[Music Recommendation: "A Sweet Smile" by Yu-Peng Chen (Genshin Impact OST) - available in Youtube or Spotify] ~ Please listen to it in a loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this chapter ~

Hours passed with me writing my new book. Actually, not writing, it was more like researching instead. I had to research lots of stuff like names—I wanted every name of my characters to have a meaning in them. I also researched for pictures of fantasy places for references—it was easier to imagine with pictures. Lastly, I researched about magic and their rules and all that stuff, but in the end I wasn't satisfied so I just made my own rules regarding magic. My new book was fantasy so of course, it had magic involved.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

My bubbles of thoughts all burst when I heard loud knocks on my room's door. I just heard it once but that pattern and strength could only belong to one brat. I guess three to four hours had passed?

Looking at the clock on my table, it was almost lunch time. I stood up and opened the door to welcome Callan's irritating face. Taking a good look at him, I was reminded of how he was still a teenager—at sweet sixteen to be precise. Right. I should have more patience with him. I'm the older one here. I should not stoop down to his level of maturity. Like they said, "Never argue with difficult people."

"It's time!" he said, looking so excited. But seeing my unamused expression, his lips that curved up, turned down in an instant.

"Yes, I know. Let's go."

We both went back to the kitchen and went straight to the fridge. I helped him take out all the ice cream varieties he made. There were seven of them in total, in different shades of yellow. How I hope one of them was made with cheddar or else I wouldn't like the flavour. Maybe I should have told him that.

Callan took sorbet glasses from the counter and scooped each flavour to one glass. He gave all seven for me to taste, and waited eagerly for my reaction. He stood on the other side of the counter in front of me while I sat on the other side. His intense gaze made me nervous.

I took a spoonful of the most yellow one with tiny cheddar-looking bits.

"Here it goes," I whispered to myself before taking the spoon to my mouth.

Then, my eyes widened. I looked at Callan with the spoon still on my mouth. He flinched seeing my reaction. Probably doubting his own creation, he grabbed another spoon and took a spoonful from my glass and tasted it.

His eyes widened in surprise, too. Yes. Who wouldn't be?

We both grinned afterwards and ended up laughing at each other.

"Oh my goodness! It tastes awesome! You nailed it!" I complimented him with much joy. The ice cream was delicious! Even better than what I got used with back in my country! I felt all my anger and hate towards him go down the drain in an instant.

"Woah! This is hella good!" he exclaimed in joy. "I didn't know that cheese and ice cream went well together! I say, you got taste."

"Of course, I do," I smiled smugly at him.

We both laughed our eyes out. After that, we tried tasting the others and they were all good, too, but the first one was still my favourite. We ate a whole glass of it with three scoops. I could have eaten more but lunch was coming and I would have to eat something proper.

As we ate, we chatted about random things and at last, made up. I'd have to admit that when he's not arrogant, he was a really funny person. He was good at conversations, too, like Crystal—given that all curse words and rude words were taken out.

"Hey, what are you a kid?" he suddenly said that to me.

"Huh? What now? I'm not a kid."

"You got somethin' on your—" he said, pointing his finger to his cheeks.

"Oh, I have something on my cheeks."

I tried wiping it off but it seemed that I missed the spot so he reached out his hands towards my cheeks.

'Wow. Is he gonna wipe it off for me? How nice of him. What a total 180 degree turn from his previous personality towards me.'

Thinking that, I froze up on my seat and just observed his hands go towards my cheeks. I wondered if it was that natural to him—touching a girl so casually.

Suddenly, another hand slapped his hand away from my face before it reached my cheeks.

I turned to my left and was surprised to see it was Kaiden! My lips curved into a smile instantly upon seeing him. But why was it that… he looked… angry?

Kaiden glared towards Callan.

"It looks like you two are enjoying yourselves," Kaiden said in a somewhat menacing tone. Or maybe it was just my perception?

'Did he wake up on the wrong side of bed? OMG! Don't tell me Callan knocked to his room before going to mine, disturbing his sleep? This stupid brat. He shouldn't have done that.'

Trying to appease his grumpiness, I offered some ice cream to Kaiden.

"He made ice cream! Cheese flavour! Try it, Kaiden, it's delicious."

Unconsciously, I offered a spoonful of ice cream and aimed at his mouth, as if trying to feed him. I froze up again realizing what I just did.

'Oh no. Oh no no no no no! He's mysophobic. I completely forgot!'

Kaiden was surprised. I slowly put down my hand that was holding the spoon, in my embarrassment.

"I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to—"

Chomp!

To my surprise, Kaiden took it!

'KYAAAAAAAAAA!!!! I can die peacefully now! OMG! Kaiden let himself be fed by me! WAAAAAAAAAA!!!'

My entire whole being, including my soul, my heart, my insides, and everything that was in me, leaped in extreme joy! I was literally, internally screaming! My heart thumped like drum rolls. If my normal heartbeat was 60 per minute, it's probably over a hundred now. My face was most likely as red as tomato because of this.

"Mhm. It's good," Kaiden nodded approvingly.

A smudge escaped on the side of his lips so he wiped it with his thumb and licked it.

'Gulp. Why in the world did that look so sexy? How I wish I'm that ice cream smudge. What the—Senara! Wake up! What in the world are you thinking? Nasty thoughts get out of my brain! Haaah… Why do Kaiden have to look so dashingly handsome in everything he does?'