" Happy Birthday, Halesia." Ryle presented a cake to Halesia and continued,
" Make a wish." He gently smiled while appreciating the beauty surrounded by flowers and balloons. The yellow light illuminating her cast softened her features more.
"Yeah, make a wish, Halesia." Ken, standing on the other side, added. His eyes are filled with tenderness as he stares at her.
"Okay." Halesia focused on the exquisitely decorated cake before her and smiled so radiantly that even her limpid eyes shimmered.
She closed her eyes, embraced the bouquet in her arms tighter, mirroring the intensity of her emotions, and made a wish.
The males circling her did not make a sound. They merely watched her keenly, as if etching her attractiveness in their minds and hearts.
They collectively thought that such a great girl needs to be protected. They need to guard that precious smile.
When Halesia opened her eyes, she got momentarily blinded by the light. In a dimly lit room, illuminated only by the candles, her position became the only light source.
Her figure that seems to glow accentuated her appearance, and it enticed the males that they could hardly take their gazes away.
Inside their hearts, they thought;
She's like a moon that softly glistens in the darkness, and it captivates them, a group of dusky creatures, to bathe in her light.
When Halesia looked up, she happened to see the tenderness overflowing from their orbs.
Recognizing that her friends wished her well induced another smile on Halesia's lips.
[ I am so lucky to have them.] She naively deemed.
" What did you wish for?"
" Yeah, what did you wish, Halesia?" Two teenagers, with similar faces, occupied her left and right sides. The mischievous grins show that they won't back down until she spilled the beans.
" Saino, Yohan, could you stop bothering Halesia?" Freon, sitting beside Saino, glared at the twin brats that sandwiched the girl. He wanted to be on that spot but got thwarted away by their sneaky moves.
" You should all shut the hell up. Can't you see Halesia has yet to blow her candles?" Rahmsen, sitting the furthest across, reminded everyone. His words made the others realize that the star of the day has yet to blow her birthday candles.
Their gestures flustered Halesia, making her answer the earlier question spontaneously.
" Well, I... I wished that I could enter Callidus Academy and," Her words halted, and her hopeful orbs dimmed. She quickly lowered her face to hide the longing clouding her.
" And what?" One of the twins questioned.
The others did not speak but were equally curious. They all knew Halesia wanted to enter the prestigious institution but are clueless of what could have provoked the lovely girl, who was smiling merrily a while back, to show such a forlorn expression.
Her sad cast tugged their heartstrings. They wanted to grant whatever she yearns for to keep her happy.
Since they met her, an inexplicable fatal attraction awakened their desires. They wanted her.
Maybe it's her purity and soft-heartedness. Or maybe her limpid, innocent eyes or simply her appearance? Whatever it was, it was fascinating them, tempting them to unveil everything about her. And, they were getting hooked deeper as they get to know her- simply unable to stay away.
Unfortunately, a fragrant flower draws too many bees.
Just like now, several males of differing philosophies in life but were equally outstanding in their own rights, encircles the girl.
They feel the same hostility towards each other as rivals in love. But, in front of Halesia, they hid their fangs, like a tacit understanding despite wanting to gnaw the other's existence away.
Maybe she is too innocent that she can't grasp their motives, as she treats them evenly as her good friends. Nonetheless, they utilized it to their advantage to get more of her favor and whisk the opponents away.
They patiently waited for her to resume, and a couple of minutes later, she finally spoke.
"..I wish I could meet my father soon." A bitter smile bloomed on her face. It was a lovely sight if not for the tears that welled up, threatening to fall.
The young men could only console her.
When the atmosphere is full of melancholy, a person opened the lights and spoke,
" Don't worry, Halesia. You'll meet your father soon."
They were too focused on Halesia that his entry went unnoticed. On the other hand, he wanted to hear the girl's wishes and kept quiet.
Halesia looked up to the newcomer and beamed.
" Big brother Maxilleam! You made it!" She stood up and strode towards the tall, good-looking teenager.
" I wouldn't miss your birthday." Maxilleam rubbed the top of her hair. His gaze is ever so gentle that it made the others flinched.
They wanted to separate the two but could only hold it in. Who told that guy to be Halesia's "big brother"?
" Thank you, big brother." Halesia's grief was no more.
***
At the same time:
( Host, You should see her. She's like a dying star, flickering on and off within the darkness, like a disco light. Still, it captivates those fishes, attracting them to her like a bunch of handsome asteroids about to hit Earth!)
Halfsie turned on its live broadcast mode.
( So her knights are complete?) After the mumble-jumble the furball has said, Eve merely wants to confirm one thing.
( Indeed, host. The fishery is complete. Do you wanna know how she met all of them? You should know, host, that the way they encountered each other is super cliché. As if that heavenly being is truly and undisputedly the protagonist of a badly written reverse harem novel. I know you are itching to hear the gossip, so no need to act as if you don't.)
Eve's brows furrowed deeply upon hearing the furball's claim. She did not want to receive their details because she doesn't care and was not interested in associating with them. She only verified that Halesia got to assemble her seven knights and hence, asked.
Nevertheless, the gossipmonger has started pumping its vocal cords contrary to her intentions.
( You already know that Ryle, the first fish she met at the banquet, rescuing her from her plight of stupidity. The Ken guy, she met in the library and saved her from thugs. The twin fish she met when she accidentally entered the wrong room of a bar. Oh, don't get me started on how she inadvertently ended there. Then there's the Freon dude that almost hit her with his car when she tried rescuing a cat on the road. That Rhamsen fish-thug, she helped when she saw him injured near the dumpster on a rainy day. The most interesting is that Maxilleam guy. You know host, he was the heavenly being's one and only childhood friend. He's like a brother to her, but they got separated because the guy turned out to be the only grandson of a wealthy man. Blah blah blah...So they got acquainted again after so long.. Blah blah. They thought it was fate and all. Blah blah. You should know that all her fishes look good.... blah blah. Host, she has seven but, you only have three fishes. You need to step it up, host. You show that heavenly being who's the boss! You go and show her you have the hero, the villain, the fox, the moneys, hot cousins.. blah blah blah...You go, host, slap her with your awesomeness!!!) The gossipmonger showed Eve who the boss-the boss of the gossip that is.
Her brows almost eclipsed as she failed to mute the chattering voice clamoring her head. The unending nonsense mugging her caused her to miss refuting its words "you only have three fishes" for a while. How she wished the furball would shut the hell up. Then she remembers that the system guide did not have a mouth. Hence, it couldn't shut up.
That realization made her feel helpless.
" Eve, are you okay?" Sarien worriedly asked. He noticed she seemed uncomfortable.
Eve looked at him and replied.
" I'm okay." Despite that, the frown on her alluring face did not vanish.
" What's wrong? Are you troubled by something? You can tell me, and I'll do my utmost to help you." He gently coaxed her. If he could have a clue of what she conceives, that would help him a lot.
" I'm thinking about the fishes."
[ Fishes? ] Sarien did not expect to gain such an answer.
" ...do you want to eat fish?" Though it's way past lunchtime, Sarien pondered if she was craving a meal.
" I don't like fish."
" Why not?!" An energetic young voice, out of nowhere, questioned.
" It's troublesome," Eve responded to Aquillen's query. She didn't like the struggle of picking fishbones at all.
" But sister Eve, fish is nutritious. My teacher said it's rich in oil that is good for the heart!"
The two continued to chat, ignoring Sarien, whose eyes scrutinized his brother.
Today is a rare opportunity to go on a date with Eve. However, before he could celebrate, his sibling, who overheard her call, threw a tantrum wanting to tag along. Eve, listening to Aquillen's cry, remembered the puddings he gave. Thinking that the boy has other goodies he could share, she readily asked Sarien to take him.
Sarien could only sigh and bury the annoyance he felt for his brother.
Then, he scanned the surrounding, taking mental note that the pumpkin-eyed vexatious fellow did not come. His eyes deepened as he concluded something.
" Aqui."
"Brother?" Aquillen responded sweetly, totally oblivious that his respected older brother had calculated him.
" Don't you have a class today?"
" Brother, it's Sunday today. The teacher won't meet me."
" You have a make-up class, have you forgotten?"
" What's that?"
" You missed a class back on my birthday and need to make it up, you know. Your teacher is already heading to our house to meet you."
" What? But I did not know that??." Aquillen's eyes went to Eve, seemingly clueless about how to respond. He really wants to stay with his fairy sister but, what if his sister Eve thinks he's uncool for ditching class?
The child is already wavering.
Seeing this, Sarien wasn't even guilty of duping the little man who resembled him seven points. Naturally, he must seize this rare opportunity to bond with Eve. Lord knows how frustrating it had been because he couldn't meet her. There will always be unexpected events needing his attention whenever they have settled the date. It was like a stroke of preordained bad luck. As if the god of misfortune is targeting him.
God of misfortune with initials S.T: coughing with no regrets.
" If you do well today, I'll reward you with a toy." Sarien spoke again, nastily unleashing his ultimate hoodwinking move.
The temptation was too much for a preschooler and conceded in a heartbeat.
Just like that, Sarien and Eve got to spend the day alone.
Well, not exactly alone, for the men in black lurking in the dark continuously spies on their moves- his actions to be exact.
But, how about that? Even if it's just for a short while, at least he gets to have solo time with Eve.
" So, would you like some fish? I'd take the bones out for you." Sarien victoriously smiled at Eve. He scanned the menu, ready to order.
" I want snacks." Eve silently watched Sarien's flow of operation in duping the kid, believing that he can contend in the swindling category, which is surprising for a hero to do. What about being a defender of truth and justice??
" Alright." The satisfied teen focused on ordering every pastry available.