Heart for The Lonely Souls

Chapter 5: The Welcome Party (Part 2)

All of this mess is happening because I'm refusing to drink alcohol after all. I have only tried beer before, so I have no clue how high the alcohol content of soju is. Will I get drunk after I drink this? I'm about to find out.

I pick up the glass slowly. I stare at the clear liquid for a moment, my pulse is gradually rising as the anxiety sinks in. I can't back out now. I'm about to put my lips on the rim of the glass when a hand stops me from proceeding. Surprised, I turn to my side and notice Brennan is now sitting an inch closer to me. He gives me a reassuring smile before taking the soju glass out of my hand.

"I don't think you should drink that when you're not feeling well, Soren," Brennan says, looking concerned.

Wait— what?

Kayden clearly hears it. "Huh? Soren is sick?"

"Yeah, his stomach has been acting up since this morning. I know because I was the one who bought him medicine back at the office," Brennan replies smoothly. "It wouldn't look good on me if my own mentor didn't attend my welcome party, so Soren has been pushing himself through the pain to come."

I stare at Brennan in disbelief and confusion. What kind of nonsense is he spouting right now?!

"Is that true, Soren?" Amani suddenly asks.

"A-Ah! W-Well..."

It's definitely going to complicate things even further if I answer truthfully now, so I just meekly nod.

"I see." Amani's gaze softens. "Don't worry about us, you should go back home and get some rest. You should call an Uber rather than taking the subway for tonight." He smiles at me. "Then, we'll see you on Monday, okay?"

My conscience is killing me with guilt.

I nod again, feeling ashamed to utter a word of answer. As I stand up, Brennan—for some reason—also follows suit and everyone on the table is giving him a questioning look.

"Are you going back home too, Brennan? Amani asks.

"Oh, no. Not at all. I just want to accompany Soren while he waits for his Uber since I'm worried about his condition. I'll be back soon," Brennan assures them. Everyone seems happy with that answer.

As we both leave, I take a quick glance back at our table and see Kayden rubbing the back of his neck with a troubled face—guilty, even. I'm not certain since reading people's emotions is not my expertise. Before I can confirm it, Brennan and I have already exited the restaurant and are greeted by the cold New York night. It crosses my mind that I can take the subway home as planned now I'm out here, away from my coworkers' prying eyes. However, after what has transpired back there, I just want to go straight home and lay on my bed.

I take out my phone, immediately open the app to book an Uber. While I'm doing this, Brennan leans in and startles me. I automatically take a step back away from him. I almost forgot that he's here too.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to surprise you," Brennan says apologetically. "How long until your Uber arrives?"

"... The app said it will be around 8-10 minutes."

"I see."

We both stare at each other. None of us make a sound, except for the bustling noise in the busy streets of New York in the background. Looking at Brennan's composed face, many questions come through my mind. The lump in my throat is getting unbearable that I've finally decided to spit it out.

"Why did you help me back there?" I ask flatly. "It's not that I don't appreciate it, but it would have turned out awkward if they found out it was a lie."