I Will Be Your Knight

Chapter 18

All good things eventually have to come to an end. School starts in a blink of an eye, and things get really crazy. If you thought you were busy last year, then you're twice as busy this year. On top of work and classes, you're expected to do a certain amount of hours apprenticing at a local restaurant. It's one of those requirements for getting your degree.

The head chef at the restaurant you’re doing your apprenticeship at is a short Asian man. He's young for a chef, but he acts like an old man. He's proper, formal, and not very talkative.

"Call me Honda-san," he tells you when you first meet. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Honda-san is an excellent chef. His restaurant doesn't serve Asian food, but that doesn't mean the food is mediocre. You've learned a lot from him in the two weeks you've been apprenticing under him, but he can also be a little odd sometimes.

"When a customer gives me advice for my food I always say 'I'll think about it' or 'Perhaps next time,'" Honda-san explains. "All of which means no."

You sweat drop when you hear that. He tries to be tactical, but it seems rude when you know the truth.

"Never let a suggestion change your cooking," he instructs. "Your opinion is the one that counts the most. Unless your food really is that bad," he adds. 

You love the time you spend at the restaurant, but it stresses you out at the same time. It also makes it difficult to spend time with Ivan. He still walks you to some of your classes, but he's just as busy as you interning with a business manager. Despite that fact, he still manages to do the sweetest things. One day you came home from a long shift at work to find a vase full of sunflowers on your dining room table. There's no note, but there's no mistaking who it's from.

You decide to surprise Ivan with a visit the next day. The two of you exchanged house keys, so you can pop in whenever you want. It's really quiet when you walk into his house, and it is starting to get to you. You don't find him in the living room, kitchen, or his bedroom. Then you can hear some kind of shouting coming from outside. You hurry to the back door, and find Toris and Eduard standing there looking terrified. 

"What's going on? Where's Ivan?" you ask the two.

"O-out t-there," Toris stutters out.

"What's he doing?" You're starting to get scared. The two Baltics don't say anything, and that's when you realize there are only two Baltics here.

"Where's Ravis?" you ask, even though you have an idea what the answer is.

Eduard doesn't say anything, but he points outside.

Without another word, you burst out the door. You see Ivan with his hand on the smallest Baltic's head. Ravis is shaking uncontrollably, and tears are coming down his face. Ivan looks calm, but there's a threatening glint in his purple eyes.

"What makes you think it is okay to skip out on our meetings to visit a girl?" Ivan growls to the younger boy. 

"I-I-I...I d-don't...I-I..." Ravis sputters out. He's too terrified to explain himself.

"This is the third time in two weeks you've showed up late." An insane look starts to form on Ivan's face. His faucet pipe appears in his hand. "I'm going to have to teach you a lesson."

"N-no, I-I-I'm s-sorry," Ravis says, too frightened to say much else. "P-please...M-Mr. R-R-Russia..." Ivan smiles cruely, and his dark aura appears.

"Ivan! No! Leave him alone!" you shout and dash in front of Ravis. "You can't do this Ivan, he's your friend," you plead which your arms out to shield the smaller person.