Hungry

"Karaoke bar?" I asked, looking down at Lumi. A bar was not a suitable place for her exposure. But seeing her look of expectation, I could not say anything more.

Yet to our surprise, Casper's eyes widened. "Y-you mean that place?" he stammered.

Daniella turned him, her eyes glittering with curiosity. "Is it so special?"

Casper looked hesitant. "Clara's story..."

"She was a bar singer before debuting, no?" I said, nonchalant, while rubbing Lumi's stomach. "Quite famous around the area. The place must be dear to her."

Lumi giggled in response, shuffling in my arms. She sat straighter. "Dad's a fan of you, teacher Clara."

All heads turned to me, as swift as the wind. Except for Daniella, their eyes were wide as pancakes. I bowed my head downwards in embarrassment. "Dumpling," I mumbled, tugging her cheeks. "Some things are better kept unsaid."

"You haven't told them yet?" Daniella asked. I could see an amused smirk creep up on her lips.

"N-no..."Clara and Casper shared a look with each other before they both beamed."You didn't tell us you were a fan," Casper said, not hiding his proud grin at all.Clara too had a teasing grin on her face. "And you said I had no fans anymore," she joked, turning to me. "A man who has a daughter like Lumi would of course be my fan."

"Say you're flattered already," Clara and Casper said in unison.

We all shared another laugh and headed out.

***

The karaoke bar was as I had described. It was nothing fancy or upscale but looked small and family owned. Mist bubbled in Clara's eyes as we exited the car. I could understand her sentiment, as the place was where her dream began. She had a tearful reunion with the bar owner, who wallowed in pity over her car accident. Her lost legs. Her wheelchair.

It was still early into nighttime, so we had the whole place to ourselves. We entered the largest private room after the tear-jerking introduction. There was not much to describe about the room. It was two rows of sofa and an extra-long table between the center. Lumi looked with wonder towards the sporty decor and colorful lights. Yet her gaze landed firm on menu sitting atop the table. She stretched out her arm and gestured me over.

"Hungry, Dad," she mumbled, rubbing her face all over my chest.

The small action almost swept me off my feet. I turned and shot a fierce glare towards Daniella, Clara, and Casper. "Did you not have breaks to have lunch?"

They all looked at each other.

"We had a delivery upstairs from the noodle restaurant below our floor. There was a lot to eat," Casper said.

"Little Lumi ate happily," Clara added. "She had a big appetite."

Lumi groaned in my arms. "I'm hungry again..."

"Ah, the metabolism of children. How enviable," Daniella muttered.

I realized it was because of our special telepathy and shared senses. It was not because of their negligence. I had skipped lunch and worked out at the gym all day. Lumi must have felt my empty stomach and could not keep her mind of it. Much to my relief, they did not look offended my fierce gaze or comment. I could not beat the possessive and overprotective impression they had of me anymore.

I gave Daniella an eye roll first, before turning to Lumi. "If you're concerned about weight, you should stop your snacking first. Dumpling, what do you want to eat?"

"Everything."

Clara made her way around and saw her pitiful puppy-dog eyes. I could see her heart sour immediately. She waved her hands, decisive in taking control. "Alright, alright. Let's stop dragging our feet. Someone go and order food and someone set up the song list! We're going to have a feast tonight!"

I sat Lumi down on the couch and made sure she was comfortable. Then I grabbed the menu and found the owner who greeted us at the door. A bit selfish, I ordered a lot of food, knowing my newfound size and Lumi's hunger. Burger sliders, nachos, skewers, fried chicken. Lots of it.

When I returned with a cup of orange juice for Lumi, they had already started singing. Casper and Clara watched on the sides, giggling as Daniella and Lumi continued their duet. They sang My Soul Will Go On, by Celina Diona, but their version instead. They replaced words like 'soul' with chocolate and 'heart' with sweet.

It was not only me who found it silly. Clara laughed and slapped her husband's thigh. "Look, aren't they adorable?"

I clearly saw Casper's eyes land in my direction. He still tried to irk me anyways. "Lumi is shy and Daniella self-conscious. If we took a video of their tomfoolery, I could blackmail them for a lot of money..."

"Hmph," I snorted, sitting across them, crossing my arms and legs. "Aren't you afraid of Daniella's retaliation? She comes from a good background."

Casper chuckled. "She's played it off as they're not too close with you, but she's almost estranged with her family. She would hate to use their help. Besides, I'm more worried about you picking a fight."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Lumi is starting to like the two of you more and more, so I won't say anything. Besides, she's your cash cow. You wouldn't do something that would tarnish her worth."

Casper responded with a series of eerie laughter, which Clara did not like at all.

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" she spat, elbowing him hard in his sides. "Stop acting like a creep."

Then Clara looked me in the eye. "Don't mind him and his money labels. Cash cow? Pfft. She is the generational talent of the century. My heart almost stopped when Daniella said she's only been singing for two weeks. That raw, unpolished, underdeveloped voice? Incredible."

"You were a little miffed that we didn't teach her much this past week," Casper said, recovering to his normal self. More of a dignified president CEO than a lowlife money grubber. "But we didn't need to. The progress she was making only from singing was amazing every day. It triumphs the whole industry."