NOVPUBLanci soon passed Cat Boss back to Hyperion, letting her hold the cat.
As the two of them walked and talked, they reached the outside of the school grounds. They only needed to cross two more streets to the east to arrive at the Boss Cat Restaurant.
The summer noonday sun sprinkled its light upon the old-fashioned buildings of Ichrite Academy, making the stone walls and sculptures appear even more lifelike. Lanci and Hyperion strolled down the broad sidewalk basked in sunlight, walking the illuminated path with the impressive clock tower of the Ichrite Academy standing even more majestic in the daylight behind them.
"Lanci, wait up, are we really going to have lunch with the three of us?"
Hyperion felt they could each take turns avoiding the other two.
For instance, Lanci could just stay on the first floor while she had lunch with Tata at their second-floor home.
Or she could dine with Lanci on the first floor, leaving Antanas to accompany Tata at home for lunch.
It just so happened that she and Lanci would be heading to the Shadow World tomorrow. It might be a few days or even one or two months long. Thus, Tata and Lanci would be able to avoid each other for a while. And once Lanci returned from the Shadow World, Tata and Lanci should naturally get along well.
"I think the more we deliberately avoid each other, the more it seems like we’re guilty of something. Whatever Tata decides, I should show a proactive attitude—as long as she’s willing to see me, I’ll wait for her,"
Lanci replied,
"Besides, I’ve never been the clown. This morning was just an extraordinary mishap; it won’t happen again. Going forward, I’ll make sure not to mess up until I retire gracefully."
He explained very earnestly.
"Well, that makes sense."
Hyperion nodded, taking a discreet glance at Lanci.
It seemed like he really didn’t think that more morning’s incident was that socially fatal.
His psychological resilience was beyond imagination.
Cat Boss didn’t say anything; it just looked at Lanci.
Although you look cool and composed now, you were truly comical when reciting those lovey-dovey lines this morning.
"Are you really okay now? Won’t you unconsciously recall what you said this morning when you see Tata, like the phrase ’Tata, you are really so cute...’? "
Hyperion asked tentatively.
"I’m actually fine."
Lanci paused for just 0.1 seconds before answering and interrupted Hyperion before she could continue with the quote,
"You really don’t have to worry about me, Hyperion."
"Then... would it be okay if you don’t make me sit between you and Tata at lunch? How about if you two sit next to each other?"
Hyperion inquired again.
"...No problem."
Lanci nodded.
"Why did you hesitate?"
Hyperion leaned in closer, scrutinizing Lanci.
Her eyes seemed to say: Don’t play tough. If you need help, just be honest with me.
"..."
Lanci was as if asleep, not uttering a word for a long time.
"I understand; I won’t make things difficult for you."
Seeing Lanci’s expression, Hyperion hastily waved her hand.
"You’re the best, Hyperion." 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓹𝓾𝓫.𝓬ℴ𝓶
Lanci immediately thanked her with a smile.
"Don’t say things like that..."
Hyperion looked down at the curb, avoiding Lanci’s sincere gaze.
They quickly covered the distance of less than a kilometer to the east, arriving at the bustling Boss Cat Restaurant, busy with the lunchtime crowd and smoke wafting from its chimneys.
Whenever a customer entered, the door chime and door made a pleasant ringing sound. At the same time, the distant clock tower chimed the noon hour.
The carefree pair became all smiles and chatter again.
"If all goes well, we should see Tata coming downstairs as we push the door open."
As Lanci and Hyperion approached the entrance, he spoke to Hyperion next to him, with an air of hope for good fortune.
"Hmm?"
Hyperion didn’t understand why Lanci was so certain.
"Tata usually comes down to eat lunch at exactly twelve o’clock; any later and she gets hungry."
Lanci knew it was time for Tata to come down for lunch upon hearing the bell.
It was a conditioned reflex.
Seeing that Hyperion still seemed doubtful, Lanci exuded a professional confidence that no one understood Talia better than he did.
"There was once a biologist named Pavlov who conducted an experiment. At the start of his experiment, his dog naturally drooled in response to the appearance of food. He used this response to pair a neutral stimulus, like the sound of a bell, with the presentation of food to the dog. After numerous repetitions, the dog began to associate the ringing of the bell with the appearance of food, so that whenever he rang the bell, the dog would drool."
Lanci educated Hyperion.
"Mhm, mhm."
Hyperion listened but was confused. Yet, she felt a sense of danger flashing above Lanci’s head.
Until they pushed open the restaurant’s door.
Indeed, a silhouette was coming down from the second floor at just the right time, and Lanci’s voice suddenly ceased, his countenance growing more solemn and his heartbeat seeming to accelerate slightly.
"..."
Talia stopped in her tracks when she saw the two figures.
At first, she was a bit incredulous; she felt like Lanci spent twenty-five hours a day thinking about damn things.
His expressions and reactions just now seemed to have become his daily routine!
Then, Talia, for some reason, had the phrase from this morning echo in her mind, and she immediately looked away.
She hesitated multiple times in an instant, debating whether to continue meeting them or to turn back.
Eventually, Talia continued downward, pretending she didn’t care at all.
Until she came face-to-face with the two of them.
Without speaking, as if by an unspoken agreement, they all sat at the counter by the window. This way, they didn’t have to face each other. After seating themselves, they didn’t say much.
The air between the three became unusually quiet.
It felt as if they returned to that silent afternoon they first went out for a walk after twisting pretzels together at the Wilford residence.
"I’m going to work in the kitchen meow. What would you like to eat? I’ll cook it for you,"
Cat Boss hopped from Hyperion’s embrace onto the table and told the three of them.
It had always been the owner of the restaurant but now had taken on the role of dedicated waiter and chef for the three friends.
"I’m fine with anything."
"I’m easy too."
Lanci and Hyperion responded one after the other.
"I’m the same as them."
Talia finally spoke up.
"Then I’ll go freestyle, meow!"
Cat Boss sensed the tension in the air, hopped off the chair, and darted skillfully to the kitchen.
Afterward, there was another stretch of silence by the window.
"..."
Hyperion looked back and forth between Lanci and Tata.
Both were her dearest people, and sitting between them, she didn’t know what to say at that moment.
"Tata."
Lanci started, feeling it was up to him to break the ice first, ignoring their ages because, after all, Tata was a girl.
"Sorry."
Talia cut him off.
Then, looking at him, she said,
"..."
Lanci looked at Talia in surprise, as if he doubted where the real Talia had gone.
Tata apologizing first?
Hyperion also turned her gaze to Talia, feeling that Talia had a lot to say but wasn’t good with words, so she didn’t know how to express her thoughts and could only use the simplest of phrases.
"And, thank you for bringing Antanas back to us."
Talia spoke slowly, like a child who had just learned to speak, thanking Lanci.
"Don’t worry about it, Tata. Let’s make up, okay?"
Lanci said with a smile.
Sometimes, both sides taking a step back can quickly solve the problem.
Even though it might take some time to fully resolve the tension, at least they had both chosen a positive approach.
From a corner, Cat Boss watched them sneakily, nodding with satisfaction and relief.
It hadn’t expected that the pair it initially set up would finally start to change.
Suddenly, Antanas, passing by from the corridor between the restaurant and the kitchen, spotted the cat on the floor.
"Huh, Cat Boss, what are you doing here?"
Antanas asked, looking down at the little black coal beside her foot.
Then she followed Cat Boss’s gaze and understood.
"I didn’t expect them to make up so quickly. I thought it’d be awkward for a few more days."
Antanas exclaimed.
"Yes, meow."
Cat Boss acknowledged that Antanas was a person of taste too.
"By the way."
Antanas bent down to pick up Cat Boss, bringing him to the side of the wall at the restaurant’s ground floor,
"Cat Boss, what do you think of this painting I bought? Pranay insisted it was impolite, but I really think he’s wrong this time. This is clearly a piece of art."
Antanas said proudly, pointing to the abstract painting on the wall.
The figures in the painting were twisted together, invoking endless imagination.
"Let me have a look."
Cat Boss squinted his eyes.
Its comings and goings had been so rushed this morning, and it had been six months since its last visit to the restaurant. There were so many changes in the details that it hadn’t noticed the new painting.
Even though it was abstract art.
Why did it look so familiar?
"Hey, that line down the bottom kinda looks like Lanci."
Cat Boss laughed, pointing a paw at the painting, and turned back to Antanas saying,
"Really, eh."
Antanas scrutinized it further and indeed, it looked the part.
"And that one in the middle, does it look like Hyperion, meow?"
"It does feel like it, so going by that, the one on top, doesn’t it look a lot like Tata?"
"Meow hahaha, it really does!"
The laughter of Cat Boss and Antanas continued, filling the entire Boss Cat Restaurant.
"Speaking of which, where did this painting come from? I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere."
Cat Boss asked again.
"Apparently, it’s the latest sand painting divined by the Kingdom Joint Council using the Star-checkerboard; it might be a scene from some part of the world."
Antanas also tapped her chin with her fingertip in half understanding.
Cat Boss: "..."
No, this wasn’t right...
Not right at all...
Suddenly, Cat Boss started to break out in a cold sweat, slowly stiffening as it turned its head, only to see those three at the window staring at the illustration.
Their mouths were all agape.
"Meow meow meow!!!"
Panicked, Cat Boss almost yelped like a dog, leaping from Antanas’s arms and dashing into the kitchen, too afraid to come out again.
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It’s the last two days for double monthly tickets, I’m begging for your votes! Dusk Doggy bows deeply!
