Hugo ate his noodles as if the heat didn’t bother him, even chugging the soup in consecutive gulps. When he finished, Kiara was still only halfway through her cup. Without hesitation, he reached for the bun she had bought for him and started eating it piece by piece.
While chewing, his eyes never left her.
"Aren’t you going to ask why I’m here?" he asked after a mont.
Kiara glanced up at him, her cup noodles held just below her lips.
"Hmm?" she humd. "Didn’t you just walk by and see a familiar face?"
"That’s why you’re not asking?"
"Well, duh?" She shrugged. "Why else would you be here? Do you live nearby?"
"No. I don’t have a place of my own. My father practically calls holess."
Kiara squinted at him. "And you’re okay with that?"
"Why wouldn’t I be? It’s true," Hugo replied with a shrug. "I leech off my parents."
"..." She pressed her lips together and gave a small nod. "Is that so?"
She returned her focus to her noodles, blowing gently on them. Unlike Hugo, she didn’t have a heat-proof tongue, and a burned mouth was not sothing she wanted to deal with.
Hugo, anwhile, continued to stare at her with an odd curiosity. He tilted his head one way, then the other.
Then—
"Wow!" He laughed suddenly. "So you really think I just go around stealing food from people?"
She glanced at him and whispered, "Isn’t that exactly what you did?"
"..." Hugo opened his mouth, then closed it again, montarily speechless. Of course not. The only food he regularly stole was from his roommate... who happened to be in a coma. That didn’t count, right?
As for the rest, he usually asked.
He shook his head, a chuckle escaping him. Kiara furrowed her brows at the sound.
"What?" she asked. "Sothing funny?"
"Yeah." Hugo leaned back, popping the last piece of bread into his mouth. "It’s just funny how, even though I ate your food, you still bought more and didn’t make a big deal out of it."
"It’s not a good thing for you to do, but I didn’t have the energy," she mumbled. "Just take it as a thank-you for your brother. Before he switched careers, he helped my company."
"So you’re really not curious about why I’m here? Or why did I stole your food?"
Kiara was tempted to say no. But looking at him now, a bit of curiosity sparked.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because my sister Penny would kill anyone who did that," Hugo said, making Kiara’s face twitch. "Actually, she’d slap my hand away before I even touched her food. She’s ruthless—but I get it. I wouldn’t like it either."
"..." She blinked. "So... that’s why?"
"Mhm." He nodded. "I think people show their true colors when they’re hungry and under the tiniest bit of stress."
He’d seen it happen more than once—Penny when hungry, Jessa when hungry, even his own mother, who turned into a beast when she was hungry.
Kiara, on the other hand, didn’t quite get it. She forced a small smile and nodded politely, even though she found his reasoning a bit ridiculous.
"Trust . On a normal day, I probably would’ve been mad," she said. "But I’m just... exhausted."
Very exhausted. Physically. Emotionally. ntally.
She was so tired she couldn’t even cry. So worn out that getting angry felt like a chore. And caring? That felt like a luxury she couldn’t afford. And it wasn’t the kind of exhaustion a full night’s sleep could fix.
She glanced at him again. I guess he wouldn’t understand this kind of exhaustion.
Not giving Hugo much more thought—filing him away as just another weird encounter—Kiara quietly finished her food. Maybe she should thank Stephen for this increase in patience. If he hadn’t been constantly pestering her for months, she wouldn’t have stuck around this long.
Hugo cupped his face and kept watching her.
"Please stop staring," she muttered around her last bite, shooting him a weary look. "I just want to eat in peace."
"My uncle gave a strange request," he said in return. "He asked to help you. Said you’re a nice lady. I think he’s right."
Her brows furrowed. A quiet realization stirred within her.
"He seed desperate. And while I don’t really share his sentint... I think he’s right," Hugo continued, pointing at her. "Look at you. It’s only been a few days, but you’ve lost weight. And you still have a fever."
Her brow furrowed even more. So of his words set off alarm bells.
"How did you—"
"If you looked in a mirror, you’d know," he cut in. "Your face is flushed. Looks like it’s burning up."
Instinctively, Kiara touched her cheek with the back of her hand.
"Tsk tsk." Hugo shook his head. "Do you really think your friend is innocent?"
This ti, her response was imdiate. "Yes. Cassy is innocent."
He didn’t need to press further—her eyes said it all. Steadfast belief.
"She is innocent," Kiara whispered. "Before she got arrested, she was planning to start over. She’d just broken off an engagent. And besides, I grew up with her. We’re not blood sisters, but she is my sister."
The more she spoke, the hotter her eyes burned. Hugo studied her face, then gave a quiet nod.
"The case is just too complicated. No one wants to touch it because they know how ssy it’ll be," she continued, her voice tight with emotion. "And I can’t even bla them. But they’re going after the wrong person."
Hugo shrugged and smacked his lips. "Finish your food."
"Hmm?"
"I’m a soldier. I can’t help. But I know soone who might—or might not."
He stood up, knocking lightly on the table.
"I told my uncle I’d see what I could do. And what I can do is take you to the right person because whether I believe your friend is innocent or not will not change anything."
Kiara blinked up at him. "Where are we going?"
He smiled and said, "Birthday party."
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