Wow. . .
Hiro's timing was either impeccable or terrible.
I couldn't decide which but judging at the look of rage on Kenji’s face. . .we would all know his opinion on this soon.
Chapter thirty
The Hierarchy of Gestures
Nyomi
This uncomfortable silence crashed down around us, leaving my nerves frayed and exposed.
My pulse hammered in my throat as I watched Hiro.
Are you completely insane? Bringing up food and party planning now, with Kenji's rage practically crackling in the air?
We’d barely got the Dragon to agree to my being bait in the trap.
Now with the mention of the cocktail party, I could already see the storm building behind Kenji's eyes, a hurricane gathering force, and Hiro was throwing gasoline on the fire.
I gave everyone a nervous smile. “Thank you, Hiro, but we can discuss this later.”
"We can bring up some points now. For example, everyone's invited to the dinner," Hiro continued matter-of-factly. "Roar, Fangs, Claws, the Dragon. Full meal, multiple courses. But before dinner, there's a cocktail hour. Exclusive. Just for the Claws."
The Fangs reacted immediately.
Kaoru, the pink-haired playboy's beautiful face registered shock. "Wait. Just the Claws?!"
Yoichi set down his cup with a sharp click. "An exclusive cocktail party?"
Rin's usual bored composure cracked. "Why only them?"
Satoshi's military bearing couldn't hide his annoyance. "That doesn't seem fair."
Wow. Thanks a fucking lot, Hiro.
I tried to soften the news. “We’re not talking a big cocktail party—”
“It would be big to us. Signature cocktails and special hors d’oeuvres.” Hiro winked at me. “Right, Tiger?”
I frowned. “Yes.”
“Signature drinks?” Kaoru held out his hands. “What the fuck?”
Reo rubbed his forehead.
Hiro shrugged. "It's because of the bento boxes."
The Fangs exploded.
"The bento boxes?" Kaoru pointed at the table. "That was days ago! Are you all still on that?!"
"We were just THERE!" Yoichi's voice rose. "She offered them to us!"
To my shock, Rin—the royal Fang—definitely did not look bored anymore. In fact, he was absolutely animated. "You can't hold that against us forever! It’s bullshit and beneath you all!"
Satoshi looked genuinely upset. "We didn't even ask for the bento boxes. She gave them to us because we were at the club."
