Leansei couldn't even eat what was on his plate when he felt someone was watching him. He glanced at his left side of the long dining room. He swallowed as he saw the intimidating look from Mr. Xin, who was sitting in the middle of the long dining table. While Mr. and Mrs. Closhe were sitting on his left side along with Mr. Roshie, opposite of them, Mr. and Mrs. Ferech were sitting on the right side of the table with Mr. Devon, and beside Mr. Devon, Mr. and Mrs. Rinea, and opposite them were Mr. and Mrs. Colazs, and beside them were Mr. and Mrs. Corshe.
"Have you heard?" Corshe gossiped to Leansei in hushed tones. Lean looked at him and listened attentively.
"One of agenda today is a big announcement by Mr. Xin Vcheroi." Corshe said while picking up the steel fork.
"Do you know what it is about?" Leansei asked. Corshe glanced at Leansei and hesitated to disclose the information. Leansei nodded at him, reassuring him that it was alright.
"It's not really best for anyone's ears." Corshe said, while scratching his temple.
"Come on, don't leave me hanging." Leansei said.
"Okay, okay... get your ears... or chest... ready."
Leansei glances at him confusedly. But he nodded and leant his ears to hear him clearly since it was tumultuous due to the different voices of the women and men discussing.
"I heard that it was Vcheroi's brother's engagement.." Corshe glanced at Leansei worriedly. Leansei stared down when in fact, he just knew that Xerchin had a fiance and even tried to avoid him at all cost, but he never thought that he would be able to hear it loud and clear, clear as a crystal from the mine. "You okay?" He asked.
"Why wouldn't I be? Let's just eat. " Leansei said as he stared at his plate.
Half of the dining table is on the right, where their sons are sitting. At the end of the table, Seleigh is seated beside Mr. Vcheroi's sons and Revinah. While in front of them, Tyvan is sitting in front of Seleigh, and beside him are Leansei and Corshe. There were also daughters and sons beside them.
Leansei felt like he was being watched by several pairs of eyes darting towards him. He stared down at an Italian dish on his majestic plate-- Leansei couldn't figure out how his plate was arranged. He swallowed as he couldn't distinguish the difference between the several spoons and forks.
"" =~=
Corshe guzzled the dish that was made up of tagliolini pasta topped with two pounds of fresh lobster and finished with black truffles. It has a portion of fried calamari, a portion of veal, chocolate mousse, and gratuity. He was enjoying his meal, but he stopped when he glanced twice at Leansei, who looked troubled as he was staring at his plate.
Before talking to Leansei, Corshe chewed the food in his mouth and brought the table napkin to his lips. He tapped his shoulder, which made him flinch and glance at Corshe.
"What's wrong?" Corshed whispered and asked worriedly. Leansei shook his head to indicate that he was fine.
Since he can't just say that he doesn't know how to use these utensils, it will be too embarrassing for him.
"You don't feel good? Sh-should I ask for my doctor? Do you need medicine? " Corshe asked consecutively.
"I'm really alright. I'm fine, Corshe." Leansei gave him an assuring look.
"Hey, you okay?" A voice beside Lean. He closed his eyes in annoyance. He never thought that he would be sitting beside Tyvan, out of all the chairs they had.
"I'm fine." Leansei said,
"Do you need supplements? I can--"
"I told you I was fine."
On the other hand, the Vcheroi brothers, along with Seleigh and Revinah, are the opposite of them. They are quietly sitting while eating their food, sophisticatedly. Xerchin just stared in front of him while giving a cold look.
'How long is this event??' Leansei asked in the back of his mind.
He was thinking deeply when he suddenly felt a hand on his forehead. Leansei glanced at Tyvan with surprise. Corshe looked at Tyvan with a serious look, while Xerchin held his spoon tightly as Beidhen glanced at his brother with an amusing smirk. Revinah glanced at them, confused, and Seleigh looked at Xerchin and Leansei.
"What are you--" Leansei couldn't finish it when a loud slump of the utensils echoed off four walls, making the atmosphere quiet and the grown-ups glance their way.
Leansei immediately shoved Tyvan's hand away and sat uprightly with his head down. He couldn't figure it out, but he could feel a cold stare deep within his soul. Leansei closed his eyes and bit his lip.
' Why do I feel like I've committed a terrible crime? Well, in fact, it's just..' Leansei said in his mind and slowly looked up at Xerchin, but immediately looked away when he was talking with Seleigh.
Mr. Xin rises his wine glass and taps the steel spoon on it to get everyone's attention. The business women and men seal their lips as they pay their attention to Mr. Xin, including their daughters and sons.
Mr. Xin rose as he bottoned his navy blazer with a firmly intimating aura as he looked at everyone with a serious yet dominant gesture.
"I'd like to express my gratitude to everyone from wealthy families. Forbye, attending the tradition we hold every year. "
They clapped their hands elegantly as they thanked Mr. Xin for arranging everything to make it happen.
"You don't have to thank us for coming; this is the tradition we made. Truancy makes it hubristic and avaricious." Mr. Rinea said.
"Well, as you all know, this is also important since I-- we have a big announcement today." Mr. Xin smiled as he gestured to the left side of the table.
Leansei looked down at his plate when he thought of it, and it was an announcement about Xerchin's engagement. He secretly glanced in front of him when Seleigh smiled at Xerchin with a sweet, lovely smile that everyone could fall for.
"You all probably know that they are the owners of Retorishi Company and Closher Company. Starting today, Mr. and Mrs. Closhe, along with their daughter, Revina, and Mr. Roshie, along with his daughter, Seleigh, are now on the bridge of my company's partnership. " Mr. and Mrs. Closhe and Mr. Roshie greeted and thanked them.
The women and men applauded, "So we will be expecting an engagement soon?" Mr. Colazs remarked jokingly.
"It is expected." Mr. Devon said.
Mr. Xin shakes hands with Mr. Roshie and Mr. Closhe. "It's our great honour, Mr. Vcheroi." The jovial face of Mr. Roshie washed away as Mr. Closhe nodded his head in agreement.
"Now please dine in and enjoy today's cuisine as you please." Mr. Xin said as he sat in his chair and glanced at his sons.
.
Contrarily, Revin was looking at the imposing view from the 78th floor balcony. He took out a stainless steel cigarette box and put it in his mouth.
"I never knew you smoked." Xeilin said, as he walked beside him and looked at the view. Revin stopped and put away the cigarette, since he couldn't smoke when someone was beside him; he would rather smoke alone.
"I just do this when I'm.." Xeilin glanced at Revin who couldn't finish it.
"Bothered? Troubled? " Xeilin looked away as he was mesmerized by the view.
"I stopped when Kean came back to school." While putting his stainless cigarette box into his blazer pocket, Revin said.
"He is different now, right?" Xeilin said.
"Yes, but I like who he is now."
"Kean has been my friend since then. Whether he changed or not, he is still my friend." Revin glanced at Xeilin and smiled.
"We've known each other since then, but I never wanted to be friends with him, but he changed when the incident happened." Revin said as he looked at the lighter in his hand.
"You don't treat him as a friend even now, Evin." Revin stopped in surprise and glanced at Xeilin.
' W-what does he mean? Don't tell me..' Revin panicked in his mind.
Xeilin laughed and patted Revin's shoulder. "You're too easy to read, Evin." Xeilin said while shaking his head. Revin diverts his eyes in embarrassment. "If you're asking how did I know, It was when I first met you in the cafeteria. I've known you as a naughty boy who sleeps in the class, which gets you in trouble or even detention. But after he came back to school.. I never saw you in detention for few days. "
Revin couldn't indulge in anything since he was surprised that he was too obvious.
"But unfortunately for you, it seems like he is too numb and naive to know what you feel." Revin glanced at him and nodded. "You also know you have no chance with him, right?" Xeilin said, with worried eyes.
He smiled as he put the lighter away from his hand and held onto the balcony railing. "I never expected him to reciprocate my feelings for him. I'm lucky enough that I'm beside him, and I don't expect much more or less than that. "
Xeilin tapped Revin's shoulder. Xeilin's lips curved into a smirk. "Maybe the guy above this floor--" teasing tone from him. Revin cut him by elbowing him and shook his head in disbelief.
"Are you kidding me? He is much worse than I expected. " Revin said as he looked away with an undefined look. Beidhen, he reasoned, is an attractive man with a half-kind heart and an annoying personality.But he shook his head when he remembered that Beidhen had a fiance.
"So you were expecting?" teasing tone of Xeilin which made him laughed histerically, pleased with himself for mocking him. Revin got an idea and wrapped his arms around Xeilin's neck with a smirk on his face.
"Oh, speaking of that, mind telling me what's going on between you and Rell?" Revin's revenge mock turned Xeilin's laughing face to tomato from the flush in his cheeks. Xeilin immediately shoved Revin's arm and diverted his face.
"How is that connected--"
"Serves you right," Revin said while laughing.
"I'm not answering that."
"How about what happened to you in--"
"Either that!!"
"Then in the bathroom--"
"Not gonna answer that! Shut it!!"
"Then you like him?"
"Either th--" Xeilin stopped and glared at Revin. He raised his hands to give up with a huge smile on his lips.
A noise from a glass of wine made Xeilin and Revin turn their heads behind them. It's Mr. Torse with a jovial face. "Please, everyone take a seat. We should finish our dining meeting before 9:00 pm."
Xeilin and Revin walked in, following the instructions given by the most powerful in the upper middle class.
Revin let out a deep sign.
' I hope he is doing okay. ' Revin said in his mind.
.
On the other side, Leansei excused himself to go to the bathroom. Corshe wanted to go with him to make sure he was fine, but Leansei insisted that he was alright. Corshe couldn't argue anymore and let him with hesitation.
Leansei looked at his reflection in a wide mirror, and he fixed his eyeglasses before washing his hands after the micturate. He still can't get used to seeing Kean's face. He closed the faucet as he thought that he was getting comfortable being someone he isn't.
Leansei gave a deep sign before walking out of the room. But he stopped when Tyvan appeared in front of him. Leansei walked backwards as he was walking towards Lean.
"Whats wrong? Did you expect someone else?" Tyvan said with a serious tone. Leansei stopped and looked at him expressionless.
"I have to go." Leansei said and was about to walk past him when Tyvan grabbed Leansei's arm and pushed him back.
"Kean. Did you forget everything we've been through?" Tyvan asked. Leansei tried to walk away, but he was being pushed back.
"What are you doing? Have you forgotten that I lost my memory?"
Tyvan laugh histerically and closed his eyes to calm himself. "Since you woke up, you started changing from someone I knew. You started changing how you treat me and care for me." Tyvan said with a pain in his eyes. Those eyes were the same look when Leansei pleaded not to leave him or abandon him.
"I really can't remember you, so let me through." Leansei said and tried to walk away, but this time Tyvan held Lean's arm tightly and pushed him back.
"But you started acting like someone I used to know back then." Tyvan said.
Leansei stopped and was unable to speak when he realized that maybe Tyvan was recognizing him as someone else-- No as Leansei hinself. He wasn't careful enough, but he was also confused about how he was able to recognize when it was a few years ago since the last time they talked to each other.
Tyvan held Leansei's hand, "Come back to me, Kean." Leansei was too surprised by how Tyvan acted and he never saw him plead to someone since Lean never felt this way from Tyvan. That was the time he proved that Tyvan and Kean had a deep relationship that he wasn't prepared to know about. "Let's be like before--" He couldn't finish his line when someone hustle him away from Leansei.
Leansei was surprised to see the familiar blue murcurial eyes , covetous familiar perfume and presence. Xerchin gently grabbed Leansei's hand.
"You stay away from him." Xerchin said and pulled him away from the bathroom. Leansei couldn't figure out why Xerchin was doing this and especially the pump in his heart was unstable and unusual.
He stared at the hand of Xerchin that was holding his wrist gently. It is like he hasn't felt this for decades. When Leansei felt his heart might come out of his chest due to the continuous heart beat, he put his other hand into his chest.
But the reality snapped him back and stopped. That made Xerchin do the same and glance at Leansei with a knotted forehead.
' What was he pissed about? And why does he still bother with my life? ' Leansei said in his thoughts.
Xerchin cast a glance at what Leansei was looking at. He immediately let go of Lean's hand and looked away. They could feel the awkward tension between them.
"Why were you avoiding me?"
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