It was Sunday, and since Shelly had the day off, Denial called her.
> Denial: "Shelly, can we meet? I have something urgent to discuss."
Shelly, busy handling customers at her father's restaurant, replied quickly,
> Shelly: "Come to my dad's restaurant. I'm really busy right now."
Denial hesitated. Going to Shelly's father's place didn't seem like a good idea. But eventually, he agreed.
That day, Kiki and Lucy were also at the restaurant, helping Shelly and her father. Sundays were always extra busy here. Mr. Herlen's cooking was loved by everyone—so much so that even shopkeepers from nearby grocery stores often came by to lend a hand when needed.
Denial drove his car to the restaurant and stopped in front of it. He stood outside for a moment, wondering if walking in was the right thing to do.
Outside, some customers noticed him.
> "Who's that handsome guy?" one whispered.
"Looks like a model," another said.
"Maybe Shelly's boyfriend," someone else suggested.
Denial could hear their whispers clearly. For a moment, he thought it might be better to just leave without meeting Shelly. He was about to get into his car when—
> Kiki: "Hey! Aren't you that guy?"
Denial turned, surprised.
> Denial: "You still remember my face?"
Kiki: (laughing) "How could I forget? You chased us out of your house like a madman that day!"
She stepped closer, eyeing him from head to toe.
> Kiki: "Wow… you're actually really handsome. So why were you living like some crazy hermit in such a filthy state?"
Denial narrowed his eyes at her. Before the conversation could go further, Lucy appeared.
> Lucy: "Kiki! Come quick! We can't manage all the customers alone!"
Kiki's eyes lit up mischievously.
> Kiki: "Oh, perfect! We just found another helper. Come on, Mr. Handsome."
Without giving Denial a choice, she grabbed his hand and dragged him inside.
Inside the kitchen, Kiki shouted,
> Kiki: "Shelly! Give me an extra apron!"
Shelly, busy preparing plates, looked up to see who had come—only to freeze. Her eyes met Denial's. For a second, her mind went blank.
He looks… like an angel who just stepped down from the sky…
She kept staring until Denial looked back at her. Their eyes locked.
Kiki, noticing the moment, smirked and nudged Shelly.
> Kiki: "Hey, are you going to work or just stand here staring? Help me carry these plates!"
Denial quietly put on the apron and took the plates from Kiki, walking out to serve the customers.
Just then, Mr. Herlen stepped out from the kitchen. His eyes widened when he saw a handsome young man helping out.
> Mr. Herlen: "Sweetheart, is this your friend?"
Before Shelly could answer, Kiki chimed in with a grin,
> Kiki: "Friend? More like an enemy!"
Shelly shot her a sharp look.
> Shelly: "Dad, this is Denial. He's a very nice guy… in fact, he recently started a design company—the same one you saw on TV the other day and praised so much. That's his company."
Mr. Herlen was stunned—and immediately excited.
> Mr. Herlen: "What?! That famous company is his? And you're making him serve food here? Sit him down at once!"
Both Kiki and Lucy stood frozen, shocked by the revelation. They had no idea who Denial really was—Shelly had promised to keep his personal matters secret. But now, a slip of her tongue had revealed that the mysterious man in front of them was actually the owner of a branded designer company.
Mr. Herlen invited Denial into the kitchen and said warmly,
> Mr. Herlen: "You're a good-looking young man. Tell me—do you like someone?"
Denial glanced at Shelly. She was already looking at him, her gaze soft and unreadable. For a long moment, neither of them looked away.
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