Eiden, watching the two talking just outside his house, felt conflicted. One of them was his friend, and the other was his childhood friend. He didn’t feel jealous or angry just confused. The two didn’t seem particularly close, at least not from what he rembered. The most interaction they’d had was when he was hanging out with Sasha and bumped into Deuel by coincidence. They had exchanged casual greetings at most. Maybe there was that one ti he introduced them formally, but it had been awkward and brief.
Now, seeing them standing together and chatting comfortably, Eiden couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. What could they even be talking about? It didn’t sit right with him, not because he didn’t trust them, but because the situation felt off. Curiosity got the better of him.
Instead of walking up to them like a normal person, he circled around from a different path. Taking the slightly overgrown side trail behind his house, he climbed the outer wall with practiced ease and landed silently on the backyard lawn. The cool evening breeze brushed his hair as he crouched behind a bush near the front gate, eavesdropping like so third-rate spy.
He sighed internally. "Today I’ve been sneaking, prying, and stalking way too much. I seriously hope this doesn’t beco a habit," he thought, slightly amused at himself. But still, he couldn’t help but lean in and focus on the conversation. He wanted to know what was going on.
All he could hear was Sasha, her voice slightly frustrated as she spoke about him complaining about Eiden’s behavior lately. Sothing about how he kept asking her to introduce him to her friends, about his weird habits, and how he always found a way to avoid things by changing the subject. Deuel stood beside her, nodding politely, smiling awkwardly, and throwing in the occasional "Yeah, I’ve noticed that too" or "He’s always been like that, huh."
Eiden squinted, lips twitching into a grin. "So... they’re talking behind my back. Especially Sasha. And Deuel? He’s clearly just going along with it to stay in the conversation. Poor guy... all he can do is talk about another dude in front of his crush. Tragic," he mused with a soft chuckle of pity.
He continued watching, noticing how Sasha seed to realize she had been rambling. She blushed slightly, eyes lowering as she gave an embarrassed laugh. "Ohhh, where are my manners? I’m sorry for babbling on and on," she said with a sheepish smile.
Deuel quickly waved it off. "Not at all," he replied. With that, Sasha bowed slightly and walked off, heading in the direction of her own ho. Deuel lingered for a mont before turning to leave as well.
Eiden waited until both were out of sight before standing up. "Finally ended," he muttered to himself as he brushed off the dust from his knees. "Anyway, I get Sasha. She’s always been like that. But what was Deuel doing here in the first place? He doesn’t co to my house randomly. Maybe I’ll ask him tomorrow or sothing."
He walked inside, climbed the stairs to his room, and flopped onto his bed. The day had been full of spying, surprises, and awkward encounters. Sleep ca quickly. But it didn’t last long. About two or three hours later, Eiden was jolted awake by the familiar, cheerful and soothing voice of a female calling from downstairs.
"Wake up and co down, honey! Dinner’s ready!" Eiden yawned and slowly sat up, his eyes still half-closed. The voice belonged to none other than his mom Dally Mores who had been out vacationing with his dad. He hadn’t expected them back today, and certainly not this late.
Dragging himself out of bed, he walked downstairs and was greeted by the delicious sll of a homade al. The dining table was filled with food steaming rice, crispy rolls, stir-fried vegetables, and her signature creamy stew. "Finally awake, sleepyhead," said his mother with a bright smile. Eiden replied "welco back mom" .
Dally had light brown hair that flowed gently over her shoulders, and dark brown eyes that sparkled with maternal warmth. She carried a mature, loving aura, the kind that imdiately made a house feel like ho. Though Eiden didn’t share her hair or eye color, the resemblance was clear in their expressions and facial structure. Before his charm upgrade, people often wondered if they were even related, but now, it was obvious he was her son. She looked at him warmly. There was pride in her eyes, but then sothing shifted. She tilted her head, her eyes scanning him from top to bottom. "Did sothing happen while I was gone?" she asked suddenly. Eiden blinked. "What?"
"You look... more handso, my baby boy. Did you do sothing to your face?"
Eiden stared blankly at her, unsure how to respond. Dally leaned forward, narrowing her eyes in mock suspicion. "You were always handso, don’t get wrong. But now... it’s like my superior genes are finally kicking in!" she teased, poking him lightly on the forehead. He shrugged casually, trying to steer the conversation away. "Anyway, how was your vacation with Dad?"
The mood changed. Her smile dimd a little.
"Your father got a business call halfway through. He had to leave," she said with a sigh. "But luckily, I bumped into my old friends at the airport. We had planned the sa destination, so I spent the vacation with them. Still, it was a sha that your dad and I couldn’t spend it together."
Eiden gave her a sympathetic look. "It’s okay. Dad probably had so really urgent matter. You can spend ti with him another day."
His dad, Algir Mores, worked a typical office job. He wasn’t poorly paid, a bit above average, but certainly not rich either. He was dependable, if not often available. Work kept him busy more than anyone liked. "I hope so," Dally said softly, her expression wistful for a mont. Then her tone brightened. "Anyway, I’m really grateful to Sasha for taking care of you while I was gone. What a sweet girl she is. I would be so happy if she were my daughter!"
Eiden rolled his eyes with a smug grin. "Nah. I took care of myself, thank you very much. Has nothing to do with her. Besides, she’d be a super annoying sister." His mom laughed, shaking her head.
After dinner, Eiden returned to his room, collapsed on his bed again, and pulled out his phone. He scrolled through his group chats, sent a few s, then opened a direct ssage to Deuel. He casually asked, "Bro, why’d you take so long in the washroom earlier?"
Deuel replied with a dry tone. "You tell ."
Eiden quickly threw in so lazy excuses. Sothing about a teacher stopping him to do a chore on the way back, maybe even a cleaning duty it wasn’t very convincing.
Deuel responded, "Whatever, man."
After the chat, Eiden opened the gallery and checked the video he had recorded earlier. The scandal clip. Still there. Still shocking. He moved it to a private folder, just in case, then set his phone down and closed his eyes, ntally reviewing all the chaos that had happened. "So much drama today. I need a peaceful tomorrow," he thought. A few minutes passed. He was just about to drift off when suddenly, his eyes shot open. His heart skipped.
"Ohhhhhhh SHITTTTTTT! Tomorrow is Sasha’s birthday!"
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