Chapter 57
Suzy and Derek sat across from each other. She lowered her head to scan the menu and said firmly, "We agreed—I’m paying this time."
Derek smiled. "Alright, Miss Moneybags. I won’t argue."
They had come to a Japanese barbecue restaurant. The air carried the faint scent of charcoal and sizzling meat, mingled with soft background music and warm golden lighting.
Suzy flipped through the menu carefully before settling on a signature set that included several of the restaurant’s most popular dishes.
She looked up. "How about this one?"
The moment she lifted her gaze, she met Derek’s eyes. They were bright—almost shimmering under the lights.
He had been staring at her intently, utterly focused, as if he had forgotten to look away. A faint smile lingered at the corners of his lips.
Under the restaurant’s warm glow, he looked almost unreal—like a finely crafted doll placed across from her.
But when she caught him looking, a flicker of fluster crossed his face, softening the perfection and making him seem vividly human.
"Whatever you choose is fine," Derek said softly, blinking once.
Suzy suddenly felt a little uncomfortable under that heated gaze.
It was too direct. Too earnest.
She remembered the favorability he held toward her, and her thoughts wavered for a brief moment.
Fortunately, she forced herself back to focus.
"Alright, we’ll go with the set."
She called the waiter over and placed the order. While waiting for the food, she spoke again.
"When are you planning to go to C City?"
She remembered he had mentioned visiting relatives there not long ago. But the extreme heat disaster would begin tomorrow.
If he left now, he would most likely be stranded in C City.
"Ah... about that." Derek didn’t answer directly. Instead, he asked, "What about you, Senior? Are you going back to C City again?"
Suzy shook her head. "My uncle and I have moved to A City. We’ll be staying here for a while. What about you?"
"My relatives went abroad," Derek replied with a faint look of regret. "So I won’t be going after all."
Suzy blinked. "That’s... quite a coincidence."
She had assumed he contacted her because he planned to leave. But that no longer mattered. What mattered was ensuring he was prepared.
"School’s on break now, right?" she said. "You’d better stay in A City for the time being. Don’t go anywhere else."
Derek leaned slightly closer across the table and asked gently, "Why?"
Only then did Suzy realize how authoritative she had sounded.
She hesitated before explaining, "Something might happen soon. If you stay in A City, we can look out for each other."
Derek’s eyes curved as he smiled. "Okay. I understand."
She pressed further. "Did you buy extra supplies as I told you to?"
"Of course. I remember everything you say," he replied.
"How much did you buy?"
Derek unlocked his phone and opened his photo gallery before handing it to her.
Suzy scrolled through the pictures. Stacks of instant noodles. Ready-to-eat meals. Self-heating hotpots. Drinks. Canned food. All long-lasting supplies.
He had clearly prepared seriously.
But the quantity... It wasn’t nearly enough. Even rationed carefully, this would last perhaps two months at most.
That was far from sufficient.
"You need to buy more," Suzy said, handing the phone back.
But as she returned it, her finger accidentally brushed the screen and exited the gallery.
The lock screen appeared.
Suzy glanced at it—and froze.
The wallpaper was a photo of her and Derek together.
It was a club group photo.
Everyone had been in the frame that day—but Derek had been standing right beside Suzy.
She remembered the moment clearly: the laughter, the casual shoving as they squeezed into position, the sunlight slanting across their shoulders.
What she hadn’t expected was that Derek had cropped the image down to just the two of them—and set it as his lock screen.
While she was still stunned, he had already snatched the phone back with surprising speed.
A flicker of embarrassment passed through his eyes. His lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to explain.
In the end, he said nothing.
A strange, unnameable feeling drifted through Suzy’s chest. She didn’t want things between them to become awkward.
After a brief pause, she chose to pretend she hadn’t seen it.
Smoothly, she changed the subject. "I’ll have someone send more supplies to your place tomorrow. Your address hasn’t changed, right?"
He had given her his address a long time ago. She still remembered it clearly.
"...No," Derek replied, shrugging at her. "It’s the same."
There was the faintest trace of something in his eyes—something almost... wounded.
"That’s good." Suzy suppressed the odd discomfort rising inside her.
Just then, the waiter arrived with their food.
The charcoal grill was already hot. Derek skillfully placed thin slices of marinated meat onto the rack, the sizzling sound instantly filling the space between them.
As he worked, he asked how she had been adjusting to life in A City. Suzy, who had been holding in complaints about Ronan for days, seized the opportunity.
Once she started talking, the words poured out in a steady stream.
By the time she finished venting, Derek had already cut the grilled meat into bite-sized pieces—golden brown and fragrant—and placed them neatly into her bowl.
He listened with a gentle smile the entire time.
Only after she stopped did she realize that he had been grilling nonstop. And almost all the meat had ended up in her bowl.
He’d barely eaten anything himself.
A flush crept up her cheeks.
"You should eat too. You’ve been cooking this whole time. Let me do it now."
"Okay." He handed her the tongs without protest.
They continued chatting while she took over.
Suzy grilled carefully this time, placing each finished piece into his plate, keeping only a small portion for herself, which she wrapped in lettuce.
She spread sauce over the meat, folded it into a neat green roll, and held it between her fingers.
Derek suddenly said, "Senior, the one you made looks really good."
She looked up. He was staring directly at the lettuce wrap in her hand.
"Do you want to try it?" she asked casually.
"Yes," he replied softly. "I do."
Without thinking much of it, Suzy extended her hand to pass it to him.
She was rather proud of her seasoning—it was her own special combination.
She had expected him to take it from her. Instead, he leaned forward slightly and bit directly into the wrap she was holding.
Suzy’s eyes widened. He had just taken a bite—without taking it from her hand.
She reflexively pulled her hand back, her mind buzzing.
"So good," he said, smiling at her.
"...I’m glad you liked it," she managed, trying very hard to ignore the heat creeping up her ears.
After paying the bill, they stepped out of the restaurant.
People milled about on the sidewalk, fanning themselves, complaining about the oppressive heat.
Suzy checked the time. It was getting late.
"I should head back," she said. "Did you drive here? If not, I can give you a ride."
Derek’s gaze flicked, almost imperceptibly, toward his car parked not far away.
He decisively shook his head.
"Thank you. If it’s not too much trouble... could you take me home?"