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Dex Restaurant, Kitchen.
Hearing such a question out of nowhere, Mickey was stunned for a moment before snapping out of it. He raised an eyebrow, his impatience flaring. "What the hell does that have to do with anything?"
Dexter was well accustomed to Mickey's prickly personality and ignored the attitude. "Answer me first, and then I'll explain the connection."
Mickey grew even more impatient, but he mulled it over anyway. Then, looking a bit embarrassed, he gave his answer. "No."
Dexter had guessed as much. He flashed a brilliant smile. "You're only seventeen. You have a long road ahead of you. Especially as you get richer and meet more people, your world is going to get bigger and bigger..."
Mickey might not be a genius, but as a warrior of pure love, his instincts regarding relationships were sharp. Before Dexter could even finish, he understood the implication and instantly got anxious. "You want me to move on?"
Dexter smiled. "You could interpret it that way, but that's not entirely accurate."
The thought of saying goodbye to Ian for good was unbearable to Mickey. He got even more agitated. "Then what the fxxk do you mean?"
"I mean, just walk forward for a while. Maybe a few months, maybe a few years. If you two are really meant to be together, you'll end up together."
"If not... then even if you force it now, how long can it really last?"
Dexter spoke calmly with a smile. "Being together should involve mutual compromise. Right now, this isn't healthy love anymore. Do you understand?"
Mickey mostly understood.
And precisely because he understood...
Mickey's brows furrowed tightly. His face, still slightly boyish but beginning to show the rugged handsomeness of his future self, displayed clear sadness.
"You want me to give him up for now... I..."
Sadness surged, choking off his words.
Dexter watched him, feeling a wave of nostalgia.
Young love was exactly like this. Painful, joyful, and unforgettable for a long, long time.
Ah, to be young.
Dexter mused silently. He reached out, grabbed a handful of grilled meat skewers, and handed them over. "You guys are still young. Wait until you're a bit more mature before getting tangled up in all this love stuff."
"Here. Finish this meat, and tomorrow is another day."
Mickey: "????"
You're making me eat barbecue at a time like this?
Are you fxxking kidding me?
A moment later.
Mickey rubbed his eyes fiercely, grabbed a massive handful of meat from the grill, and strode out of the kitchen with his signature swagger.
Looking at the nearly empty grill, Dexter smiled and shook his head, then went back to work.
Breaking up Mickey and Ian...
Right or wrong...
It didn't matter.
What mattered was that, in his opinion, the current Ian didn't deserve Mickey.
---
Shortly after 1:00 PM.
Karen drove Fiona and the others back to the Gallagher house.
Upon arriving home, Fiona collapsed onto the sofa. She didn't want to move. She didn't want to do anything.
The problem was, none of the four had eaten lunch. After such a long ordeal, they were all starving. And Lip, barely able to move, couldn't exactly cook...
"Let's order a pizza," Lip said quietly to Karen, glancing at the soul-crushed Fiona.
Karen gave a sweet smile. "I have to run. I've got things to do. You guys enjoy."
Lip frowned immediately. "What things? What's the rush?"
"Work stuff. I found a really good gig. Pays a lot," Karen deliberately kept it vague, baiting Lip to ask more.
And Lip did ask. "What kind of work?"
"Dexter bought an apartment building and put me in charge of managing it. Besides the base salary, if I do well, I get commission," Karen replied cheerfully, acting like everything was perfectly normal.
Naturally.
Lip's expression changed. His face darkened, and annoyance was written all over it.
It's worth mentioning that hearing Dexter's name and the mention of "lots of money"... Fiona, currently unemployed and desperate for a job, snapped out of her daze slightly. She looked at Karen with a complicated expression, hatred welling up in her chest.
Before, Fiona thought Karen was a slut and just disliked her.
In this moment, that dislike evolved into hatred!
To be precise, this hatred wasn't entirely directed at Karen, but at the screwed-up reality Karen represented!
Even a slut like Karen was making more and more money...
Why was she—who was better than Karen in every way—unemployed and unable to find work?
Fiona was unconvinced, unwilling, and unhappy.
Karen glanced at Fiona, laughing internally. Then she looked at the sullen, silent Lip. Without hesitation, she stood up, ignoring Lip's displeasure. "I'm off then. Call me if you need anything."
Lip didn't respond, just stared wide-eyed at Karen.
Karen pretended not to notice and walked straight out. In the blink of an eye, she left the Gallagher house, got into her car with a radiant smile, and headed straight for the apartment building.
The Gallagher house was desolate, filled only with the sound of the TV.
On the sofa.
Lip and Fiona sat side by side, minds racing, neither saying a word.
After a long while.
Fiona couldn't hold it in anymore. "She is a total slut. I don't want her coming and going from our house all the time."
Hearing this, Lip turned to look at Fiona, his gaze heavy.
After a few seconds of silence, Lip finally spoke. "I'll order the pizza. You get some rest. Then you need to find a job. Life has to go on."
Lip's attitude was clear.
Fiona was dissatisfied, but after hesitating repeatedly, she ultimately said nothing.
---
Juvenile Detention Center, Exercise Yard.
Debbie sat on a bench, head tilted back, staring quietly at the sun. Even though her vision was blurring with afterimages, she refused to look away.
After a long time, Debbie lowered her head and closed her eyes.
She couldn't quite explain what was happening.
Ever since she said those words to Fiona and Lip this morning, Debbie felt lighter. As if a heavy burden had been lifted.
In that lightness, she experienced a different kind of happiness she had never known before.
Living here, housing was free. Utilities were free. Three meals a day were free. Everything was free...
She didn't need to steal. She didn't need to worry about what crisis the other Gallaghers were cooking up. She didn't need to figure out how to make money or be considerate of Fiona...
She could sit quietly in the sun. She could see a therapist. If she felt sick, she could see a doctor without having to tough it out. She could even read books and study...
It was wonderful.
So much better than living in the Gallagher house.
Debbie opened her eyes again, smiled brilliantly, and turned to the girl beside her—a sister she had literally fought to gain. "Let's go. Let's play."