The lunch that followed was, unexpectedly, peaceful.
For a while, the only sounds at the table were the soft clink of chopsticks against trays and the low hum of conversation drifting through the faculty cafeteria. Chen ate as if the rest of the world didn't exist, fully immersed in his food. Juri ate quietly beside him, unbothered. Xiao moved at an unhurried pace, refined and composed as always.
Zhou Kai… tried.
He lifted a spoonful of food, clearly aiming for his mouth—only for it to land squarely against his left cheek.
There was a brief pause.
Then he tried again.
This time, the food brushed his right cheek.
Juri stared.
Chen blinked.
Xiao froze for half a second—then all three of them burst out laughing.
"Zhou Kai," Juri said between laughs, "are you eating or applying skincare?"
Zhou Kai didn't look embarrassed at all. He simply shrugged, wiped his cheek with the back of his hand, and muttered, "Missed."
What he didn't say was the real reason.
