One Last Request

"Oh, stop! You're all so awful! Stop teasing me! I can't take that kind of teasing!" Kat spoke in a sweet yet bright voice and lightly jabbed Jason's arm.

She usually acted like one of the male friends, so this was nothing like her usual "female bro" act, especially with how she was so sweet today. She raised her wrist and showed off the delicate Cartier bracelet on it. "Look. It matches Jason's. Pretty, right?"

The moment everyone saw it, they gathered around her and started flattering her. "We've heard that the director has both a great career and a sweet, beautiful wife at home. We're so envious."

"You have to come to the next retreat. The whole trip would be a lot more enjoyable if there were a wife so beautiful around."

Jason stood to the side listening, then gingerly scolded them. "You people really don't know when to stop."

But oddly enough, he did not explain his relationship with Kat at all. Just when things were getting heated, I arrived. It was not a good moment for me to appear.

The mood instantly turned awkward.

Someone finally broke the silence and asked in confusion, "Wasn't this supposed to be a guys' gathering? Why is there suddenly a woman here? Who brought her?"

Everyone looked at each other, clearly unsure.

Jason frowned at me, a hint of impatience in his voice. "Why are you here? Did you really have to show up now? Just two days ago, I was saying you'd finally learned..."

I cut him off immediately and said, "You're the one who told me to come. The day before yesterday, you said it yourself. You wanted me to come today."

After hearing that, Jason went quiet for a moment, as though he had suddenly remembered. Then he said casually, "Oh... I've been so busy these past few days that I forgot. How about next month... No, maybe after New Year's. I'll take you north then. The scenery there is truly impressive. How does that sound?"

I knowingly smiled and went along with it after I heard what he had to say. It did not matter anyway. I would be gone soon, so what difference was there between next month and next year?

Then I turned to answer the man from earlier and said, "I'm your director, Mr. Smith's cousin. I haven't been in Oceanton very long, so I thought I would come hang out for a bit and get to know everyone."

He nodded. "You're his cousin? Welcome, welcome!"

Since this was supposedly a gathering for the boys, it really was not appropriate for a "cousin" like me to stay.

So, I smiled and said to everyone, "Since this is a guys' gathering, I'll head out so I won't interrupt you. We'll have a gathering next time if there's a chance. I'll make sure to get to know everyone properly then."

I said it politely and naturally. Jason did not ask me to stay after hearing what I had to say and simply nodded. Meanwhile, Kat looked at me from the side, something unreadable in her eyes.

"Nice bracelet." That was the last thing I said before I left.