Chapter 28: Eiden’s Courage
Eiden followed Ruel from the corner of his eyes as the guy approached them. Lyra hadn’t noticed yet she was sitting opposite Eiden, and Ruel was coming from behind her back. For a moment, Eiden tried to convince himself that maybe Ruel was just passing by. Just coincidence.
But that hope was crushed the second he caught Ruel’s eyes. The glare was unmistakable. A pit began forming in Eiden’s stomach. He tried to remain calm, but a tight knot had already formed in his chest. Even though he had a system backing him up now, he wasn’t in his prime physically or mentally. He wasn’t weak-willed, not by a long shot. But physical strength? That was a different story.
Ruel was an athlete, someone who clearly worked out and probably had a good amount of experience in fights. Eiden wasn’t some bullied nerd either; he did have that one time when he got into a scuffle in grade school, but it had been so long ago he could barely even recall how that ended.
And now, Ruel was standing just beside their table. Lyra turned to see him, her body stiffening immediately. Her face gave it all away discomfort, anxiety, maybe even fear.
Ruel didn’t waste a second. "Why aren’t you picking up my phone?" he barked, eyes flickering to Eiden for a split second before glaring at him properly. Lyra lowered her gaze to the table, her fingers curling slightly as she avoided eye contact. The silence that followed was heavy, awkward, and tense.
Eiden knew better than to interfere. Stepping into this would only invite trouble. But the part of him that didn’t want to appear spineless in front of Lyra kept him glued to the moment. He sat there quietly, trying to calculate his next move. "I’ve been calling you," Ruel snapped, "messaging you, and I’ve got nothing! Why?"
Still no response. Eiden was beginning to sweat, despite the calm exterior he tried to maintain. BAM! The entire table jolted. The cups rattled. Lyra flinched visibly. But Eiden didn’t move. He had predicted this. Whether it was Ruel banging the table, throwing a glass, or worst-case scenario hitting Lyra, he had mentally braced himself.
Ruel glared at her with growing intensity. "I... I didn’t see it," Lyra mumbled softly.
"Huh? I can’t hear you," Ruel growled. "Speak louder!" Eiden clenched his jaw. This guy’s pissed because his harem is starting to crumble, and he didn’t even see it coming. And now he’s venting it out on Lyra... But she’s not even your girlfriend, man.