Chapter 4
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was as if someone had hit the pause button on everyone present. They stood frozen in place, and just at that moment, the door behind them opened once more.
Sebastian emerged from behind the door, his brows furrowing instantly at the chaos in the room and the sight of Vivian, drenched from head to toe. His voice carried a note of displeasure. “What on earth is going on here?“– Nobody had expected Sebastian to get angry on Vivian’s behalf. After a moment of awkward silence, someone chuckled nervously and tried to explain, “Sebastian, we were just joking around with Vivian. Don’t take it seriously.”
“Is this what you call a joke?” he retorted, clearly not appeased by their explanation. While the others were busy making excuses, Vivian was more astonished by his reaction.
After all, due to Sebastian’s indifference towards her over the years, his buddies had always ridiculed and
mocked her.
She had grown accustomed to such humiliation and teasing, yet here he was, suddenly standing up for her?
“We just thought, now that the person you’ve been dreaming about for years is back, she should make some space for her…”
Someone attempted to laugh off the situation, but before they could finish, Sebastian silenced them with a commanding, “Shut up!”
Ignoring the puzzled looks from the others, he grabbed Vivian’s arm and made to leave. However, as he turned, Vanessa strolled in.
Seeing him about to leave, she pouted, her displeasure evident. “Sebastian, we haven’t even finished our game. I just got back from abroad and was finally having some fun, why leave now?”
Her words seemed to sow doubt in Sebastian’s determination to leave. He turned to Vivian, asking, “Vivian, can you hold on a bit longer?”
Vivian looked down at herself and suddenly chuckled.
Even at a glance, anyone could see she was soaked through, her forehead streaked with blood, and yet he was asking if she could endure?
But at that moment, she simply didn’t have the energy to argue with him.
“You guys go ahead and play.”
Those four words seemed to release Sebastian from a weight, and he visibly relaxed. The others quickly joined in, urging both of them to settle back on the couch to continue the game.
The group resumed their game of Truth or Dare, and in the first round, Sebastian lost.
“Sebastian, how old were you when you first had a crush?”
As the question was read aloud, eyes darted between him and Vanessa, and he didn’t disappoint with his answer, pleasing everyone.
“Fifteen.”
His answer was confident, and Vivian couldn’t help but recall the year Vanessa moved next door to the Balfour family estate–Sebastian had indeed been fifteen.
Whether by bad luck or not, Sebastian lost the next two rounds as well, and the questions grew bolder.
“How old were you during your first wet dream?”
“Seventeen.”
1/2
19:13
Chapter 4
“And who was it about?!”
The final question stirred up a chorus of cheers, but Sebastian fell silent.
He was about to forfeit and accept the penalty drink when someone stopped him. “Come on, Sebastian, if you don’t want to say the name, just give us the initials!”
Vivian sat quietly, watching as he finally released his grip on the glass and murmured a single letter.
“V.”
V, for Vanessa.
It was obvious to everyone. Not only Vivian but everyone else understood, and the room buzzed with excitement, Vanessa’s cheeks turning a deeper shade of red.
Amidst the noisy chatter, Vanessa finally lifted her head, her expression smug as she glanced over at Vivian sitting not far away.
“Vivian must be bored sitting there alone. Why not join us?”
With a “generous invitation,” Vivian didn’t refuse and joined the game, and they all gathered around to resume.
The luck shifted, and this time, it was Vivian who lost.
She casually picked a card from the deck and flipped it over, revealing a simple question.
“Is the person you love most here?”
“Oh, come on, that’s too easy!”
“Yeah, everyone knows Vivian’s head over heels for our Sebastian!”
Amidst the grumbling, Vivian found herself at the center of attention. She slowly shook her head.
“No.”
2/2
