System Mission: Seduce the Final Boss [BL]

Myles looked at Blake for several seconds.

"No. We’ll eat there."

Blake stared at him.

"There really isn’t any need to choose somewhere this expensive."

"We aren’t going to the higher floors."

"...We’re not?"

"The ground floor isn’t expensive. It’s not especially eye-catching either, if that’s what you’re worried about."

Blake scratched the back of his head.

He looked down at himself, then at Myles.

To be fair, neither of them looked out of place. They were dressed normally. Nothing particularly formal, but certainly not shabby either.

Blake still wasn’t convinced.

Myles added, "I’ll pay."

"No, no. That’s not the problem."

"Then don’t worry about your allowance."

"That’s still not—"

Blake stopped.

Myles was already walking toward the entrance.

"Come on."

Blake sighed and followed.

The name above the entrance made him pause.

Demidov.

Even the name sounded expensive.

Blake stared at it for a moment.

It definitely didn’t look like the sort of place Myles would normally choose.

Myles always seemed determined to remain as average as possible. Average clothes, average university, ordinary routines whenever he could manage them.

So why was he completely comfortable walking into a place like this?

Sure, he’d said the ground floor wasn’t exclusively for wealthy people.

But still.

Blake followed him inside.

The atmosphere immediately changed.

The lobby was elegant without being overwhelmingly luxurious.

Warm lighting reflected off polished floors, and there were several sections separated by decorative partitions.

It was busy enough to feel lively, but not so busy that it became loud.

A waitress approached them almost immediately.

"Good evening. Do you have a reservation?"

Myles took a card from his wallet and showed it to her.

The woman’s expression changed.

She immediately lowered her head politely.

"Of course. Please follow me."

Blake’s eyebrows rose.

’What was that?’

Myles simply followed the waitress.

Blake decided to wait until they were seated.

They were taken toward the restaurant on the ground floor.

It was much more ordinary than Blake had expected.

There were families sitting around several tables. A group of teenagers appeared to be celebrating someone’s birthday, complete with a small cake and candles. Another family was quietly eating dinner together.

It was nice.

Expensive-looking, perhaps, but not absurd.

They were seated at a table near one of the windows.

A waiter arrived shortly afterward, placing two glasses of water in front of them before offering menus.

"Your server will be with you shortly. In the meantime, please enjoy these."

He placed a small plate of bread and a dish of butter on the table, followed by two small complimentary appetizers.

Blake looked at them.

"Oh."

The waiter smiled politely before leaving.

He waited until he was out of earshot.

Then he immediately leaned toward Myles.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"That card."

Myles looked at him.

"It belongs to Zlatan."

Blake tilted his head.

"What?"

"It belongs to Zlatan."

"I heard you the first time... but what is that about."

Myles picked up a piece of bread.

"Someone close to Zlatan owns a hotel and restaurant group."

Blake’s eyes widened.

"Who?"

"An older man who knew Zlatan’s uncle."

Blake’s expression became more serious.

"Is he safe?"

"Yes."

"You know that for sure?"

Myles nodded.

"He knew Zlatan’s uncle well. His uncle died shortly after Zlatan turned three."

Blake’s expression softened.

"The man knows the context because of him."

"Yes."

Myles took a sip of water.

"He helped us when we first started working together."

Blake listened carefully.

"And now?"

"He continues to help."

"How?"

"He has connections to the underground. He can obtain information that would otherwise be difficult for us to access."

Blake’s eyebrows rose.

"So he digs for information for you?"

"Constantly."

Blake leaned back.

"Wow."

He looked around the restaurant.

’So there’s actually someone like that.’

Blake looked at the bread in his hands.

It was strange.

He had spent so much time thinking that Myles and the others were operating almost entirely by themselves.

Apparently, there were people quietly supporting them from the outside.

They ate the appetizers while they talked, washing them down with a chilled non-alcoholic drink the restaurant had provided.

Blake found himself relaxing.

Maybe this wasn’t as strange as he’d initially thought.

A waiter eventually returned.

"Have you decided?"

Blake looked at the menu.

"I’ll have the vegetable soup with the herb bread."

The waiter nodded.

"And for you, sir?"

Myles looked through the menu for a moment.

"I’ll have the grilled chicken with the grain and vegetable plate."

Blake glanced at him.

The waiter took the menus and left.

Blake watched him go.

Then something occurred to him.

"Why didn’t you choose fish?"

Myles’ eyebrow twitched.

"It was removed from the menu."

Blake’s eyes widened.

"What? You mean all the fish?"

"Yes."

"What kind of restaurant leaves fish off the menu?"

Myles looked at him.

"The owner did."

Blake raised an eyebrow.

"The man who owns this whole thing?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Myles paused.

"He did it on a whim."

"On a whim?"

"In case I ever had to eat here, he said he wouldn’t have the opportunity to eat seafood."

Blake slowly looked to the side.

"That’s... well, something. A prank specifically designed around you?"

"Apparently."

Blake looked back at him.

"Are you okay with that?"

"It doesn’t particularly matter."

Myles shrugged.

"My diet consists mostly of seafood. But I balance it with other foods."

Blake sighed lightly.

’Such peculiar people, all of them.’

Myles continued eating the appetizer.

Blake took another sip of his drink.

"And this guy just owns an entire hotel and restaurant chain?"

"Yes."

"And he’s connected to the underground."

"Yes."

"And he apparently removes an entire category of food because of a joke."

"Yes."

Blake shook his head.

"I don’t even know what to say."

Their meals arrived before he could say anything else.

The waiter carefully placed Blake’s soup in front of him, along with a basket of warm bread.

Myles received his chicken, grains and vegetables.

Blake immediately picked up his spoon.

The first taste made him pause.

His eyes widened slightly.

"Wow."

Myles looked at him.

Blake took another spoonful.

"This is really good."

He dipped a piece of bread into the soup and ate it.

Myles watched him for a moment.

"Why do you like soup so much?"

Blake stopped.

He tilted his head.

"I..."

He looked down at the bowl.

Why did he like soup so much?

He knew he did.

But the reason... he didn’t really know.

Or rather, there was a reason.

He simply couldn’t remember it anymore.

Something about childhood.

Something from before, in his previous life.

The thought appeared fleetingly, and with it came a dull pressure behind his eyes.

Blake winced slightly.

A headache.

He blinked and looked down at his soup.

He couldn’t remember much from that life anymore. Most of the memories had become fragmented impressions, sensations without context.

Warmth.

A table.

Someone sitting nearby.

A bowl.

Nothing more.

He didn’t want to chase it.

"It’s probably because I ate it a lot as a child," Blake said eventually. "It’s easy. Light, too."

Myles looked at him.

Then nodded.

"I see."

He took another bite of his meal.

Blake smiled faintly and returned to his soup.

That was the most logical answer.

It was simple.

It made sense.

And yet, as he dipped another piece of bread into the broth, Blake knew it wasn’t the real reason.

He just couldn’t remember what the real reason was.

"I want to go to the bathroom."

Myles looked up from his plate.

"I’ll accompany you."

Blake immediately raised a hand, laughing.

"No, no. It’ll only be a second, really."

"Alright."

Blake stood.

He approached the nearest waiter, who gave him directions toward the facilities.

"Just down the corridor, then take the stairs on your left. The restrooms are at the end."

"Thank you."

Blake followed the directions.

The corridor was quieter than the dining area, with softer lighting and decorative panels along the walls.

He walked for a little while, then stopped.

He didn’t actually feel like going anymore.

It had just been an excuse to get up.

Blake glanced back toward the restaurant.

’I’ll go back in a minute, anyway.’

He simply wanted to look around.

The place was beautiful.

"Huh."

He looked toward a staircase leading upward.

The higher floors were probably much more expensive. He wondered what they looked like.

Then, he heard voices which froze him in place.

They were coming from upstairs.

At first, he couldn’t make out the words.

His stomach dropped.

He knew that voice.

Blake looked toward the staircase.

Several people were coming down.

And among them, his half-brother.

He instinctively stepped backward.

His half-brother hadn’t seen him.

He was talking to someone beside him, completely unaware that Blake was standing only a short distance away.

Blake’s mind raced.

Of all places.

Of all nights.

He couldn’t just walk past him.

He couldn’t let him see him.

Blake turned slightly, searching for somewhere to disappear.

Ba-dump.

Ba-dump.

Ba-dump.

A hand grabbed him.

Blake barely had time to gasp before someone pulled him sharply to the side.

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