CHAPTER 223: ON A PIECE OF CHOCOLATE SANDWICH

"This is so soft and tasty!" Lala praised Zaque’s bread with her mouth full of the bun.

Coco hummed softly, wordlessly agreeing as she began making a chocolate sandwich, her hands moving with practiced ease.

She spread a thick layer of creamy chocolate spread onto a slice of soft white bread, making sure to cover every bit of the surface before she placed the other slice of bread on top, pressing down slightly to ensure that the chocolate spread was evenly distributed.

The sandwich was complete, the chocolate filling seeping out from the sides of the bread, creating a messy yet inviting treat.

Still, the argument behind her continued, but she ignored them and focused on her chocolate sandwich.

"Also, don’t you think that it’s too early for you to be getting mad at someone? The clock literally just hit seven. Can you give it a break?" Heiren sighed out, the exasperation in his voice is as clear as day.

Zaque frowned, but didn’t say anything to counter Heiren’s statement and turned his head away from Quizen instead.

"Whatever, the two of you can eat whatever you want for all I care." Zaque tutted out as he brushed past Heiren, stepping closer to Coco who was busy munching on the buns with chocolate spread.

"I have something important to discuss with Coco anyway." He added to his previous statement with a huff, "So, I’ll be taking this batch and the jar of chocolate spread with us."

"Are you serious?" Heiren raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, "Why are you acting childishly? Are you still drunk?"

"No, I’m not—"

"He just wants Coco’s attention to himself."

The two mediators were engrossed in their heated conversation when suddenly a familiar voice cut through the air. Again.

Zaque stopped mid-sentence and Heiren stopped himself from responding to Zaque’s answer, their attention suddenly snapping on the source of the voice, their eyebrows furrowed in built up frustration.

The voice was a sharp, unexpected noise that pierced their conversation and everyone inside the room knew who was the owner of the voice.

"Ngh—" Coco flinched, her heart leaping into her throat as she choked on her sandwich.

Her eyes widened and she clutched her chest, the surprise preventing her from breathing properly and caused her body to be tense, her muscles locking up as she struggled to catch her breath.

"What you said is not true." Zaque huffed out and shot Alhai a pointed look.

"Sure." Alhai hummed softly and nodded his head slowly as he walked over to the table, "Let’s all go with that. Then, what seems to be the problem for you to act out like this.. Coco?"

At the pause of his sentence, Zaque, Heiren, and Quizen froze at the mention of Coco’s name and simultaneously turned their attention to the woman.

"Ack." Coco coughed loudly, rushing towards the sink and grabbing a cup from the dish strainer.

She coughed and sputtered, the piece of bread lodged in her throat, her lungs desperately trying to draw air into them, her movements frantic and panicked.

Coco fumbled with the faucet, turning on the water and frantically filling a cup with the cool liquid.

Zaque, seeing that Coco was in dire need of help, rushed forward and helped her fill the cup with water and once the cup she was holding was full, he grabbed another one.

Coco gulped the water down, the liquid burning her throat as she tried to force the food down.

One cup of water wasn’t enough for her throat so she snatched up the cup of water from Zaque’s hand with trembling fingers, the water sloshing inside with the quick motion.

She brought the glass to her lips, her throat burning with the need to breathe, and she took a long gulp of the water, the cool liquid helping to dislodge the food stuck in her throat.

"Are you okay?!" Zaque exclaimed, his eyes wide in fear and panic as he filled the other cup with water.

"I’m.." Coco gasped out and grabbed Zaque’s outstretched hand to stabilize herself, ".. Fine— just choked on the sandwich.. Which was a dumb way to die."

"I didn’t know that seeing me would kill you." Alhai hissed out, his voice dripping with uncertainty.

Even though his words sounded harsh, his face was pale at the sight of her choking, his eyes rounding with fear and concern were enough signs to tell any passerby otherwise.

It wasn’t just him, too.

The other mediatos’ bodies were tense, their hands clenched into fists as they watched her, their faces going pale with worry.

The mediators know why Zaque was acting like he did earlier, but there was another person inside the room that was the cause and the root of the red haired mediator’s reasoning— someone that should not be hearing all of this.

That someone was choking on a piece of chocolate sandwich a few moments prior.

"My throat hurts." Coco groaned out, her eyebrows furrowed in pain and displeasure as she massaged her neck where she pressed gently against her esophagus.

"And this is why I can’t leave you alone." Zaque grumbled under his breath, but his voice was loud enough for the other mediators to hear, "I know that this is not the correct time and place, but I have something to ask of you."

Coco was taken aback by the mediator’s sudden announcement, looking serious and grim, as if he was about to tell her a dark secret.

She looked up at him, her head tilting to the side in question as she tried to decipher the meaning behind his words.

"Ask me something?" Coco repeated, her glossy emerald eyes searching his face for clues.

Her mind raced with questions as she tried to guess what could be so important that he had to ask her after she almost died from choking on a piece of the chocolate sandwich she was selfishly devouring.

"Sure, ask away then." Coco gave him permission, still massaging the front of her neck.