The night was unusually quiet.
Elliene stepped into the dimly lit area, her footsteps echoing softly against the ground. The message she received earlier kept replaying in her mind—Valerie's words, urgent and unsettling. It didn't feel right. Something was wrong.
"Lukas?" she called out, her voice cautious.
No answer.
She squinted, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness. At first, she saw nothing—just shadows stretching across the empty space. But then… a figure.
Sitting alone.
Still.
Elliene moved closer, her heart starting to pound.
"Lukas…?"
And then she saw it.
His shoulders were trembling.
Her breath hitched.
"Hey… what happened?" she asked, her voice instantly filled with worry.
Lukas didn't respond right away.
Elliene stepped closer, kneeling slightly to meet his level. "Val texted me a while ago," she said gently. "She told me to come here… to check on you. Did something happen between you and Val?"
Slowly… Lukas lifted his head.
The moment Elliene saw his face, her chest tightened.
Tears streamed endlessly down his cheeks. His eyes were red, swollen—completely broken.
And then—
He broke even more.
"V-Valerie…" His voice cracked as more tears fell. "She… she broke up with me…"
Elliene froze.
"…What?"
"She said… I didn't love her the way she loved me…" His words came out uneven, suffocated by sobs.
Elliene didn't think twice.
She pulled him into a hug, letting his head fall onto her shoulder as his cries grew louder—raw, painful, uncontrollable. Her hand gently rested on his back, rubbing slowly, trying to calm the storm inside him.
"It's okay… it's okay…" she whispered, even though she knew it wasn't.
Moments passed like that—just the sound of his quiet sobbing filling the silence.
"Maybe…" Elliene started softly, forcing a small, comforting smile even though her heart ached for him. "Maybe you two just need to talk things out first."
"No."
Lukas's voice came out louder this time—not angry, but firm… desperate.
Elliene pulled back slightly, surprised.
"She's leaving," Lukas continued, his voice shaking again. "She's going to another country… and she'll stay there for a long time. I asked her… I begged her to give me another chance, but…" He let out a broken laugh. "…there's nothing left."
Elliene's eyes widened. "She's leaving?"
"F-France…" Lukas whispered.
For a moment, Elliene didn't know what to say.
"…Then we should at least say goodbye to her," she said, trying to hold onto something hopeful.
But Lukas shook his head.
"She said… if she sees us, she might not be able to leave."
Silence fell again.
Elliene looked at him, her chest heavy. There were so many things she wanted to say—but none of them felt right.
"It would be absurd if I said it's okay…" she murmured.
She stopped herself.
Right now, Lukas didn't need logic. He didn't need advice.
He just needed… time.
"So…" she said gently, "do you really love her?"
Lukas stared at the ground.
"I don't know…"
The answer felt heavier than any confession.
Elliene let out a quiet sigh. "Let's go home. You need rest. A lot has happened tonight."
But Lukas suddenly stood up, his movements unsteady.
"No."
Elliene blinked.
"Let's drink," Lukas said, his voice rough. "Call Arthur. Let's drink together."
The pub buzzed with low chatter and clinking glasses.
Lukas sat slouched on his chair, staring blankly at the table.
"I wanna drink…" he muttered, even though his glass was still untouched.
Elliene sighed, leaning back slightly. "Chill, Luke… you're a lightweight. You're already acting drunk."
A few minutes later, the door opened.
Arthur walked in.
His usual relaxed expression immediately shifted when he saw Lukas.
"What happened to my baby?" he said, half-joking—but his eyes were already searching for answers. He glanced at Elliene like she had done something.
"It's Valerie…" Elliene said quietly.
Arthur frowned. "Why?"
"They broke up."
"…What?" Arthur's voice dropped.
"And she's leaving the country."
Arthur blinked, stunned. "Suddenly?!"
Elliene nodded. "Yeah."
Arthur exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "And she didn't even tell us?"
"She's afraid she won't be able to leave if she sees us."
Arthur looked at Lukas again—really looked this time.
Then he sighed.
"…Alright," he said, pulling a chair. "Let's just stay with this idiot tonight."
Elliene gave a small nod.
"Yeah… let's drink."
It didn't take long.
After barely a bottle and a half, Lukas was already completely out.
Elliene stared at him in disbelief. "It hasn't even been three hours… how is he this drunk?"
Arthur chuckled. "That's our guy."
Elliene stood up, grabbing her things. "Take care of him."
"Always."
"Goodnight."
"Night."
Outside, the air was colder.
Arthur supported Lukas as they walked.
"Where… are we going…?" Lukas mumbled, his words slurred.
"To your place," Arthur replied.
"…No…" Lukas shook his head weakly. "I don't wanna go home… I'm lonely…"
Arthur paused.
For a second, something in his expression softened.
Then he let out a small chuckle.
"…Alright," he said quietly. "You're staying at mine."
"Hehe…" Lukas smiled faintly, eyes still closed.
By the time they reached Arthur's apartment, Lukas was half-asleep, still mumbling about Valerie.
Arthur laid him gently on the bed.
"…You two were so perfect back then," Arthur muttered, staring at him.
"…Now it feels like… you're giving me a chance."
He looked away.
"…What am I even saying…"
Soon, silence took over the room.
Morning came.
"Wake up, Luke," Arthur said, shaking him lightly.
Another voice followed.
"Yeah! Wake up, Brother Luke!"
Lukas groaned, slowly opening his eyes—
And froze.
A kid was staring right at him.
"Noah?!?"
The kid grinned. "Breakfast!"
Lukas immediately looked at Arthur, confused.
Arthur scratched his head awkwardly. "Long story…"
As Lukas stepped out, he was shocked as he saw familiar faces—Arthur's parents.
"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Smith," he greeted politely.
They smiled at him.
Arthur sighed and scratched the back of his head. "So, uh… I forgot to tell you that my family will be here—"
"Oh? And here I thought you'd never bring anyone home," Mrs. Smith said with a playful smile before looking at Lukas. "If it isn't my youngest son, Lukas."
Lukas blinked, slightly caught off guard by how naturally she said it.
"Heard that you were completely wasted last night, son," Mr. Smith added, crossing his arms with a teasing smirk.
"Hahaha… well, it kinda happened…" Lukas replied awkwardly, laughing as he scratched the back of his head.
"It's okay, Lukas. There are so many people in the world," Mr. Smith said, his tone softening to comfort him.
"Hahaha, thank you, Mr. Smith," Lukas said politely.
Feeling like he might be intruding, Lukas slowly stepped back and glanced toward the door.
"I should get going. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Smith—"
Before he could finish, a small hand suddenly grabbed his.
"Don't leave, Brother Lukas! We have to eat breakfast," Noah said, smiling brightly.
"Uh…" Lukas hesitated, clearly reluctant.
"Oh no, you don't," Mrs. Smith said, placing a hand on her hip, her tone playful but firm. "You're not escaping that easily."
"Come join us, Lukas," Mr. Smith added warmly.
Realizing he had no way out, Lukas gave in.
"O-okay," he said softly.
Soon, Lukas found himself seated at the table with Arthur and his family. The warm aroma of breakfast filled the room, making the atmosphere feel surprisingly comforting despite his lingering nervousness.
"Did Arthur cause trouble at school?" Mrs. Smith asked, her eyes glinting with curiosity.
"Oh, so far he's not creating trouble at school… for the time being…" Lukas said, trying to hold back a smile.
Arthur immediately shot him a look.
"...For now, I'm the only one dealing with Arthur's trouble," Lukas added with a grin.
Mrs. Smith laughed along with him, clearly enjoying the teasing.
"He-hey! It's not like I'm a troublemaker who causes trouble for just anyone," Arthur protested, clearly offended.
Lukas and Mrs. Smith both turned to look at Arthur at the same time, their expressions saying otherwise.
"Is Brother Arthur that bad…?" Noah asked innocently, tilting his head.
"Yeah, don't copy Arthur, Noah," Lukas said with a mischievous, almost devilish smile. "Unlike you—you're smart, obedient, kind, and cute."
"Hehe…" Noah blushed, clearly pleased by the compliment.
"He-hey! I'm not that bad! And it's not my fault—they provoked me first!" Arthur argued, practically throwing a tantrum like a kid.
That only made it worse.
Mrs. Smith, Lukas, and Noah burst into laughter, filling the room with warmth and playful energy, while Arthur sat there, completely outnumbered.