I like ____ (blank) [Shuca]

2. I Like Cheddar Cheese Pringles

It was time for lunch, and Luca was already on his way to the cafeteria when he realised he had forgotten to bring lunch money. He wanted to borrow money from Ike, but Ike probably only got enough for himself. 

Fortunately for him, he had a bag of Cheddar Cheese Pringles. Although not much, at least he wouldn't starve for too long before school ends. He planned to look for Shu before lunch, but after 10 minutes, he decided to eat and look for Shu later since lunchtime was limited. He went over to his groups of friends, and surprisingly, Shu was already there beside Mysta Rias, an ashy-brown-haired coloured student.

"You're late, Luca," Ike scolded, "You know lunchtime is limited, right?"

"I'm sure he knows, Ike." Vox Akuma, a black-haired boy with red highlights, sighed, "He's seventeen. He should know."

"Yet, he was still late." Ike's stern tone sent a shiver down Luca's spine, making him chuckle before he sat on an empty seat that his friends had saved him.

"Come on!" Vox groaned, his face switching faster than lightning when it was replaced with a smirk. "You're such a mother in this group, yet I feel you don't care for me enough."

There it was. The typical attempt to flirt with Ike Eveland the Great! Since Mysta and Vox had broken up, Vox took any chances to make Ike his. Sure, doing it in front of his ex might seem rude and disrespectful, but Mysta was cool with it. He could care less. Besides, he and Vox were still close friends after the breakup, along with the rest of the group.

"Vox," Mysta started, "Not in front of Shu."

Vox averted his gaze to Shu, laughing awkwardly and apologising if he had made Shu uncomfortable since Shu was still new, but Shu didn't mind. He found it entertaining to watch.

"I was looking for you," Luca said. I didn't think you were here."

"Sorry, I should've told you," Shu apologised. He felt slightly guilty since he was probably the reason why Luca was late to lunch. "Mysta looked for me and took me here."

Luca tilted his head to get a better look at Mysta, "You two know each other?"

"We're half-brothers," Mysta lazily explained, "Our parents were recently married, so Shu attending here was sudden."

"Oh."

Luca didn't know what else to say, and no one knew what to discuss after that. Mysta's tone was different than usual, as if asking everyone to shut up. His friends were concerned but didn't want to push any buttons. Shu wondered if Mysta had accepted him or, perhaps, hated him. 

"Do you hate Shu?" Vox asked. He didn't mean harm, but his mind was slow to think when he asked since it was Mysta. He cared for Mysta but drew lines and made sure not to cross them, especially since Mysta had strictly requested him to be less loving and more apathetic. 

Perhaps he was having a hard time to move on. It wasn't that difficult for Vox since they ended on good terms, but for Mysta, it was ironic how he used to cling to Vox and saw him as the only thing he could lose. Now that he had lost it, there wasn't much to lose or gain for him besides providing a good life for his mother to sugarcoat their past and paint a better future.

"No. I don't." Mysta answered truthfully. He didn't hate Shu. Deep inside, he welcomed Shu to the family with open arms. He was just cautious around Shu's father and judged from afar whether he deserved his mother. Part of him was protective of Shu, too. He didn't want Shu to go through what he had gone through, but he would never admit it from the surface. He was comfortable caring for Shu quietly, where no one needed to know.

"There's no point in hating someone you're living with. It wasn't like Shu chose to be my brother. It just happened, and it's not like I'm an unreasonable bitch, you know?"

Shu's eyes widened from the response. He was ready for Mysta to hate him for years until he was prepared to accept him, but he didn't expect Mysta to be cool with him. 

A few minutes passed, and Luca was munching on his Pringles. He had gotten complaints and was scolded by Ike for not preparing a proper meal, which made him roll his eyes when everyone agreed that he needed to eat an actual meal and not some snacks. 

"I'm done," Mysta said as he stood up from his seat. I'm going to head to the rooftop and chill for a moment."

"I'll come with you," Ike responded.

"Me too," Vox chimed in.

Mysta groaned, faking an annoyance. "No, thanks. I don't want to hear or see you flirting with him right now, and I do not want to third-wheel at all."

Vox and Ike didn't listen, anyway. They ended up leaving Shu and Luca behind. Shu was done a while ago, but Luca still licked his fingers as if savouring the taste.

"You really like Pringles, huh?" Shu asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Yeah, specifically this flavour," Luca said, handing Shu the bag with a label explaining its flavour, "I like Cheddar Cheese Pringles the most."

"Is it healthy to eat that much, though?"

"Come on! Not you, too, Shu!" At this point, all his friends had said something about his eating habits, even though his diet was better than most people's. "I don't eat it often. I just happened to forget my lunch today. Ike's addiction to caviar toast and coke is worse."

"What?" Shu made a look, "No way."

"Trust me when I say this, Shu, but he eats at least four pieces of caviar toast daily."

"Damn," Shu chuckled, "So the mother needs to be mothered?"

Luca cackled at Shu's sudden joke, unaware that Shu was the type to do something like that.

"Fuck, yeah! I should do that to him next time."

The conversation continued for a few minutes before they headed to class. Luca couldn't help but be captivated by Shu's charming attitude. Not only was the man gorgeous as hell, but his personality was everything that made him seem like a perfect friend, maybe even more than that.

"Hey, Shu." Luca called out as they walked to class, "Do you like Cheddar Cheese Pringles?"

Luca's random question took Shu aback. It was fascinating to return to a topic that was not as interesting as any other topic, but Shu found it to be his favourite. Learning about Luca's likes was entertaining, and Luca seemed radiant whenever he told Shu about himself in return for getting to know Shu better. 

A soft giggle escaped from Shu's mouth, "Yeah, Luca. I do."