《Appetite! [BL]》


 Chapter 1: Curry Omurice

    *POW!*


    There was a searing pain on my left cheek, my vision became blurry and my knees gave up causing me to tumble on the floor. I tasted blood inside my mouth and felt one of my molars become slightly loose from their gums.


    ¡°Pack your things and never return, don¡¯t ever show your face here again.¡±


    The man in front of me shook his right fist, It seems he had exerted a bit of force when he let out a punch. He fixed his sleeves, tidied up his tie, and hastily collected his coat from the leather armchair.


    ¡°F-father, wait, please let me explain-" With tears on my face, I pathetically crawled to his feet and grasped his shoes, begging for his time and consideration.


    ¡°Do not call me father!" The man combed his ash-coloured fringe with his hand. Rage and disgust seethed from his blue eyes. "I never had a son like you." His gaze had become deathly and shrugged me off from his feet.


    "Ein, you don''t exist here anymore. Get out of my house."


    Father swiftly put on his coat, buttoned them and stormed out of the door. He never looked back and I saw his figure disappear as the door closed shut.


    *SLAM*


    That was the day I forgot the word called family.


    ***


    *BEEP BEEP BEEP*


    Cold sweat littered my face. Waking up from a nightmare was rough. I picked up my phone from the nightstand, glanced at it, and turned off the alarm. It was 6:45 AM, Monday, October 16, 2023.


    "My favourite day of the week, mundane Mondays." I groaned as I emerged from the comforts of my bed. I sat up for a bit and stood up. Then promptly straightened out the sheets, fluffed the pillows, and headed to the kitchen to fix up breakfast.


    "Rice cooker is on and the grains are on the quick cook mode, the bread in the toaster will be ready in a few and coffee is brewing! Time to prepare lunch, Are you ready Ein? Yes, we''re ready!¡±


    I opened the refrigerator, inspected the inside for ingredients, I spotted a dozen large chicken eggs, milk, butter, and yesterday''s leftover chicken curry. I pondered for a bit if it was better to reheat leftover meals but then an idea came to my head.


    "I guess chicken curry omurice looks good for lunch. the spices should taste better now. Today''s lunch will be spicy, Ein you better bring lots of water."


    I hurriedly took out the curry, butter, milk, and two eggs. Then grabbed my water flask and lunch boxes from the shelf and wiped it clean, afterwards I set them on the counter.


    I developed a habit to talk to myself in the mornings. It eased the loneliness I''ve been carrying for years.


    It had been 22 years since that event from my nightmare. My father, a distinguished diplomat, had disowned me after learning about my sexual orientation, to make matters worse my entire family became appalled by it and severed all ties with me. Almost all of my friends vanished, the neighbourhood where I previously lived in loathed me, and I got kicked out for immorality from my boarding school.


    I tried to stand up for myself, but the people there beat me back down to the ground.


    It was too much, I closed my eyes to the scenery outside, I kept my mouth shut and blocked my ears from any noise. I tried to protect myself and silence became my only dear friend.


    My heart numbed, everyday sights, noises, and people¡­ They all felt like nothing. Eventually, I got to the stage when I couldn''t find sense in anything anymore. My vision gradually disappeared, my ears only heard the quiet, and the next thing I knew, I had become alone in a very dark place.


    *MAIL! MEOW! MAIL! MEOW! CHECK ME HUMAAAAAANNN!*


    Startled by my phone''s annoyingly loud ringtone, my arm nearly swept it off the countertop.


    ''Did I change my ringtone over the weekend?'' I pondered. ''I don''t remember setting this, it should be a chime, not an annoying catty voice.'' I sighed and grabbed the bread from the toaster and poured my coffee.


    I glanced at my phone''s notification bar, it was an email from Monique Salva, I hurriedly opened the message to check.


    [Good morning! Stop talking to yourself! How do you like your new ringtone? It is cute, right? It sounds so youthful! Keep this set from this day onwards! (??¥î?)?*.?]


    [- MonMon yo'' Frenny 7:00 AM]


    My brows arched with annoyance and my face cringed after reading the message. Why was she sending an email¡­ Wait, was she the one who screwed up with my phone settings? My face twitched with anger and my fingers were itchy. I hastily replied back to the petty email.


    [You call that cute? Sometimes your quirks scare me. ?_?]


    [- Ein the Numbah Wan 7:02 AM]


    I chuckled and hit the send button, once it was done, I set my phone to aeroplane mode. ''That should keep Monique at bay.'' I sighed with relief then ate my buttered toast and coffee in peace.


    Monique Moss-Salva, she''s my boss, I work as the company''s secretary and her assistant manager.


    She is an old friend I met back in high school. She was my senior and I was a freshman. We met during club days, I was part of the Literature and Linguistics Club and she was the president.


    When I was thrown away and was drowning in the depths of my own darkness, Monique was the only one who reached out to me. She forcibly held onto me and dragged me back to the light. If it weren''t for her actions, I would have stayed there for an eternity.


    *BEEP*


    My head turned towards the rice cooker, the timer was almost done and it was time to make the curry rice stuffing. I poured the leftover curry into the pot and stirred it while adding a knob of butter to make the mix slightly richer. I then closed the pot to let it cook and finish.


    I cracked the two eggs into a mixing bowl and seasoned it with a pinch of salt and pepper, I poured a quarter cup of milk and whisked everything until the egg mixture became bubbly.


    "Hmm¡­ the curry is yellow and the eggs are yellow. There should be some fresh greens. Ein, Let''s make today''s lunch look good too!" I headed off to my flat''s balcony and scouted for fresh produce.


    Four years ago, an epidemic hit the nation, it was a highly contagious respiratory ailment and the government urged all citizens to stay at home and quarantine themselves to ensure their safety. Due to it, there were shortages on fresh produce coming into the city and food prices inflated to unreasonable rates.


    It was frustrating, and that fueled my motivation to grow my own food.


    Although years have passed since I started, it has become a productive and enjoyable pastime during quarantine. Eventually, it became a routine for me. My current neighbours followed suit as well and turned their balconies into gardens. On weekends, we would meet and swap vegetables or herbs with each other. the landlord would sometimes see our barters and he would call us the balcony farmers.


    I collected a small bundle of chives, sprigs of basil, a head of lettuce, and a bunch of cherry tomatoes, I then plucked a medium-sized lemon from my potted lemon tree.


    "Fresh tomato and basil salad go well with egg dishes. Ein, your lunch set will be delicious!" My heart skipped with joy as I headed back into the kitchen.


    *DING*


    My head turned towards the rice cooker, the rice was done. I immediately opened the pot and took out the curry rice to cool.


    I then cleaned and trimmed the herbs and vegetables collected from the garden. I pulled and tore apart the lettuce into bite-sized portions, chopped the chives finely and plucked the basil leaves and the tomatoes from their sprigs. Afterwards, set them aside in a large mixing bowl.Stolen novel; please report.


    *BEEP BEEP BEEP*


    A 2nd alarm resounded from my phone, time was now 7:30 AM. It was almost time for me to get ready for work, I had to act fast so I won''t be late to work.


    I took out the pan from the cupboard and preheated it on the stovetop. I then placed a knob of butter and waited for it to melt. While waiting, I turned my attention to the salad. I dressed it with a pinch of salt, pepper a swig of olive oil, and squeezed the freshly picked lemon over it. I tossed it quickly and got back to the pan. The butter has now melted and is bubbling away.


    It was time to make the omelette. Pouring the egg mixture into the pan and spreading it around, then forming a flat omelette. I swiftly grabbed the curry rice stuffing that was set aside earlier and placed it at the centre of the omelette. I gently tilted the pan and slowly folded the eggs to cover the rice, thankfully the eggs did not tear and held its shape as I flipped the omelette and placed it on a plate.


    ¡±Good job, Ein! You finally managed to make a proper omelette! You''re getting better at this, nice!¡±


    I rejoiced and took a quick photo of it as proof of good luck.


    *BEEP BEEP BEEP*


    The 3rd alarm rang. It was now 7:45 AM, it was time to wash up and dress for work. Now I really need to double time as the possibility of arriving late to work was high.


    I quickly packed the salad and the omelette into the lunchbox and filled up my water flask, then, grabbed my work bag and pushed the lunchbox and flask inside and set it on the table. I took the dishes, utensils, and the pan to the washer and sprinted to the bedroom to grab my Monday attire. While passing through the kitchen, I quickly glanced at the time.


    The clock displayed the current time, it was now 7:55 AM.


    Fuck.


    "Ein, why the hell did you take your sweet time cooking up a good lunch? Do you not value your perfect attendance record since entering the company? I value it, but the food is food and good food takes time!"


    Screw this, why am I beating myself up after doing a good job. I should get my shit straight, I don''t want a stain of tardiness on my impeccable attendance.


    Today might be the day when a marathon bather will be born. If Guinness had a record of 33 seconds for the shortest bath, that record will be conquered today. I then scurried towards the bathroom to finish the rest of my morning rituals in record time. I wore my suit as fast as I could and did a final mirror check.


    "Good, everything has been neatly worn, no crooked ties here, and creased collars!" I quickly combed my fringes up as there were stray black hair strands sticking out from my forehead.


    "Not bad, let''s go to work Ein."


    I yanked my duffle bag from the table, flicked my phone''s screen, disabled aeroplane mode, and hurriedly booked a ride to work. I then left my flat and went down the lobby to wait for my ride''s arrival.


    ''Hopefully, there won''t be any traffic or accidents along the way¡­ If I reach the hotel like the usual time, I would have ten minutes left to spare.'' I glanced at my smartwatch, it was now 8:17 AM and my ride is scheduled to come in four minutes.


    ''Think positive thoughts Ein¡­. You won''t be late! trust yourself, you did your best and you will make it!'' I softly mumbled to myself and clasped my hands as if to pray.


    *HONK*


    A silver sedan drove up the driveway, I checked its plate number and image on the app and it matched the description of my ride. Wow, I must have good luck today! My ride arrived two minutes earlier than the ETA on my phone.


    I scooted towards the sedan to confirm my booking and boarded afterwards.


    ''Please don''t let there be any traffic or vehicular accidents.'' I quietly prayed and crossed my fingers as I sat on the passenger seat. The driver probably sensed my urgency and sped the car up near city limits.


    ***


    8:46 AM, I finally arrive at Hotel Citron''s driveway. Thankfully, my prayers were answered and there was no traffic nor accidents along the way. Looks like lady luck blessed me today.


    The hotel''s doorman noticed my arrival from a distance and ran towards my direction, he then opened the car door and greeted me.


    "Good day, Manager Ein!" An accommodating smile was beaming from the doorman''s face.


    "Good day to you too, thank you for holding the door." I smiled back warmly to the energetic man.


    "Your welcome sir! May you have a pleasant Monday." He then tipped off his hat and returned to his post at the entryway.


    My smile flattened as I walked past the doorman.


    Pretending to be an accommodating person was one of my skills. I generally detest meeting other people as it drains my energy more, not to mention in this industry, people don''t really appreciate the queer folks. Legislation may have passed anti-discriminatory laws and also allowed more benefits, but in reality, people would still fling stones and burn those who do not align with the norm.


    I had no choice but to put on a mask and play pretend. After all, people would condemn me if they knew my real self. I learned it the hard way with my family.


    I quickly made my way into the lobby''s elevators, I only had thirteen minutes to spare before clocking into work, I pressed the up button and waited for the elevator to come down.


    "Eiiiiiiiinnnn!"


    I heard a high pitched voice coming from behind. I looked back and saw Monique, she was wearing a pair of black suit pants, a black coat, a crisp white blouse and was wearing red stilettos. Monique also carried her black satchel bag on her shoulder, she had just arrived and it looked like she was running towards me.


    "Monique, good morning." I gave her a dry smile.


    "Ein¡­" Monique stopped a few steps in front of me and looked at me with puppy dog eyes.


    "Why are you ignoring my messages??" She quickly pulled out her phone and showed her email logs. "I sent you loads of messages this morning but you only replied on the first one!" She then looked at my eyes with a sorrowful expression.


    "Am I not your friend anymore?" Small beads of tears started to form around Monique''s deep blue eyes.


    "Don''t¡­ give me those crocodile tears¡­" I cringed at Monique''s face. A 42-year-old woman was acting like a kid in front of me. I groaned before replying back to her.


    "You''re still MonMon my frenny," I whispered to her ear. "And please watch yourself, Monique, you''re scaring all of our staff members here."


    Monique glanced around the lobby and she noticed that most of the hotel employees we''re giving her a strange look. They were not used to seeing her act childish as Monique usually carried herself with a dignified aura.


    Monique Moss-Salva. The general manager of Hotel Citron, the daughter of the CEO, and the heiress to the Citron Group of Companies. She is Ein''s close confidante and immediate superior. Every employee of the Citron group recognizes her. With her short red hair and deep blue eyes, Monique shared the same physical traits with her father.


    "Ahem!" Monique forced a scoff. "You are right, my assistant manager, I must act accordingly with my status." She then quickly collected herself, fixed her hair, and buttoned her coat.


    *DING!*


    The sound of the elevator opening snapped both Ein and Monique back to their senses. They entered the elevator and pressed the button for the 32nd floor where their corporate offices were.


    "Oh, by the way, we''ll have a morning coffee chat with the new Kitchen Manager. You are free at 9:15 AM right?" Monique folded her arms and gazed at Ein with an inquisitive expression.


    "Wait, a new kitchen manager? I wasn''t informed about this coffee chat¡­ Is it perhaps related to Chef Emery''s recent retirement?


    Monique nodded.


    "That''s the reason why I''m upset with you earlier! I sent you a message about it but¡­ Well, anyway, moving forward don''t you dare ignore my messages or you''ll miss stuff like that!" Monique unfolded her arms and inched closer to Ein, she gazed at Ein''s blue-grey eyes with an amused expression.


    "Also, I heard from Emery... his successor is very skilled with both management and cuisine!" A grin formed on Monique''s face. "Emery said his protege was a renowned chocolatier in Canada a decade ago. His parents run River Farms, one of the prestigious dairy farms in Canada and he also moved to London four years ago to pursue higher management."


    "Wow, sounds like a pampered child just landed amongst us," Ein replied in a monotonous tone. "Why are you telling me this? Shouldn''t you coordinate it with the HR Department instead?" Ein let out a sigh, he felt indifferent to Monique''s banter.


    Monique then leaned on Ein''s shoulder and whispered. "I saw his pictures too, he is quite the looker! I have a gut feeling you''ll be his type-"


    "Monique," Ein interjected sternly. "I''m not here to help you babysit a child, I''m here to work." Ein glared at Monique.


    "Oh come on! Lighten up, you old man!" Monique grinned sheepishly and slapped Ein''s back. "You only live once! Might as well try having fun with them."


    Ein sighed at Monique''s childish behaviour.


    Monique had been his best friend since high school. Ein knew how quirky and assertive Monique was. She was the type of friend who would cling at Ein if she senses negativity from his mood. Ein did not mind her meddling, he was actually touched to see someone take care of him.


    Monique would set up Ein on vacations, blind dates, movie events, concerts, crafting classes, and seminars. Anything to make sure Ein doesn''t spend too much time alone. After all, she did witness Ein fall to his lowest.


    It broke her heart to see him in such a state, so Monique swore to become his pillar and vowed to prevent him from falling back to the darkness.


    *DING*


    The elevator doors opened, Ein held the door as the both of them alighted. The hotel employees looked and greeted them as they shuffled through the hallway.


    "Good morning Miss Monique and sir Ein." A middle-aged woman donning a pair of red-framed glasses and her hair up in a ponytail greeted Ein and Monique as they entered their office.


    "Good morning Seori!" Monique gave the woman a pat on the shoulder. "You should dress up more! I''m getting tired of seeing you wear the same white suit for the past year." Monique then gave Seori pat on the back. "Don''t be too uptight, you''ll get older if you do that!"


    "Says the woman who is older than me but doesn''t act like one," Ein mumbled and smirked at Monique.


    "Hey Ein, I can hear you talk shit about me." Monique lightly smacked Ein''s leg with her bag. "Don''t pull punches so early in the morning." Monique pouted. "I haven''t even taken coffee yet! You should brew me a cup since you seem to have a lot of sass this Monday."


    "Why don''t you just buy from the cafe beforehand?" Ein raised his eyebrows at Monique. "To think that Hotel Citron''s assistant manager is becoming a barista. Wow, I should get paid extra for this, Monique." Ein sneered at Monique.


    "Or how about I report you to HR for talking shit to your supervisor then?" Monique''s face had a smug smile. "Hand-brewed coffee sounds better than an HR case."


    "Haaaaah, they''re at it again." Seori sighed as she observed Ein and Monique bicker like college flatmates.


    Seori Avery was Hotel Citron''s Deputy Manager, five years ago, she and Ein entered the company as management clerks, they were consistent at being the top-performing members of the team, eventually, Monique saw their competencies and steadily promoted them for four years.


    When Monique was appointed as the GM last year, she opted for Ein and Seori to take key positions as her assistant manager and deputy manager.


    Seori is probably one of the few employees who could deal with Monique''s eccentricities and tolerate Ein''s pretentious behaviour. It had been a ritual for her every morning to see two of her bosses duking it out with each other since last year.


    "Sir Ein, Miss Monique, sorry for interrupting but, aren''t you both supposed to meet the new kitchen manager?"


    Seori groaned.


    "It''s already 9:05 AM, please arrive on time, they have agreed for us to meet at the conference room later." Seori then fixed her glasses and left Monique''s office.


    "Hey Ein, how fast can you brew coffee?" Monique snickered and gazed at Ein with a mocking expression.


    "I won''t brew coffee, but I''ve already ordered it online."


    Ein brandished his phone''s screen, it displayed a confirmed order for a two-litre serving of Americano from a well-known coffee chain. It also displayed the delivery time which was under 10 minutes as the cafe was just across their building.


    "That should be good for our coffee chat later too. Assuming that chef Emery and his successor will be in attendance as well as some of the kitchen personnel."


    "Wow, Ein, I''m impressed with your competence to the point that I''m speechless¡­ sometimes I wonder if you weren''t my assistant, you would be my personal barista or a butler." Monique giggled as she taunted Ein.


    "Stop bullshitting me, Monique, it won''t work," Ein replied in a monotonous voice, he also stared at Monique with a flat expression. "Also, please ensure to study and sign some of the papers due today." Ein took out a heavy file folder from his work bag and placed it on Monique''s desk.


    "I''ll prepare for the coffee chat. I''ll see you later in the conference room." Ein then took his leave and left Monique''s office.


    ***


    Ein plopped his bag under his desk and sat down to quickly check his emails on his workstation. He rapidly searched for email threads related to Emery, the retired kitchen manager of Hotel Citron.


    He was able to pull up two email threads, 1st one was Emery''s farewell email and the second one was the copy of the employee data form that HR received a week ago. Ein immediately opened the latter.


    "Hmmm¡­ Henry Rivers, 30 years old, former chef de cuisine..." Ein massaged his creased brows. "Monique wasn''t really kidding about his looks, he really looks more like a model than a chef."


    Ein gazed at Henry''s portrait photo, his T-zone was well defined, his golden irises had a luminescent glow and his platinum blonde hair looked soft. ''It was the face of a total lady killer.'' Ein thought, he then Gave out a resounding sigh.


    "Looks like this kid would be a handful in the near future."


    ~~~~~


    To be Continued.


    ~~~~~

 Chapter 2: Cafe Americano

    <h2></h2>


    As Ein gazed at the charming portrait of Henry Rivers from his PC¡¯s screen, a feeling of envy loomed at the back of his mind. Not only did Henry¡¯s face look like a total lady killer, his CV was decorated, to the point that it screamed perfection.


    "World Chocolate Masters 2010 - Winner... Summa Cum Laude, Class of 2011, Northwest Culinary Academy Of Vancouver¡­ MA Food Business, Culinary Institute of America, 2011-2013¡­ Wow, quite a studious kid.¡± Ein was astounded with Henry¡¯s educational background, due to the competitiveness of the food industry, it was rare to see chefs pursuing their higher education.


    ¡°Sous Chef, September 2013 - 2016 Akadia, Toronto¡­ Chef de Cuisine, January 2016-2018, Ell Bolli, Catalonia¡­ Wait, how the hell did this man get into Perran Adriya¡¯s Ell Bolli as a head chef?¡± Ein¡¯s eyes dilated in shock.


    Ell Bolli was one of the best culinary institutes in the world that centers on contemporary cuisine, they focused on Molecular Gastronomy, a subdiscipline of food science. In order for a chef to get into Ell Bolli, one must be scouted and invited by its director, Perran Adriya. Every chef in the world aspired to get in however only a few lucky souls were able to do so as the Perran¡¯s selection process was rigorous, either rub elbows with Perran himself or pique his interest will guarantee admission.


    ¡°Haaahh¡­ why does this kid give off an entitled feeling.¡±


    Ein massaged his brows in frustration, he knew from experience that most of the people with decorated CVs from education up to employment were all overachievers.


    ¡°Beauty and brains, my goodness I can already smell his ego from afar.¡± Ein groaned and stared at the clock, it was now 9:09 AM and it was almost time for the conference. His smartwatch vibrated and displayed a delivery notification, the coffee he ordered earlier was on its way.


    Ein swiftly rang the reception downstairs to let them know of the incoming delivery, instructions were left to them on what time the coffee must be brought and served at the conference room.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ coffee should be there just in time.¡± Ein glanced at his smartwatch to do a final timecheck, he then locked his PC, grabbed his work tablet, phone, his planner and went out of his office.


    As he walked towards the venue, he noticed Seori was standing in wait just outside the hallway of the conference room. Seori spotted Ein approaching and waved at him.


    ¡°You were always the early bird.¡± Seori chuckled as she remembered their days as a corporate clerk for Hotel Citron. ¡°When we used to be teammates, you were always five minutes earlier than the scheduled arrangement.¡±


    ¡°Well, old habits never die.¡± Ein grinned sheepishly at Seori. ¡°At least I don¡¯t have a record of tardiness ever since I entered the company.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such an arse!¡± Seori¡¯s face crumpled at Ein¡¯s smug remark and smacked Ein on the shoulder. ¡°That one-time late was an emergency! Don¡¯t bring up the past, you old man.¡±


    Ein groaned and rubbed his painful shoulder. ¡°Still energetic as always. Where do you get energy to do such vigorous moves¡­ Shouldn¡¯t you feel your age-¡±


    Seori glared at Ein with a deathly expression. Ein froze and felt the intimidation in her eyes. Although Ein was seven years older than her, Seori had an inferiority complex towards her age. People around her would be shocked to hear that she was 32 years old, whereas her current physique and face showed traits of a woman in her mid 20¡¯s.


    ¡°...So, what do you think of the new kitchen manager? His CV looks good.¡± Seori quickly changed the topic to lighten her mood.


    ¡°Well, I think he¡¯s a decorated individual¡­¡± Ein grinned sardonically. ¡°He looks like the type that has a steep ego, and his age. I won¡¯t be surprised if we end up babysitting him in the near future.¡± Ein chuckled.


    ¡°Wow, that was harsh, Ein. Usually, you would be milder on CV assessments¡­ hearing you now, I smell prejudice!¡± Seori patted Ein¡¯s back as she sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t over-analyze someone based on the things you saw on paper.¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Seori was aware that Ein enjoyed analyzing people¡¯s personas, she also knew that Ein took delight in observing people and making deductions towards them.


    It was something that Ein picked up as a reflex when the Darkness took hold in his heart. This was his defense mechanism in order to avoid toxic and scornful people around him. Ein would guess other people¡¯s personalities just by looking, observing and assuming. Once he determines what type of person he¡¯s dealing with, he would be wary of them and would put on his mask and play pretend.


    Ein never really felt the need to show his true self to strangers.


    ¡°Oh! I just remembered, it will be your birthday tomorrow!¡± Seori clapped her hands with excitement. ¡°If you¡¯re free after work, let¡¯s go out and eat good food to celebrate!¡± Seori¡¯s eyes beamed with joy. ¡°Arnaut recommended a Bistro, they serve good chocolate ganache cake-¡±


    Ein put his hand over Seori¡¯s mouth. ¡°Stop using me as a pilot for your date venues, Seori. I¡¯d rather go home and sleep since work follows the day after.¡± his brows furrowed with annoyance.


    ¡°Why not take the following day off then, Ein? Use your leaves! I¡¯ll replace it with overtime if you don¡¯t.¡±


    Ein was startled to hear a high-pitched voice behind him. He quickly turned his back and saw Monique, she had a disdainful frown on her face.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been putting off birthday celebrations for three straight years now.¡± Monique groaned and smacked Ein¡¯s shoulder hard. ¡°A workaholic like you should take a breather every now and then.¡±


    ¡°Ow! I¡¯m not a punching bag can you please stop-¡±


    ¡°Go on leave from tomorrow until Wednesday or else, you¡¯re on overtime for a year.¡± Monique gave Ein a stern gaze, it was serious as there was no hint of jokes in her eyes.


    ¡°Fine, as you wish. I¡¯ll take the leave.¡± Ein sighed, he didn¡¯t want Monique to pester her further and he certainly didn¡¯t want to do overtime for a year.


    Seori¡¯s eyes gleamed with joy once more. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll send you the address of the bistro by noon tomorrow!¡± Seori then, placed the appointment on her phone. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then Ein!¡± She then entered the conference room.


    ¡°Emery rang earlier, he said they¡¯ll be late by five minutes. He said he needed to introduce Henry to the kitchen crew.¡± Monique gave a bashful smile to Ein. ¡°So where¡¯s my coffee, my dear butler?


    Ein gazed at Monique with an apathetic face, he then opened the door to the conference room and gestured to Monique to head in first.


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked reception to send it up once it arrives. It should be just in time before our guests arrive.¡± He then held the door for Monique. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for them inside.¡±


    Just as Ein had predicted, the coffee arrived two minutes before Emery and his protege showed up. Ein and Seori prepared the cups, utensils and light snacks to serve with the coffee. The smell of the freshly brewed coffee slowly wafted through the conference room.


    *KNOCK*


    *KNOCK*


    The three of them turned their attention to the door, a man in a casual white suit walked in. His hair was white and his gray eyes were full of vigour. His aged face was flush, it was as if he recently got sun-burned.


    ¡°Emery! Glad to see you well, it¡¯s been a month.¡± Monique greeted Emery with a handshake. ¡°You look better, the stress on your face has decreased! Haha!¡±


    ¡°Likewise, Monique.¡± Emery smiled warmly at Monique. ¡°I just returned from the Canary Islands, I apologise if my face looks a bit funny.¡± Emery let out a soft chuckle.


    He then turned to Ein and Seori who were by Monique¡¯s side. ¡°Glad to see you both faring well too.¡±


    ¡°Good to see you Chef.¡± Ein shook Emery¡¯s hand and gave him a warm pat on the back.


    ¡°You look a lot more youthful now Chef! Looks like resting really does something good for your body.¡± Seori smiled at Emery.


    Ein and Seori had fond memories of Emery at Hotel Citron. Back when they were clerks, both Ein and Seori had a tendency to skip lunches due to their heavy workloads, the employee¡¯s cafeteria had meal schedules to follow so both of them would miss out on lunch. Emery and his kitchen staff knew them as they were known as the Drunch Clerks, or in layman¡¯s terms, folks who combined lunch and dinner in one meal in the afternoon.


    ¡°I would like you all to meet my dear friend and my protege.¡±


    Emery then turned back and opened the door to the conference room. ¡°Henry, come here and introduce yourself!¡±


    *Clack*


    *Clack*


    *Clack*


    A man dressed in a navy, three-piece suit, and dark brown oxfords walked in, the sounds of his steps were attention-grabbing. His long platinum blonde hair was neatly tied up into a bun, his sharp golden eyes glistened as the sunlight hit them, his face was unblemished, his nose and cheeks were chiseled and his gait exuded confidence. He looked more like a model walking in a runway fashion show, as his styling was on point. Monique and Seori¡¯s cheeks flushed at the sight, they were smitten.


    Ein felt a bit of nostalgia as he saw Henry walk into the room.


    ¡®For some reason...I think I¡¯ve seen this guy before.¡¯ Ein pondered. ¡®Hmm, I don¡¯t remember, nevermind, my mind must be playing games on me.¡¯ he then shrugged off the useless thoughts and greeted him.


    ¡°Good morning, you must be Chef Emery¡¯s successor... Glad to meet you, Henry.¡± Ein then held out his hand for a handshake.


    ¡°Ein Schmidt, Assistant Manager and corporate secretary for Hotel Citron.¡± Ein brandished his business smile. Monique and Seori saw Ein¡¯s demeanor and snapped back to their senses.


    Henry reached out Ein¡¯s hand to return the handshake.


    ¡°I¡¯m Henry Rivers, nice to meet you too Ein.¡±Henry grabbed Ein¡¯s hand to answer his handshake.


    Ein noticed that Henry stroked his palm with his index finger as their hands shook. Ein felt goosebumps grow on his nape.


    ¡®Well, shit. Looks like this one is not just a lady killer¡­ he might be a maneater too.¡¯


    ~~~~~


    To be Continued.


    ~~~~~

 Chapter 3: Cafe Americano Part 2

    Ein felt a little intimidated with Henry''s manners as they shook their hands.


    The photo on Henry''s CV paled in contrast to the genuine article. Henry''s ephemeral beauty had smitten Ein''s female colleagues, the man also had a natural aura of seduction and his overall demeanour reflected it on their handshake.


    ¡®Well, shit. Looks like this one is not just a lady killer¡­  he might be a maneater too.¡¯


    Ein maintained his amiable business smile as he shook Henry''s hand. It wouldn''t be wise for him to show his apprehension towards Henry on their first meet.


    "Henry, let me introduce to you our GM and our Deputy Manager." Ein turned his head towards Monique and Seori who were still gawking at Henry''s charming appearance.


    "Monique, do remember that you have Diether in your life," Ein whispered softly to Monique''s shoulder.


    "Shush Ein, why can''t you just let girls be girls." Monique softly replied and winked back at Ein. She then gave Ein a pat on the back and turned her attention to Henry.


    "Nice to meet you, Mr Rivers!" Monique shook Henry''s hands warmly. "Monique Moss-Salva, GM of Hotel Citron, London. I look forward to seeing you work with us." She then showcased her radiant businesswoman smile.


    "Henry Rivers, a pleasure to meet you as well." Henry reciprocated Monique''s smile with an equally beaming one to match.


    "I-I''m Seori Avery! D-deputy Manager for Hotel Citron¡­ Uh¡­ Glad to meet you as well, Mr Rivers!" Seori stuttered as she felt weak in front of good-looking men. She then extended out her hand for a handshake.


    "Likewise, Ms Avery." Henry then toned down his smile to a casual one as he saw Avery''s flustered face.


    Ein then turned his attention to Emery who was observing the entire tryst near the door. Ein then grabbed two cups of coffee from the dispenser and handed one to Emery.


    "Chef, where did you meet that guy? He seems familiar¡­ did he work here in the past?" Ein asked Emery in a hushed voice and then took a sip of his coffee.


    "I met him five years ago, during my Christmas holiday in Spain." Emery sniffed the coffee for a bit and then took a sip. "The kid just quit his job in Ell Bolli, he said that he wasn''t thriving there anymore. We talked for a few hours regarding kitchen management and we really hit it off. We''ve been friends since then."


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Emery then drank half of the coffee in his cup and stared at Ein inquisitively.


    "He also did work here briefly as our humble dishwasher for a month, I think it was four years ago." Emery chuckled as he recalled his nostalgic memories in Hotel Citron.


    "I see¡­ Then that must have been why he looks a little familiar, I must have seen him at some point." Ein set aside his coffee.


    "Well, you didn''t eat your meals at the cafeteria that much in the past¡­ in fact, you and Seori barely even show up, just during dinners or if Monique drags you both to eat." Emery chuckled. "Maybe you might have seen Henry just passing by in the pantry haha!"


    "I don''t recall the faces of passersby, Emery. So your suggestion might be off." Ein groaned.


    "Emery, tell me honestly, the way he acts now... is it different from his real personality?" He looked at Emery with a curious expression.


    "Really... Ein, you''re sharp as always." Emery sighed and finished his cup of coffee. "Why do you need to ask me for validation if you can easily deduce it Ein?" Emery snickered as he threw the cup to the nearby trash bin.


    "Just¡­ be careful not to get swept away, Ein. That''s all I can say."


    "What do you mean?" Ein gazed at Emery with a puzzled expression.


    "You''ll know when both of you get to know each other more. Working with him will be a breeze, you''ll probably enjoy it too since he''s reliable and efficient." Emery winked at Ein and whispered to his shoulder. "Henry is like you Ein. I hope you can confide with him if the going gets tough."


    "You mean to say, he''s also gay?" Ein raised his brows as he whispered back to Emery.


    Emery nodded. "He is quite open about it. That kid¡­ what do you call them overseas? Oh, I remember, Liberals! Haha!"


    Ein sneered at him, Emery''s dry humour wasn''t amusing.


    Emery gave Ein a sincere smile. "I''ll be heading down to the kitchen to give some of the boys the coffee. It was an excellent pick too, good job Ein!" He then gave Ein a pat on the back and went to the coffee dispenser to make servings.


    ''That old man¡­ He really cares a lot.'' Ein sighed as he saw Emery leave the room while carrying several cups of coffee with a happy expression.


    Chef Emery Gauche, he was Hotel Citron''s kitchen manager since its establishment. He retired a few months ago and is now living a carefree life travelling around Europe.


    Emery was one of the hotel staff members who knew of Ein''s predicament, he is also aware of Ein''s real persona. They got acquainted due to Ein and Seori''s poor eating habits back when they started out in Hotel Citron. Emery had developed a habit of doting on anyone who skips meals, hence why Ein and Seori had a special place in his heart.


    Ein checked his wrist for the time and saw that it was 9:45 AM. It was now time for him to adhere to his schedule. He then went over to Monique to seek permission to leave.


    "Managers, I''ll be going on ahead for the morning inspections." Ein glanced at Monique and Seori.


    "Oh right, the morning inspections! I should also go ahead too, GM. We''ll be having an Adhoc with the Financial Affairs team before lunch." Seori replied as she checked at her schedule on her tablet.


    "Of course, business as usual as always." Monique waved her hand to Ein and Seori, a gesture she does when she wants her staff to carry on with their tasks.


    Ein and Seori saw Monique''s sign of approval, they then gave a quick nod then started to walk towards the door.


    "Oh, by the way, Ein!" Monique gave chase and tapped Ein''s shoulder.


    "Yes, GM?"


    "Since you''re doing morning inspections¡­ Kindly show around Mr Rivers to our facilities, as he will officially start tomorrow."


    Monique gave Ein a sly smile and whispered to his shoulder. "We can''t have him getting lost around on his first day, unlike someone we know here."


    "Shut it, Monique, that''s all in the past, I''m a changed person now," Ein mumbled back to Monique while maintaining his business smile.


    "Sure, I can show him around while I do my rounds."


    "Alright, thanks so much Ein! I''ll leave that to you then." Monique gave Ein a pat to the back and whispered to him. "Good luck and have fun!"


    ~~~~~


    To be Continued.


    ~~~~~

 Chapter 4: Lunch Break

    *Clack Clack Clack*


    The sound of the elevator door closing reminded Ein of his tasks due in the hour. He usually finishes the morning inspections just before 10:15 AM, however, it looked like it will be missed as Henry towed along for a tour. Ein felt annoyed that he had to babysit someone on the 1st workday of the week, his face showed a hint of irritation as his brows arched and Ein''s business smile flattened to a poker face. Seori and Henry noticed Ein''s demeanour and opted to keep quiet.


    Only the sound of the elevator broke the awkward silence.


    Ein then pressed on the button for the Ground floor where his rounds start while Seori abruptly pressed the button for the 30th floor.


    *Ding!*


    The doors of the elevator opened.


    "Ein, I just remembered! I''ll be heading off to HR and Securities first to finalize Henry''s access." Seori looked at Ein and Henry who were standing beside each other, they looked like a pair of models going down on the elevator.


    Although Ein''s face expressed fatigue, his complexion was fair for someone in his late thirties. His black hair was combed up neatly, exposing his beauty marks: one by the side of his right eye and the other one was near the left part of his chin. Ein had a high nose bridge and narrow rosy lips, his sharp dark blue eyes complemented his bespoke charcoal grey suit and black brogues. Ein''s body was also lean, thanks to his mixed German blood, he was fairly tall for an Asian man. If Ein brandished a genuine smile, Henry''s beauty beside him would be put to waste.


    "See you later at the Adhoc Ein! Oh, and Henry if you need something, don''t hesitate to reach out to our department, okay? I''ll see you guys later!" Seori waved goodbye and smiled at both men as the door closed.


    *Clack Clack Clack*


    Seori''s thoughts were filled with vibrant images of office love. She broke out in a bright red flush after seeing the elevator doors close.


    ''I almost lost my composure there, damn my inner Fujoshi is screaming! Those two would look good together as a couple! I should have taken a photo, they look straight out of doujins!'' Seori then took out her phone to send a message.


    [MonMon!!! (ÈË*¡ä?£à)?*?+ Just what you said! They look so good together AAAHHHHHH!!! (¤Å£þ 3£þ)¤Å I hope things finally go well for Ein. (¡ä£»¦Ø£»£à) I wanna see him happy!]


    [ - Sorry, Seori, Sorry, Seori 9:54 AM]


    "Ahh¡­ I wonder if the new chapter for Love Bus is out, I should check later maybe around lunch." Seori hummed with glee as she shuffled off to the HR offices.


    ***


    The awkward silence resumed as the elevator doors closed, Ein didn''t mind it but Henry felt uncomfortable, he then decided to break the ice.


    "Mr Schmidt, I just noticed. You seem close to Ms Avery." Henry glanced at Ein with a curious expression.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "We joined the company at the same time, we''ve been together for a couple of years and she''s a reliable colleague," Ein replied with his nonchalant voice while writing down notes in his planner.


    "Hmm¡­ I see, is that also the same for Ms Monique? Earlier both of you seemed like-"


    "She''s a dear friend and my benefactor, that''s all there is to it." Ein glanced at Henry with his poker face and then went back to taking notes on his planner.


    "Don''t mistake my relationship with her or else you''ll incur her wrath. Monique hates it when that happens." Ein left out a soft chuckle.


    "You finally smiled, Ein¡­" Henry mumbled and smiled sheepishly at Ein.


    "What is it? Did you say something?" Ein glanced at Henry with an inquisitive face.


    "It''s nothing, Mr Schmidt."


    "Call me Ein." He then patted Henry''s shoulder. "Whenever I hear my surname it makes me feel older, please stick to my name instead."


    "A-alright, if that''s what you prefer¡­ E-Ein." Henry stuttered as he tried to suppress his excitement towards Ein''s response.


    ''This¡­ what is wrong with this man¡­ Earlier he''s composed and now he''s stuttering and his ears are flushed.'' Ein pondered at the sudden change in Henry''s body language. ''Is he perhaps¡­?''


    When Henry stroked Ein''s palm with his index finger during their handshake, Ein had deduced what type of man Henry was. He was aware of the hungry types of men as he had dated a few similar studs back in his youth.


    ''Don''t fall for it Ein, you need to be careful... he''s a wolf in sheep''s clothing!'' His inner voice screamed at him loud.


    Ein looked at Henry with an inquisitive stare. "By the way, Emery told me that you''ve worked here in the past¡­"


    "A-ah¡­ yes, I did in the past. It was only for a month as a dishwasher. Haha!" Henry snickered as he recollected his past in Hotel Citron.


    "By why a dishwasher? I saw your CV, you could have helped in the kitchen and get paid properly."


    "I¡­ Didn''t do it for the money." Henry''s ears flushed red.


    Ein was befuddled. It was a first for him to hear about someone accepting a low-paying job and didn''t expect any monetary benefits.


    "If it isn''t for the money, then why did you accept regardless?


    "Uh¡­ well¡­ I-it was for me to see y-"


    *Ttring! Ttring! Ttring!*


    Suddenly, the emergency alarm of the elevator rang and the lights suddenly went out. The two men were stranded inside, Henry quickly took out his phone and turned on its flashlight.


    "It must be a power outage or an earthquake¡­ Ein are you-"


    "I-I''m f-fine¡­ D-don''t mind m-me¡­"


    Henry saw Ein standing near the corner where the buttons of the elevator were. It seems he distanced himself away from Henry after the lights went out. Ein was trembling and his face became pale.


    "Are you certain? You don''t look fine to me..." Henry extended his hand towards Ein to assist him.


    "No! No! S-stay away p-please! S-step back!" Ein shrugged off Henry''s outstretched hand. "L-leave me a-alone!"


    "Haaahh¡­ haaah¡­" Ein felt his heart palpitate and started hyperventilating. He dropped to the floor and curled up. Tears started to fall uncontrollably from his eyes. "No! No! No! D-don''t t-touch m-me!" Ein shrieked at Henry as he got close.


    "Ein! It''s me, Henry! I''m not going to hurt you! Everything''s going to be alright, so take deep breaths, please?" Henry toned down his voice to a gentle and assuring tone.


    Henry recognised Ein''s condition, it was a panic attack and he was familiar with it.


    "I won''t touch you Ein, but please bear with this¡­ You need to keep warm since the floor is cold and it''s autumn after all." Henry quickly removed his jacket and gently covered Ein with it. "We can''t have you getting sick due to the cold." Henry gazed at Ein with a gentle smile and then sat across him.


    "Take deep breaths, and focus on my voice, Ein." Henry inched a little closer to Ein. And spoke in a soft voice.


    "It''s just you and me in here. There''s no one out to get you. I''m not here to hurt you remember?"


    Ein was still sobbing incoherently, he remained curled up in his corner assuming a fetal position. Being stuck, alone in the dark with a stranger terrified him as it brought back horrifying memories. He did notice the mild fragrance that was on Henry''s jacket. It smelled faintly of dried lavender and it helped Ein calm down a bit.


    ''It is 2023 now, he''s not here anymore¡­ it''s 2023¡­ it''s 2023¡­'' Ein tried to calm his thoughts by thinking of the current year.


    "...Relax, Ein."


    Henry''s words triggered one of the worst memories Ein wished he could forget. The darkness inside the elevator and the eerie silence reminded Ein of that terrible day. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on other things but the trauma of the past was far stronger and he couldn''t overcome it.


    ~~~~~


    To be Continued.


    ~~~~~

 Chapter 5: Lunch Break Part 2

    Ein remembered his first boyfriend in college, he was an associate professor of Literature who was an openly gay man. He had an affinity for mixed-blood Asians, and Ein''s overall appearance piqued his tastes. The man''s name was Matthew Briar.


    During Freshman Week back in college, Matthew saw the youthful Ein attend a Literature conference, He was a speaker on that event and Matthew fell in love at first sight.


    Eventually, Matthew started to woo Ein. They saw each other off-campus and dated a couple of weeks after. Due to the nature of their relationship, they mutually agreed to act appropriately at school.


    The unfortunate thing was, Ein was oblivious to the predatory nature of the man he was seeing. And the gentle and respectful front that Matthew showed him was just a farce. The professor had a thirst and a burning hunger for Ein''s flesh.


    ***


    "Thank you for attending the class, See you all next week. You all may go." A brown-haired man who was wearing a gray casual suit fixed his belongings as he dismissed the class.


    "By the way, Ein Schmidt, please see me at lunch break in Building D''s 6th-floor study room. I need to speak to you regarding your performance this semester." He then gazed at Ein who was stowing away his notebooks into his bag.


    "U-understood, Mr Briars! I''ll be there by 11:30 sharp." Ein nodded then quickly marked his planner with the appointed time and darted off to his next class.


    "Hmm¡­ looking forward to it." A smile formed on Matthew''s face. His brown eyes glinted with greed as he watched Ein leave the classroom.


    ''Looks like I''ll have a delicious meal later.'' The man chuckled as he thought of various perverted ways to claim his body.


    ***


    It was 11:00 AM and classes had ended for Ein, he was waiting in the campus gardens for Monique. They had agreed to meet up for lunch plans that morning, as Ein waited on the bench, he heard someone shouting his name from afar.


    "Eeeeiiiinnnn!!!"


    A young woman had called out to him, Ein recognized the red hue of her hair. It was Monique, she wore a casual spring dress and leather mules, and her hair was tied up in a neat ponytail.


    "Did you wait that long Ein?" Monique sat beside Ein on the bench.


    "I just got here. How about you? Are your classes done? If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Yup! hopefully, we''ll be able to take some of the classes together next semester! I applied for a double degree next term." Monique clung onto Ein''s arm.


    "Wow, how studious of you, Monique. I thought you wanted to graduate as fast as you can?" Ein sneered at Monique and his mouth curved up, forming a mocking grin.


    Monique felt annoyed by Ein''s words and she pinched his shoulder. "Shut that condescending crap, Ein! I''m doing this because I want to be a proper heiress to the company."


    "Ouch! Alright! Alright! Ms Moss, may you be a CEO by graduation." Ein groaned sarcastically.


    "You''re such an arse!!" Monique pouted and resumed pinching on Ein''s arm.


    Monique then noticed Matthew observing them from a nearby window. Monique smiled at him but Matthew didn''t even bother waving back and ignored her. He then walked away after seeing the two of them act chummy.


    "Uh¡­ Ein, I think you should tone down from seeing that man." Monique reached out and grabbed Ein''s jacket. "Seriously, I don''t feel good whenever I see Professor Briar looking at us like that." Monique gazed at Ein with a worried expression.


    "What do you mean by that, Monique? He''s a pretty decent guy to me, he hasn''t done anything shady or-"


    "Oh come on Ein, please stop being so oblivious!" Monique smacked Ein repeatedly with her leather satchel.


    "That man clearly just wants to go under your pants! Can you not see the filthy looks he''s giving you in class?! I saw it the other day and also this morning during his lecture. Are you not creeped out?" Monique''s deep blue eyes reflected anxiousness.


    "Ouch! That hurt¡­ Wait, does he?" Ein pondered for a bit and recalled the weekend dates for the past month he had with the professor.


    "All we did on our dates was to watch soccer games or watch theatre, screening movies, lunch outs and dinners. No hanky-panky stuff! And he''s a gentleman so far¡­ all he did was kisses at most." Ein face flushed red like a tomato. "And¡­ if I say no to his advances he backs down too."


    "Ein you dense arse!" Monique''s deep blue eyes raged with anger.


    "Have you not thought about how unethical it is to date your own professor? Or the fact that a professor laid his hands on his stud-"


    Ein swiftly covered Monique''s mouth. "Shh! Monique, please! Keep it down!" Ein snorted and looked around the garden. "You promised me that this is just a secret between us!"


    "Fine! I''ll let you deal with your own shit since you''re a grown man." Monique smacked Ein''s leg with her satchel again.


    Ein used his duffle bag as a shield against Monique''s attacks. "Ouch! Will you stop hitting-"


    "Please,  be careful Ein. I¡­ don''t want to see you get hurt again." She then stopped hitting on Ein. Monique''s face had darkened and her mood became gloomy.


    "Alright Monique, I''ll think about it properly¡­ I''m meeting the professor in thirty minutes¡­ he wanted to see me in the Study rooms at building D, it seems like it''s about my class performance. So I might talk to him about it as well." Ein scratched his head, as he wondered if he was doing good in Matthew''s classes.


    "Alrighty! Then, let''s meet by noon and head out for lunch! My treat! I''ll fetch you before we go..." Monique paused briefly and then her face suddenly flushed red.


    "Me and Diether''s class is just across building D too¡­"


    "So basically, you want me to be the 3rd wheel since you''ll hang with your boyfriend again¡­ Wow Monique, just wow!" Ein gazed at Monique with indifference and his tone was condescending.


    "It''s not gonna be a date you dolt!" Monique ruffled Ein''s hair in retaliation to his rudeness. "Diether¡­ just wants to meet up you again since he''s worried about you. Just like how I worry too with what''s happening to your love life."


    "Wait. You told him about me, dating!?!" Ein''s eyes dilated and raised his voice.


    "I didn''t! I swear! It''s not that Ein, calm down." Monique groaned. "Diether wanted to meet you for a different reason."


    "Then what is his reason then? Why did he have a sudden urge to meet me for no apparent reason?" Ein looked at Monique with suspicion in his eyes.


    "I''ll¡­ tell you later when we meet. Let''s meet at the lobby of building D then!" Monique then checked her wristwatch, it was now 11:17 AM.


    "Bullocks! I''m late for Economics, I''ll see you later Ein! Remember! 12 noon sharp! Call or send me a message if you need something okay?." Monique gave Ein a warm hug then quickly scurried off to her class.


    "Yes, yes¡­ see you later Monique!" Ein stood up from the bench and collected his bag.


    "I guess... It''s time to see Matthew soon."


    ~~~~~


    To be Continued.


    ~~~~~

 Chapter 6: Licorice Candy

    Ein found himself walking toward building D to meet up with Matthew. He pondered why the professor had called for him when they mutually agreed to be discreet on campus.


    ''Hmm¡­ as far as I know, I don''t think I''m failing or passing his class, my scores were fine in his last test. Why was he calling for me then? Did I do something wrong during our date last week?'''' Ein contemplated as he walked into the elevator lobby. ''Monique was also strange earlier¡­ Why would she say such a thing?''


    Ein felt anxious after talking with Monique earlier, he then brought out his mobile phone and keyed in a text message for her.


    {Fetch Me 12N}


    "Just like how the rumours say, you''re always early or always on time, Ein Schmidt." A man pressed the button to hail the lift.


    Ein was startled as he heard a man''s voice behind him, he tucked his phone onto his pocket and quickly turned around and saw Matthew who was behind him.


    "P-professor Briar, uh¡­ I was just on my way up to meet you."


    "Would you like to join me for lunch, Ein?" Matthew showed Ein a box of sandwiches on his left hand. "I think I bought too much, want to share it with me?" A gentle smile appeared on Matthew''s face.


    "S-sure! I''ll join you for lunch since it''s your treat, professor. Haha!" Ein scratched his head and smiled coquettishly at Matthew.


    "By the way, I only have lemon juice or tea upstairs, you don''t mind any of those right?"


    "I''m fine with either, professor."


    *Ting*


    The lift had arrived, and the doors opened in front of us.


    "Alright, glad to know, shall we head up then?" Matthew then boarded the elevator and held the door for Ein.


    Ein nodded and went inside the lift, he then pressed the button for the 6th floor where their destination was.


    "Oh, by the way, I received some liquorice candies earlier, here have some, Ein. It might take a moment to prepare the drinks, munch on these for the meantime." Matthew then handed out the candies to Ein.


    "Black Jacks? I loved these! Thank you, professor." Ein unwrapped one and popped it into his mouth.


    A dark smile formed on Matthew''s lips as he saw Ein munching on the candy. He looked like a hungry wolf who was going in for the kill.


    ***


    "Monique, over here! I saved you a seat beside me!" Diether waved happily at his girlfriend when she arrived in the study hall."


    "...Am I late? Where''s the professor?! Ahhh, Haaaah¡­" Monique ran as fast as she could and she was out of breath.


    "Prof''s running late too, he said He''ll arrive in two minutes so¡­ you''re just in time. Quickly! Take a seat here!"


    "Yes! Thank goodness!" Monique sighed in relief as she sat beside Diether. She then fixed her bag and wiped her sweat with her handkerchief. She suddenly heard her flip phone beep and checked the text message.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    {Fetch Me 12N: Ein 11:30}


    Monique smiled as she saw Ein''s message and Diether saw her face glow.


    "Who is it?" Diether looked at Monique with a puzzled face.


    "It''s Ein. He just confirmed that he''ll meet us for lunch later."


    "Did you tell him by any chance¡­? About our Engagement?"


    "Nope, not yet! I just invited him so we can tell him together." Monique hugged Diether who sat beside her.


    "Hee hee! I can''t wait to tell him the good news soon! I wonder what would his face look like¡­ Will he cry for joy like a clingy little sister or a bawl like a brother?" Monique giggled as she stowed away the phone back into her bag.


    ***


    "The drug should be in effect now."


    *Schlip*


    *Schlip*


    *Schlip*


    Only the intense slapping of flesh echoed through the darkened study room. At the centre of it, was a desk where a man sprawled in the nude. Ein had been gagged with a silk tie over his mouth, his eyes had been covered up with a blindfold and were stained with his tears, Ein''s arms were tightly bound to his back with a rope.


    Matthew Briar, who stood before the restrained Ein, had been steadily stroking and pumping Ein''s shaft with his right hand.


    Ein''s legs were stretched wide open and were tied by ropes that were fastened to the corners of the desk. His vulnerable position exposed his intimates, Ein''s half-erect cock, was slick with thick precum and his hole was sufficiently stuffed with a myriad of sex toys. The desk shook as Ein struggled and wriggled from his restraints.


    "Mmmpphhh! Hhhmmpphh!" Ein''s body tensed up as he tried to free himself from the binding. He was tied up tightly and the ropes marked his skin red.


    "Relax for me, Ein¡­"


    *Schlip*


    *Schlip*


    *Schlip*


    Hmph! Hmmphh!" Ein writhed as he felt Matthew''s rough hand, play with his delicate front.


    "You''re doing well so far Ein...."


    A sinister smile formed on Matthew''s face. He then leaned and lapped down on Ein''s wet cock from the base to the tip, his tongue flicks at the edge and sucks on the head like a lollipop. He repeated it until he saw more of Ein''s shaft standing tall and his precum trickling down on its length.


    "Your dick seems eager for release¡­ are you taking care of it properly?" Matthew''s hand gripped on Ein''s base tightly as if to suppress the precome from flowing out.


    "Mmmph!"


    Ein winced in pain as Matthew kept a tight grip on his shaft. Ein shivered when he felt a cold and wet sensation trickle down on his sensitive entrance.


    "Relax, I just added more lube so it will be easier¡­" He then spilt and emptied the small bottle of lubricant onto Ein''s trembling hole and inserted his index and middle finger into the tight flesh. His fingers twisted inside to disperse the cold lube deeper. Ein moaned and shook, the pleasure on his crotch heightened as the fingers assaulted his prostate.


    "Hmm, you liked that?" Matthew grinned and added two more fingers into Ein''s wet hole stretching his entryway, the fingers reached deep and pressed the two vibrating love eggs, a prostate massager and the anal beads that were already packed inside. The throbbing sensations and the fingers made Ein''s body shudder with pleasure.


    "Uunghh!"


    Ein was about to discharge his load when Matthew suddenly stopped and took out his fingers, Ein''s cock twinged painfully as Matthew tightened his grip thwarting his release.


    "Don''t come with my fingers you slut¡­" He then inspected Ein''s entrance, it had become swollen red and had expanded due to the toys that were left inside, Matthew looked satisfied as he saw Ein''s hole spasm and gape in earnest.


    "Such a ripe colour, Ein¡­ your ass really enjoys being smashed to the brim." He then pulled out the massager and tugged the handle of the anal beads.


    "HHmmmpphh!" Ein jerked as one of the toys got pulled out.


    "I''ll replace some of them with something better, don''t clamp down and just relax." The man licked his lips as he pulled out the beads one by one.


    "Mmmph! Hhmmp! Uummmph!"


    As the beads were slowly pulled out from his insides, Ein''s consciousness drifted, the sensations he felt ran like electricity through his body. Whenever a bead was freed from his hole, Ein felt an intense wave of pleasure and emptiness, the feeling of being stuffed full slowly diminished and Ein moaned as each bead popped out from his ass.


    "We should pick up the pace, I can''t wait to get inside you, Ein."


    The man released his grip from Ein''s base and yanked the beads out with one vigorous move, retrieving the large six beads that were deep inside Ein''s ass.


    "Uuunnggghhh!"


    Ein finally met relief, his cock jerked and released a full load, leaving his shaft and his abdomen drenched on his own milky cum. Ein''s nether regions looked totally debauched, his wet hole shared the same red hue as his dick and became soft, his entrance gaped open after Mathew pulled out the largest beads forcefully.


    "Your body really is beautiful Ein¡­ this pale, supple skin¡­" Matthew sucked on Ein''s right nipple while his left hand fondled and pinched the other.


    "Hhmmph! Mmpphh! Ein shook as Matthew''s sucking intensified to bites, leaving teeth marks on his chest.


    "It''s really prone to marks." Matthew smiled, his mouth descended onto Ein''s body leaving a trail of hickeys and bite marks from his chest down to his crotch. He then went back to Ein''s limping cock, and stroked it vigorously with his hand to coax it to an erection. "We''re not yet done, don''t go soft on me."


    "Hnngghhh!"


    Ein trembled as he felt Matthew''s four fingers invade his insides again. This time, Matthew also adjusted the love egg''s vibrations to its highest setting. Tears started to stain Ein''s blindfold once again and his body trembled violently from the pleasure. His shaft stood up in earnest once more.


    "You will be mine today."


    A twisted smile formed on Matthew''s face as he swiftly unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his pants.


    ~~~~~


    To Be Continued.


    ~~~~~

 Chapter 7: Licorice Candy Part 2

    I woke up surrounded by darkness, I felt the cold as my skin was exposed and my body felt heavy. A dull pain lingered on my head and my mouth was stiff, someone had tied it shut.


    "Mmmpphhh! Hhhmmpp!"


    I tried to scream and make noises but I could only hear the creaking noises of wood. My back and arms felt painful as I laid on a hard surface and my bare skin rubbed against it.


    "Hmm¡­ looks like the dosage on the candies was off, you woke up rather fast."


    ''This voice¡­ Matthew? What is happening?''


    I suddenly felt a warm hand reach for my crotch, the hand was rough, he grabbed onto my dick and he played with it like a rattle. I trembled as I felt his hand stroking my shaft slowly, then intensified into a faster pace.


    "Let''s get you ready."


    ''No! Matthew, I don''t want this! I''m scared! Stop! Please! Don''t do this!'' I shook and wailed with all my might but my struggles were suppressed by the ropes and my muffled cries fell on deaf ears.


    Matthew''s rough fingers fiddled my hole, his fingers were wet and something cold trickled down from it and it made me shiver, I whimpered and tried to free my hands, but the rope was too tight.


    "Be patient Ein, you''ll enjoy this soon¡­"


    I felt the first finger enter, the rough finger wriggled inside and kept on poking around, my waist felt strange as it hit my prostate. I tried to move and get the finger out of my ass but the tight rope wrapping around my legs hindered me to move my waist. Matthew also plunged his finger deeper whenever I try to breathe out.


    "Mmmppph! Ummmpphh!"


    "Hey now, don''t tighten, you''ll just make it harder later on."


    Another of his fingers slid in, and my hole started to ache, I tried to resist his prodding, but Matthew started to twirl his fingers inside in retaliation, it hurt at first but whenever he twisted his fingers at a certain angle, the pain would go away and I felt pleasure after.


    "I said relax, you slut!"


    I heard Matthew click his tongue and I felt his knuckles reach the edge of my hole. It was too deep and I felt pain inside.


    "Haahh¡­ this won''t work then. Let''s use something else to loosen you up."


    I found relief when he pulled out his fingers from my ass. I then heard Matthew''s footsteps, it seems he was going somewhere.


    *Clack*


    I heard a door open, did Matthew leave? I sobbed as loud as I can and shook the ropes on my leg. I felt the rope on my left leg was becoming loose and the surface I laid on shook violently as I tried to free myself.


    "Don''t even think about escaping Ein. I''m still here."


    I felt Matthew''s breath near my right ear. It seems that he didn''t leave the room and was gawking over me. I tried crying for help as loud as I can but the tight gag made my wails into faint grunts.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Let''s put this on you first, this will make you feel good in a bit."


    Something dull was being pressed against my hole. It was hard, and it felt like a ball was being forced into my small entryway.


    "Open wide, Ein."


    I felt Matthew''s fingers spread me apart by force and I sensed the ball enter me slowly. Matthew then nudged it deep and I felt a tingling sensation run through my crotch.


    *Click*


    ''What is this? It feels weird! Something is moving, it''s hitting my insides'' I felt a dull pressure slowly crawl deep into my ass, it felt like the thing stuffed into me was moving.


    "Good! Looks like you''re enjoying it Ein, your waist is shaking on its own now."


    The pain I felt earlier was fading away, it was now slowly being replaced by pleasure. Matthew''s hands kept on invading and jabbing my prostate and it felt horribly good.


    "Another should fit in snugly¡­ Relax, Ein."


    Matthew shoved another one deep into me without spreading me apart. It hurt at first, but when it reached my insides, the feeling of pleasure slammed into me like a wave of water.


    *Click Click*


    The vibrations inside me got stronger, I felt Matthew''s fingers press them against my prostate on purpose. It was driving me mad.


    "Loosening you up will take hours if we only use those eggs¡­ let''s add another one."


    ''Eggs? Another one? No! Stop Matthew!'' I shook the restraints with all my might and my left leg finally came loose, I tried to kick Matthew but he grabbed onto my leg with his strong arm.


    "Hmm, I guess I was too lenient on you."


    I felt Matthew grab onto the rope of my loose leg and secured again to the same corner, this time the rope tension was tighter.


    "If only you can see how beautiful you are Ein¡­ Your skin looks nice as the ropes leave their marks." Matthew''s warm tongue slithered around my dick, I felt him lap my entire length, and once he reached the tip, he would flick his tongue as if to tease me. My waist would shake on its own, it was begging for more. The toys inside my ass felt good and the pleasure of being attacked on both sides made me weak. It was unbearable and slowly, the pleasure was making me lose my rationality.


    "You''re finally opening yourself to me, that''s good."


    Matthew stopped, I heard his footsteps move away from me and then return shortly after.


    "Let''s make you feel better¡­ Ein, stay still, you don''t want me to prick the wrong vein. Haha¡­"


    An ominous feeling ran through my body.


    ''Pricking? Vein? No! No! No! I Don''t want this! Monique Help! Please, someone, Help!'' I jerked my head and my torso to keep Matthew away but his body leaned down on me and pinned me down.


    I felt a needle prick my neck, it was painful, but slowly, my senses started to wither, the last thing I heard was Matthew''s words.


    "Ein¡­ Relax, we have all the time in the world¡­"


    ***


    *Clack Clack Clack*


    The doors to the elevator closed, two students who just got out from their class were on their way to meet Ein. It was already 12:17 PM and they were running late on their meet.


    "Ugh, I can''t believe the professor took his sweet time discussing the lesson." Monique groaned. "He came in class late and then he extended the class by 15 minutes? I mean, where''s justice in that?"


    "Says the person who also came late. Haha!" Diether ruffled Monique''s ponytail as he mocked her entry in the classroom earlier.


    "Hey, at least the professor didn''t see me come in late! So technically, I''m just in time." Monique sneered at Diether and smacked him with her satchel.


    *Tting!*


    As they alighted the elevator, Monique pulled out her phone to check for messages. Ein had sent her a text message at 11:30 AM however, there were no further updates from his end.


    "That''s strange¡­ Ein would usually call or send a text message if he''s unable to find us¡­" Monique''s face suddenly darkened.


    "What time did you say the meet would be?" Diether was puzzled by Monique''s expression.


    "It was 12:00 sharp, Building D''s Lobby..."


    "Yeah, but we''re late right? He''s probably waiting in the lobby, you know how mobile phones are with their batteries right? He must have turned it off to save its power." Diether then hugged Monique and kissed her forehead.


    "Let''s hurry to him then, Building D''s lobby is just at the next corner." Diether smiled gently at Monique. "Don''t worry he should be-"


    Monique suddenly had the urge to run, Her intuition was filled with dread. It was not possible for Ein to miss an appointment, especially if they had agreed on it. And the lack of communication on Ein''s side had her worried terribly.


    ''Ein, you arse, why didn''t you call or send me a text message! You always ring me up whenever I''m running late!'' Monique ran towards the lobby, hoping to find Ein waiting there.


    "Wait! M-Monique, slow down! You run too fast!" Diether struggled to follow her.


    When both of them reached the lobby, Diether and Monique were out of breath. It looked like they just did the fastest 100-yard sprint in record time.


    "Haaah¡­ Haaahh¡­ I never ran hard twice in a day! Goddamnit, Ein where are you?!" Monique shouted through the lobby and other students looked at her like she had gone insane.


    Diether collected himself and looked around the lobby. He couldn''t spot Ein in the area. Ein was nowhere to be found.


    ~~~~~


    To be Continued.


    ~~~~~

 Chapter 8: Licorice Candy Part 3

    Monique was out of breath after sprinting toward building D''s lobby, her intuition was going haywire with worry and her boyfriend, Diether gave chase a few paces behind her. Upon their arrival, they were stunned.


    Ein who was always prompt and punctual was nowhere to be found.


    "Uh¡­ Monique, are you sure Ein didn''t flake out?"


    Diether''s ochre irises dilated and his eyes looked around, scanning through the lobby in search of Ein. His sweat trickled from his tanned face and his dark brown fringes were drenched by his perspiration. Diether unzipped his blue hoodie to cool off, exposing a white shirt underneath that was damp with his sweat.


    Monique showed Diether the text message she received earlier. Her brows furrowed in anxiousness and her lips quivered. "Ein isn''t like that! He has never stood me up since I met him. Look, he even told me to fetch him!"


    An ominous feeling rose from Monique''s gut, it was impossible for Ein to skip appointments especially if it was Monique''s request. And if in case Ein was the one running late, he would ring up urgently or send a text message should he fail to meet the agreed time.


    ''Think, think! Why wouldn''t Ein show up and not ring me?'' Monique''s anxiety peaked and her thoughts gradually panicked. She then remembered the conversation she had with Ein earlier.


    [I''m meeting the professor in thirty minutes¡­ he wanted to see me in the Study rooms at building D, it seems like it''s about my class performance. So I might talk to him about it as well.]


    "Shit!"


    Monique quickly called Ein''s mobile phone. It rang on the other end, but no one was answering. She tried again but her second call also wasn''t answered too. "Ein, you arse, answer it, please! Please!!!" Monique kept on calling Ein''s phone, but no one answered on each attempt.


    A feeling of dread overwhelmed her and tears started to well up from Monique''s eyes.


    "What''s wrong, Monique?" Diether was taken aback by the distressed Monique.


    Monique suddenly gripped Diether''s hoodie and pulled him close to her face. "Diether, do you know where the study rooms are here in building D!? Specifically, for student or faculty use!?" Her voice trembled as she asked Diether.


    "Uh¡­ T-the study rooms for the s-students are on the west wing of the 3rd floor, a-and the f-faculty is on the east wing of the 6th floor!" Diether stuttered as he watched the panicking Monique. "Do you have an idea where Ein is?"


    Monique nodded vigorously in response to his question. "P-possibly." She then rushed to the elevator and pressed the button to hail a lift up, the elevator was now on its way down.


    "I''ll c-check on the 3rd floor, p-please look on the 6th floor for me, Diether¡­ please¡­" Monique''s throat felt tight and gradually, her tears started to fall, she tried to hold back her sobbing but her muffled cries echoed in the lobby, causing curious onlookers to gawk at the couple.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Diether''s heart broke as he saw Monique''s distress. He knew that Ein was like family to her. Monique was an only child and Ein was like a little brother that she never had. She cared deeply for Ein''s safety and well-being and doted on him.


    "All right, I''ll look for him too, I''ll call you immediately if I find him." Diether gently wiped the tears from Monique''s cheeks. "Everything will be fine, let''s go and look for Ein." Diether gazed at her with a gentle and assuring smile.


    The elevator doors opened and both of them promptly boarded. Both of them hoped that Ein would be found safely.


    ***


    The sound of filthy, lascivious moans resonated through the darkened study room, window blinds had been shut to block out any prying eyes, and the door was locked tight to avoid unwanted intrusions. A thick smell of blood, sweat and cum lingered inside the room.


    "Haaah¡­ Haaaahhh¡­ Ein¡­ Haaaah, you''re so tight."


    Matthew had been eagerly plundering Ein''s hole raw for the last fifteen minutes. Initially, he had wanted to confine Ein in the study room and fuck him senseless until sunset came. However, he became hasty as his hunger for Ein''s flesh grew fierce. Like a wolf savouring his fresh hunt, Matthew devoured Ein''s virginity greedily and marked his body with hickies and bites.


    At first, Ein whimpered and shuddered in pain as Matthew tore him apart from the inside. He bled as the toys inside him intruded deeper past his rectum while Mathew forced his hard, thick shaft into Ein''s tight hole. Ein''s body tensed up and limped due to the excruciating pain.


    "I already loosened¡­ Haaahh¡­ you up earlier¡­Aaahhh! But¡­ Why are you¡­ Haaaahh! Still tight?"


    Matthew''s thrusts were deep, he would pull out his entire length and plunge it into Ein''s ass in one forceful jab. Matthew had left the two love eggs inside him, causing them to go even deeper, near Ein''s colon.


    "Uuuunnhhh¡­ Uuummpphh¡­ Mmmmhhhmm!"


    Ein''s muffled cries of pain echoed in the darkness. Matthew found his wails arousing and quickened his pace, he then unfastened Ein''s left leg and raised it to his right shoulder. Matthew found it easier to pound deeper into Ein once he changed his angle.


    "Hmmmpphh!" Ein had orgasmed after Matthew hit his tender prostate when he changed his position. His cum lost its thickness and then once again drenched his abdomen. It was his 3rd time climaxing from Matthew''s dick.


    "Ahhh¡­ Did that feel good? Haaahh¡­" A lustrous smile appeared in Matthew''s face. "Good, let''s paint your walls white, Ein."


    Matthew then sheathed his entire cock into Ein''s hole in one thrust. A filthy grunt escaped from his mouth. and Ein felt a warm liquid pour inside him slowly, he felt his insides grow full.


    Ein''s senses were overwhelmed by the pain and the pleasure he was subjected to, his consciousness faded in and out as the drugs in his bloodstream kicked in.


    "Looks like the dosage was off again¡­ man, I should buy from a different dealer."


    Matthew groaned and turned his head towards the door. He clicked his tongue as he heard someone calling for Ein from the corridor outside.


    "Ein! Are you here?" Diether''s yelling resonated through the hallway.


    ''That¡­ voice¡­'' Ein whimpered as he recognised Diether''s voice. ''Diether¡­ Monique¡­ help! Help!


    Ein mustered his remaining strength and kicked Matthew using his loosened left leg. Ein felt pain on his ankle, it seems it had been sprained after kicking Matthew''s torso with a great amount of force.


    Matthew fell to the floor hard and a loud thud echoed from the room.


    "You bitch!" Matthew''s eyes burned with rage as he saw Ein wriggle from his restraints. He quickly got back up and punched Ein on his abdomen. "You think you can escape from here?!"


    "Uuummppph!" Ein''s breathing had become laboured, and his body trembled in pain.


    Matthew then grabbed Ein''s head and slammed it on the desk, Ein moaned in pain, his forehead bled due to the impact.


    "Bitches like you should know their place." Matthew shoved his dick back inside Ein and thrust aggressively. Ein''s sphincter tore and bled profusely.


    It was too painful, Ein''s tears drenched his blindfold. His whimpers became louder, blood flowed down on the table where he was sprawled and the desk''s legs shook violently.


    The loud clattering echoed through the empty corridors, the suspicious sound grabbed Diether''s attention, and he followed the direction where the noise came from.


    He then found himself at the door of the easternmost study room on the 6th''s floor.


    He found the room suspicious, the blinds had been put down and the door was locked. ''I swear¡­ I heard the noise here¡­''


    Diether then peeked through the keyhole to check if someone was inside. The view that greeted him was the helpless Ein, being violated by a man.


    He felt an overwhelming shock and rage with what he saw. He quickly phoned Monique and told her to call 999 for help and hung up.


    Adrenaline had quickly rushed into his system, the next thing he knew, he had kicked down the door with a single attempt.


    ~~~~~


    To Be Continued.


    ~~~~~

 Chapter 9: Licorice Candy Part 4

    Although the room was a little dark, the sunlight outside seeped through the small gaps of the window blinds. The study room''s walls were painted white, while the furnishing was of light colours. Allowing the diffused sunlight to seep through the darkness, illuminating one side of the room.


    The dim light helped Matthew see his masterpiece as he painted Ein''s body with his marks. Ein''s perky nipples were swollen red, his chest was littered with bite marks and hickies. His arms and legs had rope burns and bruises, while sticky cum painted his abdomen, Matthew''s milky load and blood dribbled from his entryway.


    A satisfied smirk was etched on Matthew''s face as he saw his prey thoroughly debauched, his libido was still burning with desire to dominate, disregarding Ein''s resistance. He punched Ein''s abdomen and slammed his head into the desk to weaken him and to prevent Ein from breaking out from the rope bindings.


    Ein''s painful grunts and moans riled up Matthew''s anger and further aroused his erect member, which he then used to roughly impale Ein''s delicates relentlessly. Fresh blood trickled down on the desk as Matthew tore his insides apart.


    "Remember this, Ein¡­ this pain, Ahh!  And this pleasure. Haha! Hnngghh!" Filthy grunts and moans escaped Matthew''s mouth as he rams into Ein.


    Matthew became oblivious to the noise outside the corridor and submitted himself to the pleasure. Ein''s hole was tight and the muscles wrapped around his shaft, clamping down on him. He enjoyed Ein who had become submissive after receiving a few blows from him.


    "Haaahh! See, Ein? You were meant to be a bitch! Haha! No one will help you here¡­ Aaah! It''s just you and me¡­" He then pulled out his dick and forcefully shoved its entire length into Ein, discharging another load.


    Ein lets out a painful moan and passes out, his arms and legs stopped trembling and his body limps motionless.


    Matthew cackled like a mad man as he saw Ein become like a rag doll, he then aimed his cock once more into the swollen hole and started pounding again. Matthew''s laughter echoes through the room as he asserts ownership of Ein''s body.


    Little did Matthew knew, someone witnessed his madness


    Diether was abhorred by what he saw through the small keyhole and retreated a few steps back. Eventually, a wave of seething anger followed by disgust filled his thoughts. The images of a dear friend being bound on a table, while being sexually assaulted burned into his eyes. Seeing Ein being treated like an animal shook him to his core.


    Diether swiftly takes out his mobile phone and rings Monique who answers immediately on the first ring.


    [D-Diether! Did you manage to-]


    "I f-found Ein, he''s being assaulted! P-please call 999 and s-send them to Building D, 6th floor, e-eastern wing. Please hurry!!" His voice trembled.


    Diether then releases the call and dials the number for the campus'' emergency services to get help, the operator then notes the details from him and lets him know that a responder will come as soon as possible and should arrive within ten minutes.


    ''Shit! Help is taking too long! Ein needs help, now!''


    Adrenaline courses through Diether''s body as he recalls the view he saw earlier. He then takes a deep breath, summons his strength and kicks the door open, breaking the lock.


    Matthew suddenly heard the door open with a loud bang, he turned his head toward the direction of the sound, but instead of seeing the intruder, a heavy fist flew to his face. Matthew crashed hard onto the floor, his mouth bled as the strong jab loosened some of his teeth.


    "You fucking monster! What did you do to Ein?!"


    It was Diether, his face was fuming with rage, he had sprinted and lunged towards Matthew as soon as he entered the room. Diether glances at Ein''s bare body that was sprawled on the desk. He then removes his hoodie and covers Ein with it.


    Diether quickly removes the blindfold, the gag and unties the ropes around Ein.


    As he undid the binding along Ein''s legs, he was alarmed by the amount of blood that dripped down from the table. His eyes followed the steady drops, which led him to where Ein''s waist was.


    Diether was devastated, his ochre irises dilated as he scowled at Matthew. An overwhelming murderous intent came over him.


    "You¡­!"


    Diether grabs Matthew''s collars and slams his head onto the bookshelves. The impact loosened some of the books and fell onto the floor leaving a mess.


    "What did Ein do to you?! Why would you do such a thing?!" Diether''s eyes were filled with fury.


    Matthew chuckled. "Y-you don''t know anything! He seduced me¡­ and I obliged-"


    A right hook punch flies to Matthew''s face. His visage was now a bloody mess as Diether''s blow broke his nose and loosened a few more of his molars.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    "Ahh! It hurts!" Matthew slumps on the floor and squirmed in pain.


    Diether then notices that Matthew''s trousers and underwear had blood stains on them. He clicked his tongue and howled at Matthew.


    "What you did was rape!"


    Diether''s vision darkens in anger, he then pins down Matthew, with his body weight and assaults him with a barrage of punches.


    "You piece of shit!"


    Diether''s knuckles started to bruise and bleed as he mauls Matthew relentlessly. Matthew''s face gradually turned black and blue, his nose and mouth were bleeding profusely due to the blows.


    "No! Diether stop! That is enough! You''ll kill him!


    Diether immediately stiffens, he then releases his hold on Matthew. He recognises the voice that called out to him, it was Monique she had just arrived. Diether glanced at Monique who was at the door, it looked like she ran as fast as she could as she was gasping for air and was sweating.


    Monique cautiously enters the room after catching her breath, she then notices Ein who was lying nude and unconscious on the table, his intimates were covered by Diether''s hoodie. Her eyes widened in terror and a dismal expression was etched on her face.


    "Oh my god! No¡­ No!!" Monique runs to Ein''s side. She quickly checks his breathing and his vitals.


    "Ein! Ein! Wake up, please!" Teardrops drenched Monique''s cheeks as she gently massaged Ein''s face.


    Monique then takes out her handkerchief and presses on Ein''s bleeding forehead. She then saw the bruises, rope marks and wounds left by Matthew on his body. Eventually, she saw the trail of blood that oozed from Ein''s buttocks and she froze in shock.


    "Blood¡­ Diether¡­ Ein''s bleeding too much!" She quickly glanced at her wristwatch and her face started to become pale due to panic.


    "Why¡­ isn''t the ambulance here yet? I already called for emergency¡­" Monique gazes at Diether with a bitter expression. "Ein needs help urgently! What do we do, Diether?"


    Monique''s pained expression troubled Diether and snapped him out of his rage. He then quickly composed himself and comforted Monique.


    "Monique, calm down and don''t panic. I''ve already called the campus'' EMTs a few minutes ago¡­" He then stood up and quickly tied up Matthew''s limbs with the ropes that bound Ein earlier.


    Matthew was lying flat on the ground, his face was bloodied and battered, he fell unconscious after Diether''s fists rained down on him earlier.


    "I''ll go look for help, Monique. Please stay with Ein for the meantime! I''ll be back with help alright? I won''t take long" Diether finishes tying up Matthew''s legs and swiftly darts out of the room with his phone on hand. He was ringing emergency services once again.


    Monique was then left alone in the room, she then realises that crying won''t do anything to help Ein, she collects herself and calmly checks on Ein''s injury once more.


    She took a deep breath and inspected Ein''s rear, it seems that Matthew''s rough handling worsened his injury, fresh blood kept trickling down and two wires stuck out from Ein''s orifice that was connected to remotes.


    "That sick bastard¡­"


    Monique clicked her tongue in anger and grimaced at the unconscious Matthew. She wanted to hit him, but due to Ein''s worsening condition, she opted to ignore him.


    She then notices a multitude of used toys that were sprawled under the desk. She kicked them to the side out of spite and disgust. Monique imagined the pain that Ein had to endure in Matthew''s hands.


    "We need to stop the bleeding¡­"


    Monique swiftly scours the room for an emergency first aid kit. After pulling out all of the drawers and cabinets, she finds a bundle of clean cotton bandages. She then hoists Ein to his side and into a recovery position. Monique uses the bandages to apply pressure on Ein''s rear, suppressing the bleeding.


    "Mm...Mo...nique¡­"


    A weak voice calls out to her. Monique''s blue irises dilated. Ein finally woke up.


    "... Y-yes? E-Ein I''m here!" Monique strokes Ein''s back. "Thank god! You''re s-safe¡­"


    Monique''s voice was still shaking and she tried to hold back her tears. An overwhelming relief slammed through her thoughts as Ein regained his consciousness.


    "I''m¡­ so sorry¡­ I should¡­ have listened¡­" Tears started to flow from Ein''s eyes, his voice shook as he apologised to Monique. "It''s my¡­ fault¡­ I''m sorry."


    "It''s not your fault, Ein, you dolt! I''m the one who should be sorry¡­ I shouldn''t have left you alone!"


    Monique''s teardrops drenched her face once more, she tried to wipe her face dry it but she couldn''t hold back her tears.


    "If only we came just in time! If only we skipped class and stubbornly drag your arse for lunch¡­ this shouldn''t have happened!" Monique''s soft wails slowly echoed through the room.


    "Monique¡­ it''s okay¡­ I don''t¡­ blame you." Ein then stretches his left hand back out to Monique, waiting for her to hold his hand.


    Monique saw Ein''s gesture and quickly grabbed his hand firmly.


    "Thank you¡­ for being¡­ my friend." A soft whimper escapes from Ein.


    "It''s good¡­ to know¡­ That I''m not¡­ alone."


    Ein''s grip on Monique''s hand loosens, his arm then limps down. Ein started to deteriorate as his breathing became uneven and his pulse weakened.


    "No! No! Ein! Stay with me!" Monique shook and pats Ein''s back.


    Eventually, the sound heavy footsteps rang throughout the corridor, Diether had led the EMTs inside the study room and they quickly got to work on administering first aid on Ein.


    Diether struggled to calm Monique down as the paramedics took Ein away, eventually, he assures her that Ein will be taken care of. He then took the details of Ein''s admission to Charing Cross Hospital from one of the responders and relayed it over to Monique.


    The bobbies from South Kensington Police also followed suit after the EMTs vacated the room. The constables investigated the study room and apprehend Matthew Briar due to eyewitness accounts of sexual assault. A few minutes after, officers also discovered illicit drugs inside Matthew''s belongings which further escalated possible charges against him.


    Diether and Monique watched as the ambulance whisked Ein away. Both of them had to stay for a bit for the police inquiry. An investigator then approached Diether for questioning.


    "Monique, I''ll be back for a bit. I just need to tell them of what happened okay?" Diether''s warm hands cupped Monique''s face and he gently kissed her forehead.


    "Alright¡­ I''ll see you later then." A feeble smile appeared on Monique''s face. Her eyes followed Diether as a constable escorted him into a private room.


    Monique was left standing alone in Building D''s lobby, onlookers were gazing at her with a nosy expression. Rumours spread like wildfire, about a professor being arrested for sexual assault. The bystanders then congregated as they saw Professor Matthew Briar being dragged away by an officer, his hands were cuffed and tied to his back and his face was thoroughly beaten up.


    Monique and Matthew''s eyes met briefly as they passed each other in the lobby.


    "Constable, please wait! I just want to have a word with that man." Monique gave chase.


    "Alright, make it quick." The officer fixed his cap as he waited.


    Monique felt a burning urge to hit Matthew but restrained herself. Instead, she scowls at Matthew with a deathly expression, grabs his collars and whispers a threat to his ear.


    "You will never be a free man¡­ The pain you inflicted on Ein¡­ I''ll make sure that you suffer tenfold." Monique then releases her grip and lets the constable whisk Matthew away into the police car.


    "Ms Monique Moss?" An investigator tapped Monique''s shoulder. She turns and greets the man behind him.


    "We''ve received word from Charing Cross that Ein Schmidt has arrived safely. However, it seems that emergency surgery is required to treat his internal injuries and requires consent¡­" The investigator scratches his head.


    "Mr Schmidt has listed you and your parents as emergency contacts, we tried reaching out to your parents but it seems that they are currently overseas... do you have any word from his immediate fam-"


    "He''s been disinherited" Monique interjects. "There is no need for them to get involved. Please bring me to Charing Cross, I''ll sign the papers in his stead."


    "O-of course¡­ Please follow me, I''ll escort you to the hospital." The officer then tips his hat to his colleagues. "I''ll also need to ask you some questions regarding Matthew Briar as well."


    "Of course, I shall comply with your investigation."


    Monique followed the man and boarded the police car. Both of them drove off a few minutes later. She then took out her phone and sent a text message to Diether that she was going to the hospital to accompany Ein.


    ~~~~~


    To be Continued.


    ~~~~~

 Chapter 10: Chamomile Tea Part 1

    It has been thirty minutes since Henry and Ein got stranded inside the elevator. The power was still out, and the sound of Ein whimpering in the corner combined with the gentle swaying of the lift made Henry feel a little uneasy. He would check up on Ein every now and then, but the man would only respond with a soft sob, Henry also observed that Ein would tremble whenever his arm or legs graze against his body.


    He understood the fact that Ein was clearly terrified of what was happening around him and Henry opted to maintain his distance while watching over Ein.


    Henry had used his smartphone''s flashlight to brighten up the surroundings, but he still found the darkness and the silence inside the lift unnerving. Henry had rung the emergency alarm several times already, and there were no signs of rescue yet.


    ''Damn this¡­ Why is it taking so long? Ein is still hyperventilating.'' Henry stood up and went towards the switchboard to press the alarm button. He waited for a bit to get a response, but only silence greeted him.


    Henry groans and gets back to his corner which was just across Ein.


    ''I''ll try again after a minute or two." He then sits and loosens up his tie. He realises that his surroundings had become quiet and that Ein''s sobbing had died down.


    "...Ein?"


    Henry inched close to the curled up man to check on him, he tapped his hand on Ein''s shoe to check for a response, however, he didn''t tremble or budge. Henry found it strange, Ein would usually let out a whimper or tremble with such a slight touch.


    Henry realises that Ein had stopped responding, his golden irises dilated in shock. He swiftly pulls off the jacket covering Ein and aims the flashlight towards him.


    "Hey, Ein!"


    Ein had passed out, his breathing pattern was erratic, and his complexion had become pale. Henry was alarmed when he noticed that Ein''s lips were turning pale. Panic crept on Henry''s mind.


    "Can you hear me, Ein?"


    He gently tapped on Ein''s cheeks to wake him up, but he was unresponsive.


    Henry had to act fast as he recognised the mild symptoms of respiratory arrest. He swiftly removes Ein''s shoes, his tie and then places his index and middle finger on Ein''s neck, along the artery to count his pulse. Henry then bowed his head to listen to Ein''s breathing while watching his abdomen bob up and down to gauge his condition. After thirty seconds, Henry realises that Ein''s pulse was slowing down and his breath had become faint.


    "Shit! Ein, stay with me please!"


    He heaves Ein into a supine position, and removes Ein''s jacket and loosens all of his articles of clothing. Henry grabs the jackets and rolls it up together, and places it under Ein''s legs to elevate it.


    Henry then checks on his vitals again to see if there was any improvement. A sigh of relief escaped from his mouth as he saw Ein''s breathing return to normal after three minutes.


    "Damn¡­ That was nerve-wracking¡­ We really need to get out of here soon."


    Henry groans out of frustration, he then stands up and goes to press the elevator''s alarm button. To his surprise, someone finally answers from the other side a few seconds after.


    {Is anyone inside the elevator?} An elderly man''s voice resounded through the speakers.


    "Yes! We''re stuck here for more than 30 minutes now. Please send help ASAP. Someone needs medical attention!" Henry''s voice was still shaky.


    {Alright, we''ll manually restart the elevator, kindly wait for a technician and a responder, they should be there in five to fifteen minutes. Also, may I take your name?}


    "Henry Rivers, I''m a new employee here."


    {Oh, the new kitchen guy! I''ve heard your name from good ol'' Emery! Alrighty then¡­ Henry, do you recall the floor where you are currently in?}


    "We were on our way down to the lobby¡­ I believe it was somewhere between the 17th to 21st floor."


    {I''ll relay that to the crew, by the way, you mentioned someone needed medical attention?}


    "Yes, my companion had an anxiety attack¡­ I already gave him first aid, but he''s unconscious at the moment." Henry glances at Ein who was lying flat on the floor.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    {May I take his name too for reference?}


    "It''s Ein Schmidt."


    {Thanks! I-}


    The speaker suddenly went silent. Henry was taken aback and his thoughts started to fill with panic. They couldn''t afford to stay any longer inside the elevator as Ein needed medical assistance. Henry then presses the alarm button repetitively.


    "Hello? Anyone? Please send help!"


    {Henry! This is Seori, sorry for scaring you a bit there.}


    "...Ms Avery? How?" A sigh of relief escaped from Henry. He thought that the communication line broke off again.


    {I''m here in the Securities Offices when the power outage happened¡­ By the way, is Ein alright?} Seori''s voice suddenly became bleak.


    "He is stable for now¡­ But he''s still unconscious."


    {Thank goodness! Thank you for looking after him¡­ Henry.} Seori''s voice was filled with relief. {I''ll ask some of the responders to bring him to the health centre once we pull you guys out of there. Hang tight alright?}


    "Sure! We''ll see you soon then, thank you, Ms Avery."


    ***


    The sound of clattering heels resonated through the corridors leading to Hotel Citron''s infirmary. Office workers and hotel staff members were shocked to see a red-haired woman, donning a black suit and a pair of red stilettos running towards the end of the hallway. It was Monique, she eventually stops just outside of the infirmary''s door and collects herself. After catching her breath, she knocks on the door, opens it and rushes inside.


    "Is Ein okay?!"


    "He''s resting at the moment, Ms Salva, please calm yourself." The on-site physician scratched his head and gazed at Monique''s feet.


    "I think you''ll need this in a few minutes too." He then hands over a small box of bandaids to Monique. "Running in heels will give you horrible blisters, you know."


    "Thank you, Arnaut... where''s Ein by the way?" Monique took out two pieces of bandaids from the box and returned the box to Arnaut.


    "He''s at room HC3, near the drinking fountain at that corner. Henry is with him at the moment." Arnaut points to the area where Ein''s room was and gives Monique two bottles of chamomile tea that were pulled from the pockets of his coat. "One is for you and a spare one¡­ just in case someone needs to calm down. Haha!" A condescending smile appears on Arnaut''s face.


    Monique sneers at Arnaut. "I wonder what Seori sees in you." Monique took the bottles of tea with her and snorted at Arnaut.


    "Terrible humour for a doctor¡­ seriously not boyfriend material." Monique clicks her tongue at him and scurries to Ein''s room.


    Henry was seated on a stool, beside Ein''s bed. He was staring at the wall clock in the room, the time was displaying 11:14 AM, and twenty minutes had passed since their rescue from the elevator. Ein was still unconscious and he felt guilty leaving him alone, he opted to stay and wait for Ein to wake up.


    A gentle knock on the door grabbed his attention, it was Monique, she quietly opened the door and gently closed it as she entered the room.


    "Ah, Ms Salva¡­" Henry stood up and gestured to Monique to sit. "Here, please sit."


    "Don''t mind if I do! Thank you." Monique sits down and gives one of the bottled chamomile tea to Henry. "You must be thirsty, please drink this."


    "Thank you for this, Ms Salva." Henry takes the bottle and opens it, he quickly took a sip and set it aside.


    "I heard you got stranded with Ein inside the elevator¡­ It must have been a shock for you." Monique was gazing at Ein with a forlorn face.


    "It was alright Ms Salva, it''s just that I didn''t expect that my first aid skills would be put to the test on the day we met." A bashful smile appeared on Henry''s face. "I am a bit shaken though. I didn''t expect that Ein had that type of trauma."


    Monique reached out her hand on Ein''s forehead and gently caressed it. "This little brother of mine has been through a lot¡­ what you did earlier inside the elevator helped him a lot... and for that, I sincerely thank you." Monique sighed.


    ''Wait, little brother? I thought Ms Salva was an only child? Did Emery give me the wrong info? And what about the Benefactor thing Ein said earlier?'' Henry''s brows furrowed, his thoughts were in confusion.


    "Although there''s one thing I do require from my employees to strictly adhere to..." Monique''s gentle tone had suddenly become stern. She then stood up and turned her attention to Henry.


    "And that is to ensure that they must be comfortable to work with Ein." Monique then grabbed Henry''s tie and pulled it, tightening the knot.


    "I saw your lewd handshake with Ein earlier." Monique''s sharp blue eyes pierced through Henry. "If you''re looking at Ein like a free piece of meat, then I suggest you work elsewhere." Monique releases her grip on Henry''s tie.


    Henry''s ears flushed red in embarrassment. "Ah¡­ about that, I truly apologize! It never crossed my mind that gesture wouldn''t sit well with Brits." Henry scratched his head in frustration. "Truly, I''m sorry if it offended you."


    "Apologise to Ein, not me though." Monique crossed her arms and sneered at Henry. "Usually, Ein can tolerate dark and cramped up spaces, but his panic attack today¡­" Monique grunts.


    "Did you do something to trigger the attack? Monique glares at Henry with suspicion.


    "I-I did nothing! I swear! I only talked to him to help him relax, I gave him my jacket and kept my distance since he hated it when I got near." Henry pauses and recalls the events earlier in his head and groans.


    "However, I do recall Ein¡­ trembling and telling me to stay away from him. I think he was terrified of being touched in the dark. Does that mean anything Ms Salva?"


    Monique was taken aback. Her face was etched with a bitter scowl as she recollected Ein''s condition after getting assaulted back in college.


    "It does¡­" Monique massaged her temples as bitter memories flooded her head.


    "Then¡­ shouldn''t Ein get psych-"


    "He already did! And he''s still being treated, that''s why we have this Health Centre here to help him and other employees with their baggage!" Monique interjects Henry, her eyes twitched in irritation and her voice had become a tone higher. She then realises that it was improper for her to be swayed by emotions.


    "I''m sorry, Henry¡­ Ah¡­ I didn''t mean to blow a fuse on you." Monique sat back on the stool and covered her face with her hands in shame.


    "It''s alright, Ms Salva¡­ I do understand where you''re coming from after all." A gentle smile appears on his face, he then pats Monique''s shoulder to comfort her.


    "Can you please tell me the gist of what happened to Ein? I would like to know so I can pace myself accordingly¡­ That is if you don''t mind telling."


    "Then¡­ Henry, can you bear the burden and keep quiet about it?" Monique mumbled.


    "I am a very private person and I keep secrets well... Emery can vouch for me if you don''t trust my words." Henry retained his gentle smile.


    "I''m rather good at carrying burdens too! You can see it on my arms." Henry then flexed his right arm and smiled sheepishly at Monique.


    Monique giggled softly as he saw Henry cracking up an unexpected joke. She knew that he was trying to lighten up the mood since Monique had dampened the issue with her mini outburst.


    "Then listen well! I will only tell you this once if I see you acting like a thirsty bastard around Ein after this¡­ I''ll turn you into a eunuch!" Monique snickered as she recalled her college memories.


    ~~~~~


    To be Continued.


    ~~~~~

 Chapter 11: Chamomile Tea Part 2

    A day after the arrest of Matthew Briar, the campus ran abuzz as word of an associate professor was apprehended for drugging and raping a freshman.


    The entire student body was in shock and the university administration denied the allegation. The admins struggled to keep the issue under wraps due to the nature of the event, and Ein and Matthew''s names spread like wildfire as the students were deeply angered by the incident to add fuel to the fire, the university was adamant of the cries of its students.


    Hearing about the plight of Ein sparked courage to some of the students and alumni that Matthew had preyed on from the past.


    The police had a breakthrough with their investigation two days later, as several students and alumni came forward to file sexual assault, coercion, and rape charges against Matthew Briar. They discovered that the professor would prey on freshmen, take advantage of their naivety and would manipulate, coax or drug them into performing sexual acts. Matthew would then blackmail his victims to silence or coerce them for lewd favours. South Kensington Police''s investigation team was overwhelmed by more than a hundred valid cases filed against Matthew Briar in 72 hours. It was an unprecedented development that the investigators did not expect.


    The scope of Matthew Briar''s crimes shook the city of London and it eventually spread throughout the country.


    The incident blew up in a week and became a national scandal. A public inquiry was raised and was helmed by the patriarch of the Moss Family who was part of the upper echelons of the House of Lords.


    Lord David Moss, Monique''s paternal uncle incited that the criminal must be punished to the full extent of the law. They also encouraged their peers to revisit and expedite additional LGBT legislation in the House of Commons to protect citizens from such acts in the future. Five days later, a trial was initiated by the Crown Prosecution Service against Matthew Briar after collating all of the necessary cases raised against him.


    Justice was moving forward with great speed, however, one of the key witnesses for the trial remains unconscious.


    Two and a half weeks have passed since Matthew''s assault on Ein. According to the doctors, some complications arose from the drug that Matthew injected on Ein. It turns out that the components of the drug had an adverse reaction with his blood, causing Ein to go into shock and fall into a coma. Doctors were still flushing out the drugs from Ein''s body, he had been intubated and strapped on to life support due to his fragile state. A gentle cacophony of medical equipment filled Ein''s room.


    Despite Monique and Diether bringing in fresh flowers to brighten up Ein''s hospital suite, the strong smell of disinfectant remained inside. Diether was napping in a chaise lounge by the windows and Monique sat on an armchair beside Ein''s bed while reading the local newsprint.


    The news about Matthew''s sexual assault was still on the front page of the paper Monique was holding onto. Her face would cringe and scowl with disgust every time she sees Matthew'' face plastered on newsprints, magazines and the TV. She then puts down the paper and stands up to check on Ein, who was still unconscious.


    Monique reached for Ein''s left hand and gently held it, she felt Ein''s warmth and pulse as she wrapped and tangled her fingers with his hand.


    "Hey, sleepyhead." Small beads of tears lined Monique''s blue irises. "You should wake up soon so we can send that bastard to hell." Monique lets out a soft whimper as she speaks to the sleeping Ein.


    "I never got the chance to tell you¡­ But, Diether and I got engaged!" Tears started to drench Monique''s cheeks. "That day when we were supposed to meet for lunch¡­ We wanted you to become our Man of Honour!" Monique''s hold on Ein''s hand tightened.


    "If you don''t wake up soon, I¡­ I''ll... change it to a Maid of Honour! I''ll m-make you wear make-up a-and a dress and I''ll i-introduce you as my sister!" Monique breaks down on Ein''s bedside, her tears dampen the blanket as she cries her heart out.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Diether woke up to Monique''s whimpers, he got up from the chaise lounge and went on over to Monique''s side. He then wrapped around his arms around her and gave her a gentle hug. He then gazes at Ein''s sleeping face.


    "He''ll wake up soon Monique¡­ The doctors did say earlier that Ein''s condition was improving as they were almost done removing the drugs from his system." Diether pulls out a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wipes Monique''s tears.


    "B-but¡­ what if he doesn''t wake up?! What if¡­ Will the drugs disable him for life? What if-"


    "Shhh." Diether then presses Monique''s lips with his index finger. "What if Ein hears you? He''ll be troubled you know¡­ you know Ein hates it when the people around him overreact and dote too much." A gentle smile was etched on Diether''s face. "I believe in Ein¡­ I just know it, he''ll wake up soon." Diether then cups his hand on Monique''s cheeks and kisses her on the forehead.


    Monique then felt Ein''s hand twitch. She was still holding onto his left hand, her eyes widened as she felt Ein''s fingers slowly clasp onto hers. She then looked at Ein¡¯s face, she noticed that his eyelids were twitching too.


    "...E-Ein?! Ein! Can you hear us?" Monique''s voice became frantic and her eyes were imbued with relief. "D-Diether! Call the doctor! Q-Quickly! I think Ein''s waking up!"


    Diether then rings the nurse call button just above Ein¡¯s bed. ¡°I¡¯ll also go to the nurse¡¯s ward, just in case Ein¡¯s doctor is there. I¡¯ll be back quickly!¡± Diether then darts off from the room, leaving Ein and Monique on their own.


    ¡°Ein? If you can hear me¡­ can you hold on to my hand tighter?¡± Monique¡¯s eyes glimmered with hope as she watched Ein¡¯s fingertips gently clench onto hers. Ein repeated the motion twice as if to tell Monique that he¡¯s awake.


    ¡°Oh¡­ my goodness¡­ Ein!¡± Tears of joy now drench Monique¡¯s face, she then sees Ein gradually open his eyes.


    ¡°Ein, you dolt! Welcome back.¡±


    -----


    Henry¡¯s face was dismal, his eyes had gone bleak and were in a stupor as Monique narrated the gist of Ein¡¯s terrible youth. His lips quivered in shock whenever Monique described Ein in a pitiful state, Henry even cried a few tears when they got to Ein¡¯s recovery after the assault.


    Monique did notice something strange with Henry¡¯s demeanour, his eyes would be filled with rage whenever Matthew¡¯s name was mentioned.


    ¡°...By the way, what happened to Matthew Briar after?¡± He glances at Monique inquisitively and takes a nervous sip from his bottle of chamomile tea.


    ¡°He¡¯s incarcerated for life at Belmarsh.¡± Monique groans as she recalls Matthew¡¯s trial.


    Henry¡¯s jaws dropped and his eyes dilated in shock. ¡°You mean Prison Belmarsh? Holy shit! Is he that dangerous?¡± Henry drank and finished his tea, then put down the empty bottle by his feet. ¡°I thought sexual offenders here in the UK are just sentenced to a prison somewhere?¡±


    ¡°It was the first in this country¡­ To have a criminal accumulating a total of 289 counts of sexual assault, 138 counts of rape, and 4 counts of attempted rape. Monique scratches her head as she recalls the day of the verdict. ¡°Oh, and also attempted murder too.¡± She then stares at Ein who was sleeping soundly in front of her.


    ¡°Now that you know the truth, I hope to not see you act like a thirsty bastard in front of Ein.¡± She then stands up from her seat and turns her attention towards Henry. A condescending smile appeared on her lips.


    ¡°Also, I would like to know¡­ Why did you return here to Hotel Citron after four years?¡± Monique crossed her arms as she awaited Henry¡¯s reply.


    ¡°About that¡­¡± Cold sweat trickled Henry¡¯s nape, his voice trembled and he hesitated to answer Monique¡¯s question.


    ¡°Emery told me things about you and your enthusiasm to work here in my hotel.¡± Monique chuckles as she remembers Emery¡¯s stay in Hotel Citron.


    ¡°Four years ago, you accepted a month-long position as a dishwasher here, and when your contract ended you went back to school to acquire higher management credentials¡­ Emery sponsored your education. Am I right?¡±


    Henry nods in silence, his face was etched with nervousness as Monique dug through his information. ¡°Chef Emery was my mentor after I left Ell Bolli¡­ He also wanted me to grow beyond the confines of the kitchen. I simply accepted his offer of genero-¡±


    Monique interrupts him. ¡°But you see, my gut tells me that you¡¯re hiding something,¡± Monique smirks as she sees through Henry¡¯s apprehension. ¡°My intuition is usually on point too, so just think of this as a trade. I gave you a secret, so you must pay in kind.¡± Her smirk then turned into a sly smile.


    ¡°Emery recommended you as his replacement, he placed his trust on you and vouched for you the moment you entered these premises.¡± Monique opened her bottle of tea and took a quick sip from it.


    ¡°Yes, and I plan to do better than what he has already presented to the table.¡± Henry then stared at Monique sharply. ¡°That is all my aim here in Hotel Ci-¡±


    ¡°Is it because of Ein?¡±


    Henry¡¯s golden irises dilated in shock, his ears flushed red and he felt like a thief caught red-handed in the act. ¡°I-I¡¯m n-not sure¡­ w-what do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Aha! So it is related to Ein.¡± Monique giggled as she saw Henry look like a youth who was confronting his first crush. ¡°Did you get acquainted with him by any chance? I don¡¯t recall Ein hanging out with other chefs beside Emery and I don¡¯t recall setting him up with chefs on his blind dates...¡± Monique scratched her head as she tried to recall if Ein had other friends besides her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that! It¡¯s just that¡­¡± A bashful smile appeared on Henry¡¯s face.


    ¡°What is it then? If you¡¯re here to work and also play then-¡±


    ¡°...I-I¡¯m here to p-pay a debt!¡± Henry¡¯s face was as red as a ripened tomato. ¡°E-Ein¡­ Saved me once, and I¡¯m here to return the favour.¡±


    Monique¡¯s eyes glisten with excitement.


    ~~~~~


    To Be Continued.


    ~~~~~

 Chapter 12: Shepherds Pie Part 1

    I heard a multitude of inaudible whispers echoing through the dark space I was in, My eyes felt heavy and I struggled to open it. There was an overwhelming feeling of drowsiness that filled my body. Eventually, after a few minutes, I managed to open my eyes, but what welcomed me was a dark and empty room.


    As I lay down on this void, I felt a soft and warm comfort against my back. It was soothing and the sensation tempted me to go back to sleep.


    "Ah, if only I could stay like this. It''s so comfortable here." A tired sigh escaped my mouth and I felt a sense of relief.


    "NO! GET OUT! THIS IS MY PLACE! GET OUT! GET OUT!!"


    My ears felt painful as a deafening voice reverberated through the void. I was surprised and my eyes wandered around to check where the voice came from. I then saw a young boy crouching on the floor a few paces in front of me. His arms were wrapped around his head and his body was curled up in a fetal position. It looked like he was shielding himself from something. I approached the child to check on him, then sat beside him and reached out my hand to touch his back.


    "DON''T TOUCH ME!"


    My hand froze up and refused to move, it was just a few inches away from the boy.


    "LEAVE ME ALONE!"


    A nostalgic feeling came to me, the child''s voice was loud, but the way he spoke reminded me of my childhood.


    "I¡­ just want to make sure you''re okay." I softly whispered to him.


    "NO I''M NOT OKAY!"


    The child then unwraps his arms and uncovers his face, his black hair was dishevelled, his skin looked pale and there were bags under his eyes. His irises looked bleak and emptiness seeped through it. I noticed two moles on his face. One by the side of his right eye and one on the lower left part of his chin.


    I was stupefied, it was my face when I was a young boy.


    The younger me hastily stands up and glares at me with his dark blue eyes, I saw bitter resentment etched on his face, his lips quivered and tears fell from his cheeks.


    "YOU LEFT ME HERE! I DON''T NEED YOUR HELP!!"


    The boy used both of his arms and pushed me back with all of his strength, I felt the floor beneath me crumble and the sensation of gravity weighed on my body. I saw the darkness fall apart like eggshells as I fell down into the hole beneath me.


    "LEAVE ME ALONE, EIN!!"


    As I fell, I saw my child self vanish into the darkness, eventually, the dark and empty space disappeared and was replaced by a white light. I felt like I was endlessly falling from a high place and the sensation jolted me awake. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    "Haaahh¡­ what the hell was that?" Cold sweat dribbled from my face as I sat up.


    I found myself lying down alone on a hospital cot, the space felt familiar as it resembled the rooms of the Hotel''s health centre.


    "I''m back to reality."


    I groaned as I heaved myself to sit upright, the warm blanket that covered me flopped to the side and the cold air inside the room blew against me.


    My body shivered and I noticed that all of my clothes were loose, my shirt was wrinkled and had been unbuttoned exposing my undershirt. My belt was unbuckled, the trousers were unfastened and someone removed the socks on my feet.


    ''That''s right¡­ I remember I got stuck in the elevator with Henry¡­ And that shitty memory too.'' I massaged my temple as I sensed a dull headache coming to me, a feeling of dread also loomed inside my thoughts. ''


    Did something happen? Shit, only remember the lift shutting down and my vision going dark, but the rest¡­'' I scratched my head in frustration, my headache became worse as I tried to recollect what happened.


    ''I should ask Henry about what happened once I see him.''


    My eyes scanned around the room to check for my missing clothes, I saw my tie, belt and socks neatly arranged by the side table, beside it were my planner, tablet, phone and smartwatch stacked up, My coat was also hanging on to a hook by the door. My leather shoes were also placed on the vacant stool by my bedside.


    I stretched my legs then got up to fix myself, I gazed at the wall clock in the room, it was already 11:42 AM. almost time for lunch. I quickened my pace and tidied up my clothes, as I hurried along to fix my shirt buttons and cufflinks, I noticed that there were two empty bottles of tea placed near my belongings. It looked like it had been left there recently.


    ''Did someone forget to clean them?'' I sighed and threw them into the trash bin, a gentle thud followed as the bottles dropped inside of it.


    I hated seeing trash being left out in the open. After all, it somewhat reminded me of how people acted towards me when they found out of my inclinations.


    I heard a soft, rhythmic knock from the door followed by a gentle creak as it swung open.


    "Oh, Ein! Glad to see you awake now¡­ How are you feeling?"


    It was Arnaut, the GP and onsite psychologist of Hotel Citron. He was wearing scrubs underneath his white lab coat.


    "I''m fine now, I just woke up a couple of minutes ago, doctor¡­" I sat on the bed as I put on my shoes. "By the way, what happened to you?"


    Arnaut''s hair was a mess and his face was swollen like an overripe red tomato.


    "Ah¡­ This¡­ Well, Monique and Seori came to visit since Henry was-"


    The door slams open, its loud sound surprises me and I flinch, I then see Monique, her face was beaming and she was lunging towards me.


    "EEEEEEIIIINNNNNNNN!"


    I felt her entire body weight slam against me, followed by a numbing pain at the back of my head. Next thing I knew, my vision went dark again.


    ***


    It was the 12:00 lunch rush at Hotel Citron''s employee dining hall, a busy queue formed at the buffet spread, word got out that Chef Emery had returned for one last time together with his protege. People were intrigued and were looking to get a glimpse of the new kitchen manager.


    "Please replenish the Tikka Masala, you guys are almost halfway through the servings!"


    Emery''s stern voice rang through the buffet tables, he had changed clothes and was now wearing a black chef uniform. He was supervising the kitchen staff.


    "Serve the Cobbler, some diners would eat desserts first sometimes!"


    "Yes, chef!" The fervent crew replied in unison, they were glad that they were able to work with Emery one last time.


    "Pasty and the Shepherd''s Pie are almost out, I think a fresh batch was just pulled out from the bakery." A sheepish smile appears on Emery''s face as he sees his old colleagues doing well with minimal instruction.


    Emery then glances at Henry who was in a daze. Monique had just dropped him off into the dining hall ten minutes ago and the man stood there like an unattended floating balloon. It looked like the man got shell-shocked and was adamant to his busy surroundings.


    ''Looks like that elevator incident must have shaken him'' Emery groans, he then approached Henry and gave him a pat on the back. "Henry!"


    "Y-yes, chef!"


    "Let''s go to the bakery, we need to fetch the pasties and the pies!" Emery then grips Henry''s shoulder and drags him towards the kitchen.


    ~~~~~


    To be Continued.


    ~~~~~

 Chapter 13: Shepherds Pie Part 2

    "Ah¡­ Monique, you really did him in." Arnaut massaged his temples as he saw Ein lying unconscious on the hospital cot again.


    "Hey mate, you still with us?" Arnaut gently pats Ein''s face. "Damn, he''s really out cold." He then takes out a small flashlight from his right pocket and checks on Ein''s irises by flashing light into them.


    "Can you please be careful? The man had just woke up and now you''ve knocked him out back to sleep." Arnaut scratches his head in frustration, his black hair was in disarray and his black irises seethe with irritation. "You are aware that this is not a playhouse and you can''t just run around and lunge at people." He then scoffs at Monique.


    Monique''s eyes were filled with guilt as she gazed at Ein who was unresponsive and was sprawled on the bed.


    "B-but I didn''t mean to! It''s just that the heel on my shoe broke as I was about to hug him! See! Look at it! Not my fault!" Monique held out her left shoe and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and small beads of tears swelled from her eyes.


    "If this escalates into a concussion, you''ll be the one suffering anyway." An exhausted sigh escapes Arnaut''s mouth and his voice had a sardonic tone to it.


    "Looks like he hit his head on the side rail when you landed on top of him." Arnaut then removes Ein''s coat and places a blood pressure and heart rate monitor on his arm. He then checks on Ein''s head, lightly touching his scalp and was able to feel a swollen bump a few centimetres down his crown. It was quite large and tender, thankfully Arnaut found no blood or wounds on it, he then checked his ears, eyes and mouth for any signs of bleeding.


    "W-will he be alright? I-I''m really sorry!" Monique''s face darkens, her beaming aura vanished and was replaced by gloom.


    "The sound of the impact earlier was pretty loud though." Arnaut inspected the side rail, a small indent was visible. "We''ll need to observe him until he regains consciousness." He then removes Ein''s shoes and tie and heaves his legs onto the bed.


    "Hey, help me fix Ein''s posture!" Arnaut grunts at Monique. "Since you''re the culprit, be responsible and help me."


    Monique groans, she then helps Arnaut in supporting Ein''s head and neck as he hoists him to a supine position. Once Ein was properly lying down, Arnaut adjusted the cot''s angle to facilitate Ein''s breathing, he then looked at the time on the wall clock and noted it down on his smartphone.


    "I guess the countdown of the first 48 starts now." Arnaut sighs. He then checks the monitor attached to Ein''s arm. "At least his vitals are normal. Haha¡­" A nervous chuckle escapes Arnaut''s mouth.


    Monique''s blue irises dilated in astonishment. "Wait, what do you mean by the first 48?"


    "Ah¡­ it''s to observe for concussion symptoms." Arnaut looks at Ein with a worried expression. "Worst case would be internal haemorrhage and he''ll probably need a few days or a couple of weeks in the hosp-"


    Monique''s face loses its colour, she then cuts Arnaut off. "I''ll bring him to St. Thomas'' Hospital then!" She takes out her smartphone and rings a direct line to St. Thomas'' A&E. "I''ll have him admitted and-"If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Arnaut snatches Monique''s phone and then hangs up the ongoing call. "No need for that, we can treat him here in the health centre, Monique." He then returns the phone to her. "I apologise if I made you panic for a bit there."


    "You¡­ really, why are you such a wanker!" Monique''s face flushed red in embarrassment.


    "Payback for what you did earlier. At least this ought to teach you to stop running around the Health Centre. I swear, your recklessness could-"


    Monique cuts off Arnaut and glares at him. "You know if you weren''t Ein''s doctor and Seori''s boyfriend, I would have given you a knuckle sandwich." Monique crosses her arms and her sharp eyes pierce through Arnaut, intimidating him.


    "H-hey, calm down! We just need Ein to stay here for the rest for a few hours, and also ice his bump." Arnaut groans. "I''m a neuropsychologist by trade and a GP on the side so¡­ if in any case, our buddy here gets an unusual symptom after this, I''ll send him off immediately for an MRI!" Sweat dribbled from Arnaut''s face as he tried to quell Monique''s fuming gaze.


    "Well, you better watch him good!" Monique clicks her tongue and sneers at Arnaut. "Or else I''m gonna have to sue you for malpractice and send you back to Austra-"


    A loud knock on the door interrupts Arnaut and Monique''s banter, they turn their heads toward the door as it opens. It was Seori, her neat ponytail had loose fringes and sweat dribbled from her cheeks, it looked like she was out of breath.


    "Is Ein awake?" Seori takes out her handkerchief and wipes her sweat with it. "I just got back from the adhoc and I really need to sort some of the urgent paperwork with him." She then sees Ein, he was still lying down unconscious.


    "Seori, your boss here knocked Ein out col-"


    Monique quickly shuts Arnaut up by stepping on his foot with her right heel.


    "Ouch! You are aware that stiletto heels can kill a person, Monique." Arnaut bends down and massages his painful foot. "If this draws blood, then I''m the one who''s going to sue you!"


    "I said it''s not my fault! It''s just that I have rotten luck today! Goddamn you, Arnaut!"


    Seori groans and takes a deep breath, she then yells at both. "You two, stop it! I''ve had enough of seeing grown-ass men and women quarrel like kids!" Her stern voice intimidated both Arnaut and Monique and her diction reverted back to a crass, New York accent.


    Seori looks at Monique. "Since our assistant manager is currently out of commission, here are the papers that needed to be signed and approved today." She then gives Monique a thick file case. "These are from the adhoc earlier." She then looks at Arnaut.


    "I''ll bring Ein''s belongings here, phone or message me immediately should he wake up." Her lips curved upwards and formed a gentle smile. Her smile flattens as she turns to Monique. "GM Salva, let''s get back to the office upstairs and work, shall we?"


    ***


    The smell of freshly baked bread wafts on Henry''s nose, the sweet and warm aroma of pastries baking and yeast leavening woke him up from his dazed state. There was a multitude of bakers, pastry chefs, kitchen apprentices and hotel staff that were running around the place. There were some from logistics who would drop off pallets or sacks of baking ingredients at the larder. Bakers and pastry chefs would knead, carve and decorate some of the freshly baked goods at the atelier. And some of the apprentices or kitchen crew would haul trays and sort the bread and pastries that were freshly baked from the oven.


    "I guess this is your first time seein'' this place here!" Emery gently pats Henry''s back. "As the new kitchen manager, you must know at least where you need to go¡­ should in case there''s a breakdown on the internal logistics. Hahaha!"


    "I¡­ never thought that Hotel Citron''s bakery was massive." Henry''s eyes widen in astonishment. "I think the so-called bakery, or should I say¡­ a factory?" He then looks at Emery with an inquisitive expression. "I think you guys would rival Larina Bay Hounds in Singapore at this scale."


    "Well, we do supply bread to other businesses like bistros, cafes and some quaint small enterprises like BnBs and Homestays." Emery then came close to Henry''s left ear. "Also, don''t tell anyone, but the Palace also buys some of our bread, specifically our Shepherd''s Pie and our Mince Pies during the holidays."


    Henry''s jaws dropped and his face lost its colour in shock. "Holy shit! You mean the Que-"


    Emery quickly covered Henry''s mouth. "Woah! You haven''t formally started yet and you''re already fessin'' up confidential info!"


    Henry breaks free from Emery''s grip. "I was just shocked, Ems! I mean¡­ I have experience preparing meals and dishes to politicians but I didn''t expect that Hotel Citron''s service would go above that."


    "Well, good luck Henry, Make me proud! You''ll manage the operations startin'' tomorrow. Also, Monique told me what happened to the both of yous earlier¡­"


    Emery notices Henry''s ears and face flush red. His complexion looked like a sun-dried tomato.


    "W-what did M-Monique tell you?!"


    ~~~~~


    To be Continued.


    ~~~~~

 Chapter 14: Shepherds Pie Part 3

    Emery raises his eyebrow as he witnesses Henry''s embarrassed face. His cheeks were rosy and his ears were bright red. He was puzzled as he was used to seeing the young lad be calm and collected. Watching Henry''s normal face turn red like a ripened tomato was new for him.


    "Well, Monique told me you helped out Ein and applied first aid when he fainted." He gave Henry a pat on the back and cheeky smirk forms on Emery''s mouth. "And then... I heard a saucy rumour about a certain someone chasin¡¯ a certain person to pay a debt." Emery''s grey irises glisten as he gazes at Henry. "...And apparently, it was an extraordinary type of debt." He then gives him a playful wink.


    Henry felt embarrassed, he covered his face with both of his hands as he blushed. He started to regret confiding with Monique earlier at the health centre. "Shit¡­ I can''t believe word travels fast in this hotel, like wow." Henry groans as he mulls over his actions.


    "You know¡­ when I heard some of the details, I felt a little thankful though. I never thought that Ein would have that kind of courage." Emery sighs and stares at the agitated Henry. "Ein would always close himself off to anyone. Sometimes he would even block Monique out from his life too¡­ So hearing about a young Ein, reaching out to help a total stranger was fresh for me."


    Henry then uncovered his face, took a deep breath and composed himself. He then met Emery''s gaze. "Did Ms Salva tell you everything?"


    "A bit." Emery hums. "I did cut her off from telling the entire story since I want to hear it directly from the horse''s mouth." He chuckles and grabbed onto Henry''s shoulder. ¡°That is, if you don¡¯t mind telling me about it, kiddo.¡± A warm smile beams from his face.


    "Let''s grab some of the freshly baked pies for lunch and talk over it then." Emery drags Henry towards the service area to fetch a batch of Shepherd''s pie and Pasties.


    After introducing Henry to the bakery staff, Both of them managed to procure freshly baked pies to replenish the employee dining hall. They towed along with them a kitchen trolley filled with the goods as they returned to the hall.


    ***


    When I opened my eyes, I met the darkness once again.


    "Ugh¡­ my head why does it hurt so bad?" I sensed a dull pain near my nape and my sense of balance was out of place, my legs were unstable and my arms felt sore. "Is this a dream?" I scanned my surroundings however I could only see the endless darkness around me. There was no sound nor light, just the abyss.


    "Is anyone in here?!"


    I yelled at the empty space, I waited for a response for a minute or two, but only silence greeted me back. I groaned at the silence hoping that someone would respond, but I only heard my sounds. I gathered my strength and heaved myself up. As I stood, a soft inaudible whisper started to echo around the void.


    I walked and followed the direction where the whisper was coming from, as I got close, the voice became louder and audible, and gradually, a multitude of murmurs filled the space and their voices roared.


    "Hey, did you hear about the son of the Hobbes family? I hear he was suspended from school!"


    "I''ve heard it from the neighbours, it seems that he was caught doing naughty things in the library!"This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "Apparently, one of the students saw that Hobbes kid¡­ kiss another boy.


    "Damn! Who was the unfortunate kid that got kissed? He must have been scarred for life!"


    "It was the Dickenson family''s eldest son! He said that the Hobbes kid forced himself on him."


    "Oh my god! I hope he doesn''t graduate and gets disciplinary action! I swear if my son ends up like that Rivers kid¡­ I''ll beat him senseless until he straightens back out."


    "I wonder though, how did the Hobbes couple raise such a vulgar child?"


    "He''s probably a bastard¡­ Their family must be shocked that their only son would do such a thing...What a disgusting child."


    "That is if he really is part of that family! Haha!"


    My fists clenched, and my vision grew dark in rage as I heard the voices. Their rambling reminded me of the times when I also had it rough. I was about to yell at the bigoted whispers to shut them up, but suddenly I felt an icy wind pass my back. I turned around to check, it was a young boy, he looked like he was in his early teen years.


    His short platinum-blonde hair was dusty and dishevelled, his fringes covered his eyes, but I can clearly see that tears drenched his pale, blemished cheeks. His arms and legs were also littered by abrasions, bruises and cuts. It looked like someone had badly beaten him up.


    I reached out my hand towards him. "Are you alright?"


    The boy scoffs at me and slaps my hand. He then turns his back away from me and runs. I felt my body move on its own, and the next thing I knew, I gave chase and was a few paces behind the boy.


    "You''re clearly not alright! Tell me! Tell me what''s wrong?!" I felt my breathing become heavy and sweat drenched my face and neck. I then managed to catch up with him and grab him by his right arm.


    The boy tried to shake my hand loose, he then yelled at me with a deafening voice.


    "PLEASE JUST LET ME DIE!!"


    I loosened my grip to cover my ears, to my surprise, the boy didn''t continue to run away. Instead, he crouched down on the ground and started crying, his loud wails were full of agony and it was unbearable to hear.


    "Dad said it¡¯s mom¡¯s fault that I¡¯m like this¡­¡± The boy sniffled as he covered his face. ¡°He kept on beating her up¡­ I told her to stop but he says he won¡¯t until he sees me gone¡­¡± The boy stands up, wipes his tears and then looks at me.


    I saw his golden irises lose their light and turn bleak, it felt like the boy had lost all hope and surrendered to his demise.


    ¡°I should just die so I can save mom¡­¡±


    I felt the ground beneath me shake and crumble apart, I then turned to check on the boy, but he had vanished. The dark space that I was in fell apart, my vision faded, and something dragged me down on my feet, the sensation of free-falling overwhelmed my senses.


    Next thing I knew, a bright light blinded my eyes, and shortly after, I saw Arnaut¡¯s face up-close. I got surprised and jerked up, hitting his nose with my forehead by accident. The pain on my forehead felt so real and it snapped me back to reality.


    ¡°Ooww!!¡± I saw Arnaut take a step back and massage his nose bridge, blood dripped down his left nostril and he quickly pinched his nose.


    ¡°Glad you¡¯re finally awake, Ein.¡± Arnaut¡¯s voice sounded nasal, he pulled out his handkerchief to cover up his bleeding nose. ¡°Sorry for surprising you there¡­ It looked like you were dreaming since your eyes were moving about.


    ¡°Ah¡­ right, I passed out again.¡± I then recalled the moment when Monique fell on top of me. ¡°How long have I been out?¡±


    ¡°Around thirty minutes. Oh! Also, Seori brought your bag here. You need to stay here for the rest of the day since we need to observe you for concussion symptoms." Arnaut then pulls out my bag from the shelf beside my bed and hands it over to me. "Seori and Monique are working on your behalf upstairs, so you don''t need to worry."


    "I see¡­ I guess it''s not that bad to take a break." A sense of relief came to me as I think about my deliverables being accomplished by reliable colleagues.


    "By the way, I heard from Seori that you bring your own meals. Wanna join me for lunch? Seori gave me a kimchi and bulgogi box today and I feel like trading." Arnaut chuckles, he removes the handkerchief from his face and puts it in his pocket. "I feel like my mouth is going numb if I eat more kimchi."


    I pulled out my lunch box from my bag. "I have chicken curry omurice and fresh tomato & basil salad if you''re interested in swapping¡­ I do warn you, the omurice is spicy."


    "Then I''ll trade the salad with you for the kimchi!" Arnaut darted outside the room and came back a minute after bringing in his lunch box. "Since my future-in-laws have been sending me copious amounts of kimchi and gochujang." Arnaut groans and scratches his head. "I don''t think I can handle the spice any longer." Arnaut groans, there was a hint of resignation in his eyes.


    "And while we''re eating¡­ Ein, let''s talk about what happened to you in the elevator¡­" Arnaut hands me the lunch box containing the kimchi.


    "Consider this an advanced therapy session with me since you''ll be on leave tomorrow."


    ~~~~~


    To be Continued.


    ~~~~~

 Chapter 15: Shepherds Pie Part 4

    It was already half-past twelve in the afternoon, Ein and Arnaut were conversing with each other as they ate their packed meals inside one of the health centre''s recovery rooms.


    "I''m not really in the mood yet to talk about what happened in the lift, Arnaut..." Ein''s face was gloomy, his eyes were downcast and his voice sounded uneasy. He then puts down his lunch box on the overbed table and drinks water from his insulated flask.


    "Hmm, let me guess, it''s those memories from college?" Arnaut glanced at Ein with a curious expression, he then shoves a heaping spoon of rice and beef bulgogi to his mouth and chews vigorously.


    "Yes¡­ and I''m getting these weird dreams lately. I don''t even know what to feel about them¡­" Ein then tosses half of the kimchi into his lunch box and mixes it together with his omurice. As he stirred the rice mixture, he saw Arnaut''s face contort in disgust.


    The spicy smell of curry and the pungent fermented smell of kimchi filled the room, it made Arnaut feel a little stuffy, he then stood up and hastily opened the windows.


    "We can''t afford to have other patients smell fermented goods in here, else Monique will roast us later. Haha!" A nervous laugh escapes Arnaut''s mouth.


    Ein leers at Arnaut and a mocking grin formed on his mouth. "Maybe that''s the reason why your future in-laws are sending you kimchi every day." He then chuckles softly. "They know you hate it so much and wanted for you to stay away from their precious daughter."


    Arnaut''s face flushes red in embarrassment. "H-hey don''t talk rubbish!" Arnaut then flicks a grain of rice to Ein, hitting him on the cheek. "I''m used to the smell of fermented things since my mother would make fermented tofu back in Taichung." Arnaut sneers at Ein. "It''s just that¡­ Seori''s parents enjoy making ultra spicy kimchi and my tongue can''t take it" Arnaut sighs.


    "Ugh, how uncivilised." Ein''s voice sounded annoyed as he plucked off the rice grain that got stuck on his face. He then took out his handkerchief and wiped his cheek.


    Arnaut hums softly as he saw Ein''s mood lighten up.


    "Anyways... You mentioned you were having weird dreams? Then let''s talk about that instead." Arnaut smirks as he gets back to his seat. "I won''t let you avoid your therapy regardless, so you better talk, Ein." Arnaut then points his spoon at Ein. "Fess up or I''ll recommend you to the hospital and I''ll make sure you''ll celebrate your birthday there." A sardonic grin beamed from Arnaut''s face.


    "Fine! Let me just finish my meal." Ein groaned as he realised that it was no use trying to avoid therapy.


    ***


    A man in a navy suit and an elderly man who wore a black chef uniform was busy eating lunch at a table by the corner of the dining hall. Emery grabbed two servings of Shepherd''s pie for the both of them while Henry brought out and opened a bottle of Sangiovese wine to pair up with their food.


    Their conversation had a light mood as Henry disclosed to Emery how he met Ein in the past.


    Ein was homeless ever since he got disinherited. He had been wandering to and fro youth council houses and shelters for two years and was struggling to make ends meet.


    "So, both of you met each other at one of the shared houses¡­ and then Ein was the head honcho?" Emery gazed at Henry inquisitively.


    Henry nods and takes a sip of his wine. "He''s not the honcho though¡­ more like, he was the eldest out of all of us¡­ He was around nineteen? or maybe twenty during that time." Henry scratches his scalp as he tries to remember.


    "He would often keep to himself and leave the house early in the morning and arrive by 11 o''clock in the evening. I recall the other kids in the house said that Ein did a lot of shady jobs to raise money for himself." Henry then takes a sip from his wine glass. "Sometimes I even saw him return home, bloodied and battered."This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    "How long did you last in there? I hear council houses were very chaotic and messy." Emery raised an eyebrow as he spooned up a piece of pie from his bowl.


    "It took around three months for my mother to finalize her custody of me... A week after the verdict came, my mother picked me up and a month after that, we moved to Canada." Henry then scooped up a piece of the shepherd''s pie and ate it. His eyes sparkled with delight as he tasted the succulent, herbed lamb stuffing and the rich, creamy potato crust.


    "No wonder this is a hit, this is ridiculously good Emery!" Henry then took another bite and chewed his food with gusto. "Give me the recipe before you leave, I want to make this at home!"


    A bright smile beams from Emery''s face. "I''ll teach it to you later in the kitchen!" Emery chuckled as he swirled his wine glass. "I can''t risk writing it down or else someone will butcher or sell it to the competition." He then puts down his glass and glances at Henry with a forlorn expression.


    "I want to clarify something, Henry... when you left the council house, who departed first... You or Ein?"


    "I''m not sure when did Ein exactly leave but...." Henry wipes his lips with a napkin as he finishes his serving of pie. "A month before I left, I couldn''t see Ein in the council house anymore. Some of the kids there who last saw Ein said that he had been taken in by a rich couple." He then refills his wine glass.


    "That might be the time when the Moss family took in Ein." Emery takes a sip from his glass. "I recalled Mr & Mrs Moss confiding in me. They were clueless about how to raise a son in the past. Haha!"


    "I see¡­ Is that why Ms Salva dotes on Ein?" Henry raises his eyebrow and glances at Emery with a curious face.


    "Possibly!" Emery then shrugs his shoulder. "I haven''t heard much about Ein''s childhood before the Moss family took him in. The only thing that Ein told me was that he got disowned and his biological family hated him." Emery then grabs the wine bottle and refills his glass.


    "Anyway, let''s get back to your story, kiddo!" Emery smirks at Henry. "How exactly did you end up having a life-debt with Ein?"


    "This might be a little tough on your heart, Emery you really want me to tell you?" Henry crossed his arms and gazed at him with a worried expression.


    "I can handle it! Come on kiddo, I''m not that faint of heart." Emery then raised his thumb as if to assure Henry that he''s prepared for any news whether it was good or bad.


    "Alright then¡­" Henry sighs, he then downed the wine on his glass and refilled it again before narrating his childhood to Emery.


    "My father was a soldier in the British Army¡­ When America called for action during the War on Terror, he got sent to Afghanistan."


    Henry then rests both of his elbows on the table and clasps his hands together, resting his chin on his knuckles. "He stayed there for two years and then returned home to us, but my dad¡­ I think he left a substantial part of himself there." A bitter smile appeared on Henry''s face.


    "At first, my mom and dad fought over petty things verbally. But a month after his homecoming, my dad turned into a pathetic drunkard and a dopehead." Henry''s face darkens, he then swirls his wine glass and gazes at it with a bitter expression.


    "Now that I think about it¡­ I believe that was how my dad tried to cope after being pulled out from the warzone." He then groans as he recollects further. "Eventually, the alcohol and his substance abuse got worse¡­ And it escalated to the point that my dad would beat up my mother or me if things didn''t go his way." Henry stopped swirling his glass and took another sip.


    "I was in primary school back then, and my classmates would talk shit about my parents¡­ It got to a point that they started to torment me. They would beat me up and spread rumours about me being gay." A sarcastic grin was etched on Henry''s face. "I got so fed up with one of the kids who led the bullying, I scared him off by pinning him down."


    "Did you hit the kid?" Emery glances at Henry with a curious expression.


    "No, I did something far worse than that." Henry chuckled. "He was raised as a bigot, so I held him down and kissed him on the face. It scared him so badly he started to avoid the other boys in school."


    "Well shit, you''ve got some ballsy moves for a kid!" Emery refilled his wine glass and scooped up a spoonful of pie to his mouth.


    "My dad heard about the incident though¡­ and went ballistic." Henry groaned. "My mom argued that I was just trying to protect myself, but dad thought differently¡­ Although, he wasn''t far off the mark." Henry snorts.


    "He beat me up so badly." Henry then finishes his glass of wine. "Mom tried to protect me from dad, and she got hit instead¡­ that day became a bloody mess and at the end, I had to call for help from the neighbours."


    Tears started to swell from Henry''s eyes. "My dad had stabbed my mom with a broken glass bottle." He then covered his face with both of his hands. "I asked my dad why he had done such a terrible thing, and he said that it was my fault."


    Emery found it difficult to finish his plate of shepherd''s pie as he listened to Henry''s troubled childhood. His eyes would squint every time he hears more about Henry''s abusive father. He then sets down his utensils and drinks an entire glass of Sangiovese wine.


    Tears drenched Henry''s cheeks. "When the police came to arrest dad that night¡­ the local council called in the social workers for me and the police filed a case for mom. I never thought that it would take a few months before I saw mom again."


    While Henry''s parents were in the midst of a violent divorce, he was taken away by social workers for his protection. Eventually, the local council of Henley-on-Thames decided to send Henry to one of the council houses where Ein lived briefly.


    "I was in a dark place during that time¡­ I even tried running away from the house, but then, I got caught by Ein one night trying to harm myself." Henry wiped his tears with his handkerchief and slowly collected himself.


    "He was the only one in that house that genuinely cared. He would listen to me whenever I feel like talking¡­ And whenever I feel like shit he would stay by my side, not saying a word until I calmed down." A feeble smile appears on Henry''s face. "It was all thanks to Ein''s actions that gave me the courage to live on¡­ If I hadn''t met him during that time, I wouldn''t be standing here now."


    ~~~~~


    To be Continued.


    ~~~~~

 Chapter 16: After Lunch Part 1

    Emery was sitting across Henry at the dining table, they had already finished the food from their plates and were taking an after-meal break.


    "It never crossed my mind that you would be the type of person who carried such heavy baggage." Emery''s face darkened as he recalled Henry''s words, his fists clenched in anger and frustration. "That sick bastard¡­ Beatin'' up his wife and telling his son to die instead of talking over things calmly." He groans as he massages his temple, he looks at Henry with a worried expression.


    "I''m glad though¡­ you managed to live through that, kiddo."


    Henry had finally calmed down, although his eyes were a little red.


    "I owe it all to Ein so¡­ you should thank him instead." A bashful smile forms at Henry''s face.


    "Now it all makes sense! Is that the reason why you took that dishwashin'' job years ago?" Emery chuckles as he wipes his lips with a napkin.


    "Yes... Although, I wasn''t able to approach Ein back then¡­ So I''m very grateful that you sent me an offer to take your place here." Henry takes a sip of water from his glass.


    Emery then glares at Henry while raising his eyebrow. "Are you perhaps¡­ stalking Ein?"


    Henry almost spat out the water from his mouth due to shock. He was caught off-guard with Emery''s question, he quickly swallowed his drink and wiped his lips dry with a napkin.


    "N-no! O-of course not! I-it''s just that by sheer luck¡­ I found Ein here by chance when you first invited me to come to the UK to study."


    Emery crosses his arms and pouts at Henry. "I don''t believe you, kiddo."


    "Ems, have I ever lied to you?" Henry groans. "I took the job back then because I thought I could see Ein and thank him personally." His demeanour became dispirited and a gloomy aura emanated from Henry.


    "But I never got the chance to approach him since he didn''t even eat here in the dining hall. I only saw him from a distance¡­" Henry sighs as he recollects his first month in the hotel. "Well, during my smoke breaks at the roof deck. I used to watch him leave the hotel every 6 o''clock sharp¡­"


    "There''s something therapeutic about watching people leave the office in a good mood." Henry mopes.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Emery sneers at Henry. "Kiddo, that''s clearly stalkin''. Don''t make me call the bobbies on you¡­"


    "I-it''s not my f-fault! I swear! I didn''t mean to keep tabs on Ein in the past! It''s just that I noticed that he would always leave at that time and would always take the cab home!" Henry''s face flushed and he had a stray cold sweat on his neck.


    "I-I q-quit smoking last year¡­ S-so you won''t see me l-loiter upstairs from now on."


    "Good."


    Emery claps his hand and a proud smile was on his face. "Your answers have pleased me greatly, you passed!"


    "What?" Henry was baffled at Emery''s reaction. He looked at him like a dead fish.


    "Actually, Monique told me earlier to keep on pressin'' you until you fess up completely about your dishwashing days so¡­" Emery scratches his head.


    Henry felt demotivated, being doubted by the GM herself was a big blow to his ego. "I guess she doesn''t trust me that much still¡­"


    "Well¡­ there is some truth to that. Don''t take offence with Monique''s methods though. She''s just doin'' it to protect her only little brother." Emery drinks half of the water from his glass.


    "I remember Monique tryin'' to drag Ein and Seori come and eat here in the past, but those two were a couple of workaholics and she would give up and ask the kitchen to bring up food instead."


    Henry raises an eyebrow. "Were they being put on overtime?"


    "Nah! It''s just that those two would rather deal with their tasks within their hours and would prefer not to go on overtime." Emery massages his forehead as he recalls his memories of Ein and Seori.


    "They would sacrifice their lunch and breaks to do that and it was unhealthy! It was worryin''. So Monique pestered me to teach them how to cook on their own, and bring packed lunches if they can''t come down and eat here."


    "Then the chances of me meeting and talking to Ein this time¡­"


    "Probably close to ten to twenty percent, kiddo!"


    "Well¡­ at least I''m not going to be stuck at the dishwashers this time. It''s better than zero. Haha..." A nervous chuckle escapes from Henry''s mouth.


    "Well, you are the new kitchen manager, so you''ll either be working inside the office or attendin'' meetings with the management¡­ You have the freedom to go out there in the kitchen too!" A sneaky smirk forms on Emery''s lips, he then whispered to Henry. "Ein does the morning inspections every morning so if you want to talk to him, informally, that''s the best time."


    Emery fixes his sleeves then stands up from his seat.


    "Anyway, lunch break is almost over, let''s go back to the kitchen, kiddo! I''ll teach you the recipe for the pies." A jolly smile appears on Emery''s face. "You did bring a change of clothes for workin'' right?"


    Henry nods. "I''ll just grab them from my car, you don''t mind waiting? I''ll need to change so I''ll probably be back in ten to fifteen minutes."


    "Sure! Take your time, kiddo! Let''s meet at the Bakery''s service area then¡­ Around 1:15 PM. that should be enough."


    "Alrighty! See you in a bit." Henry stands up from his seat and scurries off to the carpark to fetch his clothes.


    Emery watches Henry leave the dining hall, when he was certain that the young lad was out of the vicinity, he hastily pulls out his smartphone from his pocket and calls Monique.


    [[Emery! I was waiting for you to call¡­ so how''s his story? Is he a tame wolf waiting for fresh meat or is he a sly fox?]] Monique''s voice sounded excited.


    "Neither. He genuinely just wants to be friends with Ein. And his story checks out too. You can put your trust in him, Monique."


    [[Boo! How boring! And I thought I''ve found a good love match for Ein¡­ Haaah¡­ I guess it''s back for the drawing board for me.]]


    "You give up easily, Monique! I have a hunch¡­ But somethin'' tells me that good things will happen if Henry manages to talk things out with him. You should get those two to spend some time together."


    [[Oooohhh! The legendary intuition of Chef Emery is tingling! Alright, do tell me what you''ve discovered! I''ll reward your efforts so tell me what else did Henry confess to you.]]


    ~~~~~


    To be Continued.


    ~~~~~

 Chapter 17: After Lunch Part 2

    Arnaut was deep in thought, as he munched on the tomato and basil salad that Ein had traded for his kimchi.


    He was listening to Ein as he spoke about the dreams that visited him this morning as well as the dreams he experienced while he was unconscious. Eventually, Arnaut finishes his food and sets down the empty lunch box. A relieving sigh escapes from his mouth.


    "It''s good to hear that you''re experiencing dreams in your sleep. At least it''s a good indication for me that you''re getting enough rest! Haha!" Arnaut gives a pat to Ein''s shoulder.


    "Sleep is good, but being woken up by nightmares every now and then stresses me out more." Ein stretches his arms and sits up straight on the hospital cot.


    "Actually¡­ you only had one dream Ein, two of those dreams that you mentioned, sounded like a memory."


    Arnaut crosses his arms and glances at Ein curiously. "When people dream about bad memories, they would consider it as nightmares in their sleep."


    "Two of them were memories?" Ein''s dark blue irises dilated in shock.


    "Dreams in psychology are usually interpreted as one''s subconscious desires or repressed emotions. I saw signs of those from your second dream¡­ but the first and the third¡­" Arnaut scratches his head in frustration. "Yeah, the first one is clearly a memory since I remember reading that from your daily journal when we first had our sessions. But the third, it has the signs of a dream but¡­"


    "Strange¡­ I can''t recall anything about meeting a blonde-haired kid." Ein sighs as he ponders. "And I certainly do not recall anyone with the name of Hobbes."


    "Well¡­ I''m taking a guess, but I think it had something to do with the memory lapses you incurred after the assault incident." Arnaut''s expression stiffened and his eyes were glued onto Ein.


    "Ein, could it be that you''re starting to recollect your lost memories?"


    "I don''t know¡­ My memories after getting kicked out and Monique''s family taking me in are still a blur, so I''m not sure." Ein massaged his temple as he felt a dull headache coming at him.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "Well, don''t force yourself to remember, that will just stress you out, you know!" Arnaut stands up from his seat and clears away the empty food containers from the overbed table. "I''ll clean up first, you should stay here and rest for the meantime."


    "Alright, see you in a bit, doctor." Ein gazed at Arnaut with a forlorn face and waved his hand, it looked like he was giving his final goodbyes to Arnaut.


    "Hey, don''t do that! It feels ominous!" Arnaut groans, he felt goosebumps grow on his nape. "I''ll be back after a few minutes to check on you and close the windows, so you better stay put. And don''t remove that monitor on your arm, Ein!"


    Arnaut shuffles out of the room and closes the door gently. He went to the health centre''s kitchenette and placed the food containers in the dishwasher. He then pulls out his phone and sends an email to Monique, copying Seori into the thread.


    [Subject: Ein Therapy Log 10/16/2023]


    [1:02 PM Just finished eating lunch with the patient. Apologies for the early log. (? ¨Œ ?) Ein is on leave tomorrow so this has been sent a day in advance. (?¨C?) Sorry for the unexpected spam.]


    [Ein is stable, but still recovering from the stress of the anxiety attack. He refused to speak further about the incident at the elevator. I asked him if it was related to his college memories and he said yes. Ein mentioned he dreamt thrice today.]


    [1st dream was a memory of the past when he was disowned. The 2nd dream was where he met his child self and pushed him away. The 3rd dream was a memory about a blonde-haired, beaten up kid he met, but Ein was unsure as he can''t recall further. He did mention the name "Hobbes" but doesn''t recall meeting anyone with that name.]


    [No signs or symptoms of concussion yet, but I suspect that Ein is gradually recovering his lost memories. After all, his lapses in memory were the aftereffects of overdosing flunitrazepam (Rohypnol) at the time of his sexual assault.]


    [Will monitor him until the end of business hours (6 PM) and send him home after. (?¨C?)©g  I recommend that he goes for a check-up the day after tomorrow to rule out a concussion.]


    [- Ar U Naut Entertained (¥Î?Òæ?)¥Î- 1:08 PM]


    Arnaut sends out the email and slips his phone back into his pocket, he then closes the lid on the dishwasher and turns it on to clean the food containers.


    He felt his phone vibrate and pulled it out again to check His face grimaced as he read the name on the notification bar. It was a direct reply from Monique.


    [RE: Ein Therapy Log 10/16/2023]


    [Excellent work my liege! (??¥î?)?*.? Your efforts will be rewarded handsomely. (see the attached file on this email) And thank you for the early update while looking after Ein. (ÈË ?????) ]


    [Note: You''ve already met "Hobbes" earlier. (??0?)?~ If you want to know more about it, call me later at 6 PM, I''ll explain the deets. (¨R¨Œ¨Q) I''ll reward you more if you cooperate with me!]


    [- MonMon yo'' Frenemy 1:13 PM]


    Arnaut was intrigued at Monique''s reply. "What does she mean I already met Hobbes?" Arnaut felt confused as he read Monique''s note. "Hmm¡­ additional rewards?" His eyes squinted as he scans the attachment. "I hope this isn''t a scam."


    He then opened the attached file on the email. His jaw drops as he sees several Amazon UK gift vouchers amounting to ¡ê5000.


    "Holy shit!" Arnaut almost drops his phone in joy.


    ''Well, I guess this will help me and Seori complete our stations in the game room.'' Arnaut''s eyes sparkled with glee, he quickly redeems the vouchers and places orders on a set of his & hers gaming chairs, peripherals, video games and volumes 1-5 of Love Bus manga.


    "Seori will be shocked when she visits on the weekend. Heehee¡­" Arnaut cackles as he heads back to Ein''s room to check on him.


    ~~~~~


    To be Continued.


    ~~~~~

 Chapter 18: After Lunch Part 3

    ''I can''t believe that this would be my first undertime in history.''


    A satisfied smirk decorates Ein''s face as he passes through the lobby of Hotel Citron, the clattering of his brogues were rhythmic as he jaunts across the marble floors.


    Monique and Seori took over most of Ein''s deliverables for the day while he recovered in the health centre. Arnaut also encouraged Ein to go home early after treating the bump on his head. All of them insisted Ein to clock out early so he could get some quality rest.


    As Ein exited the lobby through the main entrance, London''s noisy rush hour greeted him.


    His smile flattens as he spots the congestion along the main avenue and its sidewalks, it was crowded with commuters and vehicles. The blaring of car horns and a queue of occupied cabbies moved at a snail''s pace.


    Ein glimpsed at his wristwatch, it was 4:49 PM, it was the start of the evening rush hour and the office workers of Southwark were on their way home.


    Ein groans as he contemplates how he should go home today.


    ''If I take the bus, there''s a 70% chance of me being mugged or robbed in this attire. If I take the train it would probably be at 50% but I don''t feel like squeezing into the cabins and the standing after would make me tired. If I take the cab now, I''ll probably be comfortable but it''ll take me an hour to get home.''


    An exhausted sigh escapes from Ein''s mouth. He then pulls out his smartphone to book a private car, he waits for a bit to see if there were available drivers on his app.


    ''Oh come on¡­ get me a driver please.''


    Unfortunately after several tries and fifteen minutes later, he fails to secure a ride. His face scrunches in frustration as he sees the failed bookings on his app.


    "Maybe I should get a bike instead¡­" Ein sighs. "I guess no choice but to take the tr-"


    A black sedan pulls up from the hotel''s driveway and stops just a few paces in front of Ein. The window rolls down and an elderly gentleman donning a white shirt and aviator shades greets him.


    "On your way home Ein?"


    It was Emery, his voice was upbeat and it looked like he was going to take a holiday.


    "Yes."


    Ein noticed a man sitting beside Emery in the passenger seat, he was wearing a black, crew neck shirt and navy trousers. A towel covered the man''s head, it looked like he was exhausted and was fast asleep.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "Are you thinking of commuting during rush hour?" Emery raises an eyebrow.


    "Well... all the cabbies are occupied and I''m having a hard time booking a ride." Ein shrugs his shoulders. "Not much of a choice but I''ll need to take the Tube."


    "Are you mental?" Emery scratches his head. "You''ve just got back from collapsing a few hours ago." He groans and gawks at Ein.


    "Hop in, I''ll drive you home."


    "But Emery, I can''t impose on you and your companion. Vauxhall is just a few stations away so I can bear with it."


    "Poppycock! Just get in you cheeky lad!" Emery unlocks the rear passenger doors.


    "Alrighty then." A tired groan escapes from Ein''s mouth.


    Ein opened the door and boarded. He settled in the right side of the rear passenger seat and fastened the seatbelt. A few seconds after, Emery drove away. He opted to use the hotel''s private roads and passed through the driveway at the rear of the hotel to avoid the traffic.


    There was an awkward silence as they cruised along the streets of Southwark. It was stifling and Ein decided to break the ice.


    "Where are you heading off to Emery?"


    Emery glances at Ein''s reflection on the rearview mirror. "I''m on my way to Heathrow to return this car and catch my flight tonight¡­ Oh and drop off this kiddo too." Emery points at the exhausted man beside him.


    "Who''s this anyway?" Ein lightly taps the sweaty face towel. "The night is young and he''s fast asleep too."


    "Henry here was given less than five hours to master the recipe of Hotel Citron''s Shepherds Pie. He got knackered after we finished making an entire batch for dinner rush. Haha!" Emery cackles.


    "He is impressive though. He managed to do the impossible in a span of a few hours. This kiddo made me grow goosebumps outta nowhere!"


    "Well¡­ at least it''s a good sign that his CV can be proven with factual data." Ein taps Emery''s shoulder. "I''m thankful you endorsed a capable successor, Emery."


    "Ein, stop analysing people, we''re not at Citron anymore." Emery groans.


    "Sorry, bad habits are hard to remove, Emery."


    "You should loosen up you know!" Emery winks at Ein through the rearview mirror. "Though I heard from Monique you''ll be on leave tomorrow since it''s your Birthday so, I guess welcome to the 40''s club!" Emery snickers as he gave Ein an advanced birthday salutation.


    Ein sneers at Emery, it was the first time that he took a jab from him. "Says the person who''s taking advantage of the senior citizen discount."


    "Hahahaha! Well, at least I have a discount. Everyone''s getting old so you''ll get yours too in a few years time."


    Ein groans, he knew it was useless to counter Emery''s bantering.


    He throws in the towel and turns his attention towards the view outside the window. They were driving through the Albert Embankment and the sunset view of the River Thames was mesmerizing and it helped Ein unwind.


    "By the way¡­ Where in Vauxhall do you live again, Ein?" Emery''s voice sounded curious.


    "St George''s Wharf, near Nine Elms Lane. You can drop me off at the corner of Parry Street and Nine Elms, I can walk from there."


    "Wow! What a coincidence! Henry here lives in St George''s Wharf too! I guess I can drop you both since your place is also within the area."


    "Wait, wha-"


    Ein was suddenly taken aback when Henry''s arms suddenly twitched and moved.


    "Ugghhh, Are we there yet, Ems?"


    Henry removes the towel covering his head, exposing his long and messy platinum blonde hair. His cheeks were slightly flushed and there was a bit of flour on his face. Henry then notices a passenger seated on the rear seat.


    "Just in time! Kiddo, your flat is along St George''s right?"


    "Yeah." A long yawn escapes from Henry''s mouth as he massages his face and wipes off the flour stuck on his forehead.


    "Ein says he''ll alight at the corner of Parry and Nine Elms, we''ll be arriving in Vauxhall in 4 minutes, so tell me where should I drop you-"


    Upon hearing Ein''s name, Henry quickly turns his head and sees Ein sitting behind Emery. His ears became flustered as he fixed his posture.


    "Ah¡­ G-good afternoon, Ein." A bashful smile forms on Henry''s face.


    "You mean good evening? It''s already sunset, you know." Ein chuckles.


    Ein was amused to see Henry''s dishevelled look, comparing it to his composed demeanour when they first saw each other that morning, he found it refreshing to see stress-out Henry.


    Henry fixed his shirt and tied his hair up."A-anyhow! Ems, you can drop me off at Nine Elms Lane too since my apartment is just a few yards away from Parry."


    "Alright then! I''ll leave you both near Tesco, at the edge of Wandsworth Road."

 Chapter 19: After Lunch Part 4

    Emery parked his car at the front of Tesco''s along the intersection of Nine Elms Lane and Parry Street. Ein and Henry opted to be dropped off at the grocer as both of them were worried about prolonging Emery''s travel time to Heathrow.


    Both men were aware that Emery may get delayed should they allow the man to drive them home. Ein and Henry chose to walk themselves home after the drop-off.


    "I guess this is where we part ways, folks." Emery pouts and sighs as he unlocks the passenger doors.


    Ein and Henry grabbed their bags and promptly alighted from the car, Emery followed a few seconds later to bid farewell to his companions.


    "Are the both of you goin'' to be fine walkin'' home?" Emery glances at the exhausted Henry who looked like a mess while he sneers at Ein who was slightly pale and weak. "I think I should drive both of-"


    Ein interrupts him."That won''t be necessary, Emery. We need to exercise sometimes too, you know." Ein snickers.


    "Exercise when you''re healthy! Not when you''ve just recovered. You cheeky lad!" Emery reaches out his hand and ruffles Ein''s head, causing his hair to be dishevelled.


    "Fine, fine! I''ll walk at a gentle pace on the way home." Ein clicks his tongue in annoyance as he shrugs off Emery''s hand. "Why do you have to mess up my hair too?"


    "You''re on holiday tomorrow so you better get some quality rest! Don''t overexert yourself Ein!" Emery groaned as he watched Ein fix his hair. He then notices Henry who was watching on the side, he was grinning at the both of them.


    "And you, kiddo!"


    Emery extended his hands and lightly pats Henry''s shoulders. "You¡­ I leave everything to your capable hands. You were brilliant in the kitchen! I have high expectations for you!" A jolly smile beams from his face. "Make me proud, Henry, the new Kitchen Manager of Hotel Citron."


    Henry was touched by Emery''s words, his lips quivered and his golden irises were imbued with joy. He then gave Emery a warm brotherly hug.


    "Thank you, Ems! I''ll give my best so you won''t hear anything bad about me nor the hotel." Tears started to swell from Henry''s eyes. "Really¡­ I''m grateful for everything you have given, Ems. You taught me a lot today and those lessons will stay with me forever."


    "H-hey! K-kiddo! Don''t talk like it''s my funeral!" Emery''s ears flush red in embarrassment as he strokes Henry''s back to soothe him. "Seriously, kiddo¡­" Emery groans as he senses Henry''s tears drench his right shoulder.


    Ein observed the two men give their solemn farewells to each other. The scene looked like a father was leaving off to war and his son desperately clung onto him. It was overly-dramatic and Ein cringes at the sight of it. It reminded him of the old family movies he used to watch when he was young.


    He knew that Emery won''t be coming back to the UK as Emery and his wife were granted residency in the Canaries. Now that Emery was a Spanish citizen, travel to and fro from the Canary Isles and his homeland would be limited. Ein felt a little lonely as he watched the duo.


    "I''ll be late for my flight if you keep at it, kiddo."Emery groaned as he massaged his temple. Henry had clung onto him tightly and he struggled to break himself free from his embrace.


    "Just five more seconds! I figure this would be the last time we''ll be able to meet since I have a gut feeling I''ll be working my ass off until I retire like you." Henry chuckles.Stolen novel; please report.


    "Alright, suit yourself kiddo¡­ but not a second more!"


    "Yes, Pops!"


    "You, cheeky lad!"


    Henry releases his embrace, he gives Emery a final pat on the back and watches him board the car and strap on his seatbelt.


    "I''ll make sure to send cards on Christmas for the both of you! I''ll send an email after I get an internet connection at the farm. Take care of yourselves, alright?" Emery then glances at Ein. "Especially you, Ein." A warm smile forms on Emery''s face as he starts the car.


    "Don''t skip your meals and always take breaks!" Emery puts on his glasses then drives off, leaving both Ein and Emery alone.


    "Seriously¡­ that old chap."


    A lonesome smile forms on Ein''s face as he watches Emery''s car traverse the length of Nine Elms Lane. Ein stayed for a bit until he saw the vehicle turn into a small dot and eventually vanish from his line of sight. It felt a little lonely seeing a dear friend leave.


    "May I walk you home, Ein?"


    Henry''s suave voice broke Ein''s trail of thought and snapped him out of his melancholic trance. Ein realised that Emery had left him alone with him.


    ''Shit. I''m stuck with this kid. Goddamnit Emery, why did you do this to me.'' Ein felt apprehensive towards strangers, even if it was a mutual friend, he never really liked mingling with unfamiliar people.


    ''I guess I have no choice. Ein, just pretend you''re at the home stretch! He''ll be off your back soon.'' Ein sighs as he spoke to his inner self for comfort.


    Ein then clears his throat nervously as he tries to compose himself in front of Henry.


    "...Sure. I heard from Emery you live in the area too. Shall we?"


    Both men started walking eastward along Nine Elms Lane. They walked leisurely as Henry admired the sights of the area.


    "This is actually the first time I''ve been to this area." Henry gawked at the modern skyscrapers and condominiums being constructed along the streets. He also marvelled at the sight of modern architecture blending in with the historical streets of Lambeth.


    "London is currently reinventing itself. Were you expecting historical buildings and castles?" Ein raises his eyebrow.


    "Well¡­ I used to live with my mother in Henley-on-Thames, so the castle fever did stick to me. Haha!" A nervous laugh escapes from Henry''s mouth.


    "Ah¡­ so you were a Brit? I didn''t expect that I thought you were a full-fledged Canadian, Henry." Ein glances at Henry inquisitively. "Very well, I welcome you to the city of London then." Ein chuckled, he sounded a bit sarcastic as he teased Henry like a tourist.


    "H-hey! I''m no tourist to these parts! I know the area of Southwark and Whitechapel since I used to work and study in those areas. It''s¡­ just that I was too busy so I haven''t checked the other boroughs!" Henry''s ears were flustered.


    Henry felt awkward and quickly changed the conversation.


    "I heard it''s safer to walk alongside with a companion in London than walking alone¡­ was that true?"


    "It depends on the area." Ein hums as he checks the time on his wrist. "Let''s turn the next corner, it''s safer to take that path."


    "Wait, are you serious?" Henry''s eyes dilated in disbelief. He started to regret leading the conversation. "Crap, I should have picked a different area to move into." Henry scratched his head.


    "You don''t have to worry about that, St George''s Wharf is a safe neighbourhood now. Things just get a little rough in the evening since Vauxhall has a lot of clubs in the area."


    The men then turned right into a narrow alley situated between a construction site and a historical building. As they strayed away from Nine Elms Lane, the sound of cars started to fade and Henry noticed that the area had gone silent.


    As they reached the end of the narrow alley, Henry was pleasantly surprised to see the scenery change. The busy streets and the noise he felt earlier vanished as they strolled further.


    "Wow¡­ to think this place existed right in the middle of the city." Henry''s golden irises shimmered with delight.


    Magnolia trees and well-pruned hedges lined the sidewalk. There were no vehicles parked along the thoroughfare and the streets. Gentle autumn breeze courses through the thoroughfare and the golden leaves swayed along while some fell gracefully to the ground. Only the sound of the trees rustling and their footsteps were heard.


    "Around four years ago, this neighbourhood was rife with muggings and violence was a daily occurrence. This street had a lot of history of blood being spilt into it." Ein glances at Henry, it looked like he was fascinated by the scenery around him.


    "Fortunately, the Borough here changed and committed themselves to make this neighbourhood better." Ein lets out a relieving sigh. "They managed to turn St. George''s Wharf a safe place to live after the Pandemic a few years ago. So you don''t have to worry about being robbed." Ein gives Henry an encouraging pat on the shoulder as they stroll along the quiet street.


    Eventually, both men reached the end of the sidewalk as they reached the footpath leading to the Riverside Walk, facing the Thames River.


    "Well¡­ this is where we part ways, Henry. My flat is just a few metres ahead. I bid you an advance farewell."


    "Likewise." Henry smiles at Ein. "Although I think mine''s a little bit further though. Which building do you live in Ein?" He gives Ein a curious look.


    "I''m by the Phoenix House so it''s quite near."


    "Looks like we''re neighbours then." Henry chuckles.


    Ein was puzzled by Henry''s remark, his face had a dumbfounded expression. Ein didn''t really expect that Henry''s home was just a stone''s throw away from his house.


    "I''m at Aquarius House, the building next to yours."

 Chapter 20: Carrot Walnut Cake Part 1

    Ein''s irises widened in shock, his face had a surprised expression, he did not expect that Henry would reside in the same block. In fact, he found it astounding that Henry''s residence was just a few steps away from his home.


    "Wow, what a coincidence." Ein lets out a soft chuckle. "I guess, we''re neighbours then."


    "Indeed! Small world, isn''t it?" Henry then took a few steps ahead of Ein.


    "I tried to look for dwellings near Southwark, but most of them were excessive." Henry sighed and watched the boats sailing along the Thames River. "I liked the relaxed vibe here in St George''s Wharf since it reminded me of my hometown..."


    Ein followed Henry''s gaze and watched the sunset tint the river golden as the waning sunlight reflected on the water. He never paid attention to such scenic views as Ein preoccupied himself with never-ending work in the last five years.


    He had forgotten about the beauty of the simple things around him. The sight exuded an aura of warmth and serenity, it was nostalgic and Ein felt at peace just by observing the horizon.


    "I love it whenever the sunset turns the Thames into a golden river," Henry mumbles as he watches the graceful splashing and ripples of the Thames River.


    "It reminds me of Henley-on-Thames."


    Henry sneaks a glance at Ein. It was only brief but Ein sensed that Henry was staring at him with a melancholic expression. He turns his attention to Henry and then their eyes briefly meet.


    "Beautiful isn''t it?"


    Henry''s lips curved and a gentle smile formed on his face. A chilly autumn breeze blew along the Riverside Walk. The wind made Henry''s long fringes gracefully sway along, while the dusk was tinged with an orange hue, it made Henry''s golden irises shimmer.


    The sight of Henry blinds Ein, he felt an overwhelming wave of nostalgia slam against him as Henry''s demeanour was reminiscent of the dream he experienced earlier. The image of Henry''s tall body was replaced by a blonde-haired child. Only this time, the child was smiling and his wounds and bruises were gone.


    Suddenly, a skull-splitting headache assaults Ein. His vision fogs up and Ein loses his balance, stumbling forward.


    "Ugh¡­ My head."


    Henry rushed to Ein and extended out his arms. He manages to catch Ein just in time as the weakened man softly lands on his chest, stopping Ein''s fall to the ground.


    "H-hey! Ein are you alright?" Henry supported Ein''s back with his arms.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "I''m¡­ okay, I just feel a little light-headed¡­" Ein''s face was a little pale and cold sweat trickled from his neck. His legs were trembling as he struggled to stand.


    "You don''t look fine to me." Henry groaned. "Take a breather first before you head up."


    "I-I''m alright, Henry. I just need to get home and rest." Ein tries to muster his strength but the throbbing headache made it hard for him to maintain balance.


    "You can let go now Henry, I can go-"


    Henry cuts him off by swiftly placing his arms behind Ein''s back and knees, he then bends and lifts Ein, carrying him in his arms.


    It was a strange sight to behold. Several onlookers along the Riverside Walk were giggling as they witnessed a young lad hoisting up a middle-aged man wearing a suit in his arms.


    Ein felt shame and covered his face with his bag. Henry held him up with ease, and it was a bridal carry to boot. Henry''s actions made Ein''s face flush red like a ripe tomato.


    Henry read through Ein''s embarrassment and apologised.


    "I''m sorry for being improper, but I don''t want to see a sick person stress himself out."


    Henry looks around briefly and spots a bench a few metres away. He then walks toward it with Ein in tow.


    "Let''s take a break for a while until you feel okay." Henry then supported Ein''s back while he props him gently on the bench.


    ***


    "I wonder if Henry will finally be able to talk to Ein..."


    Seori sighed as she arranged and compiled the completed paperwork on the glass table. She then observed the cityscape outside the glass windows and admired the orange-tinted clouds as the sun descended on the horizon.


    It was already 5:32 PM and the sun was about to set in a couple of minutes.


    "They''ll be fine! Emery''s a good actor and he''s good at hooking people up. Haha!" Monique''s energetic cackling echoes inside the office as she sat on the day bench by the window.


    "But Monique, you are aware that Ein''s a sharp one... Do you think he''ll notice that we''re all setting him up with Henry?" Seori raises her eyebrow.


    "He won''t. Ein''s good at analysing people but he''s still as dense as ever when it comes to friendship and love." Monique gets up from the bench and fixes her shirt. "By the way, you invited Ein for a birthday dinner tomorrow, right? It was a bistro right?"


    Seori sneers at Monique. "What are you planning?"


    "Well¡­ I just want to make it merrier, it''s Ein''s 40th birthday after all, so we need to make it a little grander. Plus, that workaholic didn''t even bother celebrating his birthday for the last three years¡­" A cheeky grin appears on Monique''s face.


    "You said the place you recommended serves delicious cakes right?"


    "Well, it''s a cafe during the day, but a bistro at night¡­" Seori scratches her head as she recalls the cafe''s schedule. "It''s also within Lambeth too so it''s fairly close." Seori then takes out her smartphone from her coat pocket to confirm the location of the store.


    "But will Ein appreciate it though? You know he hates it when people fawn and dote-"


    Monique interrupts Seori. "Reserve the place for the entire dinner shift, tell them to give service to six patrons and also to bake a Carrot Walnut Cake for dessert. Call later and put my name down on the reservation." She quickly takes out an obsidian credit card from her purse and hands it out to Seori.


    "I''ll cover for everything, so just make sure that Arnaut comes tomorrow too."


    Seori quickly notes down Monique''s instructions into her smartphone. "Hm¡­ For six people right? Who are the other two?"


    "Well¡­ Diether''s coming home tonight so he''ll be in attendance tomorrow as well." Monique giggled.


    "Wow, so we''re going to fifth wheel Ein on his own birthday!? How insensitive! Monique, you''re such a bi-"


    "Henry will attend."


    Seori''s jaws dropped. ''"M-Monique, a-are you sure about this? Ein would definitely see through this!"


    "Relax, Seori! He won''t since he''s a dolt. Also, as long as you use that card, he won''t be able to track us." A confident grin beams from Monique''s face.


    "That card is special, it''s not associated with Citron since it goes directly under my name. Ein won''t be able to audit it as transactions from that card won''t reflect on our expenditure trackers." Monique pats Seori''s shoulder.


    "I''m giving you the authorization to use my own funds." Monique chuckles. "Let''s just make sure that everyone involved keeps mum about this." She then winks at Seori.

 Chapter 21: Carrot Walnut Cake Part 2

    ''Ein, why the hell, did you let a brat, take care of you?''


    I spoke to myself as I tried to brush off my embarrassment. I felt shame hearing the laughter of bystanders around me as I lay down on this cold, hard wooden bench. Henry propped me hereafter carrying me like a damsel in distress. It must have been an amusing sight to behold here in St. George''s Wharf. Imagine, an old man in a suit being carried by a tall young man. I could still hear some murmurs from the onlookers, as they mocked me whenever they passed by.


    Henry told me to rest briefly before heading up to my flat. The stubborn brat wouldn''t let me go earlier, and insisted to me that I should use his lap as a pillow for my head. I didn''t want any more drama since the bystanders along Riverside Walk were gawking at me with bemused faces. I had no choice but to give in to his request.


    And now, here I am, lying down on this sad bench, with the cold autumn wind breezing by. Thankfully, my head was resting on a warm, firm cushion and it made the cold bearable. I feel awkward to sense another person''s warmth in such a manner.


    As I slowly regained my strength, I watched the sunset sky turn dim. The orange hue I saw earlier, faded and the night was crawling in. I saw some of the brightest stars shimmer while strobe lights of passing aeroplanes flashed as they flew in the sky. The sunlight disappeared in a matter of minutes, it was beautiful and I felt at peace just by observing them.


    "Do you feel better now, Ein?"


    I saw Henry''s face pop up on my peripheral vision. His eyes were tinged with worry and his fringes dangled from his face as he tilted his head closer.


    "A little. My head feels a little woozy though..."


    "We did walk quite a distance earlier. I guess we should have taken a break midway." Henry sighed, I felt his warm hand caress my forehead. "Then take your time and rest a bit more, you shouldn''t overexert yourself."


    Henry''s expression brightens and a beaming smile appears from his face. "I''ll keep your head warm for the meantime."


    There was something in Henry''s face that felt awfully familiar to me. I remembered the child I saw in my dream as well as the one I hallucinated a while ago.


    I tried to skim through my memories but I couldn''t recall anything. All I recollected was when Emery told me that this kid used to work in Citron as a part-time dishwasher years ago. I wanted to ask him if we''ve already met in the past, but I fear that such a question would lead to a misunderstanding.


    After all, in this day and age, the Have-We-Met question was a classic pickup line.


    "Ein, are you okay?"


    "Huh?" My trail of thought was interrupted by Henry''s suave voice. "Y-yes, I''m alright¡­ I''m just thinking about things while admiring the stars in the sky¡­"


    Henry chuckles. "Well you used to stare blankly at the night sky, so... I get it whenever I see your space out of nowhere."


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    I felt a sudden chill course throughout my body.


    ''Wait a damn second, did this kid just say the word USED? Ein, use your head! Henry here clearly knows something! But wait, he''s a stranger and we''ve just met earlier?''


    I tried to calm myself by speaking to my inner thoughts but instead, the urge to ask the burning question deepens. It was a tempting notion but it would make me look like a nosy stranger towards Henry.


    The man beside me knew me at some point. Trouble is, I don''t recall meeting him nor seeing him prior to our introduction today.


    I winced as a piercing headache loomed inside my head, for some odd reason, whenever I tried to force myself to remember something, my head would be assaulted by pain. As I thought about it more, my eyes unconsciously squinted as I gazed at Henry''s face.


    ''Just ask the man, Ein! End your suffering and let the cat out of the bag! But make sure to be ready. Should I ask him now? No! Maybe later so I''ll have the strength to run when things become awkward.'' My thoughts were a mess, part of me begged for closure while the latter opted to run away from it all.


    ''I should end this awkward farce.''


    I took a deep breath and braced myself.


    "Henry¡­"


    "Yes? What is it, Ein?"


    "When you said I used to stare blankly at the sky..." I raised an eyebrow as I glanced at him with an inquisitive look.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    I saw Henry''s face turn blushing pink while his ears turned red. My eyes couldn''t believe that a composed man like him would show such a bashful side.


    "Uh¡­ w-well, you see, E-Ein¡­ a-about that-" Henry averted his eyes from mine.


    "Have we met in the past?" I sighed. "For some reason, whenever I see your face smiling at me, there''s this small scrawny kid that pops up inside my head¡­ And then I get this persistent headache afterwards."


    I saw Henry''s eyes widen in shock, his jaws were agape and his eyes shimmered as small beads of tears swell up. He then looks at me pitifully.


    "Did that kid¡­ had short hair?"


    "I think so. I can''t remember much, but I do recall his hair and irises had the same colour as yours, Henry." I groaned as I tried to recollect the dream I saw earlier.


    "Was he a lanky kid who got beaten up badly?"


    "Yes... He looked like a ten or an eleven-year-old kid. Indeed, the child had a lot of bruises too, I remember his cheeks were swollen and were black and blue¡­"


    And then I realised it. There was a reason why Henry''s demeanour was awkward towards me. The time when he shook my hand in the conference room¡­ His flustered attitude in the elevator¡­ Then his face, reactions and questions as I spoke to him now¡­ they all made sense.


    "Were you perhaps¡­ That child?"


    "Yes."


    As I stared at Henry''s face. I saw the sadness in his eyes. His lips quivered as it formed a bitter smile.


    "It''s been twenty years, Ein..."


    My headache worsened.


    ***


    "Ah! It feels so good to be back home!"


    A man wearing an olivine bomber jacket, black denim pants and high-cut trainers shuffles through the arrival halls of Heathrow Airport Terminal 3. The luggage bag he towed behind him was filled with a multitude of tags and stickers gathered from different countries.


    "Hmm¡­ I should call Monique first."


    The man walked to the First Class lounge of Cafe Pacific, he had a membership there and opted to use the facilities as he waited for his entourage to fetch him. After getting access into the lounge''s private suites, he takes off his jacket and stows away his luggage to the side. He quickly takes out his smartphone and configures it to a UK frequency setting.


    "Man¡­ I''ll miss the fast mobile data in Japan¡­"


    He groaned as he watched his phone reboot. After a few seconds, the phone successfully reverted to English settings and the signal bars were full. He then quickly dials Monique''s number and calls it. Monique answers the call after three rings.


    [Diether! Welcome home!]


    A warm smile forms on Diether''s face as he hears Monique''s lively voice.


    "Yes, I''m home, my love." Diether sits down on the fluffy bed. "I''ve just arrived a few minutes ago. I''ll rest for a while here in the airport lounge before coming home."


    [I can ask the driver to pick you up from there, are you in the Concorde Lounge? I can make arrangements for you-]


    "You don''t have to, my love. It''s okay Monique, I''ll probably be home in two hours. I missed using the Tube too. Haha!"


    [And risk getting mugged? Hell no! Tell me which lounge you''re staying at. I''ll make arrangements!]


    Diether groans, he knew that once Monique made up her mind, it would be impossible to get her to change her decision.


    "Fine, I''m at T3, Cafe Pacific First Class Lounge. I''ll take a nap for an hour first, I can feel the Jetlag catching up on me."


    [Alright then, I''ll ask the lounge there in Cafe Pacific to arrange transport from there¡­ Oh! before that...It''s Ein''s birthday tomorrow! I''ve arranged for a small birthday dinner so you better attend!]

 Chapter 22: Carrot Walnut Cake Part 3

    "It''s been twenty years, Ein¡­"


    Ein''s thoughts were filled with questions about his past. He tried to remember snippets of his memories but the throbbing pain prevented him to focus. He winced as the dull discomfort inside his head intensified into a skill-splitting one. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he collected himself.


    Henry saw through Ein''s pain, his eyes were tinged with worry. "Ein, are you alright? Does your head hurt?" His warm gentle hands massaged Ein''s forehead and temples, soothing him.


    "I-I''m alright Henry¡­ it''s just a headache." Ein opens his eyes and glances at Henry''s golden irises.


    "Don''t push yourself too much." Henry smoothens his hand on Ein''s forehead. He noticed that Ein was looking at his face, Henry had an inkling that Ein was observing him.


    Ein wanted to question Henry, the man beside him knew something about his youth. Ein''s memories from the time of his disownment up until his assault were a blur. All that Ein could sense from Henry was just an aura of familiarity and nostalgia. Ein squints as he compares the face of the child from his dreams and the man before him.


    Henry felt Ein''s prickling gaze. "Uhh¡­ is there something on my face, Ein?" Henry bows slightly as he studied Ein''s squinting visage.


    "It was you¡­" Ein extended his right hand and brushed off Henry¡¯s long fringes to get a better view of his irises. ¡°Your eyes, your cheeks... they¡¯ve become sharper.¡± He then cups Henry¡¯s cheek. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten a few wrinkles too, there are small bags under your eyes instead of bruises.¡±


    Henry¡¯s lips curved upwards forming a warm smile. ¡°Well, twenty years have passed since you last saw me¡­ I¡¯ve grown a lot.¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­¡± Ein removed his hand from Henry¡¯s face, he then gazed at him with a bitter expression. ¡°Although, I don¡¯t remember when or where we exactly met in the past¡­ So-¡±


    Henry interrupts Ein. ¡°Henny Hobbes, does the name ring a bell?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t recall Henny, but the surname Hobbes sounds familiar.¡±


    ¡°Hobbes was my biological father¡¯s surname, and Henny was my childhood nickname¡­ You used to call me Henny back then too instead of my given name.¡± Henry¡¯s warm smile flattens, he then lets out a sigh. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡®I guess it was true¡­ You did lose your memories.¡¯  Henry ruminates.


    Ein felt bad as he saw Henry¡¯s face turn dark and gloomy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯ve forgotten about you, Henry¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay Ein, you don¡¯t need to apologise!¡± Henry strokes Ein¡¯s hair to comfort him. "Memories fade after a long time."


    It felt odd for Ein to be consoled by a younger man, let alone a total stranger. Initially, Ein had been wary towards Henry after exchanging their introductions in the conference room. Now that Henry¡¯s identity had been verified and his past disclosed, Ein realised that Henry meant no harm. He also saw it as an opportunity to help him regain his lost memories.


    ¡°Can I ask you a favour?¡±


    ¡°As long as it''s within my capabilities, of course, you can, Ein.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ will you help me remember, Henry?¡±


    ***


    ¡°Wait, so the Hobbes guy that Ein told me about earlier was Henry?!¡± Arnaut drops his tumbler as he listens to Monique''s story. He had met up with Monique in her office as per the email reply he received from her earlier.


    ¡°Tone it down, Arnaut!¡± Monique grips the collars of Arnaut¡¯s coat. ¡°We can¡¯t risk having this discussion leak outside of my office, or else, Ein will be onto us!¡±


    Arnaut scoffs. ¡°Why are you trying to hook them up anyways? Why can¡¯t you just let those two talk it out on their own.¡± He groans and brushes off Monique''s hands. He then collects the fallen tumbler on the floor.


    Monique massaged her temples in frustration. ¡°Well, knowing Ein, he wouldn¡¯t give a shit about other people unless it''s me or someone he holds dear¡­ Plus, I want Ein to start moving forward instead of building walls around himself to keep others away.¡± Monique takes a seat on her chair and leans back. "With Diether''s homecoming, I have a gut feeling that I''ll be busy from hereon."


    "Hmm¡­ I see you want the bird to leave the nest by teaching it how to fly?" Arnaut scratches his head. "But still, I don''t get it, why would you want to set up Ein with that bloke?"


    "I believe Henry would be a good match for Ein." Monique chuckles. "I''m giving them both a gentle push, Ein gets help in remembering while Henry finally reconnects with a dear friend." A cheeky smirk forms on Monique''s lips. "It''s a win-win situation, don''t you think?"


    Arnaut sneers at Monique. "Are you treating this as one of your love games?"


    "Nope! I''m doing this so if in case, it''s time for me to leave Ein''s side, he would have someone to rely on." Monique sighs. "Just like passing batons during relay races, that''s what I plan to do."


    "W-wait! Hold up! What do you mean by time for you to leave?" Arnaut raises an eyebrow. "Are you perhaps-"


    Monique cuts Arnaut off. "In three months, I''ll be taking my maternity leave¡­" Monique swivels her chair and turns her attention to the nightscape outside the windows. "I''m going to endorse everything to Ein."


    Arnaut''s dark irises dilated in shock, his mouth was ajar as he greeted Monique. "C-Congratulations, Monique! Wow¡­ to think, you''re finally expecting."


    "I know right? It was a miracle too since Diether and I have been trying for decades¡­ I guess the IVF worked this time around." She then turned her chair and faced Arnaut.


    "As Ein''s doctor and his friend, I hope you and Seori will continue to look after him while I''m gone."


    "Hmm¡­ how long will you be on leave?" Arnaut crosses his arms. "Also, have you told Ein about this?"


    "I plan to let Ein know by the end of October. And for how long I''ll be gone¡­ I can''t say, but realistically it may probably be a year or two at most. After all, I''d like at least to experience how child-rearing works." Monique giggled, she then stood up and grabbed her bag.


    "Anywho! I''ll be expecting you and Seori''s attendance, dress casually for tomorrow''s birthday dinner!" Monique winks at Arnaut. "Also don''t tell anyone about what we''ve talked about today."

 Chapter 23: Carrot Walnut Cake Part 4

    The vibrant city lights of London brightened up the night and the colourful illuminations reflected along the River Thames, bedazzling the onlookers who were lounging by the Riverside Walk. It was now 6:50 PM and the chilly autumn night settled in.


    <h1></h1>


    Ein felt his strength return, his light-headedness had vanished and the dull pain inside his head subsided. He was now sitting upright beside Henry on the wooden bench.


    <h1></h1>


    "I''m sorry if my request sounds¡­ a little unreasonable." Ein sighs.


    <h1></h1>


    "It''s all right Ein, no one blames you for forgetting. As I said earlier, memories fade with time, so you don''t need to apologise." A warm smile forms on Henry''s face.


    <h1></h1>


    "I know it''s presumptuous of me to ask such a favour, you don''t have to oblige, Henry."


    <h1></h1>


    A chilly autumn breeze sweeps the length of the Riverside Walk along St. George''s Wharf. The wind was icy and both men shivered as they felt the temperature drop. It looks like it was time for both of them to head back indoors.


    <h1></h1>


    "...Thank you." Ein mumbles.


    <h1></h1>


    "For what?"


    <h1></h1>


    "You were a reliable cushion and also for helping me while we were stuck in the elevator earlier¡­" A feeble smile forms on Ein''s lips.


    <h1></h1>


    Henry got gobsmacked as he saw Ein donning a genuine smile.


    <h1></h1>


    "Doctor Arnaut told me that you did first aid on me, and for that I''m grateful." Ein fixes his coat and rises from his seat. "It''s getting cold we should head-"


    <h1></h1>


    Ein''s remark got interrupted by the sound of his stomach growling in hunger. It was already dinnertime and both men had spent more than an hour sitting on the bench. Henry trembled as he tried to hold in his laughter while Ein''s complexion had become red as a tomato due to embarrassment.


    <h1></h1>


    "I-I''m heading h-home! Thanks again, H-Henry." Ein stammers as he bids farewell to Henry. He covers his face with his hand, his thoughts were telling him to make a run for it and avoid the shame he brought to himself.


    <h1></h1>


    "Wait a second Ein!"


    <h1></h1>


    As Ein was about dash off, he felt a gentle tug on the back. He turns his head and sees Henry, holding onto his coat''s rear vent.


    <h1></h1>


    "I''ll help you remember," Henry mumbles and meets Ein''s gaze.


    <h1></h1>


    "...What?"


    <h1></h1>


    "Let''s talk it out over dinner." Henry tightens his grip on Ein''s coat. "I''ll cook dinner tonight and let''s talk about it." His eyes sparkled and an eager smile appeared on Henry''s face.


    <h1></h1>


    ***


    <h1></h1>


    ''Ein, look what you''ve done. Looks like your questioning backfired, you''ve bothered Henry again with your antics. But wait! Henry knows something that I forgot! It''s just dinner, so there''s no harm, plus I get a free meal too.''


    <h1></h1>


    My thoughts were a mess as I followed Henry to his home. After boarding the lift, we alighted on the 12th floor of Aquarius House. Both of us were walking along the corridor leading to his flat after he invited me over for dinner earlier.


    <h1></h1>


    I couldn''t refuse his offer, Henry had this pitiful expression on his face, it pulled my heartstrings as he looked like a feeble puppy begging for attention. Not to mention, I was hungry and a part of me wanted to sort out the issue with my lost memories. Henry''s shotgun dinner invitation made perfect sense since I can kill two birds with one stone.


    <h1></h1>


    "By the way, do you have any food allergies Ein?"


    <h1></h1>


    "No allergies for me, I''m good with anything."


    <h1></h1>


    "That''s good to hear, how about any food preferences? Do you have a dislike for a certain food or ingredient?" Henry glances at me inquisitively.


    <h1></h1>


    "I don''t like bitter melons and gourds." I groaned.


    <h1></h1>


    "All right! I''ll make sure to avoid those then." He chuckles.


    <h1></h1>


    Henry''s pace slowed down and eventually stopped in front of the door of 12J. His flat was the end of the hallway, just beside the emergency fire exit. It reminded me of the layout of my home as well¡­ Only mine was situated on the 16th floor of Phoenix House.


    <h1></h1>


    "We''re here."


    <h1></h1>


    Henry takes out a keycard from his pocket and inserts it on the knob, he then dials in the access code on the numpad.


    <h1></h1>


    "I apologise in advance if the place is a little messy." Henry smiled at me sheepishly as he opened and held the door for me.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    <h1></h1>


    Henry closed the door gently after I walked inside, he then tapped my shoulder. "Oh! By the way, leave your shoes here on the entryway, feel free to stow away your bag and coat on the top shelf and wear this so it''ll be more comfortable." He grabs a pair of soft, grey fabric indoor loafers from the bottom shelf and hands it over to me.


    <h1></h1>


    Henry quickly stows away his shoes and bag on the alcove, he then takes the pair of black knitted cotton slippers from the bottom shelf and wears them. "I''ll go on ahead and do prep in the kitchen. If you need to use the washroom, it''s the sliding door with a black handle near the living area. The mirrored door beside it leads to my room, so you better avoid that one." He then bolts toward the kitchen and the lighting inside the flat turns on, illuminating the rest of the space.


    <h1></h1>


    I took off my shoes and placed them on the middle shelf, there was also space to leave bags above it, so I stowed my satchel and hung my suit coat on one of the hangers. The slippers Henry gave to me were comfortable and the shoe size was just right.


    <h1></h1>


    As I entered Henry''s flat, I was amazed by the cleanliness of the home. There was a faint smell of paint, the flooring had been fitted with dark mahogany planks and the walls were painted white. It felt like his home was recently renovated. His apartment was powered by motion sensors as the lighting adjusted its luminosity as I wandered further into the living room.


    <h1></h1>


    The furnishings inside were all simple, modern and clean; the lack of decorations like artwork or collectables made it look like a modern minimalist''s flat. His home adapted an open plan as the living room seamlessly opened up to the dining and kitchen area. The floor-to-ceiling windows also made the space bigger, as the apartment was a corner unit that had a balcony. It reminded me of the affluent, modern Japanese apartments that I see on Asian dramas on the telly.


    <h1></h1>


    "You call this messy?" I raised an eyebrow at Henry who was busy washing his hands on the kitchen sink.


    <h1></h1>


    ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t unpacked and arranged everything yet. Haha!¡± Henry laughs nervously as he wipes his hands dry with a towel. He takes out a small, glass container from the fridge, it was like a jar filled with jam.


    <h1></h1>


    "I think the word bare would fit your home better."


    <h1></h1>


    "True." Henry groans. "Most of the decor is not yet sorted out, I''m almost done unpacking the rest of my stuff.¡± He takes out a glass mug from the cupboard and fills it with hot water.


    <h1></h1>


    ¡°Your place looks good though¡­ I noticed the faint smell of paint when I got inside, you¡¯ve done renovations?¡±


    <h1></h1>


    ¡°Yup! Originally, this place was a dark and outdated three-bedroom flat. I got some contractors to freshen up the place since I needed a dwelling that could also serve as a studio. The interior designer removed the third bedroom and combined the two adjacent bedrooms into one. So I ended up with just one bedroom with an en suite and a large kitchen and living space.¡± Henry hands me a glass mug filled with warm tea.


    <h1></h1>


    ¡°The heating just turned on, that will help you warm up, Ein. It¡¯s honey, lemon and ginger tea, it¡¯s a good remedy for nausea too." He then heads back to the kitchen to do more prep work.


    <h1></h1>


    ¡°Anyway! Make yourself comfortable and feel free to sit anywhere you like.¡± He grabs one of his kitchen knives from the drawers and honed the blade. ¡°I¡¯ll whip up something quick."


    <h1></h1>


    "All right, I''ll leave it to you, Henry." I took a seat on one of the cushioned stools by the kitchen island and watched Henry as he took out several ingredients from his pantry cabinet.


    <h1></h1>


    I drank a bit of the tea that Henry gave me, it was refreshing as the scent of lemon and the warmth of ginger soothed my palate, the addition of honey complimented the spice and it was easy to swallow.


    <h1></h1>


    Henry then takes out a bag of peeled prawns from the fridge and a packet of pasta from the pantry cabinets. ¡°Ein, you don¡¯t mind spicy food?¡±


    <h1></h1>


    ¡°Spicy is fine for me.¡±


    <h1></h1>


    ¡°Glad to know!¡± Henry then takes out a pasta pot, fills it with water, seasons it and places it on the stove to boil. ¡°Dinner¡¯s gonna be Shrimp Aglio e Olio, it should be ready in under thirty minutes.¡±


    <h1></h1>


    "Sounds good, I''ll look forward to it."


    <h1></h1>


    I took another sip of the tea, it was good. The citrus flavour and the spiciness of it make me feel nostalgic. There was something about its golden hue that seemed familiar. I never really liked spiced tea like Masala Chai and Cinnamon Tea since the spices would overwhelm the tea. What weirded me out is that I didn¡¯t mind the taste of the one I¡¯m drinking now, in fact, I enjoyed it. It didn¡¯t taste like those poorly made ginger infusion tea bags you buy in the grocer.


    <h1></h1>


    ¡°Did you brew this tea, Henry?¡±


    <h1></h1>


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± His ears flushed red as he responded to my inquiry. Henry tosses the pasta noodles onto the boiling pot.


    <h1></h1>


    "It''s quite tasty, may I have the recipe for this?"


    <h1></h1>


    ¡°Ein¡­ you were the one that taught me how to make that in the past.¡± He grabs a bulb of garlic from the counter.


    <h1></h1>


    "Really?" My jaw drops in shock. I didn''t expect that my younger self did such things. "I¡­ must have forgotten about it then." I then finished the drink and placed the cup on the counter.


    <h1></h1>


    "I told you, I''ll help you remember, Ein." Henry lets out a soft chuckle. "I''ll teach you the recipe after dinner, that should help you remember some things."


    <h1></h1>


    "Yeah¡­ hopefully." I groaned as I watched Henry swiftly peel and mince an entire bulb of garlic.


    <h1></h1>


    "Don''t feel bad, Ein." Henry grabs a pan from the rack and preheats it on the stovetop. "If it helps, do you want to talk about how we met?" He pours a liberal amount of olive oil onto the pan.


    <h1></h1>


    "Truth be told, I''m really curious about that¡­¡± I scratched my head as I recalled the image of Henry as a child inside my thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m also wondering why you appeared as a beaten-up kid too.¡±


    <h1></h1>


    Henry chucks the minced garlic onto the pan. The smell of sauteed garlic fills the room, he then adds chilli flakes, tosses in the prawns and seasons it with salt and pepper.


    <h1></h1>


    ¡°Ein, we used to live in a shared council house in Henley-on-Thames, I was a minor back then and you were the eldest amongst the group.¡± He then gazed at me with a worried expression.


    <h1></h1>


    ¡°The house we shared was a shelter for abuse victims, I was the youngest out of all of us and you took care of me during my stay there.¡± Henry sighs, ¡°We lived together for two months, you were my roommate back then too.¡± Henry drains the cooked pasta from the pot and tosses it to the pan.


    <h1></h1>


    ¡°That makes sense¡­ Now I know why you appeared in my thoughts with bruises.¡± I then remembered the dream wherein I gave chase to Henry. ¡°Is that also the reason why you tried¡­ to run away and tried to kill yourself?¡±


    <h1></h1>


    I saw Henry¡¯s eyes dilate in shock. He then turns off the stove and sets down the spatula from his hand.


    "You remembered it, Ein?"


    <h1></h1>


    <h1></h1>


    <h1>


    </h1>

 Chapter 24: Carrot Walnut Cake Part 5

    ¡°You remembered it, Ein?¡±


    Henry''s irises dilated and his mouth was agape. He pauses for a bit then pulls out two plates from the kitchen drawers.


    "To be honest¡­ I dreamt of it earlier." I groaned as I recollected the memory. "You ran away and then I gave chase..." I watched Henry set placemats and glasses in front of me, his demeanour had become tense and his face was sombre.


    "And then what happened?"


    Henry''s voice had an inquisitive tone, he glanced at me, there was a hint of sorrow and anticipation visible from his eyes. He then looks away and divides the portions of pasta from the pan.


    ''God damn it, Ein. You triggered a sensitive topic! Don''t answer his question you fool! But wait, he''s helping me remember? I''m sure Henry won''t mind! Don''t worry, he''s grown and he can take the drama.''


    My inner thoughts were going awry. Part of me wanted to answer Henry''s question, while my gut was telling me that I should dismiss it as Henry would feel like shit after.


    ''Screw this.''


    I took a deep breath and tried my best to answer Henry with a neutral tone.


    "Well, when I managed to catch up to you¡­" I nervously tapped my fingers on the counter. "You were blaming yourself and you wanted to die at that time¡­" Henry was staring at me intently, his face had a darkened expression and it was intimidating. I averted my eyes from him and focused at the placemat on the counter.


    ''Don''t stammer. Don''t stammer. Don''t stammer!''


    "Y-you wanted to be left alone..." I glanced at Henry, his face looked serious and his brows were furrowed. "A-after that I woke up¡­ T-those were the only things I remembered." I fumbled as I explained myself to him.


    Henry served my plate of Shrimp Aglio e Olio and filled my glass with water. The aroma of garlic, prawns and spices wafts in front of me. The shrimp were perfectly seared and its vibrant orange hue looked appetizing, the pasta had a brilliant golden sheen due to the infusion of olive oil, chilli flakes and garlic. Henry''s cooking made me feel hungrier.


    I almost drooled at the sight of food in front of me but Henry''s piercing gaze proved stronger as his aura had become cold and gloomy.


    There was an awkward silence in the room.


    ''Ein, you screwed up. Why did you let your mouth run on a touchy subject? You should''ve been careful! Henry was trying to help me remember, it''s not my fault things got chilly!'' I spoke to my inner voice to help relax, but it only made me feel terrible.


    "Ein, let''s eat before the food gets cold."


    My trail of thought was interrupted by Henry''s voice. I watched him grab his plate and take a seat across me on the dining counter. He pulls out two pairs of sealed chopsticks from the kitchen drawers underneath.


    "I haven''t unpacked the cutlery yet, you don''t mind using chopsticks for the meantime?" Henry hands me over a pair of disposable chopsticks. "I''m sorry for being unprepared. Haha!" He lets out a nervous laugh.


    I met his eyes as he passed the packet of chopsticks to me, it looked like Henry noticed the tension in the room and decided to lighten the mood by diverting my attention to eating.


    "I¡­ I''m all right with chopsticks." I grabbed the pair and split them apart. "Actually, I feel a lot more comfortable using them. Thank you."


    A feeble smile appeared on Henry''s face as I gave him my thanks. "Bon appetit, Ein."


    ¡º??¡»


    Ein and Henry ate their dinner in silence, both men had an inkling that talking about the past was too heavy for dinner and opted to keep quiet so as not to spoil the mood. Ein didn''t mind the atmosphere and decided to focus on eating.


    The pasta was delicious, the noodles were cooked perfectly tender despite coming from an instant packet. The prawns were juicy and the seasonings enhanced the flavour of the seafood. Ein was pleasantly surprised at how Henry managed to create an excellent dish with a few ingredients. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Henry noticed Ein''s mood brightening with every bite he took, he felt proud to see someone appreciate his cooking by eating with gusto.


    However, the silence was stifling.


    Henry felt uncomfortable after a while and decided to break the ice. He finishes his meal then sets down his chopsticks on the placemat.


    "Thank you, Ein." Henry mumbles.


    "Hmm?" Ein covers his lips as he chews the food in his mouth, he then swallows it and follows up his response. "What for?" he raises an eyebrow.


    "For saving me back then." A warm smile forms on Henry''s lips. "If you didn''t give chase, I wouldn''t be here eating dinner with you."


    "Then the dream-"


    Henry interrupts Ein. "It wasn''t a dream Ein, it really happened." Henry takes a sip of water from his glass.


    "Then¡­ you must have been through a lot." Ein finishes the pasta and puts down the chopsticks.


    "Indeed, it was a living hell back then." Henry sighs as he recalls the days when he was still living in the council house.


    "I was a fickle child and no one in that house wanted to deal with me. The adults took pity on me at first, but when they heard about what I did in school¡­ All of them started to talk shit about me." Henry''s smile flattens and a bitter expression forms on his face.


    "What happened to you when you were in school, Henry?"


    "Long story short... I was bullied and tormented by the biggest bigots in the class." Henry scratches his head as he remembers his childhood. "I wanted them to leave me alone so¡­ I pinned down their leader and kissed him on the lips to scar him forever."


    Ein was amazed at Henry''s actions. "Seriously!? You did such a thing?" Ein trembled as he tried to contain his laughter. "I''m sorry, I shouldn''t be laughing¡­ but to think you were able to pull off such a gutsy move there."


    "Well... mother told me it wasn''t wise to hit other people, instead she taught me to use love and understanding to sort out issues." Henry chuckles. "I guess the kids who bullied me didn''t get it."


    Ein lets out a hearty laugh as Henry''s ramblings lightened the conversation. "I think that''s the reason why people were probably wary of you though¡­ You are aware that it would count as sexual harassment."


    "Well, thankfully I was a minor and due to my circumstances, people back then didn''t see it that way."


    "You got lucky then."


    "Indeed." Henry groans. "Too bad, the folks in that council house didn''t and they ostracised me¡­ They even talked shit behind my back and spread it around the neighbourhood." Henry clicks his tongue in annoyance.


    "Ah¡­ I think I remember that one." Ein recalls the dream he saw earlier.


    "You stood up for me back then, and you made the nosy folks in the house shut up by giving them an earful too." Henry rubs his shoulder as he reminisces. "You were shouting at them and your raging voice was terrifying, to be honest¡­ even now I still get goosebumps whenever I remember that time."


    "Really?" Ein raises his eyebrows in disbelief. "I never thought that I would actually blow a fuse¡­"


    "You did at that time, and you helped me get through all that¡­" Henry stands up from his seat and moves to the stool beside Ein. "And for that, I am forever in your debt." Henry pats Ein''s back.


    "Thank you, Ein."


    Henry''s face softens, his lips curved up forming a warm smile and his eyes glistened with endearment.


    Ein''s face flushes red in embarrassment. It was the first time in a while that he received a genuine gesture of thanks. Being in the hospitality industry for more than four years made Ein indifferent to such instances. After all, in management, the words Thank You was just a superficial business greeting.


    "Y-you''re welcome." Ein stutters as he tries to shake off his nerves. "I''m s-sorry if I recalled a bad me-"


    Henry cuts him off. "You don''t have to apologise, Ein." He stood up from his seat and took away the empty plates. "I told you, I''ll help you remember. Don''t mind it if you recollect a horrible memory." He opens the dishwasher and places the plates, pots and pans inside, closes the door and turns it on.


    "To be honest, you haven''t changed a bit."


    "What do you mean?" Ein raises his eyebrow.


    "You were wary towards the people around you, Ein. You would always apologise whenever you thought that you''ve offended someone¡­ Just like what you did a few moments ago." Henry chuckles softly as he returns to his seat across Ein.


    "I guess old habits don''t die." Ein sighs.


    "At least the body remembers the past even though your mind does not. That would help you in recalling your memories too, you know." Henry takes a sip of water from his glass and empties it.


    "Anywho! I''ll teach you how to make the honey-lemon ginger tea as promised." A beaming smile forms on Henry''s face.


    ¡º??¡»


    Both men spent a few hours in the kitchen talking to each other while making a fresh batch of ginger tea jelly. Thanks to Henry''s concise instructions and cooking tips, Ein manages to learn how to make his own batch afterwards. Although Ein still struggled to remember the past, he was happy to regain a piece of his lost memories through Henry.


    "Crap, I think we made too much." Henry rummages through his cupboards as he scans for containers to stow away the fresh tea jelly. He then sees a pair of medium-sized mason jars and pulls it out. "This should suffice."


    Henry disinfects the jars by filling it with hot water and a few drops of dishwashing soap, he shakes the contents for a good minute, then rinses the soap shortly and wipes it dry before setting it on the counter.


    "You can have the entire batch Ein, that should last you for a month at most." Henry grins as he transfers the jelly into each jar.


    "I can''t possibly finish it all by myself Henry¡­ I''ll just take one of them for now."


    "Don''t be shy! Just take both, Ein." Henry sighs as he puts on the lids on the jar. "The jelly will stay fresh for three months at most inside the fridge. It''s a brisk tea, you can drink it any time of the day and it''s good for your headaches and throat too."


    "Alright then¡­ I''ll make sure to finish them before they go bad." Ein glances at his smartwatch. It was now 9:46 PM and it was getting late.


    "I might have imposed too much on you today, Henry." Ein looks at Henry with a concerned face. "I''ll be taking my leave by ten o''clock sharp. I''m really thankful for the tea and the delicious dinner."


    "I don''t mind it." Henry pats Ein''s shoulder. "Ein, you''re special, so don''t feel guilty about hanging around!" Henry grins. "After all, reconnecting with friends is time well spent."


    "...Friend?"


    "Although you''ve forgotten about me, it doesn''t change a thing, Ein." Henry winks. "I''ll introduce myself properly this time then."


    Henry reaches out his hand to Ein for a handshake.


    "Henry Rivers, formerly known as Henny Hobbes, your old roommate and an old friend. I''m glad to meet you again, Ein Schmidt."

 Chapter 25: Carrot Walnut Cake Part 6

    <h1>"We''re finally home, Ein!!"</h1>


    <h1>Ein switched on the lights inside his flat and staggered to the living room after a long tiring day. He placed his belongings on the coffee table and spoke to himself with an upbeat tone. Today had been a rollercoaster ride and his soliloquy helped him lighten his mood.</h1>


    "To think, you managed all that! You almost got late for work. Met Henry in the morning, he turns out to be an old friend!" Ein removed his coat and stowed it on the coat hanger, he loosened his tie and unfastened his cufflinks. "And then getting stuck in the elevator, getting treated in the infirmary, saying goodbyes to Emery and an impromptu dinner with Henry..." Ein sighed as he flopped onto the sofa as he recalled the events earlier. He leaned back and relaxed then closed his eyes to rest.


    "To think the recipe came from me but I have no recollection of it¡­"


    Ein opened his eyes and stared at the fabric tote that was next to his duffel bag. It contained the jars of honey lemon ginger tea jelly that he made with Henry a few moments ago.


    "Although, flavours were nostalgic¡­ Looks like Henry was right about my body remembering some things."


    Ein removed his socks and unbuttoned his shirt, he unbuckled his belt and stripped down to his underwear, exposing his undershirt and grey boxers. He neatly folded his laundry and set them aside


    Henry had told him that some of the mannerisms he displayed earlier were reminiscent of the past.


    According to him, the twenty-year-old Ein was a sheep under a wolf''s clothing. A few days after Henry was dropped off in the council house, Ein reached out to defend the ten-year-old Henry who was bullied and ostracised by the other tenants. Whenever Henry was being picked on, Ein would intervene


    "To think I had the guts back then¡­" Ein scratched his head in confusion.


    He couldn''t comprehend that he once had a considerate and an accommodating persona. Hearing about his past self as Henry''s childhood hero felt foreign for him. In fact, he found it strange that he treated Henry kindly as Ein realised how abrasive and cynical he was now, compared to his naive and righteous youth.


    "I might have turned wicked at some point."


    Ein reflected on his demeanour earlier, he felt guilty as he recalled his prejudice toward Henry after seeing his CV as well as assuming that he was up to no good.


    "I guess Seori was right, I should stop making assumptions on people too much." He sighed and gazed at the wall clock to note the time. It was now 10:12 PM, twelve minutes passed since he left Henry''s flat.


    Henry wanted to accompany Ein home but the latter didn''t wish to impose further and Ein insisted that he can manage. After all, their buildings were adjacent to each other and the walk home would be just a few minutes. Ein recollected Henry''s words of encouragement as they exchanged their farewells.


    ¡¸ Ein, if you need to talk with regards to recovering your memories, you can ask me! You''re a dear friend so don''t hesitate and never feel bad about seeking others for help... I''m here for you, so reach out, all right? ¡¹Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Ein stood up from his seat and trudged to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for bed.


    "Relying on others¡­ "


    A feeble smile appeared on Ein''s face as he closed the bathroom door.


    ¡º??¡»


    The smell of soap emanates from Monique as she dries her hair off with a towel. She had finished changing clothes after taking a bath and wore a pastel blue nightgown.


    ''I wonder if Seori was able to secure the reservation.'' She contemplates as she exits her walk-in closet. ''I''ll check with her tomorrow morning, she must be asleep now that it''s late.''


    As she entered the bedroom, Monique noticed a stray, olivine bomber jacket, loosely hanging on the bed''s footboard. She recognised it as it was similar to the jackets that Diether wore whenever they went on dates.


    ''Ah, he must have arri-''


    Monique''s trail of thought was interrupted as she sensed a pair of arms wrap gently around her from behind, locking her in a warm embrace.


    "My love, I missed you so¡­ so much!" Diether whispers to Monique''s as he rests his chin on her right shoulder. His low suave voice was full of endearment and longing.


    "Welcome home." Monique turns her head and gives Diether a kiss on his left cheek. "When did you get back?"


    "While you were taking a bath." Diether loosens his embrace and cups his hands on Monique''s cheeks. "You''ve become more beautiful in a span of a month, my love."


    "Really?" Monique flushes.


    Diether nods. "You have this radiant glow on your face." His long fingers caressed Monique''s cheeks. "You look sexier too." A smirk forms on Diether''s face as he leans forward to give Monique a kiss.


    "Ah! Wait!" Monique stops Diether''s advance as she covers Diether lips with her hand. "R-remember what the doctor said? No hanky-panky on the first trimester!"


    Diether pouts. "It''s just a kiss, Monique." Tears swelled from his eyes. "Did you not miss me while I was away?" Diether glances at Monique, he looked like a puppy that had been refused by its owner.


    "Whenever you give me that look, I know for sure that we won''t end the night with just a kiss..." Monique sneers as she pinches Diether''s cheeks. "Calm yourself, my dear husband."


    "Ow! Alright! Alright!" Diether shakes himself off from Monique''s clutches. "I''m sorry for being too excited." Diether plops on the bed and lets out a tired sigh. He felt like a kid that was denied candy and was sulking.


    Monique takes a seat beside Diether on the bed, her hand reaches out to stroke his dark brown hair. "I know it''s hard but you need to be patient! After all, it''s not just the two of us anymore." Monique grins.


    "By the way¡­ have you told Ein that he''s going to be an uncle soon, my love?"


    "I haven''t yet, but I plan to at the end of this month." Monique lies down and relaxes beside Diether. "A lot of things happened today and I couldn''t find the right time to tell him."


    "Why? Did something happen in Citron?"


    "Sort of¡­ Long story short, Ein had an attack earlier and the new guy was there to help." Monique lets out a groan. "It''s just that I didn''t expect that the new employee is related to Ein''s past."


    "Wait, so Ein had a relative that ca-"


    Monique cuts off Diether. "He''s not a relative¡­ Do remember that the entire Schmidt family severed their ties with Ein."


    The Schmidts were an affluent political family in Germany. Their members were known to take key positions within the German government, particularly in foreign affairs. When Ein''s orientation came into light, the highly conservative Schmidts were shaken as homosexuality in the family was deeply frowned upon.


    Ein''s father, Lukas Schmidt was the German Ambassador to the Court of St James two decades ago. He believed that Ein''s orientation would bring scandal and dishonour into the family. Ein was eventually disinherited and was evicted from his home.


    "Oh¡­ right, that dreary family of bigots." Diether rolled his eyes while letting out a sigh. "Then that new employee, how was he related to Ein?"


    "Ein met him a few months before he was taken in by my family." Monique inches close to Diether and cuddles him. "His name was Henry and he used to live with Ein in a shared council house on Henley-on-Thames."


    "It must have been tough for both of them to end up in such a place."


    "Indeed, it was." Monique tightens her embrace on Diether. "They''re both quite pitiful now that I think about it¡­ But at least, both of them are in better states." A bitter smile forms on Monique''s lips. "There''s something about Ein though. I feel like he reverted to his old depressing self ever since his assault."


    Diether wraps his arms around Monique, embracing her. "He did lose some of his memories. That might have been the reason why Ein''s like that¡­ Don''t lose hope, my love. I believe Ein will eventually remember everything at some point."


    "I hope so¡­ I''m expecting Henry to help out Ein with that." Monique sighs.