Damn! Why the hell are they here now, of all tis?
Eiden ducked slightly behind one of the decorative coral displays near the snack stall, peeking toward the entrance. There they were Deuel, John, Harry, and freaking Petter the Four Horsen of Social Destruction. His eye twitched. Shit. Shit! They’re gonna ruin everything!
It was supposed to be a calm, casual, maybe even romantic aquarium date with Lyra. And now? Now these idiots had shown up like it was so unspoken bro code to stalk him on a rare outing with a girl.
He could already predict the future. Deuel and John might pick up the hint and quietly disappear maybe. But Harry? That guy was too dense to catch subtle social cues. And Petter... oh God, Petter.
That annoying f*ck would definitely do sothing outrageous like shout, "Let’s all stay single together forever!" just because he was bitter, fat from sheer laziness, and cursed with a voice like a dying goose. Eiden cringed just imagining it.
If he wasn’t a good friend underneath all that jealousy and greasy insecurity, I’d have kicked him into a pond by now, Eiden thought darkly. But nope, he’s one of the guys. Just the kind who turns into a sabotage goblin when you get too close to a girl.
"I can’t let them see ," he muttered.
Without warning, Eiden turned to Lyra and gently grabbed her hand. "Let’s go see the show from this side," he said, trying to sound casual, but his voice slightly strained. Before she could respond, he was already leading her in the opposite direction, weaving through the crowd toward the far side of the aquatic do.
He plopped down onto a seat and subtly positioned himself so his back faced his approaching friends. Lyra looked slightly puzzled, cheeks tinged pink as she sat beside him, her hand still warm in his grasp. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, glanced sideways and blinked. "Eiden?" she asked slowly. "Yes?" "...Why a squid mask?" Eiden shrugged. "Just felt like it."
She stared at him for a mont long enough for Eiden to fear she’d start thinking he was crazy then let out a small chuckle. "Hehehe... You’re weird sotis." "Weird? Not funny?" "That too," she teased, still giggling. "But mostly weird." Before Eiden could reply, a loud FWEEEEEEEE!! split the air a sharp whistle blaring from the center stage. The chatter and movent in the stadium seats died down as everyone’s attention turned to the dolphin pool in the middle.
A slender woman in a form-fitting bodysuit stood by the edge of the pool, her ponytail flicking behind her like a tail as she raised her hand in greeting. The spotlight hit her as she introduced herself with a bright voice.
Then splash! A dolphin leapt high into the air behind her, twisting mid-air before diving back with perfect grace. The crowd gasped, clapped, and leaned forward, wide-eyed.
Eiden glanced around and sure enough, there they were.
His so-called friends were sitting just three rows above, their eyes glued not to the dolphins but to the trainer. The bodysuit left little to the imagination, her perfect curves and bouncing movents making it painfully obvious what had brought the boys here. Eiden sighed under the mask. Of course. Of course they ca here for her. They’re not the kind to be interested in fish or marine biology. Freaking degenerates. How desperate are they?
He briefly considered face-palming, but rembered the floppy squid hat on his head and decided against it. Not worth the slap sound echoing in the crowd. Beside him, Lyra was fully engrossed in the show, eyes sparkling like a child at a carnival. Her lips curved up in a gentle smile as dolphins did backflips and swam in formation.
Eiden found himself watching her more than the performance. There was sothing oddly satisfying about seeing her relax. Most of the ti, Lyra ca off as reserved, logical, and maybe a little bit strict. But here under the warm lights, eyes aglow she looked like a completely different girl. One without walls.
When the show ended, the crowd gave a standing ovation as the trainer waved and blew a kiss. Eiden’s friends howled like idiots.
Pathetic. Wanting to avoid them altogether, Eiden took Lyra’s hand again and quickly ushered her through the side exit. Only when they were safely outside the aquarium gates did he finally remove his squid mask and exhale. "Wanna grab a snack?" he asked casually. Lyra nodded. "Sure."
Eiden didn’t need to guess what kind of snack. From years of Sasha dragging him to events, he had a sixth sense for this kind of mont. Girls liked sweets after an emotional high, whether it was from a concert, a fight, or apparently, dolphins doing backflips.
He led Lyra down the street to a cozy little café he and Sasha had visited before. It was quaint, with a soft brown interior, vintage teacups, and a cake display that could give anyone diabetes just by looking at it. As they sat down, Eiden glanced at her and asked, "Do you like sweet stuff?"
Lyra nodded, brushing her fingers along the edge of the table. "They’re my favorite. I used to sneak sugar cubes from the kitchen when I was little." Figures, Eiden thought. Most girls do seem to have a sweet tooth. Sasha once poured maple syrup into her coffee just for fun. Psychopath behavior.
He turned toward the waiter. "One plain lemon cake and a... lemon tea." The waiter nodded. "And for the lady?"
Lyra tilted her head. "I’ll have a whipped cream parfait... Le Dô Ce." Eiden raised an eyebrow. "That sounds... complicated and sweet as heck."
Lyra just smiled. "It is." Their orders ca quickly, and the two dug into their desserts. Eiden’s lemon cake was light, tangy, and simple just the way he liked it. Across the table, Lyra’s parfait looked like a tower of whipped madness layered with fruit, nuts, and caral drizzle.
They chatted as they ate, their conversation naturally drifting toward the dolphins, the tricks, the water splashes, and even the ridiculous squid hat. It was surprisingly easy to talk to Lyra. No awkward silences, no forced jokes. Just... normal.
Once the plates were cleaned and the final drops of tea were gone, Eiden reached for his wallet but Lyra beat him to it. She handed her card to the waiter with a swift motion.
Eiden blinked. "I’m the one who invited you," she said, glancing down with a faint smile. "So I should be the one to pay." Technically, Crysty invited in your na, she added in her mind. But details. Eiden leaned back. "Thanks."
They exited the café, the late afternoon sun warm on their faces. The streets buzzed with people couples holding hands, kids running with balloons, and friends laughing in groups.
Eiden glanced at his phone. Still early. "Wanna go anywhere else?" he asked.
Lyra tilted her head. "Where do you want to go?"
"I chose the aquarium," Eiden said. "Your turn now." She tapped her lip in thought. "I have a place in mind." Eiden smiled. "Lead the way."
They walked a few blocks through the shopping district until the streets opened into a plaza lined with glowing posters. It didn’t take long for Eiden to piece it together—couples were lined up at the counters, people holding popcorn, the faint sound of trailers playing in the background. "Cinema?" Eiden asked, eyebrows raised.
Lyra nodded. "Yeah. A movie ca out yesterday I wanted to see." Eiden leaned closer to check the title on the display.
His eye twitched. Isn’t this the sa damn movie Sasha and I watched yesterday!?
He slowly turned toward Lyra. She was already looking at him. "You don’t want to?" she asked softly. Her eyes were calm, but there was a hint of sothing else in them uncertainty, maybe. Eiden shook his head. "No problem."
He then added inwardly " I think I know exactly where this is going" .
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