Sebastian and Jen came back to Rosa Land after the meal.
Having a big dinner at an all-you-can-eat buffet only cost 75 dollars for 5 people- Luna used her student card for the extra discount.
"I hope you won't get sick again, pretty boy," Jackson said to Sebastian before he left.
Sebastian wasn't mad, he knew that Jackson cared a lot about him when he was sick last time, but he just had some issues with expressions.
He gave Jackson a gentle punch on the back, Jackson turned around, and Sebastian could see the hint of a smile on his face.
Jen saw how well Sebastian was fitting in, and that made her day.
Even though both Tim and Jackson expressed their concerns when Jen said she was dating Sebastian, both of them weren't questioning Sebastian as a person-
"So when did it start?"
"Who asked whom out?"
"Wait, what happened?"
Neither Sebastian nor Jen has thought about a good way to lie about their relationship, they never knew people would be interested to know how they got together.
Luna, on the other hand, was only interested in eating- she finished 5 plates of sushi on her own before ordering a big bowl of miso soup.
"Extra large, PLEASE!" Luna confirmed with the waiter, "I am eating my feelings here."
Jen lied to Tim and Jackson that she was too shy to share any details about their relationship, and Sebastian was holding her hand during dinner which made both Tim and Jackson very uncomfortable.
"Put. Your. Hand. Away." Jackson blurted out these words while he could see Sebastian and Jen's hands finding each other under the table.
"Just close your eyes," Luna intervened, "Couples. Love. It is always like this. Unless you fell in love with someone from a student manga."
Jen was relieved to hear Luna making fun of herself- that was a sign that she was recovering.
When Sebastian and Jen came back, Rosa Land was already in late-night mode: all the nights were closed, the dog babies and cat babies were gone, and no one was around.
"Oh I remembered," Sebastian said while looking for the light switch, "today, Lucy will take all the babies to their new home, and Victor said it's better to have no one around than someone we shouldn't trust."
"So, we are alone?" Jen finished her sentence, "Don't worry, I will make you breakfast tomorrow." Jen said while walking up the stairs.
"Hey, I know from the first day we met, I was already the fake 'CEO' of YD. But I lived on my own for so many years. I know how to take care of you." Sebastian said, smiling at Jen.
He said "Take care of you" not "take care of myself" or "take care of us".
"That is very sweet of you," Jen turned around on the stairs, holding the side, almost giving Sebastian a heart attack, "I am older than you, I know how to take care of myself as well."
"Yeah, right. You almost fell off the stairs. Maybe I should rent a place without stairs for us." Sebastian went up to catch up with Jen, "Are you really sleepy now?"
"No, it's only 9 pm. I am older than you but I am not that old." Jen took a look at her phone screen.
"Good, then come to my room." Sebastian took a few steps and was then in front of Jen.
"Hey, I am your contract girlfriend, I don't provide those services." Jen rolled her eyes at Sebastian, who was now holding open his door.
"You know that's not what I meant," Sebastian laughed, he didn't know why but Jen's lame jokes always got to him, "we need to work out a good story, for when we go to work and meet Lynn again."
"Right! About how you fell in love with me?" Jen almost skipped into Sebastian's room.
She had always loved writing stories, but this time, she would be writing a love story- staring herself and Sebastian, a young handsome boy who was madly in love with her.
"So I have a couple of scenarios!" Jen hooped onto Sebastian's bed, holding one of the pillows, "Listen to be careful..."
Scenario 1:
Sebastian was madly in love with Jen the moment he saw her- she looked stunning, radiating, and so SPECIAL that he kissed her within the first 30 minutes of meeting her, without even knowing her full name.
Then Jen was upset that Sebastian was acting like a rich douchebag, so she rejected his love, again, and again.
Eventually, she was so bothered by his love that she decided to give him a chance- the end.
"No, that sounds too real," Sebastian said, "that's kinda what happened, so for the people who knew us both, they would think that is what actually happened."
"Is it not?" Jen scotched closer to Sebastian, "Were you not madly in love with me the first time we met? You kissed me."
"I did," Sebastian nodded, without any shame in admitting that, "but that was because I panicked. I would have asked you out first, NEVER would I go straight into kissing."
"I know, I was just joking." Jen felt like sometimes Sebastian was a little too serious about things, and it was hard to make him laugh without accidentally making him upset.
"I have an idea, how about this:" Sebastian proposed scenario 2.
"You were drunk and I went to help you in the hotel, took you back to your place, and took care of you. You thanked me by bringing me out shopping and meeting your friends, then we fell for each other." Sebastian looked very proud of his own story.
"But we have to explain why I ended up in a hotel, half-naked, with you next to me." Jen pointed out an important part of the story that neither of them want to remember any longer.
"That is true. How about I say that I saw you half-naked and then fell for you immediately?"
Jen threw the pillow towards Sebastian: "And this would be the reaction of most people."
The two of them both laughed, then Jen went to pick up the pillow that was lying on the floor:
"You know, no one will fall in love with me after seeing me half-naked. You saw the good half, you didn't see my legs until the second day." Jen went back to sit on the bed, "When people see my legs one day, they will realize you were lying."
What Jen said was like a knife that pierced through his heart- he always thought that Jen didn't want to wear short dresses because she didn't feel comfortable about her scars, not because she would be afraid to hear people say something bad about it.
From the first day they met, Sebastian thought Jen was a unique person- she was smart and kind, chill and fair to everyone- how could someone like this, be so hard on herself?
"Don't ever say that again, Jenna," Sebastian shook his head while staring into Jen's eyes, "You are beautiful, you know that right?"
"You really sound like you are in love with me now, Sebastian." Jen laughed while Sebastian's constant eye contact brought some special feelings inside of her-
She felt a little embarrassed, but she also felt seen; she felt like he was touching her soul with every little bit of care in his eyes; she felt like she was going to be protected because he was here.
Jen didn't know what to say in response to Sebastian: she didn't think she was beautiful, no one else told her that.
People would only compliment her on her personality, and her intelligence.
Outside of her family, the only positive comment she had received about her looks was that she "looked mature" and had a "special aura".
"You are." Sebastian got closer to her, "And I will never forget to mention in our story that I liked you at first because you are beautiful. That is because you are beautiful..."
Sebastian was still trying to give Jen more valid reasons for her to love and accept herself when Jen jumped onto him like a bear who finally found food after a cold winter.
"Are you... drunk from the sushi?" Sebastian was surprised by Jen's sudden move.
"No," Jen said, looking up at him, "I just felt like it. Can't I ask for a huge?"
She was right.
Sebastian couldn't find a valid reason why he couldn't give Jen a good hug.
But just when Sebastian thought this was just a hug of support, Jen gave Sebastian a quick peck on the lips.
It was so light that he probably wouldn't have felt it if he was asleep, but that one peck made Sebastian forget to breathe for several seconds.
"Just use this story," Jen said while she stormed out of Sebastian's room.
"Wait, Nana!" When Sebastian realized what had happened, Jen was already gone.