...
After deciding what each of us was going to eat, time seemed to slow down. We spent about twenty minutes chatting away, Nayun, still indignant about the day's practical training, was quick to complain, while Yeonha, in her usual way, talked a little about the challenges and responsibilities of her position as a guild manager, of course, the only one who was talking to her about these matters was me.
And I... I just watched, enjoying the rare moment of relaxation between the three of us, as if the world outside was paused.
Then, as if choreographed, an attendant appeared with an overflowing trolley and a helpful smile.
"Here are your orders! I hope you like them," she said, placing each plate on the table with the care of someone delivering treasures.
And there they were: three imposing burgers, each one worthy of a commercial. Generous layers of melted cheese ran down the sides, enveloping the succulent meat. Crisp, bright green lettuce, slices of fresh tomato, glistening caramelized onions and golden buns glistened with butter. On the side, generous portions of French fries steamed up like a tempting invitation.
The smell spread like magic. Nayun let out an involuntary "Wow", delighted. Yeonha widened her eyes, surprise betraying her façade of dignity, and for a moment, her lips parted in pure desire before she realized it and pulled herself together.
I smiled, satisfied. Resistance was crumbling. Victory was mine, and it tasted like grease and melted cheese.
"Well... Time to attack."
I announced, my hands ready to grab my burger.
"Uh! What are you doing, Theo?"
Nayun asked, looking at me as if I'd completely lost my composure. She already had a fork and knife in her hands, ready to dissect the snack as if it were a haute cuisine dish.
"What else? Just eat. The best way to enjoy a real burger is like this, with your hands. Eating like you is the stuff of overly refined people."
Yeonha hesitated for a brief second, analyzing the situation, and then, to my silent joy, she grabbed the burger with her hands too, surrendering to the appeal of the moment.
"But..."
Nayun still tried to resist.
"Just eat yours in peace, Nayun."
I said, about to bite into mine.
"By the way, if I were you, I'd still eat like this... After all, a burger with caviar should be enjoyed with class, right?"
She gave me a scathing look, but she was laughing inside, I could tell.
As I bit into my burger, I wondered who in their right mind would pay almost eight million won for a burger.
Clearly, only this girl.
As we chatted, Nayun noticed that someone next to her was already enjoying her food.
"Wow! I never thought you liked that stuff, Yeonha."
Nayun's voice was filled with genuine surprise as she watched, almost in disbelief, Yeonha take a third bite of her hamburger. She wasn't just eating, she was indulging in the taste, her eyes squinted, savoring every element of that greasy, delicious snack.
Yeonha stopped mid-chew, as if she had been caught doing something forbidden. She swallowed calmly, wiped her mouth with a napkin and tried to maintain her dignity:
"I... don't usually eat that kind of thing. But... once in a while, it's okay."
"Once in a while?"
Nayun crossed her arms and leaned in.
"You're literally licking your fingers. Yeonha. The cold girl."
Yeonha blushed subtly and looked away, trying to hide behind her glass of soda.
"It's just a hamburger. You don't need to do a thesis on it."
I laughed, leaning back in my chair and watching the two of them.
"You see, Nayun? Real food brings people together. It doesn't matter if you're a gourmet, a guild strategist or just a hungry guy. In the end, no one can resist a good snack."
Nayun snorted, but eventually gave in. She meticulously cut a piece from her absurdly exquisite burger, probably made with ingredients that only exist in five countries in the world, and elegantly brought it to her mouth.
She chewed for a few seconds... and then her eyes went wide.
"Mnh! It's really tasty!"
Yeonha and I looked at each other and said almost in unison, with a perfectly sarcastic tone:
"For that price, it has to taste at least very good indeed."
...
5:55 p.m.
With five minutes to go until six in the evening, the three of us were now, with full bellies, leaving the burger shop behind as the orange sky gave way to darker tones. Night was approaching, softly, and with it came the inevitable return to the dormitory.
"Here, Yeonha!
I reached out and took her backpack from my dimensional storage, materializing it with a simple gesture. She took it with some hesitation, as if she didn't believe it was real.
"It's hard to get used to..."
She muttered, looking from her backpack to me with an expression of mild disbelief.
Seeing a cadet using skills that, in theory, only high-ranking heroes should possess, seemed to shake her convictions a little.
Like the distortion magic, for example; cast on her before we even entered the restaurant. Although she hadn't commented on it, she had certainly thought about it a lot during the whole time she was inside.
But now, as she adjusted the strap of her backpack on her shoulder, she just took a deep breath and nodded a little thanks, as if silently accepting another one of my tricks.
The way back was quiet, the streets of Cube already much less busy. The city lights were gradually coming on, reflecting off the surrounding metal structures and giving the landscape an air of science fiction mixed with an almost nostalgic calm.
As we approached the fork that led to the dormitories. Yeonha's steps slowed and, as we reached the point where she would have to take another route, she stopped for a moment.
"Theo! Nayun, see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow!"
I replied, waving my hand.
"Good night, Yeonha!"
Nayun added, already stretching as if dinner had sapped the last of her energy.
Yeonha then turned and made her way towards one of the three gigantic skyscrapers, her firm, rhythmic footsteps echoing softly on the illuminated sidewalk.
We stood there for a moment, watching her disappear into the entrance of the skyscraper, until Nayun smacked her lips.
"Tsk! From what I can see, you can't control yourself anymore, and you're already going after the second little lamb, aren't you?"
I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms with a lopsided grin.
"Second lamb? And who would be the first, exactly?"
She snorted, looking away as she crossed her arms too, as if my answer had been too obvious to merit an explanation.
"You know very well."
She said, kicking my leg lightly.
"Yes, I know... But about Yeonha, it might be a bit more difficult than it seems."
I didn't let myself be deluded by the things that had happened today, I knew that Yeonha's love for Jonghak wouldn't fade so quickly.
"Hah! Are you an idiot or what? Theo, you underestimate yourself too much."
"Do you think she would have agreed to go with you to a burger joint in the middle of town, smiling like that while we talked, if something hadn't started to change inside her?"
Nayun pointed to his chest, in a gesture that symbolized his heart.
"You're not just 'one more'. She's already realized that."
I shook my head, a skeptical half-smile on my lips. It still wasn't easy to believe. The possibility that Yeonha was just trying to get close to me out of convenience, as a possible ally, someone useful for the future, still sounded more plausible than anything else.
"I see you still don't believe it..."
Nayun commented, crossing her arms, not hiding her frustration.
"But let me tell you something."
She paused, looking straight ahead, as if pulling something old from memory.
"Yeonha... she's always been the reserved type. Cold, even. I've never seen her talk to another boy without that formal 'guild leader' or 'daughter of the elite' tone. Everything about her exuded an aloofness, with the exception of Jonghak. Until you came along and made it different."
His gaze turned to me.
"It's strange even for me to admit this, but... I think she's starting to see you with different eyes, I know it has nothing to do with liking yet, but it's true that her interest in you is changing, that's for sure."
Of course, if we look at the moments of embarrassment and how Yeonha acts in those moments, you can really think that.
"É... Maybe my tigress is right. As compensation. I'll make her sleep a bit late tonight..."
"Eh?! Theo..."
Without waiting for his words, I used teleportation magic on both of us...
...