Chapter 21

"Okay, I'll take Lila home! See you?" Pierre said as he drove his car towards the main road.

In contrast to Henry who is vengeful, who is flirtatious or Jacob who is gentle. Pierre felt that he had no grudge or serious problem with Ruby. Compared to other friends, Ruby used to be the closest to him because they were neighbors. It couldn't be said that Pierre hated him, but what he felt was a disappointment that he couldn't understand.

"My head hurts...!" Ruby raised her head slowly.

"If I get dizzy, I'll go back to sleep!" Pierre, who was driving his car, was still watching Ruby from the rearview mirror.

"Where is this?"

"In my car!"

"Where are the others?"

"Jake and Henry are going home. I'll take you!"

"I'm drunk, aren't I?" Ruby felt so dizzy and nauseous that her vision was spinning.

"Yes, it seems so!" Pierre sighed. He hoped Ruby wasn't too drunk to act strangely because she was currently driving.

"Oh my, how stupid of me! That must be so embarrassing, right?" He said while laughing while thinking about the embarrassing behavior he might have done without realizing it.

"Hahaha...not really. It's just that you look very excited. You can't drink too much alcohol, right?"

"Actually yes, hehehe..." Ruby giggled. He had to admit he was a bad drinker.

"Next time don't force yourself. We can go to a cafe and drink coffee!"

"But don't men go to bars or clubs when they get together? So, I thought-"

"Jake doesn't drink alcohol, he really takes care of his health. I also don't want to drink alcohol too often because I train regularly. Henry ie strong drinkers, so it's not a problem."

"That bastard duo hasn't changed, huh?"

"Hahaha...yes, that's it!"

Pierre continued to drive his car and occasionally glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure Lila was okay.

"Is it okay for you to come home drunk?"

"I guess it's okay! Who cares anyway."

"Thank goodness! Do you want to go somewhere?"

"Somewhere? Why?"

"The day after tomorrow I will return to Sydney. Henry, Jake and Aiden will also go to Sydney."

"You guys don't live in this city anymore, do you?"

"Yes, we're going home to attend the reunion invitation. Will you stay here?"

"Maybe, I don't know either!" Lila wasn't sure whether she could survive just by relying on her job at the cafe. But for now he doesn't have much choice.

"Why?" Pierre asked. Even though there was a lot he wanted to know from Lila. However, he was self-aware enough to hold back his curiosity until their relationship really improved.

"Yes, because I just got hired and I don't know where to go either." He said softly. Lila touched her head which felt dizzy. The words he didn't realize were coming out of his half-drunk mouth made Pierre feel something strange.

He didn't know why, but he felt that something made Lila decide to return to this city after being away for 10 years.

"Why don't you accept Henry's offer to work for his company?"

"I don't want to deal with that loser! I can't stand seeing his annoying face every day."

"Hahaha... you won't see him every day. Even though his words are rude and his behavior is childish. But actually he is very busy. He doesn't always have time to hang out because he has a lot of work to do."

"Isn't he the CEO? He shouldn't need to be that busy, right? He must have lots of subordinates helping him."

"You're right, but he feels very responsible for maintaining the company that has been passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, he takes his responsibility seriously."

Lila was stunned, Henry's annoying face appeared in her head which still felt dizzy and for some reason it made her feel very nauseous.

He didn't understand why Henry's attitude got worse as he got older. It felt like a miracle that they had been friends for 12 years. Something that might very well happen in this world.

"What about Jake? I heard his wife died. When did Jake get married?"

"He got married five years ago and his wife is the woman he was betrothed to!"

"So, Jake has an arranged marriage, huh?"

"Yes, you know what he's like, right? He's quiet and rarely mixes with women. He's never had a girlfriend, that's why his father matched him with the daughter of the owner of several hospital branches in Australia and New Zealand."

"The daughter of a rich family? Her father must be very happy, right? Those money-grubbing parents!" Lila mumbled and cursed. He still remembers what Jacob's father was like, who was known to be greedy and mercenary. A failed doctor who is obsessed with owning a private hospital.

Pierre smiled, he didn't expect that Lila was still as frontal as before. He hasn't really changed, only his outer appearance is different. But from the inside, she was still the Lila they knew.

"What about Aiden? What is his job now?" he asked. His immense curiosity arose. He begins to interrogate Pierre to tell him about many things he may not know.

Pierre chuckled, he was starting to feel comfortable with the conversation even though it seemed Lila wasn't really conscious.

"Why not just ask the person directly?"

"Later I'll ask him for details! Now you just tell me!" He said like someone who was delirious, but wanted to continue talking.

"Aiden works as a pilot for a private airplane owned by a wealthy family in Los Angeles."

"Pilot? That bastard? Really?"

"Yes! Sounds impossible, right?"

"No, I think maybe he will become a gambler and drunkard like his bastard father. Damn, if I remember how he used to beat Aiden, I feel like I just want to kill him!" He said with a strange emotion that Pierre could feel.

Lila still remembers all their childhood memories, she still remembers what her friends' parents behaved like. For some reason, Pierre felt touched because he still remembered all the memories they had together.

"How are you? Where do you work?"

"I have just graduated from my PhD studies in Sydney. Meanwhile I am still working as a part-time physics and modeling lecturer!"

"What about soccer? You don't want to be a soccer player anymore?"

"Hahaha...I think for now I don't really want it. Maybe there are other things that are better for me!" Pierre said while laughing dryly. As if there was something he was hiding.

"It's not because your father and mother are against your ideals, right?" Lila asked with unique sensitivity. Pierre couldn't hide his smile.

"You still think like that?"

"Didn't they used to say that being a football player couldn't guarantee your future? So, you stopped doing it because you thought maybe what they said was true. Is that so?"

"Hahaha...you're really drunk, right?"

"Yeah, I think I'm drunk."

***