Ding
Wrri----- inng
Bam…
A young man who seemed to be in his twenties walked into the restaurant Sil and Micheal were currently in.
His brightly dyed red hair attracted the attention of nearby diners and passersby as he walked into the restaurant.
He looked around once, then frowned.
"This place is quite plain, I wonder why that sunshine bastard still works here when Sil doesn't even care."
He walked towards a waiter and asked for his friends, but the waiter glanced once at his hair and told him that no such reservation was made.
"Are you sure or you're lying to me for some damn reason?", He asked casually, but the menacing tone underneath his voice softened the waiter's resolve.
But thinking about what his fellow worker had told him, he decided to go through with it to the very end.
"Yes, I'm sure."
"I see, and by the way do you know where Micheal is?"
"No but he isn't coming in today."
"Okay, bye."
He quickly gave up and turned to leave.
As much as he wanted to see Sil and meet up with his other friends, he was in a very shitty mood right now, so Micheal actually did him a big favor right now due to his unreasonable jealousy.
"I knew it since the moment I encountered that brat. Whatever let's just leave as soon as possible, nothing good ever happens when we meet coincidentally"
He muttered as he increased his pace.
However, he slowed down the moment he left the restaurant and felt a chill run down his spine due to the passing breeze.
"Geez it's so cold today."
He stifled a curse, and just pulled on his jacket ready to go back into his warm car, but then-
"Derrick? What are you doing outside? Aren't you cold?"
Ronald asked question, after question once he confirmed it was Derrick. And Derrick knowing there was no way he could shake him off, sighed and told him what happened.
…
In the car.
"I understand what you're saying, after all our situations may be different but our feelings are the same.", Ronald chuckled wryly.
"Whatever, you've caught me so I probably wouldn't be let go so easily."
Derrick said, feeling frustrated.
He wasn't in the mood for any reunion dinner, but it wouldn't make sense to cancel now after the fiasco that happened earlier on, on the group chat.
"No you won't. After all, we're in this together Derrick."
Ronald acknowledged Derrick's frustration, after all, he didn't want to be here too. But he said nothing about it, and instead changed the topic.
"Come on, let's go back in- oh and can I put these in your car?"
He raised the bags in his hands up, and Derrick glanced over them once before sighing in agreement.
…
After a short conversation with the restaurant manager, Ronald managed to smooth things over between Derrick and the waiter who was called out, and find their private room at the same time.
Unlike I who joined them halfway and knew nothing about the planning, the rest of the active group members knew Micheal had reserved a private room for them.
So I just waited outside and was eventually led up by Micheal.
Derrick and Ronald joined both of us upstairs. But Micheal was displeased to see Derrick and I felt awkward being around him.
"What? You're going to avoid me even when we're face to face."
He said once he had taken his seat.
I wanted to ignore this but I decided to maintain my tough front instead.
"And you're still going to be unnecessarily unreasonable even when you know better. Come on, I thought you're better than this."
I spoke coldly with pure sarcasm evident in my voice.
Derrick didn't react to his retort and just pulled out his phone. He was planning on ignoring Sil but Ronald was not going to let that happen.
"Oh come on let's just admit you're both wrong. And this is a dinner party not a chance encounter. You all willingly came so let's not act like strangers, okay?"
I softened slightly at the sight of Ronald's efforts.
'Yeah whatever let's just apologize.'
Derrick stiffened at Ronald's words but eventually gave in despite his stubbornness.
"I'm sorry-"
"I'm sorry for being so petty"
I apologized first but then Derrick cut me off.
"No no it's my fault. I'm the one who was out of touch"
"That's what you call busy, Sil. But honestly if anyone were to apologize it really should've been you, but I somehow worsened the problem so it's not my fault."
Derrick used an unusual reasoning against Sil who remained quiet.
Listening to Derrick's senseless words I found myself wondering why I was so panicky.
I smiled, slightly out of breath, and accepted his apology, promising in return that I wouldn't spend all my time in the lab as always.
"Why can't I believe that?", Ronald suddenly interrupted.
"It's true. I was just so busy this time because I was on the verge of a breakthrough."
"So how is it?", Micheal, who had always been enthusiastic about my projects for so reason, asked once again with vivid enthusiasm.
"I kind of lost it, but I still have my analysis and previous research material. If I want to achieve the same results I can try again, but I'll need someone to correct my data analysis, because I think the problem came from there. I'd have asked you Ronald but I heard from your lab that have a new project so I wouldn't want anything to coincide, but I can go to our lab adviser and…"
"Is uh something wrong?", I asked, stunned.
Everyone had been staring at me quietly as I spoke, but immediately I asked that question. Derrick broke into a vibrant laughter, Ronald slapped his forehead and had a 'I knew it' expression on his face, and Micheal struggled to hold in his laughter.
'Sigh… I take that back, I have such horrible friends'
I laughed softly, going along with them as if I didn't just have such contrary thoughts.
"All that aside. I'm really serious, I'm going to be spending less time in the lab and will probably start going more to the workshop. But I'll still find time to spend with you guys, especially you Derrick.", I said softly.
Derrick looked away from me, but hummed softly in agreement as he picked up the menu.
The other guys followed suit, but then Ronald suddenly asked..
"So Sil, how is it?"
"What?"
"Your new hobby."
"Oh it's-"
Click
Bam…
A six foot tall guy with white hair suddenly barged into our room followed closely by a lady who hurriedly snuck in the moment the door was opened.
"Surprise!"
The white haired guy exclaimed jovially. Stretching his hands out and looking up to add an exaggerative effect.
But on sensing no reaction he looked down.
"What are you doing here?", he asked skeptically at the sight of Ronald.
He thought he had arrived early enough so why was he the sixth person to take a seat. Was he the last?
"Haa. Shut up and close the door Jackson. You're too old for this."
Jackson frowned at Derrick's words but just did as he was told.
"Asshole."
He muttered as he walked over to Camila, the girl who had come with him patted her shoulder then gestured to scout over.
She obediently left the seat, and Jackson immediately took it.
Derrick glanced once at him, then looked away immediately.
'I'm not talking to you, you gangster wannabe.'
'Hm! Look at that, the rich kid can't do anything about me.'
Jackson harrumphed in triumph at Derrick's acquiescence.
"Jackson, Camila, Hello! And I'm so glad you could make it, Cammy"
I suddenly voiced out, disrupting whatever tension was in the air.
And it was then they realized…
'He didn't know!'