Alexia stepped outside the café and immediately spotted Eryx waiting for her. Her eyes flicked to her car, calculating. Without a word, she slid inside, and Eryx followed, closing the door behind him.
Inside the car, he noticed the cups of drinks waiting on the seat. The driver spoke up nervously, "Boba is for me.'' Eryx picked up the other drink.
"You don't have to walk for us," he said calmly, his voice smooth sipping it. Alexia didn't response as she was already back in her work.
The car drove off, silence settling over them like a quiet tension, neither speaking but both aware of the small, deliberate gestures between them.
Rei came up from behind Lys, glancing at the dessert in front of him. "So, you're having the strawberry and guava flavor?"
Lys didn't look up. "Yes."
Rei chuckled lightly. "Funny, I remember you started eating that even though you dislike desserts."
Lys frowned, irritation flashing briefly. "Don't talk about that," he muttered.
The memory of his sacrifices and the frustration over the outcome still lingered, leaving him silent and brooding.
Rei's tone shifted, more serious now. "Frey called me and said that he have finally decided to take that step to call his lost long friend to ask for a help for band—the favor he owe her from her early days. He will also call all of us at once he find her number at home, at the storage."
Lys barely responded, his mind elsewhere. He just stared at the dessert, lost in thought, the world around him fading into quiet.
**
As the night deepened, Lys split from Rei and walked toward the outdated apartment he had rented. Lys remained in silence, lying on the bed, thoughts swirling and sleep far from him.
Lys suddenly woke up from the tone ring of a group chat.
"I've already given the car your locations. It'll come to pick you up early tomorrow morning."
There was an immediate burst of messages.
"Wait… what? Who's coming?" Classic typed, stunned. "And why did you give our locations without asking us?" added, clearly bothered.
Rei chimed in, trying to clarify. "Relax. Frey said his friend—a designer—is going to style us for visual as well as for an audition in bigger companies."
Classic rang out, skeptical. "Style us? Seriously? And help us for debut in bigger companies. How big is your designer friend? And why didn't say us before."
"Does it matter?" Rei replied. "Just trust Frey and his friend. The friend might have a plan."
Lys read the chat quietly, his mind elsewhere, processing the chaos while the faint sweetness of the dessert still lingered beside him.
The quiet of the night returned, leaving him alone with his thoughts and the faint sweetness of the dessert lingering beside him.
***
The next morning, Lys was still hadn't slept properly when his doorbell rang several times. Groaning, he shuffled toward the door, rubbing his eyes and his blurry vision betrayed him, when he pulled open the door.
For a split second, he swore Alexia was standing there. His heart jumped—until the figure sharpened into Rei, glaring at him.
"Why the hell are you still in yesterday's clothes?" Rei snapped.
"At least brush your teeth. The others are already waiting. Frey's friend—the designer—will be here any minute."
Lys blinked, still half in a daze, replaying the phantom image of Alexia in his mind. Without a word, he shut the door and went back inside. Classic darted in before it closed.
"Dude, you look like a zombie," he teased, following Lys into the room.
Lys ignored him, brushed his teeth, ran his hand through his hair, and headed downstairs—still in the same clothes. Classic tagged along, chatting away.
**
But as soon as they stepped outside, both of them froze before Rei along.
A sleek black van gleamed at the curb, its license plate etched with a golden rose.
"…You've got to be kidding," Classic whispered.
Frey was already waiting by the van, grinning like he'd orchestrated the whole scene.
"Surprise," he said simply.
Rei's jaw dropped. "What the hell is this? Did they send the van to the wrong address?"
Frey shook his head. "Nope. This is all thanks to my friend. Alexia."
Everyone turned toward him, stunned. Then, in an instant, Rei and Classic lunged at Frey, swatting him with their fists.
"You kept this big gem secret from us, even though we were in bad condition. He didn't even mention once he was a friend of her." Rei accused.
" Along with this, you're dressed up while we're still in yesterday's clothes!'' Classic added. "You knew it was gonna be fancy and didn't warn us!"
Frey dodged their hits with a sheepish laugh. "Hey, I told you guys to prep early. You didn't listen! You thought the designer would be some local amateur. That's on you."
Lys, unbothered, climbed straight into the van. One by one, the others followed. The driver, sharply dressed in uniform, turned to greet them.
"Lys. Rei. Classic. Frey. Welcome," he said smoothly. "Professional driver from Alexia Atleir, Lotte on your service."
The group froze, wide-eyed. "You… you knew all our names?" Rei asked.
The driver adjusted his gloves with sharp pinned confidence eyes. "Naturally. Every VIP client deserves proper recognition. I always prepare in advance. You are under my service the moment you stepped in."
Everyone fell silent for a moment, the weight of his words sinking in.
Frey leaned back with a grin. "We're gonna be famous after this."
Classic groaned. "Famous? More like humiliated—look at us, still in yesterday's clothes."
Rei crossed his arms. "And whose fault is that? You could've warned us properly instead of dropping Alexia's name last minute."
Lys stayed quiet, unbothered his gaze fixed on the blur of streets beyond the tinted glass. His thoughts weren't with the group. Instead, they drifted back to the café—the way Alexia had pushed her dessert toward him without hesitation, the firmness in her voice when she said yes, the cool boldness in her eyes.
Her sight at the morning which he almost believed she was really the one who had come knocking at his door. The memory lingered, sharp and unshakable, leaving his chest tight with a feeling he couldn't name.
Classic leaned closer, catching Lys's unusual silence. He whispered with a sly grin, "Aren't you excited to meet your wife? Your wish is coming true."
Lys's jaw tightened. He mouthed back sharply, "Shut up! Don't say that. It annoys me now."
Classic blinked, taken aback. "What happened?" he asked softly.
But Lys didn't answer. He just turned his face back to the window, letting the blur of the city shield his thoughts.
From the front seat, Rei spoke up with quiet awe. "You realize we're sitting in that van—the one we always watched pass by in the mornings, saying it was a ritual for success. It's like a dream coming true."
The group fell silent, each of them struck by the weight of his words. But Lys still said nothing, his mind tangled in memories of Alexia and the strange pull she left behind.
The car pulled into the sleek black building complex. Their hearts pounded faster with every second. When the van finally stopped, they saw them—staff in tailored black coats, exuding more presence and style than most idols, flanked by women in flowing pink gowns so dazzling they could outshine even stars on a red carpet.