Tuesday night was hardly a time for students to be out and about. Claude and Eugene waited beside the barbecue place, on their phones, while discussing the menu. Claude signed up for a reservation at eight in the evening, but the two didn't want to wait inside. They would only grow hungry.
Len's familiar, pleasant scent flitted in the air, and Claude couldn't help but look. He spotted Len and Irving walking toward them. A small smile curled Claude's lips as he locked his phone.
"Shucks, it's good I forced you to wear something good." Eugene pulled a long face instead. "Look at that guy. Not even scared to look rich. He's quite stylish, too. We need better clothes if you keep hanging out with him."
"Don't ask him to pay for your shopping next." Claude snorted before meeting the two halfway through. "Hey! Sorry, I called you out of nowhere. But… is that a skill? You arrived right on the mark again."
"Should I arrive earlier next time?" Len chuckled and allowed Claude to steer him with the other's hands on his shoulders.
Irving and Eugene followed them inside, Len speaking to the receptionist as if he indeed made the reservation. Claude did sign up for the table under Len's name. If that were Claude's way of asking him to pay, Len would only expect a cute pet to land on his lap later.
…
The new place opened last week. Since then, most students in Claude's class hoped to eat there within the month. Claude had a way to get there faster, so he used it.
The little bandit looked around in slight awe, realizing the barbecue place was a little high-end. The lights had cones to focus the low light on the tables, but ambient sphere bulbs peppered the walls. It gave the place a bright and warm atmosphere without blinding the customers. The gold-plated ornaments and high-quality seats also shimmered as if engulfing the customers in a dream.
Claude walked with his hands on Len's shoulders like Len was a meat shield. However, he leaned closer and whispered, "If it gets too pricey, I'll pay for a quarter of it. Their online menu didn't have prices."
"It's all right. I'll pay for our food." Len chuckled, moving his head to catch Eugene's gaze. "But if you want to split your friend's bill, I don't mind."
"Really? I thought this was a paid dinner…" Eugene clicked his tongue and made a sour face. He turned to Irving and complained, "Can you believe this? Len's too intimidated by me. He wants to get rid of me all the time. Tch, tch…"
Irving's eyes flickered. He glanced at the chuckling Len and the unamused Claude. He turned to Eugene again. "Uh… That's a little too much. Len doesn't fear anyone. I'm sure he won't hurt you, too."
Eugene flinched before heavily patting Irving's shoulder. "You worry too much. I was kidding. We were looking through the menu earlier. I won't blame Len's wallet for crying.
He then turned his shoulders to face Irving more. "Yeah, the meat here comes in different sets. Their best-seller should be…"
The back pair had a separate conversation from the front—or the front's lack thereof. Claude kept looking around, allowing Len to lead them to their spot. He would voice out his thoughts to Len, but Len might find him strange. Claude shouldn't be commenting on how the meat's scent made him salivate or how the side fruits smelled so fresh as if picked from the restaurant's backyard.
The server finally gestured to their table in such a crowded restaurant. She also reminded them about the grill and other tools for them to use.
Irving and Eugene sat together and took over the grill. Len and Claude only waited for the meat and side dishes to be ready. While Eugene taught Irving how to do a perfect grill, Claude scooted to face Len.
"Len…" Claude whispered, attracting Len's attention. His hand crawled to Len's hand on the couch. Claude's finger tapped on Len's knuckle a few times. A small smile curled his lips. "Thanks for coming. Everyone talks about this place. Eating here before everyone else is a little exciting."
"Don't make your friends envious…" Len chuckled, scooting close and wrapping his arm loosely behind Claude's seat. He even crossed his legs. "If you just want to eat, we could have gone here by ourselves."
Claude leaned against the seat and lazily picked up a drink. He sipped on the straw. "I don't like being seen alone with you. Those articles in the forum were too much."
Len smiled in amusement, using his other hand to feel Claude's knee under the table. "You think no one here will tell the school about this?"
"I watched everyone going in. I didn't see anyone I recognized from school." Claude sighed and took the straw from the drink reserved for Len. He dropped the straw in his drink and offered Len some. "You don't think someone will go through so much trouble, do you? Am I in trouble? My Hofner is even kept by someone else tonight. No one will break into our room, right?"
"No one will." Len chuckled before drinking a sip from the iced tea Claude held. His eyes slid toward Irving and Eugene, and the latter watched him and Claude with wide eyes.
Len could only grin smugly.
Eugene couldn't believe that guy was posturing before him, Claude's best friend. It was as if Eugene would tear that guy away from Claude. Did Len really think Eugene was stupid? Was Len not spending so much money on pursuing Claude that Eugene had gotten free meals and games out of it? The best friend could only click his tongue and worry about that arrogant guy.
He turned to Irving, locking gazes with Len. However, his hand covered his mouth. "Hey, dude, what is he doing? Isn't he like… with that girl instead? I keep hearing rumors."
"Don't say that in front of him. He doesn't like her that way." Irving glanced at Eugene before flipping the meat slices on their grill. "Courtney's dad used to be our boss. Now that Len has taken over, they expect him to marry her… which might not happen."
"Oh…? What are you guys? Some kind of mafia family?" Eugene pulled and 'loudly' gave Irving a once-over. "You don't look the part."
Irving shot a glance at the table in embarrassment. However, he noticed Len move the empty plate near his fingers. The designated side cook checked the meat and put some on Len's plate. He even forgot about what Eugene said.
Eugene waited for a response, also spotting Len's little gesture. He looked at Len again. "Hey, Len. You guys aren't bullying Irving, are you?"
"It's not bullying. He doesn't get harmed. They aren't allowed to do that." Len hummed, forking a piece of meat. He offered it to Claude first. When Claude took the fork instead, Len just looked back at the suspicious person. "It's not something we can openly discuss, but it's unnecessary to worry. If you see him hurt, you might have to look for the offender first."