The morning light seeped through the windows as the smell of freshly made breakfast filled the dining room. Eden sat at the table with Butler and Thomas, his mind still clouded from the events of the previous night.
Halfway through his meal, Eden put down his fork and looked at Thomas. "Do you know anything about my brother, Ethan?"
The room fell silent.
Butler's chewing slowed, and Thomas, who had been casually sipping his coffee, froze for a second before resuming as if nothing had happened.
"Ethan, huh?" Thomas let out a small chuckle. "That name brings back memories."
Eden narrowed his eyes. "So? Do you know where he is?"
Thomas casually stirred his coffee. "Why do you suddenly care so much?"
Eden clenched his jaw. "Because I need to find him."
Thomas exhaled and set his cup down. "Listen, kid, sometimes people leave for a reason. Maybe it's best if you—"
Before he could finish, a loud yawn interrupted the conversation.
A half-asleep girl stood at the top of the staircase, her messy hair covering half of her face. She rubbed her eyes, clearly still waking up.
"Ughhh… morning already?" she mumbled, stepping forward.
Eden, who had been in deep thought, barely registered her presence—until she lifted her head.
Their eyes met.
There was a moment of silence.
Then—
"YOU?!?!" they both screamed at the same time.
Stella, now fully awake, pointed at Eden. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS JERK DOING HERE?!"
Eden shot up from his chair. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
Stella stormed down the stairs, her hands clenched into fists. "I should be asking YOU that, dumbass!"
Eden turned to Butler with a look of pure betrayal. "WHY is she here? I thought we were in Thomas's house!"
Butler, casually munching on toast, smirked. "We are. She's my sister. And Thomas's too, obviously."
Eden blinked. "What. The. Hell."
Thomas, watching the chaos unfold, leaned back in his chair, enjoying the show.
Stella glared at Eden. "I thought I was finally free from this idiot, and now he's in my house? This is a nightmare."
Eden scoffed. "Trust me, I'd rather be anywhere else."
Stella crossed her arms. "Good. Then leave."
Eden mimicked her. "Gladly. But after breakfast. Free food is free food."
Thomas chuckled. "Ah, breakfast and a live-action sibling war. What a perfect morning."
Butler grinned. "I didn't even know you two knew each other!"
Stella groaned. "Unfortunately, I met this idiot during a shoot."
Eden pointed at her. "Oh yeah! You're that crazy girl who slapped me!"
Stella smirked. "You ruined my shoot, you idiot! I should've slapped you harder!"
Eden dramatically clutched his chest. "And to think I tried to save you! How cruel the world is!"
Stella raised a fist. "Do you want another slap? Because I won't hesitate."
Eden backed up instantly. "Alright, alright! No need for violence, psycho!"
Thomas shook his head with amusement. "Alright, alright, calm down. So, what's this about Ethan?"
Eden's expression darkened. Before he could answer, Butler leaned in slightly.
"You still looking for him?" Butler asked.
Eden sighed. "Yeah."
Thomas exhaled through his nose. "You sure you wanna dig into this?"
Eden nodded. "I have to. He's my brother."
A tense silence followed, but before anyone could continue—
A loud ringtone pierced the air.
Eden froze. His phone vibrated in his pocket.
He pulled it out and saw the name on the screen. Grandma.
The entire room went silent.
The atmosphere, which had been filled with laughter, shouting, and playful threats, suddenly turned cold.
Eden hesitated before answering.
"Hello?"
His grandmother's worried voice came through immediately. "Eden? Where are you?"
Eden lowered his gaze. "I'm fine, Grandma. Don't worry."
She sighed. "You left without telling me. You know that's not okay, right?"
Eden felt a pang of guilt. "I know… I just… I had to do something."
Grandma's voice softened. "I was worried sick. You were running a fever last night. And what about school? You can't just skip classes like this."
Eden's grip tightened on the phone. He knew she had every right to be upset, but there was no turning back now.
"I'll come home soon," he finally said.
Grandma sighed again. "Alright. Just… don't do anything reckless, okay?"
Eden exhaled. "I won't. I promise."
As he hung up, he glanced around.
No one spoke.
Then—
Stella suddenly smirked. "So, how many degrees have you got in that school?"
Eden, still holding his phone, scoffed. "I dunno. How many fans have you got by doing those stupid shoots, huh?"
Both of them locked eyes again, their competitive energy reigniting.
Before the tension could escalate, Thomas sighed and set his cup down. "Alright, that's enough. Let's just finish breakfast before you two start throwing punches."
Butler stretched his arms. "Actually, we should hurry. We've got to meet someone at school."
Eden raised an eyebrow. "Who?"
Butler grinned. "You'll see."
As they finished their meal, Eden couldn't shake off the feeling that the day was about to get even more chaotic.
End of chapter 5