Unpredictable Connection

15. The Gathering

Freen's POV:

As I parked the car in front of the mansion, I noticed the lineup—every familiar vehicle was already there. Even P'Fa's bike rested near the steps.

Everyone was here.

I unbuckled my seatbelt, stepped out, and glanced toward the passenger side.

"We're late," I said, checking the time. "It's already 12:30."

Becky gave me a small nod, slipping out of the car gracefully. She looked calm, but I could sense a bit of nervousness in her steps. Still... there was something about her presence that made everything else soften.

I locked the car and picked up my pace, almost jogging toward the main entrance. Becky followed, a few steps behind. I glanced back.

She was worried—but cute. I couldn't help but smile.

"Shall we go in?" I asked as a servant opened the door and gave us a polite bow.

"Yes, sure," Becky replied, her voice gentle.

I could feel the tension growing in my chest—not just because we were late, but because I didn't want Mom to say something embarrassing in front of her.

"Are you scared?" she asked softly.

"Everyone's scared of their moms, Bec," I replied with a chuckle.

The living room was quiet, too quiet. I turned to a nearby servant and asked, "Where is everyone?"

"Your mother is in the kitchen. The others are in your room," he replied.

I led Becky through the hallway. But just before we reached my door, she stopped.

Her eyes fixed on the door opposite mine, and a faint smile touched her lips.

"Is she inside?" she asked.

I frowned. "She? Who are you talking about?"

"The one this room belongs to," she said softly, almost like she already knew something I didn't.

I laughed, shaking my head. "That room's been locked for years. Even I haven't touched it. Why?"

Becky looked surprised but didn't answer. She stared at the door for a second longer, murmuring to herself, "What is going on here...?"

I snapped my fingers in front of her face. "Hey. My room's this way."

I opened the door, and the usual chaos greeted us.

Nam, Heng, P'Fa, and Kate were sprawled across the bed. Char, Irin, and Noey sat on the couch. P'Krik stood in front of my bookshelf, scanning it like he was hunting for something new.

"I didn't add any new books, P'Krik," I said with a small, nearly invisible smile as I placed my keys on the small table by the door—our usual spot for essentials.

Everyone turned to look at us. Noey got up and gestured for Becky to sit beside Irin, and she quietly obeyed. She moved quietly, her expression composed, but her fingers briefly brushed against mine as she passed. I felt it—just for a second—but it stayed with me longer than it should have.

I moved to the chair at my study desk and took a seat.

P'Fa cleared her throat. "How was the road ride?" she asked, an unmistakable smirk on her lips. I caught Char whispering something to Irin, both of them then stealing glances at Becky, who pinched Irin playfully.

I leaned back in my chair and looked at P'Fa. "It was fine. Why do you ask?"

She shook her head, still smirking, but said nothing. Something told me she already knew I took Becky for coffee—or well, jasmine tea and boba milk tea. I shut my eyes for a second and shook my head, unable to suppress the faint smile tugging at my lips.

Nam, now done with the chips Heng had been feeding her, suddenly sat up straight, like she had something important to announce.

"Oi, Becky!" she called, walking to P'Krik with an exaggerated swing of her arms. "Let me introduce you to my future husband."

I blinked.

Wait—what?

All of us—P'Fa, Heng, Kate, Noey, and I—shared a stunned look. Nam? Introducing P'Krik? I thought she couldn't stand him. P'Fa looked equally puzzled, and Kate mouthed to me, Is she okay?

I shrugged, still processing the scene. Becky stood up with a polite smile as P'Krik extended his hand. They shook.

Then, with a mischievous gleam in her eye, Nam leaned in close to P'Krik and whispered something that none of us could hear.

Noey, suspicious, leaned forward and smacked Nam's arm. "What did you just say?"

Nam winced, rubbing her arm with a pout. "Oi... I was just saying she's also a new member of our group, right?"

Everyone nodded in agreement, including P'Fa.

As the chatter resumed, Kate cleared her throat. "It's not lunchtime yet. Why don't we give the new members a proper tour of this mansion-like house?"

It made sense. Irin grinned. "Yeah, sure. That way we can digest the dates too."

Char and Becky both shot her glares.

Dates?

I blinked, confused. "Wait—who went on a date?"

Heng opened his mouth, but P'Fa pinched his arm hard before he could speak.

"Forget it," she said quickly. "Let's just go."

I nodded, brushing the topic off as the group began to stir.

As the simple tour came to an end, I guided everyone to the backyard—a serene corner of the mansion I always found calming. The sunlight filtered through the leaves of tall trees, casting gentle shadows over the trimmed grass. There were swings swaying softly in the breeze and a few chairs and tables were scattered around for anyone who wanted to sit and relax.

In one corner, near an old tree, there was a table with a faded chessboard painted on it. A wooden box beside it held all the pieces. Heng and P'Fa loved playing there whenever they had time.

I pulled out a chair and sat down, stretching my legs a little. The breeze felt nice.

Kate followed and sat beside me, while Noey stayed standing for a moment before turning to me. "We'll be leaving after lunch, right?"

Before I could respond, Nam stepped forward, resting a hand on the back of my chair. "Why the rush?" she asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

"We've got an exam coming up, remember?" Noey said, dropping into a chair and leaning back. " Some of us are actually trying to be prepared."

Kate rolled her eyes dramatically. "When everyone's here and no one's panicking, maybe take a break and enjoy the moment, yeah?"

I crossed my legs and gave a small nod, my voice calm. "We'll see after lunch. Right now, I'm just hungry."

Nam groaned, "There she goes again—with that unreadable expression. Drives me crazy."

Kate laughed, her eyes scanning the backyard before landing back on Nam with a mischievous glint. "Not crazier than P'Krik does, right?"

That earned a loud laugh from Noey and a high-five. I couldn't help the small smirk tugging at my lips as I rolled my eyes.

Nam frowned and gave Kate a light smack on the arm. "I don't hate him, okay? He's just annoying."

I pulled another chair slightly toward us and patted it. "Then stop hovering over my shoulder and sit." 

She plopped down with a grumble, just as laughter and soft chatter floated from the swing set nearby. Irin, Becky, and Char were laughing about something, the sound warm and carefree. On the other side, Heng and P'Fa were already engrossed in a chess match, P'Krik silently observing, as always.

For a fleeting second, everything felt... peaceful. Balanced.

_________________________

That's it for today. Stay healthy.. Bye.

Thanks for reading .