CHAPTER 178: RACHEL EVANS [3]

"...Fine. If she shows up while you’re around, I might introduce you. But if she ends up thinking you’re crushing on her, don’t blame me."

"I’m not—!"

"Sure you’re not."

Her fists clenched, but she didn’t argue anymore. Just sank back into her chair, grumbling softly like a kicked puppy and took a drink and sip it.

Yeah, I shouldn’t tease her so much.

But man, was it hard not to when she made it this easy.

We let the silence hang for a bit.

Leona kept sipping her drink, pretending to be deeply fascinated by the swirling ice at the bottom of her cup.

I scrolled through my phone aimlessly, pretending not to notice how red her ears had gotten.

Then she spoke again, her voice quieter this time.

"...So, is she really that scary?"

I looked up. "Rachel?"

Leona nodded.

I thought about it for a second.

"Yeah. She is."

She blinked at me, surprised I didn’t even hesitate.

"Not scary like she’s going to beat you up for breathing wrong. But... she has this way of making you feel like you’re constantly under a spotlight. Like she’s watching your every move, silently judging you—and somehow already disappointed, even when you haven’t done anything yet."

Leona frowned. "That’s... intense."

"Yeah, well. She grew up being perfect. And me?" I gestured vaguely at myself. "Let’s just say, I didn’t."

"I dunno," Leona muttered. "You’re not bad."

I raised an eyebrow. "Wow. High praise."

"I mean it," she said, serious now. "I’ve seen worse. A lot worse."

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I didn’t say anything.

There was something strange about her tone—like she wasn’t just talking about me anymore.

Before I could ask, though, she straightened up.

"Anyway, when she shows up, you better warn me."

I gave her a sideways glance. "So you do want to meet her?"

"I never said I didn’t!"

"You just don’t want it to be a surprise."

"Exactly."

I smiled. "You’re really afraid of getting caught in your pajamas, huh?"

Her face soured. "No. I’m afraid she’ll look at me and think I’m some weird obsessed fanboy."

"...Which is kind of what you are."

She opened her mouth to argue—then paused.

Closed it again.

"...Okay, fair."

I laughed.

It was a light sound—short, genuine. It surprised both of us a little.

"Anyway, it’s already late. I’m going to sleep. I don’t want to be late tomorrow."

Leona nodded and climbed up to her top bunk, pulling the blanket over her head without another word.

And just like that, my exhausting day — capped off by an even more exhausting call from Rachel — finally came to an end.

I lay back on my bed and stared at the ceiling.

’I just hope tomorrow morning starts off normal.’

----

You know, I never really believed in gods.

Why? Because no matter how many times I asked or begged or cursed, nothing ever changed. Nothing got better.

They never listened.

But maybe, just maybe, I might reconsider — because this morning started off... weirdly good.

"Ohh! You’re awake?"

That was the first thing I heard when I stumbled out of bed, still half-asleep.

Then I smelled it — something warm, cheesy, and surprisingly... Italian?

I blinked at the kitchen table.

There it was. A full breakfast spread. Toast, scrambled eggs, fresh juice... and a small tray of lasagna sitting right in the middle like it belonged there.

"What the hell," I muttered.

Leona beamed at me from the other side of the table, apron on, hair tied back.

"You didn’t have to do all this," I said, eyeing the lasagna suspiciously. "I already told you—I’ll let you know when my sister gets here, but I’m not introducing her to you."

The cross-dressing girl gave me a look. "What do you take me for?"

She pouted, all exaggerated and dramatic. "I just made some extra while cooking mine, okay? Don’t flatter yourself."

"...Extra?" I repeated, deadpan. "You made lasagna. From scratch."

She crossed her arms. "So? It’s not hard."

"How long have you been awake?"

She ignored that question entirely. "Just go wash your face and sit down. It’s going to get cold."

I dragged myself to the sink, still not convinced I hadn’t stepped into some weird alternate universe.

When I came back, she’d added two sunny-side up eggs to my plate like some overachieving housewife in a drama.

"Come on, try it," she said.

I sat down slowly and took a bite of the lasagna.

It was... incredible.

Layers of perfectly cooked pasta, gooey cheese, savory tomato sauce, and just the right amount of herbs. A little sweet, a little salty, and stupidly comforting.

"...Okay," I said after swallowing. "I take back what I said. I might introduce you to my sister if you keep this up."

Leona grinned, triumphant. "Ah-ha! So food is the way to your heart."

"No, I just respect good cooking," I muttered, stuffing more lasagna in my mouth before she could take it away.

She leaned her chin on one hand, watching me eat with a smug smile. "Maybe I’ll bake next time."

"Stop. That’s too dangerous. You’re going to end up in an apron with hearts on it asking me how my day was."

She laughed. "Maybe I should."

I snorted.

And continued to eat the breakfast but you there was just little problem.

"Can you please stop staring at me?"

It was seriously uncomfortable. She wasn’t just looking—she was staring like I was some fascinating experiment under a microscope.

"Just focus on eating. Don’t mind me," she said, resting her chin on her palm with that goofy grin of hers.

I did mind. A lot.

She looked way too pleased with herself, as if watching me eat her food was the highlight of her day.

"Hey," she said suddenly, "you miss home-cooked meals too, right? Let’s cook together from now on."

I paused mid-bite. "Huh? Isn’t that kind of a hassle? I mean... I’m not exactly useful in the kitchen."

"I’m not asking you to become a chef or anything. Just help out—wash some veggies, chop stuff, clean up after. I’ll do the cooking."

I looked at her skeptically. "You sure about that? Won’t it get tiring?"

"Not as tiring as eating takeout every day. And it’s expensive. Unless you’re planning to cover my meals too?"

That made me stop and think.

She had a point. My wallet was already crying from all the delivery orders, and the food wasn’t even that good half the time. Sometimes it was cold. Or soggy. Or both.

"I mean... eating homemade food does feel better," I admitted. "Even if it’s just something simple."

"Exactly," she said, smugly victorious.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "You’re the one who suggested this. I’m only good at basic stuff, so don’t start whining if it doesn’t taste like a five-star meal."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, waving it off. "I’m not expecting miracles. Just don’t burn water and we’ll be fine."

I sighed, but I couldn’t hide the small smile tugging at my lips.

Cooking together, huh?

It didn’t sound too bad. Strange... but not bad.

After finishing breakfast, I leaned back in my chair, satisfied but a little too full.

Leona—no, Leon—was already collecting the dishes, humming a tune under her breath.

"Leave those," I said, getting up. "You cooked. I’ll clean."

She blinked, surprised. "Wow, look at you. Responsible and everything."

"Don’t get used to it," I muttered, grabbing the plates.

She chuckled and leaned against the counter, watching as I rinsed everything off.

"This is kind of nice," she said.

"What is?"

"This. Sharing breakfast. Talking like this. It’s almost like... we’re normal roommates."

I glanced over my shoulder. "We are normal roommates."

"Well, you might be. I’m not so sure about me."

I gave her a sidelong look. "You’re definitely weird, I’ll give you that."

She laughed, clearly not offended. "Takes one to know one."

There was a comfortable silence after that, the kind that didn’t need to be filled. Just two people doing morning chores together.

After I finished washing up, I turned around and found her tying her shoes near the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Class, genius. You forgot what day it is already?"

Oh right. Monday. Time to face another round of boring lectures and surprise quizzes.

"You’re coming too, aren’t you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course. What do you think I am, a slacker?"

She gave me a deadpan look.

"...Okay, don’t answer that."

We left the dorm together, the early morning sunlight spilling over the campus buildings. The air was crisp, with just a hint of warmth that suggested spring was coming soon.

As we walked side by side, it was quiet for a bit. Peaceful.

Then, out of nowhere, she asked, "So... when is your sister arriving?"

I groaned. "We just had this conversation."

"Hey, I’m just asking! Can’t a fan get a little heads-up?"

"You’re unbelievable."

She grinned. "But charming."

I didn’t respond. I just kept walking, a slight smile tugging at the corner of my lips.

Yeah, she was definitely weird.

But maybe, just maybe, she was growing on me.