CRUEL

CRUEL|TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CRUEL

[SEASON TWO]

"Stop touching!" Arezou growled at the bespectacled boy as he once again attempted to assist her with the barbecue. Tea could practically hear Jay's heart pounding as she swatted his hand away for the fourth time. 

"Let her be, Jay. My sister won't allow anyone else to help with the cooking," Dom chimed in between bites of the delectable food his sister had prepared. "Mmm~ That juice is amazing. I'm a medium steak person, and you've nailed it, sis." He praised her with genuine delight.

A happy smile graced Arezou's lips. Without even looking, she instinctively brushed Jay's hands aside as he tried yet again to lend a hand. "I concocted a new juice this time. It's even better than the last one, right?" she enthused, receiving a resounding affirmation from her brother. 

"Impressive, you can even work the grill? Seems like you're perfect at everything, Mommy~" Shelly remarked in surprise, holding out a finished steak for Arezou to sample. "Come on. You've been grilling nonstop. Have a taste."

"Ah, I don't really like porky meat... But if you're offering, could I have a kebab instead?" Arezou requested, a hint of nervousness in her voice. Shelly didn't take offense; instead, she nodded eagerly and fed Arezou a piece of kebab. 

(Her finger softly brushed the soft flesh of Arezou's lips. It felt warm, and soft. Her heart was thundering against her ribcage when Arezou's face got closer to her own face-)

"Thank you~!" Arezou expressed her gratitude, as Shelly's cheeks taking on a darker hue. Tea observed the scene with a touch of envy, wishing he could be fed by the radiant beauty as well. "You might have broken her," he teased Arezou, who looked flustered. "I didn't intend to break her," Arezou whispered confused when she look at Shelly flustered mess.

"Lesbians and their power man..."

"I am bisexual you idiot."

Before their argument could escalate further, Dom intervened by placing a hand on his sister's shoulder. He revealed a bottle of their father's gin, a proud smile on his face. "Why don't we have a toast? For the tournament!" He showed with pride the Wine toward everyone. "TA DA! I present to you! A 100-Year-old wild ginseng wine!"

"How did you get Appas favorite wine?"Arezou inquired, but Dom quickly covered her mouth with his hand. Ignoring her skepticism, he knew she would be furious if she discovered he'd pilfered it from their father. "HAHAH! Well?! What do you guys think?"

"We're still minors..." Jay said sweaty, while Shelly looked with irritation at the drink. "What is up with that old man drink?"

"Come on! This is what a real man drinks!" Her brother said with sparkles around his face. He gave everyone a cup of the drink, even his little sister. Who still looked with no expression at the wine, her father have protected with his dear life. She totally her brother get all the anger, if her father ask them. She took note of the uncertainty shared by the others, but Dom seemed oblivious to their reservations.

"What are you guys waiting for? Drink up! Alright, let me show you how its done first!" Without hesitation, Dom downed the entire cup, heedless of his sister's protests to slow down. "Damn! That hit the spot!" he exclaimed before promptly losing consciousness, collapsing within seconds of consuming the drink.

"Dom!"

"What the hell? Dude just passed ou—"

Arezou chuckled nervously as she took the cup from Jay's hand. "No, totally no." she declared flatly. "No one is gonna drink this shit." With a firm tone, she began transferring the liquid back into the wine bottle