Silence reigned in the Apex mansion...
The dining table now littered with greasy empty plates and bones, and all five culprits sprawled on the chairs with bloated stomachs heaving in satisfaction.
It was as though the five former Stellar students of Avalon all lost self-control while eating, the gourmet so intoxicatingly savoury that each bite left them wanting more.
They couldn’t feel satisfaction; no matter how much they ate, it was as though it would never be enough. Even the lady among them, Elaine, abandoned all grace before the heavenly meal.
Heck, even the taciturn Jack, composed before tonight’s meal? His shell broke, savouring every bite as he shamelessly abandoned the use of silverware midway.
It wasn’t until they cleared out everything that a sense of satisfaction washed over them, the warm currents of nutrients coursing through their systems.
Left with blissful smiles, all five leaned back to give room for the bulge on their stomachs...
"Oh yeah... Welcome back, guys..." Brandon finally greeted, fiddling with a toothpick.
Following the trail of such a mouth-watering aroma to take his first bite, he had forgotten to greet the others all this while.
"Hehe... so you’re only just seeing us now, huh?" Seth chuckled, glancing his way.
Brandon’s eyes widened, his hands raised in a false proclamation of innocence. "Y-you can’t blame me, alright?"
Rubbing his belly with a satisfied grin, he remarked, "The food was just that good, okay? That’s my response."
Causing the others to burst with hearty chuckles, they couldn’t dispute his point anyway. Such a delicacy, they had to have another.
"Come to think of it, was that the Origin beast meat?" Brandon turned and asked, shifting on his seat to find a more relaxing posture.
Seth nodded, smacking his lips as the aftertaste lingered...
At this moment, everyone was filled with a drive to go back to the Origin Realm, as they thought of the meal just now.
"I think we need to go for an expedition next time we return..." Uriel suggested, glancing at the others with bright eyes.
Everyone nodded in agreement. They needed more meat. Fortunately, they had a walking freezer with them that would surely make their hoarding capabilities more efficient.
The four glanced at Elaine, and they couldn’t be more proud to have such a capable friend.
If not for her, tonight couldn’t possibly have been as heavenly.
"Okay guys, I’ll be heading for a bathe now," Seth declared as he got to his feet.
The others waved him goodnight. Naturally, he and Jack had prepared dinner and couldn’t be left to clean this mess; the remaining three would have to work that out.
Feeling slightly heavy, he winced as he waddled his way up the stairs. ’Sigh, the pain of satisfaction,’ he mused internally.
But thinking back to the meal... ’Very much worth it!’ With that, he scaled the steps...
A few minutes after gathering enough willpower, Jack followed suit, excusing himself.
And now only three among the cohort were left...
Uriel softly caressed his stomach while his squinting eyes drifted between the two seated on opposing sides before him.
Something definitely was up between these two. They had been avoiding each other’s gaze the entire time.
The tension between them was loud; he could literally see through their flustered demeanours...
A playful smile played on his lips as he had a sudden thought... As a newly discovered connoisseur of drama, he found it would be a pity if he let matters be.
Leaning forward, he rose to his feet, declaring, "Okay guys, I’ll handle cleaning the dining alone. You guys can have the kitchen."
Both Elaine and Brandon went stiff. Spending all night avoiding each other only to be left alone in the same room?
They both wanted anything but!
Brandon sat up to protest, but Uriel had already started, not wasting any time. Brandon couldn’t find any reason to refuse.
In cases like these, acting out would only escalate matters. And between confessing what happened and getting into that kitchen with Elaine...
He’d pick option two time and time again. Avoiding Elaine’s gaze, he stood up, packed up the plates within his reach, and left.
On Elaine’s side...
’Shit! Shit! Shit!’ she cursed inwardly as she stared down, hiding her nervous expression. Her heart hammered and her cheeks swelled with heat.
At this very moment, she wished the earth would just open up and swallow her. The thought of stepping into that kitchen brought her heart racing with both shame, fear, and... excitement?
After all, if she tried to apologize, who knew what manner of request Brandon could ask in return?
The thought made her mind go wild. That guy was a delinquent; there was no way he wouldn’t want to be even.
So why was it that the more her thoughts ran wild, the more... the more she got excited?
Almost as though her heart hammered with a heat of anticipation...
"Um... are you waiting for something?" Uriel asked, turning to her with a blank, innocent expression.
Elaine’s head snapped up as she suddenly jumped straight to standing, half startled, half nervous. "N-no, nothing... I’ll get to it now," she answered in a weak voice.
Packing up the plates, she walked out of the dining room. On reaching the kitchen doorway, she froze, staring at Brandon’s busy silhouette from behind. Her heart pressure spiked.
Taking a deep breath, she struggled to gather composure and walked, silently reaching the sink. Straight away, she got to work.
Brandon said nothing. She said nothing...
Only the sound of soft clinks and the rush of water filled the kitchen, as both silently carried out their roles, somehow not interacting the entire time.
The awkwardness was rich in the air. Tension? Even more so!
After pulling out the last of the dish set from the dishwasher, Elaine turned to glance at Brandon, noticing he was also rounding up with the trash on his end...
"Ahem..." she suddenly cleared her throat, causing Brandon’s silhouette to freeze and go tense.
"Um... a-about earlier—" she started softly but was cut right off...
"Nothing happened!" Brandon suddenly said, before carrying on.
Elaine’s brows furrowed. This certainly wasn’t how she assumed things would play out. "Wait, I’m trying to—"
"Nothing happened!" In the same cold, gruff manner, Brandon declared again.
"Are you serious—" Before she could finish, it came again, cold, short, and somehow hurtful...
"Nothing happened!"
Elaine felt a sudden wash of disappointment. His cold tone, his short persistent reply... he definitely hated her for sure.
Was this what rejection felt like? She knew it wasn’t like she asked him out or anything. Heck, she hadn’t even given him the slightest clue she liked him. So why... Why did it hurt so much?
Her fists clenched as she stared hard at his back. She was just trying to apologize; the least he could do was hear her out.
Slamming the napkins in her hand onto the counter, her heart went cold. She was a fool to think her delusion could become a reality anyway!
"Fine, whatever!" she barked, and with a huff, she stormed out of the kitchen...
The echo of her voice lingered, and the pain and disappointment were rich in the air.
Brandon stared at her back, and his heart skipped a beat. He grabbed his chest, frowning...
He felt an urge to go after her and apologize, but he still couldn’t understand what he did wrong. He simply didn’t want to remember what happened; he had every right to...
He glanced at the doorway as a figure suddenly stepped in...
"Uriel?" he called in surprise...
Uriel didn’t reply, merely abruptly posing a question. "Are you stupid?"