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They ate in comfortable silence for a minute.
Then Patty suddenly pointed at the giant animatronics on the center stage, voice uneasy. "Soren… were their heads just turned toward us?"
Soren wiped sauce off his mouth, glanced over, and shrugged like it was nothing. "Yeah, you saw right. Looks like we've been marked."
He took a long sip of Coke. "But hey, relax. Word is if you just sit still and pretend you're a pizza, they won't come after you."
"You think I'm an idiot?!"
Patty almost hurled her fork at him.
"Ding-ding—"
The bell over the door chimed.
Four stunning girls in skimpy travel outfits strutted in, all legs and confidence.
"Road-trip wardrobe check—jeans, sneakers…"
They chattered excitedly about the next leg of their trip, instantly brightening up the dead diner.
The sleepy manager behind the counter perked up like someone had plugged him in. He rushed over with menus, fresh napkins, and that big greasy smile he definitely hadn't given Soren and Patty earlier.
One of them—a tall blonde with hair cascading down her back—swept her gaze across the room and locked onto Soren.
Typical mixed-Asian features, sharp jawline, the dangerous edge still radiating off him from the fight, plus that new silver streak in his hair… the guy looked like trouble wrapped in a red coat. Lethal.
Her eyes lit up. She broke away from her group, sauntered past the stage, and stopped right behind Soren's booth.
"Hey there, handsome."
Axelina leaned over the back of his seat, hands planted on either side of his shoulders, giving him the full view. Her chest practically brushed the back of his head.
She tilted her face, that beauty mark just below her lip catching the light as she smiled. "You two on spring break too?"
"Yeah. Just finished one hell of a wild road trip," Soren answered, turning to flash her a lazy grin.
"Oh? Sounds like you've got stories."
Axelina clearly took "wild road trip" the dirty way. She leaned in closer, ignoring Patty completely, voice dropping into full flirt mode.
Soren didn't shut it down. He played along, dropping smooth one-liners that had Axelina giggling behind her hand.
Patty, sitting across from them, stabbed her pizza crust like it owed her money. Her cheeks puffed out. She glared daggers at the blonde, mentally carving holes in her.
That damn Soren! Five minutes ago he was whining about being broke and making her cover every expense. Now one big-chested blonde shows up and he turns into a puppy?
She glanced down at her own chest.
…Yeah. Straight line of sight to her shoes.
She got even madder.
So if this idiot ends up booking a hotel room with Miss Hot Springs, she's supposed to foot the bill for their little love nest too?
Watching Soren laugh at something the blonde said, Patty finally snapped. She kicked him hard under the table.
"Ow—"
Soren rubbed his shin without changing expression, then turned to Axelina with an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, looks like my little princess is throwing a fit."
Axelina glanced at Patty's very obvious "I will murder you" face and smirked. "Cute. Feisty little sister, huh? Must be a handful."
Before she left, she dropped the bait she'd been saving.
"By the way, I know this amazing little spot nearby. Tiny town, not even on most maps. Built by some old Eastern-European nobles who got tired of war. Still got that old-world vibe—natural hot springs, parties…"
Her fingers brushed Soren's shoulder. "The springs are clothing-optional, by the way… Maybe I'll finally get a look at those abs you're hiding under that coat…"
Soren didn't hesitate. "Sounds perfect. Our car's out of commission, though. Mind if we catch a ride?"
"Plenty of room in ours. You're more than welcome," Axelina purred, giving him a wink and a smile that could melt steel before she sauntered back to her table.
The second she was out of earshot, Patty exploded in a furious whisper.
"You've fallen, Soren! Straight into the gutter!"
"You don't even know her and you're already jumping in their car? Because she's got big boobs?! Is that it?!"
Soren's eyes flicked down to Patty's chest for half a second, then back up with a grin. "Maybe."
Before she could detonate, he dropped the act and got serious.
"Relax. I'm not that easy. There's something off about her. You said the rest of the trip is my call, right? Trust me—this spring break is about to get way more interesting."
Patty folded her arms and huffed. "Fine. But just so we're clear—my card only covers reasonable hotel rooms. If you sneak off with that woman for some naked hot-spring 'spa day,' don't even think about asking me to pay one single cent of your little love-suite bill!"
Soren: "...?"
What kind of mental gymnastics was that?
Across the restaurant, Axelina slid back into her booth and started whispering to the other three girls about Soren.
The wildest-looking one lit up, stood halfway out of her seat, and blew Soren a bold kiss across the room.
He answered with a polite little smile.
One girl with slightly buck teeth was scribbling notes in a notebook, sneaking glances at him every few seconds.
The last one—hair in a neat ponytail, calmer vibe—gave Soren a small, steady smile and a nod.
Soren looked at her a second longer.
That sharp, wild, ice-cool beauty… she looked weirdly familiar.
Kinda like Alice from Resident Evil back in his old world.
But nah. Just the vibe and the eyes. Close, but not quite.