Alvano didn't really want to sleep. Even though his body felt tired and his eyes were heavy, he kept trying to keep his eyelids open as they slowly drooped. He wanted to stay up with Theo, but his body refused to cooperate. Without realizing it, only a few minutes after resting his head on the sofa pillow, he drifted off.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Theo stood staring at his refrigerator, its door wide open. The contents were depressing—some eggs, wilted vegetables, leftover sauce in a bottle, and a packet of instant noodles. He sighed softly.
"Why did I forget to buy groceries…" he muttered. He considered going out for a bit to buy ingredients, but leaving Alvano alone wasn't an option. Especially if Alvano woke up and panicked to find the house empty.
Theo paced back and forth in the kitchen, still thinking of alternatives. But his mind drifted elsewhere, pulled toward a memory that surfaced without warning.
That night, after a physical training session with Alvano at his house, Theo went home rather late. The night air was cold, but his mind was calm. He rode his motorcycle at a moderate speed along a narrow road he often took—a shortcut to his quiet home that few people passed.
However, as he entered a dark curve, Theo slowed down.
Eight people were standing there, blocking his path. Their faces weren't unfamiliar. Four of them were students from Velmont School—the ones he had beaten up for bullying a new kid in his class. The rest? Maybe their friends from outside the school.
"So you're the ones ruining the night," Theo said flatly.
One of them, the blond-haired one whose face still showed old bruises, stepped forward. "You think we'd just stay quiet after being humiliated like that?"
"We've been waiting for this day, Theodore," another added while twirling a metal rod in his hand. "Now you'll know what it's like to fight us without rules."
Theo slowly got off his motorcycle, lowered the stand, and began stretching lightly. "Eight people, huh? Hmm… good enough for a light workout before bed."
"Don't get cocky!" shouted one of them, charging with a wooden stick. Theo quickly spun around, dodged, and struck his opponent's stomach with a hard knee. The man collapsed, groaning.
Three others attacked from both sides. A metal rod swung toward Theo's head, but he ducked and kicked his attacker's knee with precision. A cracking sound followed, along with a scream of pain.
Theo turned, struck another's stomach with his elbow, then slammed his jaw with a sharp hook, sending him sprawling backward.
"You're too slow," he taunted, exhaling deeply.
One of them tried attacking from behind, but Theo sensed the footsteps and spun around, blocking the metal blow with his arm. He then landed a clean uppercut to the man's chin.
"Four down. Four more to go," he said calmly.
The remaining four looked uneasy, but two of them recklessly charged together. Theo caught the wooden stick swung at him, pulled it hard enough to throw the attacker off balance, then kicked them both down one by one.
The last two hesitated. But before they could retreat, Theo moved first, attacking swiftly with a barrage of punches that knocked them out in less than ten seconds.
Eight people down.
"Next time, bring at least twenty. Maybe then you'll touch my shirt," he said coldly before getting back on his motorcycle and riding off.
Theo snapped out of his thoughts. The memory of that fight against eight people made him uneasy. He leaned against the counter and exhaled slowly.
"If they're still holding a grudge and try something again, that'll be a problem," he muttered softly.
Theo knew that incident might not be over yet. Those furious faces, especially the blond one, made it clear they weren't satisfied. He had to stay alert, especially since Alvano hadn't fully recovered either.
Then something else popped into his mind—his phone. "Ah, right…" he said, patting his forehead. "My phone's still at the repair shop."
His phone had been badly damaged after that night's incident. The screen cracked and the back dented from a hard impact during the fight. He had dropped it off for repair three days ago, and it should be ready for pickup today.
"Maybe I'll go out tonight… after Alvano goes home," he murmured.
But for now, his focus was one thing: food.
He looked back at his almost-empty fridge. Only eggs, two carrots, half an onion, some wilted scallions, leftover rice, and a small pack of sausages. Theo nodded firmly. "Fried rice it is."
He moved quickly, grabbing a cutting board, knife, and frying pan. He sliced the onion and scallions thinly, diced the carrots, and cut the sausages diagonally. He turned on the stove and poured a bit of oil into the pan.
"The smell of sautéed onions never fails," he said with a small smile.
After the ingredients were fragrant, he added the rice and cracked in the eggs, stirring evenly. The sausages and carrots followed. He added sweet soy sauce, salt, and a bit of oyster sauce—whatever he had.
Theo's simple fried rice was done in ten minutes.
"Finally…" he sighed with satisfaction, staring at the steaming plate. "Hope this helps Alvano feel a bit better."
Theo gently woke Alvano by tapping his shoulder. "Vano… wake up, let's eat," he said softly.
But when Alvano opened his eyes, he was startled to find Theo's face too close. Instinctively, their heads bumped.
"Ouch!" they both exclaimed, wincing.
"Jeez, your head's like a rock!" Theo grumbled, rubbing his forehead.
"You're the one who got too close, geez," Alvano replied with a small laugh, still half-asleep.
Then Alvano caught a whiff of a delicious aroma from the table. He turned and saw the steaming fried rice.
"You… cooked this?" he asked, surprised.
Theo proudly nodded, holding up the plate slightly. "Of course! Look—my hard work in the kitchen!"
Alvano took a bite, then gave an immediate thumbs-up. "It's good, seriously."
Theo grinned proudly and, in a mock-cool gesture, rubbed his nose. "Heh, who knew I had hidden talent?"
They ate together in the living room, laughing lightly, easing the atmosphere.
But the calm was suddenly broken by the sound of a car engine stopping in front of Theo's house, followed by the clear sound of a car door opening and closing.
Theo immediately turned to the window. Curiosity made him peek through the curtain.
His expression instantly turned tense.
"Uh… who's that?" he muttered quietly.
He saw a girl he didn't recognize standing at his front gate. Her presence seemed calm, but her aura felt strange and unsettling.
"Vano… there's someone outside," Theo whispered, still peeking.