Don't tell me he heard our conversation..? Although all we did was whisper for a while and eavesdrop, there's actually nothing to be scared about. I nudged Aviel, gesturing with my eyes at Lucas.
"It's not what you think, Lucas." Aviel said, smiling, her burgundy-colored closed fan touching her chin.
"What is..?" Lucas replied, tilting his head before he finally understood.
"Ah, you mean pinning him against the wall earlier.." he added.
Both Aviel and I quickly got startled by his words and immediately shouted at him, "It's not what you think!"
"I finally got it. Man, I was just chilling here on the balcony, sneaking some champagne, and all of a sudden you guys appeared, pinning each other on the wall and then suddenly eavesdropping on your friend," he said, smiling. I placed my palm on my forehead in disbelief as Aviel just fanned her way out of the mess by looking away, ashamed.
"Here I thought the reason Gabriel pinned me down the wall last time was sort of a friendly manner since you guys also did it," he added, looking a bit sad, yet a mischievous grin showed on his face for a moment.
I stepped back, feeling taken aback, quickly looking at Aviel for her reaction, and she was staring at me with weirded-out and I can't believe you eyes.
"No, it's not like that!" I shouted at Aviel, flustered.
"I didn't know you swing that way, Gab. I'm still supporting you for it, though. After all, I'm your friend," she said with a sigh.
I bonked her head in anger, veins popping out on my fist.
"I told you it's not like that...!" I turned to Lucas.
"And you! Can't you stop saying such misleading words..?" I said, pressing my finger on his navy-blue suit.
He smiled, placing his hand on my wrist, his dimples showing on both his cheeks.
"What if I don't want to?" he said playfully.
This jerk. His words pissed me off, my jaw clenched in anger.
"Are you a kid..?" I asked sarcastically. Aviel then pulled me away from him, thinking we were about to start a fight.
"Pardon me, but we gotta go back now!" she said to Lucas, pulling my hand and dragging me out of the balcony.
"Geez, why can't we have a normal day where you two won't bicker..?" she said, slightly out of breath, and I just let out a groan, realizing what I just did earlier.
"What about you? What was your business sneaking and eavesdropping on Klaus and Sevan's conversation..?" I asked, raising an eyebrow with my arms crossed.
"That's.." she hesitated, biting her lower lip.
"I was sitting after greeting people I know when I saw them talking together in that place. I would've just minded my own business, but it seemed like the conversation was tense, and Klaus was visibly upset about something, so it made me curious," she said.
Well, she is right. Back there Klaus did really look quite upset about something, and by our time hanging out together since grade school, I've never seen him act like that.
"So you're thinking something is going on..?" I asked. She paused for a while before replying with a,
"Yes," and fanning herself with her fan.
I sighed.
"You're always thinking that something is going on whenever Sevan is involved. Is it about the fact you are related or about the incident that happened back then?" I asked once again. This time she remained quiet. Usually, whenever we are having some kind of argument, Aviel would always have something to rebut, especially when she is backed into a corner, but this time, it's my first time seeing her like this.
Things with our dear friends are much more complicated than I thought. I patted her head with a sigh.
"Fine, this friend of yours will just keep his mouth shut," I said.
"Don't pat my head... It will ruin my hair.." she replied with her head still low. She says that to me, but she isn't actually stopping me. My friends really are troublesome people.
I shuddered, feeling some goosebumps. I could feel some hostile gaze from afar. I turned my head towards the direction and immediately withdrew my hand from Aviel's head.
Crap, her father is totally giving me a death glare and mouthing his words: That hand will instantly get cut off if you don't stay away from her right now.
"What's wrong..?" Aviel asked.
"N-No nothing, I'll just head towards the dessert section. No need to follow me, bye!" I said, walking away fast.
Mr. Lin really lives up to his name of being overprotective towards his only daughter, that even her friends will be threatened by him. And it's not like I see her as my romantic interest. It's more like a little sister than a friend.
I arrived at the dessert section and was salivating at the delicious sight of the sweets piled and lined up together on a huge table. If I were to describe this place here, it would be heaven! I grabbed a plate and placed some sweets on it as I munched. Crap, I can't control my expression. I smiled happily as I took another bite.
"Wow, I'm surprised you can eat a lot of sweets just like that! You really love sweets, do you..?" Caleb said with an astonished expression beside me. I flinched and immediately gulped down my food.
"Since when were you here?!" I said, placing my hand on my chest in surprise.
"Just now... But Gab, your appearance right now really doesn't suit the food you're currently eating," he said, tilting his head.
"So what..?" I replied, placing down my plate.
"I'm surprised you were able to get to here without your mother by your side," I said with sarcasm.
"I'm surprised too. She had no choice but to let me go after your grandpa chatted with her nonstop," he laughed.
My eyes landed on his ears filled with piercing holes everywhere.
"Dude, your ears look seriously... Wow," I said, looking at them closely.
"What can I do? Mom wouldn't talk to me once I took them off," he said, rubbing his ears.
"It feels a bit empty without the piercings, though," he added, rubbing his ears with a slightly sullen expression.
After talking with Caleb for a while, I headed back to my table and immediately saw my mother's face a bit pale and anxious as my father and uncle chatted about something.
"What's going on with them, Shou?" I asked.
"Jaewhi-chan, where have you been!" Shinsuke shouted, standing up from his seat.
"I just walked around the banquet, chatting with my friends," I replied, my eyes still glancing at my mother.
"I'll chat with you guys later," I added as I walked towards my mother.
"What's wrong, Mom..? Are you not feeling well?" I whispered to her.
"No, I'm fine, dear. Thank you for asking..." she replied, smiling, but it was still obvious that she was somehow nervous.
"There you are, Jaewhi. I was looking for you earlier, but my sons said you suddenly disappeared somewhere," Uncle Mijo said, tapping my back with his huge hands and pulling me closer to him.
"You see, we were just talking about Jaerin. It's quite a pity about the fact she couldn't attend the banquet."
My eyes narrowed. So this is why Mother was acting like this. I smirked amusingly.
"Is that so.." I replied.
"Unfortunately, she said that she was suddenly going on an important research trip for her studies in Korea, but don't be too sullen about it. She said that she'll make it up to us next year," Uncle Mijo added as he chugged down the glass of champagne in his hand and laughed.
I just replied with a smile and went silent. I glanced at my mother beside me, her hands aggressively fidgeting under the table that it looked like they would almost bleed. Isn't it like that quote: like mother, like son?