The VVIP room of the ramen restaurant was unusually spacious, and even from the outside, the aroma of simmering broth and fresh noodles made it a bit hard to focus. But inside, the group of Claude's closest friends—Key Reman, Len Sky, Ken Phillian, and Rey Sheren—had gathered around a large, polished wooden table. Plates of ramen and small side dishes were laid out, but no one was really eating. The reason was, as usual, Claude.
Claude sat beside Mio, his expression calm, but the energy radiating off him could only be described as "a barely contained storm." His posture was pristine, his tie perfectly knotted, yet one could feel that the calm was deceptive. Mio, as usual, was sitting beside him, pretending to sip her tea casually, though the faint quiver in her lips betrayed her amusement—and her slight apprehension.
"So," Key began, grinning from ear to ear, "you won't believe what happened this week at the office."
