The Adventurer Amazed by New Wonders #2
"So this is America?"
"Yep. How's it feel? Crazy crowded, right?"
"Rome's airport was packed too..."
"Just wait till we get outside — you're gonna flip. And no Italian while we're here. Speak English. When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
"This isn't Rome. We left Rome."
"You idiot. It's a saying."
"I knew that. I was just messing with you."
"Were you, though? You sure you didn't actually not know?"
"I didn't."
"Hmm... alright, fine. I'll believe you."
"No... it really was a joke. Don't look at me like that."
"Sure, sure."
"I'm serious...??"
"I said I got it, okay?"
From the moment they set foot in New York's international airport, Yohan and Haley chattered nonstop.
Aside from the brief separation at immigration, Yohan barely paused for breath, teasing her the whole way — until they collected their luggage and started wandering the terminal, at which point his eyes went round with wonder.
"Whoa... this is actually cool. It's as sleek as Rome."
"Are you dumb? It's way sleeker."
"Is it? I don't really know about this kind of stuff..."
"Then just listen to me. I'm right."
"Got it."
When they stepped outside and a sharply dressed chauffeur was waiting to receive them, Yohan was genuinely startled.
Hiring a private driver — just how wealthy were they?
He wouldn't get a proper answer until they arrived at Caroline's home in America.
"W-whoa..."
They entered what was unmistakably an affluent neighborhood and passed through the gates of a towering mansion, where a grand circular staircase dominated the center of the entrance hall.
Flanking it were a luxuriously appointed living room and kitchen, plus a door leading out to a pool — but the real showstopper was the elevator.
People actually have those in their houses...?
He should have figured it out back when they were talking about first class on the plane...
He'd known they had money, but he hadn't imagined it was this much.
Caroline's house was simply that extravagant.
"Not bad, right?"
"Not bad doesn't cover it — this is incredible... Five people live here?"
"Yep. Me, Mom, Aiden, and Grandma and Grandpa. But relatives come by a lot, and they stay for ages."
"Aiden's... oh right, he said he had some meetup. This place is unreal."
"Right? So? Wanna live here too?"
The house was genuinely elegant and impressive at a glance, but no matter how much money was involved, Yohan had no desire to live there.
There were plenty of reasons, but chief among them was that the house sat right on the street, with the neighboring homes pressed uncomfortably close — privacy felt like it might be an issue.
Of course the place itself was well soundproofed and the neighborhood was quiet enough that it wouldn't be a real problem, but stepping out onto the balcony and seeing nothing but buildings in every direction felt a little stifling.
The sweeping view of vast Central Park was a definite plus, though.
And then there was the layout itself — narrow across the front and deep from front to back, split across multiple floors.
Haley had said her grandparents' extended family visited often.
If people were gathering all the time, a house this tall, with this many stairs and floors, would make it hard for the family to actually come together in one place.
It was insanely nice and sophisticated — and yet somehow it left him with an unshakable sense of distance.
That was how Yohan felt about the house.
"I... uh... I don't know. I think I prefer quieter places..."
"That's just because you've lived in Trigoria your whole life. Once you actually lived here, it'd be different."
"Maybe? Anyway, it's really amazing. It looks just like those rich-people houses in movies — feels like I've stepped into another world."
"Come on, let's unpack first."
"Okay."
What Yohan was feeling was something Caroline — and even Olivia — had been thinking about themselves.
Lately, both of them had found themselves wishing that when they opened a window, they'd be greeted by a bright, sprawling lawn and open blue sky rather than the building across the street.
They preferred a peaceful atmosphere over a busy, rigid one, which was why mother and daughter were already preparing to move to a house in Beverly Hills in LA — somewhere far quieter than New York, and safer too.
With relatives visiting so often, a spacious single-family home simply felt warmer than a place divided across so many floors.
Both of them felt that LA would be better for living closer as a family.
They'd even floated the idea past Aiden, and he'd said he preferred a house with a Trigoria-like feel over this one.
It felt open. Free.
Hearing that from Aiden had been the biggest reason they started preparing for the move.
I wonder what Haley would think.
Judging by the way she talked to Yohan, she seemed to genuinely love New York — though it was hard to tell whether it was New York specifically or America in general that she loved.
She'd have to ask her later.
With that thought, Caroline watched the two of them giggling in the elevator, a warm smile on her face.
That evening, when Aiden came home with his grandparents and found Yohan waiting for him with a broad grin, he lit up with pure delight.
"Gio!!"
He'd known Yohan was coming, but seeing him in person made the joy burst right out of him.
"Hello, I'm Yohan Lee. I'll be imposing on you for a while — thank you for having me."
Yohan was just as happy to see him, but he made a point of greeting Olivia and her husband, Jamie, first.
Unlike the slender Olivia, Jamie had a solid, sturdy build.
With a handsome mustache and beard and a strong, upright presence that suggested a deep sense of justice, he looked every bit the capable, honest CEO.
That was the impression Jamie Newman left on Yohan.
"I've heard plenty about you from my wife and daughter, but meeting you in person is a real pleasure."
Jamie flashed a set of brilliant white teeth and offered his hand.
When Yohan took that large hand and smiled back, Jamie let out a hearty laugh and pumped their joined hands up and down.
Just as Yohan had taken an immediate liking to Jamie, Jamie found himself liking Yohan right back.
Whether it was because Olivia and Caroline had praised the boy until they were blue in the face, he couldn't say — but there was a genuine goodness in the kid's face that he found deeply appealing.
And he was handsome, too. Still young enough to carry a hint of boyish softness, but once he grew into his features, he was going to be a real looker.
Standing next to Haley, they'd make quite the pair.
Not that he meant as boyfriend and girlfriend. Who starts thinking like that after meeting a kid once?
Jamie simply meant they'd make good friends.
And given that Yohan apparently did a fine job of reining in his headstrong granddaughter, Jamie hoped the two of them would stay close.
"Grandpa, I wanna go out with Gio."
Aiden, standing beside Jamie, started whining about going out.
Jamie scratched his thick white hair and asked,
"Again?"
"Yeah. I told you there's a campaign party tonight. I already said Gio was coming."
This was news to Yohan.
He blinked, eyes wide, trying to catch up with what was happening.
"That was today?"
"Yep."
"I'll pick you up at ten?"
"Yeah."
"Alright. I'll drop you off."
Having barely finished introductions before being whisked out the door, Yohan looked around at Caroline and the rest of Haley's family with a thoroughly bewildered expression.
"Go on, have fun."
Her grandson's face — usually so vacant — was glowing with life.
If just having Yohan around could change him like that, turning them down was simply not an option.
"Welcome, stranger."
Hearing a line that sounded like something straight out of a fantasy novel, delivered by someone who looked like he belonged among wizards, Yohan's eyes went wide.
"Uh...?"
The place Aiden had brought him to was a building in the heart of New York.
The first floor held restaurants; the second had a pool hall and an escape-room café — an entertainment complex, basically. And right now, Yohan was receiving a thoroughly unexpected welcome inside a dimly lit café on the fourth floor.
"I was told you'd be here for two weeks. Is that correct?"
A late-teens guy, asking about the length of his stay in America without so much as a hello.
Still half-dazed, Yohan found himself nodding.
"Uh... yeah."
"Good. Follow me."
A room with a gloomy atmosphere — the kind of interior that looked like a monster might lunge out at any second — and a wide table set up in the middle.
Sheets of paper laid out across the tabletop, clusters of teenagers gathered here and there. Yohan turned to Aiden with a look that clearly said, What is this?
Aiden answered with his trademark goofy smile.
"Remember that game campaign we did in Italy?"
"Yeah."
"We're gonna play that game for real now. The guy who just brought you in is the Dungeon Master. He narrates the story, and we play accordingly. Cool, right? Sounds fun, doesn't it?"
"Y-yeah...? That sounds freaking awesome...?"
"Right? First we gotta make characters..."
"Same way we did in the game?"
"Exactly."
"Human paladin. Name: Vittorio Romano."
Vittorio, meaning victor.
And Romano — of Rome, or a Roman.
A naming choice that said everything about Yohan's love for Rome.
And so Yohan, newly invited into the world of tabletop RPGs, lost all track of time the moment the campaign began in earnest.
His English was already solid — early education, his own passion for languages, and having Caroline and Haley as conversation partners had seen to that — so communication was never an issue.
At night he'd come home and stay up past midnight with Aiden, passionately dissecting everything that had happened in the game.
In the morning he'd wake up, eat breakfast, chat with Haley while wandering the city, and then in the afternoon climb into Jamie's car and head back to the building where the campaign resumed.
Haley grumbled about why anyone would waste time on something only nerds did, but to Yohan — already deeply immersed in his character — her words were the kind of trivial noise you let sail in one ear and out the other.
For the two weeks he spent in America, Yohan threw himself into the world of TRPGs with Aiden and had an incredibly full, satisfying time.
On the last day, clearing the campaign and jumping around with his comrades in a group hug was just the cherry on top.
Of course, he was also his usual kind, easygoing self with Haley's family, and he quickly hit it off with Olivia's relatives when they dropped by mid-visit.
By the day he left, everyone was sad to see him go and made him promise to come back — that's how much they all liked him.
And just like that, Yohan slipped smoothly and swiftly into the Newman family.
As if he'd always been one of them, they became the kind of people who simply couldn't be pulled apart.
Then, once Yohan returned to Italy and settled back into everyday life, an enormous change found him.
"Hey, what the hell? When did you get this tall?"
Sometime after the new year, as spring arrived and middle school graduation drew near, his height shot up in a sudden growth spurt.
Enough to leave even Haley — who already stood well above the average for girls — trailing far behind.
"Beats me. It just kind of happened at some point."
"You're over five-seven?"
"They measured me at school yesterday. About that, yeah."
"You grew that much in four months? Are you even human?"
"...Wow, that actually hurts. Teachers say this kind of thing is pretty common during growth spurts."
"Who said that?"
"My teacher."
"I swear you were basically my height like two days ago. This is ridiculous."
"It wasn't two days ago. I passed you a while back..."
"You wanna die?"
"No. But you can't tease me about my height anymore, right?"
"Well... yeah, probably not. But no matter what, you're still my little brother. That doesn't change."
"Think whatever you want."
"Oh, look at you. Getting mouthier, huh? You used to be so cute when you were little, and now... ugh... you're gross."
"Yeah, yeah."
Maybe she didn't care for how smug he was being.
Haley furrowed her brow — a brow that had grown more mature than last year's — into a neat little scowl.
"You wanna die?"
"Can you stop with the death threats already?"
"I'm gonna make them forever."
"Then I guess there's nothing I can do."
At fourteen, Yohan stood at 171 centimeters.
Considering that just last winter his rapidly growing frame had only reached 162, it was nothing short of remarkable.
And it wasn't only the Newman family and the nuns at the convent who were stunned by Yohan's growth.
Roma was stunned too — and overjoyed at the same time.
Because it meant they could significantly accelerate the plans they'd been laying for him.
"His training condition looks excellent. Let's promote him straight to the Primavera starting next season."
At the youth director's words, everyone in the meeting room agreed.
"Understood."
"Adaptation shouldn't be an issue, but let's keep a close eye on him all the same."
"Yes, sir."