Chapter 7

                                    

                                          
The bright sun shone through a small gap between the curtains, reflecting on Tzuyu's face and causing him to wince as he moved in his sleep. After a series of grunts, he woke up and squinted his eyes as they adjusted to the light. He looked around, noticing his unfamiliar surroundings, and suddenly opened his eyes in shock as his head rapidly moved from side to side to comprehend the room.
'What the fuck! Where am I? A hospital!? I was at the club. And why do I remember that girl whose house I very rudely broke into? My face hurts. I need to get out of here.'
He jolted out of the bed and sped towards the open door, stumbling over his steps and landing on the ground in front of a pair of feet.
"Yaa Pabo! Why are you running? Are you good?"
Tzuyu looked up to see Momo, looking at him with a mixture of concern and aggravation. His confused expression changed to relief as he sighed and got himself up. He hugged her softly, "Momoring, thank god it's you. I thought that this random girl brought me here after somehow beating me up." He released her, and she smacked his head, "Yaa! Mwoya?!"
She crossed her arms, rolled her eyes, and looked at him angrily. "Number one - that 'random girl' you remember was my friend Sana, whom you should know. Number two - You shouldn't be out partying and drinking as a 17-year-old. Finally, why are you bruised and hurt, you pabo!?"
He regarded her with a hint of anger, memories of the previous day's events fueling his ire as he stepped forward, hovering over her with a slight distance between them. "Momo. Stop asking so many questions. Mind your own business."
She closed the distance between them, "Chou Tzuyu, don't give me that look, and don't speak to me in that tone. Besides, it is my business since I had to cover for you and look after you for the whole night. I even had to put you back on the bed because your sleepy ass fell down and refused to get up. That was exhausting. I felt like I was about to die. You're so heavy!" She went on, her words a mix of complaint and concern, while the young boy looked down at her, a blend of annoyance and bewilderment on his face.
Despite his cold gaze, he thought his only friend looked cute in her foolishness. He sighed and gently placed his hand over her mouth, silencing her. "Shhhh. You're too noisy today," he whispered, admiring her astonished expression secretly. "You always take care of me when I'm drunk," he admitted, "So we'll head to yours and I'll make you pancakes. Because you can't cook," he muttered under his breath as Momo's face lit up hearing pancakes.
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Chou Mansion - Taio's office
"Where is that brat?"
"Taio, calm down. He's just a kid; he was playing a prank."
"A prank! Are you kidding me? That 'prank' could have destroyed my entire reputation! How would you feel if Dahyun did that to you?" Taio's voice was a growl, his face twisted with rage as he aired his grievances to Shuo.
Shuo stood by, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, secretly amused by his nephew's antics. 'Dahyun couldn't possibly carry out such a prank,' he thought, 'There are no such inappropriate photos of me.'
"Hyung, I would be angry at Dahyun because it's unexpected. However, we all know Tzuyu. He does things like that when he's upset."
Taio's eyes narrowed, his face darkening. "You're right. Each time he committed one of his insolent 'pranks,' he faced consequences. This time, his punishment will be even more severe."
Shuo's amusement didn't fade. He watched Taio with a cool detachment, understanding just how far his brother's wrath would go. The contrast between Taio's malevolence and Shuo's calm made the scene even more eerie.