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4/BACK TO BACK blink and you might miss it
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It had been a long week at the tavern. Business had been picking up, customers flowing in more than I ever expected when I started this job. It was...a good thing, right? Yet, no matter how hard I worked, I couldn't shake the feeling that I just wasn't good enough. I constantly mixed up orders, gave people the wrong drinks, or made a weird face at the customers that seemed to offend them. And every time, Meliodas would swoop in, effortlessly smoothing things over with that grin of his. Both he and Hawk tried to convince me I was doing great, but their forced smiles and too cheerful tones betrayed them. I wasn't dumb. They were just trying to keep my spirits up.
At least I was bringing in customers. Maybe that was something.
I was wiping down the counter when my focus drifted to the group of customers by the corner. Their attention was fixed on Hawk, and I couldn't help but smirk at the familiar scene playing out.
"Hey, guys, that pig's talking to us!" one of them exclaimed.
Hawk puffed up indignantly. "That's right! I'm a talking pig! Man, what a bunch of hillbillies!" His huff of annoyance was almost too much for me to handle, and I had to stifle a laugh.
"We need to clean up this mess, Hawk," Meliodas instructed with his usual calmness.
Hawk immediately dove into the mess, gobbling up the scraps left behind by the rowdy men. I stood there, my face scrunched in disbelief, shaking my head at the strange duo.
"Next time, there better be some decent-sized scraps around here!" Hawk groaned, his little body sagging under the weight of his exaggerated disappointment. And I couldn't agree more. If there was one thing I'd learned, it was that Meliodas was a horrible cook. After the second day of knowing him, I refused to let him cook for me ever again.
"You know, I've got a family recipe for whole roasted hog if you guys want some," Meliodas said, his tone far too casual for what was clearly a threat.
My eyes narrowed, and I sent a warning into his head. <Don't threaten him.>
He turned toward me with an innocent grin, his eyes twinkling with mischief. <Sorry. Forgot how much you loved animals,> he laughed in my head.
I froze. How did he know that? That simple comment sent a shiver down my spine, leaving me confused and uneasy. How did he know so much about me when I could barely piece together anything about him? All he ever told me was that we'd met before, nothing more. And yet, it was as if he knew everything.
Hawk, who had been terrified just a moment ago, suddenly perked up. "I'm so full, those are the best scraps I've ever had!" he declared, earning a round of laughter from the nearby customers.
