Famorability
cut some ha done.” Zachury sand, changing fals opinion t
Arther checked her bankhulane and winced. Then, the silently called out to the symm
na there? I’ve note pot on dollars bent. The cafetera costs an dollars per i
in at least do dollars a day for mee meals. Not cipating other
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she reluctantly accepted that she would just do without cafeteria food, fontead, she pot toy cheap penceres and instant coffes to scrape by forme
Afteringparking, she let the derm to bargain for ingredients and a cheap por. When the returned, Zachary was already eating dinner
she washed the pot and chopped up the vegetables Then, the cooked the instant noodles and added a few extra servings.
Once it was ready, the filled the bowl with noodles and ropped it with an fer, tomatoes, and some ham out of politeness, the planed it directly in finait at Zachary andeded, “Zachan, would yo
“What’s this? You’re being nice to me for no trason? This is either a scam n
ca scam ora trap,” Zachary replied
Serine that Zachary didn’t seem to appreciate het gesture, Aether stopped trying to be overly friendly. But just as she was about to head back to her spot Zachary
She paused in her tracks. “Yes?
Zachary extended his hand, and Arther handed him the bowl and fork “If you like it, you can have
Before she could finish her sentence, Zachary slurped up the entire bowl in one bite.
Kerber stared at him in shock She thought that he’d just take a bite, not inhale the whole thing! His appetite was impressive, to say the least
“Not bad,” Zachary said after swallowing. “Make me another.”
“Sure thing!” Wether repeated the same process of washing the vegetables, chopping them, boiling the noodles, and mixing it with the seasonings.
Once it was ready, the respectfully placed the bowl in front of Zachary again “Here you go, Zachary.”
Zachary took the bowl and once again devoured the noodles, post then, a loud growl suddenly erupted from Aether’s stomach.
**You haven’t bad your dinner yet?” Zachary asked.
“I was about to, but it’s fine. You can eat first. I can make mare,” Aether said obsequiously. “If it weren’t for you, I’d still be stuck with those perverts. You’re a good prison, so please have as much as you like.”
[Zachary Comer’s favorability -1. Current favorability: -106.)
“Let’s get one thing straight,” Zachary warned. “I’m not gay. If you even think about touching me while I’m sleeping, I’ll castrate you and parade you nakud through the streets.”
Aether frantically waved her hands and explained, “I swear, Zachary, I have no intentions toward you. I’m just grateful that you took me in and helped me get away from those perverts. I want ip be your friend, not your boyfriend! So you don’t have to worry about anything at all.”
“You want to be my friend?” Zachary laughed. “I ended up killing the last person who told me they wanted to be my friend.”
Zachary smiled bittedly. “You have the audacity to ask me why?”
I just want to know the reason. If he did something wrong to upset you, then I’ll make sure not to do the same thing in the future.”
Zachary thought back to his childhood when he had been very close to a boy. He had even saved the boy’s Lite. But later, that same tend stole Zachary’s identity as the true son of Rosa and even send prople to hunt him down.
From that moment on, Zachary became less trusting of others, growing more numb and cold–blooded.
“Because he betrayed me,” Zachary answered. “He decided to repay my lindaeis with hatred.!!
“Oh “Arther’s heart ached with sympathy. “That must have hout you a lot.”
Zachary’s eyes reddened. And because of Aether’s understanding, be finally shared the truth. “When I was younger, I was really close to a lad who lived next door. He almost drowned, and 1 saved him. From that day on, we talked about everything and did everything together
but later, he said that he’d go to the city to help me find my mother. He took my keepsake, stole my identity, and even sent people to kill me. It my mother hadn’t. noticed something was off about him and gotten suspicious, I might have beendead by now.
“Later, my mother told me that there’s no such thing as pure friendship in this world. It’s all about mutual interests. No one is truly trustworthy, and the only person you can trust is yourself. In kosvemia, being kind is the most ridiculous thing. It just makes you look stupid.”
“How is being land stupid or ridiculous?” Aether argued. “Il everyone thought like that, the world would be so cold. You just saved the wrong person. That doesn’t make you stupid. In fact, he’s the heartless one and doesn’t deserve your kindness. But not everyone in the world is like the person who betrayed you.”
“Kindness?” Zachary laughed, “Do you really think that in kind?”
“It was kind of you to save him when he was drowning “Then, remembering what had happened at the cafeteria, she added, “And you took me in so I wouldn’t
de Leads Favorability
have to live with those people who bullied me. Isn’t that also kindness?
“You might have a scary or harsh side, but that doesn’t erase the kindness you’ve shown. I don’t believe that the world is just black and white. People are complicated. They have their own struggles and reasons for doing things. Nobody is bom knowing right from wrong”
“Stop making it sound so noble,” Zachary snapped. “And don’t flatter yourself. I did it for Gloria, not you. If it weren’t for Gloria, I wouldn’t have cared whether van lived or died. Do you really think I’d bother with some class F nobody?”
Aether didn’t answer him. Instead, she kept chopping the vegetables and asked, “Do you still want to eat? If you do, I’ll make you more.”
“Talready warned you. I don’t like gay guys”
“I’m just being a good friend. Don’t you have any friends?
Zachary didn’t reply. Aether asked again, “So, do you want more noodles or not?”
“As if I’ll die if I don’t eat it.”
Aether didn’t press further. Instead, she started cooking for herself. Then, she ate one bite at a time, barely chewing before swallowing. Her bites were small, but she ate quickly and finished the noodles in no time.
Zachary watched her eat, and as he recalled what she had just said, a mix of emotions stimed inside him.
[Zachary Conner’s favorability +5. Current favorability: -103.]
Aether’s eyes lit up at the favorability notification. She glanced at Zachary, only to find him already staring at her.
Their eyes met, and Zachary briefly felt awkward. But he quickly reverted to his usual carefree, cocky demeanor and said in a deflecting manner, “What are you loolding at? I’m not your top.”
Aether became speechless.
