"....."
Silence hung heavy in the air as Yohan and the man locked eyes. It was as if time had stood still, leaving them both frozen in place. Yohan's heart raced with uncertainty, unsure of what to do or say next. The look on the man's face made him feel like he was standing in the middle of a snowstorm, cold and unfeeling.
Yohan's attention then shifted to the plate on the table where the man was eating. At first, he assumed that it was just one person dining alone, but upon closer inspection, there were two sets of utensils laid out. Feeling nervous about encountering another one from his past life, Yohan attempted to break through the silence with an awkward laugh.
"Sir... What a coincidence that we meet again..." he stammered awkwardly. "I seem to have entered the wrong room, so please forgive my presumption. I'll just go back to my own room now."
Yohan took a step back as he spoke, but the man's eyes remained cold and unyielding.
"Is that all you have to say?" The man's voice was deep and icy.
Yohan swallowed hard before responding. "Yes sir, I'm sorry for intruding on your lunch like this. Please enjoy your meal."
Without waiting for a response, Yohan quickly turned around and made his way out of the private room area with his heart racing in his chest. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss about that encounter, it felt like there was more to it than met the eye.
As Yohan left the private room, he was completely unaware of another person who had been watching him in the corridor. The person then entered the same room that Yohan had just left, and took a seat across from the man who had been dining alone.
The man's icy tone cut through the air like a sharp knife, "Where is your friend?" he demanded as his gaze locked onto the person sitting across from him.
"Unfortunately, he couldn't make it due to work. He wanted us to come here for lunch though, said this place had some of the best seafood around," the other man replied nonchalantly as he picked up his chopsticks and started twirling them between his fingers.
There was a brief pause before the person gathered up their courage and asked hesitantly, "By the way..." he paused for a moment before continuing with curiosity in his voice, "Why did that beautiful man enter this room?"
"Wrong room." The man replied tersely.
Although he seemed unconcerned about what had happened earlier with Yohan, there was something else on his mind. Likewise, there was an air of deep contemplation surrounding the other person as well. Both were lost in their own thoughts but united by one common object - Yohan.
*
*
Meanwhile, Yohan continued searching for his private room within the restaurant. After mistakenly entering someone else's private room earlier, he became more cautious until finally locating their private room adorned with purple flowers on its door. Upon entering it successfully this time around, Yohan let out a relieved sigh upon seeing Landon who was anxiously waiting for him.
"Yohan! There you are!" exclaimed Landon as he stood up from his seat. "I was getting worried about you."
"I'm sorry, I got lost on my way back." Yohan apologized sheepishly.
Landon collapsed into a chair, his face awash with relief. "I thought your uncle had found you and dragged you back," he said breathlessly. "I panicked when I saw the room was empty."
Yohan chuckled softly, feeling touched by Landon's concern for him. "You took so long to call outside, that's why I was worried and came looking for you."
They both sank back into their chairs, each relieved that the other was okay.
Suddenly, Landon flashed his trademark grin - with his canines peeking out slightly and devil-may-care attitude.
"I took so long because I asked someone to cover your tracks!" he said proudly. "And let me tell you, not only did they make it look like you went to another city far from here... but they made sure no one could find any trace of you!"
Yohan was left in awe at the extent of Landon's connections and influence. Who exactly was this new friend who could pull off such a feat with ease? His curiosity piqued, but he decided not to pry further - instead choosing to let Landon reveal more about himself in due time.
"Thank you, Landon..." Yohan said gratefully. "Ever since we met, you've been helping me out, even though I can't give you anything in return."
Landon shook his head emphatically. "You don't need to repay me, just be my best friend!" He said earnestly. "Ever since I first laid my eyes on you, I felt like we were destined to be close friends. And today... today just confirms that feeling even more strongly."
However, something else seemed to stir inside him - a desire to protect Yohan for life itself.
"I know this might sound strange..." Landon trailed off, momentarily taken aback by his own emotions. "But deep in my heart, there's this overwhelming feeling that I need to protect you for the rest of our lives." He paused and let out a soft laugh.
"But please..." He added with a hint of playfulness in his voice. "Don't let my boyfriend hear this. I can already imagine the misunderstandings it would cause."
Yohan couldn't help but smile at Landon's words, he felt touched by Landon's sincerity and kindheartedness, there was no doubt that he had found a true friend in his second life.
Despite the food having gone cold, Landon and Yohan's spirits were lifted as they ate. They left their private room with renewed energy and walked towards the restaurant's exit.
Unconsciously, Yohan's gaze drifted to the door of the man's private room. As fate would have it, the door to the man's private room opened. Yet before Yohan could see who emerged from within its confines, Landon called out to him. Distracted by his friend's voice and having his back turned away from whoever had left the room, Yohan failed to notice a pair of unwavering eyes upon him until he was outside of the establishment.
After some time passed, a cold-looking man emerged from that same private room, his eyes fixed on whoever stood outside in the corridor leading towards it.
"Is there something there?" The cold-looking man asked, his piercing gaze fixed on the restaurant door.
"Yes." The other person replied solemnly.
"Something important."