"These bubblefruits look really good," Gaedric says, changing the topic.
"Thank Ami. He always tends to them in the garden," Silas responds.
"Yeah, he always tells me. He really loves gardening, doesn't he?" Gaedric says with a smile.
"He got it from his mother… however, I don't think it's necessary," Silas says, turning his eyes away from the drink.
"These really do look good. Why don't you have one yourself?"
"That's something more for children to drink," Silas dismisses.
Gaedric places his bubblefruit in the centre of the table between him and Silas, as Gadeon watches.
"Why don't we share this one?" Gaedric proposes, grinning widely.
"Huh?" Gadeon blurts.
"What do you mean?" Silas asks, not understanding.
"What's there not to understand?" Gaedric says, tilting his head and raising an eyebrow.
"As in—you're asking me… a grown man… to put my lips… while you'll also be putting your lips… on the same bubblefruit you placed in the centre?" Silas says, breaking it down slowly. His expression remains stoic, but his pupils go completely blank.
Gadeon, who can't be bothered with the nonsense he's hearing, is about to suck his bubblefruit. However, in that very moment, Gaedric blurts out, "Ah, you're yapping too much."
Instantly, Gaedric stretches his arms and, at the same time, goes to drink the bubblefruit. He grabs Silas by the head and pulls him toward the fruit at the centre of the table.
"Wha?!" Silas can't even finish his word—the shock completely throws off his speech. Gadeon is just as stunned, his lips hovering near his own bubblefruit, his eyes locked onto Gaedric's insane stunt.
It all happens in one swift motion.
Now, all three of them have their lips on their respective bubblefruits, drinking at the same time, the jelly-like membrane shifting as the liquid flows smoothly into their mouths.
Gadeon's eyes sparkle.
Gaedric's eyes sparkle.
Silas, in that instant, is thrown back into the past—to when he was around Ami's age, walking through a park, battered and bruised, limping. A young girl, about his age, approaches him and shares a bubblefruit. The moment young Silas takes a sip—his eyes sparkle.
Back in the present…
Silas's eyes sparkle the same way they once did as a child.
"I—I have something like this… in my house?" Silas says.
"I should be the one saying that! Wow! Ami is really amazing! How are you not addicted to this stuff?!" Gaedric says, still drinking, unable to get enough.
Addiction is the right word… Gadeon thinks. Hmm? What if I make a business out of this? But if Ami himself can grow it, I'm sure others can too… that would saturate the market. People are probably already selling it… but this bubblefruit feels different. There's something here… a potential business idea.
"What the hell?"
Gadeon and Gaedric turn around at the sound of Ami's voice. He's come downstairs—and has clearly witnessed everything.
"Dad… you're into men?"
"WHAT?!!!" his father shouts, completely humiliated, as he shoots up from his chair. Gaedric sniggers under his breath, covering his mouth.
"Why are you laughing?! Explain to him! I can't have my child thinking like that!" Silas snaps, directing his frustration at Gaedric. "And how can you ask your father such a question?!"
"Because I've never seen you do that with mum."
"What?! I was forced into this! I had no inten—"
"Huh? So you let another man force you to use your lips and suck on his fruit?"
"DON'T YOU SAY IT LIKE THAT! HAVE SOME RESPECT! IN FACT—GO TO YOUR ROOM!" Silas shouts, fuming.
Gaedric makes it worse by laughing harder, juice from his bubblefruit spraying everywhere. Gadeon quickly shields himself, his expression irritated.
"You're right, I will go to my room… all I did was come downstairs to make a snack… but I'm good."
"No—no! In fact, come make your snack!" Silas says, flustered, his face turning red.
"No…" Ami replies, walking away. "You want me in my room so you can continue, right?"
"STOP WITH THAT!"
"Have fun."
"I'LL DEAL WITH YOU LATER!"
The door slams as Ami disappears into his room.
"You see what you caused?" Silas says, trying to compose himself as he sits back down.
"Calm down, he was joking…" Gaedric says, still holding back laughter, though it's finally settling. Then, with a sudden shift to a serious expression, he asks, "So how come Ami hates you?"
Gadeon chokes on his bubblefruit, not expecting such a direct, insensitive question.
"Straight to the point?" Silas says.
"Depending on the type of person you are, you either think that's a good or bad trait," Gaedric replies.
"If I say it's none of your business, how would you take that?"
"I could use the fact that I'm part of the Senior Leadership Team and want to ensure one of my students is safe at home…"
A pause.
"But I know you're not physically abusing him… I've never seen a single scratch. In fact, Ami is probably one of the healthiest kids I've seen—good physique, muscles for his age. Even if people mock him for looking feminine, his muscles are more defined than most male students. Well-fed, good skin, good hygiene… is that all your doing?"
"He got it all from his mother," Silas responds.
"I see… back to your question… it's curiosity."
"Curiosity?" Silas says.
"As his sensei… how is someone so sweet like Ami able to hate? All he says about you is that you're a bad man… and that you hate him."
Silas clenches his fists, his expression still stoic.
"Why does he think like that? Do you truly hate him? The fact that Ami can talk back to you shows that, despite it being disrespectful at times, there's safety—he knows no harm will come to him… so why does he say you hate him…?"
Silas clenches his fists harder, his foot beginning to tap.
"Has Ami ever heard the words from you… 'I love you'?"
"Gaedric-sensei…."
A teardrop falls onto the table.
Gadeon and Gaedric freeze in shock, their eyes widening as they glance at each other.
"Do you want my Ami for me… please."
More teardrops fall onto the table as Silas's stoic expression completely shatters. Both his hands grip into his scalp, his face twisted with regret and self-hatred.