months, at this moment, he couldn't help grinding his teeth in frustration.
Helpless, Hugo chose the simplest dessert—cheese-baked mashed potatoes. There weren't many steps involved, just controlling the oven's temperature and timing. As long as he didn't burn it, it was hard to fail. Compared to Charlize's roast turkey and Kal's red wine-braised lamb shank, Hugo's dish was undeniably simple—but at least it saved him a lot of trouble.
As the sunset slowly sank outside the window, the fragrance of food began to fill the dining room. Hugo cut a small portion of the turkey they had made, added a serving of his mashed potatoes, and placed it all on a plate to take downstairs. Charlize and Kal stood behind him looking worried. "Hugo, are you sure you want to take that down to the old man? You know he definitely won't appreciate it…"
"Why not?" Hugo, on the other hand, didn't think too much of it. His face was calm. "Today is Thanksgiving, and it only feels like a holiday when people gather together. Sure, inviting Ernst to join us is nearly impossible—and if he really did come, Uma would probably panic," Hugo even laughed at himself, leaving Charlize and Kal utterly exasperated. "But sharing some of the food we made with Ernst—what's wrong with that?" Hugo finished speaking, and just as he was about to turn away, he added, "And if that ghost roommate of yours shows up, I wouldn't mind him joining us either."
"He's not a ghost! He's real!" Kal yelled in frustration. Unfortunately, Hugo didn't intend to respond, and simply opened the door and walked out. Kal only saw Hugo's back as he left and muttered gloomily, "Next time I'll definitely make them meet."
In Hugo's view, Ernst on the second floor was probably spending Thanksgiving alone. That was far too lonely—no one liked being alone, especially on holidays, especially an old man like Ernst. So, as a neighbor, simply sharing some food, sharing the holiday spirit, wasn't a big deal at all. As for Ernst's terrible temper, Hugo figured much of it probably came from living alone. There was nothing scary about that.
Carrying the plate, Hugo went to the second floor and knocked on Ernst's door. The heavy thuds echoed down the hallway. But the only reply was silence. After about thirty seconds without an answer, Hugo knocked again. This time, before his hand even left the door, a harsh, angry roar came from inside: "Who!"
So Ernst was home, and his voice was strong and vigorous, full of energy. He simply didn't want to deal with anyone.
"Hugo from the third floor," Hugo replied. But once again, there was only silence. Clearly, Ernst had no intention of responding. Hugo could only continue speaking to himself: "Today is Thanksgiving. We made some turkey. The cooking might not be great—I'm not sure how it tastes—but I still hope we can share it together. So I brought you some…"
"Get lost!" Ernst's temper was as irritable as ever. He didn't even bother to open the door, just shouted angrily from behind it, rejecting Hugo's kindness completely.
Faced with the old man's bad temper, Hugo could only sigh. But he had clearly been mentally prepared. "I just wanted to show a little goodwill as a neighbor…"
"I don't need it!" Ernst interrupted Hugo again, shouting harshly, as if even one more word with Hugo would cause him unbearable pain. "Get out! Get out of my house, stay away from me!"
Regarded like a plague, Hugo was helpless. This kind of situation wasn't surprising. So he didn't continue insisting. Instead, he placed the plate at the door and said, "Alright, I understand. In any case, sir, Happy Thanksgiving!" After speaking, Hugo turned and went back to the third floor.
Only after the sound of the third-floor door closing faded from the hallway, and after quite a while had passed, did the second-floor door finally open. Ernst's pale head peeked out through the crack. Looking at the steaming hot turkey and baked mashed potatoes on the ground, he hesitated for a long time. At last, he opened the door fully, picked up the plate, and then slowly closed the door again.
When Hugo returned to the third floor and walked into the living room, he was met with questioning looks from Charlize and Kal. Hugo shrugged. "He didn't open the door. I just left the plate at the entrance."
Charlize and Kal both wore the expression of I told you so, which made Hugo smile softly. Without saying anything more, he shifted the topic. "Now it's our turn—our Thanksgiving feast!" Hugo rubbed his hands together, staring at the table full of food with eyes full of anticipation. "Joseph and Alex really should've seen this. They'd definitely regret it." Hugo revealed a deeply satisfied smile.
Kal picked up the carving knife and began cutting the turkey, placing a large piece onto Hugo's plate, then filling both Charlize's and his own. Hugo couldn't wait to cut a small slice, pop it into his mouth, and slowly chew. This was the first authentic American family holiday Hugo had experienced since crossing over, so naturally he was filled with extraordinary expectation.
Charlize looked at Hugo eagerly, asking over and over, "Well? Well? This is my first time trying—did I get it right?"
Hugo cleared his throat lightly, as if carefully savoring whether the turkey was properly seasoned. "Hmm…" he dragged out the sound with a long note. "I think it's very good. You and Kal should try it too. As expected, the flavor when you cook it yourself is different." His face wore an expression of enjoyment as he continued chewing.
Seeing Hugo's look of satisfaction, Kal and Charlize hurriedly stuffed the turkey into their own mouths. But after only two bites, Charlize was the first who couldn't hold it in, spitting it out immediately, while Kal beside her started coughing violently right after.
After confirming that there were now two more victims, Hugo quickly grabbed the glass of water nearby and gulped down a large cup to ease the pain. His sharp brows furrowed tightly. "Charlize, did you spill the black pepper shaker?"
"Luckily Ernst downstairs didn't eat it…" Hugo sighed with relief.
...
Hi For access to additional chapters of
Director in Hollywood (40 chpaters)
Made In Hollywood (60 Chapters)
Pokemon:Bounty Hunter(30 Chapters)
Douluo Dalu: Reincarnated as Yan(40 Chapters)
Hollywood:From Razzie to Legend(40 Chapters)
The Great Ruler (30 Chapters)
Join pateron.com/Translaterappu