CHAPTER 66: HOW CAN A SMARTPHONE KILL A MONSTER?

Charlotte’s eyes lit up like fireworks, pure excitement bursting from her face. Before anyone could say a word, she darted forward and grabbed Mika’s hand tightly, practically bouncing on her toes as she cried out.

"So cool, Mika! So cool! You are so cool!"

Mika blinked, a little stunned by the sudden switch in her tone. She was acting like he had just pulled off a miracle, and it was completely different from how she was practically accusing him of cheating five minutes ago.

"I knew you could do it all along!"

Charlotte beamed, gripping his hand with both of hers now and shaking it like she was congratulating him for winning a National Prize.

"This was nothing at all for you! I mean, only you could think of something this insane, you know?! Poisoning a bird with banana seeds? That’s genius-level stuff, Mika! Genius!"

Mika stared at her in dead silence, his eyes flat, lips parted in mild disbelief. "

...Didn’t you say I was cheating like, two minutes ago?"

But she waved him off like she hadn’t just committed verbal betrayal moments earlier.

"Oh please. Don’t bother about that!" She said with a shameless scoff. "I was testing you! Yeah, obviously. Just checking if your skills were really up to the mark!"

Mika slowly tilted his head, looking at her like she’d just grown three heads. "You called me a scammer."

"That was part of the test." She said without flinching, smiling wide as if that explained everything. "You passed with flying colors! I totally believed in you deep down, you know. Deep, deep down. Waaaay down."

He let out a slow exhale, still staring. "Uh-huh."

Charlotte turned towards her mother then, still holding Mika’s arm like it was a trophy. "Isn’t it, Mama? Isn’t what Mika did so cool?"

Mika raised his head slightly at that, expression still tired, but there was a flicker of smug anticipation in his eyes.

Maybe, just maybe, he was about to get some overdue praise from the strictest woman he knew.

But instead of the applause he expected, what came was a flat, dismissive hum and a sharp glare from Yelena as she looked away, arms crossed tightly.

"This doesn’t count." She said bluntly. "I’m not accepting this."

The words hit Mika like a gut punch. He stared at her in pure disbelief.

"What...do you mean this doesn’t count?"

"I mean exactly what I said." Yelena replied, tone icy. "This isn’t what you claimed. You said it should be a method that any child could use."

Mika threw his hands up, utterly flabbergasted.

"And it is! I gave you a method that even a kid can pull off! What, is a child so completely useless that they can’t even shove some banana seeds into a piece of meat and throw it?!"

"...If they can’t even manage that much, maybe they should be thrown into a dustbin! What’s the use of such a child?!"

"Mika! How could you!" Charlotte gasped at the savagery.

But Yelena didn’t even flinch.

"It’s not about whether a child can move their hands, it’s about whether they have a blessing."

Mika squinted at her, confused. "Huh?"

"The method you used requires meat from somewhere." She said, pointing at the bird. "And you used your innate space to pull out that lizard meat. Not every kid can do that."

"Also not everyone just has perfectly preserved lizard meat in their back pocket. You think a child can just go out and procure lizard meat?!"

Mika stared at her like she’d gone insane.

"So now it’s the lizard meat that’s the problem? Are you kidding me right now?"

"And the bananas..."

Yelena added quickly, face now slightly pink.

"D-Do you know how expensive bananas are nowadays? It’s practically luxury fruit!..You want a kid to go out and buy bananas? What do you think this is, a fruit market in heaven?"

Even Charlotte was blinking at her now, looking as baffled as Mika. "Mama...are you serious?"

Yelena avoided both their eyes, face tightening.

"I’m just saying it’s not a method that anyone can pull off! That’s all. Doesn’t count."

"You’ve got to be kidding me."

But Yelena didn’t budge. She kept her face turned to the side, refusing to meet his glare. It was clear from the way her ears were turning pink that she knew exactly how shameless she was being. And still, she stood her ground.

Because deep down, she didn’t want to let him win.

Not this time.

Not with that smug, arrogant look he always had. That know-it-all smirk. That cocky little tilt of his chin.

He was always so sure of himself, and for once, she wanted to wipe that look off his face, even if it meant contradicting herself in the most pathetic way possible.

Even if it meant bringing bananas into the argument.

Charlotte shook her head slowly, disappointment etched clearly across her face. She let out a soft sigh, then reached out and tugged on Mika’s wrist.

"Come on." She said, her tone gentle but laced with finality. "We’re not gonna get any approval from Mama."

Yelena looked up, startled.

Charlotte didn’t even spare her a glance as she continued,

"She’s way too stubborn for that. You could present her with proof etched in divine script, and she’d still find a way to turn it down. No matter what you do, she won’t accept it."

Then, for the final jab, Charlotte glanced back at her mother with an almost pitiful look and added.

"She’s just a sore loser."

Yelena flinched like the words had struck her physically.

Charlotte’s tone wasn’t mocking, just quietly resigned. It wasn’t loud, it wasn’t dramatic, but the words hit with sharp precision. The kind only a daughter’s disappointment could deliver.

And the truth was, even though Charlotte had sided with her mother earlier, it had only been to tease Mika. She hadn’t meant it seriously.

Because at the end of the day, no matter how much she adored her mother or how close they were, she was always on Mika’s side...Always.

And now, she’d switched sides without hesitation.

That shift, small as it seemed, stabbed deep into Yelena’s chest.

She could feel the weight of Charlotte’s disappointed gaze pressing down on her. It hurt. It really, truly hurt.

And both Charlotte and Yelena expected Mika to just walk off now. To accept the win, smirk a little, and maybe rub it in later.

After all, Yelena had acted immature, unreasonable, she’d turned the whole thing into a farce. It was the perfect moment for him to gloat and be done with it.

But to their surprise...

Mika didn’t do that.

Instead, he smiled. Calm and collected. Not mocking, not arrogant.

Just...smiling.

"There’s no need to do that." He said, brushing off Charlotte’s hand gently. "If I leave it like this, she’ll bring it up later. Again and again. Every time I cook something. Every time I win an argument. She’ll remind me how I ’cheated’ this one time."

Yelena looked away, ears tingling in embarrassment. She knew it was true.

"So..." Mika went on, stepping closer to her with an infuriatingly pleasant tone. "I’d rather settle this here. Now. Clean."

Charlotte raised an eyebrow, and Yelena peeked at him warily.

"It’s true what you said, Yelena..." He said with a shrug. "...not all kids have blessings. I get that. That’s fair. But let me ask you something."

He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing.

"Do most children today...have smartphones?"

Yelena blinked. "Huh?"

"I’m asking if they have phones. Or tablets or whatever gadget they fidget on."

She stared at him in confusion for a moment, then reluctantly nodded. "Well, yeah...I suppose so."

"Good." Mika nodded. "Then tell me this, are those kids able to play music? You know, press a button and play an audio track? Or are they too incompetent to even manage that?"

Yelena’s face lit up with indignation. "Don’t make fun of me!"

"I’m not. I’m asking."

She huffed, flustered, and crossed her arms again.

"Yes, obviously they know how to play music! I mean, I don’t know half the things my phone can do, but children these days? They’re practically born knowing how to use that stuff. I’ve seen toddlers skip ads on videos before they can even talk properly."

"Perfect." Mika said, grinning now. "That’s all I needed to hear."

Yelena blinked again, confused.

"You see, why I’m saying all this is because I’ve got another method to hunt birds." He explained carefully. "And this one doesn’t require a single drop of blessing...Just a smartphone."

He pulled out his own phone and held it toward her.

"And this time, you’ll be the one doing it, Yelena. So you can’t accuse me of cheating again."

She eyed it suspiciously.

"I’ve set up two audio tracks. All you have to do is press play on the first one when I say so...and then play the second one when I give the cue. That’s it. Nothing more. Think you can manage?"

"Of course I can manage that!" Yelena bristled. "You think I’m so ancient I can’t press a couple of buttons?"

"Then it’s settled."

But before anything else could be said, Yelena frowned. "Wait...how exactly are you planning to catch a bird with this? I just don’t see it happening."

Mika simply smiled again. That same infuriating, knowing smile.

"Don’t worry about that." He said breezily, already turning back toward Charlotte. "Just do what I say, and I promise, you’ll have a bird in your hands without even lifting a finger."