Ryaen menatap Asher yang sedang bercermin sambil mengenakan parfum. Ia harus mengakui bahwa Asher memang terlalu tampan, sampai-sampai pakaian paling sederhana pun tampak berkelas saat dikenakannya.
"Kurasa keputusanmu untuk tidak berpakaian berlebihan itu tepat. Lagipula, dengan pakaian sesederhana itu saja, kau tampak seperti bisa membuat wanita mana pun takluk hanya dengan kehadiranmu," komentarnya.
Seandainya Ryaen memiliki perasaan romantis pada Asher, ia pasti sudah cemburu setengah mati pada Arianna saat ini.
"Lalu kenapa kau belum mati? Atau jangan-jangan kau bukan wanita?" tanya Finch sambil mengalihkan mata hitamnya ke arah Ryaen.
Ryaen membuang muka dari Asher dan menatap Finch, lalu hanya menggelengkan kepala. Ia benar-benar kehabisan kata-kata untuk si gendut ini.
Asher menoleh ke arah mereka semua dan bertanya, "Jadi, bagaimana penampilanku?"
Vaelric tersenyum. "Apa kau masih perlu jawaban kami?" tanyanya retoris.
William menyeringai. "Dengan gaya rambut yang tertata sempurna, wajah yang tampan luar biasa, serta perpaduan pakaian dan aksesori hitam-ungu itu, aku yakin Arianna bisa langsung hamil hanya dengan melihatmu."
Asher tertawa sebelum membalas dengan nada bercanda, "Kalau begitu, mungkin aku harus pergi membeli susu jika itu benar terjadi."
Namun, Finch, Vaelric, William, dan Ryaen tidak tertawa karena mereka tidak mengerti lelucon itu. Mereka semua menatapnya dengan bingung, bertanya-tanya apa hubungannya susu dengan situasi ini.
Asher hanya menggelengkan kepala. "Lupakan saja."
William tidak ambil pusing dan menjawab, "Kami akan menunggu cerita lengkap dan penjelasan bagaimana kencanmu berjalan nanti," ujarnya.
Asher meliriknya dengan seringai. "Aku tidak akan membocorkan detailnya."
"Kau pasti akan menceritakannya pada kami," tegas Finch, karena ia tidak mungkin melewatkan gosip menarik seperti itu.
Persis seperti Celeste, Maeve, dan Clara yang terus mendesak Arianna dan menyebutnya kencan, William, Ryaen, Finch, dan Vaelric pun melakukan hal yang sama. Berbeda gender, namun sikapnya persis sama.
Teman-teman Asher maupun Arianna tampak jauh lebih antusias dengan pertemuan ini daripada kedua orang yang sebenarnya akan bertemu.
"Kalian berdua benar-benar pasangan yang serasi. Lagipula, nama kalian berdua sama-sama berawalan huruf 'A'," ujar Ryaen dengan senyum lembut.
Asher hanya menggeleng tanpa mendebatnya. Ia tahu tidak ada gunanya meyakinkan keempat orang ini untuk berhenti ikut campur atau berhenti bicara omong kosong.
Vaelric menoleh ke arah Ryaen. "Tapi Ryaen, aku penasaran dengan sesuatu."
"Tentang apa?" jawabnya saat mata hitamnya bertemu dengan mata cokelat Vaelric.
"Apakah hatimu terbuat dari batu?" tanya Vaelric.
Ryaen mengernyit bingung. "Apa maksudmu?"
Vaelric menghela napas. "Kau sudah mengenal Asher selama sebelas bulan, dan selama itu, kau bahkan tidak menunjukkan sedikit pun perasaan padanya. Jadi aku tidak bisa tidak bertanya... apakah hatimu terbuat dari batu?"
Ryaen tertawa kecil. "Asher adalah teman pertamaku dan tidak lebih. Hanya karena dia tampan dan kuat, bukan berarti setiap gadis yang berpapasan dengannya harus langsung jatuh cinta setengah mati padanya," gumamnya sambil menatap Vaelric. "Bukankah itu terlalu tidak realistis?" Ia terdiam sejenak dengan senyum yang masih tersisa di bibirnya.
"Lagipula, kau, William, Finch, dan Asher sudah cukup lama mengenalku, dan aku sering mendengar orang bilang bahwa hanya Kepala Sekolah, Cindralis, yang lebih cantik dariku. Mengikuti logika itu, bukankah kalian berempat seharusnya jatuh cinta padaku dan memperebutkanku?" lanjut Ryaen, membalikkan argumen Vaelric dengan logikanya sendiri.
Vaelric menatapnya sejenak sebelum perlahan mengangguk dan menggeleng. Ia benar-benar mengerti maksud Ryaen.
"Tidak perlu memusingkan dirimu, Vaelric. Dia kan sudah menyukai pria bernama Zis Zaitsu itu," sahut Finch dari samping.
Ryaen menoleh ke arah Finch untuk mengoreksinya. "Aku memang tertarik padanya, tapi aku tidak jatuh cinta. Ada perbedaan besar di sana," tegasnya. "Lagipula, dengan semua orang yang akan kembali ke Kekaisaran masing-masing dalam dua hari, ketertarikanku padanya mungkin akan memudar seiring waktu. Jadi, begitulah."
"Kurasa itu masuk akal," aku Finch. Ia tidak bisa menahan diri untuk menatap Ryaen sejenak. Ryaen tampak sangat selaras dengan emosinya dan tidak merasa bingung sedikit pun.
Asher hanya mendengarkan tanpa menanggapi ucapan Vaelric atau Ryaen. Ia justru melirik jam tangannya.
Sudah pukul satu siang kurang lima menit.
"Kalian harus pergi dan mencari tempat lain untuk nongkrong karena aku akan berangkat," ujarnya.
Kelompok itu mengangguk. Ryaen melompat turun dari meja, sementara yang lain beranjak dari tempat mereka bersandar. Mereka semua berjalan keluar ruangan bersama-sama dengan Asher di belakang. Setelah mengunci pintu, Asher masuk ke dalam lift, namun di luar dugaan, mereka tidak benar-benar pergi. Mereka berniat mengikuti Asher sampai ke lobi hanya untuk melihatnya pergi.
Asher akhirnya pasrah. Mereka bertingkah seolah-olah mereka punya andil dalam kencannya dengan Arianna. Namun, tidak banyak yang bisa ia lakukan, jadi ia hanya memperhatikan mereka masuk ke dalam lift bersamanya.
Saat mereka sampai di lobi, Manajer Hotel sudah menunggu dengan kunci mobil di tangan. Ia menyerahkannya kepada Asher sebelum mengantarnya keluar melalui pintu putar. Asher terpaksa merapalkan Ilusi Cahaya pada kerumunan penggemar di luar agar mereka mengira Manajer Hotel sedang mengantar orang lain. Jika tidak, kerumunan itu mungkin sudah menyerbu ke arahnya.
"Mobil ini dilengkapi sistem GPS. Lokasi dan nama sirkuit balap yang Anda minta sudah dimasukkan ke dalam sistem navigasi," ujar Manajer Hotel melalui jendela penumpang saat Asher masuk ke kursi pengemudi.
"Terima kasih atas bantuannya," ucap Asher.
"Sudah tugas saya," jawab Manajer Hotel sambil mundur dengan senyum.
Asher mengetik nama hotel Arianna ke dalam sistem GPS, dan rute menuju hotel pun langsung muncul di layar.
Asher menoleh melalui jendela penumpang ke arah Finch dan yang lainnya yang berdiri di luar.
"Sampai jumpa nanti," katanya sebelum menekan tombol starter.
Mesin mobil menderu hidup dengan mudah. Ia menginjak gas sekali sambil tersenyum, memindahkan gigi, lalu menekan pedal gas dalam-dalam.
Mobil itu langsung melesat ke depan dengan deru mesin yang menggelegar, berakselerasi begitu cepat hingga hanya lampu belakangnya yang terlihat sesaat kemudian, sementara William dan yang lainnya berdiri terpaku menatap arah kepergiannya.
Mereka saling tersenyum sebelum berbalik dan kembali masuk ke hotel. Saatnya bagi mereka untuk merencanakan kegiatan mereka sendiri.
Ryaen stared at Asher as he looked into the mirror while applying perfume, and she couldn’t help but admit that Asher was simply too handsome, to the point where he made even the simplest clothes appear top-tier.
"I guess it was for the best that you didn’t overdress. After all, even wearing something so simple, it looks as though you could kill any woman out there with just your presence," she couldn’t help but comment.
If she had ever seen Asher in a romantic light, then she would have been jealous of Arianna at that moment.
"Then why aren’t you dead? Or are you not a woman?" Finch asked as he turned his black eyes toward Ryaen.
Ryaen’s black eyes shifted away from Asher as she stared at Finch, then simply shook her head. She had absolutely no words for this fatso.
Asher turned toward everyone and asked, "So, how do I look?"
Vaelric smiled as he spoke, "Do you even need us to answer that?" His question rhetorical.
William smirked as he replied, "With your perfectly styled hair, your stupidly handsome face, and the way the black and purple clothing and accessories complement each other, I’m sure Arianna would get pregnant just from looking at you."
Asher laughed before jokingly replying, "Then I might just have to go buy some milk if she does."
But Finch, Vaelric, William, and Ryaen didn’t laugh because they didn’t understand the joke. They all stared at him in confusion, wondering what milk had to do with the situation.
Asher simply shook his head as he said, "Forget I said anything."
William didn’t overthink it as he simply replied, "We’ll be waiting for the full gist and explanation of how the date went," he mused.
Asher glanced at him with a smirk. "I don’t kiss and tell."
"You’re definitely telling us about this one," Finch stated, as there was no way he was missing out on such lore.
Just as Celeste, Maeve, and Clara had pestered Arianna while constantly calling it a date, William, Ryaen, Finch, and Vaelric were practically doing the exact same thing. Different genders, yet the exact same attitude.
Both Asher’s and Arianna’s friends seemed far more invested in this meetup than the two people who were actually meeting.
"Both of you are a match made in the heaven. After all, both your names start with the letter ’A,’" Ryaen said with a gentle smile.
Asher merely shook his head without arguing with her. He knew there was absolutely no convincing these four to stop interfering or saying complete nonsense.
Vaelric turned toward Ryaen before asking, "But Ryaen, I’m curious about something."
"What about?" she replied as her black eyes met his brown ones.
"Is your heart made of stone?" he asked.
Ryaen frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Vaelric sighed before shaking his head. "You’ve known Asher for eleven months, and during all that time, you didn’t even develop the slightest flicker of feelings for him or anything. So I can’t help but ask... is your heart made of stone?" he stated.
Ryaen let out a small laugh before replying, "Asher was my first friend and nothing more. Just because he’s handsome and powerful doesn’t mean every girl he crosses paths with should immediately fall head over heels for him," she mused as she looked at him. "Isn’t that a bit too unrealistic?" She paused for a brief moment, a smile lingering on her lips.
"And besides, you, William, Finch, and Asher have all known me for quite a while, and I’ve always heard people say that only the Principal, Cindralis, is more beautiful than I am. By that logic, shouldn’t all four of you be in love with me and fighting over me?" Ryaen continued as she effortlessly countered Vaelric’s reasoning with his own logic.
Vaelric stared at her for a moment before slowly nodding and shaking his head. He completely understood what she meant.
"No need to bother yourself, Vaelric. She already likes that Zis Zaitsu guy," Finch replied from the side.
Ryaen turned toward Finch before correcting him. "While I’m interested in him, I’m not in love with him. There’s a huge difference," she stated. "Besides, with everyone returning to their respective Empires in two days, whatever interest I have in him might naturally fade away with time. So that’s that."
"I guess that makes sense," Finch admitted. He couldn’t help but stare at Ryaen for a brief moment. She seemed incredibly in tune with her emotions and wasn’t confused about them in the slightest.
Asher simply listened without responding to anything Vaelric or Ryaen had said. Instead, he glanced at his watch.
It was five minutes to 1 p.m.
"You guys need to leave and go hang out somewhere else because I’m leaving," he stated.
The group nodded. Ryaen hopped down from the table, while the others stepped away from where they had been leaning before everyone walked out of the room together, with Asher following behind them. After locking the door, Asher entered the elevator, but to his surprise, these guys weren’t actually leaving. They intended to follow him all the way to the lobby just to watch him drive off.
Asher simply gave up on them. They were acting as though they had personally invested something into his outing with Arianna. But at the same time, there wasn’t much he could do about it, so he simply watched as they stepped into the elevator alongside him.
By the time they reached the lobby, the Hotel Manager was already waiting with the car keys in his hand. He handed them over to Asher before personally escorting him outside through the revolving doors. Asher had to cast a Light Illusion over the gathered crowd of fans outside, making it appear as though the Hotel Manager was escorting someone else. Otherwise, the crowd might have actually rushed at him.
"The car comes with a GPS system. The location and name of the race track you requested have already been entered into the navigation system," the Hotel Manager said through the passenger-side window as Asher slipped into the driver’s seat.
"Thank you for the help," Asher stated.
"It’s my duty," the Hotel Manager replied as he stepped back with a smile.
Asher simply typed the name of Arianna’s hotel into the GPS system, and a route to the hotel immediately appeared on the display.
Asher looked through the passenger-side window toward Finch and the rest, who were all standing outside.
"Catch you guys later," he said as he pressed the ignition button.
The engine came to life effortlessly. He revved it once with a smile, shifted the gear into drive, then pressed down on the throttle.
The car instantly shot forward with a thunderous roar from its engine, accelerating so quickly that only its taillights could be seen moments later as William and the rest of the group stood there watching the direction in which he had disappeared.
They smiled at one another before turning around and heading back into the hotel. It was time for them to plan their own activity.
_____
AUTHOR’S NOTE: It seems some readers think that Asher is dense and can’t read the signals Arianna is throwing his way. So I decided to address it in the Chapter.
These two just met, so I’m not writing for them to just meet up, hold hands, and immediately kiss and sleep with each other. I want things to develop slowly, or at least for a while, between them.
And finally, the month is coming to an end, so support this author with a super gift, pretty please, and Golden Tickets too.
More Chapters may come this evening, but I can’t promise anything as I’m typing through a friend’s phone. So stay tuned.
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