" ..huh?"
"you heard me."
"..why don't we take a walk? "
venti desperately tries to change the subject, his palms sweaty. he's nervous. he loves xiao...but.
he knew he couldn't.
" hey , why not we go try that new restaurant you talked about last week? sounds fun , no? " venti hurriedly tries to change the subject, trying to distract xiao.
xiao notices venti's discomfort , and decides to not press him for an answer. he merely nods in silence , trailing behind venti to the new restaurant. it was a serve yourself , all you can eat buffet. he had only brought this up because he was sure venti would be interested.
going in , they're greeted by a waitress, who eyes xiao up and down. "table for one? or are you waiting for someone?"
"..there's...two of us?" xiao replies , confused. the waitress sighs , tired.
" sir , look. if you want to pull pranks , this isn't the time. are you waiting for someone?" xiao just nods , quiet. he glances at venti , who's staring at the floor. she seats them both , letting them know the rules and dishes available. after that , xiao immediately reaches for venti's arm. venti notices and retracts his arm.
" hey.. i'm sorry. are you okay?"
"yeah.. i'm fine. hey.. can i go to the bathroom?"
"huh? yeah ,sure!"
venti stands up , and quickly walks towards the bathroom. minutes pass. soon , hours.
venti doesn't return.
