I Need the True Ending to Graduate - Chapter 8

Growwwl.

My steps toward the door suddenly halted.

Caught up in negotiating and drafting the contract at the table, I had completely forgotten.

I hadn’t eaten lunch, having spent the entire morning running around trying to borrow money, and it was already well past 2 p.m.

At times like this, I knew I had to stay composed, as if nothing had happened.

“W-Well… I’ll be going now.”

But the voice that came out was far from composed. It trembled like a goat.

It was such an awkward act that even I noticed how bad it was. If I noticed, Evan Bell surely had too.

I felt blood rush to my face and hurried my steps, trying to escape the office like a mouse fleeing into a hole.

But that plan went up in smoke.

“Wait.”

Evan Bell grabbed my wrist urgently.

Startled, I instinctively turned my head, revealing my flushed face and trembling eyes.

It was an utterly mortifying moment.

“S-Sorry, but… could you please let go of my hand and just let me go? I’m a bit embarrassed right now…”

“You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

When I finally managed to speak, that was his response.

Embarrassed, I replied curtly, “…If I had, my stomach wouldn’t be making noises.”

“Then eat at the restaurant before you go. I’ll let the staff know.”

“No, it’s fine, Boss. I’ll eat when I get back to the dorm.”

“Are you worried I’ll make you pay?”

“……”

Honestly, that hadn’t occurred to me. I was just too embarrassed by the situation and wanted to leave as soon as possible.

But Evan Bell’s grip on my wrist only tightened, as if he wasn’t about to let go.

“I’m not so stingy that I’d make someone who came to borrow money pay for their meal. It’s not like you’ll eat for ten.”

“……”

True enough.

“I’ll treat you to a meal to celebrate the contract. It’s the least I can do.”

“……”

“You won’t have to pay, and I won’t deduct it from the advance. Just eat before you go.”

“…But still.”

“Your favorite shrimp tomato pasta. It’s delicious. The restaurant’s signature dish.”

Growl…

“Eat before you go. I’ll tell the staff.”

As my stomach grumbled again, Evan Bell spoke firmly. His piercing blue eyes stared at me, demanding a response.

It seemed he wouldn’t let me go until I agreed to eat.

“Do you understand?”

“…Alright. I’ll eat before I go. Thank you for arranging the meal.”

“It’s nothing.”

“But…”

“……?”

“Aren’t you going to let go of my hand? I can’t eat if you keep holding it.”

“Oh.”

Only then did Evan Bell realize he was still holding my wrist. With a small exclamation, he finally released it.

I silently rubbed my wrist where he had grabbed me. A red mark was visible on my skin, and though it wasn’t serious, it throbbed a little.

Evan Bell, watching this, looked a little apologetic and awkward as he said hesitantly, “Are you alright? I didn’t mean to… hurt you.”

“It’s fine. I’m okay, Boss. It’s not like it’s broken.”

It was a joke to lighten the mood, but Evan Bell’s expression only grew more serious.

As I wondered how to recover from the failed joke, he spoke again.

“…I’ll call a staff member to escort you to the restaurant. Don’t worry about the cost and eat as much as you like. Think of it as a small token of my appreciation. And…”

“……?”

“Have your wrist checked by a doctor later. Send the consultation and treatment fees to me. Just mention my name, Evan Bell. They’ll handle it.”

“No, that’s really not necessary…”

“Sorry for keeping you so long. Now, please go. I’ll contact you through a letter for anything else.”

Evan Bell cut me off without acknowledging my refusal and immediately summoned a staff member to escort me out of the office.

‘Why is he acting like that?’

As soon as I was shown out, I followed the attendant toward the restaurant, briefly lost in thought.

The sudden dismissal had completely wiped away the earlier shame that had made me want to crawl into a hole.

I looked down at my wrist, where a red mark remained.

‘It wasn’t a big deal…’

It was a somewhat rude action. After all, he had grabbed me forcefully.

But it wasn’t so rude that it warranted such a serious reaction.

It didn’t even require treatment, and in a few hours, the mark and the throbbing pain would subside.

A faint pain that would disappear in less than a day.

Considering that, he had seemed overly shocked.

‘He told me to have a doctor check it and charge it to his name.’

I appreciated the sentiment, but it felt excessive.

Evan Bell’s behavior was suspiciously peculiar, but for now, I decided to deal with my hunger first.

The staff member expertly guided me through the restaurant.

Just like when I first passed through on the way to his office, the path twisted like a maze. The interior also changed rapidly, as if rewinding time.

Soon, I arrived at the restaurant.

The staff led me to a suitable empty table and even pulled the chair out slightly for me.

“Please enjoy your meal.”

“Oh, yes. Thank you for showing me the way.”

The staff gave me a quick smile and quietly departed.

Shortly after they left, a waiter promptly brought out the shrimp tomato pasta. It seemed Evan Bell had already made the request.

The pasta, served in a deep dish, looked freshly made, warm, and incredibly appetizing.

The waiter quickly and expertly finished setting the table and stepped back with a bow.

At last, only the pasta and I remained at the table.

“……”

I gazed down at the pasta with a solemn expression. Then I took off my bag and placed it on the empty chair, picked up a fork, and took a bite.

“……!”

My eyes widened at the taste. It was exquisite.

‘So this is the restaurant’s signature dish. No wonder he runs a restaurant.’

After scraping up every last bit of sauce from the plate, my opinion of Evan Bell had risen considerably.

He had made a jerk of a proposal, but perhaps he wasn’t all bad.

Once I finished the perfect meal, fatigue suddenly washed over me, and drowsiness followed.

I wanted to soak in a hot bath, put on soft pajamas, and dive into a fluffy bed.

‘I should return to the dorm before it gets any darker. I did manage to get the money, after all.’

Though it was quite late, I had enjoyed a flawless meal. I packed up and rose from my seat to head back to the dorm.

Just as I was about to leave the restaurant, Evan Bell’s words came back to me.

“Your favorite shrimp tomato pasta. It’s delicious. The restaurant’s signature dish.”

‘How does Evan Bell know that Lucia likes shrimp tomato pasta?’

If he knew her food preferences, then they couldn’t be mere acquaintances who passed by each other in the halls of the academy.

‘Does that mean today wasn’t the first time we met?’

But I was too tired and sleepy to think any further.

It wasn’t something I could solve by mulling over it anyway, so I left the restaurant.

As the door closed behind me, the warm light that had lit the restaurant vanished, and a cold winter wind swept over me along with the dusky shadows.

The streetlights were starting to flicker on.

I took a deep breath and was about to walk away when a system window suddenly flashed before my eyes.

[Quest: Visit Bell Restaurant in the academy and get a job. (0/1) (!)]

‘So that was the job it meant…’

I couldn’t help but let out a dry chuckle at the absurdity.

I had known it wouldn’t be money I could earn through normal work, but thinking back on Evan Bell’s offer made it impossible not to laugh.

‘Still, I got tuition and dorm fees out of it, and I gained a reason to raise his affection too. Let’s think of it as a win.’

Besides, though not certain, it seemed likely he had a thing for masochistic play. That could work in my favor.

With that, I persuaded myself and trudged off toward the dorm.