Zoe Martin, how can Corale explain? Very kind, cheerful, and chatterbox, basically she ball of sunshine!
Corale was really comfortable chatting with Zoe and happy to know she was also a student at the college she was after! Even though Zoe majored in Fine Art, they get to see each other every day in the future! And she was amazed that the cafe wall design was the work of her cold hands.
Zoe has a bright future, that's Corale's opinion.
"You want to work here? Of course~! We will gladly accept you~!" Zoe says, "more friend to me~!" she ended it with a cheerful laugh.
Corale laughed along, "I'll ask my Uncle first. I hope no one takes that seat while I'm gone~!"
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it closely until you come back~!" Zoe joked along, then they laughed together again.
"Thank you, Madam Zoe~!" Corale says, it was really nice to be able to feel friendship again, her empty heart filled with warmth now, even though they had only known each other a few minutes ago.
"With pleasure," Zoe says between laughs, "Um ... does your boyfriend intend to work here too?" she asked with a hint of hope. With Vyrion's good looks, he will attract more customers, this is good for business.
"Boyfriend?" Corale's cheeks instantly heated up, imagining she and Vyrion were more than friends, "Vyrion and I aren't like that."
Zoe tilted her head slightly which made her look cute with blue eyes widening curiously, "Too bad. You guys looked so lovely earlier~!"
Corale only held Vyrion's arm for a few seconds how could Zoe think it was an intimate touch? "We're just friends."
"Hmm~"
"What ...?" Corale was a little nervous by Zoe's mischievous tone of voice.
"It's okay~" Zoe replied cheerfully.
Corale breathed a sigh of relief, but Zoe's next words left her shocked and embarrassed.
"You just sound so disappointed explaining you're just friends~"
Corale couldn't stand Zoe's constant teasing, she lost control and without realizing it she screamed loudly that catching the eyes of several customers, "I'm not like that ...!"
"All right, all right," Zoe finally understood that she had joked enough. It was clear to her that Corale had a crush on Vyrion, "you two aren't lovers. Yet."
Corale just stared. It was Zoe who kept on teasing her with crazy speculations, that's why she is now like this. And again, she choose to ignore her last comment, "I want to check on Vyrion for a bit."
Zoe turned her head to where Vyrion was, sitting alone at the farthest corner table, "You can order anything! It's on me, Corale~!"
Corale appreciated Zoe's concern, but she couldn't accept it. She just nodded, then approached Vyrion who seemed to be looking intensely at something outside the glass wall of the cafe. She wondered what caught his attention. Her eyes follow his gaze ...
At first, Corale was confused as to whether Vyrion was paying attention to people walking by, something that was impossible because he had been uncomfortable all day. And finally she deduced the attention of his ruby eyes to the jewelry shop across from the cafe.
"Is there something you want?" Corale asked after sitting across from Vyrion.
Vyrion ended his intense gaze by closing his eyes, "No," his response was quick and cold, "Are you done?"
"Hm ..." Corale looked at the jeweler again, "you're interested in accessories?" She noticed Vyrion wearing earrings.
A silver earrings that sparkles in the sun without any fancy symbols or shapes like lions, wolves, or anything like that. Just a simple round attached to his right ear.
It occurred to Corale to buy earrings in the same shape as a token of her gratitude and apology.
"No," Vyrion repeated once again, still in his cold voice, "If there's nothing you want to do, we'd better go home."
Corale lowered her head to swallow the bitter disappointment she shouldn't have felt, "At least how about you have a drink first?"
"I'm not thirsty," Vyrion refused, shifting the bottle of drink he hadn't touched in front of her slowly, "I think you need it more."
Corale accepted it, then Vyrion went outside. She sighed as she looked at the empty bottle of drink that was still perfectly sealed.
'We in the same situation, huh ...?'
Corale shook her head, then stood up intending to tell Zoe when she was going home, unfortunately before she reached the counter where Zoe was busy chatting with one of the employees, her footsteps stopped, her body froze at the sound of her name being called by a deep voice she knew very well, which filled her dreams with nightmares.
"Corale?"
Corale didn't dare to turn around, confirming whether or not the voice behind her was the voice of a man she had seen wandering around at the bus stop. She hoped this is just an illusion her brain had created, nothing more.
Nothing more—
"It's really you Corale~!"
Corale gasped, her body helpless as a pair of hands gripped her shoulders to twist her body so she could see the hazel eyes sparkling as if they were looking at diamonds.
'Not him ...!'
Everything Corale had not expected was now before her. There was no one by her side this time to take on Victor. She was helpless, her fear so fast and strongly taking over her body. She wanted to scream at him to get away from her, but her lips were tightly shut with trembling.
"Corale?" Zoe's soft voice calling from behind slightly helped calm Corale's body down, "Are you okay? You're all sweaty on the face!"
Corale tried her best to open her mouth to tell what she was feeling, sadly, Victor was ahead of her.
"She's just nervous!" Victor says, "I'm her childhood friend."
Zoe didn't believe it at all, preferring to approach Corale who had been silent for a long time with a pale expression on her face, "Is that true, Corale?"
Victor tried to interrupt, "What is necessary—"
"Excuse me. Did I ask you a question, Mister?" Zoe asked sarcastically, not liking Victor interrupting impolitely, "Corale can talk, we're friends too."
Corale could feel the pressure on her shoulder getting tighter, almost painful. She is well aware of Victor's behavior, he never likes people who try to control him. She was glad Zoe was on her side, but she didn't want to involve her let alone be Victor's new 'target', "Yes," she voiced with difficulty, between helpless and trying to be strong, "we've been friends since childhood, Zoe."
Zoe's eyes narrowed in annoyance at the triumphant smile tugging at the corners of Victor's lips as if mocking her: See? I'm not a liar.
Zoe knew something was wrong, they had only just met each other, but she knew Corale wasn't this quiet, let alone someone she considered a childhood friend.
"Shall we have dinner together, Corale?" Victor suggested as sweet as his smile.
No. Inner Corale shouted. She didn't want to have dinner with a man who was obsessed with her.
"What's going on here?"
"Vyrion," Zoe was relieved he returned to the cafe. She had thought he and Corale had a fight and parted ways, "you know him?"
Vyrion glanced at Victor who was embracing Corale intimately. Then their eyes met. He looked bored while Victor was sharp. He can smell from far away this guy is a troublemaker, "No."
"Who are you?" Victor asked demanding. He'd only been apart from Corale for a few hours, and she already found a new 'boy'?
Vyrion let out a bored sigh. He didn't have time to do troublesome things like introducing himself, much less to this one human, "Get your hands off her shoulders. Can you see she's uncomfortable?"
"That's right," Zoe voiced her opinion too, firmly.
"We're good friends, it's normal to hug each other," Victor says cheerfully, shaking Corale's shoulder playfully.
"Does human always this dumb?" Vyrion cursed under his breath. He knew what Victor was like, stubborn. And someone like him can't be dealt with in a nice way, "I said ..." he grabbed Victor's arm, "let go." He gives one last a dangerous warning.
Victor didn't flinch, looked into Vyrion's ruby eyes fiercely too, "Try me." he challenged.
As expected, dumb. Either way, Vyrion gonna enjoy this, "With pleasure." He put his other hand on Victor's waist, and with a flash motion slammed him to the floor making a loud thud. A grin of satisfaction appeared at the corners of his lips. It had been a long time since he had expended some of his power.
So satisfying ... especially after hearing a low groan escaped Victor's lips.
Everyone gasped seeing it.
Victor groaned in pain while his head couldn't process what was happening. He didn't know why it ended so embarrassingly like this.
Corale felt sorry for Victor, but deep in her heart, she felt relieved this torture was finally over. Her eyes then fell on Vyrion who seemed to enjoy humiliating Victor.
Vyrion noticed someone was staring at him, "What?" he asked so innocently seeing a glimmer of sadness in aqua Corale's eyes. He did what he had to do, and without realizing it for her too.
Corale looked away. She understands, but violence for her is not the right solution.
"If you guys want to fight better do it outside," Zoe warned for a moment seeing Victor get up immediately grabbed Vyrion's black shirt collar roughly. No matter how much she wanted to see the strength of the two men, they were in her cafe.