Sebastian Lockwood's job was to ensure the safety of the exam candidates, so he couldn't leave his post until the tests were over. After Chester Sawyer found him, he bought a popsicle and hopped into Sebastian's car to enjoy the air conditioning.
When he opened his phone, he discovered that the interview from a few minutes prior had already been posted by the media.
[First Student to Finish Exam Claims Test Was "Moderately Difficult."]
As the exams concluded, the comments section exploded.
"Local test-taker here. I'm officially dead."
"My take on this year's exam: the paper quality was excellent, really felt nice to the touch. The moment the bell rang, I knew I was going to have to repeat the year."
"After the science composite, I'm completely withered."
...
Among the flood of comments discussing the test's difficulty, someone piped up, "Isn't the guy in the video a guaranteed-admission student from Municipal No. 4 Middle School? He's always in the top three of his grade on every test."
Everyone: "?!"
'Moderately difficult, my ass!'
While Chester Sawyer was eating his popsicle and scrolling through the comments, he got a call from his father. Edwin Sawyer was, of course, calling to chew him out, feeling he had been too ostentatious.
"Couldn't you have checked your work after finishing? You just had to be the first one out, didn't you? Showing off how smart you are!"
The older generation tended to value being low-key and playing it safe.
Chester frowned. "How was I supposed to know I was the first one out?"
"Well, you're famous now!"
"With skills like these, I'm not allowed to be low-key."
Edwin Sawyer was livid. "You should be heading home. Stop causing trouble for your sister."
"When did I ever cause trouble for her?"
"You little brat, how dare you talk back to me! That time at school, you got into a fight, didn't you? The school called me! It was with that kid from the Bauer family again. What was it about this time?"
The last time he brawled in an alley, the school had to handle it and naturally needed to consult a parent. Since they didn't have Sydney Sawyer's contact information, they reached out to Edwin Sawyer.
"He was asking for it."
"You little bastard, you'll be the death of me one of these days."
**
After Sebastian Lockwood finished work, he picked up Sydney Sawyer. The dinner between the three of them was uneventful, aside from confirming their plans for the next day: taking Chester Sawyer out for a drive.
Throughout the meal, the two guys discussed cars. Even after they finished eating, Chester Sawyer wasn't ready to stop, so he dragged Sebastian Lockwood home to continue the conversation.
Sydney Sawyer went to make juice for them, but she kept stealing glances at them out of the corner of her eye.
To be precise, she was watching Sebastian Lockwood.
Timmy Lockwood was curled up on his lap. Holding his phone, Sebastian had his head tilted as he spoke with Chester. His fingers were long and his palm well-defined. He looked more languid and casual than his usual refined, roguish self.
Every now and then, the corners of his lips would lift into a dazzling smile.
The two of them were so engrossed in their conversation they didn't seem to notice her.
Sydney Sawyer wasn't sure what possessed her, but she pulled her phone out of her pocket.
She aimed the camera at Sebastian Lockwood.
Holding her breath, she pressed the shutter button.
"CLICK—"
The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear and abrupt.
In that instant, Sydney Sawyer's breath hitched. To her ears, the sound was deafening.
It was a textbook case of social suicide!
Chester Sawyer and Sebastian Lockwood stopped talking and looked at her in unison. Even Timmy Lockwood opened his eyes to size her up.
"What are you taking a picture of?" Sebastian Lockwood asked.
"N-nothing. I just wanted to take a picture of the cat."
Timmy Lockwood: "..."
Sydney Sawyer had no experience taking candid photos; it never occurred to her to turn off the shutter sound.
Sebastian Lockwood's gaze made her inexplicably flustered.
Just then, Chester Sawyer's phone rang. "Hello, class president... Dinner? I just ate, so I'll pass... The teacher appreciation banquet? Of course I'll be there..."
Chester Sawyer ran into his room to take the call, and Sydney Sawyer brought the freshly made watermelon juice over. "Sebastian, your juice."
"Thanks."
"Do you want ice?"
"I'm good."
Sebastian Lockwood took a few sips of watermelon juice. Just when Sydney Sawyer thought she'd gotten away with her little photo-op, he suddenly leaned in and asked in a low voice, "So, where's that picture you took? Let me see."
Sydney Sawyer was completely stunned.
Sebastian Lockwood studied her, leaning in her direction. "What's the matter?" he asked with amusement. "You took a picture of my cat. Am I not allowed to see it?"
"No, I was too far away, so it didn't turn out well."
"That's true..."
Sydney Sawyer's conscience was screaming. His intense gaze made her so nervous she could hardly breathe.
She never expected that in the next second, he would suddenly move even closer.
A light danced in his deep, captivating eyes as he said with a faint smile,
"Well, we're closer now. Want to take another one?"
He'd just been drinking watermelon juice, and his every word was laced with sweetness!
"..."
Sydney Sawyer felt like she was going to lose her mind. 'How am I supposed to take a candid shot when he's this close?!'
After that, Sebastian Lockwood started maneuvering Timmy Lockwood, forcing the cat into a variety of poses.
Timmy Lockwood struggled a bit at first but finally gave up completely.
When Chester Sawyer came out after his phone call, he saw one person posing the cat and the other taking pictures.
He scratched his head. 'If these two ever started dating...'
'...it would probably be tough on the cat!'
**
「Nightfall」
Lying in bed, Sydney Sawyer sorted through the photos she'd taken that day. She scrolled right past the ones of Timmy Lockwood, found her earlier candid shot, and sighed. It was a little blurry.
A WeChat notification chimed. It was a message from Sebastian Lockwood.
Her entire body tensed. She sat bolt upright in bed. There were twelve messages. When she opened the chat, her eyes widened.
'This is...'
Sebastian Lockwood had sent her photos of Timmy Lockwood. Most importantly, he was in a few of them.
In one, he was wearing a white lab coat, squatting by a flowerbed and reaching out to play with the cat. Timmy Lockwood was smaller back then, perhaps from when Sebastian had just found him. The man and the cat were both bathed in sunlight...
'Absolutely stunning!'
It was followed by a voice message. Sydney Sawyer tapped it and pressed the phone to her ear:
"You like them?"
Three simple words, yet each one was a temptation.
It was enough to make her ears burn and her knees go weak. A breeze drifted in from the window, but her cheeks were flushed, her body felt warm, and her heart was racing.
She listened to it carefully two more times, saved it, and then sent him a voice message in return:
"I like them a lot, thank you—"
Sydney Sawyer stared at the photo for a long time, set it as her screen saver, and giggled foolishly.
—
In the apartment next door...
Sebastian Lockwood listened to her voice message over and over. Thinking about her expression when she got caught taking his picture today, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
'My little kitten... she really is a scaredy-cat.'
His phone vibrated. A message from Donovan Sheridan:
[Why are you asking me for photos in the middle of the night? Didn't you threaten me and make me delete them before? And now you're asking for them again.]
[My little kitten likes them.]
[...]
Donovan Sheridan almost cursed.
'Your little kitten? Could you be any more nauseating?'
'Give us single guys a break, will you!'
Sebastian Lockwood continued: [Want to go for a drive tomorrow and relax a bit?]
[Sure, I have the day off anyway.]
As doctors, the work pressure could be immense, so they had to learn how to blow off steam.
Donovan Sheridan didn't have many friends in Keston to begin with, so when Sebastian Lockwood invited him, he agreed without a second thought.
He was thinking, 'He finally remembered he has a friend in Keston.' It was only later that he realized his true purpose:
To help him babysit and look after his future brother-in-law.